Room with a view of Baltimore

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The Top of the World Observation Level, on the 27th floor of Baltimore's World Trade Center, is a great place to gain a new perspective on Charm City. Once up there, visitors find there is more to Baltimore than meets the eye at ground level.

Top of the World has been open since 1979, but Baltimore's skyline has been evolving year by year. This is evident as visitors take in panoramic views from the windows and check displays inside the building, including a timeline that recaps Baltimore's renaissance.

Jim Clark, Top of the World operations manager, says the observation deck is frequented by tourists who want to orient themselves to the city as well as locals who want to see their neighborhood or local landmarks from a bird's-eye view.

"The building is high enough, so it is a different perspective," Mr. Clark says, "but it is not so high that you lose perspective of where things are."

Printed placards at the windows, which are on all sides of the pentagonal-shaped building, tell visitors exactly what they are seeing. Look to the Southwest, and there is Federal Hill, Oriole Park at Camden Yards and Harborplace.

Look to the Southeast, and you'll see Little Italy, the Key Bridge and the Domino Sugars plant, among others. The west features the Bromo-Seltzer tower and the B&O Railroad Museum's dome.

The placards feature maps with numbered landmarks. Visitors can spend time seeing how many landmarks they can spot. High-power binoculars can help bring in things for a closer view.

Obviously, a little advance planning will help a visit here. A sunny day, even in winter, will be more successful than one under thick cloud cover. Oh, and if you are afraid of heights, it might be best to linger in the back of the room and read about Baltimore's history.

Top of the World is lined with printed material containing history and fun facts about Baltimore. One poster honors famous Baltimoreans, from baseball great Cal Ripken to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to Elmo creator Kevin Clash.

Another poster chronicles the many movies that have been filmed in and around the city. There is an area where visitors can test their knowledge of Baltimore trivia.