Hampden. For such an inconspicuous little neighborhood, it is the American mecca of mullets, big hair, spandex pants, snapping bubble gum and bad "Bawl-mer" accents. Just a hop, skip and jump away from campus, this town sparkles in a fabulously tacky, hometown glory that features everything from soda fountains to thrift stores to homemade apple pie.
In all its pink flamingo splendor, Hampden is nationally acclaimed for its distinctive, small town charm -- a carefully preserved tribute to the 1950s, working class "Bawl-mer," as they say. The collection of neat brick row houses is tucked like a hidden chest of gaudy plastic treasure behind the Rotunda at W. 40th St.
The gem of Hampden is three blocks along W. 36th St, fondly known as "The Avenue" by locals. Between the 700 and 1100 blocks, one finds great eats, shops and people-watching. A slew of festivals throughout the year bring crowds flocking to craft vendors, lemonade stands, local bands and face painting.
A signature characteristic of the sock-and-sandal Baltimore "Hon" (or 1950s working class mom) is making dinner for the fam, The Avenue offers several restaurants that pay tribute to good old American comfort foods (and are easy on the college student budget). CafZ Hon (1002 The Ave.) takes the cake with its famed homestyle cooking, homemade apple pie and freshly squeezed margueritas. Angelo's Carryout lets students bring the amazement home: "big" takes on a new meaning with their monster, thin-crust pizza creation.
Ice cream lovers will find heaven with a cherry on top. The Avenue Ice Cream Shoppe (900 The Ave.) offers old-fashioned sundaes, milkshakes and ice cream creations. The Soda Fountain in the back of Hometown Girl and Co. gift shop (1001 The Avenue) is a fabulous blast from the past that's carefully restored to its 1909 grandeur, where customers can get made-to-order milkshakes, malts and root beer floats.
The Golden West CafZ features a coffee bar and scrumptious amazingly-priced organic and vegetarian sandwiches. Suzie's Soba (1009 The Ave.) offers Korean and Japanese cuisine seven days a week. Holy Frijoles (908 The Ave.) cooks up scrumptious Mexican fare. Common Ground (819 The Ave.) serves fabulous espresso and fresh muffins in a cozy brick nook.
Thrift store lovers and craft enthusiasts alike will delight in Hampden shopping. While the town may be the greatest lasting tribute to one of the tackiest decades in history, The Avenue splays out like a treasure chest of quality finds. Fat Elvis (833 The Ave.) and Galvanize (927 The Ave.) both offer a century of fun and eccentric clothing, although the prices of their extensive collections can be a bit steep.
Wild Yam Pottery (863 The Ave.) is a workshop and gallery that also offers made-to-order ceramics. Find fresh, unique creations at Mud and Metal, quirky old reads and comics at Atomic Books, and an assortment of home and garden decorations at In Watermelon Sugar. These stores all regularly get stand-out reviews in The City Paper's "Best of Baltimore" and in Baltimore Magazine.
As far as festivals go, Hampden sure knows how to put on a show. This wrinkle in tacky time is home to the Baltimore Hon Festival each June, where local women don their tallest beehives, biggest wingtip sunglasses, gaudiest polyester t-shirts, tightest leggings and heaviest "Bawl-mer" accent to compete for "Hon of the Year."
The fall festival, HampdenFest, comes this year on Sept. 21 from 11 a.m. -- 6 p.m. It features the usual vendors, crafts, flea market and food stalls, as well as local bands and an antique car show. Christmastime brings the nationally-acclaimed Miracle on 34th Street, a spectacularly obscene light display hosted year after year by the homes on the 700 block of W. 34th St: crowds are drawn to it like moths to a flame.
Check out Hampden for yourself -- you won't believe it till you see it. This jewel of a town is waiting for you with open arms and a big pink plastic flamingo. Just keep in mind that most shops on The Avenue are closed Mondays.
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