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gphamadi's review
3.0
maybe one day i'll pick this book up again, but as someone who just wants to know baltimore a little bit better while living nearby but only traveling to it maybe once a month...the book is frustratingly visual but not visual enough. i like the concept - literally, just an author ambling through different neighborhoods and whatnot, attempting to tell snapshots of peoples and buildings passing by, but it was just that -- little blurbs rather than a full narrative that drew me in.
yulelogue's review
3.0
It’s fine. Probably more useful if you are planning a trip to Baltimore. I thought the final chapter was out of place. And there’s a middle section where the writer is at a club watching his buddy’s band that was pretty boring and outside the scope of the overall book.
shnuggs's review
2.0
I really wanted to like this book - it's about Baltimore, particularly parts that I know and love. The author, a noted novelist who also teaches at Goucher, takes a number of walks through different stretches of Baltimore - a walk down York Road from Northern Parkway to the Inner Harbor, a walk up Charles Street (which I do myself at least thrre times a week), a walk through Dickeyville (never did this one but it sounds fun). What bothered me was there were a bunch of factual errors - he mentioned streets crossing each other that are in fact parallel, he cites a local foundation's office being on he wrong street - things that would have been so easy to fact-check. It wasn't an awful book but it was disappointing.
lanikei's review
4.0
Picked this book up for my dad's Xmas present since he had really enjoyed his visit earlier this year. While I was waiting to be picked up, I started skimming the first few pages and got totally sucked in. I had to wrap up his copy, but fortunately Cristin had a copy herself.
Borrowed Cristin's copy and TORE THROUGH IT. I think my dad will love it.
The book is essentially a walking tour through some areas of Baltimore and includes the author's reflections, local history, and a lot of local flavor. He is joined on his walk by several locals, including [author: Laura Lippmann], the author of the Tess Monaghan mysteries. He walks up the same stretch of Charles that I walked twice a day, and there haven't been all that many changes apparently.
The bits that the author walks through are fascinating and neatly described in all their glory - and lack thereof. He touches on little bits of Baltimore history that show some of the quirks of the city. Unfortunately, he spends more time than necessary on some things - his description of a Latin dance club comes to mind - and doesn't take a particularly extensive tour of the city. I don't think it's much of a travel guide, but it does give a feel for the mood of the neighborhoods he crosses through.
I was disappointed that he didn't make it through Hampden since I find that to be a particularly intriguing neighborhood that I'm sure has many interesting stories and factoids hidden under its kitsch. He also doesn't touch on the Painted Ladies - the Victorian houses so frequently photographed. In fact, there aren't photos in the book at all, which is a shame.
I did love this book, though I'll give it 4 stars since I don't think the execution was absolutely perfect. Still, highly recommended if you are new to Baltimore, like me, or like learning weird local history in a narrative writing style.
Borrowed Cristin's copy and TORE THROUGH IT. I think my dad will love it.
The book is essentially a walking tour through some areas of Baltimore and includes the author's reflections, local history, and a lot of local flavor. He is joined on his walk by several locals, including [author: Laura Lippmann], the author of the Tess Monaghan mysteries. He walks up the same stretch of Charles that I walked twice a day, and there haven't been all that many changes apparently.
The bits that the author walks through are fascinating and neatly described in all their glory - and lack thereof. He touches on little bits of Baltimore history that show some of the quirks of the city. Unfortunately, he spends more time than necessary on some things - his description of a Latin dance club comes to mind - and doesn't take a particularly extensive tour of the city. I don't think it's much of a travel guide, but it does give a feel for the mood of the neighborhoods he crosses through.
I was disappointed that he didn't make it through Hampden since I find that to be a particularly intriguing neighborhood that I'm sure has many interesting stories and factoids hidden under its kitsch. He also doesn't touch on the Painted Ladies - the Victorian houses so frequently photographed. In fact, there aren't photos in the book at all, which is a shame.
I did love this book, though I'll give it 4 stars since I don't think the execution was absolutely perfect. Still, highly recommended if you are new to Baltimore, like me, or like learning weird local history in a narrative writing style.
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