A recent photo, presumably from the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel, shows the progress of the future Baltimore Four Seasons Hotel and Legg Mason building in Harbor East.

A rendering of the completed project:

FreshFarm Markets has announced that they’re bringing their concept to Harbor East.  The market will operate on Saturdays from June 14th to October 25th, 9 AM to 1 PM.  FreshFarm Markets operates farmer’s markets around the Chesapeake Region, including Annapolis, St. Michael’s, Silver Spring, and Dupont Circle.  The Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times of London have named the Dupont Circle FreshFarm Market one the best in the country.  Hopefully the one in Harbor East will rank as high.  Read More…

jeffcantonite@yahoo.com

The recent announcement of a proposed Hyatt Place and Summerfield Suites at the Baltimore Citycenter Complex adds to the growing list of hotels proposed or under construction in the Baltimore Area.  Baltimore may owe the boom to an increase in domestic tourism (thanks high gas prices) and higher demand for business accommodations due to Baltimore’s growing economy among other things.  Here’s a list of some of the hotel projects planned or underway.  I’m sure I’ve forgotten a bunch of them, so please leave a comment of any that I’ve missed.

PROPOSED:

1. & 2. Hyatt Place and Summerfield Suites at Baltimore Citycenter

3. Aloft Hotel - Fells Point

4. Cambria Suites - Downtown

5. Inn at Penn Station

6. Sleep Inn - Oldtown/Fallsway

7. Four Points by Sheraton - Downtown

8. Lifestyle Hotel - Downtown

9. Hotel Monaco - Downtown

10. Holiday Inn Express - Oldtown/Fallsway

UNDER CONSTRUCTION: 

1. Hilton Convention Center Hotel

2. Four Seasons Hotel Harbor East

3. Hotel Indigo - Downtown Baltimore

4. Staybridge Suites - Downtown

5. Fairfield Inn & Suites - Jonestown/President St.

6. Red Roof Inn - Downtown

7. One East Redwood - Downtown

8. Quality Inn - Downtown

RUMORED

1. W Hotel - 10 Inner Harbor - Rumors have been flying that W Hotels is eyeing the hotel portion of the proposed 60 story 10 Inner Harbor project at 414 Light St.

Fells Point community organizations are beginning to take a stand against the proposed Red Line Project, a 12 mile, east-west transit corridor connecting the areas of Woodlawn, Edmondson Village, West Baltimore, downtown Baltimore, Inner Harbor East, Fells Point, Canton and the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center Campus.  The main issues revolve around the proposal to change the quaint Fleet and Aliceanna Streets into one way thoroughfares, eliminating parking, and adding the surface transit line.  Fells Point residents also complain that there doesn’t even appear to be a stop planned for their neighborhood, with the closest stops being proposed at Central and Fleet (in the Harbor East neighborhood) and the Can Company Complex in Canton.  “The state and city are just planning to railroad this thing through the middle of Fells Point” asserted one Fells Point resident.  The proposed stops appear to focus on more high-density areas such as Harbor East and Canton Crossing.  “We don’t want another Howard Street disaster” mentioned another, referring to the existing light rail line that runs north-south through the city down the Howard Street Corridor.   Proposals to run the Red Line underground through Fells Point and daylighting when it gets to Boston Street also concern residents who feel that it’s not realistic to dig a tunnel adjacent to buildings that are over 100 years old. 

In lieu of the proposed Red Line project, the Fells Point community appears to favor the alternate “Green Line Expansion” which would essentially extend the existing Metro Subway.  The Metro would continue past the current end-of-line at Hopkins Hospital, daylighting just east of the hospital.  The Green Line would then extend to the Hopkins Bayview Campus and the Canton Crossing project using many existing railroad rights-of-way.  An extension of the Metro on the West Side of the city would reach Woodlawn and West Baltimore.  Fells Point residents also favored a more traditional “trolley” type system to cover the Harbor East and Fells Point areas to ease congestion there.  The trolleys would run with the normal pace of traffic.  The community believes that this would achieve the same goal as the Red Line but alleviate some of the problems associated with building mass transit through a historic neighborhood.  The community argues that the Green Line could foster growth in East Baltimore, a community in much more need of development than Fells Point. 

This is not the first time that the Fells Point community has opposed a major transportation project.  In the late 1960’s a proposal to build I-95 through the neighborhood was successfully thwarted.  One of the leaders of the I-95 revolt was Barbara Mikulski, who would go on to become a Senator from Maryland.

For those who wish to share their opinion with the government, there will be a community meeting on May 10th, 2008 from 9am to 1pm at the Baltimore Convention Center. 

To learn more about the Red Line, visit http://www.baltimoreredline.com/

jeffcantonite@yahoo.com

Finally a politician is putting an emphasis on public transportation in Baltimore.  If only such an urgency was in place 20-30 years ago, we wouldn’t have this mish-mash mess of transportation systems that connect poorly to each other (if at all).  Even though it’s the “in” thing to do (considering gas prices, global warming, pollution, etc…) at least someone is doing SOMEthing.  

Shiela Dixon took the next step in the Red Line project today by appointing a liaison to resolve community concerns and presumably help push the project forward.  Mayor Dixion said the Red Line was one of her top priorities. 

 The Red Line has gained some opposition, particularly from residents of Fells Point who can bear to see Alice Anna and Fleet turned into one way streets while trying to jam a light rail down the middle. 

A Canton resident myself, I would love to be able to hop on a train and make it downtown in 5 minutes without having to pay $25 for parking, but I do share some of the same concerns of my neighbors in Fells Point. 

I happened upon an interesting post from a fellow blogger at baltimoreinnerspace that proposed extending the current Metro, which currently ends at Hopkins Hospital, to Canton Crossing (Ed Hale’s new mixed use development on Boston St.) instead of building the new Red Line. Although it bypasses Fells Point and the Main Part of Canton, it would pass through areas that have a great amount of potential for future development.  It doesn’t seem like a bad idea.  Check out his post here:

http://baltimoreinnerspace.blogspot.com/2006/10/red-line-should-turn-green-running-red.html

 I’m interested to hear what people think.  Post a comment if you have an opinion.  If you want to share your opinion with the city, there will be a community meeting on May 10th, 2008 from 9am to 1pm at the Baltimore Convention Center. 

To learn more about the Red Line, visit http://www.baltimoreredline.com/

Proposed Red Line Route:

Work has begun on the old Fallsway Spring and Equipment building on Central Ave. in Little Italy. The project will turn into a mixed use building that will house offices, retail, and approximately 40 condominiums. The project will complement the recently opened Tack factory (further down the street) which houses Lemongrass, Tsunami, Mustang Alleys, and 38 luxury condos by the same developer (Union Box Co.). Union box also plans on redeveloping the former Saval Foods Building on the corner of Central and Lombard into approximately 30 condos. Perhaps this is proof that the renaissance started by the development of Harbor East is spreading through the area.

Ra Sushi’s first East Coast location has just opened in the Harbor East neighborhood of Baltimore.  It’s no surprise that Ra chose this location, as Harbor East has quickly become the restaurant hotspot of Baltimore. 

Harbor East currently has; Charleston,  Chui’s Sushi, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar, Grille 700, James Joyce Irish Pub & Restaurant, Kosmo’s Lounge, Lebanese Taverna, The Oceanaire Seafood Room, Pazo, RA Sushi, Roy’s, Taco Fiesta, Cinghiale (a Northern Italian restaurant), along with two newcomers Lemongrass and Tsunami along Central Ave.

The Ra Sushi chain, based out of Arizona, is best know for it’s trendy restaurants that are great places to take a first date or a group of friends.  Recommend calling first to make reservations, as this place will definitely take off. 

 RA Sushi Bar and Restaurant, 1390 Lancaster St., Baltimore, 410-522-3200.  Visit www.rasushi.com . Ra Sushi is located in The Eden, a new apartment complex in Harbor East.  www.edenapts.com

In a recent unscientific, unvalidated poll of 1 local Baltimore resident, Little Havana was voted Baltimore’s best bar.  Little Havana is located on the water at 1325 Key Highway in South Baltimore - nestled between Harborview and Locust Point.  The bar scored well on all key criteria. Read the rest of this entry »

Harbor East has the best collection of restaurants in Baltimore…. well at least according to the Harbor East website.  So yes, it’s a biased claim, but it might be hard to argue with them.  From the site;

HARBOR EAST IS HOME TO BALTIMORE’S FINEST COLLECTION OF RESTAURANTS. From casual to fine dining, your options are distinct and memorable, as is the cuisine that each establishment has to offer.

Harbor East currently has; Charleston,  Chui’s Sushi, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar, Grille 700, James Joyce Irish Pub & Restaurant, Kosmo’s Lounge, Lebanese Taverna, The Oceanaire Seafood Room, Pazo, RA Sushi, Roy’s, and Taco Fiesta. Coming soon is  Cinghiale a Northern Italian restaurant - a Cindy Wolf venture.

Granted, most if not all of these restaurants fit a certain mold, are new, and cater to a somewhat upscale consumer.  Lacking are “traditional” Baltimore type restaurants with long standing traditions, but given that everything in Harbor East is new, we can’t really hold that against them.  So there are no Peters Inn or John Stevens type gems.  And I guess we could argue whether Pazo is Harbor East or Fells Point.  In any case that’s a high concentration of quality restaurants in a small area.  I know two of our favorites are there - Roy’s (me) and Pazo (my wife).

So if it’s not Harbor East, who takes the cake for best restaurants?  Fells, Mount Vernon, Canton?

As some already know - and can probably better elaborate on - the independent film theater chain Landmark Theaters will be opening in HarborEast.  Their website says Winter 2007, but it is rumored to be opening in October.  Yet another reason HarborEast is on fire.

From their website:

Landmark Theatres is the nation’s largest theatre chain dedicated primarily to exhibiting and marketing independent film. Landmark is a recognized leader in the industry for providing consistently diverse and entertaining film product in a sophisticated adult-oriented atmosphere to its customers.