With an eye toward his autumn years, 49-year-old James Baldwin recently moved from his rowhome in the city to a single-level house in Ruxton. But in many ways, he left his heart in Otterbein.

A roughly 12-block historic enclave just steps west of the Inner Harbor, the neighborhood was built out in the mid-1800s as a home to those in the shipping trades, though at least one of the brick rowhouses dates as far back as 1796. The buildings survived the great fire of 1904, but the neighborhood suffered a gradual decline in the 1950s and 1960s, then was renewed in the 1970s.

What sets it apart now, though, is how popular it has become. And Baldwin, a Realtor since 2006, should know: “I lived there for 21 years and became sort of a specialist in the neighborhood on my team at Berkshire Hathaway. I still do a lot of business there,” he says.

And he’s the first to admit that he misses his old stomping grounds a bit.

Like a lot of trends, the real-estate boom in Otterbein is COVID-related. Since the pandemic, Baldwin’s business has at least doubled there, while stats from BrightMLS saw sales increase a whopping 128 percent.

“There are three reasons it’s become so popular, and one of them is Washingtonians,” he says. “For many, there’s no longer any need to go to the office every day, and if they had to, the MARC train is right there in Camden Yards, while the airport is 10 minutes away. At that point, affordability becomes a tremendous factor,” he notes, “since a $500,000 house in Baltimore would cost about $1.5 million in the District. They’re also looking for something a little more real, with more charm, than the District. So I keep hearing from Washingtonians that Baltimore is the next big thing.”

Another reason, he says, is young families spurred by the pandemic to relocate, but who don’t want to leave the city. And Otterbein lures them with everything from its several pocket parks, easy permit parking, and walkability to its private-membership swim club, contracted security patrols, and its active association, which focuses on landscaping, parks, and events.

And there’s yet another group of eager buyers: “We’ve seen a number of sales to young professionals who’ve been living in expensive apartments nearby, but who can’t use many of the amenities they’re paying for because of COVID,” says Baldwin. “Maybe they walked their dogs in Otterbein, met the neighbors, and fell in love with the place. Of course, these very low interest rates are a big draw for them, too.”

“But even after the pandemic, it’ll continue to be super-popular.”

[Editor’s Note: This piece was published as part the cover story “Behold the COVID Buying Boom,” for our April 2021 issue, on newsstands now.]

It was just over a year ago that the world seemed to come to a screeching halt. One day parents were driving their kids to baseball practice, and the next they were hoarding toilet paper and creating Zoom accounts.

As the country erupted into panic and confusion those first few days in mid-March, three Mt. Washington neighbors started texting each other. Sam DuFlo, owner of Indigo Physiotherapy, wrote the first group message on March 15, 2020, to Samantha Claassen, proprietor of Golden West Café, and Vanessa Pikler, a Baltimore-based psychologist. They decided they needed a community meeting and invited everyone who lived along the alley behind Rogers Avenue and Greenberry Road. Seven families showed up.

“We all stood in a big circle six feet apart,” recalls Pikler. “We didn’t even know masks were important at that point.”

The meeting was simply to acknowledge the fact they were in this together. The neighbors made a promise, offering to pick up groceries, help with medical questions (like where someone could procure a COVID test), walk dogs, and look out for each other, especially the older residents on their block, using a Facebook page and group text. With their calendars suddenly wiped clean and the state in lockdown, they had nothing but time and energy to put toward each other.

Under normal circumstances—even in a place like friendly “Smalltimore”—the majority of neighbors see each other mostly in passing. Pleasant but brief interactions—a wave, a quick hello while walking the dog, a commiseration over bad weather—are the most we can hope for as we run from soccer games to dinner reservations to work meetings to theater performances to vacations.

Stopping to chat meant being late for something. But all of a sudden, everyone’s world shrunk to include only their house, and for sanity’s sake, their street and their neighbors.

“A shared crisis has a way of galvanizing relationships,” says Pikler.

It’s something we’ve witnessed all over this city. In the Jones Valley townhouse community, Jeremy Steinhorn arranged for weekly food trucks to come to his Pikesville neighborhood, a gesture that both supported struggling businesses and created an opportunity for folks to do something that felt normal.

In Towson, more than 1,000 paper lanterns snaked through the Stoneleigh neighborhood in early January as a way of getting neighbors out of their houses and safely interacting with each other. A month earlier in Rodgers Forge, Christmas lights were strung between homes, creating a magical canopy and festooned with a simple but weighty message fashioned from rope lights and coat hangers: “Love Lives Here.”

Kim Morton, who inspired the first string of lights, wrote in a Baltimore Sun op-ed, “These lights are a visible sign of the connections between our families. You need to know your neighbor pretty well to be able to climb on the roof, feed extension cords through windows, drill hooks in the brick, and guide the lights between the trees. Our kids created the term ‘neighbor family’ to describe our relationship to the neighbors on our block.”

That sentiment made its way to Rogers Avenue, too. Early on in the pandemic, as Pikler got ready to celebrate her husband’s birthday, the family’s first in lockdown, she had an idea. “Would you mind coming out to your back porch or balcony and singing ‘Happy Birthday?’” she texted to the neighborhood group. And they did just that, serenading her surprised spouse as he was walked down the alley. (A tradition that has continued for other neighborhood birthdays.)

The Piklers have also hosted two driveway concerts, hiring the Ricky Wise Trio to scratch that live music itch. They invited the whole alley, and almost everyone showed up, dragging lawn chairs from their yards and spacing themselves out. “We all live busy lives, and yet this has really made us want to take care of each other and build a community,” says Pikler.

The same is true for James and Jennifer Evans and their next door neighbors Matt and Amanda Hall. Early on, the Rodgers Forge families decided to create a “quarantine pod.” Sure, it helped to have their kids occupied with each other while both families navigated working from home and virtual school, but it became so much more. The families—with five kids among them, ranging in age from 3 to 12—started moving beyond playdates to spend holidays and birthdays together, too.

“As each holiday came and went, we became really close,” says Jennifer. “Family was replaced with next door neighbors, but we soon found out they were interchangeable.”

Last summer, the Evans family started a chalk wall on their garage. On it, Jennifer writes every major event the families have celebrated together during the pandemic—birthdays, Easter, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Halloween, and now, Easter again.

“While scientists rushed to find a vaccine to fight COVID-19, we found an equally important relief for the virus’ side effects,” says James. “Loving and thoughtful neighbors.”

And sometimes that neighborhood has widened to people who’ve never even met. A month into the pandemic, labor and delivery nurse Jessica Butta was getting in her car in Canton, wearing her bright teal scrubs, when a car pulled up alongside her and the driver got out.

“At first I was a little bit, ‘Ohhh God,’” she remembers. “Are you a nurse or a doctor?” he inquired. She said she was on her way to her shift at Hopkins Bayview when he handed her 40 dollars in cash. “I just want to thank you so much for everything. Your dinner tonight is on me,” the stranger told her. Butta started crying as the man got back in his car and drove off. She went into work and that night treated all her coworkers to Chick- fil-A. “I have felt the love from friends and the community,” says Butta, though it was the generosity of a stranger that really overwhelmed her.

For Amit Peled, a world-renowned cellist, the pandemic turned his Pikesville neighbors, many of whom he didn’t know, into an audience. One warm day, Peled, who acknowledges that he “selfishly missed” being on stage, took his chair and cello and sat in his driveway and started to play. People stopped, listened, and immediately asked when he would play again. The next weekend his crowd had doubled.

“Everyone thought with classical music you have to be quiet,” says Peled. But he told them, “Please talk, move around.”

Often an Amazon truck would stop and deliver a package in the middle of a piece. The Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University professor invited some of his students to join in the driveway concerts, too. “Without my cello, I’m quite shy,” says Peled. But the concerts offered him a chance to speak to almost everyone in the neighborhood.

A cold snap forced Peled inside his garage (since his 1695 cello, made by Italian master Giovanni Grancino, can be quite temperamental).

“We think the acoustics are actually better in your garage,” more than one neighbor told him. Winter officially ended the outdoor concerts, but also opened up the opportunity for live streams. Acquaintances offered advice as to how his room should be lit and the proper camera angle.

“It’s become a neighborhood project,” says Peled. With local residents tuning in, as well as his parents from Israel and some of his 23,000 Facebook followers, they’ve become some of his best-attended performances.

And while Peled might be famous in the music world, his neighbors are keeping him grounded. “I checked you out on Spotify,” one bystander told him. “You sound much better in our neighborhood.”

It’s safe to say that 2020 wasn’t a banner year for fashion. Fashion week was a bust, and the best most of us could muster was cozy chic. But this year, we’re planning to make a splash back into the social scene. Our inspiration? Anything bright and airy from our favorite Baltimore boutiques. Here are a few pieces to add to your mood board:

Open Works hasn’t strayed from getting their hands dirty during the COVID-19 pandemic. Last spring, the Greenmount makerspace sprang into action when a shortage of personal protective equipment inspired them to launch a 3D print-off of face shields for frontline workers. Now, one year later, they’ve set their sights on another need: providing desks for students learning from home.

“There has been so much emphasis on making sure kids have laptops and internet access,” says founder Will Holman, “but desks weren’t even something I thought about.”

That changed in January, when Open Works sent out a survey to assess the needs of local public schools and community organizations. A key finding was that they were recording high numbers of broken or damaged devices from students who had accidentally dropped their school-issued laptops and tablets while learning from their beds.

Holman and his team were inspired by groups like “Desks by Dads,” created by Prince George’s County parents Jess and Al Berrellez, who were dedicated to a similar mission: providing free desks to low-income students during the pandemic. But Open Works also noticed two flaws in these other initiatives: Handmade desks took too long to produce, and shipping them ready-made proved difficult for distribution.

For that, Open Works’ contract services manager, Zach Adams, designed a flat-pack wooden desk that students can easily self-assemble, with only five pieces, four wedges—created by the workshop’s automated cutting machines—and two zip ties to create a supportive workspace.

“We tried to make it as simple as possible,” says Holman. “It doesn’t require any power tools, screws, glue, or anything else.”

The Open Works team was surprised by the overwhelming response. During their initial call to local principals, they received more than 4,300 requests in 48 hours.

“I had no idea that it was such a problem,” says April Lewis, director of community and culture. “Just the sheer number and quick response was probably the most shocking thing for me.”

With financial assistance from donations and a crowdfunding campaign, they have raised enough money to make some 750 desks, though they’re still a long way from meeting the demand. Even after COVID, they hope to continue the project for students in need on an annual basis.

“A lot of households have multiple students—there might be two kids at the kitchen table together,” says Lewis. “Giving these at-home learners an opportunity to create the workspace they need for success is really important.”

4/4: BALTIMORE FARMERS MARKET & BAZAAR
After a short 2020 season, the 44th annual Baltimore Farmers Market & Bazaar is back in full swing in 2021. From April 4 to December 20, every Sunday between 7 a.m. and noon, Maryland’s largest producers-only market will return to Holliday and Saratoga Streets beneath the Jones Falls Expressway, attracting thousands of Baltimoreans and tourists alike with its dozens of vendors. Look for everything from produce, dairy, and seafood to flowers, fresh-baked bread, delicious prepared foods, and even crafts and jewelry. Be prepared for the continuation of COVID-19 restrictions, such as required masks and encouraged social distancing.

4/5: THE BALTIMORE BUTTERFLY SESSIONS
Bringing together conversation and awareness, this virtual dialogue will engage artists, activists, organizers, and thinkers in a discussion on current issues, featuring music, poetry, literary excerpts, and keynote addresses. Baltimore Center Stage. 7 p.m.

4/6: MUSIC & CITIZENSHIP: THE CITIZEN AND SOCIETY
In this virtual lecture, Peabody Institute musicology professor Richard Giarusso will discuss the role of classical music in fostering larger conversations about social responsibility and community issues. Shriver Hall. 5:30 p.m.

4/6: JOHN CLARK MAYDEN
John Clark Mayden, a photographer whose career spans more than 50 years with a focus on West Baltimore’s African-American community, will present his work during a virtual conversation with TV personality Kenyatta Berry. Enoch Pratt Free Library. 7 p.m.

4/9: MORNING BIRD WALK
During this in-person outing, participants will accompany a naturalist to look for and identify birds throughout the Baltimore County park. Advanced registration and a COVID-19 waiver are required. Oregon Ridge Nature Center. 8 a.m.

4/10: MR. PRATT PRESENTS
Although usually celebrated in-person, Pratt’s annual gala will take place virtually, with proceeds bene ting the library’s free programs and services. Enoch Pratt Free Library. 7 p.m.

4/10: RED SHOE SHUFFLE 5K RUN & WALK
In this 5K run and walk, participants will compete on their own before an online celebration to bene t a new shuttle for transporting families between the Ronald McDonald House and doctor’s appointments. Ronald McDonald House Charities Maryland. 10 a.m. $10-45.

TO 4/11: JEWS IN SPACE
With a title that pays homage to comic filmmaker Mel Brooks, this exhibit was inspired by rare rabbinical astronomy texts, combining ancient Jewish surveys of the cosmos, modern science fiction and pop culture references, and scientific information on real-life space programs for an engaging in-gallery experience. Jewish Museum of Maryland. Sun., Tue. & Thu. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. $10.

TO 4/11: THE GLORIOUS WORLD OF CROWNS, KINKS, AND CURLS
These virtual scenes and monologues uncover the relationship between Black women and their hair. Created by Emmy-nominated producer Keli Goff, the collection of stories expresses Black womanhood through the personal and political implications of hair. Baltimore Center Stage. Times vary. $15-40.

4/11: LOGAN VISIONARY CONFERENCE: BIGGER LOVE
In this virtual conference, visionary thinkers Hazel Henderson and Daryl Davis speak on topics related to AVAM’s exhibitions and themes. As a world-renowned economist, Henderson will discuss the money meme, while Davis, an activist and musician, will re ect on the power of love in fighting hate. American Visionary Art Museum. 1 p.m.

4/15: A TIMELY SPRING FLING WITH MIGRANTS THAT SING
Kathleen Woods, a wildlife rehabilitator and founder-director of the Phoenix Wildlife Center, will virtually discuss common and uncommon songbirds that her team has helped rehabilitate. Irvine Nature Center. 7:30 p.m. $10-20.

4/15: JENNA BUSH HAGER
In this virtual conversation, Jenna Bush Hager will discuss her life and work as a philanthropist, TV show co-host, and New York Times best-selling author with Pratt Library president and CEO Heidi Daniel. Enoch Pratt Free Library. 7 p.m.

4/16: A SPRING DAY AT THE WALTERS
In this virtual fundraising event and flower arranging demonstration, participants can watch the work of Chicago-based oral designer Cornelia McNamara, who use locally sourced owers for her creations. The Walters Art Museum. 3-4 p.m. $50.

TO 4/17: WE MAKE DO//WIT WAT WE GOT
This exhibition will recognize the work and abilities of Black women, with artists including writer-curator The Womanist Reader, artist-educator Sharayna Ashanti Christmas, and poet Nia June. Eubie Blake Cultural Center. Wed.-Fri. 1-5 p.m., Sat. 11-6 p.m.

TO 4/17: DRAPED IN DARK
This solo exhibition highlights the photography of West Baltimore native Kirby Griffin, whose work captures a range of emotions through intimate portraits. Eubie Blake Cultural Center. Wed.-Fri. 1-5 p.m., Sat. 11-6 p.m.

TO 4/17: MICHELLE UCKOTTER
Baltimore-based artist Michelle Uckotter showcases distressed female outlines in different psychological and architectural elements through oil pastels and panels in this solo exhibition. Springsteen Gallery. Fri.-Sat. 12-5 p.m.

4/17: GUNPOWDER KEG ULTRA
For serious runners, the Baltimore Road Runner’s Club will host its annual 25k and 50k races across a range of settings at Gunpowder State Park in Baltimore County. Gunpowder State Park. 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

4/18: LAKE ROLAND CLEAN-UP
In honor of Earth Day, participants can join in this spring clean-up in North Baltimore, with early sign-up and small groups encouraged. Lake Roland Nature Center. 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

4/18: AUDREY WRIGHT: BEYOND BACH
Violinist Audrey Wright will perform using non-traditional tunings, electronics, and foot pedals in the first part of this virtual livestream series. An die Musik Live. 3 p.m. $10.

4/19: RISE BMORE
In this virtual event, storytellers, musicians, and artists pay tribute to the late Freddie Gray in an annual dedication to the 25-year-old Baltimore native who died in the custody of Baltimore police. Rise Bmore. 8 p.m.

4/20: THE BLUE-COLLAR RECITAL
The Baltimore-based Art Seminar Group presents local rapper, musician, and entrepreneur Wordsmith, who uses melodies and storytelling to shine a light on blue-collar life, for an in-person performance and Q&A. Art Seminar Group. 1:30-3 p.m. $15.

4/21: ARCHITECTURE + SOCIAL JUSTICE
Designers Dayton Schroeter and Maisie Hughes discuss social justice in the design process and examine solutions for improving the equity of the built environment. AIA Baltimore and The Baltimore Architect Foundation. 6-7:30 p.m.

4/21: CIVIL RIGHTS AT SPARROWS POINT
In this Zoom discussion, co-hosted by the BMI and Reginald F. Lewis Museum, Bethlehem Steel workers will talk about their battle for civil rights. Baltimore Museum of Industry. 7 p.m. Free-$5.

4/21: LOCAL AND SUSTAINABLE FLORAL DESIGN WITH ELLEN FROST
Ellen Frost of Local Color Flowers will virtually discuss her flower arrangements and sustainable practices, as well as create her own oral design made entirely from flowers, foliage, and branches from flower farms in and around Baltimore. Ladew Gardens. 4 p.m. $15-$20.

TO 4/24: ACROSS THE WEST AND TOWARD THE NORTH
In this traveling exhibition, images from the late 19th and early 20th centuries depict the beginnings of photographs that captured Norway and America’s wildernesses, with virtual viewing, as well in-person viewing by appointment only. Towson University. Times vary.

TO 4/28: STRIPES AND STARS
This exhibition explores the multi-faceted meanings of the American flag through nine beaded artworks created by Lakota women in the early Reservation Period and incorporated into traditional items and children’s clothing. The Baltimore Museum of Art. Wed.-Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

4/28: ELIZABETH GILBERT
Eat, Pray, Love author Elizabeth Gilbert will discuss her best-selling nonfiction, own creative process, and life-living wisdom that garnered her a loyal fanbase. Enoch Pratt Free Library. 7-8 p.m.

TO 4/30: WOMEN OF STEEL
This outdoor exhibit at the BMI hangs on the museum’s fence along Key Highway in South Baltimore, highlighting stories of women who worked at Bethlehem Steel’s Sparrows Point mill in Baltimore from the 1930s until the mill closed in 2012. The Baltimore Museum of Industry.

4/30-5/2: CHORAL ARTS GALA
This multi-day virtual celebration will feature Tony-nominated Broadway star Euan Morton and showcase various auction items to benefit Baltimore Choral Arts’ education and outreach programs. Baltimore Choral Arts. Times vary. $25.

TO 5/2: THE SWINDLERS: A TRUE-ISH TALL TALE
Available for online viewing, this Baltimore Center Stage original, directed by Will Davis and written by Noah Diaz, focuses on redemption and family through a road-trip comedy. Baltimore Center Stage. Times vary. $15-40.

TO 5/9: A PLAY FOR THE LIVING IN A TIME OF EXTINCTION
In this virtual performance series, Baltimore playwright Miranda Rose Hall and director Taibi Magar offer an interactive experience on being human in a time of climate change and mass extinction. Baltimore Center Stage. Times vary. $15-40.

TO 5/15: ASIA NORTH 2021 EXHIBITION
In this month-long exhibition, the Asian Arts & Culture Center at Towson University and Central Baltimore Partnership will celebrate Korean art, culture, history, and community through regional artworks. Asian Arts & Culture Center at Towson University. Times vary.

TO 5/16: VANISHING POINT (OVERLAY)
In this three-part installation, Filipino-American artist Stephanie Syjuco depicts fictional flags and 19th-century images that signify white supremacy and exclusionary aspects of history. The Baltimore Museum of Art. Wed.-Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

TO 5/31: SPRING EXPLORER RACE SERIES
Participants can complete a series of one to seven races at their own convenience in this virtual Charm City Run event spanning eight weeks. Charm City Run. Times vary. $10-50.

TO 9/5: THE SECRET LIFE OF EARTH
This exhibition dives into the delicate nature of life on Earth and encourages visitors to take care of the planet. American Visionary Art Museum. Wed.-Sun,
10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free-$15.95.

TO FALL 2021: MICA GRAD SHOW 2021
MICA’s annual grad show will virtually highlight the work of more than 150 master’s students across a variety of media, from fine art to film and graphic design. Maryland Institute College of Art.

TO 8/2022: THE SCIENCE & MYSTERY OF SLEEP
In AVAM’s third floor gallery exhibition, a compilation of all the latest sleep-related scientific research mingles with three artist-made visionary bedrooms. American Visionary Art Museum. Wed.-Sun., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. $15.95.

en-year-old Marylander Abby Cohen has been going to overnight Camp Louise, in Thurmont, since she was six. “I love camp,” she says. “I learned to kayak and have made so many great friends from there.” It’s truly her happy place.

So when COVID-19 closed camp in 2020, she was devasted. But now she’s looking forward to summer 2021 and being with her friends again, doing the ropes course and all the other activities. Abby, who has her sights on someday being the camp director, says, “I’m ready to make new memories.”

It wasn’t only the children who were disappointed when camps didn’t open. Many parents were left without childcare and a safe place for their kids to learn new things, get fresh air, and interact with other children.

Last year, Crystal Paultre, a Rockville mother of three, signed each of her children up for a different day camp. The kids were excited and so was Crystal, who had just started a part-time job. And she looked forward to some quiet time to work. Then COVID-19 hit. Schools closed and camp seemed doubtful.

“Our son did a half day of virtual museum camp, but the girls’ camps were cancelled.” Crystal, who is a nurse, and her husband Pierre, a doctor, both felt that even if there was in-person camp last year, they would not have been comfortable sending their kids.

Of course, this scenario played out all over the country. Tom Rosenberg, president of the American Camping Association (ACA), says, “Eighty percent of overnight camps and 40 percent of day camps didn’t open in 2020. And those that opened did things differently.

Jon Bissett, director of River Valley Camp in Carroll County, says, “Normally we run a day and an overnight camp. Unfortunately, our overnight camp, with about 2,000 campers, didn’t open, but we did run the day camp.” The kids wore masks and did ziplining, paintball, climbing, and the bubble ball. And the camp had very strict sanitizing rules.

The J Camp on the Owings Mills campus also opened in 2020, but instead of the 900 campers they had in 2019, there were 250. Stacy Deems, assistant director, said, “Prior to our first day of camp, we worked closely with our partner, Lifebridge Health, to create health and safety protocols that would be used all summer. We also hired a camp pediatrician to be on-site the first week and on-call the remainder of the summer.”

As at most operating camps in 2020, campers wore masks and stayed and traveled in pods. There were hand-washing stations, and the camp allowed extra time between activities for sanitizing. Of course, all activities were outdoors.

Rosenberg says, “We were told by many parents whose kids did attend camp that, at first, their child was anxious, and many were overweight from lack of exercise. Happily, they came back restored. Now, with so many kids struggling during the pandemic, camp is more important than ever.”

The ACA has spent months studying what overnight and day camps that opened did right. And they hired the healthcare and life sciences consulting firm Environmental Health & Engineering (EH&E) to help with the research. “As all the studies come out, our goal is to publish everything we learned so camps can best prepare and operate safely this summer,” says Rosenberg. Of course, camps will follow state and CDC rules and, like everything today, some rules may change.

“Several of the things that were successful were very obvious, like wearing a mask, being outside, staying in pods, and having smaller groups,” adds Rosenberg. But they also learned that many kids were out of shape, and some camps started scheduling yoga and stretching in the morning. They also realized that kids wanted to talk to friends eyeball-to-eyeball, so they paused for lots of chats.

“Everyone wants camps to open this summer. I think kids will be willing to stand on one foot or do anything to be able to have camp,” he says.

Baltimore Clayworks

5707 Smith Ave., Baltimore, MD 21209. 410-578-1919. Baltimore Clayworks offers 11 weeks of full day camps for children ages 6-9 and 10-12 years, and half day camps for teens. Campers will become masters of their craft while exploring hand-building and potter’s wheel techniques to create their own inspired clay masterpieces. All camps run Monday-Friday, and class fees include all materials and firing. Call for rates and session dates.

Baltimore Lab School

2220 St. Paul St., Baltimore, MD 21218. 410-261-5500. Designed for students in grades 1-12 with learning differences, this program has a low student-teacher ratio, on-site specialists, and an innovative arts-based curriculum. Call for rates and session dates. After-school program available.

Camp Aerospace Maryland

Maryland State Fairgrounds, 2200 York Rd., Lutherville-Timonium, MD 21093. 410-541-6791. Camp Aerospace Maryland is a hands-on summer STEM day camp designed to help campers discover the theory, design, and history of flight. Campers will engage in activities that support creativity, stimulate imagination, and encourage teamwork, including airplane-model building and working with gliders, balsa planes, balloons, RC gliders, and remote-control airplanes. Eight sessions and six programs for four age groups 7-14. Early arrival and extended-day services available. Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Call for rates and session dates.

Camp Center Stage

700 N. Calvert St., Baltimore, MD 21202. 410-332-0033. Camp Center Stage is a two-week day camp for students in grades 2-12. Campers build creative confidence and self-awareness through fun explorations of theater. Camp BCS gives children and teens the chance to play, express themselves, make new friends, and get artistic instruction from a team of highly trained professional teaching artists. Each two-week session culminates in a presentation of student work for family and friends inside one of Center Stage’s newly renovated theaters. Classes include acting, dance, circus arts, and theater production. $750 includes a free lunch and a Camp CS T-shirt. Scholarships available. Call for rates and session dates.

Camp Jemicy *

11202 Garrison Forest Rd.,Owings Mills, MD 21117. 410-753-8032. The five-week summer camp for co-ed students ages 6-14 run by Jemicy School offers skills instruction, tutoring, and recreation for children with dyslexia and other related language-based learning differences. Full-, half-, and extended-day programs. June 28-July 30.

Circus Camp Stars

Multiple locations, including McDonogh School and Roland Park Country School. 410-833-6763. If you can picture your little clown happily learning to juggle, walk a tightrope, spin plates, or ride a unicycle, Circus Camp Stars may be just the ticket. Aimed at kids ages 7 to 15, the camp is taught by full-time professional entertainers—many are Ringling Bros.-trained—and includes a Friday performance for campers to show off their newly learned skills. Ten one-week sessions; usually 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Call for rates and session dates.

Columbia Academy *

Five locations in Columbia, Ellicott City, and Fulton. admissions@columbiaacademy.com. Preschool Camp starts June 7th. Elementary and Middle School Camp starts June 14th. Please see website for additional details. https://www.columbiaacademy.com/admissions/summer-camp-registration. Ages: Preschools (Infants through Pre-Kindergarten), Elementary and Middle School (turns 5 by 12/31/2020 through entering 9th grade) Our campers will explore cityscapes from around the world, from mountain expeditions to rainforest adventures to the treasures of the outback. With hands-on experiments and engaging games, we will build, investigate, and play our way through the summer. Activities include weekly field trips (may be virtual), nature exploration, crafts, science, PE, skits, and more.

Fork Union Military Academy Summer Camps and School

4744 James Madison Hwy., Fork Union, VA 23055. 434-842-3212. Fork Union offers summer camp programs ranging from basketball, football, and all-sports, as well as a separate non-military summer-school program combining academic study, leadership development, athletics, and summertime fun. Camps for ages 5-17 (some are co-ed); summer school for boys grades 7-12. Visit website for rates and session dates.

College Summer Academic Programs at Gettysburg College *

300 N. Washington St., Campus Box 2457, Gettysburg, PA 17325. 717-337-6924. On a beautiful campus in a world-famous town, Gettysburg College offers several virtual opportunities for rising 10th through 12th graders over the summer 2021 months. Through one-week virtual programs led by noted faculty, students engage in online activities and learning experiences. Subjects include psychology, creative writing, and Civil War Era Studies. Learn from professors and experts. Visit website or call 717-337-6924 for rates and session dates.

Gilman Summer!

5407 Roland Ave., Baltimore, MD 21210. 410-323-3800. Enrichment and skill-building programs for kids grades K-12 designed and taught by Gilman faculty and field experts. Past classes have included an extensive art program, STEM courses, outdoor education, SAT prep classes, foreign language, and sports camps. Classes include Young Engineers, Summer at Hogwarts, Outdoor Experience, Nature Explorers, Art of Cooking, Summer Music Camp, and more. Sessions run June 8-July 17. Two-, three-, and six-week academic courses ($350-$1,200). One-week enrichment camps ($250-$350), mostly half-day, typically 9 a.m.-2 or 3 p.m.

Goucher College

1021 Dulaney Valley Rd., Baltimore, MD 21204. 410-337-3052. Goucher College hosts one-week sessions during the summer for students from kindergarten through 12th grade. Programs range from creative writing workshops for high-school students to science and all-sports camps for elementary and middle school students. Our programs aim to build skills that will help children become stronger students and/or athletes while having lots of fun and making new friends in a supportive environment. Full- and half-day camps take place throughout the summer. Visit goucher.edu/gogoucher for rates and session dates.

» How many members of your staff have been vaccinated?
» How much training have the head staff and counselors had so they know the rules they must follow?
» Have you added any mental-health professionals to your staff to deal with any problems children may have after being isolated for so many months?
» Are any activities being suspended due to COVID-19?
» How will parents be notified if a child or staff member is infected?
» Will you have pods that travel together to activities?
» Will the groups be smaller than usual?
» Will your camp ask kids to quarantine before going to overnight camp?
» Will you ask families of children attending day camp to be mindful about maintaining the recommended behaviors such as masking and distancing?
» Will there be fewer campers in each bunk?
» Are there any changes you are implementing for when children are eating together?

The International School of Protocol

Locations vary. 410-832-7555. Offering camps at two locations, the School of Protocol instructs kids as young as 4 on everything from table manners and kindness to how to be a good listener. Camps for older kids focus on communication skills, the art of conversation, interviewing, networking, and more—all aimed at gaining a competitive edge. One-week camps starting in August.

Maryvale Preparatory School *

11300 Falls Rd., Lutherville, MD 21093. 410-252-3366. Maryvale Preparatory School offers a range of camps to help encourage and foster your child’s development inside and outside of the classroom during the summer months. The camps are led by varsity coaches and respected professionals and are open to Maryvale students and those from area schools.

The Park School of Baltimore – Park Camps *

2425 Old Court Rd., Baltimore, MD 21208. 410-339-4120. parkcamps@parkschool.net. Park’s experienced staff welcomes children ages 3 ½–12 for an exciting summer full of adventures on our 100-acre campus. Call for rates and session dates.

Summer at The St. Paul’s Schools *

111232 Falls Rd., Brooklandville, MD 21022. 443-632-1083. The St. Paul’s Schools offer a range of co-ed and single-gender programs, including Gatorland Day Camp, sports, arts, cooking and babysitting training. Ten percent multi-sibling discount.

Summer at Garrison Forest *

Garrison Forest School, 300 Garrison Forest Rd., Owings Mills, MD 21117. 410-559-3433. Summer at Garrison Forest has more than 110 program options, including traditional day camps, specialty camps, equestrian camps, and overnight programs. Campers can play nearly every sport, including riding and polo, express themselves in an array of arts programs, make STEM discoveries, learn to cook, and more. Located near 695 on Garrison Forest’s 110-acre campus, Summer at Garrison Forest runs from June 7 to Aug. 6. Before- and after-care, lunch, and combo camp packages available. 10 weeks of programs for boys and girls ages 3 and up. Rates vary by program.

Summer Camp at The Odyssey School *

3257 Bridle Ridge Ln., Lutherville, MD 21093. 410-580-5551. The Odyssey School’s camp is a specialized five-week summer program for children with language learning differences, for first grade through eighth grade, held on the school’s 42-acre wooded campus in Baltimore County. The camp incorporates an individualized, structured academic experience in the mornings, designed to promote ongoing skill development in the areas of reading, written language ,and math, followed by afternoons of outdoor activities and athletics. June 28-July 30. Call for rates.

Howard County Arts Council

8510 High Ridge Rd., Ellicott City, MD 21043. 410-313-2787. Council programs are held at the Howard County Center for the Arts, which includes resident artists’ studios, two professional galleries, a dance studio, the black box theatre for performing arts and the offices of the Howard County Arts Council, Ballet Mobile, The Columbia Orchestra, and Columbia Pro Cantare. Students may select from age-appropriate visual and performing arts camps including theatre, cartooning, puppetry, painting, and much more. Programs are open to the public, regardless of residency, for grades K-7. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the number of campers will be limited. Visit hocoarts.org for complete details and current COVID-19 protocols.

iD Tech Camps held at Towson University

8000 York Rd., Towson, MD 21252. 1-888-709-8324. Students ages 7-17 code apps, design video games, mod with Minecraft, engineer robots, build a laptop, produce a YouTube series, and more. Kids meet new friends and gain a competitive edge for school and future STEM careers. Call for rates and session dates.

iMAGINATION 101 Summer Arts Camp

Charm City Players. 410-472-4737. This nonprofit camp conducted in the LeClerc Auditorium at Notre Dame of Maryland University offers two-week performing arts classes for boys and girls ages 7-16, including acting, dancing, and singing. June 21-July 2: Matilda Jr. July 5-16: Disney’s Descendants the Musical. July 26-August 6: Disney’s High School Musical Jr. August 9-20: Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Jr. $750.

Baltimore Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound School

1900 Eagle Dr., Baltimore, MD 21207. 410-448-1721. Baltimore Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound School has been changing lives through challenge and discovery for more than 30 years. This summer, students ages 12-14 experience an eight-day backpacking and rock climbing expedition on the Appalachian Trail and a canoeing adventure along the Potomac River. The Outward Bound curriculum and expert instructors help to develop leadership, confidence, compassion, and skills for the real world. Let your child discover “their new possible” during one of Outward Bound’s challenging, character-building adventures this summer. Call for rates and session dates.

McDonogh School Summer Programs *

8600 McDonogh Rd.. Owings Mills, MD 21117. 443-544-7100. summer@mcdonogh.org. For more than 80 years, McDonogh has been offering summer programs for ages 4 to 18, including traditional day camps, arts and academic experiences, and day and overnight sports clinics. The 80 camps are conducted on McDonogh’s 800-acre campus, which includes stables and outdoor and indoor riding rings, two fishing ponds, three fully equipped playground areas, 20 tennis courts, and outdoor athletic fields, as well as rock-climbing tower and ropes course. Indoor facilities include a 54,000-square-foot field house with seven basketball courts, an aquatic center that includes an Olympic-size swimming pool, two indoor batting cages, a wellness center, and a wrestling room. A fine arts center boasts a 580-seat theater with modern stage, lighting and sound, black box, music room, and set design room, and there are multiple computer labs, art rooms, classrooms, and dormitory space to accommodate more than 100 students. Call or go online for programs, dates, and rates.

The Associated’s Center for Jewish Camping *

101 W. Mount Royal Ave., Baltimore, MD 21201. 410-369-9237. jzuckerman@associated.org. Launched in 2013, The Associated’s Center for Jewish Camping is the focal point of Jewish camp advocacy and activity in the Baltimore Jewish community. Through community outreach, education, and public awareness, the center aims to maximize the number of children attending Jewish camp, ensuring a vibrant Jewish future. If you’re looking for a Jewish summer experience that’s perfect for your child, consult The Associated’s Janna Zuckerman for a free, unbiased, and personalized guidance for families considering Jewish day or overnight camp.

Easterseals Camp Fairlee *

22242 Bay Shore Dr., Chestertown, MD 21620. 410-778-0566. Camp Fairlee is a traditional overnight summer camp on Maryland’s upper Eastern Shore for children and adults with all types of disabilities, providing accessible recreation for campers and family respite. Sessions start June 27 and run through August 26. Session choices are six or 12 days. Accessible activities include canoeing, kayaking, wall climbing, zip line, horseback riding, swimming, nature trails, photography, arts/crafts, campfires, hayrides, indoor games and more! There is a health center staffed with nurses. The entire campus has new buildings and additional improvements were made in 2020. Serving Maryland families for 67 years. Accredited by the American Camp Association. Call for rates and session dates.

olleges often act as tiny cities, microcosms that serve as a reflection of society as a whole. When COVID-19 shut down Maryland in March, college campuses across the state became small ghost towns, with students moving back home, taking classes online, and staff working remotely.

For those who couldn’t leave—international students, mostly—designated quarantine halls were arranged in dormitories for anyone who displayed coronavirus symptoms and isolation halls for those who tested positive. Dining halls moved to carryout, and social activities were reinvented and largely moved to online gatherings (though McDaniel College got pretty creative when its soccer team wore inflatable body-bumper bubbles).

COVID-19 task forces formed, everyone had to be tested for the virus before returning to campus, and many schools adopted sentinel, or surveillance, testing, meaning a random selection of students are tested periodically to catch any emerging asymptomatic cases.

Some students even found themselves researching coronavirus, led by science and health professors.

Discord servers, where students could create and find new virtual communities, went up. Apps were developed for social events and campus dining meal reservations. Outdoor tented areas were erected for classes, pavilions utilized, and large theaters, dining halls, and study areas converted into more spacious classrooms. The era of COVID-19 has meant limited capacity in dorms and no roommates or visitors, and some schools have eliminated fall and spring breaks to limit students’ exposure to additional people.

COVID-19 has affected every aspect of college life—from the admissions process to classroom learning, socializing, dining, and receiving medical care and counseling services. By the end of the fall 2020 semester, schools had adapted to their new modus operandi, but many had not yet solidified plans for spring, knowing they’d need flexibility based on how well Maryland was handling the pandemic.

The learning curve when pivoting to online classes was often more challenging for faculty than students—in fact, most schools provided extensive training for faculty throughout the summer of 2020 so they could learn various programs and approaches to virtual teaching.

“We’re talking about a digital generation, a generation of students that was born in 1999, 2000, 2001, a generation that’s never not had cell-phone reception,” says Goucher College president Kent Devereaux. “The internet has never not been there. This is a generation that’s grown up with digital media in all its forms for their entire formative existence.”

After adopting virtual classes and meetings, faculty and staff across the state agree that they’ll continue to use these new technologies post-pandemic, for their convenience and ability to connect people in any geographical location. Schools have also found that virtual counseling services are typically preferred to in-person sessions by students, who already live a large portion of their lives in the digital world and enjoy therapy in the comfort of their own home.

Colleges became better equipped to handle emergency situations, too, and in addition to learning the benefits of virtual classes, they saw the advantages in opening additional outdoor, open-air classrooms and study spaces.

Among the chaos and hardships, the pandemic brought with it a few silver linings.

Bowie State University

Bowie State University in Prince George’s County began with a mission to provide educational opportunities for Black citizens and, more than a century after opening, has consistently ranked among the best HBCUs in the country, offering undergraduate and graduate degrees, as well as specialty certificates and doctoral programs. It also has a solid reputation for being one of the best values around. For the 20/21 school year, tuition for in-state students is $4,222 per term, including all fees.

Frostburg State University

For those who want to escape to the Appalachian Mountains while still benefitting from the low cost of in-state tuition, Frostburg State University in Western Maryland offers more than 100 bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs, as well as miles of wilderness areas nearby to explore. On that note, its online M.S. in Recreation & Parks Management is ranked the No. 2 most affordable program in the U.S. by GetEducated.com.

Loyola University Maryland

Loyola University is a liberal arts school nestled along North Charles Street in an 81-acre wooded campus. The school prides itself on its small student-to-teacher ratio in its undergraduate and graduate programs. It’s also known nationally for Apprentice House Press, a publishing company run almost entirely by Loyola students.

Morgan State University

Located in Northeast Baltimore, Morgan State University is the largest HBCU in Maryland and offers bachelor’s, master’s, doctorate, and online programs. It’s well-ranked as a public research university, and its specialized degrees include an M.A. in African-American Studies and an Ed.D. in Urban Educational Leadership. The National Trust for Historic Preservation named Morgan State University a National Treasure.

Salisbury University

For those who want to be close to the ocean, Salisbury University offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs at its campus in Salisbury, about a 40-minute drive from Ocean City. In 2020, Money magazine named it one of “America’s Best Colleges”

Stevenson University

Stevenson University, formerly Villa Julie College, is a liberal arts school with three campuses in Baltimore County. It offers bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, and pre-professional programs, as well as its Bachelor’s to Master’s option, which allows students to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree in five years.

University of Baltimore

The University of Baltimore is situated in Mount Vernon, a Baltimore neighborhood rich in art, architecture, and history. UB has gained a solid reputation for its law and business programs, but it offers a wide spectrum of undergraduate and graduate degrees and doctoral programs, with an intense focus on connecting students to community and jobs, ensuring a sustainable career path post-graduation.

St. Mary’s College of Maryland

A state institution that was founded in 1840, St. Mary’s College of Maryland has an undergraduate enrollment of about 1,500. Located on 361 acres in rural Southern Maryland, it’s ranked among the top 100 in the 2021 edition of U.S. News and World Report’s Best Liberal Arts Colleges. Its degree programs are wide-ranging, from the disciplines you’d expect to programs such as African and Asian studies; astrophysics; neuroscience; religious studies; special education; theater, film, and media studies; and women, gender, and sexuality issues.

West Virginia University

This state college is located in historic Morgantown, a charming and manageable town of 30,000 year-round residents surrounded by mountains, forests, rivers, and streams. It offers a wide range of degree programs, numbering over 130, from accounting, aerospace engineering, and art history to biomedical engineering, dance, acting, and Chinese studies. Other majors include fashion, finance, forensic examiner, and French.

Coppin State University

Coppin State University, founded in 1900, is an HBCU and a member institution of the University System of Maryland, set on 65 acres in the urban Mondawmin neighborhood of Baltimore.

The school offers 53 majors that span the arts and sciences, teacher education, business, social and behavioral sciences, nursing, and graduate studies.

Students come from across America and around the world to study there, representing 30 states and 25 countries.

In 2020, the school was named the No. 4 Best HBCU in the nation by College Consensus and No. 5 Best Value for online programs by Online School Center.

Like other schools, Coppin switched to online learning in March and then adopted a hybrid model in response to COVID, allowing students to be on campus if physical presence was required for a course, while all lecture classes were held remotely.

“We’d been following the events [regarding COVID] for weeks and having preliminary talks to prepare . . . so when it was upgraded to an epidemic, and then a pandemic, that’s when we started implementing plans that we’d been discussing,” says Angela Galeano, CSU’s chief of staff and project manager of the university’s COVID-19 Task Force. “By the second week of March, we had a pretty good idea of how to move forward—how to test, how to meet any increase on demand in IT and ensure everyone had access to technology . . . we like to be proactive.”

The task force, comprised of faculty, staff, and students, outlined multiple plans that are contingent on where Maryland is at with the pandemic and its rate of infection. Residence halls, for instance, would stay open at 50-percent capacity or 33-percent capacity, depending on the percentage of cases in the state. The meal plan for those living on campus was carryout only, which began on March 9.

“The majority of feedback through all this has been positive—from students, faculty, and staff,” Galeano says. “It’s been all hands on deck. Everybody has been really good about coming together to make sure we had our students covered with everything they needed.”

Size of student body: 2,724 Student to faculty ratio: 1:13 Annual tuition: $8,744 in state, $15,141 out of state Acceptance rate: 37 percent Popular areas of study: Nursing, business, biology, education, and criminal justice; rehabilitation graduate program

Goucher College

Goucher College, a small, liberal arts school in Towson, has been long known for its innovative approaches—not just in education but in campus life, sustainability, and its commitment to study-abroad programs. So it may come as no surprise that when faced with challenges due to coronavirus, Goucher has been one of the most proactive schools in the state.

In addition to providing testing for anyone entering campus and installing plexiglass where needed, they were the third college in America to implement wastewater testing, hiring the Rockville-based company CosmosID to install it.

They were also lucky to have invested in tremendous upgrades to technology on campus, making them better equipped to handle the change to remote learning. In January 2019, they’d upgraded all their Wi-Fi systems.

“Other small, liberal arts colleges had been resisting the move to [online learning]. We were incredibly fortunate,” says Goucher president Kent Devereaux.

Faculty got creative and innovative, too. Elizabeth Ahearn, for instance, chair of the dance department at Goucher, began teaching barre classes via Zoom from her kitchen. Some classes were held outdoors, and campus theaters were converted into classroom space.
“We’re making lemonade out of lemons,” Devereaux says.

As for their study-abroad program, it’s temporarily on hiatus.

“We require students to go abroad but waived that requirement this year,” Devereaux says. “But we’re not going to change our commitment to this. If anything, this pandemic has shown us how connected we all are. We live in a global world.”

Size of student body: 1,114 undergraduate students only Average class size: 16 Annual tuition: $47,100 Acceptance rate: 79 percent Popular areas of study: psychology, business management, communication, bio-sciences, sociology/anthropology

The Johns Hopkins University

The Johns Hopkins University is a massive entity in Baltimore and has a solid reputation for its public-health and medical studies, as well as its world-renowned conservatory, Peabody Institute, in Mount Vernon.

As the first research university in the U.S. and with a heavy bent toward the sciences, it’s no wonder that JHU tracked the pandemic closely and, as provost Sunil Kumar told students in November, followed “all state and local COVID safety regulations and executive orders, as well as the advice of our own experts in public health and infectious diseases.”

JHU campuses went largely virtual in 2020, in response to the pandemic, with limited on-campus, low-density activities. Even if they remain virtual in the spring, they will expand their asymptomatic testing program to help protect the community and surrounding neighbors, as many students remain in Baltimore.

Amanda Hinton, a junior studying environmental engineering at JHU, returned home to California in March and struggled with not just the difference in time zones (one of her discussion-based classes started at 6 a.m. Pacific time) but also her dietary needs, as she has celiac disease and was suddenly sharing a kitchen with her family again, none of whom eat gluten-free, as she does.

Hinton became an RA during the fall 2020 semester—quite the extraordinary time to start in that role—and moved back onto campus in Baltimore, though the landscape had certainly changed.

“This semester has felt a lot more normal than last . . . but social life has definitely been a big adjustment. It can feel so isolating,” she says. “Some of my freshmen [in the dorm] haven’t had the experience of meeting people at the dining hall or in the dorms or joining clubs. It’s hard to make friends in online classes, where you can’t have side conversations with the person sitting next to you.”

She and other campus residents have found new ways to connect. As an RA, she’ll host Zoom parties, where she’ll hand out clay beforehand, and everyone builds sculptures together—but separately, in their own dorm rooms—or each resident will get a set of stuff like tea bags and facial masks for spa night, where they can hang out online.

Like many, Hinton has found her own positives amid the challenges.

“In the past, if I had a question about a homework problem, I wouldn’t want to walk all the way across campus to ask the TA a question during office hours. Now it’s easy to do that [virtually], so I’ve been doing that a lot more, and it’s helped my grades,” she says. “There are pockets of normalcy and a lot of silver linings.”

Size of student body: 29,091 Average class size: 24 Annual undergraduate tuition: $51,077 to $54,160 Acceptance rate for the class of 2024: 9.2 percent Popular areas of study: public health studies, international studies, neuroscience

McDaniel College

McDaniel College has the benefit of being located in a bucolic, countryside setting in rural Carroll County, while remaining in close proximity to Baltimore City, just a 45-minute drive from campus, giving students the best of both worlds.

Formerly called Western Maryland College, the liberal arts college closed campus in March in response to the pandemic, but opened back up to about 60 students over the summer for the school’s annual McDaniel Local event, which connects new students with local business owners to help build roots within the community that they’ll call home for the next four years.

“There were no other campuses, that we knew of, that were engaging in summer programming, but we really wanted these first-year students to be on campus so that even if they stayed online, they’d have that initial experience,” says McDaniel provost Julia Jasken, who also led the school’s Return to the Hill Taskforce to help plan how to navigate COVID. The summer orientations “gave us the opportunity to see how all our health and safety protocols worked,” she says. “It’s one thing to bring 60 students back for a couple days in the summer; it’s another thing to bring 1,200 students back. And it was a really wonderful experience.”

Despite a small downward trend in enrollment across the nation in 2020, McDaniel welcomed its largest incoming first-year class in the college’s history in the fall, with almost 85 percent of freshmen opting to live on campus. The school broke its 1,800-mark in undergraduate enrollment for the first time.

In conjunction with students returning to campus in the fall, the school unveiled its newly renovated and renamed Roj Student Center in the center of campus, a $11-million project that expanded the space by 2,328 square feet and added a green rooftop terrace and new college store.

Size of student body: 1,818 undergraduates; 1,211 graduate students Average class size: 15 Annual tuition: $45,876 Acceptance rate: 70 percent Popular areas of study: undergraduate programs in kinesiology, business administration, psychology, sociology, biology; graduate programs including Administrator I Certificate, Master of Science in Innovations in Teaching & Learning, Equity & Excellence in Education Certificate, Master of Science in School Counseling, and Master of Science in School Librarianship

Smartasset.com ranks the top 10 best-value schools in the state based on tuition, cost of living, and average starting salary post-college:

1. Johns Hopkins University
2. University of Maryland-College Park
3. University of Maryland-Baltimore County
4. Loyola University Maryland
5. Towson University
6. Frostburg State University
7. Salisbury University
8. Morgan State University
9. Bowie State University
10. University of Maryland-Eastern Shore

Whether you want to gain a new skill or explore one of your hobbies or areas of interest more deeply, community colleges are a convenient and affordable starting point for continuing-education classes. Four-year colleges and universities offer myriad continuing-education courses, too, and with multiple schools in the region, you can choose courses that span everything from paranormal studies to pottery.

Our Picks:

Anne Arundel Community College

Conversational Sign Language, Fall and Winter Vegetable Gardening, and Introduction to Zentangle, a relaxing way to be creative.

Community College of Baltimore County

Thai cooking classes, paranormal phenomena (including Ghost Studies, Tarot Card Reading, and Astrology), and courses in home improvement for those projects you want to tackle while spending more time at home.

CCBC Catonsville

Jewelry Soldering, Dog Obedience Training, and Basic Belly Dancing (to stay in shape and have some fun in the process).

MICA

Ceramics, quilting, portrait drawing, Design Your Personal Brand, plus classes to learn Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign, for Baltimore’s creative community.

Montgomery College

UGotClass “Skills for the 21st Century” offers a suite of courses in human resources, management, marketing, professional developments, and social media, for the changing landscape of businesses.

Maryland Institute College of Art

Creativity practically bursts through the seams of Maryland Institute College of Art in Station North. Artists from all over the world, across all genres and disciplines, come together to study and inspire one another at the oldest independent, continuously degree-granting colleges of art and design in the U.S.

The school’s MFA programs were ranked No. 3 in graphic design, No. 3 in sculpture, and No. 4 in painting and drawing in the country by U.S. News & World Report.

MICA switched to an entirely virtual learning experience in March, and students moved off campus or returned home. But that didn’t stop them from creating art.

The college ran a suite of services (such as fabrication service bureaus, equipment checkout, and curbside library services for faculty) to support remote instruction and provided students with small awards of $300 each to establish their own “portable practices” wherever they were located.

MICA also partnered with Open Works to help create face masks and face shields with their 3D printers in the early days of the pandemic, while professors encouraged students to get creative with items they had on hand, as some had limited access to supplies.
“Professors, instructors, and staff have found new and innovative ways to engage students,” says David Bogen, provost and vice president for academic affairs, “including ways of making works of art and artifacts wherever they are in the world. . . . This idea of art and design work as ‘portable practices’ is something we are teaching as a professional skill.”

Juan Noguera, for instance, a professor in MICA’s Product Design program, created a series of modules for designing and building objects with materials and resources available to students in different locations. One project tasked students with creating a light fixture to be fabricated using laser cutting. Rather than using plywood, students created full-scale cardboard models of their ideas at home, which allowed them to experience how panels had to be assembled, the type of joints they needed, and how much material was needed for their design.

“The pandemic has caused us to need to reinvent our entire enterprise on a new set of platforms and practices,” Bogen says. “We have learned tons about our past ways of doing things and our assumptions about how even the most basic forms of social and professional life—the meeting, for instance—are organized.

“One of the most important things is how easy it is to bring together people from all over the world almost instantaneously to share in common events,” he adds. “The technology for doing this existed before the pandemic, but we weren’t doing this work, or planning for it, on a routine basis. Now, if I want to access an amazing artist or designer halfway around the world, I don’t need to wait for months and months until they can join us; I just send them a note, and they’re in class the next day.”

Size of student body: 3,500 Student-faculty ratio: 8:1 Annual tuition: $50,330 Acceptance rate: 64 percent Popular areas of study: illustration, graphic design, intermedia/multimedia, digital arts, painting

Notre Dame of Maryland University

Situated in northern Baltimore, Notre Dame of Maryland University is a private, Catholic liberal arts university offering certificate, undergraduate, graduate, and Ph.D. programs through its three colleges, including the only women’s college in Maryland.

The intimate, wooded campus became even quieter in March, when most classes moved entirely online as part of a comprehensive plan created by a university task force in response to the pandemic, and all athletics were suspended.

Remote learning continued through the end of 2020, except for a limited number of pharmacy and nursing labs, where in-person instruction was required.

Christian Kendzierski, associate vice president of university communications, says the school plans to continue with this arrangement during its spring 2021 semester, but Women’s College students will have the option for in-person, on-campus learning as well as remote learning for all programs, and residential hall capacities will also be increased.

Size of student body: 783 undergraduates Student-faculty ratio: 7:1 Annual tuition: $39,675 Acceptance rate: 88 percent Popular areas of study: nursing, education, biology, art therapy, pharmacy

Towson University

Perhaps the most dramatic pandemic-related scare at a Maryland college came in late summer 2020, when Towson had to abruptly cancel its plans to open campus for the fall semester and instead move to remote learning, after an alarming number of students who’d planned to return to campus tested positive for COVID.

In a matter of a few days, college staff and faculty shifted gears and rearranged and reframed what the semester would look like for the more than 20,000 students at its Towson campus—the second largest university in the state, after the University of Maryland-College Park. Part of the University System of Maryland, the school will remain fully remote in the spring.

“We’ve done a lot of virtual programming through the health center, which includes our counseling center, to provide some best practices and ways to help students manage all the different pieces they’re dealing with,” says Sean Welsh, interim vice president of university marketing and communications. “A lot of student organizations and affinity groups have gotten very creative in the way that they gather and continue to stay in touch and find a community in the midst of all this.”

Meanwhile, their main dining hall had been under renovation and was ready to reopen in the fall of 2020, but with limited dining venues, it instead reopened as a temporary study space during the pandemic, with huge windows that open up to a wooded area. Additional outdoor areas were created, too, and, in the spring, a new quad with outdoor seating and gathering space will open, a project that began prior to the pandemic but now seems prophetic.

“We learned a great deal this fall, not just how to operate a university in a pandemic, but how our students, faculty, and staff can adapt to challenging times,” Welsh says.

Size of student body: 18,730 undergraduate and 3,187 graduate students Average class size: 26 undergraduate students Annual tuition: $23,871 in-state; $38,007 out of state Acceptance rate: 79 percent for first-time freshmen, 90 percent for incoming transfer students, and 70 percent for graduate students Popular areas of study: undergraduate programs in business administration, nursing, psychology, biology, computer science and graduate programs in instructional technology, reading education, teaching, transformational educational leadership, and applied information technology

University of Maryland, Baltimore County

University of Maryland, Baltimore County sits on the Baltimore County line, offering students easy access to the city, as well as all the conveniences of suburban life. The large campus of more than 10,000 students went virtual in March and then to partial in-person, partial-remote classes in the fall.

Enrollment was down just 0.8 percent compared to fall 2019, while the graduate student population increased by 0.9 percent, and during the fall semester, 123 near-completers re-enrolled at UMBC after a period of absence through the school’s Finish Line initiative, taking advantage of the increased availability of online courses to finish their degrees. The students returned after a decade away from college, and some graduated as early as December.

Gabby Khan, a junior studying computer science at UMBC and an RA, said friends at UMBC and at other schools in the area decided not to return for the fall semester because they thought they wouldn’t receive the same kind of education in a virtual setting.

“I thought about it for about a day, but personally, I didn’t feel the need to take a break,” Khan says. “UMBC was giving its all, and I was still able to learn and do projects and get decent grades.

“I haven’t seen my friends a lot in person . . . but I virtually call my friends every day,” she says. “Everyone has made Discord servers to talk on, share pictures, and people can just be on the voice call—so people will see who’s on and go join them and chat about school or that kind of thing.”

She’s also joined events on campus, like socially distanced bingos, movie nights, and the annual hackUMBC hack-a-thon, a virtual tech marathon weekend when students build mobile, web, and hardware products. Some students made a Discord office-hour bot that teachers and TAs can use—which might be eventually implemented by professors.

Size of student body: 10,932 undergraduate and 2,565 graduate Student/faculty ratio: 17:1 Annual tuition: $9,420 in-state, $25,054 out of state Acceptance rate: 69 percent Popular areas of study: computing (computer science, computer engineering, information systems), biological sciences, social sciences (particularly psychology), and visual and performing arts

or many, there has been good reason these days to pretend the video cam is broken.

That’s, of course, because when the coronavirus hit, millions of people took to their computers for video work calls and virtual visiting with family and friends. But it wasn’t always a pretty picture. There it was, sagging necks, eye bags, and wrinkles. All were magnified, or so it seemed. There’s even a name for it: It’s called “Zoom face” and “Zoom neck.” And it wasn’t the image we wanted to project—or stare at—call after call, day after day. One reader even found a meme suggesting that Zoom’s slogan should be, “It’s you, but ugly.” And it seemed everyone was experiencing it.

Maryland resident Tracey M. Lankford works with high-end brands and clients. “So, it’s very important for me to always look my best. I’m very expressive and have been getting Botox for my forehead lines and eyes since I was 42,” says Lankford, who just turned 52. A few years later, she started having fillers to add volume to her cheeks and take care of the nasal labial folds. When the pandemic hit and everything was on lockdown, she had to postpone her doctor appointments and worried about looking tired and stressed. So as soon as her doctor could accept patients, Lankford was there for her Botox. “I felt very comfortable, since I didn’t have to remove my mask and the office took so many precautions.” But for the fillers, she waited until October, since she had to remove her mask. “After getting the injectables, I felt healthier, like I was managing the pandemic, not the other way around.”

Dr. Paul J. Carniol, president of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) and clinical professor at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, says, “In addition to virtual meetings and being home, people were spending more time looking at themselves in the mirror. As such, they had plenty of time to decide what they would like to have done to improve their appearance.”

Rockville board-certified plastic surgeon Gregory Dick says, “When we reopened, we saw that half our patients couldn’t wait to come in, while the other half were hesitant.” In addition to some fearing the virus, others worried about job security. Then there were some patients who found they had extra money since trips were cancelled, they weren’t going to restaurants or buying clothing, and they were ready. “And it wasn’t just women coming in. It was men, too.”

Past president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) plastic surgeon Lynn Jeffers says, “When the pandemic hit and we shut down, ASPS put out two surveys. The consumer survey told us the top three things people were thinking about were Botox, breast augmentation, and fillers. Our members’ survey found the same three procedures. Today, we find people want to look better. Not four decades younger, just how they feel inside—a better version of themselves.”

► Botox and Fillers to the Rescue

Even after elective surgery was allowed, Dr. Carniol found many patients seemed to prefer procedures that were in the safety of the office, rather than a surgery center or a hospital. “Botox and soft tissue fillers topped patients’ wish lists.” And with people wearing masks, if they happened to get a bruise on their lower face from an injectable, their mask would cover it. Sunglasses took care of the eye area.

Botox, by temporarily “freezing” the muscles, can soften stubborn horizontal lines on the forehead and take care of the “elevens,” the entrenched lines between the brows. “Today, it’s all about looking natural,” says Dr. Jeffers. Done correctly, patients will not have that frozen, expressionless, robot look that so many people had years ago with Botox.

Soft-tissue fillers are used to elevate and fill deep folds, soften and smooth wrinkles and creases, fill shallow contours such as sunken cheeks, and improve the appearance of imperfections. Fillers, too, helped correct the Zoom-face flaws. Most fillers contain hyaluronic acid, a natural compound that aids in the production of collagen and elastin. Two of the more popular, Juvéderm and Restylane, have several different products with varying thicknesses that match the areas to be treated.

Dr. Dick remarks, “Being conservative, I may try fillers before suggesting surgery. Sometimes, that’s all they need, or it may buy them time. Today, we are seeing many celebrities having fillers in the cheeks, but many have gone way too far. Remember, you can always add more later. And if a patient feels the filler is too much, there is an enzyme that can remove it.”

When out in public and with our face masks on, the eyes are the main focal point. And they can reveal it all—tiredness and stress.

According to Dr. Jeffers, Botox can help with crows feet and raise the eyebrows for women. Another option is skin resurfacing with lasers such as fraxel, for “crepeyness” around the eyes. Fillers, too, can be used for the hollowing out of the upper eye region. “And there are many other possibilities,” says Dr. Jeffers.

And our necks have never gotten more attention than now. Laxity and jowls are what people are noticing on those Zoom calls. For that, Dr. Dick uses the thickest filler of Juvéderm and injects it in front of the jowls, making for a more rounded appearance that’s associated with a younger look.

Rockville laser specialist Dr. Shirley Olsen notes, “Fractional laser can help with lines and some tightening of the neck, but only if you don’t have real loose skin. And for those who have enough fat in their waddle, CoolSculpting can remove the fat and help tighten the skin.”

Another problem many people have faced with the lockdown was the “Covid 15.” With baking bread, cooking more, and so many happy hours, people were experiencing weight gain. Next, they took to their exercise equipment. “Then they came in for CoolSculpting, which helps get rid of the fat and does some skin tightening. And with being able to keep your mask on, everyone felt very safe. Who knows, you might just get back to the skinny side of your closet,” says Dr. Olsen.

► Nips and Tucks

If there is excessive skin, Dr. Dick sometimes does a little snip. “I’ve found that men don’t seem to be bothered by deep lines but are very disturbed by the ‘turkey neck.’ Usually, they don’t want to undergo an extensive face and neck lift, so this procedure is ideal. There is a scar, but if the patient cares for it properly, the results are good, and they can get fractional to make it even better.”

But back to those precious eyes. “What you do to the eyes depends on the problem,” says Dr. Dick. “If eyelids have extra skin, we trim it. An eyelid lift can be done in the office or a surgery center. There’s a short recovery, and I think that’s the biggest bang for the buck. If there is a hollowness to lower lids, we can add filler. If there are bags, it may require some surgery to trim them.”

► The Perfect Time

According to ASPS, breast augmentation comes in as the number two most popular procedure, right after Botox and just before fillers, when elective surgery is allowed. Twenty-two-year-old Lexi Schwartzberg of North Carolina wanted boobs since she was 16. “Being an A-cup, I always felt I looked like a boy. I realized with my job still closed and living with my parents, who would help me while I healed, it was the perfect time for the surgery. I’m now a C-cup and love how they look,” says Schwartzberg.

► What’s New

According to Maryland dermatologist Dr. Robert Weiss, in October 2020, the makers of EMSCULPT, a non-invasive aesthetics procedure that builds muscle without doing sit-ups, introduced EMSCULPT NEO, a device that combines two body-sculpting treatments into one. It is the first FDA-cleared machine that non-invasively tones muscle and burns fat at once. It uses radiofrequency heating to induce fat reduction. The excess fat cells are destroyed and eventually are eliminated through the body’s natural process. For best results, four treatments that last up to 30 minutes spaced five to 10 days apart are recommended for best results.

When the coronavirus pandemic lockdown started in spring of last year, professionals in the architecture, interior design, and construction world braced for a major drop in business. But after an initial slowdown, most report not just being busy, but overwhelmed.

That’s because, for those people with the wherewithal, it was time for the big home renovation.

“It went crazy,” says Gavin Scherr, president of Scherr Contracting. “Most people have never spent that much time in their home before. For the first time, people weren’t just thinking about their house aesthetically, but asking, ‘How do we all function in this house together on a permanent basis?’”

In the warm summer months, spending on exterior projects soared as homeowners heeded advice to limit entertaining to small groups outside, escalating demand for decks, patios, fences, and even pool houses. Plenty of people also caught up on deferred maintenance—the broken door or crooked gutter that had been a mere nuisance pre-pandemic became an intolerable eyesore. The demand, combined with COVID-related supply-chain challenges, was so intense that it created a lumber shortage, raising prices 170 percent, according to the National Association of Homebuilders.

And once some schools announced they would not return in-person, the home-improvement people got even more emails and calls.

“There was a huge increase in basement, kitchen, and even bathroom jobs,” says Scherr. “People were looking at any space that wasn’t being used muched, even a screened porch that could be enclosed into an office or a recreational space, as everyone was trying to find more room.”

And with the movement toward work-from-home, as well as school-from-home, the importance of a home-based office space took on new meaning. With families suddenly flung together, it wasn’t uncommon to have two parents working from the dining-room table, older children doing Zoom school at a kitchen counter, and younger children suddenly in need of a school space that could be overseen by an adult. Home became loud and crowded.

“People would tell us their dining room table was filled with their third grader’s schoolwork when they were trying to work,” says Gina Adams, of Delbert Adams Construction. “So we found ways to make life easier for them within their home. Office nooks were a solution—a desk in an area that may not have had one before was an option.”

Adams says they tucked workspaces into architectural niches, landings, and unused bedrooms. One of the cleverest solutions they created was a “Murphy bed”-style desk that could be pulled out when needed and stored behind a wall after office hours.

“Everything was being used by more people, so there was a lot more wear and tear, particularly in the kitchen,” she adds. “We made changes to accommodate more users.”

Not every change was driven by practicality, Adams says. Some people simply wanted to make cosmetic changes, including things like soaking tubs, a touch of luxury that’s private at a time when privacy is in short supply.

Indeed, with multiple family members on Zoom, bickering kids, and dishes from three meals a day piling up, lockdown life can become unbearable. So perhaps that open floor-plan that was so fabulous when you bought the house becomes a lot less appealing.

This, says Sheryl T. McLean, principal of McLean & Tircuit Design, has compelled some clients to take a hard look at the rooms they rarely use, especially the dining room.

“Suddenly they needed that space that they only use at Christmas and Thanksgiving,” she says. “Many clients put up doors and added built-ins to their dining rooms and sunrooms—and those changes are permanent.”

Another design change she believes has staying power is the shift from the mudroom being a dumping ground to an official “receiving station.”

“In the past, the mudroom is where you took off your shoes and left the backpacks,” she says. “During the pandemic, it became a staging area for receiving groceries and deliveries to be wiped down, a room that could be disinfected…I think sanitation is burned into our brains now, and the expansion of the mudroom works well, is a good idea, and is a way to further protect your home.”

Those lucky enough to have outdoor space expanded into their yards, not just with patios and decks, but also with actual structures such as accessible dwelling units, “She Sheds,” and tiny houses. These flex spaces could be used as an office, quarantine quarters, a homeschool meeting spot, or another place for some sanity-saving privacy.

“Little personalized nooks have become so important, and I think that’s a trend that will stay,” says McLean. “Clients are looking for a space away.”

If there’s one lasting impact that Ashley Ingraham hopes to see from the pandemic, it’s that people will think before they acquire more belongings. As owner of Home Perspective, which does home organization, estate cleaning, and moving assistance, she’s been booked solid since June as homeowners came to terms with all their stuff.

“I got so many calls from people saying, ‘I’m so overwhelmed, I need to get organized,’” she says. “After two or more months of quarantine, everyone is looking at their space differently and re-evaluating it. There’s a calmness that comes from organization and people are looking to create home spaces that are stress-free.”

“People realized they had too much stuff they aren’t using and not enough of the things they did need,” she says. “If you made it through three months of quarantine and never baked bread, I think it’s safe to say you don’t need the bread maker.”

And then there’s the whole remote job thing: Ingraham says that having a long-term solution for working from home is very different than having a desk at home where you maybe sat occasionally to pay some bills or do the taxes. Certainly no one was set up for months of home school, either. Efficiency, storage, clarity—these needs became top of mind.

Her clients now also want organized pantries and storage areas so they can see exactly what they have and what they need to put in their Instacart—or to make that trip to the store as quick as possible. Clients are willing to jettison the things they aren’t using to find room for the extra toilet paper or the craft supplies. They’ve faced the areas of the home they could once avoid and reclaimed them for schoolrooms or for privacy.

Ingraham, too, has seen the impacts of social-media scrolling.

“I have so many clients that are younger than what I normally have who have spent six months binge-watching The Home Edit on Netflix and scrolling though Instagram and now want aspirational closets,” she says.

At some point, about 660 million vaccine doses from now, some parts of life will return to normal. Still, professionals believe many of the impacts COVID made on home design will last.

“I think everything is going to be different,” says Ingraham. “People see that working from home is a viable option and people have re-evaluated the way they live.”

Scherr says that after months of isolation, people want to gather again at home.

“We’re seeing growth in additions because people want a home that’s more versatile, that has places for family to stay and spend time together,” he says.

Hopefully, the coronavirus pandemic is a once-in-a-lifetime event, all our designers agree, but it will be a while before we shake off the concern that something else could be just around the corner. Regardless of what the “new normal” is, we’ve forever deepened our relationship with our homes.

“People have been walking around asleep in their own homes,” says Sheryl McLean. “Now they’re aware of what they have.”

Rob Reese was ready for a career change. After spending most of his professional life in digital marketing, he wanted to use his skills to breathe new life into a business he could call his own. It turned out Alternate Worlds, the Baltimore County comic book store where he’d been shopping for the past 10 years, was listed for sale. When Reese saw the posting, he thought, “This is perfect, this is the kind of stuff I love!”

In October of 2019, Reese closed the deal on the store. He was excited to make changes to the shop—developing a logo and branding, expanding its offerings of toys, reconfiguring displays, and building up the store’s website and social media presence—and slowly saw his business progressing. He knew there was still a lot of work left to be done in order to grow. But there was one thing he couldn’t have predicted.

“I didn’t know a pandemic was coming,” he says with a chuckle. “I wish I would have put that into the equation.”

Much like restaurants, retail stores have had to adapt on the fly since March, after local governments ordered non-essential businesses to close their doors in order to slow the spread of COVID-19 and later allowed them to reopen with capacity restrictions.

Nationwide, only 45 percent of small retailers reported that their businesses were in good health, compared with 65 percent of small manufacturers and 67 percent of professional service businesses, such as law offices or accounting firms, according to a July survey conducted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and insurer MetLife.

While that number improved slightly in a survey taken by those companies during the winter holidays, 64 percent of retailers said they thought the worst of the pandemic was still to come.

The landscape is dotted with local institutions that, faced with sharp declines in sales, decided to close for good.

Unsurprisingly, the five area retailers we spoke with saw business decrease significantly during the time they were limited to curbside pickup or online orders. But with creative ideas, a renewed push online, some new merchandise, and strong community support, several have recovered and are staying afloat as the pandemic drags on. Others are still behind. Here are their stories.

→ ALTERNATE WORLDS

When Reese bought the business, the number of customers who would stop in every week to pick up their regular orders of comics was about 300. That fell by roughly 100 once the pandemic hit, he says, with so many people losing their jobs or some form of income.

A decision by some major publishers in the spring to pause new releases until struggling shops could reopen ended up being a lifeline. Under ordinary circumstances, orders for new titles are placed with a distributor months in advance and stores must pay for the number of issues they requested, whether they sell them or not. At least now, Reese wouldn’t have to pay for merchandise he didn’t move. (Disclosure: Baltimore magazine publisher Stephen A. Geppi owns Diamond Comic Distributors, the largest distributor in the industry. His company halted shipments of new comics in March.)

Meanwhile, Reese turned to social media to try to drum up business, hosting livestreams to talk about new lines or to unbox items and posting giveaways and raffles. He also offered shipping deals and put together mystery boxes filled with an assortment of comics, toys, and other products.

“People still want entertainment, whether it’s something to read or a game to play or some kind of toy that goes with The Mandalorian,” he says.

While those tools have been effective, foot traffic is down about 20 to 40 percent and sales during the final months of 2020 were down 30 to 40 percent compared to the same period last year, Reese notes.

The lack of customers has been particularly felt in the upper level of the store—now a ghost town—where there are tables and chairs set up for patrons to play games.

“That was a huge source of stress for me,” Reese says. “I know I’m paying rent for all this square footage I’m not even using.”

Reese’s landlord has been flexible on the timing of rent payments, but he knows the money will be due at some point. In the event of another shutdown, Reese says he will have to seriously think about reconfiguring his business and finding a place with less square footage. “I think I could survive in a smaller location focused on online sales and with less staff, unfortunately—that would be a possibility,” he says. “I still don’t think it would be easy.”

He laments, “If you had talked to me in October, November, December of [2019], I would’ve told you about all these amazing plans I had. Now I’m just happy if I can pay my rent each month.”

→ SANKOFA AFRICAN & WORLD BAZAAR

Esther Armstrong had big plans for 2020. After years spent planning, fundraising, and finding an ideal space, she relocated her beloved 26-year-old boutique, Sankofa African & World Bazaar, from Old Goucher to Park Heights and opened an adjoining nonprofit museum to teach children about African culture.

The museum launched on February 3, months after Armstrong reopened her shop, which sells clothing, jewelry, fabric, and art from the African continent, at its new location on Pimlico Road. By March, both were temporarily closed.

“I had no idea it was going to affect everything the way it has,” Armstrong says. “When we had our grand opening, we had a nice-sized crowd, nobody was thinking COVID.”

The store returned in July, but the museum remains closed. Customers have been slow to come back, Armstrong reports, with sales down by more than half. The store was briefly buoyed by the passage of the first federal relief package, the CARES Act, when people receiving unemployment benefits got an additional $600 per week, making it somewhat possible for them to splurge every now and then after taking care of basic needs. But once that added payment ended, Armstrong says, sales at Sankofa dropped again.

“Nobody is wearing the kind of clothes we carry because they are not going anywhere,” Armstrong says. But she and her husband, Jim Clemmer, who run both the store and museum after retiring from other careers, remain even-keeled.

“We’re going to keep putting one foot in front of the other and hope we survive and get to the other side in one piece,” Armstrong says. “And keep a smile on our face.”

→ KARMA

Teresa Blatchley has been in retail her entire adult life, starting with the Mount Airy jewelry store where she worked through high school and college. She opened her own store in Cockeysville, Teresa B. Gift & Home, but she sold that after three-and-a-half years. Still, retail was in her blood, so when an opportunity arrived in the form of a vacant storefront off Seminary Avenue in Lutherville, she couldn’t resist.

Her idea was to combine gifts and accessories with a well-curated selection of high-end consignment clothing.

“The concept inside the store was to not make you feel like you were in a consignment shop,” she says. “You would walk in and feel more like you were in an Anthropologie.”

She opened Karma in 2017. Business was humming along, then COVID-19 changed everything, eventually causing Blatchley to scrap her original vision altogether.

Even before the coronavirus was on anyone’s radar, she went into 2020 knowing Karma needed a working website, a task that was made more urgent as news of the outbreak spread. Blatchley decided to close the store in mid-March—days before Gov. Larry Hogan ordered non-essential businesses across the state to do the same—and launched the site.

Orders soon started flowing in for Easter, Mother’s Day, and school graduations, with customers now able to have their items shipped to their homes or available for curbside pickup. Staffers also put together bundles of gifts and personal care products, including care packages specially designed for front-line workers, that sold quickly.

High-end consignment, however, was hardly moving. “Nobody was going anywhere,” Blatchley says, echoing Armstrong’s remarks. “Nobody wanted to buy used clothing.”

As she moved to reopen the store with capacity limits in June, Blatchley looked at the amount of floor space taken up by consignment clothes and decided to pivot.
She reached out to dozens of vendors and quickly secured orders for the attire of the work-from-home era: joggers, hoodie sets—anything comfortable.

“I don’t have anything dressy at all right now. It’s just comfy casual loungewear,” she says with a laugh.

The change has been successful, Blatchley says. And with the recent closings of longtime favorites Stebbins Anderson, Watson’s, and Greetings and Readings, people looking to buy gifts for friends and loved ones have found their way to Karma, she notes.

Foot traffic and sales have actually picked up in 2020 compared to the previous year. Some people have told her they didn’t bother visiting Karma before this year because they thought it was just a consignment shop.

Of course, nothing about this has been easy or stress-free, particularly when you pile on the task of helping two of her three sons navigate virtual school.

“I am constantly worried,” Blatchley admits. “Every time I hear Hogan is going to speak, I think I’ve got to shut my doors again, or it’s just a matter of time.

“I’m always stressing that we have an extra person in the store, there’s too many people, or we didn’t sanitize a basket. And my mind is constantly thinking, when does this end?”

→ BRIGHTSIDE BOUTIQUE

Since opening in 2012, Brightside Boutique has been one of the more notable success stories in local retail. Brightside has expanded from its original Federal Hill store to Fells Point, Hampden, and Annapolis. Earlier this year, owner Christie Vazquez was at the opening of Brightside’s fifth location, in the Shaw neighborhood of Washington, D.C., when she heard about Italy’s shutdown due to the coronavirus.

Vazquez founded her business to introduce the work of up-and-coming designers from New York and L.A. to Baltimore shoppers and to create an in-store experience worth the visit. Even before state officials shut things down in March, Vazquez noticed fewer customers were coming in as they braced for the spread of the virus in the U.S.

Once the shutdown was ordered, Vazquez recalls telling her employees, “Moving forward, we are an online store now, we’re no longer a brick-and-mortar.”

Vazquez and her staff found creative ways to market and sell the cold-weather items still in stock. Then they had to figure out what their customers would want to buy online during the lockdown. Out with the dresses and rompers they would normally order for spring and summer, in with athleisure and loungewear.

Compared to 2019, sales will be down overall, but Vazquez says business has rebounded since all five locations have been able to reopen, despite caps on the number of people inside.

She now has more employees than she did before COVID in order to keep the web operation humming along.

“I haven’t woken up in a relaxed mood since [last] March,” says Vazquez. “I wake up every day scared, and I don’t know what’s going on and I don’t know what we’re doing. But if you continue to show up, and you continue to work extremely hard, and you don’t give up, your customers see that, and they show up.”

In the event of another wave of government-ordered closures, Vazquez feels confident that she has found a strategy that works.

“I’m not going to say it wasn’t challenging—this has been an emotional ride for everybody,” she says. “But we kept that positive attitude, and I think that’s how we made it through this year.”

→ NORMAL’S BOOKS AND RECORDS

Just before lockdown, Normal’s co-owner Rupert Wondolowski drove to New Jersey to check out a record collection owned by a longtime customer who didn’t want to have to sell each album on Discogs or some other site.

“I knew how good his taste was, so I said, ‘I will happily drive to you and work out a really good deal,’” he recalls.

After local governments issued lockdown orders, the timing proved fortuitous. Wondolowski was able to sort through the records and sell titles through social media during the end of March and April.

“That record buy definitely saved our March,” he says.

The staff at Normal’s, a mecca for independent art and literature, was set to celebrate its 30th birthday this year with music and other festivities. Instead, they’ll have to wait for the 31st. But a T-shirt marking the big 3-0, designed by local musician Owen Gardner, allowed people to celebrate the milestone and support the Waverly mainstay. The shutdown from March to June is the longest period of time that Normal’s has been closed since its opening in 1990.

During that time, Wondolowski also curated “mystery boxes,” an idea suggested by a friend in Albuquerque and inspired by another friend who PayPal-ed $100 to Wondolowski, sent a list of artists and genres she likes, and simply said, “Surprise me.”

The mystery boxes were a hit. Normal’s sold a couple hundred and, as part of a website overhaul, is adding a button for people to order one of their own.

Even with those successes, revenue was significantly down in March and April, and there was concern about falling behind on rent and utilities. Business has picked back up since Normal’s reopened in June, first by appointment only and then gradually five days a week with a cap on the number of customers in the store.

Luckily, buying trends have helped Normal’s survive. Vinyl records have been surging in popularity for a long time, and Wondolowski says he’s seen a similar spike in interest for physical copies of books, years after e-readers were supposed to make them irrelevant.

And with people no longer able spend money on nights out, Baltimoreans are sheltering at home with a good book or album. The customers who have shopped at Normal’s throughout its three-decade run have made sure to show support, too.

“I’ve felt very loved and appreciated through COVID,” Wondolowski says. “It really felt like people stepped up and made sure we knew that they cared.”

Wondolowski, an author and musician himself, currently performing with Liz Downing and Greg Hatem in the avant-garde folk group Mole Suit Choir, used to describe his writing style as “absurdo-miserablism.” Not exactly optimistic, in other words.

But he recalls a recent conversation with musician and Normal’s co-owner John Berndt, who pointed out that Wondolowski’s response to the pandemic has been uncharacteristically upbeat.

“I have to say, it kind of has,” Wondolowski acknowledges. “I feel like I’m definitely stronger than I thought I was.”

We’re spending all this time at home, so why are some of us more stressed than ever? Mental health experts say it’s important to periodically unplug, unwind, and check in with ourselves. So, no matter what the stresses—kids, boss, spouse, you name it—schedule some “me time.” Here are a few locally made items to get you started.

This spring, when the coronavirus led to an influx of patients in hospitals across the country and the closure of schools to curb the pandemic’s spread, Lacey Harris, a nurse at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, found herself, like many parents across America, unsure of what to do with her 6-year-old son. In the absence of a classroom, she turned to her Pasadena branch of the Y of Central Maryland, enrolling Johnathan in the nonprofit’s first responder’s emergency program, which offered childcare for essential workers, and later its academic support center, which provided assistance with online learning.

“It was a big relief not having to worry about calling family members and shuffling to find childcare last minute,” says Harris. “It was a smooth transition from one program to the next.”

In the face of COVID-19, the Y of Central Maryland has continued its mission of supporting community needs, from food drives to elderly assistance. Newly established academic support centers at the family-based organization have been especially helpful, with the push toward online learning putting immense strain on children and their parents or caretakers, be it due to juggling work schedules or a lack of access to laptops or Wi-Fi, particularly among community members of color and those living in areas with high concentrations of poverty.

“We needed to approach this through an equity lens,” says Derryck Fletcher, (pictured above), senior vice president of youth development for the Y, who leads related programming and notes that children in food-insecure households usually receive all three meals at school. Parents also expressed the need for their kids to socially engage and establish a sense of normalcy.

When the centers launched last August, “A lot of kids that came to us had been in their houses with very limited interaction since March,” says Dana Ashley, vice president of youth operations, who works with Fletcher. “The children were suffering.”

There are now 25 centers, from Baltimore City to Anne Arundel County, that work with children ages 5 through 12, with some 750 young people currently enrolled. Each location is run by experienced staff who monitor and assist socially distanced groups of no more than 12 students in classroom-like environments. The kids bring their laptops, headphones, and school supplies to assigned tables, where they log into class. They get afternoon recess, as well as snacks and homework help, plus activities such as board games, puzzles, and even yoga and swimming. Partnerships with select schools also provide opportunities for free breakfast and lunch.

“To me, it would be insane to think [parents] would be able to do all that by themselves,” says Sara Milstein, chief marketing officer for the Y. “Young children were not made to sit in front of computers all day long. It’s just completely antithetical to what childhood is all about.”

As of press time, the spring semester remained in limbo, with a ransomware attack throwing a curveball in Baltimore County’s hybrid education plan, while the city’s public system moved forward with reopening most schools, being one of the few jurisdictions to do so despite a rise in COVID-19 cases. The Y has only had a number of isolated cases since the program’s launch. Students have daily temperature checks and are monitored for symptoms.

Fletcher and his colleagues hope to find local and national funding to keep the program going for as long as it is needed. “Families are getting what they need,” he says. “We’re affording working parents the opportunity to go to work and not have to worry about their kids during the day.”