In her 43 years, Paige Stamerro has held a variety of jobs, including teaching English to sixth-graders, dabbling in corporate public relations and marketing, serving as a Starbucks barista, and most recently working in commercial real estate. Last August, she added owner of The Stoop coffee shop to her résumé.

The spot, formerly a Zeke’s Coffee, is conveniently located just a half block away from Stamerro’s Pigtown residence. “I wanted The Stoop to feel like a ‘third place,’” says Stamerro. “The third place is the idea of it being like the bar from the TV show Cheers, where everyone knows your name, and I wanted to create that in my own neighborhood.”

What made you want to open a coffee shop?
We loved having a coffee shop in our neighborhood. We were in New Orleans sitting in a hot tub when we learned Zeke’s was closing. As a Realtor, I was thinking about what else could go there—and a coffee shop was the only thing that made sense. Because of my professional background, I had been able to look at the financials of the business and I have the connections in this community. I decided we had to open a coffee shop.

What is the mission of The Stoop?
It is truly a community spot. We are a radically inclusive space. People think “radically inclusive” means I am Red Emma’s, but it means that anyone should feel comfortable coming in. This is a community space for everyone—I cannot stand a bubble and I don’t think that’s healthy for anyone.

In my 20s, I was a radical burn-it-all-down revolutionary, but my time in corporate and commercial real estate made me realize that the only way forward is across the bridge. When people feel isolated and don’t feel they can have a place to even open their mouths, they go online to find people who agree with them—that creates these islands.

Where did the name come from?
We got to know our neighbor’s son really well—he was Muslim and had tons of theological background. He and my husband, who has a lot of progressive Christian views, would sit out on the stoop and have drinks and smoke for hours. And that idea of stoop life dug into my brain. I was like, “These connections can happen and cross all sorts of different lines.”

When I began to write down the mission for this space, I referred to it as “the coffee shop.” When I started to talk about it, I was like, “I wish I could just call it ‘The Stoop.’” My girlfriend was like, “That’s the perfect name.” So it stuck.

Tell me a little bit about the menu.
We still serve Zeke’s Coffee, but we replaced the baked goods because they were using pre-packaged vendors at the Pigtown location. But the vendor Zeke’s uses at their Harford Road location is Bluebird Bakery, so we use them. They’re inside Zeke’s and upstairs. They make these wonderful baked goods. For anyone coming in, I would tell them to always check out any new special. We just got a PBJ croissant yesterday that’s delicious. We also have these jumbo almond croissants and a little 3 1/2-inch personal quiche, including mushroom Gruyère and salmon and dill versions. They are rich and decadent.

Any advice to your younger self about starting a business?
If you’re going to make this jump to small-business ownership and hospitality, you have to have a hold on your inner peace. No good decisions are made from chaos.

Beautifully wrapped gifts are always welcome during the holiday season. But what about after the gifts have been opened and you’re left with a pile of ribbon, gift wrap, and tissue paper? We talk to Nancy Hotchkiss, director of SCRAP B-more, a creative reuse center in Pigtown, about inventive ways to stay eco-conscious while wrapping this holiday season.

What are the effects of gift-wrapping waste during the holiday season?
In the U.S., around 2.6-billion pounds of wrapping paper are thrown away annually and it takes years to decompose. Especially wrapping paper that is used during the holiday season because it often contains metallic details and splashes of glitter, which can’t be recycled. I encourage people to think about wrapping alternatives because it’s a great way to illustrate your own creativity while making the gift even more special for the recipient.

What are some eco-friendly materials we can use to wrap gifts?
You can use old newspapers, maps, butcher paper, or even old pages of your notebook. There are also a lot of clever vessels for gifts like Mason jars, old coffee bags, and rice bags. You could even make your own gift bags using fabric from old linens or upholstery samples and three quick stitches. Or if you’re really good, you could crochet a cover for your present. Adding a homemade element to any gift makes it feel more special and thought out.

What are some simple changes to make your gift wrapping more sustainable?
You can ditch bows that are usually metallic and a recycling nightmare and add in a natural element like cinnamon sticks, a rosemary sprig, or pine cones. Some things just look absolutely lovely on their own. Magnolia leaves are so gorgeous and effortless. You can also swap out gift labels with recycled materials. My family would always take old Christmas cards and cut off the front, which had the good artwork, and use that as the label for the gift. The best part of all of these more-sustainable choices is that they can become a craft for the family.

What should we make sure we do after opening gifts to better benefit the environment?
I would remind people to double check what they are throwing away. When Scotch Tape and adhesives or other non-recyclable things are left on the wrapping paper, it lowers the grade of the recycling, which could lead to the difference of whether the city is getting money or having to pay for it. You can also be mindful when opening your gifts to not completely rip them apart but gently unwrap them and fold the paper into storage for the next year. It’s all about keeping in mind new ways we can reuse things in the future.

WHAT YOU NEED:

CREATIVE CONCEPT: Think outside the box—literally. There are so many creative ways to go beyond traditional wrapping.

MATERIALS MATTER: Go through your storage closets and junk drawers. Odds are, you have plenty of materials that you could use.

SHARP EYE: For recycling purposes, be sure when tossing holiday waste that there are no tapes or adhesives still stuck to the paper.

Sports bars are ubiquitous in a city like Baltimore, with our passionate fan base for the Orioles and Ravens. Yet in Pigtown, a neighborhood close enough the stadiums that you can almost hear the roar of the crowd, they’re curiously scarce.

Enter Flock, a new gathering place for football and baseball diehards that opened in February. The concept is a partnership between Alex Aaron, the CEO of Blank Slate, the Baltimore-based development company that bought the building, and Mark Anthony Walker, the founder and CEO of the local Sphere Restaurant Group.

“This was a unique opportunity,” Aaron says of the establishment, which occupies the former home of Pigtown Ale House. “When we acquired the property, our original intention was to lease it to a restaurateur to create new energy.”

Instead, the building owner and the restaurateur decided to partner up to create what Aaron calls “a fresh concept in the community.”

Flock, which features a black and purple scheme, is located on Washington Boulevard directly across the street from Carroll Park, about a mile from M&T Bank Stadium. When we checked it out in the summer, the Orioles were flying high and their game against the Cubs was on the TVs behind the bar. It was happy hour, and the small main dining room and bar were crowded with families and young professionals.

Many were undoubtedly drawn by Flock’s formidable happy hour menu, which includes $8 signature cocktails, $6 rail drinks and select wines, $5 purple passion shots, and a plethora of food options.

We started with a Bmore Tails, made with tequila and peach, lime, and orange juices. It was refreshing and retained its bite despite the natural sweetness of the juice. Next came a Baltimore Manhattan, a curious combination of bourbon, red wine, and orange juice garnished with a cherry. It’s not for traditionalists, but we happily polished it off.

Caribbean and American Southern influences permeate the food menu. Rasta pasta, blackened salmon, and a catfish sandwich are available, as is more standard sports bar fare like wings and sliders.

Among the most popular items is the Flock burger, a six-ounce patty served with cheddar cheese, onion jam, and a house-made barbecue sauce called 1415. It was cooked exactly as we ordered (medium) and served with hand-cut fries. An excellent meal for before a game, during one, or after. The jerk chicken was adequately spicy and accompanied by roasted Brussels sprouts, which were solid. Only the shrimp po’ boy—too much bread, not enough of everything else—fell short.

Integrating Flock into the community is important to Aaron and Walker, and the second-floor event space has hosted birthday parties, networking get-togethers, and Citizens of Pigtown meetings. Flock, Aaron stresses, is a place for everyone (though we have a hunch that on this night O’s fans were in the majority), and as we walked out into the night after a great experience, we passed yet another group of people heading in.

When Kim Lane was 20 years old, a friend living in Baltimore sent her a copy of the City Paper. Lane knew that Baltimore was where she needed to be. So she packed up her ’82 Honda Civic, and with $700 in her pocket, drove to this fair city from New York and never looked back.

Lane, who had already been working for nonprofits, started at Maryland Citizen Action. By the time she was 28, she was the executive director of the Washington Village-Pigtown Neighborhood Planning Council, a community development organization.

Although she would go on to work at other nonprofits, Pigtown was always in her heart. Five years ago, she returned when Pigtown Main Street was looking for an interim director. She went on to become permanent executive director.

“It felt like coming home,” she says. Pigtown Main Street, Lane explains, is an economic and community development nonprofit organization. “We do everything from working with businesses, supporting them in every way possible, to attracting businesses,” she says. “Pigtown is a diverse place.”

The group is intentional, though, to make sure that all the new businesses meet the community’s needs. For example, a local barbershop offers sliding scale or free haircuts to single parents for their kids. That helps the community. But so does having breweries like Wico Street Beer Co., that draw people from outside the area, ultimately helping Pigtown with its goal to increase homeownership.

“I think of myself as a facilitator and a fundraiser. When I say ‘we,’ it doesn’t only mean Pigtown Main Street; it means everybody we work with—hundreds of volunteers, community associations, business owners, homeowners, and property owners,” says Lane. “I love being able to do a lot of small things that have a big impact. My work here is not a job. I truly love it. It’s a life for me.”

Stacy Stube was living the dream. In 2009, after graduating from the University of Baltimore, she moved to London to pursue a degree in Fashion Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Her goal was to one day launch a fashion company with a social conscience, one that would give back to local communities.

After 13 years working in management for various brands, such as Burberry and Alexander McQueen, she headed to her native Bali for education and inspiration. As an Indonesian-American, Stube was fascinated by the textile artistry of the Balinese. Studying with the local artisans, she experienced first-hand how painstakingly difficult it was to preserve traditional craftsmanship. But she wanted to keep that tradition alive. It was there that she built her brand, Elsa Fitzgerald, an evening womenswear line.

In 2019, Stube headed back to Baltimore, where she volunteered at the Baltimore Museum of Industry, working in the garment loft and giving visitors a glimpse into the life of a fashion designer. While at the museum, “I started to look at Hutzler’s, old Baltimore, the heritage—F. Scott Fitzgerald lived here, Billie Holliday, interesting and talented individuals who were inspired by the city,” she says. “That gave me my new starting point.”

Through her time at the museum, it became Stube’s mission to revitalize Baltimore’s textile work.

“We need some type of fashion that is mindful and full-bodied—like farm-to-table but from factory-to-boutique,” she explains.

With that in mind, she launched the SEW BROMO fashion heritage and needle trade school in March 2021. Located in a former factory in Pigtown, the school offers classes where you can learn a range of industry basics, from sewing techniques to entrepreneurship training. At the studio, budding designers can learn to develop their products from Stube and other experts and graduate with a sample run of garments to bring to market.

In the not-too-distant future, Stube says, SEW BROMO will offer monthly online memberships that will provide regularly uploaded content, including video walk-throughs of trade skills, on the studio’s Facebook group and member portal page.

For Stube, SEW BROMO offers a chance to merge the past and the present. “A big part of the work is to expand it to a fun and interesting space,” she says, “but we don’t want these [artisanal] skills to die.”

Every neighborhood deserves a good bookstore—a place where kids and adults alike can find their next read, hear from their favorite local author, and talk with fellow bibliophiles. That sense of community is what inspired local actress and author Daven Ralston and her husband, Joseph Carlson, to open Charm City Books, a two-story independent bookshop that is the first of its kind in Pigtown. “All of my best memories as a kid had to do with books,” says Ralston, reflecting on her bookstore-ownership origin story.

With their combined experience as actors, musicians, and teachers in the Baltimore area, she and Carlson are keen on making Charm City Books a hub for creatives. Operating out of a former Baltimore Police Department substation on the neighborhood’s main strip, the month-old shop is the multipurpose community space that the couple has been dreaming of opening for several years.

The first floor’s bookshelves—stacked with general interest books, with special attention to those penned by marginalized voices—can be easily moved to convert the room into a performance area. Upstairs, the shop’s second floor features plenty of room for all kinds of gatherings and events, including everything from live music sets to early childhood development workshops. “People don’t just go in to buy things,” Ralston says. “They go in for the community feel and the curation.”

“In general, we want to end up being what the community needs,” says Ralston. They hope to eventually increase the number of bookings in the performance areas and become a community meeting place in a district hungry for lively spaces. For now, the bookstore will focus on bringing great books, as well as literary and performing arts programming, to the area. “The neighborhood has a really strong sense of their history, and it’s very special,” Ralston says. “Everybody wants to help each other. You don’t get that everywhere.”

You’ve likely been to Baltimore’s beloved Squeakness during the annual Pigtown Festival, but these days, the Southwest Baltimore neighborhood is much more than tiny porkers running around a racetrack. Pigtown, also known as Washington Village, is quickly becoming a hip place to be thanks to affordable housing, easy parking, and proximity to downtown and major highways. 

Best of all is its community feel. Long-time residents mingle with young families and local students. Old barbershops, hair salons, and liquor stores live on, and a new batch of businesses fills Washington Boulevard with a fresh bustle of foot traffic. Now’s the time to head to SoWeBo, because this small ’hood might just be the next big thing.

1. Culinary Architecture: This adorable market-café-caterer is a one-stop shop for all things delicious, with local food goods for sale, slam-dunk sandwiches for snacks, and browse-able cookbooks for your inner epicurean. 767 Washington Blvd.

2. Ebenezer Ethiopian Restaurant: Rated by Yelp as the best Ethiopian restaurant in Baltimore, and even recently visited by the one and only Queen Latifah, this tiny ethnic eatery where you can dine in or carry out is free of frills but full of rich African flavor. 821 Washington Blvd.

3. Nick’s Rotisserie: This soul-food mainstay is the place to go for saliva-inducing Southern staples such as slow-cooked chicken, macaroni and cheese, and savory collard greens. 813 Washington Blvd.

4. Café Jovial: This cozy coffee shop is a neighborhood favorite for handcrafted espresso drinks, comforting breakfast options (hello, Belgian waffles), and a front window for reading the paper and watching the world go by. 784 Washington Blvd.

5. Suspended Brewing Company: We’re proud to welcome this new addition to Baltimore’s booming craft beer industry. Starting this fall, suds lovers can expect creative microbrews in a beautiful former church. 912 Washington Blvd.

6. B&O Railroad Museum: Learn all about trains, tracks, and technology at the B&O, best known as the birthplace of American railroading. 901 W. Pratt St. 

7. Enoch Pratt Free Library: At the Pratt’s Washington Village Branch, check out books, sit in on discussions, and bring the kids for after-school activities. 856 Washington Blvd.

8. Carroll Park: Soak up the sun in Baltimore’s third-oldest park, equipped with rolling green hills, a skate park, a golf course, and the historic Mount Clare estate. 2100 Washington Blvd.

9. Ripp’d Canvas: This brand-new tattoo parlor and gallery space is the South Baltimore spot to admire local art or even get a work of your very own. 801 Washington Blvd.

10. Mobtown Ballroom: This 19th-century church-turned-concert hall is a hoppin’ home to swing dances, burlesque performances, and jazz concerts with an old-time feel. 861 Washington Blvd.

11. Lithuanian Hall: On first Fridays, the basement of Lith Hall, located just a short scramble north in Hollins Market, turns into a funky get-down during its Save Your Soul dance parties. 851 Hollins St.

12. Pigtown Horseshoe Pit: This pocket park comes with a pair of metal stakes for rounds of horseshoe (though you have to BYO shoes). Join a tournament and admire the rowhome mural featuring three men engaged in the old-school game. 1217 Bayard St.

13. Thrift: Between Housewerks Salvage and Second Chance, bring Architectural Digest and your dream home to life at these treasure-trove warehouses filled with reclaimed home goods, overlooked antiques, and forgotten art. 1415 Bayard St. & 1700 Ridgley St.

14. Sports: Whether it’s the high heat of summer or dead cold of winter, head east to Camden Yards or M&T Bank Stadium to support our boys in orange and purple. 333 W. Camden St & 1101 Russell St.

15. Pigtown Ale House: With local beers and an upcoming burger bar, this new watering hole is sure to become a staple, located just a stone’s throw from Carroll Park. 1415 Washington Blvd.

When the first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970, America’s natural landscape seemed under siege. There was not yet an EPA, and key environmental regulations like the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act were in their infancies. The previous year, in Ohio, an oil spill—and decades of unchecked pollution—caused the Cuyahoga River to catch fire, and not even for the first time. Here in Maryland, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation was just two years old. We’ve come a long way since then—or maybe we haven’t—but one thing is for sure, it’s always a good idea to spend some time in nature. So whether that means a hike in the woods, attending a street festival, or rolling up your sleeves for a stream cleanup, we’ve got an local Earth Day event to help you connect with Mother Earth. 

Cleanup Events 

Patterson Park hosts a park cleanup beginning at 9 a.m. Participants should meet at the white house prepared to mulch trees, pick up trash and leaves, garden, and edge walkways.

Oregon Ridge Nature Center marks Earth Day with a “Love Your Mother Earth” celebration with trail cleanup and a tree-hugging contest complete with prizes. Event is free and runs Saturday and Sunday from 1-3 p.m. 

Carrie Murray Nature Center in Leakin Park will host an all-ages “Clean up the Gwynns Falls Trail” event on Saturday from 12-2 p.m. 

Civic Works, a local job-training and sustainability nonprofit, invites volunteers to its campus in Clifton Park for several Earth Day activities from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Volunteers can help mulch pathways, plant new trees, remove invasive plants, build a pollinator garden, or assemble decorative mosaic stepping stones.    

Druid Hill Park will host its monthly 4th Saturday workday from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Come prepared to clear debris/leaves/trash off the paths and mulch a garden (in preparation for next weekend’s Charm City Bluegrass Festival). 

Pigtown will host its 5th annual Bloom the Boulevard on Saturday from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Attendees are invited to help collect litter, plant flowers and trees, and spread mulch along the 700-1300 blocks of Washington Boulevard. Participation will earn you a $10 credit toward your city stormwater fee, and there will be an after party at Cheat Day Bar & Grill.

Blue Water Baltimore, Baltimore City’s watershed watchdog group, will host several events, including a cleanup at Herring Run Park on Saturday, from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. and a make-your-own rain barrel workshop at Herring Run Nursery from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.  

Many of these cleanup events are part of Project Clean Stream, a bay-wide effort to collect 100,000 pounds of trash from local waterways by June 9. Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay has an interactive map that lists all area cleanup sites and events. 

And next weekend, on April 29 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m., is the Mayor’s annual Spring Cleanup. Participating residents can earn credits toward their stormwater fee. Communities and individuals are encouraged to register by calling 311.   

Plant Sales

Concurrent with Pigtown’s Bloom the Boulevard, the neighborhood will host its annual Flower Sale offering annuals and perennials for gardens or planters. Everything is under $7. 

Herring Run Nursery is Blue Water Baltimore’s native plant nursery, and a great local resource for eco-conscious gardeners. In honor of Earth Day, the nursery will be giving away native species of trees to its customers on Saturday morning (while supplies last). There will also be 250 native species of trees, shrubs, vines, flowers, and plants for sale. Hours are 10 a.m.-3 p.m. 

Festivals

University of Maryland Baltimore is throwing its 2nd annual Neighborhood Spring Festival, Saturday, April 22, 2017, on the 800 Block of W. Baltimore Street, from 11a.m.-2 p.m. Festivities will include live music and dance performances, taekwondo and outdoor zumba, local food and craft vendors, and Earth Day activities, as well as free health and dental screenings, HIV and Hepatitis C testing, mental health resources, and legal advice. 

Hikes 

Scenic Rivers Land Trust and the Anne Arundel County Department of Recreation and Parks are partnering for the 12th Annual Walk for the Woods on Saturday. From 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., the public is invited to the Bacon Ridge Natural Area in Crownsville for feature guided hikes, educational programming, and a chance to explore the county owned property that is not always open to the public. The event is free and dogs are welcome after 10 a.m. Rain date is Sunday, April 23. 

Kids

After the grownups finish tidying up Patterson Park, kids can convene at the playground at 10 a.m. for fun and games. 

Francis Scott Key Elementary/Middle School in Locust Point will host a free Earth Day Mommy and Me class on Saturday from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. The event is geared toward children ages 2-5 who are not already enrolled in the school. There will be a craft, snack, and playground activities.