Each places can claim something unique to it. As Jazz to New Orleans or the grapes to California. These things are not really limited to such place, but it is just so either they have it in abundance or originated something.
Megan Thielking in her article for Mental Floss, listed down 25 things one should know about Baltimore. And here’s some of them:
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1. Famed slugger and leftie pitcher Babe Ruth (born George Herman Ruth in 1895) was a Baltimore native. He originally played for the town’s minor league team before he was quickly scooped up by the Boston Red Sox. Ruth developed his love of the game at St. Mary’s reform school, where his powerful hits resulted in occasional damage to school property.
2. Entrepreneur and philanthropist Johns Hopkins founded the nation’s first research university in Baltimore in 1876. The university, research institutions, and hospital that now bear his nameserve as the state’s largest private employer.
3. At one point in the 19th century, Baltimore’s status as a port city made it second only to Ellis Island in the number of immigrants it processed. Before 1850, new arrivals entered the country through Fell’s Point, but as their numbers increased, they were brought to Locust Point, next door to Fort McHenry, instead.
USS Constellation. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
4. The USS Constellation, the very last Civil War ship still floating—as well as the last sail-operated warship built by the Navy—is docked in Baltimore. Earlier this year, the organization responsible for its maintenance enlisted the help of former inmates, all members of its job placement program, on much-needed repairs to the historic vessel.
5. French artist Henri Matisse has found an unlikely home in Maryland. The Baltimore Museum of Art features the world’s largest collection of his works, which the public can view—along with the rest of the museum’s offerings—for free.
6. Operated by a lucky 13-year-old,the first manned balloon to successfully take to the skies in the U.S. was launched right out of Baltimore in 1784.
7. In 1774, the first post office in the United States was inaugurated in the city.
8. Almost a century later, the first telegraph line to be established anywhere in the world was set up between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. by Samuel Morse.
9. Hydrogen gas lamps, used to keep streets bright at night in the days before electricity, were first used in Baltimore in 1817.
Photo courtesy of Flickr
10. Baltimore is the final resting place of the inventor of the Ouija board, Elijah Bond. Not surprisingly, his headstone resembles one of his spirit-channeling devices.
11. Edgar Allan Poe was a Baltimore native, and is buried in the city’s Westminster Hall and Burying Ground. Baltimoreans are so proud of this native son that even the town’s NFL team—the Ravens—pays homage to the literary icon. Full list here.
Great facts, aren’t they? The number of city visitors are constant, if not, rising for these reasons. Much more if you are planning to move into the Charm City. Libby Zay listed down 20 very good things to know before moving to Baltimore:
Baltimoreans look forward to spending summer days eating steamed crabs surrounded by friends and family. To pick crabs properly, the only utensils you should need are a seafood mallet and a butter knife. If dissecting your dinner seems a bit overwhelming, crab also comes in soup, dip, and cake form.
It’s a city of neighborhoods.
Baltimore is dissected into more than 200 neighborhoods, and where you choose will be key to your experience here. Because there are so many neighborhoods, it is not uncommon for locals to divide the city simply by East or West Baltimore, using Charles Street or I-83 as a dividing line, or into North and South using Baltimore Street as a dividing line.
Typical Baltimore rowhouses. Image courtesy of Reddit
We have more rowhouses than any other U.S. city.
As you explore the city, you’ll notice how many different styles these rowhomes can take on. Be on the lookout for scenes painted on window screens, a Baltimore tradition that allows homeowners to see out while passersby are unable to see in.
This is Birdland.
Baltimore calls itself Birdland because of our major sports teams, the Orioles (baseball) and the Ravens (football). But our love of sports goes beyond that. The Preakness, the second leg of the Triple Crown, also takes place here, and lacrosse is another common sport.
Our summers are hot and sticky.
From late spring through the entire summer, the humidity might make your hair frizzy and will definitely make you sweat. Luckily, Baltimore also has snowballs, a cup full of shaved ice covered in sweet syrup in the flavor of your choice. Top is with marshmallow cream for a traditional treat.
Aerial view of a part of Baltimore in Snow. Photo courtesy of Video Blocks
When it snows, the city shuts down.
Our winters tend to be mild — but when the flakes do fall, the city completely shuts down. Schools have been known to shut down just because there’s a chance of snow.
Around the holidays, Baltimore gets lit.
Baltimore is often listed among the top places to catch holiday light displays. From a parade of lighted boats in the Inner Harbor to a block of over-the-top rowhomes on 34th Street in Hampden, there are many displays of holiday cheer to enjoy. Full list here.
And the list could probably goes on and on… Baltimore is in many ways living to its nickname, the Charm City. One could be a very proud Baltimorean because of its history or just simply for the fact that the city has lots to offer for personal growth and whatnot. Rowhouses or highrises, crabs to being a “birdland”, truly Baltimore is a magnificent city. For some reasons these don’t convince you and planning to move and sell your Baltimore property? Let us help you.
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