Population: 635,210 Distance From DC: 44.6 miles Government: Mayor / Council

An historic port town, and at one time the second largest city in America, Baltimore is Washington’s blue-collar cousin to the north, and center to the second component in our combined metropolitan region of over 8 million people. The city, which declined severely following suburban flight and westward migration, is in some ways responsible for the back-to-the-city movement of the recent decades, the Inner Harbor being considered an urban miracle and acting as a model for untold dozens of cities across the country seeking redevelopment.

Quirky. Eccentric. Gritty. If you’re the type who thinks Washington is a stodgy, predictable and unreal place filled with power elite and white-collar sellouts, Baltimore may be the place for you. The two cities could not be more different: Washington is high profile, monumental, and fast-paced. Baltimore is overlooked, industrial, and gracious. It’s really like a page from the past - rather than impressing by size or sensationalization, Baltimore seeks to impress in the details. From the tall ships of the Inner Harbor, to the crab shacks of Fells Point, to the peculiar shapes of downtown skyscrapers, Baltimore is a place where detail matters. In today’s day and age, with so many places overwhelmed by the egotistical excesses of Modernism and suburbia, the detail of Baltimore is a more than welcome addition to what might otherwise be a dreary, has-been of a town. Maybe that’s why they call it Charm City.