Chicago to Cumberland (Day 2)

 I woke up as we pulled out of Pittsburgh winding through the curves of a river with an Algonquin name I had no hope of pronouncing. A trip to the cafe united my teabag with hot water and I could start my morning. The leaves are starting to change and watching the orange trees on the riverbanks made for a soothing environment to nurse my morning cuppa. 

Don’t ask what river

We pulled into Cumberland at 9 am and I was ready for breakfast. What to eat proved to be an easy question to answer, there is only one restaurant open for breakfast in Cumberland on Sunday mornings. I made my way to Cafe Marc along with everyone else. There are about 20,000 people living in Cumberland and more or less all of them were standing in line at Marc waiting for breakfast. I had my eggs and potatoes and proceeded to my hotel.

Not my train

Cumberland is something special. The Queen City was in its prime a place of great wealth and at one point the second biggest city in Maryland. It is rich in history going back to before the revolutionary war. The streets feel old and are laid out in a snakelike manner. Think microscopic Boston. In the 1800s Cumberland was a major stop on the B&O canal, then the B&O railroad. It has always been a hubbub of commerce and industry. Cumberland did okay as the US deindustrialized but the bell did toll for it too. The last factory closure was a bias ply tire plant. Too small to invest in and too in need of modernization. What were they left with? A very dense urban core that really does feel like a small city and not a gutted town. Since the whole place was built into a canyon, there is limited land to build on and the old urban form has been remarkably well preserved. From what I can see, Cumberland has less surface parking lots than most other American cities.

Church on the site of an old fort

Now, artists have begin to move in attracted to the tight knit community and cheap housing. We are halfway between DC and Pittsburgh, a decent home downtown can be had here for about $100,000. The only thing you can be sold for that price in DC is a bridge. 

I checked in to my hotel, my room was not ready but the host (all over SMS) told me to take a key for an equivalent room. They’re all in the locks. I dropped my bag, rested, and went back out to the Alaghenny museum. This museum is packed full of local history as well as random Knick knacks from the collections of people in town. Fun.

For lunch I went to the only place open for lunch in Cumberland on Sunday. Personally I found the lack of options to be relaxing. Just go with the flow, you’re on vacation after all. I went to the taco restaurant and over lunch got to talking with the owner, Michael. He’s originally from here, lived all over the US, and has decided to come back to live cheaply and near family. We talk about the town and the struggle of staying open on Sundays in Cumberland. There is a greater good in his eyes as he talks about his hours. It’s not just about business, it’s about building community. While we talk he introduced me to Sandi, a local landowner and arts patron. The story is familiar. She is from here, moved away, and has returned. She is ready to give back and seems to nurture the city like a parent might nurture their own children.

Surveying by Washington. Lumber by Theseus.

On my way home I stepped into an art gallery to see some of the work I’d heard so much about. Butter my buns and call me a biscuit, I bought something off the wall. I may not have an address yet but once I get a place it will look good there. The artist was excited and did not seem accustomed to shipping, especially so far away. They don’t get many tourists from California out here.

Dinner was at, you guessed it, the only place open on Sunday. Once again good food was to be had at an Italian restaurant in town. Recommendation courtesy of Sandi and Michael. I walk in and of course Sandi is at the bar finishing her dinner. Turns out she owns the building and lives upstairs. Needless to say she’s something of a regular here. The manager addresses me by name and asks me about my hotel room. I’m beginning to think I’m at the center of some small town conspiracy but no, she all manages the hotel I’m staying at. Sandi just clued her in that I was staying there.

This place is seductive. Cozy, friendly, walkable, great access to nature. I’ve landed in a good spot.