Baltimore Grows

The Baltimore Area Convention & Visitors Association (BACVA) has launched a new website called VisitmyBaltimore.com which allows users to post pictures, videos, and sounds of their favorite things about Baltimore.  It’s a great attempt to use multimedia as a kind of viral marketing tool for potential visitors or residents while not immediately coming across as an advertisement.  Since it’s only the beta version, the site lacks some depth, but I imagine that will grow with time. 

Check it out yourself:  http://visitmybaltimore.com

jeffcantonite@yahoo.com

A friend of mine recently said to me that he thought Baltimore was a bad place for theatre.  I was fairly surprised to hear him say this, because even though Baltimore is not NYC, I had always felt there were a surprising amount of theatre options for a city the size of Baltimore.  Now, I’m not a huge theatre buff, but there seems to be plenty of places for everyone to get their cultural fix whenever they feel the need.  The Hippodrome and Lyric are the only places that can really host the big Broadway style productions, but there’s plenty of other venues to see some great shows.  I took a crack at putting together a list of what I could think of.  Please let me know if I’ve left anything off!

Hippodrome Theatre (aka France-Merrick Performing Arts Center) – Westside – Upcoming Show: Grease - http://www.france-merrickpac.com

Lyric Opera House – Mt. Vernon – Upcoming Show: Jesus Christ Superstar – http://www.lyricoperahouse.com/

Centerstage – Mt. Vernon - Currently Playing: Fabulation or, The Re-education of Undine - http://www.centerstage.org/

Everyman Theatre – Station North – Currently Playing: I am my Own Wife – http://www.everymantheatre.org/

Fells Point Corner Theatre – Fells Point – Currently Playing: The Homecoming – http://www.fpct.org/

Single Carrot Theatre – Station North - Upcoming Show: Killer Joe - http://www.singlecarrot.com/

Vagabond Players – Fells Point – Currently Playing: Romance/Romance - http://www.vagabondplayers.org

Strand Theatre – Station North – Currently Playing: Bermuda – http://www.strandtheatercompany.org/

Spotlighters Theatre – Mt. Vernon – Currently Playing: London Suite – http://www.spotlighters.org/

Run of the Mill Theatre – Mt. Vernon - Upcoming Show: James McBride - http://www.runofthemilltheater.org/

Baltimore Theatre Project – Mt. Vernon – Currently Playing: The Eagle has Landed – http://www.theatreproject.org/

Riverside Stage - Sobo - Upcoming Show: Til Death Do Us Part – http://www.musicalartiststheatre.com/riverside.html

Toby’s Dinner Theatre – Southeast Baltimore – Currently Playing: Sophisticated Ladies - http://www.tobysdinnertheatre.com/

Performance Workshop Theatre – Federal Hill – http://www.performanceworkshoptheatre.org/

Creative Alliance – Patterson Park – http://www.creativealliance.org/

 jeffcantonite@yahoo.com

I know that everyone in Baltimore has a major inferiority complex, so this may seem hard to believe, but Baltimore was recently ranked the 10th greenest city in the nation when it comes to sustainability by a group called Sustain Lane.  It seems that recent efforts by city leaders to improve sustainable design in construction along with major efforts to boost recycling may be paying off.

Follow this link for more information:  http://www.sustainlane.com/us-city-rankings/cities/baltimore

jeffcantonite@yahoo.com

Did you know we had one?

———————————

Baltimore, Our Baltimore

Baltimore, where Carroll flourished, and the fame of Calvert grew!
Here the old defenders conquered as their valiant swords they drew.
Here the starry banner glistened in the sunshine of the sea,
In that dawn of golden vision that awoke the song of Key:
Here are hearts that beat forever for the city we adore;
Here the love of men and brothers — Baltimore, our Baltimore!

Here the clipper ships of story brought the cargoes of their day,
From the ports of seven oceans homing white-winged up the bay.
Here immortal Poe illumined living letters with his lyre;
Here Lanier’s uplifting measures taught the world a fresh desire;
Here the tradesman and the statesman, here the gallant hearts of yore
Came to build a beauteous city — Baltimore, our Baltimore!

Here the charm of parks and gardens, here the spirit of the home;
Here the music of the morning in the wind across the foam.
Here the teacher and the prophet, here the sermon and the song,
Keep the higher beauty burning and the nobler purpose strong:
Here the church and here the temple teach our hearts their hallowed lore;
Here hath Science wed with Healing — Baltimore, our Baltimore!

God of grace, thou great Jehovah, make us grateful, keep us true,
That these gifts of light and leading may enchain our hearts to you;
That in clearer vision growing men may follow still the gleam,
As a righteous city blossoms in the golden years of dream:
Here where Art and Learning beckon, Justice pleads for rich and poor,
God to guide, and man to worship — Baltimore, our Baltimore!

http://www.joshuaberlow.com/real2.htm

Google has launched its “Street View” service for Baltimore as of Nov 4th.  With this feature, you can view building facades through Google Maps as if you were walking down the Street…you can possibly even see your own home.  Not all of Baltimore has been photographed yet, but Google has a decent amount uploaded.  To use the feature go to http://maps.google.com/ and toggle on the Street View button.

According to Google, Baltimore was one of the most requested cities for the Street View project.

jeffcantonite@yahoo.com

Baltimore City recently announced it would fund a new dog park in Locust Point’s Latrobe Park.  Read more about this in the Locust Point Civic Association’s October Newsletter.  The park is the result of a lot of hard work by a group of dedicated volunteer neighbors who were able to raise $20,000 through fundraisers.  But it seems some Baltimore Sun readers have a problem with it.  Read their comments here.  Most of them probably don’t know any of the details, but that hasn’t stopped anyone from throwing in their two cents.  Here’s a link to the Sun’s original story on the dog park.  I’m not a dog owner, but it seems there’s definitely worse ways to spend the city’s money.  What I’m not clear on is the correlation of the $20,000 mentioned in the LPCA newsletter and the $150,000 mentioned in the Sun piece.  Is the $20k part of the larger sum?

About a year ago, Baltimore officials signed a deal with Flexcar that would bring their car sharing service to Baltimore.  However, when Flexcar merged with Zipcar, the deal was cancelled…and Zipcar didn’t seem to have any interest in expanding. 

Therefore, Baltimore will be starting their own car sharing service.  Modeled off of a program in Philadelphia called PhillyCarShare, the city will create a non-profit organization that will run like a business very similar to Zipcar.

Follow this link to see a presentation on the program and the business plan:

http://www.baltimorecity.gov/government/parking/car_sharing.php

Also visit:

http://www.baltimorecarshare.org/

jeffcantonite@yahoo.com

If you want to support local Baltimore businesses check out this directory of Baltimore businesses on the Buy Local Baltimore Website. – http://www.buylocalbaltimore.com/pages/bizdirCat01.html.

Interesting article today on the Washington Business Journal. According to some the government’s planned takeover of $700 billion in bad mortgages will eventually lead to an increase in the area’s economy. They point to the post-911 response and savings and loan crisis of the 80′s, as other major events that spawned increased government spending and local jobs. As most of us know the Baltimore-Washington area is often lumped together as one metropolitan area. The economies of the two cities tend to be linked as they share commuters from local counties, and even from within the city limits. So in theory, what’s good for the macro DC economy is also good for the Baltimore metro area’s economy.

David Kessler of accounting firm Reznick Group P.C. had this to say – “It’s going to create a whole new industry of services for all of us, for the banking sector, for commercial real estate, the advisory and brokerage sector, legal and accounting…” “We’re going to see a boost in the local economy as a result of that.”

Baltimore’s Best Hotel

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

1. Henderson’s Wharf Inn (5 out of 5)
2. Hampton Inn Baltimore – Camden Yards (4.5 out of 5)
3. Residence Inn Baltimore Downtown / Inner Harbor (4.5 out of 5)
4. Homewood Suites by Hilton Baltimore (4.5 out of 5)
5. Renaissance Harborplace Hotel (4 out of 5)
6. Baltimore Marriott Waterfront (4 out of 5)
7. Courtyard by Marriott Baltimore Downtown / Inner Harbor (4 out of 5)
8. Hilton Baltimore (4.5 out of 5) *
9. Hampton Inn & Suites Baltimore Inner Harbor (4 out of 5)
10. SpringHill Suites Baltimore Downtown/Inner Harbor (4 out of 5)

Best 4 and 5 Star Baltimore Hotels

1. InterContinental Harbor Court Baltimore (4.5 out of 5)
2. Renaissance Harborplace Hotel (4 out of 5)
3. Baltimore Marriott Waterfront (4 out of 5)
4. Sheraton Baltimore North Hotel (4 out of 5)
5. Hyatt Regency Baltimore (3.5 out of 5)
6. Baltimore Marriott Inner Harbor at Camden Yards (3.5 out of 5)
7. Radisson Plaza Lord Baltimore (3 out of 5)
8. Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel (3 out of 5)
9. Doubletree Inn at The Colonnade (3 out of 5)

Best Baltimore B&Bs and Inns

1. Scarborough Fair Bed and Breakfast ( 5 out of 5)
2. Inn at 2920 (4.5 out of 5)
3. Blue Door on Baltimore (4.5 out of 5)
4. Aunt Rebecca’s Bed & Breakfast (4 out of 5)
5. Wilson House Bed and Breakfast (4 out of 5)
6. 1840s Carrollton Inn (4.5 out of 5)
7. Celie’s Waterfront Bed and Breakfast ( 3 out of 5)
8. Ann Street Bed & Breakfast (3.5 out of 5)
9. Glenda’s Bed & Breakfast (3.5 out of 5)
10. Park Avenue Bed and Breakfast (3.5 out of 5)