Radebaugh Florist & Greenhouses sits in the same spot it always has for the last century—the corner of Burke and Aigburth in Towson. So when the business turned 100 in 2024, Kaitlin Radebaugh, four years into her tenure as president and the first woman in her family to lead the company, decided it was time for a refresh.

“We had our centennial, which was awesome,” she says on a bright but chilly day in mid-February. “It’s great to have been here for 100 years, but I felt like we just weren’t reflecting exactly what we were doing.”

The Radebaugh campus includes a green-house for selling houseplants, annuals, herbs, and perennials as well as garden tools, fertilizers, and other outdoor accessories. Inside the house, with its new green-and-white striped awning, is the flower shop—don’t even try looking for a parking spot during prom season—and over the decades it’s also turned into a gift boutique stocked with cards, jewelry, candles, housewares, and accessories. There’s also Flowers & Ice, their seasonal snowball stand, which is a neighborhood hit during the summer.

All of these individual parts worked perfectly, but not always in conjunction. So, one of Radebaugh’s main goals for the renovation was to create a better connection between the greenhouse and the gift shop.

“It’s wild because there are shop people and they’re like, ‘You have a greenhouse?’ Or there’s people who shop the greenhouse for years and have never been in the shop. They’re plant people. And I guess they just thought, like, I don’t know, it’s just cut flowers inside. We’re just trying to make it a little bit more fluid.”

The renovation is also out of necessity. The once powerful greenhouse doesn’t hold as much sway anymore. “That’s changed based on generations,” she says. “The younger generation doesn’t quite garden the way the older generation did. Instead, they love indoor plants, which is great—the funkier and weirder the better.”

They also get a lot of Towson University students who are looking less for heirloom tomato plants and more for snake plants and philodendron for their apartments and dorm rooms. That meant a lot of the greenhouse was underutilized, which started Radebaugh thinking about what else she could use the greenhouse for.

“Let’s make this space more available to the public,” she thought. “Let’s have events, let’s do birthday parties, let’s bring people in.”

That’s how the renovation took shape. “We needed bathrooms, we needed to make structural changes to make it more feasible because we’ve been here so long. These are old buildings—so it’s a big endeavor.”

And since they were planning on hosting events, they had to get creative, like a durable check-out station that can double as a bar.

When her great-great-grandfather, George, started Radebaugh, he probably never imagined cocktail parties one day taking place in his greenhouses. The first two greenhouses were constructed in 1928. Next, they were able to purchase the house next door—that’s where Kaitlin Radebaugh’s father grew up. (Her general manager now lives there.) Eventually they would own other houses in and around the area.

“They all lived on the property as the generations grew,” says Radebaugh.

Those continuing the family business were mostly the men in the family. After George came his sons, Carroll and Joe. Carroll was Radebaugh’s grandfather. And then eventually her dad, Steve.

A 48,000-square-foot greenhouse was constructed on the family farm in Freeland in 1985, which allowed the business to meet the demand for potted annuals, Easter lilies, and poinsettias for their retail greenhouse, as well as for all their wholesale customers. In 1988, a 10,000-square-foot flower design center was built just down the street from the original Radebaugh. Still in operation, it houses a processing room, design  area, delivery facilities, and plenty of refrigeration space for flowers needed for weddings, funerals, and other big design purposes.

“I feel like every generation did big things,” says Radebaugh. “Everyone was doing something, whether it was purchasing land or putting up greenhouses or the design center.”

The third-generation owners included not only her dad but her three uncles, Joe Jr., Doug, and Ned, who took over their half of the business from their father, Joe. “And now it’s just me, the fourth,” she says.

Yes, Radebaugh grew up in and around the family business—she remembers making fruit baskets at Christmas—“but it was kind of a boy’s club. It was always run by men, and I think I just couldn’t ever see that I would have a place here.”

She went to college and got a business degree. “I had been out of school for several years before my dad asked me to come back. And he didn’t ask me to come back in the sense that he thought I was going to take over.” Instead, he wanted her help with marketing—her area of expertise. “So that’s when I came back and then it kind of evolved over a series of events. But I’m certainly very happy that it did.”

But it’s a lot to manage, she admits. “There’s definitely a lot of moving parts. The bulk of our business is perishable, right? We’re growing stuff. We’re importing stuff from Ecuador and Canada. So, it’s a lot to watch over.”

The shop renovation was a nice break, a chance for her to mix some feminine energy with the family business. Designer Stephanie Bradshaw, who also oversaw the complete rebrand and greenhouse space renovation, wanted the shop to both feel fresh while also paying homage to the history.

“It’s so fun and welcoming, right?” says Radebaugh. “You walk in and it’s warm and visually beautiful and then you hit the lavender wallpaper,” she says gesturing behind the check-out counter at the Queen’s Lace wallpaper.

“This was the starting point,” says Bradshaw. “I saw this paper, and I was like, ‘It’s so delicate, so lovely, and Kaitlin is so lovely.’ She’s the new female CEO, it was really kind of embodying this sense of a refreshing breath of fresh air, reimagined, soft but still calming.”

The entire space now features six different wallpapers, a spectacular tulip chandelier in a new consultation area, and lots of surprising paint hues including persimmon and Isle of Pines, a moody saturated green.

“We really wanted it to be a space where everybody felt welcome, and the community would continue to come,” says Bradshaw, who felt especially honored to be working with a legacy brand. “It’s like a dream to come in and have all these colors playing joyfully together in one space. It’s a little escape.”

Back inside the greenhouse, Radebaugh is greeted by shop dog Bonnie, a big, gentle yellow Lab. The greenhouse, where you can get mucky and wet by day but can seamlessly transform into a vibrant party room at night, represents the two sides of Radebaugh Florist & Greenhouses—and of Radebaugh herself.

It feels good to walk around and be reminded of all the changes that have occurred under her leadership.

“I don’t think I do a great job of being like, ‘Look at all the things we did,’” says Radebaugh. “I’m usually just in it.”

A Creative Evolution: I think my home, like most people’s homes, evolves with our family. Navigating life with a toddler is very different from life as an empty nester. Time, patience, and budget are drastically different at those times and that has probably been the biggest life lesson for me when it comes to creating a home—your house gets to reflect you and where you are in life, and that’s a good thing.

A Room With A View: Typically, my favorite room is whichever one I have just updated. The way the house is laid out, you can stand in the kitchen and see through to the dining room and living room, and I often smile when I get that long view because while the rooms serve different purposes, they all speak to each other.

The front room many would consider small, just 11-by-12 feet, and has been a preschooler’s playroom, a homework station, a spare bedroom, and now my home office. The windows fill the space with natural light and many of my plants thrive there. Someone asked if I had too many plants, and my answer was, “Define too many.” There are currently 53, including a Schlumbergera truncata that is almost 30 years old.

Merry-land: I am a Marylander through and through. Both of my parents were born here. When my brother and I were born, my parents wanted us to grow up more rurally, and we spent most of our childhood in Carroll County. I left for college and swore I would never come back. But I moved back in my late 20s and bought a house near Patterson Park through the Patterson Park Community Development Corp. After my son was born, we moved to Idlewylde and have lived here for almost 20 years.

The Art of Upcycling: In the front room of my house is a large brown leather couch. I knew it needed a bit more structure and wanted to find a way to add elements of an heirloom Hudson Bay blanket. The blanket was gifted to me by my Aunt Eleanor in the 1980s and I used it for years, taking it from college dorms to NYC apartments and my first home in Baltimore.

I noticed it was started to show its age and put it away “for safe keeping.” But beautiful family heirlooms don’t belong tucked away in a box in the closet. The dynamic team of upholsterers at Savoir Chair helped bring my idea to life and transformed my sketches into the perfect additions to the couch.

Travel Near and Far: We are a family that loves to travel, and our home is filled with nods to our adventures, from the collection of whimsical magnets to artwork to the bowl of small rocks we’ve picked up along the way.

I was raised to be curious, to ask questions, and to explore, and I was intentional about raising my son the same way. Our home is filled with things that enable curiosity while also being a comfortable hideaway, a place to rest when the world is too much.

As a first-year college student, Vlado Petrovski, co-owner of Baltoz Bakery in the Towson neighborhood of Anneslie, was studying art and architecture in Rome when he fell in love with the local pizza.

“Pizza has been part of my life since I can remember,” says Petrovski. “I always made it at home, but when I went to Rome and had it there, it was next-level pizza—it blew my mind. They make a pizza rosa there that’s just a little tomato and bread and olive oil and little else. I remember eating that for a month and a half every day and went home and started making it myself.”

In 2012, the Macedonian-born artist traveled to America to study at the Columbus College of Art and Design in Ohio, where his grandparents lived. While still a student, he staged for the high-profile restaurant group Cameron Mitchell. In 2016, he came to Baltimore for graduate school to study painting at the Maryland Institute College of Art, all the while working in his other favorite medium—the art of pizza-making.

While Petrovski has continued to pursue painting at his studio in Station North, he opened Baltoz in February, along with his life and business partner, Redeat Assefa.

“Opening my own place was partly impulsive, partly organized,” says Petrovski, “but it all came together like a crescendo.”

Is there a connection between painting and pizza-making?
When I started improvising and making the dough, I would get different results, and that still happens, depending on the conditions. If something isn’t working the way I want it to, I work until I get the results I want, which is a lot like painting. I can work on a surface sometimes for a month—or even years. Suddenly, you get this moment of, “Oh, that’s what I needed.” Sometimes it’s a simple mark, other times it’s like a whole picture is wiped out. You do it until you bring it to a natural conclusion.

What sets your pizza apart?
I want to use the best possible ingredients that are easy on the stomach and super digestible. Most of the things we make have two or three ingredients maximum. I want to share with people what I like to eat at home—that was one of the strong intentions that we had when we first opened the store, and we will never stop doing that.

What’s your favorite pizza on the menu?
I love spicy food, which is why there’s a spicy margherita pizza on the menu. I grew up vegan—I was never introduced to dairy until I was in college—so my favorite pizza is a tomato pie. The first time I ever tried cheese was on cheese pizza in New York City, which is how I fell in love with New York pizza. We don’t have a tomato pie, but you can order the margherita without the cheese.

What’s the story behind the name of your business?
The name Baltoz came from a book called Balto—Disney made a movie out of it. I added the “z” because I liked the way it sounded. It’s about a dog that delivered medicine [to save children with diphtheria] for an expedition across Alaska. It stuck with me. Balto is this underdog—and that’s how my journey started with this bakery.

While still in middle school, Hannah Seidman attended a cooking camp run by chef Nancy Longo of Pierpoint Restaurant and fell in love with kitchen life. “Nancy saw how excited I was,” recalls Seidman, now 27, “and she offered me a job working as a cook at Pierpoint.”

By high school, Seidman was working the brunch shift at the Fells Point spot, whipping up everything from pancakes to crab-cake eggs Benedict and fried potatoes.  “I kept a lot of her recipes that I still use to this day,” she says.

After high school, Seidman (pictured above, with parents Lee and Sue) earned a degree in culinary arts at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island, in 2018, and then had stints at Pike’s Diner, Glyndon Grill, and La Food Marketa.

Last March, with the help of her parents and sister, she fulfilled a dream to open her own cafe. The tiny Towson spot has only 18 seats but does a brisk carryout business and catering. “We thought about calling it Cafe 215, after the address on Washington Boulevard, or Storm, after my dog, but in the end, we were like, ‘Let’s just call it Hannah’s Cafe.’”

How did this opportunity come about?
My father works for Caves Valley Partners, and they own half the building. They know my dad and I like cooking and asked if we’d like this opportunity. We said, “Yes!” when they asked if we were interested in opening a cafe. We signed our lease in December 2020 and opened last March. When I put my name on that paper and signed it, my dad was like, “We have a cafe now.” It still doesn’t seem real.

Why did you decide to work with family?
Everyone in my family has worked in restaurants for a very long time. My dad was a server and did expo at Bonnie View Country Club, my sister, who does our social media, worked at Chef Geoff’s in D.C. Now, my dad works in the kitchen with me on weekends and does payroll. My mom works the front of the house.

Tell me more about the menu.
The menu ranges from healthy fare to comfort food—and we try to source locally when we can. We use Albright Farms in Phoenix for our eggs and our vegetables from Richfield Farm in Manchester and we get our coffee from Thread Roasters and our tea from Wight Tea to help support local businesses.

What should a first-timer get?
People love our breakfast burrito—it’s the most popular item. We can sell up to 50 a day. Everyone has their version, but we put smashed tater tots in ours, plus fresh avocado, and our own pickled jalapeños. I also love the Hannah’s Club. It’s turkey, ham, bacon, lettuce, and tomato. You just can’t go wrong with that.

How did you decide what to put on the menu?
One day, my family and I just sat down and started spit-balling. From there, we went to the grocery store, bought all the food we wanted to try and made everything at home—from French toast to pancakes and tomato soup—in our Pikesville kitchen.

What do you like about cooking?
I like that it’s mine. When I cook something for someone, I am putting my heart into it.

After being banished for misbehaving in class, Kevin O’Malley spent many of his formative years in the library. He’d always loved the illustrations in books, but often the protagonist was unrelatable or pathetic. But one day, while in the stacks of his elementary school library, he discovered Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are.

“The book has a wonderful picture of a boy in a wolf suit chasing after a dog with a fork—it was the first time I saw a boy acting like I act,” recalls O’Malley.

You could say O’Malley has been chasing that feeling ever since. Indeed, creating a world of curious kids who feel real to him has helped the illustrator build a successful 35-plus-year career.

The high-volume illustrator, who works out of his home in Knollwood, has done the drawings for 85 books, including the Captain Raptor and Miss Malarkey series. The secret to his success? That O’Malley—with his piercing blue eyes, big laugh, and self-effacing manner—still has the unbridled joy of a child, even at 61 years old.

His sun-filled studio that backs up to Towson High School’s turf field is filled with artist’s tools, including Prismacolor pencils in every shade, well-loved pastel sticks—some down to the nub—and a sturdy music stand that holds his latest art piece. Shelves line the back wall, and his own books are mixed among Russell Baker’s Book of American Humor and The Adventures of Mr. Toad. It’s here in this studio that O’Malley will first come up with a new book concept or read a pitch to illustrate someone else’s story.

“Sometimes I’ve read a manuscript and said, ‘No. I just don’t see it.’ Maybe it’s too soft or too sweet or saccharine. I don’t care for that.”

Mostly he wants to write books that he wants to read. “A lot of children’s books don’t give a lot of credit to kids. They’re written for adults. They’re written because adults want to moralize or get a message across: ‘Always say please and never just take and you won’t be like Kevin and his stack of pancakes,’” he laughs, shaking his head. “A kid knows that’s coming. And you can just sort of feel it, cringey, cringey, cringey. I’m being lectured to.”

Even now he’s often at odds with his editors. They are always trying to get him to end on a “jump up idea”—a lesson. “But I try to write things that amuse me. Mostly I want funny.”

The second of six kids, O’Malley grew up outside of Philadelphia, in a rural area he calls Pennsyltucky, with Chevy Novas sitting up on blocks awaiting transmission repairs. One of his earliest memories is watching a Charlie Chaplin movie with his dad and two of his siblings, one still in a highchair at the time, and his dad being concerned that the kids didn’t find it funny.

“They don’t have senses of humor,” he bemoaned to O’Malley’s mother. That was when O’Malley first realized that humor was a gift, something that was important in his family, and even as a young boy he liked how he felt when he made someone laugh. He could often convey that with his art, as well.

“My parents saw that I liked to draw—but I was never the best,” he says. Math also wasn’t a strength: “I got 960 on the SATs—720 was in English and I can’t figure out the remainder,” he jokes. “I’m not the sharpest tool. I admit it freely.” O’Malley is quick with such self-deprecating remarks and it’s sometimes difficult to discern if it’s a bit or something that goes deeper.

Despite what he thought, O’Malley got into every art school he applied to and arrived at the Maryland Institute College of Art in 1979. It was a big change from his small, sheltered hometown and O’Malley started to really see the world for the first time.

“Art school is great for opening your eyes. I got better at listening, too,” he says. While at MICA, he also met his wife, Dara, who works as a jewelry designer. “Never marry an artist,” he says with a chuckle. “Marry an accountant so they can take care of you. Don’t marry another artist.”

Ever since high school O’Malley had been religiously submitting book proposals to publishers and he continued to do so during his time at MICA. But with no bites and desperate to pay off a loan to his parents, he took a job with The Becker Group, creating what’s formally known as Santa Reception Areas—or holiday displays—at malls, and hotels, and on cruise ships. “It kind of takes all the charm out of Christmas,” he says. “I would add yellow to the snow in the mall—now it looks realistic.”

“IF YOU DON’T HAVE A GOOD BEGINNING AND A GOOD ENDING, YOU CAN’T MAKE A STORY.”

Despite his submissions, he didn’t get published until he was in his late 20s. “I was rejected at least 100 times. I kept all the letters—‘thank you but no’ and ‘while I really appreciate your work, I’m afraid it’s not for us.’” The motivation behind keeping all the rejects? “I kept the letters because I was bitter and vindictive. I had hoped to meet [one of the rejectors] one day and have the letter folded into a paper airplane with a sharp point and throw it at their forehead.” (You can see why kids love him.)

Luckily, Andy Stewart, the former Mr. Martha Stewart, of the Stewart, Tabori & Chang publishing house, liked O’Malley’s interpretation of well-known folk song “Froggy Went A-courtin’” by Tex Ritter.

“He published it because he used to sing it when he went to college,” remembers O’Malley. “I said, ‘What the hell college did you go to?’ He said, ‘You’re a brazen man, Mr. O’Malley, but I’m going to publish your book.’”

That was 1992 and it remains O’Malley’s only book that’s been banned by Baltimore County Public Schools. It wasn’t a huge surprise, since Froggy robs a bank, evades the law, and spends much of the book drinking and smoking.

The following year, he followed that work with a wordless picture book called The Box, about a cardboard box that rockets a small boy and his teddy bear into space and back again. Next came Bruno You’re Late for School, about a rhinoceros, O’Malley’s favorite animal, trying to track down his homework. And he hasn’t stopped since—though the time may be coming.

“I don’t know honestly whether I want to continue making books,” admits O’Malley. “I thought I’d get to 100 books, but it’s just a number. Most of my books are out of print. Most are Third World fuel. They’ve been laminated into Ikea coffee tables.”

Nearly all are O’Malley’s words and drawings, but there’s still something electrifying about collaboration. “The thrill of someone else’s manuscript is the possibility of the interpretation,” he says. Because of this, O’Malley changes his art style on just about every book he’s done. “My agent said, ‘If you keep changing, no one knows who you are.’ I said, ‘I don’t care. I bore easily.’”

But his agent isn’t wrong—it can be hard to pinpoint his style. “I have boxes and boxes of colored pencils. I use them on a lot of things. But [sometimes] I don’t feel like using colored pencils…I feel like watercolor. Or I feel like this one is acrylic paint or this one is oil paint. Or this one is done with the computer. It feeds the mania of creating art.”

But it might also explain why O’Malley is the most prolific illustrator most people have never heard of. The artist remains unfazed. One of his most popular books, Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude, tells the story of a boy and a girl working through different ideas of how their fairy tale should evolve. O’Malley insisted that the publisher, HarperCollins, should use three different illustrators for the project to reflect the different viewpoints (the kids and the two separate fairy tales). And when Nickelodeon bought the rights to the book, they agreed to do multiple illustrated styles as well. He’s proud of the finished product.

O’Malley reads the book out loud, looking at the pages, although it’s clear he knows the words by heart. It reads like a conversation between two real children. “That was a wonderful book to do because we gave them honest talk. We didn’t play down to them,” he says.

And while he might not want to admit to overt sentimentality, O’Malley loves the idea of families reading his books together. “My greatest disappointment is that I never got cameras mounted in people’s homes so I can see them reading my books on the couch. There is nothing to me more terrific than curling up with a kid and reading a book. Make it cozy, and then you start reading, and then you stop and talk. It’s just so lovely to do that.”

“He’s a child in old man’s clothing,” says Fred Rasmussen, The Baltimore Sun obituary writer who has been a friend of O’Malley’s for decades. “His personality is just irresistible,” says Rasmussen. The two are part of a large crowd that meets regularly at Zen West in north Baltimore. The group often includes retired teachers, editors, and even former governor Martin O’Malley (no relation to Kevin).

“Kevin has a curious habit—a vodka tonic with 19 limes stuck in it,” says Rasmussen, who always teases his friend: “Are you afraid of scurvy? We have drugs for that.” The two men banter, trying to make each other laugh. “He’s very, very funny. He always says the same thing—‘find joy’—when he leaves. He brings great joy to people.”

That’s partly because of O’Malley’s ability to hold onto much of the wonderment many of us lose as adults, though he deadpans that his own two sons have “never been an inspiration.”

So maybe it’s just other kids that inspire him. School visits are his fuel. “I must have been three books in when I realized there were such things as visiting authors,” he says. He started going to elementary schools and not just reading his books but really educating kids in how to tell a story.

“The fun part is watching parents laugh, teachers laugh,” he says. “The kids are easy. You say ‘fart’ and you get them.”

After the readings, kids usually mob O’Malley like a rock star, sometimes literally climbing all over him. One time he caught a teacher shaking her head at him, amused. “Stand up,” she whispered conspiratorially. “Keep the germs below the waist.” He never forgot that.

“That’s some sage advice. The nose-picking crowd is out there glomming on me. But they’re nice. Kids are nice. And they attempt to be funny and work out humor.”

That said, not everything is a punch line. He’s learned to let his views expand, including being mindful of student pronouns—something he didn’t really think about 30 years ago. Another positive? More diversity in his field and the acknowledgement that being a “cis white guy” has given him an advantage. “It’s my greatest disappointment, how much better the world would be if we didn’t have such prejudices,” he says.

In general, these days, it’s hard to find the funny. And often that’s what O’Malley needs to finish his books. “Right now, I can’t come up with any endings. COVID has been very hard. The situation in our world is difficult. If you don’t have a good beginning and a good ending, you can’t make a story. You kind of have to know where you want to go. And recently I’ve felt myself turning into a moralist. I don’t want to be a moralist. Who the hell am I to think I can tell you how to live your life?”

But he is a role model, whether he likes it or not. Kids often say to him, “How can I be you when I grow up?” “I tell them, ‘You try to draw every day.’ I have given away probably 4,000 drawings in my time.”

The drawings were born out of a particularly rough patch in his life. “I wasn’t feeling good in my head,” he says. His father said that if the world is going to keep spinning, you may as well bring people joy. That’s when he started creating pictures for people. “I will interrupt people at dinner and say, ‘You were laughing. I’d like to draw you a picture.’”

So, he turned it into a project. During COVID he drew over 1,200 images. Friends and strangers would request an animal, most via Facebook, and tell O’Malley what they do to find joy. He would draw a dog, a wolf, a horse, a bear playing video games, planting flowers, baking a cake, swimming in a pool. Then scan it and send it out.

“I love giving away drawings and getting to know people—that’s where the world gets better. So even the person you don’t agree with has a favorite animal. And they have something they do to find joy. I’m on more refrigerators than any artist in this country.”

He turns and asks, “So what’s your favorite animal?”

This is the perfect moment to shake off winter and get back out with friends and family. With its convenient location, Baltimore County is an ideal destination for travelers from afar or those who want to explore something new in their own town.

Life sure has had its ups and downs in recent years, but one thing has stayed the same: Baltimore County is a lively home to a wide array of activities to suit any interest. Our parks, restaurants, shops, recreational areas, and golf courses are open for everyone to safely enjoy.

In the following pages we provide you with information that is sure to inspire your next outing. Cuisine connoisseurs will appreciate a taste of all that we have to offer, from farm-fresh produce to world-class restaurants and wine from locally grown grapes.

We offer charming main streets for strolling, the perfect way to shop small. For families looking to reconnect, Baltimore County has outdoor adventure, arts, athletic, and recreational activities that will surely entice even the most reluctant in the family to put down that device and enjoy some fresh air.

It’s time to get back to play again. Whether you’re ready to pick up the game of golf, want to return to open air concerts, or are looking for a way to amp up your fitness practice (paddle pilates, anyone?), let Baltimore County welcome you with all we have to offer.

The construction of the Milton Inn dates to the mid-18th century and it began its life as a coach stop for local Quakers. It is still a haven of hospitality in Baltimore County, only now it welcomes diners with discerning palates from all around the region.

“OUR LONG-TIME CLIENTS AND OUR NEW NEIGHBORS HAVE BEEN SO ENTHUSIASTIC. ALSO IT’S NOT HALF BAD FOR A CITY BOY LIKE ME TO GET TO ENJOY THE BEAUTIFUL COUNTRYSIDE OF NORTHERN BALTIMORE COUNTY EVERYDAY. ” — TONY FOREMAN

The announcement that the Foreman-Wolf Group were going to reopen The Milton Inn— its first restaurant in the county—created a shockwave of culinary joy.

Foreman-Wolf refreshed the historic building’s interiors and kitchen, opening the restaurant in 2021 under the guidance of chef and coowner, Chris Scanga. Today, The Milton Inn offers cuisine focused on the Southwest of France showcasing fresh, seasonal ingredients from over two dozen of the mid-Atlantic’s finest farms and purveyors.

Looking to taste more of what Baltimore County offers? Try these delectable destinations:

THE TILLERY, OWINGS MILLS
Dine in on classic American fare and craft beverages or enjoy sitting outside, perhaps around the firepit.
thetilleryowingsmills.com

PERENNIAL, TOWSON
Enjoy Chef Jay Rohlfing’s innovative, seasonally-inspired menu and a “robust cocktail program,” right in the heart of Towson.
perennialtowson.com

LA FOOD MARKETA, PIKESVILLE
Chefs Chad Gauss and Johntay Bedingfield bring the same quality of its sister restaurant in the city, The Food Market, to Quarry Lake.
lafoodmarketa.com

SUNSET COVE, MIDDLE RIVER
This beach bar and restaurant with its perfect waterfront view is the place to enjoy long, warm summer days and evenings.
sunsetcovemd.com

THE HUB, CATONSVILLE
This food hall features cuisine from multiple vendors so you can sample everything from Korean street food to all things hot pot goodness. There’s even a Montessori-inspired kids play area.
thehubfoodcourt.com

BOORDY VINEYARDS, HYDES
Enjoy everything from a tour of the vineyard to food truck cuisine and farmers’ markets, all with a sip of wine from one of the county’s oldest vintners.
boordy.com

Catonsville became Baltimore County’s first state-recognized Arts and Entertainment District in 2020. The award was given by the Maryland State Arts Council, and it is easy to see why. Catonsville is home to a host of live music venues and shops—and places like Bill’s Music House and Appalachian Bluegrass Shoppe that are both shops and live music destinations. Perhaps it’s no surprise the Maryland General Assembly dubbed it, “Music City, Maryland.”

But there’s more to Catonsville than just great music, and many of its charms are best explored on foot with a leisurely stroll down Frederick Avenue. Here you will find enticing places to shop small, such as locally owned antique shops, boutiques, and artisan food markets. And whether you need a restorative jolt of caffeine or a delicious meal to recharge during your saunter, Catonsville features coffee shops and restaurants to suit all tastes.

With Catonsville leading the way, Baltimore County is sure to continue its growth as a recognized center of arts and entertainment.

Looking for more places to stroll and shop local? Be sure to visit the county’s retail hubs:

TOWSON: The county seat features small shops, boutiques, and great restaurants.

HUNT VALLEY: While the energetic town center is Hunt Valley’s heart, don’t miss the small shops, garden centers, and markets along York Road.

REISTERSTOWN: From one end of Main Street to another you can pick up kids clothes at The Elephant’s Trunk, enjoy a coffee at Reister’s Daughter, and get ice cream, salon styling, and more in between

Do you have an aspiring golfer in your household or do you want to share your love of the game with a young person? The Fox Hollow Training Center (FHTC) in Timonium is the perfect place to start—or to get a seasonal refresher.

Golf is a sport a child can learn now and play for a lifetime. Since it’s noncontact, it’s a great way to exercise with less likelihood of injury.

At FHTC, children learn the game from trained professionals and are introduced to important life skills like integrity, sportmanship, and self-control.

The facilities at FHTC are top notch, including 60 hitting stations, three lighted putting greens, and practice bunkers. FHTC is routinely ranked nationally as a Top 50 Driving Range
by the Golf Range Association of America.

Now is the time to get in the swing of things, with special offers like professional instruction at reduced rates for juniors and reduced and/or complimentary access to any of Baltimore County Golf’s five courses for golfers 17 and under. Or take advantage of one of FHTC’s summer camps.

baltimoregolfing.com

Baltimore County has countless places to get out and connect with friends and family.
Here are just a few:

CROMWELL VALLEY PARK, PARKVILLE
Just minutes from Towson, this park encompasses 460 acres of stream valley and upland habitat, a combination that makes it perfect for birding. The nature center offers many programs or simply enjoy its hiking trails.
cromwellvalleypark.org

MARSHY POINT NATURE CENTER, CHASE
Sitting within a 3,000-acre nature preserve on the Upper Chesapeake, Marshy Point offers innnovative programs and exhibits for visitors, hiking trails, and Baltimore County’s first water trail for kayaking or canoeing!
marshypoint.org

BENGIES DRIVE-IN THEATRE, MIDDLE RIVER
Recapture a bygone era at Maryland’s only remaining drive-in theatre. Featuring the “biggest movie theatre screen in the USA,” Bengies is a great spot to enjoy the latest blockbuster.
bengies.com

PRIGEL FAMILY CREAMERY, GLEN ARM
At the scenic Prigel Creamery enjoy a scoop of chocolate peanut butter, caramel pretzel, or even a choose-your-own ice cream sandwich, while the farm’s dairy cows graze happily in their pastures. P.S.: They serve way more than ice cream!
prigelfamilycreamery.com

HAMPTON NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE, TOWSON
In 1790, Hampton was perhaps the largest home in America. Today, the architecturally significant home and surrounding site offer a chance to explore and gain a deeper understanding of the complex history of our nation.
nps.gov/hamp

There’s no better way to spend a hot, humid summer day than lazing down the Gunpowder River in a tube. The always cool and shaded river winds its way by pastures and woodlands, meandering parallel to the NCR hike and bike trail. Tubing is the antidote for harried lives.

The Monkton Bike shop, housed in the historic Monkton village, offers tubes for rent for kids and adults. It has also marked two tubing routes accessible by foot. Simply walk north on the NCR trail and look for the blue tree markers to find the path where you put in at the river. When you coast under the Monkton Road bridge you’ve reached the end of your float.

The Gunpowder is generally tranquil and often shallow enough to walk and splash in, making it a perfect outing even with young kids.

Looking for more outdoor adventures?
Here are a few destinations to add to your summer bucket list:

LOCH RAVEN RESERVOIR
The protected woodlands around the reservoir feature 60 miles of hiking trails while its calm waters are perfect for kayaking.
baltimorecountymd.gov/departments/environment/watersheds/lrmain.html

NCR (TORREY C. BROWN) TRAIL
Whether you’re a runner, walker, or biker, the nearly 20 miles of trail following the meandering path of the former Northern Central Railway (NCR) offers optimal conditions. Just look out for tubers sharing the path on hot summer days!
dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/pages/central/tcb.aspx

B’MORE SUP
Interested in paddle pilates? Or a board excursion with your pup? Whether you simply want to try staying upright in a begininers paddle board class or you’re ready for yogaflo on your board, the three locations of B’More SUP are here to help.
baltimoresup.com

ROCKY POINT GOLF COURSE
Go for par—which is 72, by the way—on this exceptional course set in meandering natural wetlands, the only waterfront course on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay.
baltimoregolfing.com/course/rocky-point

PATAPSCO VALLEY STATE PARK
There are 200 miles of hiking trails inside the park’s more than 16,000 acres. See for yourself why the park is nationally recognized for its trail system and scenic beauty.
dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/pages/central/patapsco.aspx

In its heyday, The Crackpot, which opened in 1972, reeled in customers with plump crab cakes, spicy hard shells, and an array of fish dishes. But over time, the place lost its luster. The decor—wood paneled walls, carpeted floors, crab-pot lights—hadn’t budged from the previous century. The food was passable, but the place was badly in need of resuscitation. Fifty years later, this is not your parents’ Crackpot anymore.

New owners Binod Uprety, who owns Namaste, a popular Indian/Nepali restaurant in Roland Park, and his business partners Mandira Mainali and chef Ram Thapa, have rejuvenated the Towson restaurant. They took over the spot in 2020 and have transformed the interior into a modern, casual space and curated the menu to focus on The Crackpot’s excellent, gluten-free crab cakes and other items, like baby back ribs and fried shrimp. Steamed crabs are still served when they’re available.

While the storefront in the Ravenwood Shopping Center looks the same, once you step into the dining room, you can spot the differences. A separate bar and eating area are now blended into one room. Twelve TVs ring the perimeter. A wood floor has replaced the carpet, white brick walls brighten the place, and stylish light fixtures hang from the ceiling. But the stuffed fish, including sailfish and swordfish, remain on the walls, reminding patrons that this is a seafood restaurant.

We got down to business, starting with seafood beignets, bulging with chunks of shrimp and lump crab, and a bowl of cream of crab soup, whose density almost triggered an “uh-oh” response. We needn’t have worried about whether it was too floury. The thick soup was flavorful, laden with crab, and not gloppy at all. Other appetizers include crab dip, calamari, and oysters on the half shell.

The old Crackpot offered several crab cake specialties. Now, it focuses on a classic Maryland crab cake—a seven-ounce round of lump that we savored—and blackened or “cruise missile” versions. The latter gets a boost from hot sauce. If you’re feeling especially “crabby,” a 23-ounce orb is also on offer. We also tucked into a seafood pasta with shrimp and crab served Alfredo-style. The linguine glistened with a silky white sauce hinting of Parmesan and plenty of seafood. You can bolster the main dishes with sides like crunchy cole- slaw (a must), fries, mushrooms, broccoli, or creamy spinach.

On our visit, dessert choices were limited to cheesecake, limoncello cake, and a brownie sundae. While not made in house, the citrusy limoncello was refreshing. The staff was cheerful and helpful, adding to our evening.

The updated Crackpot is starting off the next half century with a lot of promise.

he phrase “the new normal” has been thrown around since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and as America struggles to define—and design—what that is exactly, colleges are paving the way for what it might look like.

After the chaos and uncertainty of 2020, colleges and universities throughout the Baltimore region began to find their groove as they moved into the 2021-2022 school year. Coronavirus safety committees had been erected, new mandates put in place, safety protocols implemented—everything from vaccine requirements to temperature checks to quarantine procedures and wastewater testing that can pinpoint a COVID infection before anyone is symptomatic.

By some counts, colleges may very well be the safest places to live and work.

“Just following simple rules of wearing face masks and social distancing, using wastewater management and testing when we need to, we have, in many ways, been able to return to normal life,” says Goucher College President Kent Devereaux. “Full athletics, student clubs, dining in the dining hall, use of the library—everything that you’d normally have, we’ve been able to return to.”

Despite the challenges and anxieties faced by students, staff, and faculty alike, some unexpected silver linings have emerged.

“It’s just incredible to watch how it’s grown into the vision that we, as a group of students, had.”

The widespread adoption of technology across college campuses has proven to provide more flexibility, efficiency, and innovation—and even accessibility, in some cases. Counseling sessions, for example, began to be conducted remotely during the pandemic and many students found that they preferred it to in-person sessions. Students who cannot, for whatever reason, make it to an in-person class can now study from anywhere.

Challenging times, combined with advances in technology and the general acceptance of it, have also brought more cooperation and collaboration among schools. It’s becoming more common, for example, for schools that offer complementary programs to partner with one another to offer students an educational pathway to continue studies in their chosen areas. That may mean a discounted tuition rate, a transfer of class credits, or an internship through a partner school.

Maybe most importantly though, schools, at their best, foster an environment where students are supported, expand who they are, and connect with like-minded people. At a time when gathering together is not always safe, being in a community has become even more precious, and students have found new ways to connect.

OCA Mocha, a coffeehouse in Arbutus founded by University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) students, is one example of how effective a gathering place can be at a time when people are craving human connection. What started as a class assignment—to design a community center of some sort—has become a gathering place not just for UMBC students and alumni, but the Arbutus community at large.

“We’ve heard a lot of stories from people who are extremely grateful to have this space,” says Michael Berardi, UMBC class of 2019 and co-founder and general manager of OCA Mocha, which stands for Opportunities for Community Alliances. The coffee shop includes a stage, a community room, and an art gallery, employs UMBC students and alumni, and provides internship opportunities for current UMBC students.

“We have local groups and organizations that meet regularly in our community space and are grateful to not have to meet in someone’s living room or church basement,” says Berardi. “We see a lot of connections being made. It’s just incredible to watch how it’s grown into the vision that we, as a group of students, had.”

We checked in with colleges and universities throughout the region to find out what’s new and what campus life and classes look like, two years into the pandemic.

COPPIN STATE UNIVERSITY
A historically Black institution founded in 1900, Coppin State University is situated in the heart of Baltimore City in the Mondawmin neighborhood. Part of the University System of Maryland in Baltimore, the school offers 32 undergraduate and 11 graduate degrees, along with nine certificate programs and one doctorate degree. It’s been rated No. 4 Best HBCU in the Nation (College Consensus), the Top 5 Best Value Online Program (Online School Center), and No. 17 Best Value in the Nation (College Consensus).

In the summer of 2021, CSU announced its Student Debt Relief Initiative, which clears roughly $1 million in student balances and provided a $1,200 credit to every student enrolled in the fall 2021 semester. CSU also created the Freddie Gray Student Success Scholarship, which is available to graduates of Carver Vocational-Technical High School, where Gray was a student.

Coppin also takes esports (competitive video gaming) seriously. In the fall of 2021, Coppin became the first HBCU to open a building on campus exclusively devoted to esports. The Premier Esports Lab opened in September with a guest appearance from Grammy-nominated artist Cordae.

• SIZE OF STUDENT BODY: 2,383 undergraduates, 341 graduates
• STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO: 13:1
• ANNUAL TUITION: $6,809 in-state, $13,334 out-of-state
• ACCEPTANCE RATE: 40%
• POPULAR AREAS OF STUDY: Nursing, Business, Biology, Education, and Criminal Justice, Rehabilitation Counseling

DICKINSON COLLEGE
Founded in 1783, Dickinson College is a liberal arts college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, with a suburban campus that spans 144 acres. The school offers 41 undergraduate degrees within 17 fields of study.

It’s been rated as one of the best schools in the country for its sustainability efforts, which include an 80-acre, USDA-certified organic farm. Princeton Review rated it No. 2 in the Top 50 Green Colleges, and it was rated No. 2 in Overall Top Performers among baccalaureate institutions in the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s “Sustainable Campus Index” in 2019 and 2020.

• SIZE OF STUDENT BODY: 2,345
• STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO: 9:1
• ANNUAL TUITION: $58,708
• ACCEPTANCE RATE: 52%
• POPULAR AREAS OF STUDY: International Business, Economics, Political Science & Government, International Relations & National Security, General Psychology

GETTYSBURG COLLEGE
Gettysburg College, a private, liberal arts school, sits on 225 acres adjacent to the historical Gettysburg Battlefield in Pennsylvania. Many of the buildings on campus are historically significant, so it’s no wonder that it draws students interested in studying history.

The school offers 65 academic programs, more than 120 campus clubs and organizations, and 800 events on campus each year, plus more than 100 study-abroad opportunities open to students.

Its Majestic Theater serves as a venue for the greater Gettysburg community, hosting national acts as well as performances by the school’s Sunderman Conservatory of Music students.

It’s ranked No. 12 for “students who study the most” by the Princeton Review, which also ranked Gettysburg College’s dining hall No. 9 in the country for best campus food.

• SIZE OF STUDENT BODY: 2,600
• STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO: 10:1
• ANNUAL TUITION: $59,960
• ACCEPTANCE RATE: 56%
• POPULAR AREAS OF STUDY: Political Science, Economics, Health Sciences, Organization and Management Studies, History, Psychology

GOUCHER COLLEGE
A private, liberal arts college in Towson, Goucher College prides itself on its close-knit community.

Goucher was extremely proactive when it came to COVID-19 precautions, being the first in the state to implement wastewater testing, which is able to isolate COVID infections by dorm.

Also of note: The college recently opened two new residence halls as part of the school’s First-Year Village. One hundred percent of Goucher students study abroad, and the school is committed to sustainability.

Most recently, Goucher has begun exciting partnerships with other schools, such as Johns Hopkins University, Loyola University, and more to come, to provide a pathway for students to continue their education beyond Goucher. For instance, their 4+1 MBA Program allows students to earn an advanced business degree through Loyola via a “Fast Track” admission process, and at a 15% discount on tuition.

SIZE OF STUDENT BODY: 1,100
STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO: 9:1
ANNUAL TUITION: $48,000
ACCEPTANCE RATE: 79%
POPULAR AREAS OF STUDY: Psychology, International Relations, Economics, Political Science, Business Administration

JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
Johns Hopkins University (JHU) offers nine academic divisions and hundreds of courses of study, with campuses spread throughout Baltimore, including the Peabody Institute, a music and dance conservatory in Mount Vernon. Its main Homewood campus is located on North Charles Street.

The prestigious, world-renowned university has a strong reputation for its public health and medical studies and has been compared to Ivy League schools.

One of its points of pride is its financial aid program, which covers 100% of calculated need for every admitted student, without loans. This means JHU works with families to calculate what they can afford to contribute toward the total cost of attendance—including meals, books, travel, and other expenses—and JHU covers the rest with grants that don’t need to be repaid.

This school year, JHU added two new minors: Latin American Studies and Writing Seminars.

It also announced new efforts this year to move toward a broader, more flexible undergraduate educational experience that will include a required first-year seminar and the streamlining of major requirements to allow for greater intellectual exploration.

• SIZE OF STUDENT BODY: 6,333 undergraduates, 22,559 graduates
• STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO: 6:1
• ANNUAL TUITION: $56,313 for Peabody Institute, $58,720 for the School of Engineering and the School of Arts and Sciences
• ACCEPTANCE RATE: 9%
• POPULAR AREAS OF STUDY: Computer Science, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Neuroscience, Economics, Public Health Studies, International Studies

LOYOLA UNIVERSITY
This private, Jesuit institution offers undergraduate and graduate programs on a beautiful urban campus in northern Baltimore City. Education at Loyola is based in the Jesuit tradition of scholarship cura personalis, or care for the whole person. Loyola is known for its academic rigor while helping students lead purposeful lives. Seventy percent of students study abroad. It currently ranks fourth in best universities in the North region according to U.S. News & World Report.

• SIZE OF STUDENT BODY: 3,787 undergraduates, 1,353 graduates
• STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO: 12:1
• ANNUAL TUITION: $53,430
• ACCEPTANCE RATE: 80%
• POPULAR AREAS OF STUDY: Business, Management, Marketing, Journalism, Social Sciences, Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Psychology, English Language and Literature, Engineering and Education.

McDANIEL COLLEGE
McDaniel College sits in a bucolic setting near Westminster in Carroll County. The private, four-year liberal arts college offers more than 70 undergraduate programs of study and more than 20 graduate programs. McDaniel’s most recent addition to its curriculum is a National Security Fellows Program that provides students with knowledge, skills, and experience in national security as well as the ability to specialize in an area of interest, such as interstate conflict, intrastate political violence, cybersecurity, ethics, and human rights.

Also new this year, McDaniel appointed an inaugural associate provost for equity and belonging who provides vision and leadership to the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and works in collaboration with the provost to co-lead the college’s diversity, equity, and inclusion administrative committee, and guides the Bias Education Response Support Team.

The school also launched a new STEM Center to serve as a physical hub to support students studying the sciences. It hosts workshops and other events while also supplying online and hybrid support.

• SIZE OF STUDENT BODY: 1,757 undergraduates, 1,324 graduates
• STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO: 13:1
• ANNUAL TUITION: $46,336
• ACCEPTANCE RATE: 81%
• POPULAR AREAS OF STUDY: Kinesiology, Business Administration, Psychology, Biology, Political Science, International Studies

MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
The largest of Maryland’s HBCU’s (Historically Black Colleges and Universities), Morgan is a public institution founded in 1867. It is situated in northeast Baltimore. As a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution, Morgan provides instruction to a multiethnic, multiracial, multinational student body and offers more than 140 academic programs at undergraduate and graduate levels. As Maryland’s Preeminent Public Urban Research University, Morgan fulfills its mission to address the needs and challenges of the modern urban environment through intense community level study and pioneering solutions.

• SIZE OF STUDENT BODY: 6,270 undergraduates, 1,364 graduates
• STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO: 15:1
• ANNUAL TUITION: $8,008 for in-state and $18,480 for out-of-state
• ACCEPTANCE RATE: 73%
• POPULAR AREAS OF STUDY: Civil Engineering, Communications Engineering, Business Administration and Management, Social Work, Biology/Biological Sciences, Architecture, Finance, Psychology, Sociology

NOTRE DAME OF MARYLAND UNIVERSITY
A private, Catholic liberal arts university in northern Baltimore, Notre Dame of Maryland University offers programs from undergraduate through PhD, as well as Maryland’s only women’s college. It recently launched the first master’s of art degree in Art Therapy program in the state.
The beautiful, wooded campus is just steps from the bustling downtown Baltimore culture. With values rooted in Catholicism, the school focuses on service to others and social responsibility.

• SIZE OF STUDENT BODY: 783
• STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO: 7:1
• ANNUAL TUITION: $39,675
• ACCEPTANCE RATE: 88%
• POPULAR AREAS OF STUDY: Nursing, Education, Biology, Art Therapy, Pharmacy

TOWSON UNIVERSITY
One of the largest public universities in the state, Towson University offers more than 60 undergraduate majors and continues to draw students from other states, though it remains part of the University System of Maryland.

Its campus continues to expand, with a huge new dining hall, a 23,000-foot recreation and fitness facility with an indoor swimming pool, and its 5,200-seat arena for sporting events and concerts. In 2021, it opened its new Science Complex, the largest academic building on campus at 320,000 square feet.

In September, Towson opened its StarTUp at the Armory, a space for startups and new businesses to engage with the broader community and larger businesses. It serves as a home to Towson’s entrepreneurship programs, as well as student competitions and events.

While Towson remains the largest supplier of medical professionals and educators in the state, the university has also built a strong reputation for its College of Fine Arts and Communication, as well as its Asian Arts & Culture Center, both of which bring students into the wider community and the Baltimore community to Towson for enriching performing arts, music, and visual art programs.

• SIZE OF STUDENT BODY: 17,907 undergraduates, 2,949 graduates
• STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO: 16:1
• ANNUAL TUITION: $7,100 in-state, $22,152 out-of-state
• POPULAR AREAS OF STUDY: Business Administration, Education, Nursing, Exercise Science, Psychology, Sociology and Anthropology, Biology, Computer Science, Information Technology

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, BALTIMORE
University of Maryland, Baltimore is Maryland’s only public health, law, and human services university. Located in downtown Baltimore, it offers 86 degree and certificate programs through its six nationally ranked professional schools—dentistry, law, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and social work—and an interdisciplinary graduate school.

The school’s 14-acre BioPark is Baltimore’s biggest biotechnology cluster, employing 1,000 people, and remains on the cutting edge of new drugs, treatments, and medical devices.

• SIZE OF STUDENT BODY: 7,244
• ANNUAL TUITION: Varies by school
• POPULAR AREAS OF STUDY: Medicine, Law, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing, Social Work

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, BALTIMORE COUNTY
University of Maryland, Baltimore County educates a campus of more than 10,000 students in programs spanning the arts, engineering, information technology, humanities, sciences, preprofessional studies, and social sciences. Located on the edge of Baltimore County, it allows easy access into the city and all the conveniences of suburban life and housing. It also offers plenty of opportunities for study abroad.

In the fall of 2021, UMBC opened the Center for Well-Being, a new two-story complex that houses Retriever Integrated Health, Student Conduct and Community Standards, and i3b’s Gathering Space for Spiritual Well-Being. UMBC’s already significant NASA partnerships have continued to grow. In October, NASA announced a major award of $72 million over three years for the new Goddard Earth Sciences Technology and Research II center. UMBC is leading the national consortium and will receive over $38 million. The GESTAR II consortium will support over 120 researchers, creating extensive opportunities for breakthroughs in Earth and atmospheric science research, and providing major opportunities for students to conduct research and be mentored by NASA scientists and engineers.

• SIZE OF STUDENT BODY: 13,638
• STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO: 17:1
• ANNUAL TUITION: $12,280 in-state, $28,470 out-of-state
• ACCEPTANCE RATE: 81%
• POPULAR AREAS OF STUDY: Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Social Sciences, Psychology, Visual and Performing Arts

Cited tuition costs exclude room and board and books.

Deirdre Aikin got her first “decent” tattoo—a dragon—when she was a 13-year-old eighth grader in Washington, D.C.  “I think the teachers were a little afraid of me,” she says with a laugh. That was just the beginning.

Today, a kaleidoscope of ink envelops 80 percent of Aikin’s body, including painterly interpretations of autumn (a leaf and acorn) and spring (a snowflake amid cherry blossoms) encircling her neck. She’s been a professional tattoo artist since the early ’90s, after apprenticing with acclaimed tattoo artist Anil Gupta in New York City. Aikin has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Parsons School of Design in New York and a master’s degree from the Maryland Institute College of Art, where she focused on sculpture.

Now, the 51-year-old mother of two sons owns Triple Crown Tattoo & Piercing in Towson—the Baltimore County seat’s first such parlor—with her husband, Grant, who works in operations for the National Guard. They started the business in 2018. Aikin, who lives in the Parkville-Hamilton area, had been commuting to D.C. and wanted to be closer to home.

“Towson is where my family would go to eat at restaurants and go to the movies,” she says. “I wanted us to spend more time together.”

Besides Towson, Aikin also set her sights on beautifying the county hub. During February, which starts the Year of the Tiger, according to the 2022 Chinese lunar calendar, she plans to showcase tiger artwork in her studio as well as across neighboring businesses. Not only will the promotion celebrate the Chinese New Year, she says, but it will be a connection to nearby Towson University, whose mascot is a tiger. Aikin sees art as a bridge, a way to connect the business community and residents.

“If you get people talking and make it better for everyone, it will be a stronger foundation for people to stay,” she says.

Aikin already has added colorful touches to downtown Towson, organizing local artists to paint sidewalk flower boxes and helping commission Maine muralist Ryan Adams to brighten the outer walls of the Towson branch of the Baltimore County Library. To achieve her goals, she co-founded the Towson Creative Partnership, part of the Towson Chamber of Commerce, which is instrumental in securing funding for the projects.

“Deirdre is amazing, she is a gift,” says Nancy Hafford, the chamber’s executive director. “She supports and nurtures artists.”

Aikin’s second-story tattoo shop on York Road houses an art gallery, as well as a waiting room for customers. “We help artists to promote themselves and learn how to do gallery work,” says Aikin, who has taken TU students and other emerging artists under her wing. “Some have never had a gallery experience. They learn how to hang and install their artwork here.”

And the airy space also has other purposes. “Some people come to see what’s on the walls,” says Aikin, proudly pointing out the statues of gods and goddesses that she hauled back from Bali and Thailand, the vintage jewelry tucked into glass cases, a Japanese pachinko machine, and a reception counter she scored from Second Chance, the South Baltimore salvage warehouse that sells salvaged furnishings. The enormous wood structure came from an old Irish bar in Federal Hill, says Aikin.

Photographer Jenee Mateer met Aikin through a friend who was planning a benefit art show at Triple Crown last spring. “Deirdre has definitely made Towson more inviting,” says Mateer, the art and design chair and a professor at Towson University. “It looks better than it has in a long time.”

The two women partnered on a reproduction of one of Mateer’s garden photos, which adorns a wall near the Towson traffic circle. It’s accompanied by the words “Uptown Where Art Blooms” and a QR code, enabling viewers to visit Mateer’s website. (Towson students call the neighborhood “uptown” since they walk “up” York Road from the campus.)

“Deirdre is a force,” Mateer says. “Her presence is so important. She’s single-handedly been lighting a fire under people’s butts.”

The Chamber’s Hafford agrees. “She is a unicorn—she is a special creature.”

Last year, when Jay Rohlfing was thinking about a moniker for the yet-unnamed farm-to-fork Towson restaurant where he’d act as executive chef, he made a list of garden names for inspiration. The former Chopped “cheftestant,” along with his wife, Lisa, had recently moved to a three-acre property in Hampstead (thanks in part to his first-place prize winnings from the Food Network show).

On their farm, the couple spent many hours tending to a flower, herb, and vegetable garden. So, as Rohlfing thought about the cycle of the seasons unfolding on his farm—where spring scallions begat summer strawberries, then autumn squash—the word “perennial” came to him, not only as a name for the restaurant, but as a muse for the menu.

Perennial is Atlas Restaurant Group’s first foray into the county and a rebrand of Cunningham’s, which closed in January of last year and where Rohlfing was executive chef. The transformation is dazzling.

AS ROHLFING THOUGHT ABOUT THE CYCLE OF THE SEASONS UNFOLDING ON HIS FARM, THE WORD “PERENNIAL” CAME TO HIM.

The restaurant, which opened in July, has a beautiful outdoor dining area. One might assume that was a pandemic-related touch, but it’s actually a complete coincidence. Long before the days of COVID, designer Patrick Sutton had already reimagined the space as a lush indoor/outdoor oasis in shades of green and lavender or, in his words, “a garden conservatory.”

In fact, with its wraparound terrace, walls of cedar and boxwoods, an outdoor bar, and a lounge area with fire pits, Perennial feels a world away—not only from the pandemic, but the nearby county seat with its district court and chamber of commerce.

When it was Cunningham’s, the space, set on the second floor of a charmless Towson University corporate building, was vast and antiseptic. In the redesign, Sutton created an 85-seat dining room (half the size of the former Cunningham’s interior) and a stylish bar area that feels incredibly intimate and welcoming. And even within its suburban confines, thanks to the Atlas imprimatur, including nightly live music and an area for smoking cigars, it manages to be buzzy.

Clearly, it’s filling a niche—from the get-go, the place has been busy, as city dwellers, county denizens, and Atlas acolytes rediscover the pleasures of fine dining in the ’burbs.

Perennial’s menu offers a mashup be- tween Atlas’ signature fare (high-quality steaks and chops, served à la carte with indulgent accoutrements such as crab Oscar and truffle butter) found at their other spots including Tagliata and Monarque and more composed plates (bronzino with succotash, tuna crudo with watermelon in late summer) that speak to the seasons and are deeply rooted in Rohlfing’s personal narrative.

Case in point is a creative take on fish and chips in the form of a halibut dish that’s encrusted in Utz kettle potato chips and was inspired by the chef’s fond childhood memory of tasting the crisps for the first time.

Another novel dish is the fried lobster tail with honey butter, lemon, and lavender sea salt. It’s a riff on the lobster tempura dish Rohlfing was first exposed to while working at Linwoods for 12 years. To put his own spin on the dish, he took cues from the patch of lavender growing in his own garden.

Yet another soon-to-be-signature dish, the frosted crab soup appetizer, came from conversations with his brother-in-law, the executive catering chef at Linwoods, who once told him about the local country club staple, a sort of Maryland-style gazpacho with tomato juice, half-and-half, Old Bay, and crab.

Here, Rohlfing gives the chilled soup an upgrade with roast- ed plum tomatoes, fresh herbs, fennel pollen, charred jalapeños, crème fraîche, and huge lumps of delectable Maryland crab.

Also unique is the crab fried rice, which reimagines blue crab as a key ingredient. For this dish, Rohlfing tapped the talents of the kitchen’s longtime Laotian dishwashers, who introduced him to mushroom soy, an essential element of the dish that imparts an explosion of umami flavor.

Luckily, for Rohlfing, even more inspiration is right at hand. He sources many of his ingredients—garlic scapes, beets, lemon balm, rainbow chard—from Atlas’ own nearby farm in Carroll County. And while still in his chef’s whites, he sometimes heads down to the Towson farmers market on Thursdays and scores other items from local farms, such as cases of heirloom tomatoes.

Of course, farm-to-fork fare isn’t exactly a new concept to the Baltimore area, but here, it feels fresh all over again. The kitchen doesn’t rely on just good ingredients, it leans into nature’s bounty and comes up with something that feels innovative every time.

Everything has a season, but Perennial has real staying power.

PERENNIAL 1 Olympic Pl., Towson. HOURS: Sun.-Wed. 4-10 p.m.; Thurs. 4-11 p.m.; Sat. 4-midnight. PRICES: Appetizers: $10-22; entrees: $22-59; desserts $8-12. AMBIANCE: Garden conservatory.

The past year has been a banner one for chef Jay Rohlfing. He took first place on the Food Network’s Chopped in June. His son, August, joined the family, including big sister, Scarlett, in October. And earlier this week it was announced that Rohlfing would take on a leadership role and spearhead the rebranding of Towson’s now-closed Cunningham’s, as well as overseeing the sister spot Cunningham’s Café and the operation’s wholesale bread business.

“It’s a major responsibility to represent something,” he says, “but it’s also a great blessing.” And just in case the always humble chef gets less humble with each accomplishment, his family keeps him in check.

“People ask me how it’s going, and I’ll say, ‘Scarlett is screaming for ice cream, Gus is drooling, and my wife, Lisa, is yelling about how I load the dishwasher. In other words, it’s business as usual.’” Between working on menu development and meetings with Patrick Sutton to discuss the restaurant’s redesign, we caught up with the chef.

What led to the decision to close Cunningham’s and rebrand?
One of the things that put the timing into perspective was seeing the huge cranes outside the building and the fact that Towson is starting to change. The high-rise, high-end condos that are going up hit our demographics perfectly, and we want to be the go-spot for the people living there. Every restaurant has to reinvent itself at some point, and we’ve been in Towson for seven years. We figured it was time to be a part of that renaissance.

What can you tell us about the new space?
We’ve seen such a great bar business, we’re busy on weekends and weekdays. We want to create a more open, larger bar area and then have a smaller intimate dining space. We’re still in the creative process of planning that, but we’re hoping that the restaurant will be more like 80 seats than the 150 seats we had at Cunningham’s. As much as we enjoyed the space, what we want to do is design a space that creates a buzz and a vibe that’s is more intimate and social. We are hoping to double size of the bar that we have now. We will still have around 30 seats with some lounge area, as well.

I know you’re still in the planning stages, but what can you tell us about what the concept will be?
We really want to tell a story. When people go out to eat, they want to be taken away to an experience. Patrick Sutton, who will design the space, is so good at telling stories. Good food is good food, and people will return for that. But for longevity, you have to have a clear vision and a clear story.

Now that you’re running operations, will we still see you in the kitchen?
I’m heading the leadership team, but I will still be the restaurant’s executive chef—that’s where my heart is.

Are there any specifics you can share about the menu?
We’re going to continue to source locally. One thing that really attracted me about being at Cunningham’s was not just the role, but how we became a member of the community using local products and keeping those vendors involved here. What I can say is that the menu will be classic American.

What will happen to Cunningham’s Café during the renovation?

The café will stay open. The fun thing is that, during the renovation, we will have extended hours in the café and be open for dinner every night until 9 p.m., starting next week. I’m going to use that kitchen as a great R&D kitchen to test dishes for the restaurant.

Depending on what we see, most likely, the café will stick to its new hours. The café has turned into this spot where Towson students like to go and do their studying. Instead of getting eggs over easy at the Towson Diner, they’re getting more artisan-created food and free Wi-Fi. We are seeing this great influx of students and people who work remotely. We are also going to enclose the outdoor dining area, which will add about 40 seats.

Please tell me that you’re still going to have that wonderful bread and baked goods.
Upstairs, the restaurant kitchen will become the total kitchen that we use for the café and restaurant. Downstairs, the bakery, where there was a shared kitchen space, will double in size.

How is the county diner different that the city diner?
It’s a different dynamic for sure. We had an amazing New Year’s Eve this year, the best in the history of Cunningham’s, but at the same time, the restaurant emptied out at 10 p.m. There’s also a difference in some of the foods that sell. Octopus, for example has performed really well here, foie gras is a hard sell.

I know you’ve had to let some of your staff go during the transition. That must be emotional.
Monday was a hard day. How do I explain to the employees that this is just a transition? But it was received well by the staff. [Dining room manager] Laura organized a great list for them to find work in the interim with restaurateurs like Linwood Dame and Alex Smith—and some of them are working already. There’s no playbook on having to shut a restaurant down for renovation—it has been a learning process for me. I care about people, and I wanted to make sure that people are taken care of. How can you expect someone to come back and work for you in the future if you don’t care about them in the present?

You won $10,000 in prize money when you came in first place on Chopped. What did you do with the money?
We are currently living in a Cape Cod-style house in Parkville. The goal is to purchase some land a little bit further north in Baltimore County, so we are saving for that.

So, if we don’t see you working in the new restaurant, will we get to see you on the Food Network again?
I’m excited for next opportunity—I’ve been contacted multiple times.

The first time Mahala Morefield met Weasel, aka Jonathan Gilbert, she was a law firm receptionist posing as a music writer from the Lone Star Dispatch. It was 1975. Morefield had relocated to Washington, D.C., from Austin and stumbled across a high-pitched nasal voice spinning records on an eclectic midnight to 6 a.m. show at a 3,000-watt station with the call letters WHFS (“High-Fidelity Stereo”).

Little Feat, the Stones, Frank Zappa—a Romani-French jazz guitarist named Django Reinhardt with only eight good fingers—somehow it all fit together each night. “I had a musical crush on Weasel,” recalls Morefield. “I set up a phony 5 a.m. meeting and held on to the cassette tape of that ‘interview’ forever.”

Fast-forward almost 45 years. The WHFS days—including the later years when the station moved to Annapolis and blasted its new 50,000-watt signal toward Baltimore—are long past. The station’s epic HFStivals, of course, are gone, too. But Weasel, whose nickname was bestowed by an American University classmate who thought he resembled the creature on the cover of the Zappa-produced 1970 album Weasels Ripped My Flesh, is still on the air, spinning now for Towson University’s WTMD.

Because Gilbert doesn’t drive—he still lives in the same Bethesda building where the old WHFS studio was located and where its transmitting tower remains impaled on the roof—a revolving band of 50-plus volunteers, fondly referred to as Weasel’s Wagon Train, takes turns transporting the unlikely D.C.-Baltimore cultural icon to Towson to record his once-again, organic, free-range shows on WTMD. (Passionate, engaging, witty at the microphone, Gilbert isn’t quite a recluse off air, but he’s not on Facebook or other social media, either. “Why would I do that? I want to listen to music and I want other people to listen to music.”)

A Long Island native, Gilbert’s extraordinary curatorial gifts begin with a great natural ear, followed by a deep curiosity and impeccable memory. “It started with a transistor radio when I was 10 years old,” he says. “I’d stay up all night, covers pulled over my head, not wanting to miss a thing—sometimes that was one of the great jocks from WBAI in New York, sometimes it was a baseball game—on a good night you could get Bob Prince from Pittsburgh. I listened to Chuck Thompson from WBAL long before I came to Baltimore.”

An older brother introduced him to Chuck Berry and Little Richard. He heard the records his uncles, aunts, and parents played, their personal interests skipping from folk to jazz to Sinatra and big band. Singing in the school choir, playing clarinet through 12th grade, and graduating high school in 1967 when album-oriented rock was transforming radio, Gilbert absorbed everything.

To this day, his playlists pop with surprises and style as he juxtaposes songs in the same key and effortlessly raises and lowers the tempo. “You create a narrative, an emotional journey,” he says, thumbing through a tattered notebook during a recent set that spanned gospel, early civil rights-era, and black-power soundtracks on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. “Music is visceral first.”

In between, he provides the kind of nuggets and backstories that music lovers geek over. “When I hear something new that I like—and it could be something that’s old—I’m still that 10-year-old kid,” he says. “I want to hear it 10 times. And, like a guitar player figuring out the chords, I want to slow it down and see how they did what they did.”

By coincidence, Morefield, who moved back to Texas in the late ’70s, returned to the area shortly before Gilbert joined WTMD nine years ago. After not conversing since her “interview” when both were in their mid-20s, she’s now a friend and occasional Wagon Train driver. A whole lot and nothing has changed. “He plays your soul, your heart,” she says of his Weasel Wild Weekend shows. “A maestro of the radio. One song vibrating off the next.”

For kids (and adventurous adults) snow in the forecast means partaking in the best part of winter: sledding! While it can be tempting to hide under a heated blanket until springtime, the snowy hills of Baltimore are the perfect excuse to venture out of your cozy home.

From big slopes to mild ones, there are tons of hills to hit. And you really should. Not only because hot cocoa always tastes better after a day of sledding, but Instagram is practically made for adorable pics of your winter riders.

Baltimore County Board of Education (aka Greenwood)
This super steep hill is a favorite sledding spot whenever the snow comes to town. Whether it’s a couple of inches or a blizzard, it doesn’t matter. The massive hill will send kids soaring, either way. Just beware of the big ditch at the bottom that’s surely been the cause of more than a few ice cold wipeouts. 6901 Charles Street Towson, next to Loyola Blakefield

Herring Run Park
The beloved park that sits between Harford and Argonne roads, near Lake Montebello, is known for its beautiful scenic views all year long. Come winter, it’s also a top sledding spot! Hills are of varied elevations for kids of all ages to enjoy. Little ones can stay on the small slopes while the big kids might get adventurous on the steeper hills that they can pick up speed on. Harford and Argonne Roads

Baltimore Country Club (aka “Suicide Hill”):
This sketchy hill can be seen as you drive along Falls Road. But beware, it’s extremely steep and a bit dangerous. There have been plenty of injuries on this insane slope, so it’s not for the faint of heart, but rumor has it, it’s still pretty thrilling. Another reason this spot is only for the bravest of the brave? It’s not exactly legal, per say, so trespassers beware, and maybe have a lawyer handy. 4712 Club Road

Dumbarton Middle School
Rodgers Forgers have been hitting up the pint-sized hills surrounding the fields between Dumbarton Middle and Rodgers Forge Elementary schools for eons. It’s a short ride down one of these small slopes which are great for small riders. Older neighborhood kids have been known to get clever, building ramps and finding creative ways to make their sleds soar. 300 Dumbarton Road

Patterson Park (near the Pagoda)
You’ll find every age group present and accounted for here—from kids and families, 20-somethings, and even furry friends. There are tons of little hills where folks are known to get creative, using trash can lids and other makeshift sleds. Hey, whatever keeps your butt dry. Patterson Park Avenue and Pratt Street

Federal Hill Park
Since this neighborhood is a total mix of families and 20-somethings, you’ll find just about everyone hitting up these super steep hills. But, look out, because there’s a few that might lead you astray . . . like, right into Key Highway. Another thing to look out for? There’s almost always a snowball fight brewing, so don’t turn your back for too long. Warren Avenue

Oregon Ridge Park
This massive hill is actually former ski slope, so while it looks very long and steep, it’s actually pretty safe! That’s a big perk for families with little ones, who can ride safely (but if they get scared, there are more shallow ones, too). The main hill lands into a long, flat field and then drops off into another flat area. Sometimes, you’ll still see cross-country skiers and snowboarders here, as well, shredding down the “mountain.” 13401 Beaver Dam Road

Towson University’s Smith Hall
Of course, this is a popular site for students on a snow day, located on school grounds, at the spot right next to the English building. While some riders choose sleds or skis, other settle for riding in last night’s pizza box (probably while sipping on last night’s leftover Natty Lights, too). Glen Drive, Towson

Leakin Park
The hill at Leakin Park refers to the dip behind Crimea Mansion on Eagle Drive. It’s another well-known favorite inside the city lines, only this one never gets terribly crowded—a perk for the neighborhood kids. This hill is of medium difficulty, but still long and steep for an epic day of sledding. Eagle Drive

Wyman Park
It’s no wonder the 16-acre public park, between Charles Village and Remington has been a beloved sledding spot for more than 100 years. The park is known for its steep slopes, after all. On a snowy day, you can find friends of all ages there, from little ones to college kids from JHU, zipping down hills so sharp they’ll make even the strongest stomachs drop. North Charles and 29th Streets

Record and Tape Traders Towson, the last remaining iteration of what was once a chain of music and movie purveyors scattered around the state, will close its doors after 40 years of business this winter. The institution in Baltimore’s music community will remain open through Christmas to liquidate its current stock.

“We would like to thank our customers for their loyalty over the years and we look forward to seeing you over the next few weeks,” reads an announcement posted to the store’s Facebook page last week. “Please come visit us and help us say farewell. We were so proud to be your music and movie location for as long as we could. That’s the way she goes…”

The post has been shared nearly 1,500 times, and hundreds of commenters have expressed their sadness and memories in the wake of the announcement.

As a farewell of our own, we gathered stories from R&TT patrons both past and present, who look back at their first musical experiences, record store shenanigans, and just what we’re losing as the Dulaney Plaza Shopping Center staple closes its doors.

Jeff Gorman, Baltimore

Member of local band Illiterate Light, patron

Gorman, who grew up less than one mile from the store, remembers buying his first album there when he was in elementary school.

“My dad and I stopped by after soccer practice, and I bought Third Eye Blind’s self-titled album because “Semi-Charmed Life” and “Jumper” had been blasting on WHFS,” he says. “We’d go in, ask the clerk for some recommendations, and they’d walk us around the store and tell us about each band while sharing stories about seeing them live. Then we’d take those albums to the listening booth, throw on a pair of headphones, and preview a few songs.”

Though he says he isn’t “anti-streaming,” Gorman is quick to point out the differences between buying and consuming music then and now.

“Every single album I bought from R&TT, I know the whole thing front to back,” he says. “Because if you’re gonna drop $15 on something, you’re gonna get every cent out of it. Music consumption is different now. You don’t like a song on Spotify, you just go to the next one. Back in the day, if you didn’t like a song on the record you just bought, you either learned to like it or returned it for something better.”

One of the things that Gorman will cherish most about R&TT is its reputation as a “hub of culture for many different genres of music.”

“In one aisle you’re transported to Woodstock and the hippie revolution, then you turn around to the aisle behind you, and suddenly it’s L.A. in the mid-’80s and you’re thrown into the thick of punk,” he says. “Then you walk into the next aisle and it’s 1995 and Biggie and Tupac are taking hip-hop and blasting it into a whole new dimension. Race, time, politics, everything could mysteriously come together and even be transcended in the aisles of Record and Tape Traders.”

Scotti Anne Kondracki-Gunn, Glen Burnie

Patron

Back in the late ’80s is when Gunn discovered R&TT on Ritchie Highway in Glen Burnie. She and her best friend, Dawn, would go in to peruse the music, grab the free mags, and, scope out cute guys. She still has the very first CDs she purchased there, including Type O Negative’s Bloody Kisses, Stone Temple Pilots, and The Ravyns.

“Of course, I also snatched up several Metallica tapes—ahh, tapes,” she says. “If R&TT didn’t have something I wanted, they would put down my name and what I was looking for. Soon enough I’d get a phone call, or the next time I stopped in, there would be the record or CD I wanted. It was businesses like this that gave me that much more appreciation for music and the world around it.”

Gunn moved away from Maryland in her mid-20s and found out that R&TT in Glen Burnie had closed soon after.

“I was just heartbroken,” she says. “But when I moved back five years ago, I found the one in Towson. All my great memories came rushing back, and I was so very elated. It’s funny how, in this community, some things never really seem to change, and yet, everything eventually does.”

Now, in the wake of the Towson location shuttering its doors, Gunn is hoping to take her 17-year-old son to the store before Christmas so that he can have the same music experiences that she did.

“R&TT was this place where local legends could be found amidst great world legends,” she says. “And they were just about equal there.”

Chad Gautier, Glen Burnie

Former employee, patron

Despite occasional issues with theft and dealing with some unconventional customers, Gautier says he had plenty of good times working at the R&TT store in Glen Burnie.

“We used to laugh so much,” he says. “When you went to work it was like going to a party. There was music and all your best friends were there. It was like a family.”

His love for music was passed down to him from his mother, and now, he is proud to say that his 15-year-old daughter thinks that the Towson store is the “coolest place on Earth.”

“I have always felt that music is loved by so many people,” he says. “It lets us say things we can’t put into words. But when it’s heard, everyone knows what we are feeling. R&TT really is going to be a place that, when it is gone, people will then realize what they are missing.”

John Fahres, Philadelphia

Musician, Patron

In 1999, two years after having left the Baltimore-based roots-rock band The Poorhouse Rockers to pursue music as a solo musician, Fahres put out his first album, True Stories, Total Fabrications.

“It was an exciting time, and the internet was new and shiny but not necessarily the best promo and distribution tool available,” he explains. “As such, you had to get your music out there the old-fashioned way, meaning selling it at shows and getting local record shops to carry it.”

Fahres had been visiting R&TT since he was a student at Towson in the early ’90s. It was an easy walk or bike ride from campus, and he frequently made his way there to flip through bins of his favorite acts, such as Del Amitri and Elvis Costello.

“There were numerous times I would be in the store digging through the CD bins in search of elusive UK import CDs,” he remembers. “And I would get turned on to something new thanks to whatever record the employees were spinning.”

Fast-forward to 1999, when Fahres finished his first album and the manager of R&TT bought copies to stock in the Local Music section.

“It was one of those moments where you feel like you’ve stepped up to the next level in regards to your musical career,” he says. “At the end of the day, they are and will remain a part of my personal musical history.”

John Roth, Baltimore

Patron

Roth remembers first going to R&TT as a young kid with his dad to buy Elvis tapes for his mom: “I didn’t have the opportunity to go back until I was a teenager—my parents weren’t really the types to frequent record stores—but I have the image of the original store in my head to this day,” he shares. “I didn’t know what I’d walked into, but I knew at that age it was something special.”

He’ll always appreciate the spot-on suggestions given to him by the store’s staff, which he says “always got it right.”

“Music people can smell BS a mile away, but R&TT was just so genuine,” he adds. “They catered to every sort of music lover, from the people picking up a single they liked on the radio to the freaky collectors who’ve gone over the edge. If it was good, they had it. If it wasn’t so good, they had enough of it to keep customers happy, but I believe they hid it halfway out of sight out of decency and honor.”

Now, Roth, 45, says that, as much as he promised himself he would never go all digital, he hasn’t purchased a physical album in years.

“When I heard that R&TT is closing once and for all, I felt a sense of irrational responsibility in some ways,” he shares. “The closing line of the posting on Facebook says it all, though. It’s sad. It sucks. As much as it saddens me to realize that an era is over, that’s the way she goes. Time moves on, and consumer preferences did, too.”

When you hear the term “pole dancing,” the idea of achieving your fitness goals may not be the first thing that comes to mind. But Tegan Williams, owner of Xpose Fitness in Parkville, is looking to change that. After owning her studio for four years, Williams has taught countless students (ranging in age from 18 to 65) that pole classes have similar benefits to yoga and pilates and that they can be an amazing core and upper body workout. We decided to try it for ourselves and talked with Williams about her inspirational beginning, surprising clientele, and breaking down certain stigmas.

How did you get started at Xpose Fitness?
Out of grad school, I set a weight loss journey for myself. After I accomplished that goal, I was just looking for yet another challenge. I found Xpose Fitness on Groupon, and I just decided to try it. Surprisingly, I ended up really loving it! I became an instructor after about a year. Then, a year or so after that, the current owner approached me about purchasing the business, and I’ve owned it for almost four years now.

What kind of classes do you offer?
We offer five different levels of pole classes where we use isometric exercises to strengthen and tone. Our pole fit class is an all levels class where there’s no routine. You just work on strengthening. There’s also floor/chair, which is a combination of yoga and pilates moves with exotic dance. Tricks and spins is also an all levels class where there’s no routine, but it is more individually focused, so you can come in and let the instructor know which move you want to work on or improve. Our sexy stretch class is pretty similar to yoga, but it involves more active stretching. Finally, there’s our x-fit class, where we mainly use exercise balls and bands.

What is the recommend attire for classes at your studio?
It’s a little different for each class—anything you are comfortable moving in is fine. We do recommend barefoot or socks for sexy stretch and floor/chair classes and tennis shoes for x-fit. Heels are not really required, but if you would like to wear them, there are certain heel specifications we follow. Additionally, you can purchase heels at our studio if you’d like. For pole classes, we recommend above-the-knee shorts because skin helps you stick to the pole.

Who typically attends these classes?
We have mostly women, but we do have some co-ed classes. The typical age range is 18 years old to 65 years old. However, if you’re older than 65 years and you still want to come, I’d say come on and try. There are modifications for you.

How do you make people who’ve never taken classes like these before feel comfortable?

We really try to make personal connections. I always try to introduce myself to everyone that pops in the class. If you are nervous, I understand, you can bring a friend. In pole, a lot of people are really nervous because it is really different. We encourage people by reminding them that it is about them and their journey, and everyone else is on a different journey.

What are some of the exercise benefits?

You are definitely strengthening your arm, abs, and back. Even though we don’t have a lot of cardiovascular classes, any repetition of a movement is going to give you some heart-healthy benefits.

Do you have any success stories of clients?

We have a couple of clients that have been attending for about 13 years. They are some of the strongest women I know. They keep coming back because they love the way the feel. Other clients have lost weight from the classes, and some are training for competitions.

But I think my favorite success stories are the little ones. I had a client who doubted she could ever invert. I encouraged her to keep coming in and trying. A week after, she accomplished it. I have a lot of clients that have doubts here and there about if they can do a particular move and I always tell them, Wwe are just going to keep working on the muscles that you need for it.’

What are some of your favorite classes to teach?
I love them all, but I really love teaching tricks and spins. I especially love it because people come in and share their goals, and I can help them towards that goal.

What are your favorite songs to teach to?
It changes a lot because I love music, but lately it’s been “Bacon” by Nick Jonas and “Girls Like You” by Maroon 5.

What is the ultimate goal you want people to achieve at the end of a class?
I want clients leaving empowered and strong. Sometimes you leave with a new goal. I really try to turn ‘I can’t’ into ‘I can’ or ‘I can’t yet.’ Sometimes you go to a class—and I’ve been there—that’s really challenging, and you say to yourself I couldn’t do any of those things. I still want you to leave feeling like you can do them some day.

What would you say to someone who is a little apprehensive about taking pole classes?
I think 13 years ago, when the studio opened, there was a big hurdle to go over where pole dance was viewed as this really taboo thing. I think it is less of a taboo now. There are people who do pole for sport just like you would do gymnastics or ice-skating. That’s what we do here—we dance sexy, but mostly we want to be strong.

Also, if your barrier is that you don’t feel sexy or you don’t want to feel sexy, I’d say there’s probably an instructor for you. We have instructors that are sportier, instructors that are really sexy, and some that are moderately sexy. I didn’t feel sexy when I started, so I decided I just wanted to do it for the fitness. It took me a little bit to feel more comfortable doing sexier things. So I’d say, honestly, just try it. There’s someone for your style.

Among the Persian rugs, rare collector’s books, and antique furniture at the storied Alex Cooper Auctioneers in Towson is an unexpectedly stunning array of modern and contemporary works by art giants such as Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró, Alexander Calder, and Peter Max. Every five weeks, works ranging from paintings and etchings to mixed-media pieces and sculptures are displayed inside the faded gray building on York Road, familiar to only a few in-the-know locals who wander through the space like it’s a secret art exhibition. Even more exciting? After viewing such masterpieces up close, bidders can walk away with a lithograph by Marc Chagall or a photograph by Andy Warhol for as little as a few thousand dollars.

This nearly 100-year-old auction house has always sold fine art, but since Kathleen Hamill came on board last year as its director of modern and contemporary art, she has helped expand that niche and acquire newer works to appeal to a wider pool of collectors. Active in the Baltimore arts scene for more than a decade as The Contemporary’s former director of corporate development and a board member of the Maryland Art Place, Hamill travels to cities throughout the region to find and foster relationships with galleries, dealerships, collectors, and artists.

“We have hundreds of thousands of dollars of stuff right here in this unassuming building,” Hamill says. “Some days, I want to pinch myself.”

Hamill has found her sweet spot in auctioning pieces for about $5,000 to $100,000, just under the radar of larger auction houses such as Sotheby’s and Christie’s. She intentionally seeks out work by African-American and female artists and, to attract novice collectors, she includes pieces that span a variety of styles and price points.

Katie Rutledge, a physical therapist at Johns Hopkins Hospital, wandered inside the auction house a few years ago. “‘I hate this place’ was my perception at the time—it was dark and not very welcoming,” Rutledge says with a laugh. But when she returned in June, she had a completely different experience. “It seemed more youthful. I think Kathleen brings a breath of fresh air.”

In the future, Hamill envisions transitioning the space into even more of a gallery-style environment, curating thoughtful, thematic auctions and making them a destination for school trips and community lectures. For now, a featured collection is showcased at each auction: In March, there was Baltimore chef Cindy Wolf’s copy of a first-edition French cookbook and two paintings from her personal collection; George Nakashima’s one-of-a-kind hand-carved wooden tables filled the showroom in June. The next fine art auction is slated for August 25.

Hamill recalls an afternoon when a ceramic owl platter by Picasso, a box of Salvador Dalí woodcuts, and a Sam Gilliam painting all sat in her office. “If you’re an art geek like me,” she says, “that’s like nirvana.”

Some items up for bid on August 25:

Laura Alima takes inventory of metal ice cream scoopers in the bright kitchen of her new Towson shop. A former minimart on York Road, it’s now the second iteration of The Charmery, which Laura and her husband, David, opened in Hampden in 2013. It’s one day before the new location is set to officially debut, and the Alimas have gotten a last-minute request to scoop for the cast and crew on the set of House of Cards.

Even with opening day quickly approaching (she still has to make sure the phone works, oversee exterior work, and tidy up the space behind the counter), Laura makes time to pack up equipment for one of the coolest catering gigs her team has had yet. “We’ve wanted to do this forever,” she says. “It’s just one of those moments where you can’t say no.”

The request from the execs at House of Cards—who will enjoy the shop’s Pure Vanilla, Maryland Mud, and Salty Caramel ice cream later that day while shooting the show’s final season—is just another cherry on top for The Charmery as it continues to expand.

A few miles south in Medfield, David runs test batches at the new Union Collective—a 138,000-square-foot makerspace that houses a number of local businesses, including a third Charmery location. Attached to the retail shop is the Alimas’ new ice cream factory, which is three times the size of their cramped production kitchen in Hampden.

By day’s end, David and his team will have churned out nearly 300 gallons of Salty Caramel and Vegan Coconut Cookies-and-Cream ice cream—two of the many creative varieties that The Charmery has become known for. Other funky flavors in the rotation have included Mango Sticky Rice, Butter Popcorn Pecan, and Mezcal-Lime Strawberry.

David, who began making ice cream as a hobby after graduating from college, finds the inspiration for his sweet and savory concoctions in everything—from pop culture (he once made a champagne-poppy seed flavor inspired by Drake’s Instagram handle) to local luminaries such as musicians Dan Deacon and TT The Artist, as well as the unofficial mayor of Hampden, Lou Catelli.

“The creativity that he puts behind the flavors is amazing,” says David’s close friend Carlos Raba, co-owner and executive chef of Clavel in Remington. “I remember the first time my wife and I went to The Charmery, and we saw his cheese-and-crackers flavor [a combination of sharp cheddar and Ritz cracker dust]. I was like, ‘What is that?’ I would never think to put cheese and crackers in ice cream, but I tried it and I was hooked.”

To make their popular Salty Caramel, the team mixes handcrafted caramel flavoring with a dairy base (heavy cream, whole milk, and natural stabilizers), adds vanilla and salt, and then places it into an ice cream machine to give it a soft-serve consistency. Later, it goes into a blast freezer, where it hardens overnight.

“This feels like an empire,” David says. “But we didn’t go into it with the goal of opening multiple shops. Our goal was always, ‘Let’s open this one shop and make it an institution that is an important part of people’s lives.’”

Laura’s business sense paired with David’s creativity is the recipe for success at The Charmery—a community staple that has become a requisite stop on The Avenue. “It has its own vibe,” says Matt Stegman, president of the Hampden Community Council. “There are shops all over that have good ice cream, but the fun of The Charmery is that every time you go, you’re going to see five or six new options. Not just flavors that you’ve never seen there before—things that you’ve never seen anywhere.”

Featuring a whimsical soda-fountain feel (and an aquatic-themed bathroom that was named runner-up in Cintas’ America’s Best Restroom Contest in 2016), the colorful and quirky shop, which serves as many as 1,000 customers per day during the busy summer months, is a reflection of the owners’ personalities. Unlike many sweet shops that see a dip in business or close during the colder months, this place is packed year-round.

“There’s something nostalgic about ice cream that touches people on an emotional level, whether they’re aware of it or not,” Laura says. “When we first envisioned The Charmery, we thought a lot about how the shop could touch people in a way that triggers their first ice cream memory. People remember those things more so than where they had their first hamburger.”

Sitting in the inviting living room of their Govans home—which boasts bins of vinyl and a wildly painted taxidermy deer bust—the two laugh as they reminisce about the 20-year journey together. When they talk, Laura, who has wavy blond hair that is pinned back to reveal her warm smile, and David, who sports a signature goatee and baseball cap, are so in sync that they finish each other’s sentences, though they have individual interests, too. While she likes wine and admires culinary superstar Danny Meyer, he is inspired by reggae music and the zaniness of Willy Wonka.

Growing up in Columbia, Laura dreamed of operating her own peanut butter factory (“It was going to be called Like it or Nut Peanut Butter,” she chuckles), which later gave way to aspirations of owning a classic American diner. “I remember my mom had given me this book about diners, and I was obsessed with them,” she recalls. “Mine was going to employ every member of my family.”

David, who was raised in Pikesville, had a similar entrepreneurial spirit. His grandparents and mother owned a pharmacy in the county (serendipitously, Laura’s grandfather was also a pharmacist, and The Charmery in Hampden is housed in an old pharmacy building) and his Israeli-born father ran a healthcare supply company. As a student at Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School, David—an avid music lover—excelled in courses that challenged his artistic side.

The couple eventually met in the summer of 1998 while working as counselors at Camp Moshava, a Jewish sleepaway camp just outside of Bel Air. Laura was preparing for her freshman year studying hotel and restaurant management at Cornell University in Ithaca, and David was a rising sophomore at the University of Maryland, College Park. They hit it off during a staff outing at Denny’s, one of the only restaurants remotely close to camp. “I ate an entire pie to impress her,” David says with a laugh. “And it worked.”

The couple continued the long-distance relationship for a semester, then David transferred to Ithaca College to study marketing, communications, and creative writing. “Ithaca had these beautiful mountains,” says David. “And Laura was there.”

After college, the duo lived in Washington D.C., before heading out West. “We didn’t want to end up here our whole lives having never left,” David says. Laura wanted to learn more about wine, so Northern California seemed like a natural fit. “We looked at the map, and Santa Rosa was the largest dot between Sonoma and Napa,” she says.

The relaxed atmosphere in Santa Rosa—where David did marketing for a reggae band and Laura did marketing for high-end food and wine events—proved to be formative. “It struck me that there were 45-year-old people working at a winery, but they didn’t want to take over the winery,” David says. “They didn’t want to use the winery as a jumping board to their next step. They just wanted to be and live a happy life.”

Laura’s business sense paired with David’s creativity is the recipe for success.

Even so, after five years on the West Coast, David and Laura had a brood of nieces and nephews back in Baltimore and family beckoned them home. They continued their marketing careers in Baltimore, where Laura worked with Chef’s Expressions and David headed up efforts for Everyman Theatre.

“I remember sitting at my desk there and being like, ‘Okay, in this path that I’m going on, what would be the best job that I could imagine?’” he remembers. “I just couldn’t see it being at the place where I was. So I came home to Laura and told her, ‘I don’t know what to do, I don’t see where my path leads to happiness.’”

As it turns out, that path was paved with ice cream. After drafting a number of business plans—including one to revamp Lost City Diner in Station North—the duo decided to execute their vision of opening an ice cream shop similar to the city-defining parlors they had visited throughout their travels. “Every time we traveled, we would always seek out ice cream,” David says. “That’s how we found these iconic shops that would put the cities on their shoulders.” They drew inspiration from places such as Molly Moon’s in Seattle, The Creole Creamery in New Orleans, Screamin’ Mimi’s near Santa Rosa, and, of course, Purity Ice Cream in Ithaca.

“Everyone who we talked to about this was like, ‘You have to serve sandwiches—you won’t survive the winter,’” David recalls. “But we had seen these shops and what they could do. We had such complete faith in the concept.”

And they were right. The community believed in The Charmery’s mission from its very first night of business on July 20, 2013. “I very viscerally remember that feeling of taking the paper off of the door and seeing a line of people outside on opening night,” Laura says. And lines have continued to flood out the door—and snake around the block—ever since.

The Alimas took their time establishing the Hampden location and starting their family—they have a 4-year-old daughter, Maggie, and 1-year-old son, Max—before taking the plunge. When they were approached by the Union Craft Brewing team in 2016, they decided it was the right time to grow their footprint. “We knew opening at the Collective meant that we needed another space to open almost simultaneously,” Laura says. Adds David: “The factory only works if it has something to feed.”

Even in the midst of major growth, taking time to breathe, a skill that the Alimas learned in Santa Rosa, is something that they remain committed to, whether they’re checking out new restaurants in town or relaxing with their children in their playroom at home. David finds clarity in his routine of morning coffee dates with Raba and other local business owners including Dave Sherman of Ground & Griddled and former Food Market partner Elan Kotz. They all support one another. “Baltimore loves Baltimore,” David says. “You just have to find your people and your space. Once you do that, the city just kind of opens itself to you.”

Back at Union Collective, David’s new office sits behind an orange barn door with a hand-painted quote inspired by Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory sprawled across it. “Don’t forget what happened to the man who suddenly got everything he ever wanted,” it reads. “He lived happily ever after.”

“I don’t want to forget,” David says. “I mean, look at this place. How did I do this? Six years ago, I had no idea what my adulthood would look like. To go from that to being here is amazing. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted.”

Sure, streaming is convenient. But you can’t flip through bins full of MP3s, and algorithms can’t beat a trusted recommendation from your friendly neighborhood clerk.

As our profile of the Arbutus Record Show suggests, there’s still an undeniable allure to vinyl. Maybe it’s the cover art, or simply the tangible object in our digital world, but vinyl record sales continued their 12-year climb in 2017, with sales topping the previous year by more than $1 million.

Whether you’re just jumping on the bandwagon or you’ve been collecting for decades, you’re sure to find something for your turntable at one of these local spots.

Baby’s On Fire
This young café-cum-record shop takes its name from a Brian Eno track, which is a pretty good indication of what you’ll find there. Match your coffee to your listening-station pick for a fun, multi-sensory experience: French pop pairs well with cafe au laits, while Fugazi begs for a double shot of Hair Bender espresso. 1010 Morton St., 443-885-9892. 

Celebrated Summer Records
Looking to embrace your inner punk or hardcore headbanger? While the music inside this Hampden shop is of the messier variety, it’s also one of the best-organized record stores you’ll encounter. Check out the local section for releases from Baltimore bands like War On Women. 3616 Falls Rd., 443-866-9988. 

El Suprimo
Packed with used finds, this Fells Point hole-in-the-wall is a haven for Baltimore music-heads who love the joy of the hunt. Whether you’re into Morrissey or Memphis blues, chat with Jack about your tastes. He might just dig out something special from the back. 1709 Aliceanna St., 443-226-9628.  

Normal’s
This Waverly record and book store has recently updated its exterior, and inside you’ll find one of the best jazz selections in town, as well as notable additions to any collection (interested in a private press of early U2 demos?). Pick co-owner Rupert’s brain for insight on the store’s ever-expanding inventory. 425 E. 31st St., 410-243-6888.

Protean Books & Records
Books, music, games, movies, and more fill this eccentric treasure trove near M&T Bank Stadium. Used records run the gamut, with Jay-Z, JFK, and Miss Piggy all having been spotted in the bins. Brave browsers can also enjoy a quick scare at the oddities museum, Dr. Gloom’s Crypt of Curiosities, located in the back. 836 Leadenhall St., 410-227-3006.

The Sound Garden
After more than a quarter century (and being named one of Rolling Stone’s top record stores in the country), this beloved Fells Point music shop still stocks an abundance of new and used vinyl of every genre and price. Keep your eyes peeled for records from local artists and your ears open for the shop’s occasional concerts. 1616 Thames St., 410-563-9011

Trax on Wax
This local gem is a classic record store experience, with a friendly staff and packed bins of new, used, and rare music. Hit the reissue section for fresh copies of old favorites, such as Bowie’s whole range of Berlin recordings. It’s also a great place for newbies to check out equipment. Ask Gary or Jeff for help—those guys know everything. 709 Frederick Rd., Catonsville, 410-869-8729.

Ka-Chunk!! Records
If you’re in the Annapolis area, this solid shop hosts a sizable selection of new, reissued, and used LPs, plus live in-store performances and something good always spinning while you browse. One recent playlist included The Replacements, Leonard Cohen, and Ty Segall. 78 Maryland Ave., Annapolis, 410-571-5047.

True Vine
Established by friends with a love for “raw and non-traditional” music, this Hampden haunt is the place to go for music beyond our borders. Also dubbed one of Rolling Stone’s top record shops, its truly eclectic selection includes globe-spanning sounds from the “organ king of Cairo,” Belgian avant-rockers, and the Baltimore Club scene, just to name a few. 3544 Hickory Ave., 410-235-4500. [Editor’s Note 6/11/21: True Vine remains temporarily closed.]

Having a family doesn’t have to mean kissing your love of live music goodbye—at least not during Baltimore’s sunny seasons. Concert-hopping can totally be tougher with kids in tow, but this time of year the city is packed with outdoor, kid-friendly events parents can actually relax and enjoy. An atmosphere that puts parents at ease while catering to young ones means concert fun for all. This year, there’s plenty to choose from and few reasons to stay home.  

WTMD First Thursdays
The much-loved First Thursday concerts are back at Canton Waterfront Park starting May 3. Two stages, food vendors, drinks by The Brewer’s Art, and even a kid’s zone are sure to keep the whole family entertained. Artists like Jessica Lea Mayfield and Lake Street Drive will bring big crowds, so come early and post-up until those little yawns set in.

Summer Concerts at Oregon Ridge
This local park is known for its nature center and beautiful trails. But Oregon Ridge has music-lover appeal, too. From KarmaFest to Music in the Woods, and the always eagerly anticipated Hot August Music, the venue holds several day-long events perfect for every age. Kids can take listen to tunes, head over to the playground, and maybe snag a hug from the Oriole Bird, too (who tends to make an appearance at Hot August.

Belvedere Square Summer Sounds
If you’re in the market (Belvedere Market, that is) for a laid-back, post-work-week hang, Summer Sounds is just what the family ordered. Every Friday evening from May 25 until September 7, the square comes alive with music by local artists, and plenty of family dancing. Delicious food and slurpable drinks are available from Grand Cru and the market shops. Kids come for the face-painting, kid-zone games, and general running amuck with neighborhood friends. Parents stay for the music and sweet sangria. Equally sweet is the adult interaction and relaxed vibes the concerts never fails to bring.

MECU Pavilion (formerly Pier Six)
Not all concert venues are family-friendly, but MECU has a few perks that make bringing the kids a sinch. With lots of lawn space to roam, you won’t have to worry about tots getting lost in the shuffle or those little ear drums, either. Kids of all ages are welcome and those under two get in free. A few of this summer’s shows include Primus, LSD (Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle and Dwight Yoakam), and The Barenaked Ladies. And if you’re really in it for the kids, don’t miss KidzBop Live on August 10.

Summer Socials on the Waterfront
Waterfront Partnership makes West Shore Park another great spot to gather and get down. Every second Friday from May through August, food trucks line the streets while Dooby’s provides drinks for thirsty concert-goers. This year, performers like Kelly Bell Band, The New Romance, What’s Next, and The Loose Ties take the stage. Kids surely aren’t forgotten at this summer standby either, with creative kid-zone fun, like giant building blocks.

Shop and Eat to the Beat on the Avenue
Live music begins at White Marsh on May 25 and continues every Friday and Saturday through Labor Day. The first band of the year is Nelly’s Echo. Other performers include the Cajun and zydeco sounds of The Crawdaddies and reggae from Jah Works. Food can be purchased from any of the avenues eateries and beer, wine, and crushes are available in the event area. With plenty of retail stores to hit up nearby, there are tons of reasons to check out the family-centric weekly events.

Feet on the Street in Towson
Bands, bouncy castles, face-painting, and more make this Towson mainstay an event local families look forward to every year. On Friday evenings from May 18 through September 28, local bands like Jury, Crushing Day, and Kitty Black will perform. Families can relax, eat, drink, and get their feet moving over on Allegheny Avenue.

Summer Concerts at Merriweather Post Pavilion
While you might not want to take your kids to the Vans Warped Tour on Sunday, July 27 just yet (though the event is all ages—and they might just enjoy the mohawks and crowd-surfing!), Merriweather has plenty of day-long events that are perfect for the whole family. From the Capital Jazz Festival on Sunday, June 3 to the Summer Spirit Festival on August 4 and 5, there are more than a few concerts to choose from. The kid-friendly site has a spacious lawn with plenty of room for the kids to wiggle, cruise the vendors or just rock out.

Community has always been a key ingredient in the success of The Charmery—the celebrated ice cream shop that husband-and-wife owners David and Laura Alima opened on the Avenue in Hampden five years ago.

“Our dream with The Charmery has always been: ‘How do we make Baltimore a better place through ice cream?’” David recently told us. “It’s become a celebration spot for people who come to see us from all over the city and the state. To be able to expand that into another community is really amazing.”

This summer, the owners are widening their footprint to the Towson area with a new shop opening at 6807 York Road. In keeping with their local focus, the team is hosting a special “Community Scoop” event outside of the new storefront on Wednesday, April 18 from 5-7 p.m. (A rain date is scheduled for Tuesday, April 24.)

During the event, staffers will be serving free baby scoops to the public in an effort to get to know patrons in the surrounding area, and give the neighborhood a taste of what the shop will offer when it cuts the ribbon in the coming weeks.

“We’re really looking forward to meeting all of our neighbors,” David said. “One of the things I love most about our shop in Hampden is that it’s this neighborhood unifier. We want to be what the neighborhood wants us to be.”

Set in the former home of a convenience store, the renovated shop’s interior will mirror the whimsical aesthetic of its flagship, and offer David’s creative ice cream flavors including Old Bay Caramel, Maryland Mud, Mint Mountain, and Malty Vanilla Chip. The 2,057-square-foot digs will boast significantly more seating—both indoor and outdoor—than the Hampden shop.

“When we left the first walkthrough, it was just this visceral moment where it felt right,” Laura said. “It was just like, ‘That’s it. That’s the next Charmery.”

The Towson opening comes in the midst of a major expansion for the owners, who are currently in the process of moving all ice cream production to the new Union Collective warehouse in Medfield. Slated to open later this month, the ice cream factory will feature its own a retail space, as well as a large kitchen with dry storage, an oven for baked goods and sundae toppings, and a freezer that is about three times the size of the unit in Hampden.

“The real beauty of this space is that it allows us to think about our future in a way we really haven’t before,” David said during a hard-hat tour of Union Collective last month. “We have been making ice cream for the past five years in what amounts to a walk-in closet space. This is going to be our central hub, and it’s going to enable us to create enough ice cream for all three locations. It’s our dream come true.” 

Any Towson resident of a certain age, and worth their salt, remembers The Crease. It was a pioneer, in the sense that no nightlife existed in the area before it opened on York Road in 1972. After decades of debauchery, wear and tear to its big red booths, and plenty of sloppy “ladies nights,” in 2016, it was announced that The Crease was being replaced, albeit with another bar. 

Enter The Point in Towson (523 York Rd., 443-991-4293), a spinoff of its sister bar at the corner of Thames and Ann streets in Fells Point. The Point’s owner, Erica Russo, who grew up around Towson, clearly put a lot of work into the 6,400-square-foot space, which features reclaimed wood, funky light fixtures, nearly a dozen TVs, communal high tops, and an open kitchen. 

Aside from the facelift, The Point’s most obvious asset is its stellar service. On a busy Wednesday night, we snagged the last two seats at the bar and were promptly delivered waters and menus—and then informed that it was half-priced wine night. We followed suit and ordered a bottle of the bold and bright Tempranillo from Rioja, Spain, a steal at just $12.50. Knowing that The Point has a Jameson bottle club, we also wanted to try one of the whiskey cocktails and opted for the Banana Old Fashioned. Purists would say never to mess with a classic cocktail, but its walnut bitters had a tang and bitterness that was a nice counterpoint to the sweet house-infused banana Jameson.

Knowing how good the food is (particularly the brunch) at the Fells Point location, we were eager to sample some snacks, including the hearty spinach salad with mushrooms, smoked bleu cheese, crispy onion straws, and charred tomato vinaigrette that made for an ideal greens dish in winter. Always a good Baltimore barometer, crab dip was just as impressive mixed with creamy mozzarella and served alongside buttery, soft pretzel bites. 

As we finished our drinks and paid the check, the affable bartender let us know about The Point’s plans for its back patio in the spring, including live music, cornhole, and giant games. While we’ll always have a soft spot for the grittier Towson era, the neighborhood’s future certainly looks bright.

For the first time in decades, the Baltimore Blast are playing their hard-hitting, high-scoring, indoor-soccer games some place other than Royal Farms Arena. The team’s new home is the smaller, more modern SECU Arena on Towson University’s campus.

In an interview with Marty Bass and Linh Bui on WJZ team owner Edwin F. Hale, Sr. linked the move to his ongoing legal dispute with the city over the ownership of billboards outside Royal Farms Arena. And the deal with the college is the only reason the team is still around.

“Had we not gone to Towson University, there would be no Baltimore Blast this year,” Hale said.

Still, for Blast diehards, leaving may feel a bit like when the Orioles, and then the Ravens, departed Memorial Stadium. Though little about the building could be described as state-of-the-art, the old Baltimore Civic Center is not without its shabby charms and history. But the Blast are all we got and they’re still really, really good at winning games—they’re going for their third championship in a row.

This past Saturday, we ventured out to Towson to check out the new digs and see the Blast take on the St. Louis Ambush. Here are some pointers for enjoying an action-packed game at the new venue.

Buying Tickets

Even though the team’s maximum seating capacity has been cut by more than half (from about 10,000 to 4,000), there were still plenty of seats available for the game against the Ambush. The box office is located beyond the security check-in at Gate 2. With that said, it’s still best to call or check the map on Ticketmaster before banking on walk-up sales.

The small confines and smaller field really do put fans right on top of the action. My buddy and I started out in section 206 and had a great view nearly at midfield. It’s worth it to splurge and get seats in the lower bowl—we checked out club section 112—where you can clearly listen as the players call out directions to their teammates and hear the sound of the ball moving along the artificial turf.

Pregame

Given its location on York Road just off Towson’s campus, local sports bar staple Bill Bateman’s Bistro is, by default, the best place to grab some pregame beers and food. Even then, it’s about a 20-minute walk from Bateman’s to the arena, so you’ll probably still have to drive (responsibly, of course).

I asked our bartender if there were any Blast-related specials and he said there weren’t, but that he was thinking about mentioning it to his manager after seeing an uptick in business on game days. No pressure, guys.

But they did have their regular slate of deals, which on this day featured discounted Bell’s Best Brown Ale ($4.50 for a 22-ounce glass, $3.50 for a pint), and, of course, all the wings, burgers, and pub grub our appetites could handle.

Know Before You Go

SECU Arena is just off Osler Drive and, as the team has heavily promoted, parking is built into the cost of a ticket. As you head south on Osler, the first sign for Blast parking will lead you toward lots near Unitas Stadium. Keep going, though, and you’ll see a second sign that leads to parking near the Towson Center. The lots near the football stadium are much further away.

It took us a little more than five minutes to walk from our spot to the gate and through security. Though not quite as strict as Ravens game, SECU security doesn’t allow bags larger than 12 inches high, 22 inches wide, and 8 inches deep.

The In-Game Experience

Opened in 2013, SECU Arena still has a lot of new bells and whistles, including an overhead scoreboard with crisp graphics and rectangular video boards that wrap around the seating bowl, much like at M&T Bank Stadium. These new amenities give the game itself a much sleeker, professionally produced feel.

As for concessions, professional sports still means professional sports prices, with nachos at $6, pizzas at $8 ($8.50 for pepperoni), chicken tenders and Old Bay chips at $11, and beer and wine ranging from $7.50 to $8.50, just to name a few. There were only three main food areas and a couple of carts, but they all seemed to move customers through briskly. Only at halftime were there noticeable lines. A few things worth pointing out: There are no vendors walking up and down the aisles, and the food stands started shutting down early into the fourth quarter.

The team store is located below section 210 and sells standard sports fare, like jerseys, shirts, and soccer balls, as well as fidget spinners and, if you so desire, Hale’s autobiography.

Otherwise, the atmosphere is the same as ever: Kool & The Gang’s “Celebration” and a T-shirt toss after every goal, the once-per-game playing of the theme from SpongeBob Squarepants, and superfan Rickee Walker—decked out in a hat and vest covered with buttons and pins from years past—banging on a drum, shaking gas fans filled with chickpeas, or playing a vuvuzela to hype the crowd.

Postgame

Per usual, several players will head to the team store after the final buzzer to sign autographs for fans.

The official after-party is at Nacho Mama’s in downtown Towson, where players, coaches, cheerleaders, and their families enjoy a meal together and then mingle with fans. There were no specials there, either, but the restaurant does boast having its house margarita, the sour and salty Graceland, on draft.

Believe it or not, it’s been 25 years since local fashion favorite South Moon Under opened its doors at Kenilworth Mall in 1992. The third-ever retail store for company, South Moon Under has come a long way from its roots of slinging surf boards and swim essentials in Ocean City to becoming one of the area’s leading retailers for the sartorial minded. 

Over nearly half-a-century of business (yes—the company will turn 50 next spring), there have been many changes, most recently when founder Frank Gunion retired last year. Gunion brought in married couple Michael Smith, who now serves as the CEO, and Patricia Darrow Smith, the chief creative officer. The Smiths are not new to retail scene, as Patricia founded White House Black Market and the pair oversaw its expansion before selling the company to Chico’s in 2003. 

“When this opportunity came up, it was exciting to us because we saw the strength of South Moon Under,” Michael says. “We saw the loyal customer base, and we saw the way the brand really wrapped themselves around their customers and we’d like to try to bring that to a larger audience around the country.”

The company hopes to expand even more in the coming years with leases signed in Raleigh, North Carolina; Birmingham, Alabama; and in the holy grail of local storefronts—Georgetown in Washington, D.C. But that doesn’t mean current stores will be overshadowed, as South Moon Under has always paid homage to its roots. As the largest store in the SMU portfolio, the Towson location has been around long enough to build customer relationships that span generations.

“The customers in the Towson area have really grown up with us,” Michael says.” You have mothers and daughters shopping together and the mothers used to be in the daughters position 25 years ago. It’s really cool to see.”

To celebrate the milestone, the Shops at Kenilworth location will be having special events all weekend long, November 3-5, with special sales, giveaways, the chance to shop with Patricia Darrow Smith, and mimosas and massages on Sunday. 

“Selling surf boards and swimwear has evolved into a fashion brand,” Michael says. “It’s a much different business than it was 50 years ago and we’re a much different business than we were 10 years ago. We’re evolving and growing.”

Cylburn Arboretum, Coldspring
The city’s living plant museum is home to all manner of domestic and exotic species in 20 themed gardens on 207 acres. We suggest throwing down a blanket near the Heritage Rose Garden behind the park’s stone mansion.

Lillian Holt Park and Center for the Arts, Overlea-Fullerton
This out-of-the-way oasis offers 13 acres of trails and gardens, including an arboretum, a lily pond, and a labyrinth with a Zen meditation garden. Chain restaurants proliferate nearby, or bring your own edibles.

Druid Hill Park, Reservoir Hill
Druid Hill Park stuns with its outdoor botanic gardens, which can be seen for a suggested $5 donation.

Jonas Green Park, Annapolis
This little sliver of greenery on the banks of the Severn River opposite the Naval Academy is beloved for its free fishing pier, petite beach, and tidy picnic area.

Flying Point Park, Edgewood
Jutting out into the Bush River, this serene slice of upper bay waterfront boasts ample recreational facilities, including picnic areas with grills and tables, plus a horseshoe pit, playground, and boat launch.

Downs Park, Pasadena
Another unheralded bayside gem, this 236-acre expanse of open space features walking trails, picnic amenities, a large playground, and, best of all, a dog-friendly beach. $6/car.

Middle Branch Park, Cherry Hill
Just over the Hanover Street Bridge from Federal Hill/Riverside, Middle Branch Park offers lovely views of the Patapsco. You may even see a crew team or two stroking down the river thanks to the nearby boathouse.

Wyman Park Dell, Johns Hopkins/Homewood
The 16-acre, bowl-like dell shields visitors from traffic on Charles and 29th streets. The shady lawns and slopes are especially helpful when seeking protection from the full heat of a Baltimore summer.

Patterson Park, Upper Fells Point/Butchers Hill/Canton
Pick your picturesque position: by the boat lake, perched near the pagoda, in front of the marble fountain, or down by the dog parks. Grab grub from any of the nearby eateries. We recommend a crab pie from Matthew’s Pizza.

Lake Kittamaqundi, Columbia
Shake off suburban office park stupor with a jaunt around this 27-acre man-made lake. Pop over to the nearby Whole Foods for a grab-and-go meal and you’ll be back at your desk with time to spare.

Federal Hill Park, Federal Hill
Gaze upon the hustle and bustle of downtown at this grassy rise overlooking the Inner Harbor. Benches, monuments, and a large playground make it fun for the whole family.

Benjamin Banneker Historical Park & Museum, Catonsville
This 142-acre site honors the life of Benjamin Banneker, often called the first African-American man of science. The park offers good walking trails and picnic areas, but do make time for the exhibits, too. Snacks from either Atwater’s or The Breadery will complete the experience.

Fort McHenry, Locust Point
The star-shaped fort played a “key” role in American history when Francis Scott Key watched its bombardment during the War of 1812 and wrote what would become the lyrics to our national anthem. There’s a $10 entrance fee to the historic area, but walking the perimeter along the water is free.

Hampton National Historic Site, Towson
There’s plenty to absorb at this former estate that once belonged to the prominent Ridgely family, from the beauty of the stately, cream-colored Georgian mansion to the sobering exhibits on slavery and indentured servitude.