BALTIMORE CITY AND SURROUNDING AREA
Baltimore, the largest city in Maryland, is the center of a metropolitan area of 2.5 million people.  Baltimore is a vital city long known for its ethnic neighborhoods and, more recently, for its innovations in the preservation and restoration of urban homes. The city is located on the Chesapeake Bay, and its picturesque Inner Harbor is the center of restaurant, shopping and business districts.  The Inner Harbor is also the focus of one of the nation's most successful urban development programs.  Baltimore is a city of contrasts; steel and glass skyscrapers that dominate the commercial district are only a short walk from residential neighborhoods that have maintained a small town charm.  Many Baltimore residents live in the classic red brick row houses with which the city is traditionally associated. 

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Each wave of immigration to the United States has added to the character of Baltimore.  People of many different ethnic, racial and cultural backgrounds give the city a melting pot vitality that is reflected in the wide variety of restaurants, shops and ethnic festivals.  Just a block from the Johns Hopkins Medical School is one of seven city markets with dozens of stalls that offer everything from Chesapeake Bay crabs to take-out Chinese food. 

Baltimore also offers a rich cultural diet.  Its symphony orchestra performs under the baton of Marin Alsop at the Meyerhoff Hall.  The Peabody Conservatory of Music also hosts a concert series, as do several local universities. The city also supports many educational and cultural institutions, including the Maryland Science Center, Baltimore Opera Company, Center Stage, The Morris Mechanic Theater, Walters Art Gallery, the Baltimore Museum of Art, several repertory theaters, over a dozen museums, and excellent bookstores.  For lighter entertainment, there are the National Aquarium and Baltimore Zoo.  Baltimore is also home to the new Columbus Center, a much heralded institution for the study of marine biotechnology and archaeology with an impressive exhibition hall. 

The Baltimore public library, with a book collection of 2,250,000 volumes, is considered one of the best in the country.  There are more than 70 accredited institutions of higher education in the Baltimore-Washington area.  The cultural opportunities of Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and New York are easily reached by car or train. 

RECREATION
Baltimore has long been a devoted sports town.   The Orioles play in the Camden Yards baseball stadium. Baltimore is also home to the 2001 Super Bowl winners, the Baltimore Ravens.   Baltimore also supports professional teams in soccer (the Blast) and hockey (the Skipjacks), basketball (the Pearls), and lacrosse (the Bayhawks). 

Some of the best college lacrosse can be seen at Johns Hopkins who has been a powerhouse since the late 1800s, the University plays NCAA Division I lacrosse and is consistently ranked among the top four teams in the nation.  NCAA Division III teams include football, baseball, basketball, soccer and wrestling. 

Here at the Medical School the focus of athletic activities is the Denton A. Cooley Athletic Center, which offers free membership to graduate students.  This athletic complex includes a full size gymnasium, and indoor track, squash courts, racquetball courts, a weight room, saunas, jacuzzis, and three outdoor lighted tennis courts.

The state of Maryland has an unusual topography, as it extends from the Atlantic Ocean shore to the Allegheny and Appalachian mountains, and thus offers a wide variety of recreational facilities.  Baltimore's mild weather makes outdoor recreation accessible for much of the year.  Eastern Maryland's Atlantic Coast offers many miles of beautiful beaches, while further inland; wildlife sanctuaries serve as stopping points for migrating birds during the spring and autumn.  Western Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania offer excellent hiking and picnicking among the rolling hills and farming country.  There are many bike trails in the Baltimore area including the B&O Canal Trail along the Potomac River that provides access to Western Maryland where mountain biking and cross country ski trails also abound.