I ate lunch today in Little Italy, Baltimore's Spaghetti Bowl. While tourists and locals go there to eat, I recommend a guided walking tour of the neighborhood first. Located a hop, skip and jump east of the Inner Harbor, it's really two neighborhoods: residential and restaurants, about 16 in 19 small blocks.
Although it's zoned commercial, the city wants it to retain its residential flavor. At the corner of High and Stiles are benches where the old folks who were born and grew up here sit watching the parade of tourists who ask, "What's the best restaurant?" The oft-repeated answer is, "They're all good."
Old people in Little Italy are never bored or lonely. Their kids who moved to the suburbs need not worry about Mom being alone. When you live in Little Italy, the world walks past your door. Families, athletes, and movie stars search for a plate of pasta. Delicious aromas from centuries old row house kitchens flavor the air, in competition with local gossip and politics.
When you visit Baltimore, look for the coal holes and formstone fronts of Little Italy. And learn about ground rents. Although I own my house free and clear, I pay ground rent on it. Just another local quirk.
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