Baltimore Among Quirkiest Cities In The U.S.
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Tell the residents of other cities that their town is a little odd, and they'll probably take offense.
But here in Baltimore, a national magazine confirms and Mike Schuh reports, it's actually more of a compliment.
There are some things you need to know about the people in our city: many certainly fit the definition of quirky, a peculiarity of behavior.
Congratulations, Baltimore--the hometown of John Waters--a place where people don't think twice about wearing shorts when it's 20 degrees.
It's a place Travel & Leisure Magazine calls the seventh most quirky city in the country.
American Visionary Art Museum founder Rebecca Hoffberger knows quirky. She's a pro at spotting it, appreciating it and bringing it to Baltimore.
"Quirk central here, yes," she said.
Hoffberger revels in eccentricities, and this city has a lot of them.
"The revolutionaries, the people who kind of advance us, were always considered quirky in their time," she said. "Edgar Allan Poe. Who do you want? Who you remember are the people who are brave enough to be themselves."
Schuh: "What is it about Baltimore that attracts quirky people?"
Hoffberger: "I think it's that we're in a cauldron of opposing forces. You have a very conservative element here, and you have the absolute John Waters-esque kind of freedom, liberty," she said.
Baltimore, one of the birthplaces of freedom, carries on.
New Orleans is the No. 1 quirkiest city. Rounding out the list: No. 8 is Kansas City, No. 9 is Seattle and No. 10 is New York City.