From my good friend, Laura Rodini, at the Historic Charles Street Association —
Where will you be on Saturday afternoon? That's the day of our Let's Eat Charles Street Festival, and everyone in Baltimore will be there!" Let's Eat Charles Street is the best thing to happen to Charles Street since Starbucks," says Haluk Kantar, owner of Cazbar Restaurant.
With restaurants like The Beef Brothers, Mick O'Sheas, Sascha's, Caribou Coffee, Midtown BBQ & Brew, Lumbini, Mina's Delights, Ban Thai, Cazbar and HomeSlyce Pizza Bar on hand, you can be sure you won't leave feeling hungry.
And I'm proud to say that our Let's Eat Charles Street festival will be the launching pad for Baltimore's first sushi truck, called Noodlerolla. Owner James Sin is the former Executive Chef at Sticky Rice, and his first food truck venture has been highly anticipated. "We will be serving sushi, bento boxes and even Korean fusion," James says.
Music To Your Ears: An Interview with The Carousel Rogues Great food and shopping make up only part of what we have in store for you on May 12th. Six great musical acts will be taking the stage. Here's the lineup:
12-12:30pm - Jenee & Cornell 12:30-1pm - Charles Towers' apartments favorite R&B artist, Kevin Phillips 1-2pm: Andrew Grimm & June Star 2-3pm: Karter Jaymes, a 2-Time Grammy nominee 3-4pm: The McTell Brothers 4-5pm: Our headliners, The Carousel Rogues, sponsored by WTMD
I recently had the pleasure to sit down with The Carousel Rogues' lead singer, Caitlin Nethery Anselmo. "My husband, Zach Anselmo, and I were friends in high school. We started dating a year after we formed a band," Caitlin says. "We fell in love over music."Zach plays guitar and vocals and their friend, Daniel Wiley, rounds things out on keyboard. Their Indie-pop sound was quickly noticed by Baltimore area alternative radio."We played on WTMD's 'Baltimore Unsigned' a few years ago. After we put out our self-titled album, program director Scott Mullins liked one of our songs, 'Clementine,' and added it to their rotation."
"It became the number one song on their station for several weeks." Caitlin says their music is influenced by bands like Weezer, Phantom Planet and The Cardigans. "We definitely have late-90's sensibilities," she laughs, as well as other, indie sounds such as Teenage Fan Club.
"We also like a lot of music from the 1960s. I mean," she adds, "Who's not influenced by The Beatles"?
"Another source Caitlin credits for inspiration may seem unlikely: children's fantasy novels. "I wrote a song about this Andrew Peterson book for laughs. Dan (the keyboardist) encouraged me to send it to the author - we found his email address on his website. Andrew liked it so much he actually passed it on to his producer, Ben Shive. He reached out to me a couple months later about meeting up in Nashville to discuss working on some kind of project together. That's how our first record got started.
"The Carousel Rogues will begin recording their second album in Nashville this July. They'll be playing Clementine at our festival. So all you WTMD lovers, be sure to check them out! See you all on Saturday!
A Few Festival Nuts and Bolts Of course, putting on a street festival requires lots of help from different sources, and I would like to thank Carrollton Bank for their generous sponsorship, and the City of Baltimore for all of their assistance in securing our permits. The entire 300 block of N. Charles Street between Saratoga and Mulberry Streets will be closed to traffic as of 4:30 am on Saturday. So if you normally park there on the weekends, make sure you have another spot by then. Here are two alternatives: Our friends at PMS Parking offer weekend specials at their St. Paul Garage (behind the Tremont, at the corner of Charles & Saratoga) and their Franklin Street Garage (next to the Pope Garden at the intersection of Charles & Franklin). You can park all day at either garage for just $5.
The following bus schedule is in effect on Saturday, May 12 between Saratoga and Mulberry Streets: The No.3, 11 and 64 Lines will operate their regular route on northbound Charles Street. They will be diverted left on Fayette Street, right on Park Avenue, right on Mulberry Street, then back to their regular route on Charles Street. Bus stops at Fayette, Lexington, and Saratoga Streets, will be inoperative on Saturday, May 12th until 6pm.Southbound routes are all on streets other than Charles Street and will not be affected.
How You Can Help Out! I've also been getting a lot of questions from folks who want to know what they can do to help out on May 12. This is what I'm telling them:If you like us: Come on out and support our 40 local businesses and great live music that afternoon. And while you're here, make sure you fill out one of our surveys provided by our friends at The Downtown Partnership. We'll have raffle tickets for $75 worth of Zipcar driving credit to give away for filling it out! And if you like us, you like us, you really, really like us: You will consider volunteering a few hours of your time on Saturday. Our beer & wine tent and donation tables are already well staffed, but I'd love to have a few more folks help us with our setup between 9am and noon on Saturday, or manning our 2 awesome bounce houses in our children's play area. Please email me if you're interested, and my sincerest thanks for your support! — Laura Rodini
In that post I wrote, "This documentary seems like a wonderful fit for Baltimore's Charles Theatre (I'm thinking of John Waters as a speaker). Let's hope Baltimore books this gem." Carol Channing Larger Than Life - Poster
Well, ask and you shall receive. Carol Channing, Larger Than Life is coming to our very own Charles Theatre on Sunday, February 5th.
Here are the details from Jonathan Palevsky:
Sunday February 5, 2012
Cinema Sundays At The Charles is pleased to present the Baltimore Premier of Carol Channing: Larger Than Life. Directed by Dori Berinstein. Written by Dori Berinstein and Adam Zucker. Starring Carol Channing, Loni Anderson, Marge Champion, Harry Kullijian, Mary Jo Catlett, Tyne Daly.
2012 USA. Running time 83 minutes.
Synopsis
The story of legendary performer Carol Channing's life is as colorful as the lipstick on her big, bright smile. In Carol Channing: Larger Than Life, director Dori Berinstein, with co-writer Adam Zucker, captures the magic and vivacity of the 90-year-old icon - both onstage and off...past and present. The film is both an intimate love story and a rarefied journey inside Broadway's most glamorous era. It is, above all, a look at an inspiring, incomparable and always entertaining American legend.
OK, Superbowl Sunday didn’t quite go the way we wanted but at least we can laugh at something on Sunday. Come and celebrate the career of one of America’s show business icons.
So far our speaker is TBA…I am having a pretty tough time finding someone on Superbowl Sunday! All suggestions welcome!
Looking forward to seeing you on 2/5. All the best, Jonathan Palevsky Jpalevsky@aol.com
Doors open @ 9:45 am. Bagels and coffee until 10:30... Presentation begins @ 10:30 and ends @ 1:00! For more Cinema Sundays information you can go to WWW.TheCharles.comand click on the Cinema Sundays link.
Tickets: $15 at the door. Or buy a mini-membership. 1711 N. Charles St. 410-727-3464 info: karenskicsc@comcast.net
Game Change coming to a television near you in March 2012.
Ed Harris and Julieanne Moore in 'Game Change'
Based on the best-selling book of the same name by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin, Jay Roach directed Game Change, which was written by Recount's Danny Strong.
Tickets on sale now for the Baltimore performances at 1st Mariner Arena!
Disney On Ice 100 Years of Magic
February 8-12, 2012 1st Mariner Arena
Join the celebration as 65 of Disney's unforgettable characters from 18 beloved stories come to life in Disney On Ice celebrates 100 Years of Magic! You'll be captivated by the one and only Mickey Mouse, the irresistible Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck, Jiminy Cricket, Pinocchio and many Disney Princesses. Be thrilled by exciting moments from The Lion King; Mulan; and Disney/Pixar's Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, and Toy Story films; in a skating spectacular filled with magical Disney moments you'll remember forever as Disney On Ice celebrates 100 Years of Magic!
Here's the deal. Share it with your friends and family:
BUY THE BEST SEATS NOW with code MARINER
(Valid at 1st Mariner Arena Box Office, at 800-551-SEAT or at www.ticketmaster.com. Valid ALL performances. Valid on ALL price levels. Limit 6 tickets per order. No double discounts.)
But wait, there's more:
OPENING NIGHT DISCOUNT Buy One Ticket, Get One FREE!
Valid Wednesday, February 8 and Thursday, February, 9.
(Excludes Front Row and VIP Seats. No double discounts. Cannot be used for prior purchases or group sales orders. Service charges, handling and facility fees may apply.)
"If you haven't discovered Everyman yet, you're missing out on some of the best shows in town." –Baltimore City Paper"
"Everyman Theatre has been upping the ante for professional theater in Baltimore." –Baltimore Magazine
Upcoming Classes
Adult Acting Classes:
Acting 1 with Bruce Nelson This introductory course on character development will teach actors how to create clear and dynamic characters through understanding the importance and complexity of character motivation, playing strong objectives, and script analysis. Actors will work with a variety of texts and exercises to apply learned techniques. Dates: Tuesdays, January 10th – February 14th Time: 6:00pm – 9:00pm Tuition: $225 Register for Class
Acting 2 with Deborah Hazlett Students will continue their exploration of acting by learning first to identify physical and vocal habits and then to shape and change them to inform character development. Once students experience how their bodies move through space in their daily lives and how sound and voice are produced and shaped, they can begin to make choices that redefine their habits. This body knowledge will allow actors to fully realize and integrate the physical and vocal lives of the characters they play. Dates: Saturdays, February 11th – March 17th Time: 10:00am – 12:30pm Tuition: $225 Register for Class
Improv I with Bruce Nelson Improvisation is not about being funny; it’s about being true. This beginning level course will help students learn to trust their creative instincts, improve listening skills and hone their connections through the art of Improv. A safe and supportive classroom environment will allow students to take the improv exercises and create dynamic and committed work. For the local professional looking to enhance his or her skill set, for those brand new to theatre and for any person needing to let go, live in the moment and deepen daily interactions. Dates: Mondays and Wednesdays, June 25th – July 11th (no class July 4th) Time: 7:00pm – 9:00pm Tuition: $200 Register for Class
Improv II with Bruce Nelson With the skills learned in Improv I, this second level course will continue to help students hone their creative instincts while emphasizing the importance of forming a team bond. A safe and supportive classroom environment will allow students to detail their characterizations and more fully commit to their space work when establishing mimed stage locations and activities. Scene structure will be practiced in a way that emphasizes working with your partner, developing conflict, and finding a resolution. Constructive criticism will be encouraged as will open give and take about making scenes stronger, not necessarily funnier. Verbal and non-verbal listening will be fine-tuned as will letting go and living in the improvised moment. Dates: Mondays and Wednesdays, July 16th – July 30th Time: 7:00pm – 9:00pm Tuition: $200 Register for Class
Teen Acting Classes: Auditioning for teens with Megan Prue This class is for teens who are interested in expanding their knowledge of the audition process as well as improving techniques for performing monologues and doing cold readings. Whether you’re interested in getting into a competitive theatre program or getting a part in your school’s play, this class will give you the skills you need to get an edge on the competition. Dates: Mondays, January 9th – February 13th Time: 5:00pm – 7:00pm Tuition: $200 For ages 13 - 18 Register for Class
Teen Acting 1 with Marianne Angelella Everyone has to start somewhere! If you (or your teen) want to explore acting – whether as a fun extracurricular activity or as a possible career – this class is a great place to start. Learn about the building blocks of acting like character development, motivation, and objective. Students will work on their feet with text as well as participating in theatre games and other exercises to learn in a fun environment. Dates: Wednesdays, March 14th – April 25th (no class April 4th) Time: 5:00pm – 7:00pm Tuition: $200 For ages 13 - 18 Register for Class
Teen Acting 2 with Marianne Angelella Building on the foundational work of Acting 1, this class will continue to delve into the acting process. Students will have the opportunity to participate in scene work and learn more about what it really means to be an actor. Dates: Wednesdays, May 2nd – June 6th Time: 5:00pm – 7:00pm Tuition: $200 For ages 13 - 18 Register for Class
High School Intensive For dedicated high school students looking for a fun and extensive exploration of theatre. Learn and hone your acting skills through vocal exercises, movement, stage combat, scene study, monologue coaching and, of course, performance! This rigorous 3-week journey will challenge you, reward your talent, and feed your passion for performing. Dates: Mondays – Fridays, July 9th – July 27th Time: 10:00am – 3:00pm Tuition: $575 Register for Class
Non-Acting Classes: Stage Management Intensive Do you know what it takes to be a stage manager? Let our resident stage manager Amanda Hall introduce you to the wonderful (and busy) world of stage managing. Learn how to put together a prompt book, keep track of props and actors, call cues, organize schedules, and much more in this intensive class. Date: Saturday February 4th Time: 10:00am – 12:30pm Tuition: $50 Register for Class
Owing to the incredible popularity and amazing reviews of this weeks’ film it is advisable to come early to ensure that you will have a seat and a bagel (not TWO!). Cinema Sundays members are guaranteed seats as always but coming early would be a great idea nonetheless.
If you missed our previous letter regarding tomorrow’s screening of 'The Artist'…read on MacDuff….
Cinema Sundays Fall 2011 Series 52! Sunday December 4, 2011
Cinema Sundays At The Charles is pleased to present the Baltimore Premier of 'The Artist.' Written and Directed by Michel Hazanavicius. Starring Jean Dujardin, Berenice Bejo, John Goodman, James Cromwell, Penelope Ann Miller, Missi Pyle.
2011 USA. Running time 100 minutes. In Silence(!) with English Titles!
Synopsis:
Hollywood 1927.
George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) is a silent movie superstar. The advent of the talkies will sound the death knell for his career and see him fall into oblivion. For young extra Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo), it seems the sky's the limit - major movie stardom awaits. 'The Artist' tells the story of their interlinked destinies.
Cinema Sundays completes the stellar series 52 with the Baltimore premiere of 'The Artist.'
Who would have thought a silent film could succeed on a grand scale in 2011! The reviews are raves, the awards are pouring in! Everyone is looking forward to this screening and you just gotta be there! We were lucky to snag this film and it is a fitting end to our Fall series which has been better than any we have previously had. Our speaker is Max Weiss from Baltimore Magazine and WBAL TV. It’s a pleasure to welcome her back to Cinema Sundays.
Looking forward to seeing you on 12/4. Doors open @ 9:45 am. Bagels and coffee until 10:30. Presentation begins @ 10:30 and ends @ 1:00.
Tickets: $15 at the door. Or buy a mini-membership.
The Charles Theatre
1711 N. Charles St Baltimore 21201 410-727-3464 info: karenskicsc@comcast.net
Celebrate the season with a performance from the cast of On the Sunny Side of the Street at the Washington Monument Lighting this Thursday night at 6:30 PM!
About the Monument Lighting:
An Evening of Choir Performances, Strolling Entertainment, and More! Mount Vernon Place celebrates the holiday season with the 40th annual lighting of the Washington Monument.
A Monumental Occasion takes place Thursday, December 1, 2011 with pre-event festivities hosted by MIX 106.5 at 5:30pm in Mount Vernon. The official ceremony begins at 7pm with the official lighting at approximately 7:45pm.
The evening includes musical performers by area choirs and refreshments for purchase by local vendors. The event ends with a colorful fireworks and laser finale choreographed to music.
Mount Vernon Place is located in the 600-700 block of North Charles Street.
A Monumental Occasion is coordinated by Downtown Partnership of Baltimore in conjunction with the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts and the Department of Recreation and Parks.
A Tribute to Dorothy Fields - Everyman’s winter concerts have become a staple of the holiday season in Baltimore. Join Howard Breitbart and his dazzling lineup of top-notch singers in a concert you won’t want to miss.
This year we celebrate the music of Dorothy Fields, the lyricist whose decades-long career included over 400 songs for Broadway musicals and films. Join us for this festive concert and celebrate the season with Everyman.
Some of Dorothy Fields’ most memorable hits include:
[Dear reader: I have a little gift for you at the end of this post.]
I adore Joan Rivers. She's one of the greatest comedians of all time and she is coming to Baltimore's Hippodrome Theatre in 2012. Jacob and I were online and on the phone for an over an hour yesterday trying to get decent front-center-orchestra seats via Ticketmaster.
Joan Rivers photo courtesy, JoanRivers.Com
TicketMaster and the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center are a frustrating combination. Frustrating to the Nth degree. (When Jacob and I are willing to pay for the best seats in the house, we want a couple of the best seats in the house.)
Here's the story, the timeline:
3:47 PM - I received an email letting me know that tickets are available for the one-night, Joan Rivers performance.
3:48 PM - I shared the information with Jacob and he said, "Of course we buy tickets, we have to be there." I agreed.
3:50 PM - I logged in to my TicketMaster account to search for the best orchestra seats available.
3:54 PM - After typing in the Captcha code a couple of times, TicketMaster online offered two orchestra tickets. Row O - Seats 18 and 20. This where it gets interesting. Neither the Hippodrome nor TicketMaster serve up an honest, graphic seating chart.
This is the seating chart from the Hippodrome's website.
Hippodrome Seating Chart, Baltimore
And this is the Hippodrome seating chart from TicketMaster.
I challenge even the most avid theatre-goer to discover the exact location of "Row O" on either of those seating charts.
I know Hippodrome seating and Seats 18 and 20 in Row O are no closer to orchestra center than Shanghai is to Chicago. Also, from the online seat maps a ticket buyer cannot figure out exactly where Seats 18 and 20 are.
4:00 - I declined those seats and clicked the button to search again. New Captcha code, misread it, had to start again. Tickets offered up? Row O - Seats 18 and 20. Tried three more times. Each time Ticketmaster served up Row O - Seats 18 and 20. I logged out of my Ticketmaster account, cleared cache and history, closed Google and opened Internet Explorer and searched again without logging into my account.
4:15 - New Captcha code, same seats offered. Row O - Seats 18 and 20. Enough, enough.
Paused for a bit. Decided to get on the phone (I've never had good luck on the phone with Ticketmaster.)
4:30 - Called 410-547-SEAT, the Ticketmaster number.
Note: I would have hit up the Hippodrome box office from the get-go, but they are open limited hours. M-F, 11A-3P.
I started making my way through the Ticketmaster voice navigation system. What a time consuming mess. Finally got to the place in the menu where I knew I could get to a real person. I said, "Operator." Automation said, "I don't understand your response." (Of course "you" don't, you are a digital recording programmed not to understand on the callers first attempt.) Finally got to a real person at Ticketmaster.
Neither the conversation nor my quest for Joan Rivers tickets went well. The call didn't result in ticket sales either.
Why not? Because on my monitor I was looking at an exact, seating map of the Hippodrome. Every seat numbered, every row identified.
I was offered four different seating choices, all at full ticket price. After I explained what I was looking for, I was offered orchestra, third row on the aisle. (I looked at my chart, partially obstructed view, sort of behind a pillar and a post.) I asked for something on a center aisle. I was offered Seats 101 and 1.
I asked, "Do you mean 101 and 102?" He said, "No, 101 and 1." (OK, the seats were on the aisle, only problem was they were on opposite sides of the aisle.)
It went on like that until I ended the call, made a martini and watched "Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work" on DVD.
I woke up this morning and went back to Ticketmaster on a different computer. Searched for Joan Rivers tickets at the Hippodrome.
I was offered—yes, you guessed it, hit the rim shot—Row O, Seats 18 and 20. I know it's hard to believe, here is a crop of the screen capture.
Click to enlarge.
So, my gift to you, event goer, is a word of advice and a great seating chart of the Hippodrome in Baltimore.
The advise: When a performance is important to you, don't buy tickets without seeing an actual chart of the venue.
Blue Light Illuminates Tremont Grand, Orange Points West
Downtown Baltimore is abuzz with production crews, actors, background players, and support folks. It's a pleasure to see. Film production brings this city alive. Here's wising VEEP, starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, a long and successful run.
Welcome back to Baltimore, HBO! We've missed you and we'll make you proud!
Pat Moran & Associates is handling the casting duties for the series. Pat Moran has my headshot and resume. Do they have yours? Casting information is here.
This is where the excitement was going on today, October 4th 2011.
Basecamp, Holding, Locations, Oh My!
Hope to see you on the set. And for all of my Baltimore-Washington SAG friends, remember Rule #1.
Sun's Going Down, Light Heads are Ramping Up
Sources are saying that production is running long on Day 2. That means overtime and more income for local actors, crew, and the rest. Watch this blog for updates.
It's a busy month for Alex Cooper as downtown Baltimore properties continure to go on the block, under theeir auctioneer's gavel.
October 3rd 2011 - Brookshire Suites with all furnishings. Here are the details:
ALL THAT fee-simple LOT OF GROUND AND THE IMPROVEMENTS THEREON, if any, situated in Baltimore City, MD known as Tax ID #04-11-0661-008 and more fully described in the Indemnity Deed of Trust and Security Agreement.
REAL PROPERTY
The real property contains approximately 84,591 sq. ft. and is believed to be improved by a 13-story hotel property containing 97 guest rooms, lobby workstation, breakfast dining area, exercise room, guest laundry room and approx. 1,250 sq. ft. of meeting space.
The building also includes laundry facility, administrative offices and fully equipped kitchen.
HOTEL FURNITURE, FIXTURES & EQUIPMENT
Pursuant to that certain Financing Statement by and between MJ Baltimore Hotel Associates Limited Partnership, Debtor and MSCI 2006-HQ10 Brookshire Lodging, LLC, Secured Creditor, recorded among the Financing Statement Records of the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation on August 23, 2006 in ID No. 1000361993585896, Liber U00473, folio 1841, work order #0001281820, original file number 181279624, default having occurred thereunder, the undersigned Secured Creditor will sell at public auction the following:
All that certain tangible and intangible business property & equipment of any nature or description of the hotel business and including, without limitation, any and all furniture, fixtures, equipment, etc. (except for the leased items).
The property and improvements, if any, will be sold in an "AS IS" condition and subject to all conditions, restrictions, existing building and/or environmental violations, covenants, agreements, whether or not of record, affecting or benefitting the same, if any, and with no warranty either expressed or implied as to the description of the condition of the property or improvements. The property will be sold subject to any violation notices and subject to all conditions, restrictions, covenants, encumbrances, rights-of-way, agreements and other matters, whether or not of record, affecting or benefitting the same, if any. Note: The real estate, furniture, fixtures and equipment will be sold as entirety.
1 E Lexington Street, Baltimore, MD - Up for Auction
Well, the Alex Cooper signs have finally been posted. The buildings on the corner of North Charles and Lexington Street are up for auction. These buildings are our neighbors, we think they are handsome, and we think their facades are an important part of city center, Charles Center.
The key property, a handsome piece of 1890 architecture, is the former Central Savings Bank Building.
The auction package includes: 113 N Charles Street, 1 E Lexington Street, and 5 E Lexington Street.
Here are the listing details from Alex Cooper:
Property Description
1 E. Lexington Street (2nd & 3rd Floors connect with 5 E. Lexington) 25,439 +/- SF 5 story building 22,000+/- SF leasable area the building currently has rental income with flexible leases Lot size is 0.11+/- acres 1st Floor offers 4,000 +/- SF of prime retail space, ideal for a Restaurant/Bar. One of the most unique spaces in Baltimore. Formerly the flagship location of Central Savings Bank. Interior features marble walls, 20 +/- foot ceilings and original walk-in safe.
5 E. Lexington Street (2nd & 3rd Floors connect with 1 E. Lexington) 5,900 +/- SF 3 story building. Building currently is vacant on 1st floor with office tenant on 2nd floor (connected to 3rd floor of 1 E. Lexington)Lot size is 0.06 +/- acres. Building features early 1900's architecture. Potential for building to be free-standing. Lease pending for 1st floor of building.
113 N. Charles Street 5,544 +/- SF 4 story building. Building is currently leased by Baltimore Gold. Lot size is 0.03 acres.
Jacob and I live on N Charles Street, we are committed urban dwellers, and we like "living above the store." However, over the past 6 years or so the vibrancy of Baltimore's North Charles Street corridor has tragically declined. The Historic Charles Street Association has gone through two Executive Directors since 2006 and is looking for its third.
Empty buildings and storefronts abound on Charles Street and no amount of street-scape vinyl stickers will hide that fact. No amount of promises, in print or in display visuals, will hide the fact that nothing has happened with the Morris Mechanic Theatre building since it ceased operation in 2004. As buildings such as John M. Johansen's Brutalist Mechanic Theatre remain vacant for what will soon be a decade, Baltimore becomes a less interesting, less attractive, less architectural city.
The mid-rise building at 301 North Charles Street has been vacant for, I believe, over 5 years.
301 N Charles is beginning to look like a building portrayed in the History Channel's series, Life After People.
301 N Charles Street, vacant and in disrepair
Some of the window glass in the 301 building is broken out, casements are corroding, plants that were left behind by former tenants have rooted deeply, are growing, and weakening the masonry. Rain, wind, and snow inundate the building.
The magnificent Fidelity Trust Company building, just across the corner from the Central Savings Bank building, has been empty for years. Walking up Charles Street from the Inner Harbor toward North Avenue is getting downright depressing. Panhandlers are on the increase and foot-traffic, evenings and weekends, is almost nonexistent.
Traffic Advisory from the City of Baltimore, Adrienne Barnes and Kathy Chopper:
Downtown Roadways Begin to Reopen after the Baltimore Grand Prix The Baltimore City Department of Transportation would like to advise motorists that roadways in the downtown area are beginning to reopen after the 2011 Inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix race.
At this time, northbound Russell Street has been opened to motorists from Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard to Pratt Street. In addition, southbound Light Street between Pratt Street and Key Highway is also open for travel.
Light Street commuters are advised to use Key Highway to reach Interstate 95. All roadways that were affected by the Grand Prix race are expected to be reopened to traffic by 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 06, 2011.
Commuters will continue to see race walls in the downtown area in the days ahead, but these will only have minimal impacts on downtown traffic. For additional information visit www.gptraffic.com.
[UPDATE 9/5/11 9:40 PM]
Downtown Roadways Ready for Morning Commute
The Baltimore City Department of Transportation would like to advise motorists that roadways in the downtown area are ready for the morning commute.
After the completion of the 2011 Inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix race, crews have been steadily working to reopen the roadways for Tuesday morning’s commute. At this time, all major roadways that were affected by the Grand Prix race are now open for motorists.
In the days ahead, commuters will continue to see race walls in the downtown area, but these will have only minimal effects on area traffic.
The Baltimore Grand Prix is pegging the Brockelmeter in every good way. Jacob and I are loving the sights and the sounds and the crowds. And attendees seem to have more than a few bucks in their jeans and they're spending.
Sure, there were hiccups getting Baltimore ready for it's first big race on city streets. And, most every city that has designed a course for a similar racing event on urban streets has had issues the first year. The logistics aren't easy.
We raise our glasses to the Baltimore Grand Prix. Cheers!
When I lived in Naples, Florida I was an announcer at WNOG (Bright and chipper: "This is Stephen B. and you're tuned the 'Nogger. News and weather next, then Major League Baseball live from...") and WCVU-FM (Slow, deliberate, warm: "This is W-C-V-U, Sea-view, covering Naples, Ft. Meyers, and Marco Island. And, now the Wall Street Journal Report...")
I rode out several hurricane near-hits during my time there. The radio stations were owned by Palmer Broadcasting and were in a building that also housed the cable tv operations for much of the south Gulf Coast of Florida.
The building was as built to be as hurricane proof as was possible at the time. There were emergency generators worthy of a major city hospital. There were few windows and they were only 12 or 14 inches wide and 3 feet tall. No huge sheets of glass. It had a kitchen and a number of rooms that could be turned into dormitories. Twice in two years I went home after my shift, packed a suitcase, and moved into the station for the duration.
The building was about 2 blocks from the Gulf of Mexico; the transmitter towers were situated miles inland. The radio signals were also carried on the cable tv system. It was a pretty slick package. I was young and bunking with fellow workers was fun.
Now, living in Baltimore, with Hurricane Irene approaching things are a tad bit different. I live on the top floor of a high rise. We have windows that are 50x27 inches. We have 15 of them facing South, East, and, North. That's 1687.5 square-feet of glass in just a few rooms. The pantry, our safe room, and the liquor closet are, as always, are fully stocked.
Park Charles, We're on the top floor with lots and lots of windows
I'll keep you posted right here from our perch in the cat bird's seat.
And, I'll put all of the Baltimore 21201 Hurricane Irene updates in this post - check back as the weekend and the big woman approach..
First of all--and this is important--I'm not a weatherman and I'm not giving advice or providing breaking news on this blog. I won't be updating on a regular basis. This ongoing post will document the hurricane as Jacob and I witness it. I will attempt to add links to other trusted sources. Please use local and national media for immediate updates, conditions and advisories. Be prepared and be safe.
NOAA, NHC 5PM tracking update - Hazardous conditions can occur outside of the cone
And a reminder, for all Hurricane Info for Annapolis, follow @eyeonannapolis on Twitter and Eye on Annapolis online.
Stay tuned.
UPDATE 8/27/11-0730 EST
Hurricane Irene, Saturday 6300 EST
ODE TO A STORM, OLD IRENE
Old Irene, she ain't what she used to be, Ain't what she used to be, Ain't what she used to be, Old Irene, she ain't what she used to be, Many short hours ago.
Downgraded to a Category 1 Hurricane overnight, the old girl still packs a kick or two.
2011.08.27 1054 UTC Temperature 79.0 F (26.1 C) Dew Point 73.0 F (22.8 C) Relative Humidity 82% Pressure (altimeter) 29.81 in. Hg (1009 hPa) ob KDMH 271054Z AUTO 26/23 A2981 RMK AO2 SLP095 T02610228 PWINO TSNO
A little sultry outside? Oh yeah. Stay tuned, I'll have much more later.
UPDATE 8/27/11-1130 EST
Fascinating video from NASA and the International Space Station.
NASA/ISS, 8/26/11
Video Details from NASA:
Cameras mounted on the International Space Station captured new views of Hurricane Irene at 4:27 p.m. EDT on August 26, 2011 as the storm bore down on the east coast of the United States.
Accompanied by narration from Expedition 28 Flight Engineer Mike Fossum of NASA, the video showed the massive system moving north at 14 miles an hour packing winds of 100 miles an hour some 300 miles south-southwest of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Irene is expected to track to the northeast along the mid-Atlantic states, the metropolitan New York-New Jersey region and New England this weekend before heading out over the north Atlantic.
National Hurricane Center: AT 1100 AM EDT...1500 UTC...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE IRENE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 35.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 76.4 WEST. IRENE IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHEAST NEAR 15 MPH...24 KM/H...AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER OF IRENE WILL MOVE ACROSS NORTHEASTERN NORTH CAROLINA THIS AFTERNOON. THE HURRICANE IS FORECAST TO MOVE NEAR OR OVER THE MID-ATLANTIC COAST TONIGHT AND MOVE OVER SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND ON SUNDAY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS REMAIN NEAR 85 MPH...140 KM/H...WITH HIGHER GUSTS.
IRENE IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE. SLIGHT WEAKENING IS FORECAST AS IRENE CROSSES EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA...BUT IRENE IS FORECAST TO REMAIN NEAR HURRICANE STRENGTH AS IT MOVES NEAR OR OVER THE MID-ATLANTIC STATE SAND APPROACHES NEW ENGLAND.
IRENE IS A LARGE TROPICAL CYCLONE. HURRICANE-FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 90 MILES...150 KM...FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 260 MILES...415 KM. A WIND GUST TO 87 MPH WAS RECENTLY MEASURED AT CAPE HATTERAS NORTH CAROLINA. NORFOLK NAVAL AIR STATION RECENTLY REPORTED A WIND GUST TO 63 MPH.
ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 952 MB...28.11 INCHES.
More to come later. Stay tuned.
UPDATE 8/27/11-1900 EST
Hurricane Irene, 1800 EST
Back in the Saddle Again (and yet another reason Why I Hate Microsoft).
Around 11 AM I started to capture a time lapse video of the clouds preceding Hurricane Irene blowing into town. I'd planned for the video to cover the span from morning until well after dark.
Anticipating a long night, I crawled into bed about 3 PM to take a nap and what did I find on the screen of the laptop just now:
"Windows installed new updates - Windows restarted your computer..."
You can take it from there.
No great harm done, except for the Hurricane Irene lyrics that I'd written to the tune of Sinatra's "Summer Wind." The lyrics were on notepad for easy blog posting; they're gone.
Since the Irene Affair is developing more as a wind and rain event than a full-fledged hurricane, more than a full-fledged storm, I'll take a slightly different approach to this messy night. Catch you all in a few...
Stay tuned.
UPDATE 8/27/11-2045 EST
So far, and using Steve Kilar's word, it's a "moist" night and that's about all it is. In Baltimore, we haven't even had a decent gust of wind.
I'm entertaining myself with the Tweets of my social media friends. They are just the best. Here's a peek at the posts:
@JohnMilleker: Dear #HurricaneIrene, if you must damage ANYTHING in @OCMaryland, you can take Dippin' Dots. Love, me.
@RyanE1984: PLUS, if my usual blow out is ruined, there better be a damn good reason. This itty bitty rain is not a good excuse to ruin my hair. #oy
@JohnMilleker: Time for a inner perimeter/basement spot check, if I'm not back in ten minutes I probably stopped off at the beer fridge. #Irene
@thomasbeller: Was lovely wandering Broadway today. "It's like wartime," said play-write David Ives. "Everyone knows it's coming but it's not here yet."
@stevekilar: #MDHurricane Irene has breached the Hilton ocean city -- the carpet around my sliding glass balcony door is moist!
@TonyDeFranco: The weather conditions in Federal Hill are currently fratty.
@kellycollect: Rare and retired Precious Moments figurines bit.ly/9P0lkL
@make_lemons: Set your alarms RT @andersoncooper Planning to go live at 6am Sunday from NYC covering #Irene.
@CharmCityBarfly: Hi everyone. You LOSE power. Your mama is LOOSE. See the difference? For the love of God. Use the proper word.
@BriHoffman: im bored so far... #hurricane #Irene
@Seth_Fried: If your apartment is hit by a dolphin, DO NOT GO OUT TO SEE IF THE DOLPHIN IS OKAY. That's how the hurricane tricks you into coming outside.
@insidecharmcity: Jayne Miller of WBAL having a bunch of drunks photobombing her live shot from Fells Point #mdhurricane
I love you people. I love you all.
Stay tuned. We may get a breeze later. I'll report.
UPDATE 8/27/11-2245 EST
The empirical end to this long and uneventful post comes from my dear friend, Andrea Snyder. This performance says it all, and says it better than I ever could.
Good Night, Irene
Video description via YouTube:
Steve Dawson is here visiting me in Baltimore for some co-writing and music making. Brave enough to fly AT a hurricane instead of away from it, we had some fun with Irene. Enjoy!
That's all folks. G'night all. And, G'night Irene.
I was working on my first project for Baltimore's Historic Charles Street Association in 2006 and I went online to round up and bookmark some source material. I ran across Groeninger's New Baltimore and downloaded a copy. It's in the public domain.
Furst Bros Company in Sharp-Leadenhall is a long-time client of mine and I was excited to find one of their ads in the little book. (A half-page ad, thank you very much.) I created a cover and burned the book to a few CDs as a little gift for them.
A Preview of Groeninger's New Baltimore 1906
Jones & Groeninger was a photography and publishing house located at 404 N Paca in Baltimore. They were apparently hired by the City and a group of business-men to create a promotional marketing piece to show the world that Baltimore had been rebuilt after the Great Fire, was once again open-for-business, flourishing, bigger, better, and a grander center of commerce than ever before.
The photos, before-and-after the Great Fire of 1904, are wonderful. The photographer was Wm J Groeninger, a partner in the firm.This afternoon I didn't have time to find the reference CD that I'd made over 5-years ago. I went online and found that people are trying to sell this out-of-copyright book from anywhere between 99-cents and $14.96. Well, that just seems silly. I've paid for public domain material before, but only when value was added by way of research, citations, redirects, and the like.
You may download a PDF by clicking on the preview above or by clicking here to go directly to my page on ISSUU.
Jones & Groeninger published their own quarter-page ad in the book.
Jones & Groeninger - About This Book
For more information about the Great Fire of 1904, the Maryland Digital Cultural Heritage Program is the best place to start: The Maryland Digital Cultural Heritage Program is a collaborative, statewide digitization program headquartered at the Central Library, Enoch Pratt Free Library / State Library Resource Center in downtown Baltimore.
