Find the Best Things to Do in Harbor East
By Tawanna Browne Smith
Family Travel Expert
About Harbor East
Photo courtesy of ktylerconk, flickr
Harbor East, previously known as Inner Harbor East, is the trendy extension to Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Located East of the Inner Harbor right before Little Italy and neighboring Fells Point, Harbor East is Baltimore's upscale and tourist-friendly neighborhood. The area offers a mix of commercial buildings, hotels, and residences where you will find a balance of both locals and travelers. Harbor East is easy to navigate and pedestrian-friendly with plenty of sidewalks and a waterfront promenade perfect for biking, running, walking, or simply sight-seeing. A half-billion dollars of construction went into revitalizing and redeveloping the neighborhood which continues to expand. The dense area is filled with high-end retailers, an upscale and unique movie theater, restaurants, bars, shopping, spa, a health club, and luxury accommodations.
See & Do
Harbor East's Landmark Theater is one of a few theaters in the city that showcases both regular releases and independent films. The atmosphere of this theater is consistent with that of the neighborhood, more refined. Tickets are a little more expensive than your average theater but so is everything else in Harbor East. At Landmark, you'll find gourmet concession items, wine, coffee, and cocktails available for purchase making the theater-going experience a unique one.
Eat
Charleston, owned and managed by Executive Chef Cindy Wolf, is considered Baltimore's top restaurant. It's location on Lancaster Street in Harbor East is befitting for this upscale eatery known for its refined French cooking intermingled with the traditional low country dishes of South Carolina. What has made Charleston even more infamous amongst the fine dining crowd, besides its 3, 4, 5, and 6 course meal, is its extensive wine collection. Served in Riedel crystal, Charleston's selection of more than 800 wines adds to the restaurant's incomparable dining experience.
Party
Baltimore has plenty of bars and the restaurants in Harbor East all offer great wines, beers, and cocktails but sometimes you just want to step into a place that specializes in one thing, wine. Vino Rosina on Exeter Street is Harbor East's only wine bar and serves patrons from 11 a.m to 11p.m./Midnight. Not only can you stop in for wine but you can also stay for cheese, charcuterie, small as well as large plates, and Tuscan flatbreads. Though Vino Rosina is a wine bar, they also serve specialty cocktails and beers.
Bleiben Sie
The Four Seasons Baltimore is the city's first and only five-star luxury hotel. Situated on premium property at the edge of the downtown waterfront, the luxury resort provides guests with a peaceful view of Baltimore's Inner Harbor. With fourteen different styles of rooms and suites, many of the hotel's guests can relax gazing at the water. All of the rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows, which open up the living space and complement the upscale decor. Baltimore’s Four Seasons spa is sure to be a destination for both resort and non-resort guests. It's a serene retreat in the heart of a busy city.
Shop
Urban Chic is cleverly named, personifying the style of the neighborhood in which it dwells. Located on Aliceanna Street the upscale designer boutique caters to a fashion-conscious adult clientele. It's a place where the whole family can shop together. A row of high-end designer jeans line the wall of this bright open space. The store carries designers such as Chip and Pepper, Rock and Republic, AG, Joe's Jeans, Paige Premium Denim, James Jeans, and True Religion - just to name a few.