I just walked from Canton to Charles Village, from my office in the Natty Boh Tower to my house on 27th and Howard. According to Google Maps, it was just under a six mile urban hike. I took it at a brisk pace and made it in about an hour and a half, give or take a few minutes.

My approximate path:

• Natty Boh Tower - O'Donnell Street to Boston to Fleet
• Fleet over to President Street
• Short jag up President, then worked my over to Calvert via University of Maryland/Commerce Place/City Hall
• Up Calvert to Mercy Hospital
• Cut across St. Paul through that little park area and up to Charles
• Up Charles through Mt. Vernon, past Penn Station, through Station North, and up to Charles Village
• Left on 27th and two blocks to home

This is the longest urban hike I've done in Baltimore. I used to walk from home to work when we were in our old office on Pratt Street down in the Inner Harbor. That was somewhere between 3 and 4 miles, and was always an interesting glimpse of the city gearing into motion in the morning, especially walking down Baltimore where they were hosing off the sidewalks in front of the strip clubs...

This hike in the opposite direction, at the other end of the workday, also provided some interesting glimpses into the city. Joggers out getting a workout, students meandering, business people in their suits and ties, homeless people asking for change, walkers with dogs. Police cruisers rolling by. City workers fixing power lines. Broken water mains. A man trying to sell his groceries.