Dozens of famous authors, including Edgar Allen Poe, H.L. Mencken and David Simon, have lived in and drawn inspiration from Baltimore, making it a wonderful place for a literary escape and a fitting host for the Annual Baltimore Book Festival in September. In advance of the event, which is scheduled for September 22-24, squeeze in some summer reading with some titles from these four used bookstores that honor the literary heritage of the city.
Normal’s Books and Records: This perennial award-winner ranks as John Waters’ favorite Baltimore book shop, and the collectively owned operation has been selling esoterica for 18 years. In addition to philosophy, classics, metaphysics and contemporary fiction, Normal’s has a ton of vinyl and indie ‘zines from around the world. (425 E. 31st St., normals.com)
The Book Escape: This impeccably organized Federal Hill shop has both new and used titles, and exacting standards mean there are no tattered and dog-eared titles cluttering up the shelves. As a nod to its perfectionist tendencies, The Book Escape finally managed to snatch the City Paper’s Best Used-Book Store award last year, robbing Normal’s of yet another title. (805 Light St., thebookescape.com)
The Kelmscott Bookshop: The city’s largest antiquarian book dealer opened in 1977 in what used to be Baltimore’s Book Row. While the focus here is on rarities—like a first edition of the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn selling for $1500—not everything is out of reach for those on a poet’s salary. (34 W. 25th St., kelmscottbookshop.com)
Royal Books: Next door to Kelmscott, this shop also deals in first editions and literature but also has a collection of vintage film posters, books on film and original screenplays. As a nod to some of the Baltimore writers that developed American crime fiction, you’ll find a vast selection of hard boiled books here, too. (32 W 25th St., royalbooks.com)
How to get there: Consult our Manhattan to Baltimore Transportation Advisor for multiple travel options.
Photo: cinderellasg
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram