Baltimore Grows

Teavolve, the Fells Point tea and coffee shop, recently opened its new digs in Harbor East.? Located on Aliceanna St. in the Eden Apartment Building, the new location is modern but comfortable.? It’s formal enough that you can have a nice breakfast or lunch served to you, but casual enough that you can bring your laptop to catch up on work.?

When I went to check out the place, it was on a Saturday Morning and I was starving.? I noticed that they had Belgian waffles (apparently they serve them all day) along with? selections of pastries, muffins, croissants, sandwiches, salads, and paninis.? The Belgian waffle was delicious…freshly made and delivered with steam coming off of it.? Service was a bit spotty and slow…I ordered a mocha, but it came as a regular latte.? I’ve heard from other people that service was great when they have been…so I’m definitely willing to go back another time.? Their tea selection was immense and their bubble tea looked delicious.? Teapots come with their very own candle to keep it warm.

http://teavolve.com/

1401 Aliceanna St. Baltimore 21231, 410-522-1907

jeffcantonite@yahoo.com

A New York Times article recently published a piece on how the East Baltimore Biotech Park is revitalizing the area around Hopkins, East Baltimore, and beyond.? The project will add 2,400 housing units, 4,000 jobs, and provide millions in added tax revenue for Baltimore City.? Click HERE to read the article.

?

jeffcantonite@yahoo.com

The sales prices of condominiums and coops appear to be holding up better in Baltimore than many might think based on our recent analysis of thousands of transactions entered into the multiple listing service. We exported and analyzed every condo and coop transaction from 2000 through July of 2008 from MRIS (Metropolitan Regional Information System), which is the multiple listing service used by Baltimore area real estate agents. The jurisdictions included in the data analysis were Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Anne Arundel, Howard, and Harford.

While everyone knows prices are not increasing like they were in the first half of the decade, sales prices for existing condominiums in and around Baltimore are not declining much on average.? The average sales price for condos in Baltimore City was $278,482 in July of this year, which is basically unchanged from $278,417 in July of 2007.? The prices used for this analysis are net of any seller subsidy (closing cost contribution, etc.). While the average sales prices can be somewhat erratic from month to month, the general trend is pretty flat.? Even the metro area including the counties mentioned above has only shown a decline of 4.3% year-to-date through July compared to all of 2007 and this is mostly attributed to declines in Howard and Anne Arundel counties.? And, this is after a 4.4% increase of the average metro area price in 2007.

View the full article including graphs and tables HERE

It seems as if it has taken forever, but the new Brewer’s Hill Pasta Mista will be opening this coming Monday, according to a source at their popular? Towson location.? The Brewer’s Hill shop has been highly anticipated and will be the company’s second location.? Click Here to read more…

? jeffcantonite@yahoo.com

?

Today I noticed that Atomic Books had moved from its location on The Avenue in Hampden and merged with it’s sister store, Atomic Pop, at 3620 Falls Road. I stopped in and I have to hand it to them– even though they moved over piecemeal the last week of July, they have the space set up pretty darn well as bookstore. It’s bigger, brighter, and the extra space means it’s a little easier to shop. The clerk told me they were still moving and setting things up, but it all looked good to me.

You may recall that Atomic Books formerly occupied a historic bank building — a really cool architectural anomaly on the Avenue and a great spot for a bookstore. I asked the clerk if he knew what was moving in. It turns out that Squidfire is opening it’s first retail store front! As it happens, when the clerk told me this, I just happened to be wearing my favorite Squidfire shirt.

This appears to be a win for all parties involved– especially us hip t-shirt wearing book-readers. Hampden keeps an awesome Bookstore, and one of Baltimore’s most unique small businesses gets it’s first retail space.

Yesterday’s article in the Baltimore Sun on the proposed Westport development was interesting.? It was a good article about the city’s push to include moderate & low income housing in the new project.? What I found funny was the accompanying artist rendering of the project? which features a Porsche, BMW (I think), Starbucks, Westport Bistro, and Whole Foods.? Perhaps the low-income residences are tucked just out of view around the corner.

A permit application? has recently been submitted to the city liquor board for a 2 level, 200 seat restaurant at the new Ritz Carlton Residences along Key Highway? in Baltimore.? The development could mean the addition of yet another well renowned restaurant to Baltimore’s growing dining scene.?

Click HERE to read the full article

?

jeffcantonite@yahoo.com

?

Hudson Street Stackhouse has reopened in the location formerly known as the Hudson Street Cafe in Canton.? In it’s previous life as Hudson Street Cafe, the bar was a cozy and laid back place, but lacked a certain special zeal.? The new incarnation appears to focus more on good selection, high quality, and good service.? They plan to start? serving food within the next few months…something the old place? didn’t have.

Click here to read Sam Sessa’s review in the Baltimore Sun

The Hudson Street Stackhouse is at 2624 Hudson St. across from the Safeway Parking lot. Hours are 5 p.m.-2 a.m. Mondays-Fridays and 2 p.m.-2 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Phone: 410-342-0592.

jeffcantonite@yahoo.com? ? ?

600block.com, which had been in Beta Testing for quite some time, has finally launched!? The Beta Testing must have paid off, because the website they’ve come up with has a sleek but useful user interface that’s easy to navigate.? The website whose motto is “Discover Your Baltimore” helps you find cool places to eat, shop, and hang out.? Best of all it lists daily specials for restaurants around town… perfect for me, because I can’t pass up a good deal.?

The? nice thing about the site is that restaurants, bars, etc. are ranked based on user input from other people who have been there, so you’re not relying on reviews from a single critic.? The site has a much cleaner feel than other similar websites, because it doesn’t bombard you with ridiculous amounts of advertising.? The site looks like it will be a great place to discover new places? and? find? unique things to do.? There’s even a special section for “new places”.? To visit the site, go to www.600block.com

jeffcantonite@yahoo.com

Earlier this summer, my wife and I lamented Hampden’s apparent lack of fine Ice Creameries. we finally settled on the newly named Taharka Brothers in Mount Washington as our summer haunt, but longed for for something more convenient. Lo and behold! First Dangerously Delicious Pies arrives in our fair neighborhood (which at least provided some fine sweets, if not Icey treats), Then Rita’s opened selling it’s fine Custard and Italian Ice.

A perusal of Rita’s website reveals that its a Philadelphia business with it’s Franchise System under relatively new management. Apparently, Hampden is the beneficiary of Rita’s aggressive expansion.

My wife and I tried it out the first time the other night– we spent her grad school years in Wisconsin, home of fine Custards, and are pleased to report that while the Custard flavors are limited to Vanilla and Chocolate, it is absolutely delicious creamy custard of the highest quality. Try the Gelati which mixes the Custard with any flavor of Italian Ice. The customer service was outstanding as well– the night we went the kids behind the counter served us quickly and enthusiastically, chatting jovially the entire time– a hopeful sign of good management and hiring.