1. The Neighborhoods
Baltimore is a city of neighborhoods. Immigrants that settled the city tended to live in ethnic enclaves that remain today. These neighborhoods preserve their unique cultural identity and give the city its diverse flair, attracting tourists and residents to enjoy the local culture that each neighborhood provides.

Historic neighborhoods such as Mount Vernon—home of Baltimore’s robber barons, merchant princes, and debutantes during the 19th century—hint at Baltimore’s aristocratic history, as evidenced by the spectacular rowhouses and mansions left behind.

Working-class Hampden, inspiration for the John Waters films Pecker and Hairspray, serves up a 1950s atmosphere where one can still spot a beehive, enjoy a great meatloaf-and-mashed potatoes plate at the local Cafe Hon or shop at the many vintage stores lining the main avenue.

Historic Fells Point and Federal Hill, with their cobbled streets and proximity to the Inner Harbor, reveal Baltimore’s seaport history through strolls and sightseeing, and feature many a bar and restaurant for nighttime entertainment.

2. Professional Sports
Oriole Park at Camden Yards, home of the Baltimore Orioles, opened in 1992 and has since served as one of the nation’s best examples of retro-style downtown ballparks. M&T Bank Stadium, built in 1998 for the Baltimore Ravens football team, contrasts the classic design of Oriole Park with a high-tech look that includes twin 100-foot-long video screens and a state-of-the-art sound system. The Sports Legends at Camden Yards and Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum give a glimpse back at the history of sports in Baltimore.

3. Inner Harbor
The centerpiece of downtown Baltimore, the Inner Harbor has undergone a major revitalization from a working shipyard and port to a shopping, dining, and entertainment hub. In the 19th century, the harbor was the destination of clipper ships carrying goods from all over the world. Today, it is home to the National Aquarium, several hotels, Harborplace shopping and dining pavilions, and numerous restaurants and live music clubs as well as water taxi docking stations that carry visitors to historic areas along the harbor such as Fort McHenry, Fells Point, and Canton.

4. Little Italy
One of the most popular of Baltimore’s ethnic enclaves, Little Italy boasts a variety of Italian restaurants and the locally famous Vaccaro’s pasticceria for out-of-this world Italian desserts. The neighborhood hosts several ethnic festivals as well as bocce ball tournaments every Friday night.

5. National Aquarium
Right on the harbor, this spectacular complex offers five levels of fish, sharks, dolphins, and the lovable seahorses. Try the rain forest enclosed in the glass pyramid atop of the aquarium if you want to escape urban life for an afternoon.

6. Black History
African Americans compose 60 percent of Baltimore’s population and have made major contributions to local politics, arts and culture for generations. Baltimore has been home to such greats as jazz legends Eubie Blake, Cab Calloway and Billie Holiday; abolitionist and statesman Frederick Douglass, and former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. Sites to visit include the Great Blacks in Wax Museum, NAACP headquarters, and the Orchard Street Church, which was a stop on the Underground Railroad.

7. Municipal Markets
Baltimore’s gastronomic roots go back to the 18th century when several city markets were founded. They live on today as familiar fixtures in the Baltimore city landscape. Whether its Lexington Market, the city’s oldest and biggest, or the city’s other neighborhood markets, you can always find fresh seafood, produce, a wide selection of cheeses, meats of every cut, and market lunch counters selling everything from homemade soup to crab cakes.

8. Arts and Culture
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Baltimore, home to the Peabody Institute, the nation’s premier music conservatory, has a rich variety of cultural events and venues for all tastes and interests. Fortunately for Hopkins students, the Baltimore Museum of Art, which houses works from Van Gogh to Cezanne to Warhol, is located right on campus. Other great art repositories include the Walters Art Museum, which houses artifacts from 50 centuries; the American Visionary Art Museum, the only museum in the country dedicated to showing work created by untrained artists, and numerous galleries, including those at the respected Maryland Institute College of Art. Baltimore has an active performing arts community, with venues small and large, including the newly restored Hippodrome Theater and the respected regional theater Center Stage. For concert music and opera lovers, there are the Baltimore Opera Company, the nationally renowned Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and concert series at Peabody and on Hopkins’ Homewood campus.

9. Washington Monument
Baltimore boasts our nation’s first monument to honor George Washington. Building of the monument commenced in 1815 with $250,000 in funds raised from a city lottery, with construction completed in 1826. Situated in the stately Mount Vernon neighborhood, the monument has 228 stairs leading to the top where one can enjoy expansive views of Baltimore’s downtown.

10. Rowhouses
Perhaps the most widely recognized feature of Baltimore architecture is its trademark rowhouses with white marble steps. But Baltimore’s rowhouses aren’t only charming—they are also a great deal! Baltimore has one of the most affordable real estate rates on the East Coast, making graduate school living not only affordable but pleasant.