move to baltimore : Buzz

Spurred on by both the growing local sustainability movement and the current economic downturn, home gardens have been springing up all across the country. However, new gardeners find growing their own produce is not as easy as it may seem.

"First-timers typically overlook fundamentals like light, good soil, planting time and proper spacing between plants. Also, "a lot of young people are kind of curious but don't know the time commitment," says Jon Traunfeld, a senior agent with the University of Maryland's Extension service, which assists gardeners in communities statewide. Mr. Traunfeld, who specializes in fruits and vegetables, says the service was hammered with questions, logging in 1,963 phone calls and emails last year, up 47% from the year before.

The city of Baltimore replaced its flower beds in front of city hall with vegetables last year. The goal, says designer Angela Treadwell-Palmer, was to show that vegetable gardens could be attractive and to grow harvests to donate to a local soup kitchen. But the local charity reported that some crops�particularly beets, kohlrabi and eggplant�weren't appetizing to people.

So this year, Ms. Treadwell-Palmer is redesigning the garden to grow bigger yields of fewer crops like cabbage, kale and collard greens. The garden will also have a less-fussy, more minimalist look. And in the spring, at least, not all the beds will be vegetable plots, leaving room for some tulips�and more time for gardeners to breathe. "It was hard work," she says."

Read the entire article here.

In its March 2010 issue, Elle Decor magazine finally catches on to what residents of Baltimore already knew...that Charm City is a really cool place to visit and live.

Here's an excerpt:

"Baltimore, affectionately called "Charm City" by natives, is living up to its nickname. This Mid-Atlantic port is no longer merely a convenient, if undistinguished, stopover for devouring crab cakes and catching a game at Camden Yards en route to Washington, D.C., or New York.

Seafood and sports are still a draw, but today Baltimore hums with energy, boasting downtown towers, a burgeoning harbor, a vibrant cultural scene, and hip restaurants. Empty mills and factories, the run-down remnants of the city's industrial heritage, have been recast as commercial and residential spaces, often with stunning period details restored. A new generation of talented designers and artists, lured by the city's affordability and neighborliness, is beginning to convert ragged areas into artsy pockets with catchy names like Station North and Highlandtown. Even the iconic crab cake has been spiced up by chefs eager to experiment with Chesapeake traditions."

Read the entire article here. Check out the slideshow here.

Don't judge a book by its cover...and in this instance don't judge a home by its seemingly modest facade, especially when two designers pull out all the stops to remodel their own home.

Here's an excerpt:

"You may not realize how close you are to Paris. You are, in fact, only as a far away as a modest cottage in Homeland. Well, "modest" isn't really the right word, because from the moment you set foot in the black and white diamond-pattern tile foyer, you'll understand that this home is anything but modest.

Dan Proctor and Jeffrey Hess purchased the home, their third purchase together, in pursuit of a design style that they had never tried before. Both designers by trade, they knew what they wanted, and were intent on achieving it. Here is their finished product."

Read the entire article here.

Been wondering what to expect with the Charm City Circulator, Baltimore's new free and green shuttle service? Adam Van Bavel, a contender for the 10th district city council seat in Baltimore, went for a ride and took his camera along.

For Woodberry Kitchen's Spike Gjerde its all about local, local, local. The acclaimed chef shares his passion for getting the freshest produce and seafood.

Watch the video here.

Three of Maryland's top employers made the grade, ranking as one of Fortune Magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For 2010" list.

Spice maker McCormick & Co. led the Maryland contingent at No. 72.  Bethesda-based Marriott International came in at No. 82, with Baltimore's LifeBridge Health health system squeaked in at No. 96.

Here's an excerpt:

"72. McCormick and Company...Rank: 72 (Previous rank: N.A.)

A new exhibit at the Walters Art Museum aims to help Johns Hopkins researcher, Ed Connor, understand what attracts individuals to different artwork.

Here's an excerpt:

"At an exhibit opening this weekend at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, visitors will be asked to wear 3-D glasses and walk around with clipboards and pencils while looking at images of sculptures.

"Beauty and the Brain: A Neural Approach to Aesthetics," enlists the public as participants in a Johns Hopkins University study that looks at why the human brain is attracted to artwork...

Organizers say they hope to shed a scientific light on some of the ideas that philosophers have discussed for centuries. One of those is that there's a unique way that the brain activates when we view compelling artwork, something philosophers have called the "aesthetic emotion," says Gary Vikan, director of the Walters and curator of the show."

Read the entire article here.

Baltimore's winter version of restaurant week is underway and the Baltimore snacker wasted no time getting his eat on at Tapas Teatro in Station North. How'd it go?

Here's an excerpt:

"I went with a friend last night to Tapas Teatro. I thought they might be taking part in Baltimore Restaurant Week, and they indeed are! Not that Tapas Teatro needs any more customers, as our half hour wait for a table made painfully clear. The dimly lit restaurant that shares a building (and a door) with the Charles Theater still somehow manages to be cozy, bright and lively all at once. And that is even as you try in vain to find some way to move around the place! It is constantly packed and for good reason - Tapas Teatro is one of those few places that not only lives up to the hype, but somehow seems underhyped! I have not eaten at all of the tapas places in town (I will get to Pazo, I promise!), but this one is a fave for good reason."

Read the entire article here.

For those interested in becoming an expert on the Fed's Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) in Maryland, Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown and the BRAC Subcabinet have released a detailed progress report on BRAC-related goings on in the state in 2009. At 120 pages, the report is nothing if not comprehensive.

Here's an excerpt:

"The Governor's BRAC Subcabinet developed a BRAC Action Plan in 2007 to ensure the State's preparedness for incoming
residents and jobs. Working in tandem with our county and local government partners and the DoD's planning phase for military
mission moves, the State of Maryland continued to move forward in 2009 with its programs and initiatives to meet the BRAC
federally mandated completion date of September 2011.

The BRAC Action Plan set forth initiatives, programs and other measures necessary to address the needs of incoming residents
and opportunities BRAC presents, while preserving the coveted quality of life enjoyed by Marylanders. As we continue towards
the September 2011 deadline, we look forward to working with our local, federal and private sector partners as we begin to realize
the steady upswing in jobs and population created by the military mission moves to DoD facilities in Maryland.

This year the Subcabinet interacted with regional, federal and local partners as well as military installation leaders to continue to
calibrate Subcabinet efforts with BRAC needs. The Lieutenant Governor and Subcabinet members met on numerous occasions
throughout the year with Senior Leadership of Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and
Reconnaissance (C4ISR), the organization relocating to Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) from Fort Monmouth, New Jersey and
Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) which is relocating to Fort George G. Meade from northern Virginia."

Read the entire report here.