Stroll down the four blocks of 36th Street (known locally as "The Avenue") that constitute Hampden's main drag and you easily forget that you are still within the city's boundaries. This old mill town turned kitschy cool enclave combines the charm of small town America with a big city location.

Neighborhood beautification: This mural of the area's mills, located at Clipper Mill Road and Falls Road, was spray painted by Hopkins students. (Photo by Rob Baker, Special to SunSpot)

Hampden's Avenue crams a buffet of retail conveniences into a less than half-mile strip, ranging from vintage shops and art galleries to ethnic eateries. So, if you're up for a Baltimore day outing (Hampden's not known for its swinging nightlife) but you want to cross the street without needing a "Walk" sign and you also want to feel relatively safe, spend a day on the Avenue, hon. Be sure to bring lots of cash and cards, though, because this area is made for shopping.

Incorporated into the city of Baltimore in 1888, the village of Hampden (the p is silent) was born of necessity in the mid-1800s. Located in the Jones Falls valley, Hampden originally served as a bedroom community for the once-booming textile industry.

During the 1800s, the mills surrounding Hampden produced 80 percent of the world's cotton duck, a material used for making ships' sails. The mills, which were in operation from 1822 to 1972, provided the community's primary source of income and employment for more than 100 years.

Rumored to be named by rich landowner Henry Mankin in honor of John Hampden, a British statesman whom Mankin admired, the area has evolved into a favored location for college students, recent graduates and emerging artists. Drawn by the area's low rents and small town charm, these culturally diverse groups are rapidly populating the once predominantly white, working-class community of Hampden.

	Formstone and cornerstones: These row houses on Chestnut Avenue are indicative of the neighborhood's architecture. (Photo by Rob Baker, Special to SunSpot)

Unlike the bordering neighborhood of wealthy, mansion-laden Roland Park, Hampden consists mainly of row houses and small, two-story, single-family homes (you can rent a two-bedroom row house for an average of $550 per month, and buy one for an average of $53,000). Middle-classers and young artists find an ideal city-based location minus most of the parking hassles or criminal elements of living in downtown Baltimore.

"Doing" the Avenue
Are you in need of some new-to-you threads? Hampden has enough polyester to outfit the cast, crew and extras for a disco revival movie, or just about any other period flick. Much like many small towns, Hampden lacks a chain department store. Instead, Hampden offers more than a half-dozen discount, retro, used and just plain cheap clothing stores.

Joelle Kutsiukis, owner of Galvanize, a retro and vintage clothing and accessory shop, specializes in "fun stuff at fun prices" and boasts the largest collection of men's retro clothing in the Baltimore area. The Hollywood-types frequent Galvanize when in town, outfitting their sets with "retro wares" handpicked by Kutsiukis. When Julia Roberts filmed "Runaway Bride" (co-starring Richard Gere), she treated herself to a few faux furs from Galvanize.

Elvis Presley also makes appearances in Hampden. Well, his name does, at least. Fat Elvis, an "antiques, collectibles and décor items" shop, carries an amazing variety of retro and vintage clothing, furniture and random items (like an Aunt Jemima piggy bank and a Jimmy Carter lamp, in which the base features the former president driving a peanut-shaped car).

	Tchotchke central: Fat Elvis has a little bit of something for everyone. (Photo by Rob Baker, Special to SunSpot)

But if you're looking for distinctly "Bawlmer" (the remains of Old Baltimore's slurred dialect) or just plain kooky items, bop on over to Hometown Girl, connected to Hampden's famed eating spot, Cafe Hon. At this anything-goes-shop, you can purchase a coffee mug complete with a brief dictionary of Bawlmerese for a mere $8.99. You'll be getting wired and talking like a native in no time, hon.

Are you desperate for that one-size-and-purchase-fits-all gift for the friends and relatives? Hometown Girl features the perfect T-shirt (available in all sizes, ranging from infant to adult XL), portraying a Maryland blue crab, turned red from steaming and Old Bay coating and complete with the slogan, "Don't Bother Me, I'm Crabby. Maryland." What better way to prove you've been there and done that in Baltimore? The store also stocks a variety of novelties, some Maryland-themed (like crab lights) and some just fun (like Mr. Potato Head key chains.

Get the Old Bay: You don't have to go "downy ocean" for crabs, just stop by Hometown Girl. (Photo by Rob Baker, Special to SunSpot)

Of course, after trekking up and down the Avenue selling your soul for souvenirs, you'll probably develop quite an appetite. Hampden has plenty of good eats. The locals frequent Mamie's Cafe, a down-home cooking spot that showcases Hampden's working-class community roots. According to a Hampdenite wandering out of the cafe one Saturday, Mamie's has "nice stuff in there, nice people, and it's pretty."

Perhaps he was overcome by the bargain of it all, as Saturdays are always $1 days at Mamie's. On the sixth day of every week, you can build your own meal from a choice of ingredients, including crab balls, beer-battered fish, mashed potatoes, French fries, various veggies and salad -- all for only $1 each. No wonder the locals like it.

Of course, a trip to Hampden is not complete without at least a cup of coffee from Cafe Hon, if not an entire meal. This Baltimore staple hosts the annual Baltimore's Best Hon Contest every summer. The contest, which celebrated its sixth year in 1999, honors Baltimore's working-class roots, emphasizing big hair, Bawlmerese and Natty Boh (National Bohemian brand beer that was once brewed in Baltimore).

If you miss the Hon contest, there's always the good (if a bit pricey) grub at Cafe Hon to raise your spirits. A dose of the cafe's "Much Better than Mom's Meatloaf" served with gravy, homemade mashed potatoes and the vegetable of the day for $9.95 and Dottie's bread pudding with caramel sauce for $3.50 will fix you right up.

	Doorknobs and broomsticks? Mud and Metal can spruce up even the ugliest doors, drawers and light sockets. (Photo by Rob Baker, Special to SunSpot)

Now that you're well-fed, it's time for a little culture, Hampden-style. That means forget the stuffy galleries and pretentious, artsy-fartsies who have invaded B-more's art scene (as local director John Waters illustrated in "Pecker"). Hampden is all about giving props to the locals. From the display of Hampdenite Randall A.'s metallic creations -- made from recycled parts of old bikes and other materials -- on the brick wall above Cafe Hon to its handful of art galleries, Hampden is bursting onto the B-more art scene.

So, before you complete your Hampden experience, be sure to drop by a few galleries. Mud and Metal features a bounty of metal sculptures with a particular emphasis on insects, animals and floral creations. This art gallery/store also gives you a chance to stock up on household necessities (like towel racks and light switch plates) with an artistic flare.