I have friends who call Richmond, The Great Walled City because it’s so hard to make your way in.

I haven’t lived here very long and feel like people here are generally pretty friendly, especially around shared interests (hiking, biking, etc)

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Everyone in Baltimore is very friendly. As someone who was once closed minded about the city (thinking everyone was rude) it really does have a certain charm to it. It wouldn't be as close knit or outward as, say, La Plata; but it's definitely friendly as far as cities go.

I think you would thrive in the Baltimore pinball community. One of my favorite places to hang is Holy Frijoles in Hampden. They have league night every Wednesday starting at 7:30. I am a bit like you described and I have always found the pinball folks to be welcoming but won’t make you feel like you need to talk to them or know everyone to feel included.

Socially speaking, Baltimore is the friendliest and easiest city on the east coast to make real friends/relationship and connections imho. It’s not super transient as say DC/NYC, so it’s always better to make native Baltimore metro area acquaintances/friends to really get an understanding of how things work here and be in the “know”. People are genuinely interested in the real you here and not the pretensions/social climbing aspects you can provide that’s found in the more Type-A ‘see and be seen’ cities— cough cough DC. We’re all weirdos here, just a matter of your weird messing well with our weird and finding your tribe. There’s something here for everyone!

I love that there’s no pressure to always be “on” here. I’ve lived in other cities and that lifestyle while fun is really fcuking exhausting. I like that the going out scene here is relaxed and not uptight/showy. This a bar city with good dance floors, not to much a club city. People have money, titles, education, and accolades but they won’t throw it in your face every chance they get here and that stuff generally is not the topic of conversation when meeting people or otherwise. People will speak to you in the streets in passing or standing in lines.

Richmond is Baltimore’s little southern half-sister city. I find both cities to be similar in many ways except Baltimore is bigger. The demographics are similar. As is the city relationships with the greater county surrounding it. Richmond to me is Virginia’s only true “real” city. The others are just glorified suburban towns. I suspect you’ll do just fine here and love it as long as you keep an open mind and heart.

Baltimore feels like a much larger Richmond to me in many ways. Gritty and hip. We have some legendary pro sports teams here unlike Richmond. I like Richmond but Baltimore feels much more memorable to me and definitely less insular.

Native Baltimorean here. I went to college in Richmond and came back to Baltimore after graduating. I made great friends while in college and those friendships are still in my life today. When I returned to Baltimore, I still had my dear friends but also made great friends with others. Baltimore really has a lot of great and friendly people. I can’t say I met any assholes just good caring people.

I missed the charm of Richmond and returned but I had my college friends so I was welcomed back. My friends from my career are still in my life but the friends I met because of my children are dear friends.

I think you will love Baltimore but if you find it is too big of a city for you, Richmond will welcome you back.

Such a friendly city. I find it really hard to make friends in general due to my social awkwardness, but I’ve been able to make so many friends in this city compared to others.

Welcome!

If you're down to hang w/ a creative bunch, check out Creative Mornings Baltimore. They're a really welcoming group, and their speakers (once a month) are top-notch. You do not have to be "a creative" to hang with them. I'm an anxious, introverted veterinarian and I love their crowd.

If you're into board gaming, checkout Canton Games and No Land Beyond in Charles Village/Station North. They also have Crokinole nights where you're invited to grab a pickup game.

There's a lot of great shit in the City. Explore!

Hey guys! I really appreciate everyone's input and it's actually very encouraging so far! I like that. I might even head up there next weekend and just take a closer look at some places.

See that was kind of my impression. I've heard that Richmond's a mini-Baltimore and I can definitely see it. Richmond's not bad at all, but Baltimore seems like a more "complete" city, with better access to other places and just more career opportunities. I'll go to a club, but I'm more of a bar/dancehall type anyway so that's awesome. Thanks for your input, I appreciate you!

Ha, the old "Richmond Boomerang." Yeah Richmond is not *bad,* in fact I like it way better than Atlanta. But I think Baltimore may be the perfect size for me. Thanks for your response!

As it so happens I love pinball! I used to go to Pinballz a lot back home. And that's good to know that they're chill. I was actually looking at some apartments in Hampden. I'm glad you found a group that works for you because I KNOW it's not always easy.

Ha! I meannnnnn it kind of is sometimes. The people are perfectly genial and friendly in passing, but beyond that, it's just difficult to get much deeper here. My coworkers don't hardly converse beyond work stuff and a lot of my former coworkers and people I've met in MeetUps just aren't quite my vibe. The friend groups are pretty much set in stone.

Oh that reminds me! I was on another thread where this guy was asking for advice about moving TO Richmond. And like everyone and their dog was telling him "We're full up don't come here" and "Google it yourself" and just....kind of being assholes. I'm also from Austin so my definition of "full up" and "explosive growth" is VERY different. Richmonders really don't know much about that, trust me.

Good to hear! Yeah I tried MeetUps when I first got to Richmond and that helped a bit.

I got that too! I remember when I was in Baltimore on the light rail I asked someone a question about a certain stop and like half the train car gave me directions it was great.

It's very strange, because growing up in Texas all you ever heard was how rude NY and places like that were. Don't get me wrong, lots of gruff people and assholes and people in a hurry but...I've been up and down the East Coast and I don't think I'd blanket call ANY of those places rude. Mayyyyyyyybe DC, and even they weren't so much rude as just socially *cold.* People in NY and Philly have helped me out whenever I needed it. Call me crazy, but Boston was actually friendly! (just in a very in-your-face way)

See that's why I like it. It's more of a "complete" city with sports teams and public transit (yeah I know it ain't perfect but it's *there*) and stuff. A lot of neighborhoods like Church Hill and the Fan/Museum District, etc. Good to know Baltimore's a little more open.

See THAT gives me confidence! I can project normality but trust me as I'm awkward as all hell haha. I'm glad you've been able to find your people here.

Very nice! I'll have to hit them up sometime. If you're comfortable with them I probably will be as well. I think I'm gonna head up next weekend and just check more of the city out. I love exploring.

Sign up for a volo league and making friends will happen just like that. Just made new ones myself in a pickleball league

If there was a ping-pong league I'd rock that!

Agree with the sentiment of the other commenters- I moved here last summer and people here are extremely friendly. Easy to make friends with cool people in Volo leagues, at bars, neighbors, etc. One thing to notice - Baltimoreans LOVE to give recommendations for bars and restaurants. Keep a running list of where people tell you to go! Baltimore is very neighborhoody so even though it’s a city, you don’t get that feeling of “I’ll never see any of these people ever again” like when you go to places in bigger cities, and people take a lot of pride in the places they frequent.

There sure is - https://www.cantonpingpongclub.com

I moved here from the Midwest (KCMO) and find Baltimore the closest to a friendly, sincere, earnest midwestern city of any city along the East Coast I’ve been in. I’ve toured the US a lot and spent a lot of time in ATX, east coast and west coast. Outside of Austin I’ve found Baltimore the friendliest outside the midwestern cities.

Oh hell yeah!

Great! I like cities with actual neighborhoods and I love trying out new places.
I've been hearing a lot about Volo lately and I thought it was just what the cool kids were calling volleyball. Volo actually encompasses a bunch of sports clubs, I guess?

I just moved here about 6 months ago. From a city very similar to Richmond. I would say as long as you go outside it is very easy to meet people. I’m in my mid 30s, I just started going to a bar near my house on a regular basis and people are very friendly and chat you up. I’ve made a lot of friends I see regularly now. Something I have never experienced before honestly and I’m not particularly outgoing.

One of the things I love most about living in Baltimore is that everyone is so friendly and open to meeting new people. Also, they call it Smalltimore for a reason. It is very neighborhood centric here so once you start meeting people they all know each other in the neighborhood and a friend of a friend becomes your friend just because you live in the same neighborhood. And you start seeing them out at all the bars and restaurants. I really like it here a lot.

ETA: best days to make friends is on Ravens game days. Everyone is out and in a good mood, happy to have a chat. When I first moved here it was honestly my favorite day to go out because I would meet and hang with so many people.

That's great to hear! I'm actually a native Austinite myself. KC's cool too, best BBQ in the country (next to Austin )

Your last sentence struck me, I’m one of those right in the middle. I’m without a doubt am introvert but I like to be a part of social situations. But when I’m ready to tap out, well I’m ready to tap out lol.

DM if you decide to come here and wanna make friends.

That's really cool, I'm happy for you. I'm not super outgoing either and I don't always initiate conversation but I'm very open to it.
Do you mind if I ask what part of Baltimore you live in? I'm looking at places like Fell's Point or Upper Fell's Point. I really want to live in the city proper but in a safe and relatively affordable part.

I live in Federal Hill. It’s affordable but a lot of people don’t like it because it has a lot of college kids. Based on my limited experience of Baltimore Fells Point is somewhat expensive. I hang out a lot in Pig Town, Hollins Market, and Ridgleys, the first 2 being “up and coming” neighborhoods so they aren’t going to be as buttoned up as you may be used to in Richmond but they are just as safe as anywhere in Baltimore from my experience and a lot cheaper than some other neighborhoods. I also recommend Hampden (kind of an artsy neighborhood) and Mt Vernon. Fells point isn’t bad it’s just kinda touristy and you can get just as nice places for less. If you don’t mind college kids I love Federal Hill and it’s super close to the inner harbor. With any city just make sure to visit where you are going to live because things can change drastically from one block to the next as far as safety goes.

Yup, that's 100% me! If I'm around people I feel comfortable with, I can be the life of the party. But then I need to recharge for a while. If I'm meeting a group of people for the first time I'm a lot more reserved.

So, for reference, I have lived on Chamberlayne and in Jackson Ward in Richmond, if you know anything about those. I also worked in Gilpin Court for the housing authority for a while. So I don't necessarily need "buttoned-up," I just don't want, for example, to be woken up by gunshots every other weekend lol.

Federal Hill and Pigtown are the other 2 I was looking at, I just couldn't remember them. When I was in Baltimore I actually stayed either in or within walking distance of Mt. Vernon and LOVED that area. That's where the Walter Museum is, right?

Affordability will definitely be key so I'd love to check out Hollins Market and Ridgleys as well. Thank you!

Yea I think Pig Town would be a good place to look then! Hollins Market is the neighborhood right next to Pig Town. And Ridgleys is the neighborhood next to Camden Yards. I think it’s technically called Ridgleys Delight. It’s fairly small but has some apartment complexes I was looking at when I was moving.

https://www.volosports.com/Baltimore

Maybe it’s me, but I’ll have to disagree with people here. I’m a little anxious but generally I’m pretty gregarious and I did very well socially in Chicago and New Orleans. I have had a devastatingly hard time finding friends here and it’s been very straining on my mental health and is making me consider moving back to my hometown. I joined Volo, I take a weekly language class, I’m in a book club, I have a cool job where I meet a lot of people, I go to the rock climbing gym the same time every week, I hang out at the same dive bar when I go out and try to be a regular. I’m doing all the things you’re supposed to do, and every time it seems like people are just friends with the same people they grew up with or they’re a Hopkins/TFA person and they’re just passing through.

Maybe this is just an easy coast thing and it’s easier to make friends in the south, but I really don’t feel like this is a friendly or welcoming city (in fact, it’s by a very long measure the rudest and least friendly place I’ve lived).

That said, there’s so much I like about it and I’m really trying to make it work, but I just can’t seem too.

Man I'm sorry to hear that! You definitely ARE doing everything you would need to, so kudos to you. Like with anything, don't force it. If it ain't working, it ain't working. I wish you the best of luck.

Great! I'll take a long weekend this month and go check out all these. Ngl I kind of want to live in Pig Town for the name alone.

Depends where you live in Baltimore. Some neighborhoods would be better for you than others depending on your age, family, interests. Canton, fells point, federal hill, Hamden would be neighbors where you could meet people easily because they are walkable and there a lot of things to do.

>Canton, fells point, federal hill, Hamden

I'm 32 and single. I like all kinds of activities. I do a lot of solo stuff like walking and biking, museums, drone flying, etc. But I also love trying new places, going to bars and live music, etc. I value walkability and affordability. Actually all of those places you listed are ones I'll be taking a look at. Fells Point was awesome but might be slightly out of my budget.

Super easy to make friends, hard to keep them. Many people move away:( It’s like it is a starter city. Please stay and help build up!

Moved here 3 years ago, and I absolutely love it. The people are amazing. There are a lot of issues here, but this is the first time in my life I've had a neighborhood community. I never take that for granted.

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Seen plenty of that in Richmond, believe me ;)
Though I do enjoy shooting guns every now and then

Oh trust me, I'm aware of the issues. I'll admit that's what kept me from even considering Baltimore up until now. But Richmond's got crime problems too AND it's small AND there just isn't much of that community feel, at least not in the places I've lived. I'm happy that you found what you were looking for!

I studied urban planning in college and I admit I am a bit of an idealist. But I'm also a realist and sometimes things just don't work out for people.
Having said that, in my original post I mentioned that I'm studying data analytics. The HOPE is to get work at some kind of a social good organization. I've just been taking jobs to pay the bills all my life and I would love to pay the bills AND improve the world, in whatever tiny way I can. That's the plan, anyway.

Thanks for this rec from a fellow Baltimore introvert looking for make creative friends! 👋💕

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Where do all the alt, music-loving, non-drinking, pot friendly Baltimoreans hang out?? 🤗

As one, I’d love to meet some others! 🙋🏻‍♀️

They don't call it Charm City for nothin'! Quite chill socially, I'd say.

Totally agree with this person. I live in Federal Hill. Used to live in Locust Point. Been here close to 6 years in city proper. The neighborhood “feel” around the city is very unique even with adjacent neighborhoods. Most of the neighborhoods really have their own identity which is really cool.

One thing I have noticed about Baltimore that is good and bad - is that certain people really don’t leave or want to leave their neighborhood by choice. I’ve talked to my old barber in Hampden and they had NEVER been to Federal Hill. It’s a short distance away! In the same vein I have a lot of friends in Canton and we really don’t see each other as much as we’d like due to the fact we have to drive downtown or hop on a boat to get to each other.

It’s something to note. The neighborhoods really do manifest into little communities here but make sure you make an active effort to go to other neighborhoods too because they can be so different and wonderful and might have something for you you didn’t expect! I adore the vibe of Station North and Bolton Hill. Would never have known that if I didn’t escape my little micro community.

And good tip about the Ravens days. I'm not a football fan myself but I'll watch it. I like the Ravens mascot at least.

Will do! I love exploring new places anyway so that's no problem.

Just don’t fall in the trap!

They need to figure out a sensible east west transit system for Baltimore that would help a bit with neighborhood mobility. Honestly biking has got a lot better around Bmore in the last few years so I think that’s the best way to get around the city. Obviously still work to do and metro would be nicer.

Volo literally has a flip cup league afaik lol. Never done it but there’s definitely a lot of options. I want to do kickball myself.

Ha! I haven't played flip cup probably since college but I was a beast at it back then. Sounds fun!

I’m not big on football either but people are out and about during that time

The next creative mornings speaker looks super interesting but it’s on a Friday morning. Do you know if they’re always on weekdays?

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I think they're always on Friday mornings, unfortunately.

If you are willing to try your hand at swing dancing, Mobtown ballroom has a fun cast of characters. There are always new people coming and going but there is a core group of regulars. They’re teach a drop in class to teach the basics and run dances Mondays and Friday. Because of the nature of the dance you meet a lot of people pretty quickly. They also have a full bar and at the very least good, people watching.

I’m from Richmond but have lived in Baltimore for about 5 years now. You are certainly right that Richmond is kinda clickish/insular. I think most places on the east coast tend to be that way to varying degrees though.

Baltimore is cool though, similar vibe for sure, maybe a little rougher around the edges for better or worse. I kinda miss when Richmond was a little rougher TBH.

Size wise it honestly feels about the same even though I know Baltimore is about 2x as large. “Smalltimore” is definitely a phrase you hear a lot. Philly might be a better option if you want to feel like you are in a big city.

Right on. I’ve lots of friends in Austin still. I always say for brisket Austin is king. For everything else, especially Burnt ends, KC is Thee Best.

I will say, Smoking Swine in Bmore has some of my favorite bbq outside KC or ATX.

Sounds like I'm not saying anything new here, but I moved to Bmore in my late 20's (classic hard to make friends territory) and made friends through Baltimore Bike Party, Tango, my church (not everyone's jam, but nothing I'm listing is!), one great friend I met when they forgot their credit card at a Charles Theater event and I offered to pay for her ticket because she was obviously super distressed, and my gym (small, specialized). It seemed easy to make one connection, and then more of their connections would follow. Things have evolved, people have moved, etc. and now I'm married with a child in my late 30's and I've still gotten involved more now with coworkers and a local "mom group." I'm naturally an extrovert, but at least for me, it's been easy to find community when I wanted it!

I’ve lived in the city for about 9 years now, and gone through different phase of life (early 20s - early 30s / relationship - single / transitioning from school to real job / etc) and I’ve always found it pretty easy to make friends. For what it’s worth I am pretty introverted but I WFH so am able to be ‘on’ for a few hours in the evening/weekend. There are a lot of different activities to do in the city so if you have a hobby you enjoy, a sport you like to play, or even a sport you just like to watch there are going to be people to connect with. I have found general success just going out and doing stuff I like. Usually I’ll end up seeing the same people and somehow we manage to adopt each other as friends. It can definitely be hard coming in knowing absolutely no one but if you are generally friendly and open to trying new things you hopefully won’t have a problem! That said if you want to connect when you move to the city I would be down to meet up!

You know what, fair! Q39 has my favorite sauce. I must've brought 4 bottles back with me. Def gonna look up Smoking Swine.

It's really not, in general, on top of regional barriers. Pretty much my only gripe about getting older.
It's interesting that people think it's difficult getting from place to place. Baltimore seems rather walkable and the different systems (not perfect, I know) cover a decent area, don't they?

I have in fact done swing dancing and really enjoyed it, though the last time was probably 7 years ago at this point. I'd love to get back into it though!

Philly's good too, I've been there and I thought it was great. Not sure that I'd live there though. I love visiting big cities but don't know that I'd enjoy the day in day out with that many people and that much traffic. I like that it's close enough to hit up on a quick train ride. Baltimore's a pretty good size and location for me. Actually *Richmond* is the PERFECT location because mountains and beach aren't but 1.5 hours away, but I'm willing to give that up for better social opportunities.

Q39 are really good. Probably my favorite of the "new guard" of KC BBQ. I'm still partial to the OGs personally -- Bryants (always my favorite), Gates, LCs, and OKJoes. Smoking Swine is really really good BBQ!!! Seriously the only place here that I can honestly say I crave. The hours can be hard to figure out so definitely call them to see if they're open. Drew's had a tough go the last couple years but he is one of the first people I met here and one of the best, kindest, hardest working people I've met. That place deserves all the love.

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Ngl the past few years have been difficult. Hell, maybe I'll find a church haha (I'm not a churchgoer myself but I had to be because all my friends were and just about every woman I've ever dated was). I'm glad you were able to find your people and congratulations!

It is but I've also done it on a few other occasions so I'm not super intimidated by that. And thank you for the offer! I'm still in the researching phase but my lease is up this summer so by then I'll know if I'm going to pull the trigger. I'll also be in the area fairly soon to scout places out and I'd love to meet up!

I get you. I suppose my point was that in my experience Baltimore feels much smaller than it is. Social opportunities are pretty similar here to what I found in Richmond but I was from that area so maybe that skews my impression. Not trying to discourage you from giving Charm City a go, I just don’t know that it’s going to provide you with a clearly more robust social life.

Definitely a thing in Richmond. Natives are pretty salty about how difficult it is to buy a home there now. That’s not as much of an issue in Baltimore where the population has been shrinking.

Ahhhh gotcha, that makes more sense. From where I'm coming from, at least there's *something.* The driving ain't even that big a deal to me just because of the spread-out Sunbelt areas where I've lived, but I also understand that it can get taxing after a while. Thank you for the advice!

I kind of get it though. Rents and home prices have actually been skyrocketing, certainly by Richmond standards. And while the Baltimoreans on here may laugh when I mention crime...RVA really is no slouch. I hear gunshots all over the city all the time. Just in my experience I can tell you. The prices are getting to that tipping point where I'm beginning to question cost vs what you get. Another reason I'm looking at Baltimore. Yeah it's a little more expensive but it just seems like a better deal.

Way easier and cheaper to buy a decent home in Baltimore. I’d say that Baltimore has resisted gentrification more so than any other city in the 95 corridor from Richmond to Boston. Not to imply that it’s not happening here, just at a much slower rate.

Oh I see what you're saying. Well I haven't pulled any triggers yet but from what I've gathered on here and my very limited time in the city, definitely seems worth a shot. If not, I'll make RVA work or maybe some place else.

As long as you don’t move to DC you’ll at worst be making a lateral move haha.

If someone from KC says they make really really good BBQ, I'm there

I mean this with all the love and respect in my heart...f*** DC.

The absolute worst. A beautiful city filled with a bunch of uptight boring ass people. That’s where I was between Richmond and Baltimore. Don’t miss it one bit.

Reading comments is such a confidence killer lol. I’ve been here for about 2 years now & I feel so isolated because I have yet to find “my tribe”. Personally I’ve lived in the Carolinas & will say I miss the “Southern hospitality” or overall energy so much. It can just be lonely at times, living in such a bustling city yet never feeling like you can find where you fit in. However I will say despite the social life, I’m always able to find new places to go explore & have fun- by myself & with my dog! That’s definitely a perk. And hey, maybe I’m just an introvert lol, who knows. Im glad so many other people have found their people in this lovely city.

I'm sorry to hear that, but you've got the inner resource to do your own thing until your tribe comes along. Honestly, I feel the exact same way in Richmond. Just kind of isolated. I have met many people but they've all got their own tribes going on and it's just not the same.

Edit: I'm an Aquarius as well and I think that may be part of it. We're kind of known for doing our own thing. Still better with friends though!

It's the only city I've ever been to where you can't ask someone for directions on the street. People talk about NY, Boston, Philly, etc. I've found those people to all be perfectly helpful. People in DC walk right by you like you're not even there. I don't even stop people! I ask them in passing out of respect for their time! And I've heard horror stories about the social scene there.

Great place to visit though.

Home ownership is still a few years off for me, but it's definitely my plan. Hopefully those prices hold up just a little while longer!

As someone who moved here more recently, if you have any tips on making those real connections/friendships here let me know 🫠

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What’s your scene?

Late 20s, married, we enjoy going out for food, drinks, game nights, whatever. I am in Highlandtown area as well.

People here generally talk to strangers, so you can usually just go to a bar sit down, grab a drink and someone will chat with you if you’re friendly looking.

Are you against others drinking, or are you fine being around others who do in a bar-type setting? And what type of music lover are you?

Off the top of my head, there's some decent music venues, Ottobar being my preferred and could be a good fit. It has lots of shows and events that I think could be of interest to an alt music lover.

I haven't been there, but I've heard about No Land Beyond, which may be somewhat what you're looking for? It's a board game bar.

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Works for me!

I see Smokin' Swine is a food truck. Where are they parked usually?

You’re a drone pilot? Me too! Would love to meet up with you if you come: I am a local myself and can show u a lot of good spots

!!! That would be amazing! I'm going to be in Baltimore for a weekend pretty soon to scout some areas out and I'd love to meet up.

Volunteer, join board game groups/meet ups (check out No Land Beyond and Canton Games for some of those). Basically any sort of hobby-based activity! I moved to Baltimore in 2016 and have made a great community of friends from primarily volunteering and running groups, basically anything that gets you out doing things with other people.

They had a brick and mortar location in The Hanover bar. 3440 S Hanover St, Baltimore, MD 21225

But I'm not sure what's going on with that. It might be that because it's winter he's not doing it. I usually call the number on their FB and ask if they're open on where they are. (this is where it gets complicated and Drew has expressed his exasperation in keeping the business going)

https://www.facebook.com/TheSmokingSwine/

Ah man, what a drag. This was posted on Google. Damn, this really hurts my heart. We loved them.

"We had a great time servicing your bbq needs for the last 10 years but the market has changed and we simply couldn't adapt in a meaningful way. We hope to be able to pop-up now and again, but for now we have to join the land of the 9 to 5. Just remember that when we were good we were great, and when we were bad we were amazing."

Ahhhhhhh that's too bad! I'm sorry to hear that.

The nightly drug fueled larceny rampage is pretty fun

Lol most people in DC don't know how to give directions!

Hell I'm 33 in bolton hill area, absolutely love house hunting and weighing out all options for people lol, so if you need an exploration buddy hmu! I'm from another part of md and moved here about 5 years ago but just now (2022/2023) getting out and exploring the city...loving it. Definitely seems like we enjoy similar thing (live music, museums, chill bars, etc.) Don't hesitate to shoot me a message if you want!

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Sounds great! I'm not ready to pull any triggers just yet but I'll certainly be in Baltimore in the near future and I'd love to meet up! I'll DM you when I have a better idea.
People on here have been very friendly and welcoming. I like that.

Thanks!

That sounds great! Message me when you’ll be in town and we can set something up

Hey thanks for your response. I love Ottobar for shows! That's def the vibe I'm into.

I don't mind people drinking, I'm just personally a little bored of the bar setting. I'd love a late-night lounge or something that isn't centered completely around drinking. Like maybe you could sit and read?

Maybe that's just my dream public space and it doesn't exist lol 😅

Ah okay, so if you are familiar with Ottobar, you're likely aware of similar places.

Yeah, I'm not sure where you'd find a lounge like that. If it doesn't need to be exactly that, but you're just looking for something a bit different, maybe you just want to look for places and events that are a bit more quirky?

If that's the case, Creative Alliance in Paterson Park could be of interest. I went to an "interactive movie" night there recently, and it was a little wacky and pretty fun. Also, I haven't been able to get there yet (plan to soon), but Red Emma's seems to have events that are a bit different.

It's mostly music shows, but Balt Showplace also has the above types of events listed. If you haven't ever looked at the site before, check it out! Super useful for finding out about events across the city:

https://baltshowplace.tumblr.com/

These are great suggestions, thanks! I've been meaning to go to Red Emma's for an event (I've only ever stopped by for coffee).

Creative Alliance seems super cool, and I wasn't aware of Balt Showplace so thanks for those!

Quirky is right up my alley haha. ;)