Downtown Southwest T hese owner-operated rest stops, nestled within communities such as Federal Hill, Fells Point and Mount Vernon, offer a much more intimate picture of Baltimore than is available at other accommodations. The stories that flow from the walls, the innkeepers, the other visitors and the communities that surround these establishments will color your stay. Practically every era of Baltimore's history is represented. Waterfront houses built in Baltimore's earliest years, Victorians with all their beauty and splendor and converted rowhouses, acquired during the city's ambitious effort to bring people back to the cities two decades ago are just some of the offerings awaiting those willing to pass on the familiar chains of hotels and motels dotting the area. Of equal appeal to many who stay at inns and bed and breakfasts is the slower pace.
TVs give way to conversation, radios give way to reading.
Quiet, contemplative time in front of a fireplace or sipping tea and relaxing with others after taking in the sites are to be expected. Mere pleasantries exchanged over a shared, family-style breakfast lead to shared insights and discussions about how home and away are similar and different. A sizeable portion of the bed and breakfast trade in the Baltimore area is geared toward business people who visit the area, often with their spouses or other family members. A number of people staying at bed and breakfasts are friends or relatives of people living nearby. And you may be surprised by the number of locals who abandon their homes for a few nights in a bed and breakfast.