By Bob Tagert

Like our home town of Alexandria, Virginia, which was founded by Scotsman John Alexandria, Fells Point has its own ancestry. The story of Fell’s Point begins with the tale of two brothers: Edward Fell who first landed near “Baltimore Town” in 1726, and his brother, William Fell, who followed shortly thereafter in 1730.

The brothers arrived in a time marked by speculative land sales, where large areas of land were divided and sold to settlers and investors. They acquired 3,000 acres which is now Fells Point. With the deep-water Patapsco River and the close approximation to the Chesapeake Bay, and access to large tracts of timber, the land was ideal for shipbuilding.

The riches of the Fell family were eventually passed on to William’s only son, also named Edward Fell (after William’s brother). Young Edward and his wife, Ann Bond Fell, developed the land in 1761, creating a grid of streets and selling sub-divided plots along them to the general public. The street names were largely inspired by two common themes: family and British heritage. Many of these streets still have their original names, including Ann Street, Bond Street, Fell Street, Thames Street and Shakespeare Street. In 1773, Fells Point was annexed into Baltimore, joining Baltimore Town and Jonestown as the pillars of the city, just before the start of the American Revolutionary war.

Just like the old warehouses of Alexandria, the buildings of Fells Point today house restaurants, shops, and pubs. Unlike like Old Town, the Patapsco River creates a harbor in Baltimore whereas the Potomac River runs through Alexandria. There the difference ends. With Thames Street being the main street running parallel to the harbor, King Street in Alexandria runs perpendicular to the Potomac.

When we visited Fells Point some years back the area was in a revitalization mode. Today some swanky hotels have moved in – think the Sagamore Pendry that occupies the old depot and the setting for Homicide: Life on the Street.

From my first visit some thirty years ago when I crewed on the Alexandria in the Great Chesapeake Schooner Race, my favorite place is the Cats Eye Pub…it has not changed. Good food, great drinks and lively music. At the other end of Thames Street is The Horse You Came in On.  This place has gentrified a bit. When I first went there, they still had the wooden bars along the bar to keep folks on their side. The bars are gone now. Much to our dismay, one of Fells Point’s icons, Bertha’s Mussels, has closed up shop while some of the other pubs have been given a new makeover. Bottom line, however, change is constant but the raw seaport town does, indeed, still exist.

The Admiral Fell Inn is still there for a reasonable night’s stay in the harbor but appears to be losing a bit of its luster. Across the street is the Admiral’s Cup for some good drinks and dining along with some good live tunes. Although these two have not changed some other dining spots have new owners who have up ticked the properties nicely. The Oyster House on Thames Street is rumored to be exceptional, however we didn’t get a chance to check it our…there was a two hour wait on the Saturday night we were there.

We made a second choice and picked a relatively new place… Prima Dopo. They were also busy but we secured two seats at the back-room bar. The build out of this property is beautiful. The bar we chose was small but beautiful. There were only about six seats and two of the others were occupied by locals which made for great conversation.

Fells Point was our destination, however over the years this area has grown. Adjacent to Fells Point is the Baltimore Inner Harbor which houses the National Aquarium and other nationally known restaurants and the enclave of Federal Hill.

There is a water taxi service that will take you to different destinations in the harbor with stops along the way. We parked in Fells Point and hopped on the water taxi and enjoyed the narrated tour into the Inner Harbor – this is the third time we’ve done this and we think this is the most convenient and relaxing way to take in all of the nuances of the waterfront. You can hop off and hop on so you have the opportunity to visit the shops and restaurants in Inner Harbor as well.

The drive to Fells Point is easy, except for the potential of traffic. The beltway to Baltimore Washington Parkway and into the harbor is the route we take but you have other options that keep you on the beltway longer with one exit into Baltimore. Check your Maps app or consult Waze and hit the road.

Taking a “Road Trip” to Fells Point won’t disappoint…spend the night, and enjoy the people and the sights.