After several days of high heat and creeping humidity, the weather broke and brought warm, cheerful skies. It was absolutely perfect for wandering about the cobblestone streets of Fell's Point. This historic waterfront community, east of Baltimore's Inner Harbor, is sprinkled with shops, restaurants, and lively pubs.
Fell's Point is a National Register Historic District dating back to the Colonial era. Englishman William Fell bought the land in 1726 and saw the potential for shipbuilding in colonial America. Later, his son and widow divided the land and sold lots beginning in 1763 as others recognized the potential of the deepwater port. Before long, Fell's Point grew into a bustling seaport with docks, warehouses, shipyards, homes, and stores. The USS Constellation, the last Civil War vessel still afloat, was built here in 1854, and today is berthed in Baltimore's Inner Harbor.
The oldest house in Baltimore has stood here since 1765 and is now a museum. There are many houses and commercial buildings that date to the 18th and 19th centuries – Historic District Plaques on properties abound here. Small row houses share space with large town home developments, specialty shops, and familiar TV and film sites.
There are theaters, art galleries, museums, book and antiques stores, and ghost tours for those who like their history on the spooky side. The historic Broadway Market is worth a trip for fresh produce, meats, seafood, dairy, and baked goods. For several years, the whole country knew the City Pier as Baltimore Police Headquarters, thanks to the filming of Homicide: Life On the Street here.
Festivals are a Fell's Point specialty – the annual Fell's Point Fun Festival draws some 300,000 people. There is a Privateer Day (can you say "Aargh"?), Halloween, winter holiday festivities including the Miracle on Main Street and the Parade of Lighted Boats, plus fireworks on the 4th of July and New Year's Eve.
Snowballs and saloons, both mainstays of the area, adjoin city gardens and eco-friendly buildings like the Mikulski Workforce Development Center with its green roof. U. S. Senator Barbara Mikulski is an advocate for Baltimore and especially Fell's Point; long before the area became popular, she helped lead the fight against an extension of Interstate 95 that would have destroyed Fell's Point and much of Baltimore's Inner Harbor.
But on our visit we weren't thinking about history or Homicide. We simply enjoyed the wandering, people watching, and being near the water in this eclectic part of Baltimore.
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Hey! Home-Rome! I've shown your listings!
I enjoyed your post and your photos. Thanks!
Lived in DC for 10 years and did some rehab in Federal Hill and Canton. Love the area and should have moved there instead of Texas. How is Charles Village coming along? It was just starting to move when I left?
Hi Patricia, Do you remember which listing you've shown? I think it might have been land. Thanks for stopping by. Nice to have an Active Rainer so close.
Grant, How long since you've been back. Think you would be surprised at the progress made in these areas.
Margaret, what a pretty area. It must be fun to live in such a historical area. It would be a great vacation to visit the Baltimore/DC area.
You take such great pictures!
Margaret, Jay and I were in DC in May and drove through all that Baltimore traffic...I had no idea it was such a neat area. Next year we'll need to take the time to explore it a little.
Margaret - When we lived in DC everyone wanted to come to visit. We would always take them to Balitmore as well...sometimes against the wishes of the visitors. But low and behold, everytime they would say what a wonderful time they had in Baltimore. Of course, the Inner Harbor was always on tap but so was Fell's Point and Little Italy and I always loved the bay dinner cruises. Just thought I would stop by and say "hi".
Margaret - great post, I am learning something about an area I am unfamiliar with. Lots of history and older homes just the type of place I like to explore.
Linda, We've decided to "vacation" at home. So far this week we did Fells Point, The Inner Harbor, and Lexington Market. Post will be coming soon.
Monika, please let us know when you will be in the area.Would love to meet you both!
Chris, Baltimore is a great place to live and a great place to visit! Thanks for stopping by.
Jennifer,Thank you and.... Please come and explore.
Baltimore's such a great city. I miss it a great deal.
How in the heck is it that I have missed one of the more astute writers on this forum? Margaret, I was revisiting some stuff and came across your name yet again. So, I clicked on a post of yours that wasn't Featured and darn it, you did it. You're a fabulous freaking writer. That's all I have to say.
Gregory, You should visit often. You are soooo close!
Jason, Thank you!
Margaret, I have friends in Baltimore who would echo your sentiments. :-D I just got tickets for a concert next month (Pat Benatar) at Rams Head (which I've never been to), so that's a good excuse.
Margaret, I enjoyed reading the interesting and informative post. Thanks for sharing.
Gregory,P lease give us a call when you are coming over to Baltimore
Enjoyed your photos of Fells Point, Margaret. My son used to live there, and I loved it when we could just walk to the restaurants from his place. No wonder he loved it. Do you do a lot of business there?
Gary, Thanks for reading.
Margaret from Maryland, Fells Point is a fun place for us to visit.
Margaret
Hope you are having a wonderful summer. This was a great article. I'll have to visit when I am back next year
Margaret
Hope you are having a wonderful summer. This was a great article. I'll have to visit when I am back next year
Joeann, Look forward to seeing you next year! You newsletter was awesome!
Hiya Margaret! OMG I saw that Fells Point was in the Title and I immediately thought of Homicide: Life on The Street, my favorite show ever! lol. Fells Point is so unique and wonderful and you did a great job making me feel like I was back there. Thanks for the trip down memory lane! :-)
Carole, So glad you enjoyed Fells Point. We are having fun "vacationing" in our own city. When are you coming back for a visit?
Not soon enough my friend but I keep saying 'some day' -
Margaret,
Your blog is fantastic! I have to learn to do mine as well to feature my listings as well as you do! This is wonderful for learning, meeting great folks, and learning more about real estate marketing.
Pat Hommel
Carole, Please make plans..I find that "some day" never happens.
Pat, Thanks and again, welcome to the Active Rain community.