Letter From the Editor: Introducing "My Baltimore's Next"

These are bad times and good. It all depends.

While big picture economic indicators continue to send mixed messages about recession, recovery, and jobs, the grassroots in Baltimore marches on. There's great energy here.

Attend an event like Ignite or Amplify and you'll see it. Grab a drink or take in some entertainment at one of the many relatively new venues in Station North -- a largely derelict area eight years ago -- and you'll see it. Have dinner at Woodberry Kitchen and you'll see it.

Wander into some small gallery or performance space you never knew existed and, yeah, you'll see it.

Truth is, it's everywhere. But right now you still have to dig. Which means it isn't yet a fully realized, city-wide reality. Which means that we have work to do.

Beneath the effort lies a simple but beguiling question: what's next?

We're all working for something. Which means we all want something. As a community the equation's the same. And as it happens, there's no better place to explore this notion than here at Bmore Media. Our raison d'etre is "next". That's our beat. In both our features and our news we seek to tell stories of innovation, entrepreneurship, growth, ideas, and doing.

To that end, we offer for the month of July a series we're calling "My Baltimore's Next".

It's simple enough on its face: we've asked a handful of doers/makers/thinkers in the Baltimore area to contribute short personal essays addressing the idea of what they'd like to see "next" for Baltimore. The goal is to spark both thought and, hopefully, conversation.

What do we need to do to prosper? And what should prosperity look like?

If this goes well the plan is to sprinkle "My Baltimore's Next" essays throughout our year-round editorial calendar. For now, though, consider it an experiment. We want everyone who visits this site for the next three weeks to take the time to consider how we go about securing a strong future.

Ideally, you'll share what you discover. With us, with your network, with your friends and family. Progress doesn't happen in a vacuum. But even if you keep it all to yourself, consideration is the start we're after.

Whatever your approach, whatever your thoughts, remember this: we'll get wherever we're going. No matter what. We can let it happen, or we can make it happen.

That's as powerful an idea as you want it to be.


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