ue and Thom Rinker, age 74 and 75 respectively, were feeling very isolated in their condo in Baltimore County. “We were ready for a change,” says Sue.
“My mother had lived at a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) for 20 years and some of our friends had moved to that type of community. We really liked what a CCRC offered.”

According to seniorliving.org, a CCRC (also known as a Life Plan Community) delivers independent living and an amenity-rich lifestyle with access to onsite, higher-level care should a resident’s medical needs progress. The levels of care usually include independent, assisted, memory care, and skilled nursing as well as rehabilitation therapy on the campus. This continuum of care ensures residents that they have the comfort of remaining in the place they call home and the peace of mind that comes from knowing their future care is figured out.

“We wanted a CCRC so our two children who live in the area wouldn’t be burdened with our future healthcare,” Sue continues. “But for now, we are healthy and wanted lots of great amenities.” The Rinkers, who live at Blakehurst in Towson, say that it’s like living at a five-star resort.

Robin Somers, CEO of Broadmead, a Life Plan Community in Cockeysville, says, “Today we are seeing many of our residents coming in younger. Rather than in their 80s, they come in their 70s.”

Elizabeth O’Conner, director of marketing and sales at Blakehurst, adds that not only are residents younger, “they are very active.”

Without the drudgery of home maintenance, doing daily chores like cleaning and meal planning, and even trying to get the COVID-19 vaccine booster, there’s time for residents to be physically active and explore myriad intellectual and cultural opportunities. But for those who prefer to spend time alone or with a few friends, there’s that too.

A fitness center ranks high on must-have lists for incoming residents. In many CCRCs, residents will find state-of-the-art equipment, classes including yoga, tai chi, and aerobics, and a heated pool. Sometimes there’s even a juice bar and a spa for manicures, pedicures, and massages. Parker Williamson, 81, is an avid sailor who lives at BayWoods of Annapolis, a waterfront community. He says, “I exercise every other day, but don’t like group classes, so the personal trainer worked up a routine just for me.”

“Today’s residents want individualization,” remarks Somers.

Sharon Krulak, 79, is a new resident at Blakehurst. She’s also an artist who works in mixed-media. When the Krulaks were looking at Blakehurst, she told O’Connor, “I need a room to do my art. And they made it happen.”

At Broadmead, two residents who were trained and experienced beekeepers had a conversation with the Broadmead executive director, and the Broadmead Apiary was established in 2013. Today, there is a group of six residents who are involved. Throughout the year they inspect the beehives, feed the bees sugar syrup, and harvest the honey into jars for sale.

Usually, CCRCs have councils, committees, and their own governing body where residents can make things happen. “At Blakehurst we have 43 residential-run committees,” says Sue Rinker. “Thom is on the residents’ board and I’m on the refurbishing and jigsaw committees.”

CCRCs have concerts, guest speakers, and some arrange continuing education through Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes (university-based education specifically for people 50 and older) or nearby universities. At Broadmead, they recognize artists within their community and in the greater Baltimore vicinity by having exhibits, programs, and educational outreach. This April, the Broadmead Art Council will host an exhibit of the works of Herman Maril, a Baltimore native known for painting seascapes, interiors, and landscapes. These exhibits and lectures will be open to the greater community.

Other amenities usually include endless clubs, beautiful walking trails, gardens where residents can plant vegetables and flowers, a movie theater, a library, woodworking, a beauty salon and barber shop, card and poker rooms, billiards, bocce, and a resident computer and business center. Some communities have a croquet court, a putting green, and pickleball. As most CCRCs welcome your four-legged family members, there are even dog parks. And in keeping with making life effortless, some places will deliver your incoming packages right to your door. The list of concierge services goes on, including scheduled transportation to grocery stores, shops and more. At Edenwald, a CCRC in Towson, a bus transports residents to cultural events and attractions like the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra at the Meyerhoff, a string quartet at Shriver Hall, and plays.

Cuisine plays an important part in daily life. The number of dining venues depends on the CCRC and so do the plans they offer. Many have a grill, café, bar, and outdoor dining. CCRCs pride themselves on having an excellent chef, offering plenty of choices on the menu, high quality ingredients, and dining experiences resembling a great restaurant.

In this area, all CCRCs are close to vibrant cities—Annapolis, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. As Parker Williamson, resident at BayWoods, says with a laugh, “What’s great is we can visit Baltimore and D.C. and take advantage of all they have to offer, but we don’t have to live there.”

The Guide to Regional Continuing Care Facilities & Senior Resources

ASBURY METHODIST VILLAGE
201 Russell Ave.
Gaithersburg, MD 20877
(301) 216-4001
asbury.org/asbury-methodist-village

ASBURY-SOLOMONS ISLAND
11100 Asbury Circle
Solomons, MD 20688
(410) 394-3000
asbury.org/asbury-solomons

BAYLEIGH CHASE
501 Dutchmans Lane
Easton, MD 21601
(410) 657-4900
actsretirement.org/communities/maryland/bayleigh-chase-easton

BAYWOODS OF ANNAPOLIS
7101 Bay Front Drive
Annapolis, MD 21403
(410) 268-9222
baywoodsofannapolis.com

BEDFORD COURT
3701 International Drive
Silver Spring, MD 20906
(301) 598-2900
sunriseseniorliving.com/communities/bedford

BLAKEHURST
1055 W. Joppa Road
Towson, MD 21204
(410) 296-2900
blakehurstlcs.com

BRIGHTVIEW SENIOR LIVING
Multiple locations
(888) 566-8854
brightviewseniorliving.com

BROADMEAD
13801 York Road
Cockeysville, MD 21030
(410) 527-1900
www.broadmead.org

BROOKE GROVE
18100 Slade School Road
Sandy Spring, MD 20860
(301) 924-2811
www.bgf.org

BUCKINGHAM’S CHOICE
3200 Baker Circle
Adamstown, MD 21710
(301) 804-2159
actsretirement.org/communities/maryland/buckinghams-choice-adamstown

CARROLL LUTHERAN VILLAGE
300 St. Luke Circle
Westminster, MD 21158
(410) 848-0090
clvillage.org

CHARLESTOWN RETIREMENT COMMUNITY
715 Maiden Choice Lane
Catonsville, MD 21228
(410) 405-7683
ericksonseniorliving.com/charlestown

COLLINGTON EPISCOPAL LIFE CARE COMMUNITY
10450 Lottsford Road
Mitchellville, MD 20721
(301) 925-9610
collington.kendal.org

EDENWALD
800 Southerly Road
Towson, MD 21286
(410) 339-6000
edenwald.org

ELIZABETH COONEY CARE NETWORK
1107 Kenilworth Drive, Ste. 200
Towson, MD 21204
(410) 323-1700
Elizabethcooneyagency.com

FAHRNEY-KEEDY
8507 Mapleville Road
Boonsboro, MD 21713-1818
(301) 733-6284
fkhv.org

FAIRHAVEN
7200 Third Ave.
Sykesville, MD 21784
(410) 892-1946
actsretirement.org/communities/maryland/fairhaven-sykesville

FRIENDS HOUSE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY
17340 Quaker Lane
Sandy Spring, MD 20860
(301) 924-5100
friendshouse.com

GINGER COVE ANNAPOLIS LIFE CARE
4000 River Crescent Drive
Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 266-7300
gingercove.com

GLEN MEADOWS RETIREMENT COMMUNITY
11630 Glen Arm Road
Glen Arm, MD 21057
(410) 592-5310
presbyterianseniorliving.org/glen-meadows-retirement-community

GOODWILL RETIREMENT VILLAGE
891 Dorsey Hotel Road
Grantsville, MD 21536
(301) 895-5194
goodwillhome.org

HARMONY AT WALDORF
11239 Berry Road
Waldorf, MD 20603
(240) 270-2759
harmonyseniorservices.com/senior-living/md/waldorf/berry-road

HERON POINT OF CHESTERTOWN
501 Campus Ave.
Chestertown, MD 21620
(443) 214-3605
actsretirement.org/communities/maryland/heron-point-of-chestertown

HOMEWOOD AT FREDERICK
7407 Willow Road
Frederick, MD 21702
(301) 644-5600
homewoodfrederick.com

HOMEWOOD AT WILLIAMSPORT
16505 Virginia Ave.
Williamsport, MD 21795
(301) 582-1472
homewoodwilliamsport.com

INGLESIDE AT KING FARM
701 King Farm Blvd.
Rockville, Maryland 20850
(240) 557-8791
inglesideonline.org/ingleside-king-farm

LEISURE CARE: THE LANDING OF SILVER SPRINGS
13908 New Hampshire Ave.
Silver Spring, MD 20904
(301) 388-7700
leisurecare.com/our-communities/landing-of-silver-spring

LUTHERAN VILLAGE AT MILLER’S GRANT
9000 Fathers Legacy
Ellicott City, MD 21042
(410) 465-2005
millersgrant.org

MAPLEWOOD PARK PLACE
9707 Old Georgetown Road
Bethesda, MD 20814
(301) 571-7444
maplewoodparkplace.com

MARYLAND MASONIC HOMES
300 International Circle
Cockeysville, MD 21030
(410) 527-1111
mdmasonichomes.com

MERCY RIDGE
2525 Pot Spring Road
Timonium, MD 21093
(410) 561-0200
mercyridge.com

NORTH OAKS
725 Mount Wilson Lane
Pikesville, MD 21208
(410) 484-7300
northoaksseniorliving.com

RIDERWOOD VILLAGE
3140 Gracefield Road
Silver Spring, MD 20904
(301) 701-4076
ericksonseniorliving.com/riderwood

ROLAND PARK PLACE
830 W. 40th St.
Baltimore, MD 21211
(410) 243-5700
rolandparkplace.org

THE RESIDENCES AT VANTAGE POINT
5400 Vantage Point Road
Columbia, MD 21044
(410) 964-5454
vantagepointresidences.org

OAK CREST VILLAGE
8800 Walther Blvd.
Parkville, MD 21234
(410) 405-7419
ericksonseniorliving.com/oak-crest

ORTHOPAEDIC ASSOCIATES OF CENTRAL MARYLAND
Six locations in the area
(410) 644-1880
mdbonedocs.com

RECORD STREET HOME–HOME OF THE AGED
115 Record St.
Frederick, MD 21701
(301) 663-6822
recordstreethome.org

THE VILLAGE AT AUGSBURG
6811 Campfield Road
Baltimore, MD 21207
(410) 834-4143
thevillageataugsburg.org

THE VILLAGE AT ROCKVILLE
9701 Veirs Drive
Rockville, MD 20850
(301) 424-9560
thevillageatrockville.org

WECARE
1852 Reisterstown Road
Pikesville, MD 21208
(410) 602-3993
wecarepds.com

WILLOW VALLEY
600 Willow Valley Sq.
Lancaster, PA 17602
(717) 464-6800
willowvalleycommunities.org

Baltimore’s Pie Guy/Music Man sits at an outdoor table in Fells Point on a balmy fall night, waiting for a gig to start at Bertha’s.

As he sips his favorite indulgence—Jack Daniels and water—he shoots the breeze about everything from his recent appearance on Food Network Star to an upcoming month-long band tour that will take him from his hometown to Ohio and Texas and places in between. Wearing his trademark porkpie hat, he doesn’t go unnoticed as passersby nudge each other and whisper, “That’s Rodney Henry.”

Henry, 48, greets them all, shaking hands and giving brotherly bear hugs. He’s thrilled that one guy is wearing a Dangerously Delicious Pies T-shirt, a testament to the baked goods he started rolling out for sale 10 years ago. Recognition in his hometown is about as sweet as the popular Baltimore Bomb pies, made with Berger Cookies, that are sold at his Canton shop.

But he doesn’t just get attention here. After his summer run on the TV show—where he proclaimed that “pie style” is a way of life—he’s approached by fans at airports and other public places around the country.

“More people recognize me,” he acknowledges with his signature sly grin and mischievous blue eyes. “We talk smack. I love it. It’s fun.”

Lazlo Lee, the head baker at the Dangerously Delicious Pies in Canton, likens Henry’s burgeoning popularity to that of blues musician John Lee Hooker, who didn’t become well-known until he was in his 50s. “He’s slowly being recognized,” he says. “I call him the Colonel Sanders of pie. He’s become [an icon] except he wears a leather jacket and that freakin’ fedora.”

Henry is a presence with his noticeable tattoos—the pie wings are a favorite—and the distinctive brimmed hats covering his slick, shaved head.

“He’s a charmer. He’s larger than life,” says local rockabilly musician Sean K. Preston, who was on hand for Henry’s Fells Point show. “He’s a helluva guy.”

Henry has come a long way from his days on the campus of Towson University, where he majored in “fun” when not attending his mass-communications classes. He ended his college career short of graduating. “I went to school to chase girls,” he says sheepishly. “I was a party guy, man.”

Not that his footloose lifestyle has changed. After his 11 p.m. show at Bertha’s, he takes an entourage of friends—including his opening acts Alison Lewis and Don “Doop” Duprie, both from Detroit—back to the Guilford five-bedroom home he calls the “pie palace” and the “house that pie built,” where they jam until 7 in the morning.

One of Henry’s most well-known songs is “Paperboy,” an homage to his days as a Washington Post delivery kid in Silver Spring, where he grew up in a middle-class suburban household with busy parents—his dad was a computer-company salesman; his mom, a political activist—two sisters, and a brother. He’s the only musician in the family. “My parents are super supportive,” he says. “My dad is so proud, though he asks me, ‘Why can’t you be like Sinatra?’”

He chuckles about his father’s comment. Being a ’40s Rat Pack crooner was never an aspiration for Henry, who often sports colorful Western-style shirts, cowboy boots, and jeans while belting out the blues and strumming his Gibson guitar on stage.

He’s been a professional musician since he was 24 but started with the trumpet in elementary school. Not that he was particularly gifted in the beginning.

“When I was 13, I did Beach Boy covers in junior high,” he says. “I was horrible.” He really learned to play the guitar when he was a Marine Corps grunt after high school, he says, jamming every night with the other recruits while stationed at a Naval weapons base in Northern California.

His current band is the Glenmont Popes, named after his childhood neighborhood in Montgomery County and one of his favorite movies, The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984) with Mickey Rourke and Eric Roberts.

“Popes are the people you go to,” explains Henry, the band’s front man. “It’s a slick thing.”

It’s hard to say what came first: the musician or the baker. He learned to bake cakes and bread as a teen from his grandmother and great-aunt, while visiting the family farm in Minnesota. But Henry also remembers being enamored early on with a 25-cent slice of apple pie at a local diner.

“I’ve always been a pie guy since I was a little kid,” he sums up. He also found he could impress the girls with his homemade pies, recalling a Christmas past when he made a flaky offering (lard was his secret ingredient then) for a former young love, culling a recipe from a book called Pies and Tarts.

More importantly, Henry began to realize the bonding aspect of the baked dish. “Pie lets people talk to each other,” he says. “It encourages conversation.”

But music also beckoned, leading him to tour the U.S. with an eight-to-10-member “low-echelon” band. “I wanted to be a musician,” he says. “If you’re a musician, you’re a musician.” Life on the road didn’t always pay the bills, though, especially with a wife and young children. Henry found that selling pies gave him the extra income he needed. “I make pies, so I can pay for my rock-and-roll habit,” he says.

Henry is now twice divorced, and his two children—Waylon, 10, and Lily-Anne, 8—live in Melbourne Beach, FL, where he is a frequent visitor. “My body and mind need the down time with the kids,” he wrote recently on Facebook. On holidays, the children often travel with him. They have learned to accept their peripatetic dad: “The road is my home,” he says. “I have a traveling bone.”

Henry came to Charm City to live when he was 25. “I’ve always had a fascination with Baltimore,” he says. “I represent Baltimore.”

There’s new energy brewing at Alewife, the beer pub set in a
beautifully renovated bank building on the city’s West Side. After
opening the restaurant three years ago, its original chef Chad Wells
moved on to another opportunity earlier this year. His absence was
noticeable. Then, kismet happened. Wells wasn’t happy at the Annapolis
eatery where he landed. And Alewife’s owner was interested in his
return. Soon enough, Wells came back to the restaurant in early July and
hasn’t looked back. “I’m going home,” he recalls thinking. “I’ve loved
this place since the day it opened.”

Now, he’s tweaking the menu. He’s working on staff development. And
he’s following his passion for fishing and hunting by presenting a menu
with a selection of game meats and local seafood.

“I do things I like to eat,” Wells says. “It’s natural, local, and done the right way, no matter how long it takes.”

There’s no denying that beer is also king here. On any given day,
there are 40 beers from around the world being poured with a rotating
draft list that changes daily. On a recent visit, there were 95 bottles
on the menu.

No worries if you have other drink preferences. Wine, artisanal
ciders from Millstone Cellars, and specialty cocktails are also
available.

Like many brewpubs, beer is used as a component in several dishes at
Alewife. For instance, Full Tilt Pale Ale flavors barbecue and onion
rings; an IPA laces a mustard sauce.

One thing you should know up front is that the restaurant’s amazing
smoke burger—which has won several “best” awards—is still available in
all its carnivorous glory. A rotund 11 ounces, the patty makes a
statement on arrival with a steak knife plunged into its bursting
brioche bun. Acting as a giant toothpick, the sharp utensil keeps the
stack of local beef blend, smoked Gouda, Gruyère, applewood-smoked
bacon, caramelized onion, and chipotle aioli from toppling. The
accompanying duck-fat fries should be overkill. They’re not. The
hand-cut potatoes, salty and crunchy with soft interiors, deserve their
own praise.

Wells’s commitment to local foods is particularly evident in his
crabmeat—all from Maryland crabs. He’s a participant in the Maryland
Department of Natural Resources’s “True Blue” program, a state
initiative that supports the use of local crustaceans by area
restaurants. “It gives us a better way to connect with our ecosystem,”
Wells says. “People care about the Chesapeake Bay.”

His crab-cake platter is a testament to freshness and flavor. The two
crab cakes, about five-to-six ounces each, were delicate mounds of
delicious Maryland crabmeat. The presentation was beautiful, too, with
buttered-corn cream, fried green tomato, asparagus, a micro salad, and
the aforementioned IPA mustard vinaigrette. But you pay for that
genuineness. The market price was $34.

On Wells’s light-fare list, the oyster Chesapeake is another seafood
winner. The fried oysters are tucked into their shells and topped with
smoked-bacon cream, crab (Maryland, natch), Parmesan, spinach, and
buttered-corn cream.
Alewife is a good place to nosh. While the
appointments—like dark woods and stained-glass windows—are formally
handsome, the atmosphere is casual at the bare-wood tables. Reservations
are especially recommended when there are shows at the nearby
Hippodrome Theatre and Everyman Theatre.

One evening, we munched on a roasted-peach quesadilla, which didn’t
have much evidence of the fruit but was successful with FireFly Farms
goat cheese, caramelized onions, and an arugula salad tossed lightly
with a chili-lime dressing. The flower garnish was a nice touch.

The Caprese salad was also impressive with yellow and red tomato
slices sharing space with thick wheels of buffalo mozzarella. If you’re
in the mood for pub grub, the Thai peanut wings are sticky, meaty, and
zesty with pickled carrots and Sriracha aioli.

A disappointment was the wild-boar sliders, which were dry, sad
morsels. But there are plenty of other options among the entrees,
including a Full Tilt short-rib barbecue with cheddar cornbread, Full
Tilt-battered onion rings, and sautéed asparagus.

We were surprised to find out there were no desserts. Nada, nothing!
That will change eventually. “We are trying to give people the full
spectrum,” Wells says. “As we grow, we have to grow on every level.”

With Wells in charge of the kitchen again, Alewife is positioned to
be an important part of the neighborhood’s long-term redevelopment
plans.