This is a compendium of random things I saw while out and about in Baltimore in August-September 2023. This was the trip when I saw Rachelle off to college, so childless Mom roamed around the city before departing back to California. So stay tuned for a zombie artwork, the cartoon man who became a symbol of Baltimore, doggie bagels that look good enough for humans to eat, a fashion boutique that gives away books, and the city’s historic Penn Station.
Zombie fashion. Although I don’t think this figure comes from the American Visionary Art Museum, you can find all kinds of strange and wonderful art there.
Rachelle’s kind of boutique. Note last line on the sign.
Beef bagels for the doggie customers. Seen at Einstein Bagels in Towson, a suburb in the northwestern section of the county.
Is this the Monopoly man? I hope he paid his $75 luxury tax!
NOTE: I later learned that he’s Natty Boh, the long-time advertising symbol for National Bohemian beer that used to be brewed in Baltimore. Natty Boh has become an unofficial symbol of Baltimore. The unnamed young lady is the Utz Girl, the mascot for Pennsylvania-made Utz potato chips.
Baltimore has a lovely old train station. It was built in a Beaux Arts style in 1911 for the Pennsylvania Railroad. Originally called Union Station, it was renamed as Baltimore Pennsylvania Station in 1928.
The statue in front of the station by Jonathan Borofsky is called “Male/Female” and is 51’ high. The interlocking male and female statues share a single pulsing heart. It has generated considerable controversy because many believe that its modern art style clashes with the historic Beaux Arts building; others simply think it’s bizarre. I’ll let you decide its merits.
A piece of trivia: then-Senator Richard M. Nixon gave the infamous “Checkers speech” in September 1952. In that speech, he said that his dog Checkers had been held for him at “Union Station in Baltimore”. Why he used the station’s previous name a quarter-century after it had been renamed to Penn Station is a bit of a mystery.
I’ve traveled the route from Baltimore’s Penn Station to Washington DC’s Union Station and back many times. The trip takes about 45 minutes. Here’s a tip: the MARC trains are far cheaper than Amtrak on this route, only $9.00. Seniors pay half of that. Amtrak prices on the same route typically range from $18 to $37 for coach fares, depending on the time of day. Both MARC and Amtrack tickets can be purchased from ticket machines or at ticket counters in both stations. Amtrak tickets can also be purchased online.
Stained glass ceiling in Baltimore’s Penn Station
Old-school passenger waiting benches.
This blurry photo shows people walking towards the train platforms.
The departure/arrivals board and information desk.