visit Baltimore : Buzz

Its status as Baltimore's first State-designated arts district got the neighborhood revitalization started, but it's the area's small businesses that keep the place humming.

Check out a few pics from the NY Times slideshow.

We knew the Baltimore Book Festival is popular among Charm City residents, but who knew that word of the event went as far as San Francisco.

The San Francisco Examiner featured an article on the event and its "celebrity authors."

The Baltimore Book Festival took place in Mount Vernon Sept. 24-26 and featured Holly Robinson Peete, Jesse Ventura and Michele Norris.

Maryland's first slots parlor in Perryville opened Sept. 27, three days earlier than scheduled.

USA Players, a Web site that reviews gambling venues, took note of the new Hollywood Casino.

"The casino is expected to bring in over a hundred millions of dollars to the state," the site says. With 34,000 square feet, this casino is also expected to attract travelers passing through the state."

You can read the full story here.

It's not often that Maryland wineries get national attention. But a Sept. 2 New York Times article toasts the area's 39 wineries, including Boordy, Elk Run and Black Ankle Vineyards,

The article says Marylnad vintages are "worthy of national recognition, and a chance for some first-class vineyard-hopping."

Visiting one of these destinations is as "much about having a good time as as it is about having a good sip." The story sheds a spotlight on music and other festivities besides wine tasting that the vineyards offer.

Read the story here.

New book from eight Loyola University students, including Cathleen Carris of Hasbrouck Heights, NJ, uncovers Baltimore's jazz history.

Here's an excerpt:

"Much of the book centers on four iconic Baltimoreans. There's Eubie Blake, the ragtime composer whose 1921 "Shuffle Along" was the first African-American Broadway hit. There's Chick Webb, the diminutive drummer whose hot licks turned the Savoy Ballroom into Harlem's jitterbug central. There's Cab Calloway, the hi-de-ho man who ruled The Cotton Club. And there's Billie Holiday, who rose from the Baltimore slums to become the most memorable voice in jazz history.

But what Carris primarily ended up researching was a much more obscure � and intriguing � bit of local history."

Read the entire article here.

Finally! We know our city is top-notch, but it often takes a backseat with travelers who head to D.C. instead. Well, the truth is out that Baltimore is the No. 1 underrated city for travelers.

Here's an excerpt:

"Native blue crabs seasoned with Old Bay are reason enough to visit Baltimore, but there's much more to experience in this waterfront town. Take, for example, this underrated city's revitalized Inner Harbor area, where you'll find Kimpton's Hotel Monaco; the upscale neighborhood of Mount Vernon, home to the nation's first large-scale Washington Monument and the..."

See the slideshow here.

It's easy when you live in a city to overlook what makes it a great place for tourists. With the long Labor Day weekend approaching, here're two lists of places to see and restaurants to eat in around Baltimore.

Here's an excerpt:

From the Washingtonian, "It's a city of interesting neighborhoods, and here are good ones to explore�whether you like history, antiques, science, or sports."

Read the entire article here.

From The Wall Street Journal, "What to do: Historically, tourists skipped over Baltimore for Washington, D.C., its neighbor less than an hour's drive south. But this harbor city on the Chesapeake Bay is worth a visit. Baltimore has been home to curmudgeons ranging from the acerbic journalist H.L. Mencken, who died in 1956, to filmmaker John Waters, who made "Hairspray." More recently, it gained prominence as the setting for the critically acclaimed HBO crime program "The Wire." While some Baltimore neighborhoods exemplify the blight portrayed in the television series, which ran from 2002 to 2008, other parts of the city are distinctly graceful, with historic brick and brownstone houses lending visual appeal."

Read the entire article here.

You're at the checkout counter at a local retailer and instead of pulling out a pile of greenbacks -- U.S. government issued $1s, $5s, $10s or $20s -- you hand the cashier a bunch of BNotes. That's the scenario two local entrepreneurs hope to see play out soon across Baltimore.

Here's an excerpt:

"Baltimore may soon have its own local currency, or scrip, if Jeff Dicken of the Baltimore Green Currency Association has his way. Next spring Dicken, with partner Michael Tew, is planning to launch the BNote, a form of money that can only be spent locally. The object, Dicken said, is to have the money stay in the local community and help the community grow economically.

"A bunch of us realized that there is a real need for economic options in Baltimore City," Dicken told the AFRO. "A local currency provides a way for residents to support their own community and their own local merchants. And it makes them think twice about where they spend their money, whether they want to support their neighbors, the local merchants, or whether they want to support national chains that may be taking the money and booking it as profit in Delaware or Texas."


Read the entire article here.

It's one of the best parts of returning home from a trip -- showing photos of travels to destinations near and far. It's a highlight unless the pics are out of focus, have a finger or two in them, and the list goes on. Baltimore Photo Safari is just one of the new workshops springing up around the world helping tourists avoid mistakes and make the most of their travel-based photography.

Here's an excerpt:

"Our group rendezvoused outside the Maryland Science Center for a quick briefing by Muse, who was dressed in urban safari attire: hiking boots, brown pants, checked shirt, blue cap. He showed us a series of photos, using the USS Constellation and his children as models, that highlighted various lessons: study the scene before shooting, don't overcrowd the image, and zoom in on details."

Read the entire article here.

Baltimore's own Bengie's Drive-in will be featured in an upcoming episode of PBS' My Generation that will show the film Going Attractions about the slow demise of the drive-in theater.

Watch the preview:

It's hard to imagine, but there are actually people out there who haven't experienced Baltimore's wonders. This blogger finally made the trek and left planning to return.

Here's an excerpt of her travels:

"Baltimore has always been a dream destination for me, and this past weekend I finally made it there. It has a reputation as a quirky city, and it did not disappoint. Soon after we pulled into the downtown area, the streets were full of really strange characters, all dressed up in outrageous costumes. It took us a while but we finally figured it out�an anime convention was taking place that weekend.

We drove to Fells Point and one of the first things we spotted was this little beauty:

Read the entire post here.

Traveling to distant locations, either overseas or in the U.S.,  is always the best way to spend a summer vacation. But, if money is tight there are many places in Maryland worth a trip that won't break the bank.

Here's an exerpt:

"Stay: Harris Cove Cottages Bed N' Boat is a unique waterfront cottage village (five minutes from downtown) in the heart of a shallow and serene cove of Harris Creek. Explore 100 miles of Chesapeake Bay shoreline, take out a kayak or pedal boat (complimentary) or cook up some fresh crabs on the grill. Eight modern cottages sleep up to a family of four and have expansive waterfront views. Boat and motor rentals available. A two-night stay in a stateroom is..."

Read the entire article here.

Ahoy ye maties, the Pirate Ship isn't only for the kiddies. The Inner Harbor attraction hosts nighttime cruises for adults eager to release their inner pirate over shots of rum and the occasional cry, "argghhh!"

Here's an excerpt:

"The Fearless, a 52-foot replica pirate boat that fits up to 49 passengers, is crewed by pirates and features water cannons, a deck that doubles as a dance floor and a bathroom, which we're pretty sure wasn't available on pirate ships of old. Pirate flags flap in the harbor breeze (accompanied by an American flag), and the wooden ship looks quite realistic. As soon as you step onboard, you must don a pirate vest and sash, which can be worn around your head or waist and, as you'll discover by the end of the night, a variety of other unexpected ways. You're also given a pirate name and a (temporary) pirate-themed tattoo.

Passengers are welcome to bring any kind of beverage..."

Read the entire article here.

Living in Baltimore, it's easy to see that the arts play a huge role in the city. As with eveyrthing that's created here our artists do it with a flair found only in Charm City. The Washington Post captures the style in a series of articles focusing on everything from art to theater.

Here's an excerpt:

"Baltimore brews its own arts scene, with a taste of what America was and what it will be."

Read the entire series of articles here.

Vacationers will now be able to travel to Bermuda and the Eastern Caribbean from Baltimore year round on Royal Caribbean's Enchantment of the Seas.

Here's an excerpt:

"Today is a big day at the Port of Baltimore as Royal Caribbean debuts its first year-round sailings from the city.

The industry giant's 2,252-passenger Enchantment of the Seas is replacing the smaller, 1,950-passenger Grandeur of the Seas, which only sailed seasonally out of the Baltimore port.

Enchantment of the Seas initially will sail a series of five-night Bermuda and nine-night Eastern Caribbean roundtrip itineraries from the city."

Read the entire post here.