Day 93 Angels in the Architecture

I am really enjoying my guided exploration of Baltimore.  Yes, there are museums and symphonies and history.  There are famous institutions like Johns Hopkins, and gorgeous libraries like the Peabody. 
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The thing that fascinates me the most is the architecture. From the variations on the row houses, to the new university buildings under construction downtown, the city seems to have a remarkable architectural history.

Today I went to Johns Hopkins, a world renown medical center and school. C and I were picking up his brother, who practices with the docs, nurses, and pharma students in a testing environment known as standardized patient. P reads a case, and then acts out a role assigned to him based on the case.  He might be a patient, or a nurse or a doctor.  A student in one of the medical programs works with P to diagnose a problem.  


They may be diagnosing a pain, an illness, a drug interaction and through it all the student has to ask the right and appropriate questions of P in order to get to a solution.  P provides feedback to the student being tested and also lets the student know from a human standpoint how their interactions made him feel. We've all heard of doctors with terrible bedside manner...this is one way medical schools try to improve the relationships between professionals and patients.

After Johns Hopkins we headed to another park of downtown called Mt. Vernon.  This looks nothing like the home of George Washington.  Every few blocks, neighborhoods in Baltimore get names to represent the community.  The Mt. Vernon area has at its center a giant obelisk with George Washington at the top.  This seems to be a successful community.  The Peabody Library is here along with the Walters Museum.

The Peabody is amazing.  Floors and floors of books and a huge section of first printings, including H.L. Mencken, a Baltimore son known for his satire, and his writings on the American language. 

According to P this library has been featured in a number of films.  It is easy to see why.  The middle is open from floor to ceiling and natural light descends on to the desks below.  The center is surrounded with alcoves, each its own miniature area with a working table and books upon books facing one another.  As you go upstairs, ornate railings block off the end from the central atrium. I image there has been many fight scenes on these higher levels when individuals go over the edge and crash on to the polished tables below.

Outside old stone churches stand guard over street corners.  The Belvedere is in this area too, a posh hotel in a bustling district.  A former life insurance company made its home down here.  Thirty foot ornate columns now greet visitors to the Chase Brexton Health Care facility.

Colonial, to Corinthian, to ornate to simple, from Art Deco to 70's contemporary and everything in between, I've found Baltimore a wonderland for varied and interesting architecture.  In my leisure, I think this may  be a topic for further exploration.