Baltimore21201.Com

An Envelope on Our Front Door! What's This?

Was the music too loud last night? Were our computer speakers pumped-up with too much bass? No, that couldn't be it. Those types of messages wouldn't be in an envelope neatly placed under the door-knocker.

Could it be?

Yes, it could. It was an INVITATION.

In the dog days of August all invitations are welcome -- Especially an invite to a downtown Luau hosted by your landlord.

Actually Southern Management, the company behind Park Charles, Charles Towers, and many other apartment communities in Baltimore's City Center are more than generous when it comes to parties for residents.

While this may seem like a lame endorsement of an apartment building or a management company: It isn't.

Invitations to a sponsored event arrive every few months.

And last year, on October 31st, residents here came home to a bag of Trick-or-Treat candy hanging over their doorknobs with clever little cards from the building staff. It's a little thing... and also one that means so much.

Now then, I'll be away this coming Friday evening. Hopefully I won't be the only one in a grass skirt.

150 Years of the Peabody Institute - Audio Now Online

An email arrived today announcing the Peabody's 2007-08 Concert Series. The run of presentations is impressive and the box office opens tomorrow, August 29th, at 10AM.

There are 15 concerts in the series and subscribers may choose 5 for $50 - just $10 per concert. Does it get better than that? Not to my way of thinking.

While I was visiting the Peabody's website to look at concert details, I noticed that the audio of "150 Years of the Peabody Institute" is online.

According the JHU & the Peabody:

"Featuring readings of historic documents and interviews with Peabody students, alumni, and faculty, as well as local community leaders, the documentary is a sound-rich celebration of one of America's most prestigious conservatories of music. Jeffrey Sharkey, Director of the Peabody Institute, also speaks of present day Peabody and leads listeners to future successes of the Institute."

Even if you can't make the 2007-08 season, spend an hour listening to this audio documentary. It's wonderfully done and was first heard a couple of months ago on Baltimore's National Public Radio Station, WYPR.

People in Glass Houses... Shouldn't Walk Around Naked

I've lived in high-rises for the greater part of my life.

My first apartment in New York City was on 75th Street between Riverside Drive and West End Avenue on the 17th floor of a beautiful pre-war building. Some years later, my second apartment in NYC was on Central Park West... that apartment was one floor lower, but what a view of the park it had!

I've lived in high-rises in Los Angeles, Dallas, San Francisco, and on and on.

Living on the 26th floor of the Park Charles in Baltimore's City Center, I look out the windows and see birds flying by -- and on special mornings, at special times of the year, I see Monarch butterflies. Some days at dusk I see bats taking out the local bugs. I also see blimps flying over Camden Yards. And lately, I see them over the Inner Harbor with real estate banners in tow.

Now and then I see a bi-plane fly by. Daily I see helicopters fly in and out of the heliport on University of Maryland Medical Center. The sunrises are vibrant and amazing here. As are the sunsets.

You'd think I'd be used to all of the theatre outside the windows by now.

Unknown faces looking IN the windows twice-a-year shouldn't surprise me. However, no matter how well in advance I'm warned about the arrival of the window washers, I'm always taken off-guard. And, I laugh at myself.

I guess I'm good until next Spring.

   

UPDATE: Urban Wine Cellars

Last February I wrote about the possibility of Roland Park Wine & Liquors opening a high-end wine store, Urban Wine Cellars, at Charles Center.

Today I received an email from RPW&L's proprietor, Jim Amato, and it looks as though delays were caused by Baltimore's offices of City Permits. He's had the Liquor License in hand since February, HOWEVER...

Amato says that it has taken over two months just to get approval for interior renovations on what was an unimproved retail space in a 30-year-old building. Amato looks forward to opening shortly after Labor Day.

When we all return from the Eastern Shore after the holiday weekend, let's order a case from Urban Wine Cellars. (They've already hosted a downtown wine tasting... and, it was not so well attended. Let's change that.)

Once again, WELCOME JIM!

Rolling Roadshow: A John Waters Marathon

Tomorrow evening the Alamo Drafthouse Rolling Roadshow arrives in Baltimore with three feature films: the original Hairspray at 8:30 followed by Polyester and Desperate Living. Oh, what a night! (Rolling Roadshow brings movies to locations where the films take place: Escape from Alcatraz on Alcatraz Island, A Christmas Story in Columbus, Ohio, they had a floating screening of JAWS... yup, and they hosted Poseidon Adventure on the Queen Mary.)

Metromix notes that Polyester and Desperate Living are Water's most "filhy films". And that's OK because the good folks with the Rolling Roadshow will be giving away free John Waters Barf Bags.

But wait, there's more... early arrivers will receive Limited Edition Odorama Cards for the Polyester screening. Just like the old days, yes?

So you can bring a little something to the fun, I'm posting the lyrics to Good Morning Baltimore. Practice, practice, practice... and sing along.