As lead editor for Baltimore Magazine, you could say that Max Weiss knows a thing or two about the city.
Weiss, who has been with the magazine for 17 years, has seen Baltimore grow up in a sense, from a city with what she calls an “inferiority complex,” to a city bursting with cultural pride.
“It’s almost like everything that was great about it has gotten better. And certain things that it didn’t have, it now has,” Weiss explains. “For example, in the past it was missing really great restaurants. Now I think we have great restaurants… It used to be you couldn’t get a good bagel in Baltimore, you couldn’t get a good pizza in Baltimore. I mean it was driving me insane.”
Weiss,44, is part city cheerleader, part city expert. Having grown up working at a variety of Baltimore publications, she herself is a city establishment with her wild mop of curly red hair and her authoritative take on the city’s cultural happenings. In addition to heading up the magazine, she appears on WBAL-TV as a weekly film critic, and is also a prolific blogger.
Among her many raves about the city is how friendly it is.
“I love how embracing of its artists it is, and how easy it is to navigate whatever scene you are into,” she said. “There is nothing cooler than thou.”
But she didn’t always love Baltimore. In fact, she moved to Maryland from her native New York City when her parents re-located.
“I really wanted to stay in New York actually but I couldn’t afford it,” Weiss explained.
But upon getting her first apartment in Mt. Vernon, and a job at City Paper, she decided she was here to stay.
From her office overlooking Harbor East, Weiss recently answered questions about “Charm City,” and why she thinks Baltimore is the best place in the country for indulging in cultural quirks.
Q: You said that one of the things about Baltimore that you love is how weird it is. Explain.
MW: There is nothing alienating about Baltimore. And that’s what I love about it...Obviously John Waters was sort of the one who really pointed out the fabulous, beautiful weirdness of Baltimore. I like that we have all these quirky museums and all these interesting characters, and that there is not a lot of polish. It’s a funky place. And I love that.
Q: Besides the influx of good restaurants to the city, what else have you seen change over the years?
MW: I would always bemoan the fact that there wasn’t some sort of urban shopping district. I wanted it to be Charles Street—I still think Charles Street, from the harbor to Mt. Vernon, could be spectacular; our Miracle Mile. That hasn’t happened. But Harbor East happened. It’s begging to round into form to become that shopping destination that I envisioned Baltimore having.
Q: What do you think is the most underrated tourist site in the city?
MW: Druid Hill Park is one of the most gorgeous parks, and one of the most underrated treasures in this town. Of course the zoo is right there as well, which is a great zoo. And some of the architecture in that neighborhood is just stunning; it will take your breath away. I think it’s some of the most beautiful architecture in all of Baltimore.
Q: If you could use one word to describe the city, what would it be?
MW: Friendly. Welcoming. Funky. And weird. Delightfully weird. (laughs) One word is hard.
Q: Do you think the moniker ‘Charm City’ fits?
MW: Yeah. I love ‘Charm City.’ We have the cutest motto of any city anywhere, and I think it totally does fit. I’m not really sure where it came from…Charm seems to suggest a certain polish that we don’t have. But friendly. Yeah.
Q: Where do you take your friends when they visit?
MW: I love to show them the different neighborhoods. Baltimore is all about neighborhoods so I just want to show them that this is what Fells Point is, this is what Butcher’s Hill is, this is Canton, this is Federal Hill…I love showing them the festivals, because that’s a huge part of Baltimore; the markets: Lexington Market, Belvedere Square Market. When I go to a city I want to see it the way a native sees it.
Q: What is your favorite Baltimore neighborhood?
MW: I love my neighborhood. I live in Evergreen, which I call the slums of Roland Park. I love it because I have Stony Run Park in my backyard; I love the Victorian architecture. My house is a duplex. I call it ‘Baby’s first Victorian.’ I’m walking distance from the whole Eddie Dopkins restaurant empire. Miss Shirley’s… I also love Mt. Vernon. That’s where I first moved when I first came to Baltimore. To me it just smells like a real city.
Q: What would be your advice to someone who has just moved here?
MW: Pick up Baltimore Magazine needless to say (laughs). Or other great publications in this town like The Baltimore Sun, City Paper, Urbanite, etc….Go to the Charles Theater, get yourself to the Station North Arts District, get to the festivals. And then it really depends on what you’re into...If you are religious, there are so many interesting temples and churches that you can enjoy. If you are interested in theatre, there are so many interesting theatres to sniff around. There are amazing galleries, there are amazing museums. So it’s almost like whatever you’re into, find that community; it’s there.
Q: Considering you are one of the most “in-the-know” Baltimoreans around, can you share with readers some of your favorite local haunts?
MW: I’m a film critic. I spend a lot of time in dark theatres. So some of my haunts are the Charles Theater, the Landmark Theatre, and various other theatres around town. I have two good friends who are restaurateurs; one is Binda Singh, who owns the Ambassador Dining Room along with his brother, so I literally hang out there a lot…I’ll go toward the end of dinner and just sit. It’s a beautiful dining room, and it has the best Indian food in town. I love Cinghiale; I love to hangout at the bar there. It’s literally a beautiful space, and beautiful people come in….I love Camden Yards—I go there as often as I can. I’m still in love with that place. I like McCabes bar. Everybody needs that one casual, cozy bar where you can just get a burger and they know your beer. The bartender’s name is Cora—I love her. She’s the kind of bartender you want to spill all your troubles to.
Q: Do you think shows like The Wire, in the way that it portrays the city, have done Baltimore a disservice?
MW: The Wire is an incredible work of art. I’m proud that a Baltimorean made it, and that it happens to be set in Baltimore although lord knows it could have been set in other urban locations. I don’t think it’s David Simon’s responsibility to depict Baltimore in a favorable light…If that’s the only image of Baltimore that people have, then they are only seeing a small part of the story. It’s a real part of the story, and a really important part of the story, but only a small part. But Baltimore has all these thriving pockets. It has a lot more sophistication and a lot more glamour than people realize. People pick up the magazine and they’re really stunned because it’s not all gritty, urban blight. Yes, that’s there. You can’t close your eyes and put your hands over your ears and hope that it’s going to go away, but there is really this other part side of Baltimore, the sexy side; that’s what I’m proud of.
Q: What would you define as the city’s strengths for young people?
MW: You cannot underestimate how important the cheap rent and real estate in Baltimore is. And also I always like how accessible the communities in Baltimore are. There really is not this secret handshake quality to Baltimore. It’s sort of the island of misfit toys. Everybody’s welcome. And I love that.
Q: Who is the most interesting Baltimorean you’ve ever met?
MW: (thinks)…I don’t want to say Jon Waters because that’s such a cliché. But he is fabulously interesting.
Q: OK. How about the Baltimorean who most surprised you?
MW: Gary Vikan, who is the director of the Walters Art Museum, is also this huge Elvis Presley aficionado…The fact that the guy presides over what many may see as this high-brow museum is also this huge Elvis fan? That kind of dichotomy-- isn’t that just so Baltimore? (laughs)
Q: Last question. What’s been your favorite thing about covering this city?
MW: It’s been seeing this town grow up and get its self-esteem. It’s like watching a child grow up almost. (laughs) Our little Baltimore all grown up. When I first moved here, Baltimore had a real inferiority complex, and now it doesn’t. There is really this sort of ‘Hell Yeah’ Baltimore thing going on right now, and I’ve loved being a witness to this. I’ve had a front row seat to the Baltimore renaissance. Or its second renaissance really…Of Baltimore really finding its identity, and hitting its stride as it is right now; that’s been the best part of this job.
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