Baltimore21201.Com - The Blog

Baltimore, Sports, Preservation. Thoughts.

Hinchliffe Stadium -- Paterson, NJ -- is possibly the last surviving stadium that hosted the Negro Baseball League. Preservation, the magazine of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, has just published an extraordinary story of the stadium, its background, and its possible future.

And, it's a great read. The title is: Field of Forgotten Dreams.

Here's a short excerpt from the National Trust:

It was the spring of 1937, and Irvin, a 17-year-old rising star from the nearby city of Orange with a .666 high school batting average, was at Hinchliffe trying out for a professional baseball team. Because Irvin was African American, and because of the color barrier in the major leagues, the team was not the New York Yankees or the Brooklyn Dodgers but a Negro League ball club called the Newark Eagles.

The sweet sound of home run after home run—crack, crack, crack—attracted the attention of Josh Gibson and Buck Leonard, two Negro League players preparing for a game at Hinchliffe later that day. Irvin was introduced to the two stars, whose grace, athleticism, and dapper uniforms and dress had inspired him. Indeed, Gibson had been called The Black Babe Ruth and Leonard The Black Lou Gehrig (though some wondered if Gehrig should have been dubbed The White Buck Leonard). And on this day, Irvin learned he would play alongside his two idols. He had made the Eagles.

Even though Irvin never imagined it possible at the time, with his paltry $125-a-month salary and the seemingly unshakeable reality of segregation in America, he would become one of the first African American players to make the major leagues after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947, and would go on to enjoy a Hall of Fame career as a left fielder for the New York Giants and Chicago Cubs...

I know, I know that Paterson, NJ isn't in my usual 21201 coverage area. And, baseball isn't my strong suite either. (However, after moving back to Baltimore, Jacob and I are now watching, commenting on, and truly enjoying local sports -- even when the Ravens don't look like they can play football, let alone a decent game of hopscotch.)

Here's the Preservation paragraph that brings this story home to Baltimore 21201:

Today, a heap of trash -- rotting wood, old tires, twisted metal -- rises along one end of the track that rings the stadium. Empty bottles litter the old concession area. Graffiti covers the crumbling bleachers. The burned-out roof over one bathroom represents the work of arsonists or vagrants who simply wanted to stay warm.

After the passing of our great Baltimore benefactor, Clarisse Mechanic, last month I wonder -- once again -- what the future of the Morris Mechanic Theatre will be. And, that leads me to wonder...

How are we going to save the many Baltimore architectural treasures that need to be preserved, buildings that need to be re-purposed, and areas where graffiti is simply unacceptable. Let's all think about this.

Baltimore has come a long way. Let's not let Baltimore move in the direction of Paterson.

Baltimore 21201's Hotel Monaco: A Stellar Opening Night

Jacob and I have been fans of Baltimore's grand old architecture for a long, long time. And, we've been fans of the Kimpton Hotel brand for years and years. When we first read, in the BBJ, about a possible Kimpton Hotel coming to 21201 we were thrilled.

 
When we learned that Kimpton had selected the venerable B&O Building, built in 1906, at 2 N Charles Street as the location for a new Hotel Monaco, we pondered the possibilities and the build-out and what that would mean to city-center and decided we'd stay there on opening night. We did; it was wonderful.

Our Hotel Monaco stay was a true nextdoorcation. We live just a block away.

Here's a little background on Kimpton Hotels: They are the largest operator of boutique hotels in the United States and they are truly a lifestyle brand. Their hotels are pet-friendly. You'll see a couple of doggie bowls by the hotel entrances, one constantly filled with fresh water, the other with kibbles. Both are for resident pups and the pups just passing by. Kimpton hotels are gay friendly and support the LGBT efforts in their host cities. They create hotels in stunning, architectural masterpieces that need a new life. You can read more good things about Kimpton initiatives, many more, at the their Media Buzz site.

We made reservations through Kimpton Intouch. We packed a duffel and a backpack, and headed down Charles Street on July 30th, Monaco's opening night. We left home at 5pm; we checked in around 5:15. 

We didn't dress for the stay, but lots of folks did. We wore shorts and polos and tennis shoes. And, we were treated as if were wearing our tuxes. That's the Kimpton way.

Our front desk experience was super-quick, professional, and extremely personal. So far, so good.

We were invited to the daily wine hour in the second-floor hotel living room. We headed up to our room, #1222. It was spot-on, correct. When we made the online reservation we noted that we wanted four down pillows, a king bed, a high floor with a north view, spa tub, and more.

Every single item that we asked for was provided. And we received bonuses: Iced bottled water, two plates of cookies, and a handwritten welcome note were waiting for us.

(At this point, I have to apologize for using a couple of Kimpton's stock photos. I took my Canon 20D with the L USM 16-35mm lens, newly recharged batteries, and the 580EX Speedlite. I didn't, however, put a CF card in the memory slot. Oh, swell. Just swell.) Jacob had his point and shoot camera in his backpack. It didn't serve us perfectly, but it took great photos of fish and food.

After we scoped out our room and took a look around, we called the front desk for some serious Guppy Love. Our little fish, named Charles, arrived a few minutes later, fully fed, in a pristine bowl. Check the Guppy Love link above, it's a great Kimpton program.

Our marble and granite bathroom had a neck-deep, spa tub that could easily seat two. A walk-in shower with three walls of marble. The towels were puffy and I couldn't wait to use one or two. And the faux-leather wall coverings, complete with needle-stitching emboss, were a hot touch. 

We set up our bar on the stainless steel tray provided, got ice, and had a couple of drinks. Fresh-squeezed OJ screwdrivers for Jacob. Vodka gimlets for me. Then we headed down to the newest restaurant on Charles.

The B&O American Brasserie is truly something special. A welcome addition to 21201. We didn't have reservations. And, as walk-ins, we were asked if we wanted to be on the ground floor or the mezzanine. Mezzanine, please. The perfect service continued.

A perfect Grey Goose martini arrived at our table with three olives on a bamboo skewer. Astonishingly, it arrived with a little skiff of ice on the surface. I haven't had a martini served that icy-cold since the last time Jacob and I were at the Round Robin bar in the Willard Hotel in DC. Jacob's tall, Grey Goose screwdriver arrived with a slice of orange in the glass and the true fragrance of the best Florida oranges. I didn't taste; I did sniff. Yep, very fresh, very orange.

The B&O American Brasserie has a substantial, but not extensive, menu. Our server couldn't have provided us with more perfectly-timed attention from start to finish. She knew the menu forward and backward. She recommended the Heirloom Tomato & Watermelon Salad ($10) as a starter. Jacob ordered it. I knew what I wanted. I started with Steak Tartare & Carpaccio ($12).

Both appetizers were brilliant. Presentation and complex tastes were amazing. We shared the starters and couldn't agree on which one was best.

Jacob and I know our steaks. He ordered a Petite Filet, medium rare ($28) -- it was truly petite; I ordered a Ribeye, rare ($34). Both came with duck fat fries and pickled red onion and watercress. Jacob's Filet was as tender as cake, but it was dry as dust. My Ribeye was cooked perfectly. However, it was thin and super-tough, gristle abounded. We opted not to order anything more.

B&O's beef comes from Vande Rose Farms. Perhaps it shouldn't. It was nothing special, not flavorful, and didn't live up to the special experience that Hotel Monaco and the Brasserie were providing.

In summary, our new Kimpton hotel is as wonderful as wonderful can be. You feel like royalty when you check in.

The B&O American Brasserie is still working on it's menu legs. If the Brasserie can find steaks that live up to it's appetizers -- and I'm certain that will happen -- it will be good to go.

In the whole opening process of the Baltimore Hotel Monaco, there was only one complete disappointment: Bruce Miller at Sandy Hillman Communications. I wrote to Kimpton Corporate in San Francisco and explained how pleased I was about the pending opening of the New Monaco. I asked to be informed about developments.

The next day I had an email from Bruce Miller. He promised me the world. Constant updates, etc. Despite numerous requests, the last I heard from Miller at Hillman, was on March 31st 2009. That kind of non-response is just wrong.

Order Chinese. Scream Fire!

And, in a very good way.

We did some Sunday morning shopping and decided to take another stab at checking out El Torito, now El Guapito. No dado. The door was locked. I didn't check the hours on their website. They aren't open on Sunday.

We were two blocks from Mekong Delta and a half block from Zhongshan. I was really hungry. Chinese it was.

We were there just once before and were greeted like old friends, "Hello, Hello! Too long since we've seen you!" Zhongshan now has super-handsome, bound menus and the selections cover 6 pages.

We started with dim sum. Fried pork buns, steamed shrimp dumplings and steamed pork buns. It was all perfect... Jacob's favorite were the pork buns. They were like little clouds. My favorite were shrimp dumplings. The fried pork buns were perfect, but we were in a savory mood.

Jacob opted for what he ordered on our first visit, Barbecue Pork Duck. I decided to take a ride on the wild side with Hot Pepper Chicken, and that's the big story.

It was the hottest plate of Chinese food I'd ever tasted. It was the hottest plate of any kind of food I'd ever tasted and it was absolutely perfect! Tender chunks of chicken breast covered with chili oil and put in the wok with sliced ginger, bamboo shoots, coin sized pieces of red and green bell pepper, and three kinds of hot peppers. Long, slim cayenne peppers, Chinese kwangsi, and Thai chiles. Some were sliced in half from the stem down. Some had seeds removed, most didn't.

After I finished my plate, I told Jacob he'd have to pay. I wasn't certain if it was still daylight outside and I hadn't felt my lips for over an hour. Sometimes being hot and dazed is a good thing. Today it was just the best.

It's Time Again - Hide Your Face in Baltimore 21201

 

Jacob and I have a favorite fund-raising event; we attend it every year. And, we put lots of business cards in our pockets before we leave home.

If you haven't been to the annual Masquerade on Charles hosted by the Historic Charles Street Association, read on and get a pair of the few remaining tickets. It's always a joyous night. It's a business & personal networking event that only comes along once a year. Folks are friendly and they hug. It's fun. You won't go home thirsty or hungry.

Join Baltimore 21201's movers and shakers and enjoy an open bar, the very best food from Baltimore's finest restaurants, live music by Junkyard Saints, and dancing in one of Baltimore's most historic venues, the former Masonic Grand Lodge of Maryland, the Tremont Grand. There will be live and silent auctions. And, if you buy a glass of Champagne, you could go home with one of two half-carat diamonds from Nelson Coleman Jewlers.

Put on a mask - or not, be there, and rock the night away. The best part of this event: It crosses every generational line. In 2008 the Masquerade was as heavily populated by 20 & 30-year-olds as it was by those "slightly older professionals" who I heard, many times, say: "I may have something for you. Give me your business card."

Jacob and I will see you there. [BTW, I know the networking works at the Masquerade. Ask me about it.]

There'll Be Ice in 21201 on February 12th. Guaranteed.

There will also be ice on February 19th and 26th.

 

Large-scale ice sculpture demonstrations will be presented all three days in Downtown Baltimore's Premier Green Space, Charles Center. Fayette Street between Charles and Liberty Streets.

The fun begins a noon, all three days.

The February 12th event marks the 200th birthday of Abraham Lincoln and one of the sculptures will be a likeness of our 16th President.

Note: The sculpture image above is from Hot Ice, Inc. They're local and serve Baltimore, DC, and Virginia.

A New Baltimore 21201 Hotel... Almost Ready to Take Reservations. Thank You, Kimpton!

I've written about the wonderfulness of Kimpton Hotels before. And, in 2007 I wrote about the proposed opening of a Kimpton Hotel Monaco in Baltimore scheduled to open in mid-2009. It seemed too good to be true.

There are only a couple of hundred reasons why I love the Kimpton brand. Let's begin with: Stylish, fun, pet friendly, locations in many historic buildings around the country. Kimpton property employees always seem to be having a good time, they are smart, know their way around their home city, other Kimpton properties, and are full of great advice when asked.

Number 1 on my list of wonderfulness is that Kimpton is bringing their Monaco brand to Charles Street. They are building out the top floors of the fantastic 1906 B&O Railroad building on the corner of Charles & Baltimore Streets. It was built just 2 years after the great Baltimore Fire.

   

Kimpton has been busy rebuilding the lobby, stairs... all of the public places. And, keeping them in historic condition. (There was a LOT of reconditioning to do. Think $60-million in renovations, original Tiffany windows and a ship-load of replacement marble.)

 

Kimpton has created a supurb website for the Baltimore Monaco. Visit, Read, and Book a room for the May opening. We are already buffing up our cat carriers for an early stay for the four of us.

 

We'll see you in the Monaco lobby in a couple of months with a martini or manhattan in hand. No kidding, we will.

I'll Meet You for Lunch Tomorrow

The Downtown Partnership of Baltimore and some of downtown's best restaurants are prove that, yes, there is such a thing as a free lunch. And at six different locations. Its their 6th Annual Holiday Lunch Party, Tuesday Noon, November 25th.

 

250 West Pratt - Food from Phillips Seafood Harborplace, Lucy's Irish Pub & Restaurant, and Eden West.

 

7 Saint Paul (Wachovia Building) - Food from Vellegia's Italian Restaurant, Fin Steak & Seafood, Bluebird Coffee, and Cosi.

 

500 East Pratt - Food from McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant, James Joyce Irish Pub, and Lebanese Taverna.

 

1 East Pratt (Verizion Building) - Food from M&S Grill, Pitango Gelato, and La Tasca Spanish Restaurant.

 

2 Hopkins Plaza (PNC Bank Building) - Food from Tremont Grand Cafe, The Dogwood, Park Avenue Grill, and The Peanut Shoppe.

 

111 South Calvert (Harborplace Tower) - Food from Meli, ASIATIQUE, and Corks Restaurant.

 

You can download the entire Downtown for the Holidays Guide here.

21201 Traffic Isn't This Bad. However, You Should Be Aware...

...of the most recent traffic advisory from Baltimore's Downtown Partnership.

 

CONGESTION ALERT: Lane Closures on N. Charles Street from October 30 to November 20th

The Baltimore City Department of Transportation has announced temporary lane closures on N. Charles Street between Madison and North Avenues for a resurfacing and streetscape project. The lane closures will begin Thursday, October 30, 2008 and continue through Friday, November 20 from 7 am to 3 pm.

The lane closures are as follows: Between Mount Royal Avenue and the I-83 Bridge, the two right lanes of N. Charles Street will be closed. The two left lanes will be open to traffic. The right turn lane on Mount Royal Avenue will be closed from the I-83 off ramp to North Charles Street.

The University of Baltimore parking lot will remain open as usual to vehicular and pedestrian traffic.  Traffic could be slow at times, especially during the afternoon commute.  Drivers should remain alert for shifts in traffic patterns.

Be sure to visit Get Around Downtown Baltimore for updates and to sign up for our congestion alerts.

Note: Image above is a clip of art from TransFuture.Net. And, it's a website worth seeing.

Email Blasts Take on a Fresh Tone - A SuperFresh Tone

Jacob opened his email this morning and said, "What's this?"

Turns out it was an email blast from Super Fresh Foods, our local subsidiary of A&P. Also turns out that it was one of the cleverest, on-target email marketing sends that we've ever received. I like email blasts when they are well conceived, well written, contain information that's relevant and current. I ask all of my clients to use email blasts twice a month - more often if they have a big story.

Check this out, the emails actually originated Friday night so they would appear in customers' in-boxes early this morning:

This blast is so on-target it made us smile from ear-to-ear. No percent-off offer. None of that 'we have it and the others may run out' language. No scare or panic tactics. Just links to a simple, but solid, disaster supplies list, NOAA and the National Hurricane Center and to the SuperFresh online version which includes even more information, including a FEMA document.

We see our SuperFresh store on Charles Street as what used to be the corner market. Folks there know us by name. If we want a special cut of meat they butcher it on site or order it for us. Jacob and the produce gal are especially close. Want crisper, fresher cilantro? She will find it for you. Want the best of the last summer corn on the cob? She'll pick it for you and throw away the less than perfect ears.

And no, this isn't a commercial or a paid endorsement. This is about great corporate communication and some of the finest customer service we've run across.

Now then, let's hope the dreaded grocery workers strike that is still unresolved on the west coast doesn't hit here. We don't cross picket lines and we want our super fresh food.

Sheraton Baltimore, City Center's Pool Sparkles Again

Yesterday I heard from the Sheraton's General Manager, Chris Phillips.

"I wish to confirm with you that everything was being done to try to treat the water with the proper chemicals. We have a company that is contracted to maintain the condition of the water. All the necessary treatments were being completed.

"On Monday morning, do to the fact that we could not be assured what caused the pool to turn green, we drained the pool and cleaned out the interior. We also changed all the filters to ensure the problem will not occur again. The pool has been refilled and looks great," Phillips wrote.

He's right. Normally it always looks great, that's what made the vibrant green color so odd and disturbing.

OK folks, pack up those trunks and towels and spend Labor Day Downtown!

Let's Go Swim in Pea Soup - At Baltimore's Sheraton City Center

Now, this is disturbing. Really disturbing.

For the past couple of days we've noticed the water in the Sheraton's swimming pool getting greener and greener. Yesterday there were over a dozen kids and parents and others swimming in this mess.

Normally, the Sheraton pool water is crystal clear and the bright blue of the new pool paint comes shining through.

Let's all call the Sheraton (410-752-1100) and ask what's going on. I did and was simply told they would check on it. 

Men of Honor at Baltimore's City Center Park Tomorrow - August 20th

I'd normally write, "Yippee, another Movie Night!" However, this film seems to be an iffy addition to the City Center's 2008 Summer line-up. It seems a tad divisive. But, then again, I just came back from jury duty. I may be way too sensitive. It happens.

Amazon Reviewer, Jeff Shannon says, "Men of Honor presents a great role model for younger viewers, yet it's rated R due to abundant use of the F word. With appropriate discretion, parents should allow their preteen and teenage children to see this rousing if altogether conventional biopic inspired by the life of Carl Brashear. Played with gravity and gumption by Cuba Gooding Jr., Brashear was the first African American to become a master diver in the U.S. Navy, despite the lingering effects of segregation, opposition from Navy brass, and the amputation of his left leg following a tragic on-duty accident. Robert De Niro adds marquee value and salty bluster as Billy Sunday, the drunken, redneck (and fictionalized) Master Chief who watches, with gradual admiration, as Brashear attains his ultimate goal through sheer force of will.

"This is all quite uplifting on its surface, but in attempting to hit the requisite highlights of an inspiring biography, director George Tillman Jr. (Soul Food) reduces Brashear's achievement to a succession of clichés, forcing Gooding and De Niro to battle sentiment with their noteworthy performances. As Sunday's neglected wife, Charlize Theron is completely extraneous; Hal Holbrook's diving-school commander is a ranting caricature; and newcomer Aunjanue Ellis barely registers as Brashear's wife (in part because their obligatory romance is handled with an utter lack of finesse). There's no question that Brashear's efforts are heroic and worthy of recognition, so Men of Honor serves its basic purpose. Still, one can't help but wonder if Brashear's story would be even more impressive with a more authentic treatment."

The New York Times gives a qualified Thumbs-up. Other reviews are on the low end of the scale.

According to the Downtown Partnership the event is, as always: Free. It Starts at 9 PM, Food and Beverages available for purchase. I can tell you that the screen is giant, the color & contrast is super, the sound is loud, and folks seem to have a great time.

Young Mr. Oliver Meets His Boogyman. Up 26 Floors!

YMO gets really excited when he sees a ladybug, or a moth, or a mayfly on the outside of a window here. And we have lots of windows facing three directions. He'd never seen a grasshopper before this event and he simply froze in place. YMO tracked the creature with his eyes.

It's odd that such a face-to-face happened in the first place. Odder still was that the cat & bug stare-down went on for nearly 20-minutes. Hence, my having time to get the camera.

The bug moved a bit. Young Mr. Oliver didn't. Yeaaah, Oliver!

Detour Alert from Downtown Partnership

The Get Around Downtown Baltimore service from Baltimore's Downtown Partnership sent out an email press release this morning advising that Saratoga Street will be closed, between Charles and Cathedral Streets, for about a month. According to their detour directions, here's my map.

The reason for the closure was listed as Trigen Repairs. Yeah, OK. What's that?

Ah yes, Trigen is the company that supplies steam for heat (1,363,000 steam pounds per hour), chilled water for cooling (6,500 tons per hour), hot water (200,000 MBtus) and electricity (2.1 Megawatts) to a whole bunch of buildings in downtown Baltimore. I found these stats from a cached Trigen press release. Apparently Trigen was acquired by Veolia Energy some time ago.

You can find lots of interesting information on the Veolia Energy website if you're interested in infrastructure. Get lost in the data at your own peril.

Maryland Transit Administration + Google. What a Match!

I've just learned from the Baltimore Business Journal that our very own MTA has signed on to have Google Maps provide an extraordinary service: Online routes, alternates and times for local public transportation. This is big stuff. It's a really big deal.

While the program is still in a sort of testing Beta-stage, it already works and works very well.

Just go to the MTA website and enter your address and the address that you are headed for. And it will calculate the route, show you bus numbers, and show you a map...

But wait, there's more! You can plug in the actual time you want to leave your location or the actual time you want to arrive at your destination... and the program will give you options.

There are other interesting variables, some available now and others to be added.

I have to admit that I'm not a big user of public transportation in Baltimore. With this new information, that may just change. This is good for all. Please check this out and let the MTA know if this works for you.

You Work in Downtown Baltimore? You're Appreciated. And Yes, You're Invited!

The Downtown Partnership of Baltimore and the Clean, Safe & Beautiful Team (who, by the way, do a magnificent job), and a bundle of other sponsors are announcing the 2008 Downtown Employee Appreciation Week.

It's a week of fun stuff and activities and can make for an extended lunch hour. That's always a good thing.

The event this year is June 16 - 20 and is always a great hit. This just in from Downtown Partnership:

Celebrate Working Downtown

Downtown Partnership and the Clean, Safe, and Beautiful Team invite you to get out of the office to enjoy special events and giveaways.

Monday, June 16, noon–2 p.m. Kick-Off event at Hopkins Plaza with games, sampling* by Pepsi, 7-Eleven, and Pretzel Twist, and free ice cream. 

Wednesday, June 18, noon–2 p.m. Lunch Party at Center Plaza with free samples* from Downtown restaurants:

Mex
Pizzeria Speranza
Sofi’s Crepes
Taharka Brothers Ice Cream
Additional sampling by Pepsi and The Peanut Shoppe. Rain Location: BGE building in Center Plaza.

Thursday, June 19, 5:30–7:30 p.m. Networking Event at Power Plant Live! at the Blue Door Bar (Plaza Bar). Music by Nelly's Echo. Complimentary buffet from Mex. $2.50 beer, wine, sangria, and margaritas. The first 150 people who bring this email will receive 2 free drink tickets.

Stop by the Downtown Partnership booth each day to pick up giveaways and enter for your chance to win one of many prizes including tickets to the Baltimore Chefs and Wine Experience, gift certificates to Edible Arrangements and CENTERSTAGE, passes to the Aquarium, B&O Railroad Museum and the Maryland Science Center, and more.

Bring this email to MECU's table Monday and Wednesday to be entered to win a pair of tickets to the Baltimore Chefs and Wine Experience hosted by Sandra Pinckney and featuring Ted Allen.

How Our Inner Harbor Changed the World's Port Cities. No, Really! I'm Serious.

If you missed this last night, be certain to set your Tivo or DVR to record Maryland Public Television at 9PM July 22nd. (Channels 22 and 67)

Global Harbors: A Waterfront Renaissance is an outstanding piece of documentary work.

Baltimore Sun's architecture critic, Edward Gunts writes, "In many ways, Global Harbors is the Un-Wire. It doesn't deny the existence of crime and poverty and dysfunction in the city, but it starts with the premise that the glass is half-full. It shows Baltimore as a place where good things can happen when people put their minds to it. It dares to suggest that 50 years of rebuilding may be paying off."

I think Global Harbors' premise is that the glass is way, way more than half-full and that 50 years of rebuilding started paying off 50 years ago. It certainly did for the urban pioneers who, decades ago, bought their homes in Otterbein for a dollar.

In the Examiner, Michael Olesker notes, "What most of us didn’t know — but learn from the documentary — is the profound effect Harborplace has had on urban harbors around the world, with municipal leaders having taken their cues from the Baltimore model." I like Olesker's take, as I usually do, best.

Like all good documentaries should, this one has a website. And, if that Tivo crashes or Comcast goes down you can buy the DVD online. Trust me, it's a keeper. Spend the twenty-bucks.

Get LIT in Baltimore! - Part 2

I posted a note on Sunday about getting LIT in Baltimore by way of an email from Carole Evitts. Here's the follow-up...

Spring 2008 brings a lot of good things to the mid-Atlantic. One of the best promises to be this year's 5th Annual CityLit Festival. Rub elbows with, and learn from, some of the best in the literature scene on April 19th at the Enoch Pratt Free Library (downtown on Cathedral Street). 10AM - 5PM. Think: Laura Lippman, Manil Suri, Dan Fesperman, Carole Boston Weatherford, Michael Olesker, and dozens of others. This event is free to attendees and free to exhibitors. Put on your thinking caps, you Lit-Types!

President and CEO of the CityLIt Project, Gregg A. Wilhelm, wants us to know that: CityLit Project nurtures the culture of literature in Baltimore and throughout Maryland. Programs include free public events, registration-based writers' workshops and conferences, a rock-n-read concert that targets the 18-34 crowd (which represents the steepest rate of decline in reading), and efforts to get youth to dig reading and writing as creative, expressive arts.

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE! (OK, too much late night TV. Way too much.) Gregg Wilhelm is too modest. Here are just a couple of quotes from those in the know:

“CityLit Festival is one of my favorite events of the year. The energy and creativity that CityLit Project brings to it--and to each of its programs--is worthy of the library’s support, and the entire community’s support.”
Dr. Carla Hayden
Executive Director
Enoch Pratt Free Library

“We value the content CityLit Project has provided the Baltimore Book Festival over the years. In a city rich with a variety of creative arts, Baltimore is fortunate to have CityLit as a champion of the literary arts.”
Bill Gilmore
Executive Director
Baltimore Office of Promotion and The Arts

“After searching for a way to become involved with the local literary community, I found exactly what I was looking for— it’s the nonprofit CityLit Project. At the happy hour, it was apparent that CityLit and JMWW are achieving their mission to nurture the culture of literature.”
Corinne Levinstein
Writer

After January Each Year: The Ho-Hum Press Releases Hit Baltimore

Odd, but true... Take this urgent message from the Live Baltimore Home Center:

Need a makeover? Want to be on national TV? Then head down to the Harborplace Amphitheater on Monday, February 18, where one lucky person will be "glambushed" live on TV during the CBS Early Show. [Say now, that sounds like a good time to be had by all.]

The Early Show's Dave Price will be LIVE in Baltimore on Monday morning. All Baltimoreans are invited to show their support by joining him as part of the show's audience from 5:30 - 9:00 a.m. One lucky audience member will be selected for a makeover by designer to the stars, Bradley Bayou - author of "The Science of Sexy." WJZ-TV's Ron Matz will also be broadcasting live. We want to show support for the CBS Early Show and proudly represent the city of Baltimore, so come out and don't miss your chance to be on national television. 

[They've got to be kidding, right?]

And, this just in from "The Insiders Club" at 1st Mariner Arena:

WWE PRESENTS BACKLASH - Sunday , April 27^th AT 7:45 PM

As a member of the 1st Mariner Arena Insiders Club [I'm on their mailing list, yes. But, I had no idea that I was a member of anything so very special...] you are invited to take part in an exclusive presale for WWE Presents Backlash, at 1st Mariner Arena on Sunday. Attendees must be 14 years of age.

[Oh swell, let's round up all of our young teens and head out to see this smart little package. Oh and yes, the best tickets are $175 each...]

He doesn't look like another Hanna Montana so I think I'll hold-off on this one and not stand in line.

If you've ever read this blog before, you know that I'm a rah-rah, full-on supporter of Baltimore and 21201. It just gets creepy on the PR front around this time of year. Stay tuned for some of the truly worthwhile notices of late winter.

And, if you see huge guys walking around downtown Baltimore in tights... well, consider yourself warned. It's not altogether pretty.

Finally. After months, NEW SPIRITS in downtown Baltimore. And at great prices, too.

After months of anticipation and waiting - on my part - Jim Amato's Urban Cellars is finally open next door to the Peanut Shoppe's new location and just a few steps away from 21201's new SuperFresh grocery store at 222 N Charles Street, Baltimore.

I've written before about the oddness of having to go to RiteAid for a bottle of wine or scotch when friends were coming over.

No longer do we, as residents of downtown Baltimore's City Center, have to buy our Band-Aids and Brandy and Benedryl in the same store. That change is a wonderful, wonderful thing!

Here's the very best news: Jacob and I were at Urban Cellars last week shopping for our Friday cocktail party and for our private New Year's Eve celebration. Jacob had been to Urban Cellars before. I hadn't. He asked me to check the shelf prices and I expected them to be high due to the store's location.

THEY WERE NOT!

Every bottle of wine (Urban Cellars has an International Collection), every six-pack of beer (Urban Cellars offers the finest and coldest and some of the most unusual), and every bottle of liquor (their selection blew my socks off) was priced equal to or less than what you'd pay at any Maryland liquor store. And, certainly less than you'd pay at the drug store.

Stay tuned. Amato tells me that Urban Cellars is planning some extradorinary tastings and events.