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Baltimoreans only care about crime and violence.
While the city deals with significant challenges, it has a rich cultural scene, vibrant neighborhoods, world-class museums, and residents known for their charm and warmth.
Baltimore is a universally wealthy city because of institutions like Johns Hopkins.
Baltimore has areas of significant wealth and poverty. The city features a diverse range of neighborhoods, some with high property values and others facing considerable economic challenges.
The Washington Monument in D.C. was the first one built in the U.S.
Baltimore is home to the first monument dedicated to George Washington. The monument in Baltimore's Mount Vernon neighborhood was completed in 1829, 19 years before construction began on the D.C. monument.
Maryland was firmly a Southern state during the Civil War.
Maryland's location and complex history with slavery put it in an awkward position. It was a border state, and Union troops continuously occupied Baltimore for the war's duration. The city did not officially secede.
Snow cones and Italian ice are the same as Baltimore's unique summer treat.
The snowball was invented in Baltimore during the Industrial Revolution and differs in its production; the ice is shaved thickly to hold sugary syrup, and it commonly features a marshmallow topping.
All crab cakes are the same everywhere.
Baltimore and Maryland are famous for their distinctive blue crabs from the Chesapeake Bay. "Maryland-style" crab cakes are renowned for using a high ratio of lump crab meat with minimal filler, a source of local pride.
The Edgar Allan Poe "Poe Toaster" was a long-standing supernatural mystery.
For decades, a mysterious figure (dubbed the "Poe Toaster") visited Poe's grave annually on his birthday to leave a bottle of cognac and three roses. The tradition was a real-life tribute, not a ghost story, though the person's identity and the event's cessation remain part of local lore.
Baltimore's many historical monuments are standard military memorials.
The Battle Monument, built in 1815, was the first war memorial in the U.S. to honor the common soldiers who died in battle, not just the generals.
The local accent (often called "Bawlmerese") is just a funny way of speaking English.
The distinct Baltimore accent, with its flattened "o" sound (e.g., "O's" for Orioles, "worsh" for wash), is a genuine dialect unique to the region. It's a source of local identity and pride.
The city's official slogan "Charm City" was created organically by its residents.
The nickname "Charm City" was actually created in the 1970s by a local advertising agency in an effort to improve the city's image.
Baltimore’s metro area is the 22nd largest in the U.S. by population.
2,800,000
Residents
Baltimore is an independent city, meaning it is not part of any county. It is the largest of the 41 independent cities in the U.S.