Situated around a large natural harbor near the top of the Chesapeake Bay, Baltimore came of age through its mastery of the seas, the skill of its shipbuilders, and the preeminence of its port. The city was made famous, and rich, by the speedy Baltimore Clipper ships that carried the products of area farms and grain mills to foreign markets.

Even as the city grew, it retained a small-town feel. Hardworking Baltimoreans settled in distinct neighborhoods that have retained their quirky charm to this day. In fact, Baltimore has been called “Charm City” because of the appeal of its neighborhoods and its friendly, unpretentious citizens.

Baltimoreans take pride in their city’s rich culture and history. During the War of 1812, Francis Scott Key wrote the Star Spangled Banner there after the bombardment of Fort McHenry. Baltimore is also the site of the first Catholic cathedral and the oldest reform synagogue in the United States.

Modern Baltimore is best known, perhaps, as the birthplace of urban renaissance. From the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s, the “Baltimore Renaissance” transformed the city’s Inner Harbor from an area dominated by rundown wharves and rotting piers into a festive waterfront attraction with museums, restaurants, shops, hotels, and offices.

Today, the heavy industry that once made up the strongest sector of the local economy, has been replaced by strong sectors in health sciences, higher education, financial and business services, and tourism. Once Bethlehem Steel was the city’s largest private employer; today the Johns Hopkins University takes that title.

Baltimore’s rich history, modern attractions, and diverse neighborhoods mean that this venerable old port town still has something to offer everyone. But, even as it changes to keep up with the times, it always will be Charm City.