Staying on the Silo Point theme…  Jeff was kind enough to share theses great pictures that were taken from the top of Silo Point during the initial demo/pre-construction.  These give you an idea of the great views that these condos will have.  And I assume the top units will have even better views.  Interesting seeing these “aerial” views of Locust Point.

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I took these updated shots of the Silo Point development in Locust Point.  I found the first one ironic. You can spend a million dollars to live in one of the nicest properties in Baltimore, but you can’t get rid of the graffiti covered train cars parked in your front yard.

The new restaurant Aloha Tokyo opened this week on Fort Ave. in Locust Point, and I’m a bit confused. The food is Japanese with a Hawaiian twist. I guess. I haven’t eaten there yet. But I did stop by to take a look at the menu. It’s pretty limited at this point, but they plan to start offering sushi soon. I’ll probably wait till then to give it a shot. The decor is very “festive” complete with a mock indoor tiki bar and Hawaiian (style) music. They definitely spent more money on the inside then they did refinishing the outside. A quick coat of paint and reuse of the existing hanging sign did little to spruce up the somewhat run-down appearance.  Which is in stark contrast to the beautiful long-term rehab that was done on Nasu Blanca one block over. I’ll let you know how it is once I get a chance to eat there.  Locust Point definitely needs some sushi, so hopefully Aloha Tokyo does a good job.

Baltimore Sun article

Aloha Tokyo Website (still in development)

Walk Score is an interesting site that lets you enter an address and then calculates a “walkable” score for the property based on the amount of “things” in the area.  Essentially it is trying to calculate how easy it is for someone to walk vs. drive.  Our house scored a 66 out of 100.  Of course the scoring is dependent upon how many businesses in the area are actually listed - so it’s far from an exact science.  For example only about a quarter of the bars within half mile of our house are listed.

For comparison, I used my old DC address and got a score of 68.  I would describe the DC address as much more walkable, partly because it sat a couple hundred feet from a Metro stop.  But the scoring doesn’t account for public transportation.

From the site:

What is Walk Score?
We help home buyers, renters, and real estate agents find houses and apartments in great neighborhoods. Walk Score shows you a map of what’s nearby and calculates a Walk Score for any property. Buying a house in a walkable neighborhood is good for your health and good for the environment.

Silo Point has their new website up.  It’s a nice

looking site, and you get an idea of what an incredible property Silo Point will be.  The views from the upper floors and the 19th floor Sky Lounge will likely be the best in Baltimore.  If you happen to be buying one of these new units, please send me an invite to get me into the Sky Lounge.  The site has floorplans - the top 2 penthouses are 2 story 3 bedroom beauties.

Check out the Silo Point Location page with it’s map of Locust Point. It’s interesting to see what they did and didn’t consider worthy of noting on the map.  J. Patricks - no, Wine Market - yes,  Trumans - no, Cupcake Factory - yes…

New website

Today’s Baltimore Sun has an article about the new and improved visitor center to be built at Fort McHenry in Locust Point.  Construction is scheduled to begin in 2009 and be completed in 2010.  A new visitor center is long overdue. But I hope they keep the cool model of the fort - or build a better one.

 Future visitors to Baltimore’s Fort McHenry will learn about its role in American history by taking part in an “immersive experience” that will enable them to witness a pivotal battle in the War of 1812 as if through the eyes of Francis Scott Key, the attorney who wrote the poem that became the national anthem.

Efforts to build a new visitor center for the fort in South Baltimore cleared a key hurdle yesterday when architects unveiled a final design for the project, which has been in the planning stages for more than a decade.

The current 5,700-square-foot center was designed to accommodate 125,000 to 150,000 visitors a year and was declared obsolete from the day it opened in 1964. The new center will be more than three times as large - 17,200 square feet - and was designed to handle 758,000 visitors a year, the number expected by 2010.

Full article

Came across this article by The Daily Record talking about how Baltimore is drawing a diverse crowd back into the city.  Young professionals, empty-nesters, etc. Nothing new, but some nice photos of Silo Point and McHenry Point developments in Locust Point. And an interesting quote;

Despite this, what is going to be the hot city neighborhood in the next five to 10 years? When Archibald asks a young Realtor in her office, the response is Locust Point. “The people who live there love it, and it is a safe neighborhood,” she says.

View full PDF.

The long anticipated Key Highway extension (loop road) opened today.  And it looks like every employee at Tide Point is well aware of it.  As I came home tonight there was a steady flow of traffic coming out.  Cheers to a shorter commute for some and less neighborhood traffic for others. Sun article.

The long awaited extension of Key Highway (Loop road) to Locust Point at Tide Point will be officially completed and opened Wednesday August 15th.  There will be an official ceremony at 11 a.m.

Mark Sapperstein - the developer of the former Chesapeake Paperboard site in Locust Point -recently met with a group from the Locust Point Civic Association and Urban Design and Architecture Review Panel (UDARP) and shared new details.

The project which he was currently referring to as the Shoppes at the Fort - is now being called McHenry Row.  They also plan to use variations such as The Shops at McHenry Row and The Lofts at McHenry Row for the 9 acre mixed use project.  The project will be phased with the garage, apartments and office space likely coming first, followed by the grocer.  The grocer still has not been officially named - but he had named Harris Teeter before.  However, the latest rumor has Fresh Market moving in.

Sapperstein plans to have a pharmacy - both CVS and Walgreens want in on the project.  Two banks, one with a drive through window, will be part of McHenry Row.  He is also looking to bring in a lively restaurant with outdoor seating - Clydes and Green Turtle were mentioned as possibilities.

Panera Bread and Starbucks were both mentioned as likely tenants.  Apparantly this project, and Locust Point in general, is more marketable than some had thought.

 The 250 one and two bedroom upscale appartments will be managed by the Bozzuto Group.  One of the apartment buildings will have a green roof, and the developer is trying to achieve LEED silver certification for the project - this deals with environmental sustainability.

The latest site plan is shown here. McHenry Row - Baltimore - Locust Point