According to an article in the Maryland Daily Record, the new Kona Grill to be constructed at the inner harbor will have a large patio facing Pratt Street. Construction has started on the restaurant which will be located at the corner of Pratt and Light Streets in the Verizon Building. Grand opening is set for this spring. Although not officially part of the Pratt Street redesign proposed by Baltimore City, the new streetside dining in proximitiy the most prominent intersection downtown is a step in the right direction of bringing street level activity to what has been considered by many as more of a thoroughfare. Kona will join Capital Grill, PF Changs, Panera Bread, and Sullivans who also offer streetside dining nearby.
It’s do or die time for the Baltimore Red Line. Sides have been taken and battle lines have been drawn. Rumor has it that a decision will be made soon, perhaps by the end of the summer.
But let’s face the facts. The Red Line proposal that includes both a combination of tunneling and surface rail offers Baltimore best chance of getting state and federal funding for a transportation project in YEARS (see proposed routing map below). If we pass up on this, the likelihood of another public transit project coming this way is perhaps another 20 or 30 years off.
There is currently no reliable public transportation between Canton and downtown, so most people drive. It’s sameful that a city the size of Baltimore doesn’t have a reliable transportation system, so it’s about time we start.
I realize that there is a small, but vocal group of opponents, that don’t want a surface line running along Boston Street or Route 40. But let’s face it, Boston Street and Route 40 are already noisy and congested disasters. The new Red Line, along with some proposed nice streetscaping, will serve to reduce and calm traffic. The tunneling through downtown will keep the train from getting bogged down in traffic lights (one of my chief complaints about the existing north/south light rail).
The Red Line is necessary for the continued growth of Baltimore City, and would increase the property values of those nearby (just try to get a cheap apartment near a DC Metro stop).
If you support the Red Line, make sure your voice is heard. Things you can do to help:
It looks like 2009 might be the year for upscale casual restaurants in Baltimore. It seems like a whole slew of them are in the works across the city, despite the current economic conditions. Maybe they’re counting on the regulars at Charleston, Prime Rib, and Tio Pepe to cheapening up a little bit. However, it’s probably more likely that that the upscale casual dining option is just becoming more popular.
The Maryland Daily Record recently reported on a bunch of these types of eateries opening on the West Side of the harbor, including Frank & Nic’s West End Grill, which just opened in the Zenith Apartment Building across from Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Click below to read the article.
The article also gave us some updates on two other restaurants that BaltimoreGrows has been tracking. Sullivans Steakhouse http://www.sullivansteakhouse.com/is set to open in February or March, with Kona Grille http://www.konagrill.com/ set to open in April. Both will be located in the Verizon Building at Pratt and Light Streets. Supposedly, Redstone Grill http://www.redstonegrill.com/ was going to set up shop in the same building, but may back out of the deal.
Despite the nation’s economic woes, there still seem to be some new restaurants coming to Baltimore.
The Baltimore Sun reported that the Bagby Building (along Fleet Street in Fells Point) will be the new home to a brick oven pizzeria and a new American fusion bistro. A Verizon Wireless store recently opened in the same building which also has room for two more restaurants. There’s an area available for outdoor seating as well.
The Sun also reported that while Tsunami, the sushi restaurant on Central Avenue north of Harbor east, has closed, the owners plan to open a new restaurant in its place. Supposedly the new restaurant will either be an Australian gastropub or a Mexican-Latino theme. Tsunami’s sushi will now be available at its sister restaurant, Lemongrass, next door.
And the Baltimore Business Journal reported that an “upscale casual” eatery is planned for the Zenith Apartment building on the city’s West Side. The publication also noted that the upscale italian chain “Vapiano” is scouting locations in Baltimore City. Vapiano’s only other US locations are in the Washington DC area and Ft. Meyers Florida.
Every summer, when hoards of tourists descend upon Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, most of the locals head for the hills.
During the winter time, however, it is pretty much dead around the harbor, but it’s a great time for some of us locals to catch a good deal or eat at one of the harbor restaurants without waiting in line. Here’s a few things that might be worth checking out:
1. The Baltimore Aquarium – Prices take a dive…Fridays after Five. Admission goes down to $8.00 (it’s normally $28). It’s a good time to visit the new Australia exhibit if you haven’t seen it yet. You can also hold out for Downtown Dollar Days.
2. Baltimore Downtown Dollar Days – Saturday and Sunday December 6th-7th – Many attractions are only $1.00 for admission, including the National Aquarium, Maritime Museum, Constellation, and the Science Center. For a full list of attractions, follow this link: http://www.godowntownbaltimore.com/images/Email/DTP_DollarDaysFlyer_Online.pdf
3. Restaurants – Many of these places are packed in the summer, but most lack any kind of wait in the winter time. Some tourist traps still exist, but here’s a few places worth checking out: PF Changs (a personal favorite), Cheesecake Factory (a national favorite), Fogo de Chao (a Brazilian churrascaria), Blu Bambu http://www.blubambu.net/ (I think this might be the only Mongolian style grill in the area), Potbelly Subs (yum), Tir Na Nog (Pretty good Irish Food), and Edo Sushi.
So go ahead…bundle up and be a tourist in your own town! Also, if anyone else knows of any good downtown deals, please post a reply to this post.
The Ritz-Carlton Residences in Baltimore, Maryland recently began welcoming the first homeowners. The project is being developed by New York based RexCorp, after changing hands because of some legal troubles during the construction process. The Baltimore project is the first ever condo project with no hotel component that will be branded and operated by the Ritz-Carlton.
“Baltimore has never seen anything like this,” said Kurt Hornig, sales consultant at the upscale development. “It’s like living in a Ritz-Carlton Hotel without all the guests.”
View of Ritz-Carlton Residences from Harbor East neighborhood
Recently I was asked what the best hotel in Baltimore was.Having not stayed in many hotels in the city, I didn’t really have a good answer.I know which ones look nice from the outside, are in a good location, or perhaps have nice lobbies, but that’s about it.So to better answer the question I directed them to the first place I always go when looking for a hotel – www.tripadvisor.com.The site allows users to rate hotels and post photos and videos.The rankings below are based on Trip Advisor ratings.FYI – some hotels are ranked lower when they don’t have many reviews.
Best Baltimore Hotels
Henderson’s Wharf Inn (5 out of 5)
Hampton Inn Baltimore – Camden Yards (4.5 out of 5)
Residence Inn Baltimore Downtown / Inner Harbor (4.5 out of 5)
Homewood Suites by Hilton Baltimore (4.5 out of 5)
Renaissance Harborplace Hotel (4 out of 5)
Baltimore Marriott Waterfront (4 out of 5)
Courtyard by Marriott Baltimore Downtown / Inner Harbor (4 out of 5)
Hilton Baltimore (4.5 out of 5) *
Hampton Inn & Suites Baltimore Inner Harbor (4 out of 5)
SpringHill Suites Baltimore Downtown/Inner Harbor (4 out of 5)
Best 4 and 5 Star Baltimore Hotels
InterContinental Harbor Court Baltimore (4.5 out of 5)
Renaissance Harborplace Hotel (4 out of 5)
Baltimore Marriott Waterfront (4 out of 5)
Sheraton Baltimore North Hotel (4 out of 5)
Hyatt Regency Baltimore (3.5 out of 5)
Baltimore Marriott Inner Harbor at Camden Yards (3.5 out of 5)
Radisson Plaza Lord Baltimore (3 out of 5)
Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel (3 out of 5)
Doubletree Inn at The Colonnade (3 out of 5)
Best Baltimore B&Bs and Inns
Scarborough Fair Bed and Breakfast ( 5 out of 5)
Inn at 2920 (4.5 out of 5)
Blue Door on Baltimore (4.5 out of 5)
Aunt Rebecca’s Bed & Breakfast(4 out of 5)
Wilson House Bed and Breakfast (4 out of 5)
1840s Carrollton Inn (4.5 out of 5)
Celie’s Waterfront Bed and Breakfast ( 3 out of 5)
Plans were unveiled yesterday for the 100 million dollar Pratt Street makeover. Over a year in the making, this project has the opportunity to change the center of Baltimore City in ways that only a few other projects have.
People have been quick to criticize, citing that the plan “lacks height”, demolishes the skybridges, and eliminates the largest public fountain in Baltimore city. I on the other hand applaud city officials and designers for thinking big and taking the steps necessary to transform Baltimore City into something greater.
The project stands to add over 650,000 square feet of retail. The fact that the proposed buildings “lack height” has absolutely no bearing whatsoever. The slim parcels of land that they would be able to carve out of the existing Pratt St. aren’t large enough to support skyscrapers, nor are skyscrapers necessary for this plan to work. Building huge buildings closer to the waterfront is contrary to the inner harbor master plan anyway, which called for a “tiered” effect from the water. Height of buildings is not what makes other “great streets” successful. Most retail on New York’s 5th Ave, Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, and the Champs Elysees isn’t more than 2 or 3 stories anyway. It’s the proximity to the street that matters, and the creation of a truly urban effect…one that is lost in the current design.
The skybridges were the worst idea anyone ever came up with. They create a second level that robs the street of pedestrian activity and vibrancy. Baltimore will never have street level retail if we remove people from the streets. New Yorkers can manage to cross the streets without sky bridges, and their streets are way more congested than ours.
The fountain will not be a loss. It is a giant blockade at the corner of the most important intersection in the city. It effectively serves as a wall…keeping visitors to the inner harbor at the harbor. With the fountain out of the way, people will be presented with a huge public plaza and will be drawn beyond the harbor and further into the city. This city deserves a great public plaza like this one.
The plan is a bold one, and many Baltimoreans are afraid of change. We need to quit complaining, make positive suggestions to the right people where we can, and get on with it!
Grabbed this from the MD Daily Record article about the Promenade being nearly complete. Although on a bike I guess you would have to walk 1/3 of the way – through Harborplace.
It’s not really Theory #23. It’s theory #1, I suppose. It’s been my theory at least since 1999, when I purchased a house in Baltimore City for myself and my family. The theory is simple and goes like this: Oil is a finite resource. Sooner or later, we’ll run out. There’s no viable alternative to gasoline, and even if there were, there’s already too many cars out there to replace. As gasoline prices rise, houses in the suburbs will drop in value. There will be a corresponding rise in the value of city real estate. Suburbia is predicated on cheap gasoline, whereas cities are from a time before gasoline. Cheap gas is a temporary phenomena. Buy city real estate and sell suburban real estate.
After eight years, it’s safe to say, “I told you so”. Now my theory has been borne out. However in 1999 I was the only one saying it. When I moved from DC to Baltimore in 1999, a real estate investor in the DC ‘burbs told me, “Don’t buy real estate in Baltimore City. It’ll never appreciate”! At the time, buying real estate in the city was risky. In the city you had to deal with crime, drugs, racial issues, bad schools, abandoned buildings, Mayor O’Malley, high taxes, etc etc. As recently as three years ago I posted to another blog about buying in the city and was jumped on by suburbanites. Within the past couple of years two of my neighbors bailed out* and moved to the ‘burbs. This was before $4 gas.
The neighborhood that I bought into has come back big-time since I bought in 1999. I don’t know if I could afford to buy my house if I had to buy it again now. However, there’s still “bad” neighborhoods in Baltimore City. They’re “bad” neighborhoods to some people. I’d say that one man’s “bad” neighborhood is this man’s sweet deal!
*In both cases, the houses sold immediately. The only house in the neighborhood that hasn’t sold immediately after being put on the market is one guy who’s holding out for $100K more than any of the others has sold for. Maybe he knows something…
