Chet’s Blog

DISCOVERING SOUTH BALTIMORE

Nestled below the rolling hills of south Baltimore is BWI, one of the best airports in the U.S. You can even eat at one of the many local fish and crab restaurants there including Legal Seafood. Up the hill are many large businesses and the chain hotels to support them.  Datawrite (www.datawrite.com) has been working assignments here since the mid nineties.
Once at your destination near Linthicum you’re ready to discover your new digs. I always stay at the Residence Inn. Originally there was only one hotel, the Amerasuites, but now there are dozens of places right there on the hilltop above the airport. Strangely, what they don’t have up on the hill are restaurants. I’m going to have to tell you where to find food – especially if you get off late in the evening like I do. I’ll also tell you where to get groceries, wine and where to have your dry cleaning and laundry done (the hotels charge way too much).

LAUNDRY STORY

The Speedy Cleaner at the bottom of the hill on Nursery Road will take care of your cleaning in a day at a fraction of the hotel coast. But you’ll have to pick your order up by 7:00 PM. I drove down the hill in a blizzard once trying to make the deadline behind line of cars which were all slowing down and swerving on the ice. It turns out that we were all destined to hit the same giant pot hole that had opened up like a volcanic fissure. Cars with blown out tires littered the road the rest of the way down the hill. Not a call Mr. Hertz enjoys – and there went dinner time. There’s a pretty good Chinese Takeout and a Pizza place on either side of the Speedy.

CRAB CAKES

Across the street from Speedy on the other side of the corner is G&M’s Restaurant. This place has an eat in area and a takeout area. It is always crowded. This is a Mecca for people that like better than real Maryland crab cakes. They are big and almost all back fin chunky crab meat. The head of operations up on the hill would have me help him pick up lunches for everyone once and a while on Saturdays. It was a good day to be at work.

HISTORY AND UPSCALE EATERY

Down the hill above the airport heading west there are a gaggle of little rolling roads through a deep woods. Across a stream on a still enchanting narrow country road is the Elkridge Furnace Inn (5745 Furnace Ave., Elkridge, Maryland 21075, 410.379.9336). This two story brick Inn on the Patapsco River was established in 1744, Not old by European standards but certainly by American. The food is French and wonderfully prepared and served.

WHERE TO LOCATE A BOTTLE OF WINE

If you’re a wine drinker like I am you will quickly notice that they don’t sell the stuff in the grocery stores. You have to go to the liquor stores like the hard core vodka types. At the corner of Baltimore Annapolis Boulevard and 5th Avenue North (look it up on your Garmin) is Christos Discount Liqours (7175 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd, Glen Burnie, MD, 410.761.6520) This is the best place with the best prices. They also have an all day long wine tasting of at least four different varieties over in the left front corner of the shop.

WHERE TO FIND A REAL GYM

The Energy Fitness & Wellness (410.636.7440) is just a little ways down
the Linthicum Heights hill off of Hammonds Ferry Road (601L). This gym
is fully loaded with the newest free weights and aerobic machines.  A
bright happy place to put in a lift.

WHERE TO BUY GROCERIES

There are a few Giant food stores around. The newest and cleanest is on the south side of the airport. This area is off Arundel Mills Boulevard just down from the Mall and the Bass Pro Shop. There are a few other eateries peppered into the area. Above all there is a Circuit City and a Staples.

If you have time and are a little adventurous you can always head north to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. It’s only fifteen minutes away and has a ton of great places to go. Make sure that you park in one of the parking garages – safe and close to town.

Later I will talk about more esoteric places to go, but this should get you settled in.

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