Baltimore Limousine Rental

Baltimore’s Firsts

party bus party no excuses May 8, 2013 - Baltimore may not be known for being the most visited cities in the country nor is it known for beautiful landscapes and quality attractions. But, for the record, Baltimore does have quite a long list of ‘firsts’ in the country.

For example, Baltimore was the first city in the whole of United States to come up with their very own professional sports organization in 1743. The Maryland Jockey Club was, much to many people’s surprise was founded before the Revolutionary War and is known as the oldest sporting organization in the whole of North America. It is something that many local residents are incredibly proud of, and they have the right to be so.

Other firsts for Baltimore includes having the first Post Office system in 1774 and the progressive people of Baltimore also created the first cross-state route which runs from Baltimore to Philadelphia. in 1773.

A more significant first for Baltimore is the first American warship to capture an enemy vessel - the Constellation which captured an enemy war ship despite it being a single-gundeck sloop war ship. The Constellation is the second American war ship to carry the same name, though, but despite that the role that it played during war remains significant to this very day.

And who would have thought that Baltimore is the first city to actually have their own umbrella factory in American soil way back in 1828. William Beehler was an innovative man and saw the needs to mass-create umbrellas....well, because people need umbrellas. There you have it....a need fulfilled.

In the 1830’s, Baltimore recorded two firsts, which is Tom Thumb coming up with the first ever coal-burning locomotive and the Baltimore authorities coming up with the first operating railroad depot at the Mt. Clare Station. It might seem like an insignificant implications today but back then when traveling and transportation was at its very basics, this was a much well-received news from locals and other Americans alike.

Moving on about ten years later, Baltimore had the first dental college...not in the United States but the first dental college in the WORLD which is called the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery. And then within the same year, Baltimore Steam Packets Co became the first American steamboat making company.

Many years down the road, in 1966, Baltimore started becoming more well-known on the sporting front and Frank Robinson became the first ever baseball player to be named an MVP for both minor and major leagues, this is the kind of establishments that can only be achieved by really motivated, talented and incredibly focused individuals.

As you can see, Baltimore’s rich culture is reflected in the many ‘firsts’ that it has achieved over the years and knowing these facts, it makes visiting a local museum a much more interesting visit, doesn’t it?

Hampden - Baltimore neighborhood

party bus party no excuses Feb 25, 2013 - When people come to Baltimore, their original intention was to go shopping at the downtown area, visit a couple of tourist attractions and maybe bring the kids to some of the most famous parks in Baltimore. But did you know that there is a very deep story and history behind Baltimore, especially in a small town like Hampden which is located in the northern part of the city. It is a quaint little neighborhood where there is story behind the buildings and residents. Most of the people who came to Baltimore, or more specifically Hampden, were mill workers. You see, it was originally a residential community for the mill workers, there was a sudden springing-up of mills around Jones Falls around the 19th century. So, people moved from the likes of Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and west Virginia moved here because of the abundance of work.

So, for decades that follows, the community basically consist of white collar people and from the working class.

It wasn’t until around the 1900’s that a group of people discovered and brought in artist studios and started to spread the love for arts and culture. Both cultures started merging, turning Hampden into what some would call the epicenter of hipster Baltimore kitch. ‘The culture in Hampden is quite unique from the rest of Baltimore because, let’s face it, even strangers call you hon here and nobody makes a bone about it. If you want to really get into what the locals are like, you should just head of ‘The Avenue’ which is also known as the 36th street where all the fancy, truly original shops and eccentric cafes are like. It will be really fun for foreigners too, like stepping into another zone or country,’ laughs Amy, a regular Baltimore party bus rental customer.

On The Avenue, there are plenty of storefronts, award-winning boutiques, restaurants, art galleries, gyms, spas, yoga studios and upscale wine bars. Suffice to say, it is has become a much more intriguing neighborhood now as compared to before. Because of the emergence of these establishments, suffice to say, there is a huge rise in price in the real estate realm. Housing has also become more available, which is bringing in people from surrounding neighborhoods in Baltimore.

Foreign visitors and local visitors alike will be amused when they visit Hampden during HonFest and experience the locals’ Bawlmerese accent which sees residents dress up to the 1960s fashion and hairstyles. The accent is more of a Dundalk and Essex accent, so, when you are here in Hampden during HonFest, ‘Hey Hon, are you ready to learn how to talk in Bawlmerese?’

Sherwood Gardens

party bus party no excuses Nov 30, 2012 - Back in the 1800s, Sherwood Gardens was merely a piece of land that was a part of The Guildford Estate which is owned and managed by the founder of The Baltimore Sun, A. S. Abell. In fact, a large part of the garden was filled with water which formed a serene-looking pond. It was only much later, around 1912, that it was developed as a housing area.

What began as a hobby for John W. Sherwood, who had a deep seated love for tulips became so major and large that it is now a historical and beautiful garden worthy of a Baltimore party bus rental visit. Today, Sherwood Gardens is one of the most visited, popular and famous tulip garden in the whole of north America! With more than eight thousand bulbs of tulips, it is not a surprise at all.

After Mr. Sherwood's demise, the Guildford Association and the city of Baltimore took over care and management of this amazingly gorgeous garden, seeing that it would be a complete waste if it was left to die out on its own. Mr. Sherwood left enough money for maintenance of the garden for a year and thereafter, the city and the association pumped in the funds to keep importing the tulips in from Netherlands and maintenance.

While the tulips is amazing, there are other worthy blooms there too, which includes dogwoods, cherries, wisteria and magnolias, all of which comes alive during spring. It is during spring that people come here just to take jaw-dropping pictures. What they have to offer is absolutely irresistable – it is beautiful, free to roam, the garden is not condoned off by gates and you don't even need to pay to get in, the city takes care of that.

So, the next time you are having trouble finding a place for a gathering, group vacation, or just trying opportunities to take awesome pictures, think of Sherwood Gardens.