Shopping

The Baltimore region offers die-hard shoppers an eclectic mix of shopping experiences. For the most part, unique shops are listed, and then maybe a strip mall or two, and then the huge shopping malls.

The state’s two largest malls are within a charge card of the city. Arundel Mills is a huge one-story outlet and regular shop mall with more than 200 shops and anchors, a few miles from BWI Marshall Airport. It’s surrounded by a plethora of strip malls that may add another 100 stores. Coming in as the sixth largest mall in the country is Westfield Annapolis (off Route 50, west of Annapolis) and most people probably still call it Annapolis Mall, no matter how hard the Westfield people try to break us of that habit.

Baltimore’s neighborhoods offer an appealing variety of mom-and-pop shops and boutiques. Fell’s Point, Charles Street, Hampden, and Mt. Washington mix their shopping with charming streetscapes. Antiques Row on Howard Street is equally intriguing, with a patina of age covering the inventory of Potthast furniture, Stieff silver, and assorted tchotchkes. Many of these shops require that you ring the doorbell to gain access.

Farmers’ markets abound with the city markets open all year while other temporary stands are seasonal.

Downtown offers shopping options at Harborplace and the Gallery; museum stores at the Science Center, National Aquarium, Reginald Lewis Museum, American Visionary Art Museum (maybe the most interesting of all the museum shops); and well, every tourist destination. It’s an easy walk up Charles Street for a variety of small shops that offer prints and original art, fair-trade clothing, CDs, and jewelry, among other items. To the east, Harbor East, Fell’s Point, and Canton are a short drive (or water taxi ride) away for galleries and specialty shops that cater to the young and young at heart. South of the Inner Harbor, Federal Hill’s shopping isn’t as concentrated, but Light Street offers a few shops plus the wonderful Cross Street Market, great for fresh produce and flowers.

All malls and shops are smoke-free in Maryland. If you light up, you’ll be thrown out. Parking is free at all the suburban malls, even in garaged space, but in most shopping districts, you’ll find on-the-street, metered parking or, in the case of Downtown malls and districts, pay parking garages. Downtown garages usually charge a flat rate for the first hour or two and then “x” amount for every hour thereafter. Sometimes, it will be $3 for the first hour and $1.50 for every following hour, or it might be $1 for the first hour and $2.50 for every hour thereafter. In any case if you stay all day, you’re going to be paying between $10 and $15 for parking. There are some special day rates if you park before 9 a.m. or after 5 p.m., but they vary. On the other hand, all of Downtown can be accessed by public transit, whether by bus, Light Rail, or subway.

It isn’t possible or desirable to list every space with a cash register and merchandise in and around the city. You can find your way to the neighborhood grocery store, hardware hangout, and card shop. This list includes the larger malls, shopping districts, under-roof markets (farmers’ markets), and then specialty shops and services, particularly those that have been around a few years and weathered financial ups and downs and style changes and other factors that can make or break a great shop.

Shopping - The Arts

Baltimoreans are passionate about the visual and performing arts. Whether it’s professionally operated regional theater or a Broadway road trip, Baltimore provides a willing and eager audience. During July and August, many of the community theaters focus on new scripts as they present the works of entrants in the Baltimore Playwrights Festival. This listing provides information about the major professional theaters and a few of the older or unique regional and community theaters and groups.