Baltimore Travel Guide 🏖️ JHU & Inner Harbor 🦀️

On my first business trip to the East Coast, I visited Baltimore, the hometown of Amos from The Expanse and a filming location for shows like House of Cards. The city left a deep impression—like a faded aristocracy. "Baltimore is Baltimore." ⚠️ Safety First Avoid the eastern and western parts of the city. Stick to the safer northern (e.g., JHU) and southern (e.g., Inner Harbor) areas. Even traveling between these areas requires caution—some routes feel like crossing a "battlefield." Do not go beyond JHU Hospital—stay within the safer zones. Avoid walking to distant places, especially at night. Do not leave valuables in your car, and avoid making eye contact with loiterers. Many streets are dilapidated, with boarded-up windows, graffiti, and abandoned buildings. The contrast with the clean, bustling Inner Harbor and beautiful JHU campus is stark. Though there are many police patrols (especially around JHU), stay vigilant. 🏨 Accommodation We stayed at DoubleTree by Hilton near JHU. It was clean but faced the street—frequent sirens at night made it hard to sleep. 🍽️ Food Seafood is fresh and delicious! We highly recommend Thames Street Oyster House for oysters—varied flavors, affordable, and tasty. Local specialties: blue crab and crab cakes. Near JHU: Ramen Koishi and Sichuan cuisine are decent. Plenty of options around campus: Chipotle, Subway, supermarkets—all within walking distance. No car needed—prices are reasonable, and rideshares are cheap. 🎡 Activities Not many tourist attractions. We skipped the National Aquarium (门票$50/person) after friends said it was "not worth it" (few fish, underwhelming). Inner Harbor is great for a stroll—scenic views, especially during the day. Few people at night (even in safe areas), but many police patrols. Return to your accommodation early. 👥 Diversity & Community Few Asians outside campus areas. Many drivers we met were Hispanic—impressive how they’ve lived here for decades. They mentioned safety has improved significantly ("it was crazier before"). JHU is a well-protected bubble—a great place to study! #JohnsHopkinsUniversity #Baltimore #TravelGuide #TravelTips #SafetyFirst #SeafoodLover