lunch on the S.B Star, boarding in Baltimore. and B&O museum quest

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amtrakmichigan

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We will be boarding in Baltimore on the S.B. Silver Star which depart at 1:55PM. Amtrak says lunch in diners is served until 2:30. However they cover there behinds by saying in so many words that meal times can change or be modified depending on a particular train or circumstances. Do any of you know if lunch is available for sure when boarding in Baltimore. And yes this will be prior to the July 1st dining car change on this train.

Also on a side note. Do any of you live in or are familiar with downtown Baltimore? Just wondering if it's a "safe walk" in the middle of the day from the Camden Yard area to the B&O museum down Pratt street. Looking at Google street view, it looks like the area west of MLK blvd. might be questionable (a few home with storm doors with bars). Hate to get a cab for such a short distance, but don't mind spending the $ to avoid a questionable area. Thanks for any input.
 
amtrakmichigan said:
Also on a side note. Do any of you live in or are familiar with downtown Baltimore? Just wondering if it's a "safe walk" in the middle of the day from the Camden Yard area to the B&O museum down Pratt street. Looking at Google street view, it looks like the area west of MLK blvd. might be questionable (a few home with storm doors with bars). Hate to get a cab for such a short distance, but don't mind spending the $ to avoid a questionable area. Thanks for any input.
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I have done that a couple of times without any problem. But of course YMMV.
 
That part of Baltimore can be a little intimidating if you are not used to an urban environment. There's a fair amount of urban blight, although that is starting to change, and a few homeless people. Like most cities, if you look like you know where you are going, you won't be bothered. If you think you might be uncomfortable walking through the neighborhood, you can take the Charm City Circulator, a free shuttle bus. It runs frequently and the drivers are pretty helpful. Orange Line stop 212 is close to the front entrance of the B&O museum.
 
There is free bus service known as the Charm City Circulator, it stops in front of the B&O museum. You can find all about the bus on their web site. Just enter Charm City Circulator. My wife and grandson used it for 2 days. It also stops at the station. We found the drivers to be very helpful.
 
As other have mentioned use the Charm City Circulator Bus. or take a cab.

I would NOT recommend walking it, and I say this as my in-laws live in B'more and I get stuck going there every 18 months, or so.

Avoid the Lexington Market and that area as well, and believe me you can get better crab cakes at many other places.

Ken
 
Former Baltimore resident here, walking during the day should be fine. If you are not used to cities at all, you might feel a little freaked out. Likely a few homeless people, but also probably some students from University of MD medical school which is just on the East side of MLK Blvd. I have 2 coworkers who lived in the immediate area around the Museum, one whose front door looked into the Museum storage yards. It's really not that bad there, also easy enough to take the Charm City Circulator Orange line.
 
THANK YOU very much to all of you for your responses. I didn't know about the free Charm City bus service so thank you to all for mentioning that. The orange bus looks like the way to go. Thanks again!
 
RyanS said:
Eh, Lexington Market is just fine. Quite the experience. Of course, I'd do the walk to the B&O as well.
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Count yourself as lucky, and there is a reason why the Lexington Market has so many bad reviews on Trip Advisor.

I say this as someone who was born and raised in Newark, NJ, and I know how to conduct myself in the worse cities, Baltimore being one of them.

Despite that my spouse (the B-more native), and I was were so harrashed leaving Lexingtom Market on a weekday morning, that I called the police and filed a report.

Despite the santitized inner-harbor area, Baltimore on a whole, remains a poor, crime ridden city, and you need to plan accordingly.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60811-d103079-Reviews-Lexington_Market-Baltimore_Maryland.html

Ken
 
I have walked to the museum on two visits.I had no problems as a senior citizen. While I was walking through some exhibit cars at the back of the round house, rocks were being thrown over the high fence from the housing project . Leaving, I waited at the city bus stop(not circulator) out front, but eventually walked and beat the bus to Camden Yard station.
 
Interestingly I have been to Lexington market a dozen times and do not recall any of these scary events. maybe I am just too immune to such things. Before there was the LRT I had even walked all the way from Amtrak station to Inner Harbor. It was an interesting experience but I never felt threatened by anything. I guess the background and context that people are coming from makes a huge difference in how they perceive the same situation?

heck, walking from the Ukraina Hotel to Kievskyi Voxhal through various residential neighborhoods in Moscow, while being accosted multiple times by shady looking character looking for Green Roubles was scarier than anything around the Lexington Market in Baltimore! :)
 
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jis said:
heck, walking from the Ukraina Hotel to Kievskyi Voxhal through various residential neighborhoods in Moscow, while being accosted multiple times by shady looking character looking for Green Roubles was scarier than anything around the Lexington Market in Philly! :)

Lexington Market is in Baltimore, not Philly.
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peconicstation said:
jis said:
heck, walking from the Ukraina Hotel to Kievskyi Voxhal through various residential neighborhoods in Moscow, while being accosted multiple times by shady looking character looking for Green Roubles was scarier than anything around the Lexington Market in Philly! :)

Lexington Market is in Baltimore, not Philly.
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Yeah, I meant to say Baltimore. Slip of the finger.
 
The first time the other half and I went to Lexington Market, he saw a middle aged female junkie nodding off standing up just inside the door. He said, "You take me to the most interesting places!" We hve never been bothered there, though, and there is some good eating to be had in that place, at qute reasonable prices. We have been meaning to get back and do some damage to some Faidley's crab cakes.

Regarding the B&O Museum, be sure to take a look in the North Car Shop. The Capitol Limited and a gorgeous yellow C&O Hudson are there, along with some other fine old equipment in varying states of restoration.
 
As far as getting lunch out of Baltimore, I assume the train will switch from electric to diesel in Washington. Don't they close the diner when they switch trains and lose head end power? I think when we got on in Baltimore, the diner was closed until after DC.

As far as walking to the B&O museum, I don't see a problem. It is only about 2 blocks past JFK Blvd. and the walk is through an area that has townhouses. It always appeared to me that it was a middle class area. I didn't see too much scary stuff in that area unlike when I tried getting to the trolley museum. As others have mentioned, there is the Charm City Circulator. However, I always feel if I am waiting for a bus, I feel more of a target than just walking a few blocks. Of course with any area, be aware of your surroundings, try not to stick out and be flashy, fit it, and don't act like a tourist.
 
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