A Love Letter to Charm City
Issue #19 · A Weekend in The Greatest City in America™
It’s 9am on an early October Sunday morning in Baltimore, Maryland. The buffalo chicken dip is being prepped, mimosas are being poured and a platter of French toast is already out on the table. Familiar faces are popping in and out of your Hamburg Street rowhome, as its open door policy is strictly enforced on the weekends. There seems to be an open window policy too, as country music flows out, and a cool autumn breeze flows in. Meanwhile, a heated game of cornhole is taking place out in the street, a continuation of a hostile rivalry that formed just last weekend.
Two blocks away, the main drag of Federal Hill is also coming alive. Thousands of fans in Ray Lewis jerseys (and the occasional cringey purple camouflage pant) pile in for their Sunday morning ritual: Brunch and pre-game beers, whether they have a game ticket in hand or not. In a few hours, part of this crowd will make the half-mile pilgrimage to M&T Bank Stadium, many will continue bar-hopping along Cross Street and a responsible few will retreat home for Red Zone and the couch.
Yesterday, the city was as equally alive as 10,000 Under Armour runway models exchanged batons, broke personal records and cheers’d Natty Bohs at the Baltimore Running Festival finish line. Today, these same folks will soothe their sore muscles with an endless selection of pumpkin-spiced goodies and the meatiest crab cakes of the season at the farmer’s market tucked under 83. And as if October in Charm City couldn’t get any better, a perfectly synchronized and thunderous “OOOOOOO” has just echoed off that iconic warehouse on Eutaw Street, as the Orioles have just taken the field in the MLB playoffs.
This is Baltimore at its best, a scene that even the loudest critics of this sometimes messy city can’t help but fall in love with. This is my definition of homesickness.
Recommended related posts:
Follow Me to Weird Places — Given Baltimore’s misunderstood reputation, it only feels right to promote this piece here.
Stacking the Happiness Odds in Your Favor — Thoughts on the domino effect that results from the decision of where we choose to live.
PS: I’d love to hear what you thought about this issue. Email me directly at hello@emilyannhill.com and I pinky promise I’ll reply back.