Camille Moses-Allen

It's been a happy homecoming for Camille Moses-Allen, 27. The Baltimore native, who had been living in Canton for the past year, moved back to Mt. Vernon just a little over a month ago.

"I lived in Mt. Vernon for two years prior to [moving to Canton]. The parking was really bad in Canton. And, Canton is in the city, but there's no really good take-out restaurants that were right in the cental part that I really liked. I felt like it was a lot of families around and I don't have a family," she says.

"The houses were nice, but I just didn't like it as much. It didn't have that urban vibe. My only thought was coming back to [Mt. Vernon.] I had told myself that before I moved there. That I would try it out for a year and if I didn't like it, I'd move back to Mt. Vernon," Camille adds.

At the center of it all

While Mt. Vernon is smack dab in the middle of the city, Camille says it still feels like a she's in a small town. "Everything I need, I can walk to."

"If I want to go to a restaurant, it's right there. I take yoga and I'm a yoga instructer and take classes at Charm City Yoga [at 107 E. Preston Street]. I even feel like its equidistance to places outside of Mt. Vernon. If I'm going out and I want to take a cab to Fells, Canton or Federal Hill, I feel like its more central," she explains.

Whe she lived in Canton, Camille says she felt like everything else required a trip back through the city, which meant contending with all the traffic and traffic lights.

In Mt. Vernon, the JFX expressway, 83, is right there, so commuting to her job as a yoga instructer in Timonium is much easier than when she lived in Canton.

Adding to the neighborhood's allure are all the free events that take place there. First Thursdays, the Book Fair, Flower Mart and the Walter's Art Gallery are all free.

"I like the radio station that sponsors the First Thursdays, so I usually like the bands and the food comes from some of my favorite restaurants," she says.

Out and About in Mt. Vernon

"All of my favorite restaurants are here in Mt. Vernon," Camille notes.

During the previous 2 year stay in Mt. Vernon, she says, she was a regular at Never on Sundays. "When I come back from teaching a class at 10 at night in Canton, there wasn't any place I could go within walking distance. Here, I can go and get a slice of pizza. And, I'm friends with the manager."

Camille heads to My Thai for its sushi but also enjoys its casual atmosphere and fancy drinks. Brewer's Art is another favorite spot.

"I really like the food [at Brewer's Art]. Not just for their drinks there with the home brewed beer. I feel like their dining room can be really fancy. I've been there on News Year's Eve before and for a nice dinner. But, then you can also order their bar menu, which in my opinion is not normal bar food because its a little bit nicer. They have a lot of local, seasonal food on their menu. It's not really expensive and I feel like its a notch up from regular cheeseburger and fish and chips," she explains.

The Dollhouse Boutique, at 525 N. Charles Street, with its trendy fashions is where Camille goes when she's bitten by the shopping bug. She also likes the jewelry in A People United.