Why Baltimore Is One of the Most Exciting U.S. Cities Right Now

Nicknamed "Charm City" in the 1970s, Baltimore is indeed attractive, with historic neighborhoods flaunting elegant brownstones, an array of important monuments and museums, and a uniquely eccentric spirit (just look to residents like John Waters, the inimitable movie director, who filmed the cult classic Pink Flamingos locally). And yet Baltimore has stayed under the radar in the last few decades. A gritty reputation, cemented by shows like HBO's The Wire, is partly to blame, and the relative shortage of buzzworthy places to eat, stay, and play hasn’t helped. But a remarkable renaissance is now under way: Developers are rushing to build apartments and hotels, young professionals are moving in, and a growing roster of sophisticated restaurants, boutiques, and cultural spaces is finally luring travelers to this oft-underrated waterfront city.

Sagamore Pendry Baltimore

A Beaux Arts recreation pier in the Fell’s Point neighborhood, built in 1914 to house a dance hall and social club, reopened this month as a modern luxury hotel following a top-to-bottom renovation. Owner Kevin Plank, the Baltimorean CEO of Under Armour, along with California’s Pendry Hotels, tapped interior designer Patrick Sutton to create a casual yet refined atmosphere honoring the property’s heritage. In the 128 guest rooms, polished mahogany headboards, tan leather couches, and minimalist bronze finishes evoke past eras while staying rooted in the present. Common areas include a meat-centric Italian restaurant and a whiskey bar, both helmed by James Beard–winning chef Andrew Carmellini, as well as an infinity-edge pool set on a harborside quay. From $320/night; pendryhotels.com

Hotel Indigo Baltimore Downtown

Since its launch in 2004, the Indigo brand has swung in favor of a more elegant and locally influenced design, seen in this recently opened 162-room property in cobblestoned Mount Vernon. Housed in a revered landmark, Baltimore's first YMCA, it features sketched murals nodding to the city’s literary heritage (F. Scott Fitzgerald, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and Edgar Allan Poe, to name a few, lived and wrote in Maryland), and a style reminiscent of the neighborhood’s early 20th-century social clubs. And yet for all its local flavor, the space feels cosmopolitan and fresh, with pops of color set against warm woods. There’s also cheekiness to spare: The restaurant, Poets Modern Cocktails & Eats, evokes a lady’s perfume cabinet. From $135/night; baltimoreindigohotel.com

The Ivy Hotel

Maryland’s only Relais & Châteaux hotel occupies a gorgeously restored Mount Vernon mansion from the 1880s. Interiors are aristocratic and intimate, with a series of sitting rooms decorated with handpicked antiques. Most of the home’s original details, including stained-glass windows, carved wainscoting, and more than 20 fireplaces (all of the Ivy’s 18 rooms and suites have fireplaces) were brought back to life by a group of local studio artists. The restaurant, Magdalena, has a more contemporary look and a menu of bistro classics like duck confit terrine, fried oysters, and house-smoked salmon served with American caviar. From $473/night; theivybaltimore.com

The Walters Art Museum

Home to thousands of treasures spanning 55 centuries of art—from the third millennium B.C. to the early 1900s—the Walters Art Museum is among the most important cultural institutions in the country. Its collection of Greek sculptures, Old Master paintings, Art Deco jewelry, and Medieval artifacts was amassed largely by local philanthropists William Walters and his son, Henry Walters, who eventually bequeathed the acquisitions to the City of Baltimore. One of the three buildings that make up the museum's campus, the 19th-century Hackerman House, is undergoing multimillion-dollar renovations that will preserve the Greek Revival mansion’s architecture (including a giant Baccarat chandelier hanging from an ornate wood-carved ceiling and a Tiffany skylight crowning the central staircase) while creating new spaces to display artworks in compelling ways. thewalters.org

Everyman Theatre

Having outgrown its previous downtown quarters, Everyman Theatre acquired a shuttered building from the early 1900s that was transformed into a modern venue by architects Cho Benn Holback & Associates. The lobby, for example, features sleek angled curves that play against the classic frame of the restored façade, and the 250-seat theater is a boxlike structure inserted into the historic shell. Along with the refurbished Hippodrome Theatre and the Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower, Everyman has played an important role in the revival of downtown Baltimore’s Westside, a formerly deteriorated arts district. Its critically acclaimed resident ensemble performs classic and contemporary works like August: Osage County. everymantheatre.org

Hampden Shop Crawl

The distinctive neighborhood of Hampden, a blue-collar enclave turned hipster hangout, has a treasure trove of independent boutiques peddling everything from kitsch to high fashion. Bazaar is a must-see ode to the bizarre; its shelves are chock-full of medical antiques, taxidermy, and even seance candles. At Hunting Ground, housed in a converted church, shoppers will find vintage apparel alongside boho-chic garb by emerging local designers. Stocked with twee, one-of-a-kind housewares and gifts, Trohv is considered one of the city’s best home goods stores. Avid readers (and everyone, really) should seek out Atomic Books, a legendary store that added a comic book–themed beer bar.

Gunther & Co.

Opened a year ago inside the boiler house of the former Gunther Brewery—now converted into a mixed-use building—Gunther & Co. serves international dishes like hamachi crudo and steak frites using fresh, regionally sourced ingredients. The casual space has a chic, industrial vibe seen in exposed bricks, barn woods, factory windows, and plenty of steel. Anchoring the large open space is a towering vertical garden brimming with greenery and decorated with a striking blue gauge salvaged from a gas plant. Cocktails are as carefully crafted as the food; mixologist Shaun Stewart created signature drinks like "The World Ends With You," made with “Victoria” pink gin, elderflower, grapefruit, Contratto aperitif, and apple-cardamom shrub. eatatgunther.com

The Elephant

This months-old restaurant is stepping into the shoes of a vanished dining landmark called the Brass Elephant, which stood as one of Baltimore’s most elegant restaurants for several decades (coincidentally, current owners Steven Rivelis and Linda Brown Rivelis celebrated their wedding vows there 30 years ago). After lengthy renovations, the majestic 1850s townhouse opened with a refreshed look that maintains some original architectural details, like marble fireplaces and ornate sconces spread through a series of rooms and lounges. The menu is touted as “globally inspired” and includes a braised lamb shoulder with creamy polenta and a duck-bacon flatbread baked in a wood-fired oven. theelephantbaltimore.com

Cosima

Casual, earthy, and cool, Cosima is the latest arrival to Mill No.1, a 19th-century cotton mill reimagined as a residential and commercial complex by Alexander Design Studio. The restaurant’s rustic and industrial elements, such as stone walls and an enormous old boiler at the entrance, reflect not just the history of the building but also the hearty, wood-fired Sicilian fare by chef Donna Crivello. Standout dishes include a grilled half lobster served over handmade cuttlefish-ink fettuccine, and a nicely charred pizza with baby scallops, smoked mozzarella, basil, caramelized bacon, and onion. Weather permitting, patrons flock to the outdoor patio for relaxing views of an herb garden and the leafy banks of Jones Falls. cosimamill1.com