ep p tt e em mb be e rr ss e
B A L T I M O R E
20 00 05 5 2 ue e n no o .. 1 15 5 ii ss ss u
charm city style
guest editor ellen lupton on design
who are we?
building baltimore’s brand
pickles, jellies, and jams do-it-yourself canning
drumming to a different beat meet the shoe shine king
w w w. u r b a n i t e b a l t i m o re . c o m s e p t e m b e r 0 5
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urbanite september 05
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For more information call 410-433-2200 or visit www.jaimedicalsystems.com Limitations and exclusions apply.
w w w. u r b a n i t e b a l t i m o re . c o m s e p t e m b e r 0 5
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05-MR-026
6/14/05
A historic gem
5:33 PM
Page 1
a historic gem newly cut and polished
The old Clipper Mill is in good hands today. Struever Bros. Eccles & Rouse is transforming the historic site into a lively community of craftspeople, homes and shops. Light Rail stops at the front gate, and it’s just a few minutes to downtown.
The best news? You can live here – in the beautiful, loft-style, one and two-bedroom Millrace Condos. What a beautiful setting for your new home!
One & Two Bedroom Condos in a Historic, Wooded Enclave Between Hampden & Woodberry.
410-243-1292 www.ClipperMillLiving.com
Priced from the $200’s to the $400’s
MHBR. NO. 4010
2007 Clipper Park Road, Baltimore, Maryland 21211
Directions: I-83 S to Cold Spring Ln. (9A) Go East on Cold Spring Ln. Right on Falls Road. Right on Union Avenue to a Right on Clipper Park Road.
STRUEVER BROS. ECCLES & ROUSE 4
urbanite september 05
I N T R O D U C I N G O U R FA L L C O L L E C T I O N Duck ravioli in a mushroom sauce Gnocchi stuffed with foie-gras in a parmesan sauce Stuffed veal chop with mozzarella and spinach
Where food meets fashion.
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Intriguing. Innovative. Inspiring. ava i l a bl e for cat er i ng a n d speci a l e v e n ts
410.625.0534 www.SottoSoprainc.com w w w. u r b a n i t e b a l t i m o re . c o m s e p t e m b e r 0 5
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Doing More For The Music. Doing More For Baltimore.
8000 York Road, Towson, MD 21252 410 704 8938 wtmd.org wtmd@towson.edu
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urbanite september 05
contributors
contents
photo by Sam Holden
Marianne Amoss A proud Baltimore native, Marianne Amoss grew up in North Hamilton and from age 4 to age 21 attended Catholic schools, one of which appeared in Barry Levinson’s 1999 film Liberty Heights. She graduated in 2004 from the College of Notre Dame with degrees in English and Spanish and spent a year working as an intern at Style magazine in Baltimore. Amoss also worked for three years at Trader Joe’s grocery store in Towson, and yes, she misses the employee discount. She joined the Urbanite staff in June as an editorial assistant.
13 corkboard 15 have you heard… 18 food: putting up shannon dunn
photo by Marshall Clarke
Amanda Kolson Hurley
21 neighborhood: glory days
Amanda Kolson Hurley, who wrote this month’s article on the architecture of the Pratt libraries, didn’t frequent libraries as a child because her parents had so many books, but she more than made up for lost time while in graduate school. Hurley is associate editor of Preservation magazine in Washington, D.C. She has a Ph.D. in comparative literature from the University of Bristol in the UK, and her first book, a study of the Roman poet Catullus, was published last fall. Her book reviews have appeared in London’s Times Literary Supplement, the Washington Times, and other publications. Hurley lives in the Ridgely’s Delight neighborhood.
bill mesler
25 home: rowhouse redux alice ockleshaw
29 baltimore observed:
the architecture of reading amanda kolson hurley
33 encounter: the shoe shine king
25
jason tinney
photo by Marshall Clarke
Bill Mesler Bill Mesler has worked as a journalist for the Seoul-based Korea Economic Journal, the daily Santa Cruz Sentinel, the weekly San Francisco Bay Guardian, and The Nation magazine. Mesler is currently a freelance writer whose articles have appeared in Mother Jones, The Progressive, and numerous other publications, as well as the anthology Learning to Glow: A Nuclear Reader. Born in Seoul, Korea, he now enjoys living in Madison Park with his wife, National Public Radio producer Tracy Wahl. Mesler wrote this month’s article on Madison Park to give the tiny neighborhood some exposure: “It has such a rich history, and people aren’t aware of it. It’s lost between Bolton Hill and Druid Hill … people who live three blocks away have never heard of it.”
36 grassroots design ellen lupton
38 branding baltimore elizabeth a. evitts
42 young designers forum joan jacobson
36
44 built to last molly o’donnell
photo by Debbie Cameron
Ron Solomon One of the country’s premiere architectural photographers, Ron Solomon is a Baltimore native, MICA grad, and former Marine aviator. He began his photography career as a generalist but after working on a project with Baltimore design doyenne Rita St. Clair, his focus changed: “She said, ‘I’ll teach you how to look at things.’” Solomon now focuses almost exclusively on architectural photography, and in his 35-year career he has traveled the world for work, building a reputation for his technical expertise, resourcefulness, and lighting skills. An award-winning member of the American Society of Media Photographers, Solomon lives in downtown Baltimore with his wife, Debbie Cameron, and their dogs, Jack and Scout.
47 sustainable city: strike a pose cara ober
50 out there: urban jungle ellen lupton
cover note: J’david Crook models the Urbanite T-shirt designed by Ellen Lupton. Art direction by Alex Castro Photograph by Harry Connolly
52 in review 61 resources
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JHU_tycooper_urbanite.qxd
8/1/05
2:01 PM
Page 1
“Through part-time study,
Johns Hopkins
offered me the flexibility I needed to complete my bachelor’s degree.”
Tylis Cooper Bachelor of Science 2005 Interdisciplinary Studies Senior Administrative Assistant
Complete your undergraduate degree part-time at Johns Hopkins School of Professional Studies in Business and Education—even with your full-time responsibilities. Choose a program in Business and Management, Information Systems, or Interdisciplinary Studies. Attend evening or weekend classes near your home or work. Call us now to find out more or to attend an open house. To RSVP, call 1-800-GO-TO-JHU or visit us at
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OPEN HOUSES Columbia, MD Saturday, October 8 10:30 a.m. – Noon
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urbanite september 05
BALTIMORE
Baltimore, MD Thursday, October 20 5 – 7 p.m.
| COLUMBIA | ROCKVILLE | WASHINGTON, DC
Urbanite Issue 15 September 2005 Publisher Tracy Ward Durkin Tracy@urbanitebaltimore.com
B A LT IMOR E
General Manager Jean Meconi Jean@urbanitebaltimore.com Editor-in-Chief Elizabeth A. Evitts Elizabeth@urbanitebaltimore.com
The thing that entranced me about Chicago in the Gilded Age was the city’s willingness to take on the impossible in the name of civic honor …
—Erik Larson, from The Devil in the White City
L
ast month, I finally got around to reading Erik Larson’s 2003 book, The Devil in the White City. Larson recounts the true story of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition (also known as the World’s Fair) in Chicago, one of the more ambitious civic undertakings in our country’s history. The fair showcased American innovation and vision by bringing together some of the top minds in the United States. Venerable architects like Louis Sullivan and Charles McKim designed a stunning temporary city along the shores of Lake Michigan. A new invention called alternating current lit the structures at night. Against seemingly insurmountable odds, Frederick Law Olmsted Sr. landscaped miles of barren land. An engineer named George Ferris built an astonishing novelty: a wheel of steel that could carry 2,160 fairgoers at a time high above the city’s tallest buildings. At the heart of this extraordinary display lurked a seminal question: What does it take to build a great city? Several years later, a group of citizens known as the Municipal Arts Society of Baltimore was asking that very thing. Their port town was bursting its seams and overrunning the pastoral landscape beyond the city limits. Baltimore, on the rise, desperately needed a plan for its growth. The Society’s members believed they could help fashion Baltimore into one of the greatest cities in the world, and their civic honor propelled them to act. In 1902 they called in the Olmsted Brothers, and in 1904 the famed landscape architects offered the city the report Development of Public Grounds for Greater Baltimore. The plan outlined a holistic vision for Baltimore and helped shape the city’s land acquisition and use. A century later, Baltimore confronts another great development boom. A new generation is fixing its sights on our landscape. In this issue we engage the talented mind of Guest Editor Ellen Lupton to help us explore the homegrown architecture and design of our city. What happens when creative minds begin looking at Baltimore with fresh eyes? Our history shows what amazing things can evolve when visionary minds meet civic honor.
photo by Sam Holden
Guest Editor/Art Director Ellen Lupton Assistant Editor Marianne Amoss Marianne@urbanitebaltimore.com Copy Editor Angela Davids/Alter Communications Art Direction Castro/Arts LLC
A note on the headline type used in this issue: Thesis, designed by Lucas de Groot, was designed to be the definitive font for every aspect of a corporate identity campaign. “The font is so carefully drawn that it maintains its form in sizes ranging from business card text to lettering on the side of a building,” says de Groot.
Production Manager Lisa Macfarlane Production and Design Assistance Ida Woldemichael Senior Account Executive Susan R. Levy Susan@urbanitebaltimore.com Account Executive Keri Haas Keri@urbanitebaltimore.com Office Manager Bellee Gossett Bellee@urbanitebaltimore.com Interns Philip Castro Paul Wallace Founder Laurel Harris Durenberger Advertising/Editorial/Business Offices P.O. Box 50158, Baltimore, MD 21211 Phone: 410-243-2050; Fax: 410-467-7802 www.urbanitebaltimore.com Editorial Inquiries: Send queries to the editor-in-chief (no phone calls, please) including SASE. The magazine is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or artwork. Urbanite does not necessarily support the opinions of its authors. To subscribe or obtain assistance with a current subscription, call 410-243-2050. Subscription price: $18 per year. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission by Urbanite is prohibited. Copyright 2005, by Urbanite LLC. All Rights Reserved. Urbanite is a free publication distributed widely in the Baltimore metropolitan area. If you know of a location that urbanites frequent and would recommend placing the magazine there, please contact us at 410-243-2050.
—Elizabeth A. Evitts w w w. u r b a n i t e b a l t i m o re . c o m s e p t e m b e r 0 5
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Sowebo Welcomes You...
Experience a neighborhood that captures the American dream. Join us in the re-building of this diverse community. Located on the edge of Pigtown and Washington Village, Sowebo offers affordable housing close to the Inner Harbor and 95. Single or married, Sowebo is the perfect place to build your dream. For more information please visit our website, www.sowebo.org or call Edith Weiss at 410-599-0499
Community Law Center, Inc. 2005 Empowering Neighborhoods through Community Lawyering Conference Sept 12 - Sept 13, 2005 For lawyers and everyone involved in community-building activities, development strategies and community revitalization issues. The conference will provide:
•
Educational sessions on current community revitalization efforts, model projects in community legal services, preventing unethical and illegal real estate and lending practices, and how to both fund your projects and get the word out!
•
An opportunity to visit a community who started a City-wide model for vacant land revitalization.
•
Resources for services, products and information at our vendor marketplace.
•
Special Event: Silent Auction & Cocktails
To register call 410-366-0922 or visit www.communitylaw.org for more information
Affordable 2-Car Garage Townhomes Minutes from Downtown d Graning! Open
Clipper Mill – HAMPDEN
Luxury 2-Car Garage Townhomes from the mid $300’s
Pre-Construction Pricing! Baltimore City’s Next Hot Spot! Directions: I-83 to Coldspring Lane east to Falls Road South - to a right on 41st St. (street veers left) to a right at the traffic light onto Druid Park to a left on Parkdale. Sales center down on the left. 410.235.7952 Sales Centers Open Monday 2pm-6pm, Tuesday through Sunday 10am-6pm. Brokers welcome. MHBR No. 128
Prices and terms subject to change without notice. See sales rep. for details.
LOCATION. LOCATION. BUILDER! 10
urbanite september 05
ryland.com
what you’re saying Business or Pleasure? What’s with the redundant, never-ending comments and excuses for the disappointing Orioles attendance early this year? (“Take Me Out,” July.) Peter Angelos’s dealings with the organization and Major League Baseball, the cost of a game, marketing efforts with the hometown fans … enough! It’s true that Angelos deserves some flack for many of his baseball decisions over the years, but after years of outsiders controlling the Orioles, Angelos stepped up to the plate (no pun intended) to bring local ownership back. His efforts helped develop American League Championship Series teams in 1996 and 1997, but in the process, the tradition of the “Orioles Way” was broken and fans suffered for the next seven years. Has anyone noticed that he may have learned something from his mistakes? And if you’re spending up to $125 to take your family to a game, it’s no one’s fault but your own. There are great promotions in place for families of four to cost-effectively attend a game. Carry in snacks for the gang, add $10 to park … well, you do the math. When all is said and done, the days of Wild Bill are gone and the product on the field is what we have to deal with. Don’t let the business of baseball take away the game of baseball. Now, if they go on strike again … —Frank DiVenti is a Hamilton resident currently searching for a new career while spending time with his baseball-crazed daughter.
Balancing Act I enjoyed the Editor’s Note in the July issue. For many years, one of my favorite observations was by the late activist and intellectual John Gardner, a hero of mine whom I had the pleasure of knowing a bit toward the end of his life. About the importance of balancing the two great animating values of the American experiment, Gardner wrote: “Freedom and duty. Independence with responsibility. That’s the deal.” You have done a service by reminding your readers that whatever our individual differences, we’re all together in this messy business of trying to build and sustain a society—like it or not. —Tim Armbruster is the president and CEO of the Goldseker Foundation. He lives in Baltimore City.
Can Grassroots Grow from Above? While reading the “Independence” issue of Urbanite (July), I found that I appreciated the overall tone of the articles, which I would characterize as somewhat perky but sincere in their desire to encourage a grassroots revival of Baltimore City. However, while leafing through these articles I found very large ads for Struever Bros. Eccles & Rouse, whom I feel without a doubt to be the antithesis of a grassroots rival of Baltimore City.
Design is not for philosophy —it’s for life. I also read the recent City Paper article (June 29, 2005) which details SBER’s hefty contributions to the magazine and the personal relationship of the magazine’s publisher to Bill Struever. I do understand two important things: First, that it costs money to run a magazine (especially a free one); and second, that Mr. Struever doesn’t have any say in what’s put in the magazine. That said, there does exist a duality between articles extolling the virtues of our city’s incredible independent markets or articles lamenting the greedy hijinks of Peter Angelos, and large ads describing lavish condos that target suburbanites (and worse, D.C.-ites) instead of locals and longtime residents. In the City Paper article, the publisher of Urbanite states that she and Mr. Struever have a similar vision, which in this case I believe includes things like urban renewal and developing antiquated and blighted properties. But if the articles of Urbanite are indicative of its “vision,” then I think there is a disconnect. SBER projects, such as the upcoming Village Lofts, are corporate greed manifest. Village Lofts will replace beautiful, classic Baltimore architecture with a monstrous mid-rise in which its residents will have “luxury lofts” and personal parking pads. I wonder if one of my favorite businesses, Video Americain, which is located right next door to the new project site, would be able to afford having its store in the plaza of the Village Lofts? I don’t think SBER is the harbinger of a Baltimore renaissance. I see the change being ushered in by SBER more akin to the old “the rich get richer as the poor get poorer” scenario. Creative indies that love the city (read: Baltimoreans) are the only ticket to a Baltimore renewal that preserves the real Baltimore. —Tom Boram is a social worker for a community mental health company in Catonsville.
Poetry Is Where You Find It I have been picking up the last five or six issues of Urbanite in the Charles Village shopping area. I was even more interested in your magazine after I picked up the issue that included Michael Harper’s poem. What a surprise that was! Urbanite was definitely not a place I expected to find Michael Harper. Encountering that poem in some respect changed the direction of my own poetic efforts. The next time I see Urbanite I will be anxious to discover what poem the issue has. —Rudolph Lewis is the editor of ChickenBones: A Journal.
Extending Credit We failed to credit Mitro Hood as the photographer for July’s “Afternoon of an Author” feature, and we apologize for the oversight.
—Issey Miyake, Japanese fashion designer
To design is to communicate clearly by whatever means you can control or master. —Milton Glaser, graphic designer
The design of good houses requires an understanding of both the construction materials and the behavior of real humans. —Peter Morville, information architect and user experience consultant
The details are not the details. They make the design. —Charles Eames, architect and furniture designer
Every time a student walks past a really urgent, expressive piece of architecture that belongs to his college, it can help reassure him that he does have that mind, does have that soul. —Louis Kahn, architect
We require from buildings two kinds of goodness: first, the doing their practical duty well; then, that they be graceful and pleasing in doing it. —John Ruskin, British author and art critic
Architecture is life, or at least it is life itself taking form and therefore it is the truest record of life as it was lived in the world yesterday, as it is lived today or ever will be lived. —Frank Lloyd Wright, architect
[A friend of mine] came to Baltimore for the architecture and fell in love with the people. For me, it was the other way around. —Charlie Duff, author and architectural historian w w w. u r b a n i t e b a l t i m o re . c o m s e p t e m b e r 0 5
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Summer Concert Series Outdoor live music begins at 6:00pm Kick back and celebrate the First Friday of the month with FREE live entertainment all evening along with plenty of drink, food & merchant specials!
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(410) 433-RACE
921 East Fort Avenue Federal Hill/Locust Point 410-783-SPAS (7727) . www.studio921spa.com Open Tues. - Sun. . FREE PARKING
Shop the work of talented artists from all over Maryland at the
Friday, September 2 The Crawdaddies Cajun/Zydeco SPONSORED BY
Canton Art & Antique Market The 3rd Sunday of every month thru November Next show: September 18 2005 10am - 4pm
2400 Boston Street • Canton • www.thecancompany.com • 410-558-CANC • FREE PARKING Austin Grill • Brocatos Studio of Hair Design • Chesapeake Wine Company • Cloud 9 Clothing • Curves • Kiss Café • Franco Zeppi Ristorante Italiano • General Nutrition Center • Savvi Formalwear • Long & Foster • Nouveau Contemporary Goods • Outback Steakhouse • Subway • SunTrust • Wireless Zone NOW OPEN
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urbanite september 05
DEVELOPED AND MANAGED BY
corkboard
Jones Falls Celebration If you thought the JFX was just a quick way to drive through the city, think again: The eighth annual Jones Falls Valley Celebration invites you to enjoy the true wonder of the Falls. The northbound lanes will close for a 5-mile race, a 15K bike race, and other events for kids and families; you can also paddle down the Jones Falls itself. Post-race activities include live music, food, and vendors.
Baltimore Boo k Festival An eclectic m ix of poetry sl ams, readings, disc ussions, book sales, and musical performance s, this year ’s Baltimore Boo k Festival feat ures Har vard’s Ala n Dershowitz, Rolling Stone’s Touré, NB dent Dr. Ian Sm C health corresponith, and Sex an City creator C d the andace Bush nell. 600 block of Nor September 23 th Charles Street , 5–9 p.m. September 24 and 25, 11 a.m 1-877-BALTIM .–7 p.m. ORE w w w.baltimor ebookfestival .com
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Offi ce courtesy of Baltim ore Art s of Promotion & the
September 18 8 a.m.–2:30 p.m. Advance registration for some races required; registration fees vary 410-261-3535 www.jonesfalls.com
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The Hillwood Museum & Gar dens presents Eva Ze isel: The Playful Search for Beauty, the first survey of the worldrenowned desi gner ’s work to appear in twen ty years. Admirers of Zeisel’s m odernist, softly curving tablew are designs can now purchase pi eces of her 1952 Classic Century collection, which was recently reissued by Crate & Barre l. 4155 Linnean Av enue NW Washington, D. C. Through Decem ber 4 Adults $12, seni ors $10, studen ts $7, children 6–18 $5 ; reservations re quired 1-877-HILLWOO D w w w.hillwoodm useum.org
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year after a returns this ir a F le il festival v The Laura ighborhood e n e h T s. n iatu two-year h ng, pumpki ecrow stuffi and ar ts sc s ar re s, tu st fea ng conte ti a -e ie t. p , ke g flea mar decoratin dors, and a n e v d o fo crafts, kside Drive oad and Par R rd fo ar H Corner of 17 September . .m p –4 m 10 a. 8 8 410-444-99 e.com terlauravill w w w.grea pho
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p Rom ck-n- young o R , nth eir a mo nd th arge Once parents a ut in the l y s o e race invit n to rock and T e i e r m d l a e in chi of J yard erez’s hom k c a b P onth, hrane Gaug ille. This m band Th s/ d v nt e a r e r i u p La lacem lay. s-ins p e e n R o Ram and The e Stars p s al Tomb s-esque P e l t a Be 24 y.com mber eetne Septe w s @ . p 3 p.m rocknrom il E-ma ress d .com for ad ocknromp r . www
Rock Sports Legends Dust off those sports artifacts, souvenirs, and memorabilia and tote them over to the Sports Legends at Camden Yards museum for Treasures in the Attic, where an expert on sports memorabilia will authenticate and appraise items.
courtesy of Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum
301 West Camden Street September 17 Noon–1 p.m. Free with regular Sports Legends museum admission (adults $10, seniors $8, children 3–12, $6.50) 410-727-1539 www.sportslegendsatcamdenyards.com
w w w. u r b a n i t e b a l t i m o re . c o m s e p t e m b e r 0 5
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The International Baccalaureate Program St. Paul’s School makes available a uniquely challenging program offered only at top schools across the country and around the world. Learn more about the excitement of the IB program at:
www.stpaulsschool.org
ABILITY IS NOTHING WITHOUT OPPORTUNITY Enter St. Paul's and you enter a world of opportunity. COED LOWER SCHOOL Pre-first through 4th Grade Open House for Parents
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 9-11 AM
BOYS MIDDLE & UPPER SCHOOL Grades 5 through 12 Open House for Parents FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14, 9-11 AM
OPEN HOUSE FOR ALL GRADES Pre-first through 12th Grade Open House for Parents & Students
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 3-5 PM
Complete details available at
www.stpaulsschool.org Open House Reservations
410-821-3034 Call for a viewbook or plan a visit – and experience for yourself the world of opportunity at St. Paul’s School.
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urbanite september 05
have you heard. . . Guidebook… In celebration of the burgeoning Hispanic population in Baltimore comes ¡Hola Baltimore!, the first bilingual guide to Hispanic-owned and -run businesses and organizations in Baltimore City. The guide lists restaurants, retail businesses, churches, community organizations, nonprofits, and government agencies; it also gives contact information, hours of operation, and a description of what each place or group offers. Geared mainly toward those unfamiliar with the Hispanic community, ¡Hola
Baltimore! will prove useful to anyone looking for a freshly made taco (try Fells Point’s Tortilleria y Tacos Sinaloa, which also sells packages of still-warm tortillas) or a place to learn the Argentine tango (like Gardel’s on Front Street, which offers lessons on Sundays). Copies of the guide cost $5.25 (plus shipping if ordered by mail) and are available at Education Based Latino Outreach (EBLO), 606 South Ann Street. To order a copy, call EBLO at 410-563-3160, or visit www.holabaltimorecity.org or www.eblo.org.
photo by Lisa Macfarlane
Bookstore… Meghan Devine says it was “kismet.” While taking the bus to work, she spotted the perfect spot for the bookstore she’d always wanted to open, and the vacant building was for sale. She and her husband, Kevin Devine, bought the property, and after some renovations, Three Birds Bookstore officially opened in May. “We fell in love with Butchers Hill—the tree-lined streets, the beautiful Baltimore rowhomes, the city skyline,” says Kevin. “Once we started meeting the residents and saw how dedicated and proud they are of their neighborhood, we knew a small, community-driven bookstore would be a great complement to the area.” Inside, the used bookstore is cozy and comfortable, with two window seats and free coffee provided by High Grounds Espresso &
Books on Eastern Avenue. Outside, chairs welcome readers. Mostly literary fiction fills the shelves, although the shop does carry some nonfiction, mostly current titles, and plans to carry ’zines, select magazines, and international newspapers in the future. Three Birds also accepts book donations and will buy or trade books. This fall, Three Birds will add food items to its coffee offerings and host local authors and other events. On September 16, the bookstore will host a block party in Butchers Hill to celebrate their grand opening. Open Saturday 10 a.m.–6 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m.–4 p.m.; 2027 East Lombard Street; 410-327-7708; www.threebirdsbookstore.com.
Dog Daycare…
s t ra t
i o n b y D a n i e l Bro
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play areas, and a veterinary technician even sleeps in the same room with the canines. Doggie Depot also offers DIY dog-washing rooms for dog owners who don’t have ample bathing space for their pets; each room is decked out with aprons, towels, a professional blow dryer, and natural pet shampoos. A pet taxi is available for customers in southeast Baltimore whose pets need transportation to and from the Depot. And don’t miss the Doggie Depot store, which carries all kinds of natural pet foods and products. 3916 Eastern Avenue; 410-563-DOGS (3647); www.doggiedepot.com.
i l lu
And you thought being cage-free was only good for chickens … Cageless dog daycare and kennel providers Doggie Depot can help you with your lonely, bored, or under-exercised pooch. Doggie Depot, which opened June 30, is invested in dogs’ happiness: Before a dog enters daycare or begins a long-term stay, each owner is interviewed about the dog’s temperament, habits, and history. There’s also a two-hour socialization period that introduces the new dog to the Doggie Depot’s current attendees to see how it gets along; sociable dogs are then welcomed into the fold. The round-the-clock staff keeps an eye on the dogs in the indoor and outdoor
architecture | urban design | interiors commited to building and rebuilding landmark projects in the city of baltimore | positions available
parameter 410.539.5800 inc
www.parameterinc.com 1700 Beason Street Baltimore MD 21230
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© 2005 USPS used with permission all rights reserved
have you heard. . . Stamps… this summer, with their depictions of great buildings like Louis Kahn’s Exeter Academy Library and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Guggenheim Museum. Each set is a mini masterpiece, but unlike the buildings they feature, the stamps won’t be around forever. It may be difficult to find the stamps at local post offices—the Roland Park branch says they’ve been selling quickly—but they are still available online. www.usps.com/store.
Even though snail mail has dropped off considerably since the advent of e-mail, there’s just something about good old envelopes that will never be replaced by “You’ve got mail!” The U. S. Postal Service’s various lines of commemorative stamps can make the epistolary experience even more enjoyable. If you were able to snag a block of the Masterworks of Modern American Architecture series, consider yourself lucky: The stamps were incredibly popular
special. There are plenty of gems in the boutique— elaborate kimonos, brightly patterned skirts, shining jewelry, cute shoes—and the offerings are a perfect mix of local, startup designers and big names like L.A.’s Moss Mills, Brooklyn’s Mellifluous Couture, and Antik Denim Perfect Fit Jeans. Prices range from $26 to $1,000, and at mini-makeover parties held each month, Coleman offers deep discounts, manicures, and mini spa treatments, along with gifts of bracelets and other small items. Aspiring fashion designers, take note: Coleman offers internships to college students for credit. 208 West Read Street; 410-244-6005; www.belovedboutique.com.
On a humid summer afternoon, designer Amy Coleman is displaying clothing to a customer in her newly opened boutique, Beloved. The woman grabs one of Coleman’s designs off the rack, a silky black tunic embellished with hand-sewn gold leaves and sequins, and exclaims that she loves it, but it’s too small. Coleman offers to make a new garment in the customer’s size, and the two schedule a fitting, then talk excitedly about shoes that will be delivered that afternoon. It’s this kind of interaction that Coleman loves and finds in abundance on the 200 block of West Read Street. Here, Beloved is, in Coleman’s words, a “hidden jewel” that’s found only by the curious customer hunting for something
photo by Antoine Friend
Fashion…
Writing Contest…
© Tell Tale Press, Inc.
Tell Tale Press, a new publisher stationed in Takoma Park, has a greeting card line with a twist: Each card is emblazoned with an intriguing scene or character, while a very short story appears on the back. The tales, written by press founder and president Harvey Solomon, were inspired by oldfashioned letterheads that Solomon discovered while doing research. The names of businesses and people on the letterhead sparked Solomon’s imagination, and he began writing fictional short stories about them. Each greeting card contains a complete 150-word story; an additional story can be found on the website, along with newspaper ads, flyers, and other materials created by Solomon and his team of
designers to give a feeling of authenticity to the fictional stories. In July, the press launched a contest, inviting writers to get involved by either fabricating an ending to one of the stories on the website or penning their own original tale. Contest winners receive a $200 U.S. Savings Bond, a complete set of greeting cards, assorted writing materials, and other prizes. The first round of winning stories are on the website now with a second round of entries being accepted until January 10, 2006. In Maryland, the greeting cards can be found at The Writer’s Center in Bethesda and the University Book Center at the University of Maryland in College Park. www.telltalepress.net. n
Education can be expensive. Learning how to fund it is free. While education costs have soared, recent tax law changes have opened up new avenues for tax-favored funding. If you didn’t qualify for these benefits, or thought they were too limited, now’s the time to review your education plan to take advantage of new programs and tax breaks. Call us to learn: • How expanded Education Savings Account benefits can work for you • Paying back college loans with the help of tax deductions • Improvements to Section 529 College Savings Plans • What to do if you’re off to a late start
Darric N. Boyd, Vice President–Investments
Jerry Britton, Financial Consultant
Deirdre Mary McElroy, Financial Consultant
(410) 576-3000 Citigroup, Inc., its affiliates, and its employees are not in the business of providing tax or legal advice. These materials and any tax-related statements are not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used or relied upon, by any such taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding tax penalties. Tax-related statements, if any, may have been written in connection with the “promotion or marketing” of the transaction(s) or matters(s) addressed by these materials, to the extent allowed by applicable law. Any such taxpayer should seek advice based on the taxpayer’s particular circumstances from an independent tax advisor. ©2005 Citigroup Global Markets Inc. Member SIPC. Smith Barney is a division and service mark of Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and its affiliates and is used and registered throughout the world. CITIGROUP and the Umbrella Device are trademarks and service marks of Citicorp or its affiliates and are used and registered throughout the world.
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urbanite september 05
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In the heart of historic Hampden.
CITY ART:
Views that capture unique character of Baltimore: Greg Otto’s color-saturated cityscapes, available
Shown: Baltimore Skyline, 1998, copyright GREG OTTO, from our selection of Baltimore books, gifts and art, from the cultural to the quirky.
as prints, posters, and postcards.
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Now that you’ve canned your own vegetables, turn your labor of love into a beautiful gift or an object for proud display by adding some distinctive homegrown packaging.
belly bands are strips of paper wrapped around a bottle or box. Design your belly band digitally and laser-print it; make a drawing or an ink jet print and have it color-copied; or just write your labels by hand on a handsome sheet of flexible paper stock. Warning: Ink jet prints are extremely water-sensitive; they will run and splotch the instant they touch water. Color copies, laser prints, or Sharpie drawings will stand up better in the kitchen. To make a belly band, tape one end of a paper strip neatly to the back of the bottle, and tape the other end on top of it, bringing the two ends together. Don’t try to use adhesive-backed paper on your home-canned product—it won’t stick smoothly. cloth covers are what Amish farm ladies often use to deck out their products for sale. Think beyond gingham and dress up your jars in pin stripes, polka dots, or leopard skin. Stores that specialize in quilting have a huge variety of cotton fabrics that are just the right weight. Using a lid or plate as a template, cut out a circle of fabric large enough to cover the lid and make a generous “skirt.” Attach the fabric around the neck of the jar with a rubber band or a piece of ribbon or string. If you want to say more about the product inside, add a hang tag or glue a paper label on top of the jar. You can also secure a strip of paper under the ribbon, as shown in our example. hang tags are an easy way to add a label to a jar, and they can be especially nice for gifts. Check out the scrapbooking section of a big-box craft store for an amazing array of hang tags, or buy something more generic from an office supplier. Fill in the blanks by hand, or design and print your own label on card stock. Recycle and reuse: Make hang tags out of paint chips, scraps of cardboard, vintage postcards, and more.
food
by shannon dunn
design by ellen lupton
shiggles (spicy pickled green beans)
putting up
Serving suggestions: Bloody Marys, martinis, and anywhere else an olive may wander. The biggest surprise was as a fabulous pizza topping. Yields 4 pints.
do it yourself canning Long before our vacuum-packed hermetically sealed world existed, people kept themselves alive and fed through advance planning. All through the summer into autumn, family farmers large and small practiced a philosophy of, “eat what we can and can what we can’t.” Winter produce such as kale, potatoes, and turnips would be garnished and made more flavorful with the additions of tangy pickled vegetables, wisely preserved from the summer garden. Sweet jams and jellies soothing the nooks and crannies of a warm English muffin sweetened cold winter mornings. With once-seasonal produce now available year-round and regional delicacies enjoyed globally, home canning—or “putting up” in the traditional lexicon—has gone from frontier necessity to chic urban DIY. Rolling out your own food line is easier than you’d think. The pickling process teaches a simple lesson in food safety. Preserving fruits and vegetables in salt brine or acid creates a hostile environment that prevents bacteria from thriving. The added benefit, of course, is that the pickle flavor is delicious. And it’s not just for cucumbers! You can pickle green beans, hot peppers, even green tomatoes. The single most important thing you must remember about home canning is to follow the directions. Do not reduce sugar or salt, or overcook fruit. Wash everything— jars, lids, and produce—and follow cooking times. The guidelines for putting up your summer goodies are not just tradition, but time-tested methods that have kept people safe and well for centuries.
2 lbs fresh green beans
4 cloves garlic
Big bowl of ice water
4 teaspoons dill seed
3 cups water 4 dried red peppers, or 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 3 cups white vinegar (divided evenly between the jars) 1/2 cup salt
For canning whole fruits and vegetables, be sure to use only perfect, blemish-free produce. This isn’t just about aesthetics; what looks like a small hole on the outside of a piece of fruit could actually be the entry point for a worm or some other critter and you may end up preserving whatever has invaded your produce. By contrast, bruised fruit (with cosmetic damage only) is fine to use for jam and jelly, but be sure to select firm and ripe fruit. Underripe or overripe produce may affect both the flavor and the consistency of your final product. When preparing fruit, crush it in a bowl, either with a ricer (potato masher) or your hands. Equipment-wise, the good people at Ball offer a line of supplies that make home canning easy even for a beginner. For about $50, you can set yourself up with the Ball Home Canning Kit, which comes complete with all the tools of the trade: 21.5-quart water bath canner, wire canning rack, six Ball regular pint mason jars with gingham lids, Ball Blue Book, bubble freer spatula, jar funnel, lid wand, and jar lifter. Mason jars can be reused many times, but because bands and lids expand and shrink during the hot water processing, they should be discarded after a single use. Ball products (jars, lids, and tools), like the Sure-Jell products used for jams and jellies, come with detailed safety instructions and recipes to help you preserve safely and deliciously. If properly preserved, produce can last up to a year in a cool, dry place. n
1. Fill canner/stockpot slightly less than three-fourths full of water and bring it to a simmer. 2. Sterilize pint jars and lids by washing either by hand with hot soapy water or in the dishwasher. Pour boiling water over flat lids in a separate heat-proof container until ready to use. 3. In a separate pot, cook beans for 4 minutes or until just barely tender. Immediately plunge beans into the ice water to stop them from cooking any more. They should be cool before they go in the jars. 4. Combine water, vinegar, and salt in a stainless steel saucepan. (Aluminum, copper, and some other metals may react with the solution.) Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. 5. Into each jar, place one red pepper (or scant 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes), one clove of garlic, and 1 teaspoon dill seed. 6. Pack the cooled beans vertically into jars—and this means to practically cram the beans into the jars. Beans will shrivel slightly, so what looks like a lot fresh will look like less once pickled. 7. Using a funnel, carefully pour the hot vinegar solution into each jar over the beans, leaving 1 inch of headroom at the top. Screw the lids on as tightly as you can with your hand. 8. Heat the water in the canner to a boil. Load the filled jars with secured lids into the canner rack. 9. Lower the rack into the canner/stockpot. Water level should cover jars by at least 1 inch. Add more water if necessary. Cover pot with lid and return to a boil for 10 minutes. 10. Carefully remove the hot jars from the water using tongs. Adjust caps, further tightening them before they cool. Store in a cool, dark place for one month before eating.
greenbeansgreen
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urbanite september 05
neighborhood
by bill mesler
photography by mitro hood
GLORY DAYS
A new generation of residents pays homage to the past in hopes of rebuilding Madison Park’s future
Above: The Key Monument marks the southern boundary of Madison Park.
To get to Matthews Wright’s house, you can start at the Key Monument on Eutaw Place, cross over one block to Madison Avenue and head north along the path the cable cars once followed. The first thing you would notice are signs of poverty and disrepair, public housing projects and whole blocks of boardedup houses that have drawn film crews from HBO’s crime series The Wire. Further north, these would gradually give way to impressive rowhouses with strikingly Romanesque details, asymmetrical stone facades, and steps of polished white marble. Behind large bay windows you can spy the occasional original Italianate interior, pocket doors, mahogany parquet floors, and ornate plaster ceiling designs. Eventually you would find yourself under the towering twin minarets of the 1,000-seat Berea Temple Seventh-Day Adventist Church near the corner of Roberts Street, and you will have arrived at the heart of the historic district of Madison Park, a tiny neighborhood that has been home to some of the
city’s most prestigious African Americans of the last century. A block past the church is Wright’s spacious three-story rowhouse, around the corner from the intersection of Eutaw Place and North Avenue, where Cab Calloway once sold copies of the AfroAmerican newspaper and not far from where the Belview-Manchester once stood, a ritzy Jewish apartment building where Wright’s grandfather worked as a janitor. Growing up in Sandtown in the 1950s, Wright and his family would come to this most prestigious of black neighborhoods to dine at the YWCA or one of the many local restaurants. “It was an incredibly vibrant place back then, just extraordinary,” says Wright, an effusively optimistic former educator and current member of the City Planning Commission. “There were nightclubs, eateries; it was just happening all around here.” Back then, the neighborhood was still affectionately known as Sugar Hill, a nod to the black aristocw w w. u r b a n i t e b a l t i m o re . c o m s e p t e m b e r 0 5
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“Here you have a chance to grab hold of something, to reclaim a piece of your past.”
Grand houses on Eutaw Place are reminders of what the neighborhood once was and what it may become again.
Madison Park’s most recognizable resident, Congressman Elijah Cummings, with intern Babatunde Salaam.
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urbanite september 05
racy—doctors, lawyers, business owners—who had come in search of grander houses on the edges of segregated West Baltimore. Civil rights pioneer Lillie Mae Carroll Jackson once lived in Madison Park as did singer/actress Ann Brown, the original Bess of George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess. Later, it became home to political figures like Parren Mitchell, Maryland’s first African American U.S. congressman, and Larry Gibson, advisor to former mayor Kurt Schmoke and associate deputy attorney general in the Carter Administration. Today, it counts among its residents Police Commissioner Leonard Hamm and U.S. Congressman Elijah Cummings, along with a host of African American professionals whose presence is as much a political statement as it is an aesthetic choice; a refusal to abandon the inner city to a tide of crime and economic despair, and a commitment to maintain an important piece of black heritage. “That history is so important because it is something African Americans yearn for, something so many of us have lost,” says Congressman Cummings, a twenty-year resident of Madison Park. “Here you have a chance to grab hold of something, to reclaim a piece of your past.” Madison Park—sometimes known as Madison East End or simply Madison—is a tiny neighborhood, a sliver that runs the length of Madison Avenue and Eutaw Place, from the state offices on Dolphin Street to North Avenue. It is, in many ways, the Alsace-Lorraine of midtown, its history and character obscured by the associations of the larger neighborhoods between which it is sandwiched: economically depressed, black Druid Hill; and affluent, largely white Bolton Hill, which has admitted the residents of Eutaw Place into its neighborhood association and claimed much of the white history of that street as its own (an encroachment that clearly irritates Cummings). Yet despite its diminutive size, Madison Park has a unique gilded identity of its own as a geographic, cultural, and racial meeting point— though never quite melting pot—of white and black, rich and poor, Jew and Gentile. It was known as Rose Hill in the 1840s, when the first houses started going up around where the Key Monument is today. They were, in the vernacular of the time, “suburban” rowhouses for workers. Developer Henry Tiffany drew the city’s urban gentry when he built Eutaw Place, the wide avenue modeled after the Champs Elysee in Paris. Men like Hampden textile magnate William E. Hooper, who would gather at the Altamont Hotel (leveled in Kennedy-era redevelopment) for foxhunts or outings to Pimlico, left their mark with their palatial homes that define Eutaw Place: monolithic stone houses, long since converted to apartments, with large rounded archways for entrances that give them the appearance of small castles. By the 1880s, a new class of professionals began to fill the southern half of Madison Avenue. So many doctors lived and had offices there that it became known as “doctor’s row,” and the streetcars that ran down the avenue would ferry patients from all over town. Daniel Gilman, the first president of Johns Hopkins University, lived nearby on Eutaw Place, as
did a young Hopkins graduate student who would later go on to become president of the United States: Woodrow Wilson. Meanwhile the city’s German‑Jewish commercial class occupied the northern half of the neighborhood. They built the two synagogues that are still Madison Park’s most distinctive architectural features: the Mediterranean-looking synagogue on Eutaw Place, now a Masonic lodge, with its large Byzantine dome that dominates the skyline, and another on Madison Avenue that is now the Berea Temple Seventh-Day Adventist Church. Claribel and Etta Cone amassed their famous modern art collection while living in the Marlborough Apartments at 1700 Eutaw Place. By the 1920s, “the whites had started to move out and the negroes were moving in,” remembers Eleanor Wise, 93, who still lives in the Madison Avenue home her family bought from a Jewish family in 1925. A nimble woman with a sassy sense of humor (initially she gives her age as “39, same as Jack Benny”), Wise’s excitement is palpable as she recalls the golden years of Madison Park, remembering all the distinguished families who were her neighbors, and their legions of servants that once filled the streets. These were the glory days, when she could head down the street to the Royal Theater on Pennsylvania Avenue to see Count Basie or Duke Ellington, or pass the nights in a neighborhood speakeasy her cousin owned. “There were so many places to go dancing then,” she says, a broad smile
“There were so many places to go dancing then. And all I ever wanted to do was dance.”
Intricate brickwork, arched doorways, and rounded stone facades are typical in the tree-lined blocks of Madison Park’s historic district.
continued on page 57
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YO U ’ RE G O I N G TO LO O K O U T O F YO U R W I N D OW A N D LOVE TH AT YO U M A D E TH I S D E C I S I O N .
I t’s all about the vue. this tower residence puts you on the harbor, high above one of the fastest growing urban centers in the east. It’s the best of everything. enjoy an incredible living space and the energy of a neighborhood filled with cool shops, stores like Whole Foods, and plenty of great places to be seen. Inside and out, the vue is spectacular. From the $200’s. For Priority Preview, visit vueharboreastcondos.com.
800 Aliceanna Street B a lt i m o r e , M a r y l a n d 212 0 2 T 4 4 3 -5 7 3 -4 4 9 3
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urbanite september 05
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home by alice ockleshaw
photography by ron solomon assisted by matthew dickinson
ROWHOUSE REDUX A sleek, modern home makes its mark in historic Hampden
Above: Kargon took advantage of the home’s end-of-row position by moving the facade to the west side.
In the midst of moving his family into their newly constructed Hampden home, Jeremy Kargon has taken the time to set up a chair especially for visitors. Strategically located with its back to the family room’s lone front-facing window, the armchair has been positioned so that those who occupy it can get the most comprehensive view of the building’s modular composition. In addition to providing a glimpse through the bright family room and into the kitchen, the chair has been turned ever-soslightly toward the side wall’s vast floor-to-ceiling window, which, between slats of a massive exterior metal shade, offers a panorama of the neighborhood beyond.
From the meticulously situated chair to his views on life, Kargon, 40, is about offering a different perspective. The Baltimore-bred architect, who spent ten years living and working in Jerusalem, returned to his hometown two years ago to pursue his dream of designing single-family homes as investments. His first attempt, this rowhouse at the corner of Roland Avenue and 34th Street, has already had a profound impact on the fabric of the neighborhood. By offering one of the city’s few examples of what happens when the traditional Baltimore rowhouse gets an unorthodox makeover, Kargon’s building is sparking the beginnings of a shift in how locals consider urban residential architecture. w w w. u r b a n i t e b a l t i m o re . c o m s e p t e m b e r 0 5
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Kargon poses with the home’s current occupants—wife Isabelle and their two sons.
The family room’s large side-facing window, covered by a mechanical exterior shade, provides a panorama of the surrounding neighborhood.
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urbanite september 05
“It raises the design consciousness of an almost dismissed housing form,” says Stuart Rehr, a fellow architect who lives on nearby Union Avenue. “He proves that there can be opportunity even within a very tight space.” Yet sitting surrounded by his numerous books, simple furnishings, and Hebrew artifacts, the outspoken but slightly discomfited Kargon has more modest intentions in mind. He sees architecture as an almost spiritual experience, complete with self-exploration and personal reflection. Ultimately, he says matter-offactly, “self-proclaimed leaders in the profession have an implicit obligation to show by example how urban society might flourish.” For this reason, his departure from the historic Baltimore model is more a reaction to social responsibility than a statement of style. In fact, Kargon says he cares little about aesthetics—a surprising statement from a man whose three-story structure provides a sleek and modern bookend to a row of typical porch‑fronted houses. “When you speak about architecture, one demands the image,” Kargon says, “but what’s more important is what you provide to the city.” For Kargon, providing for the city means creating a successful example of efficient infill housing. Armed with a deep understanding of economical city building based on his experiences in the Middle East and Europe (his wife, Isabelle, is French), and inspired by the successful urban pocket architecture of Toronto designer Bridget Shim, Kargon knew exactly what he was looking for when he began searching for property in Baltimore: “a dense urban environment with one of the teeth knocked out,” he says. After returning to Baltimore from Jerusalem in 2003, Kargon began exploring the streets of Hampden for the perfect site. The neighborhood had been his home for several years before he moved overseas and he knew Hampden was accustomed to blending the historic with the eclectic. Several months later, he came across the empty lot now sitting adjacent to his house. “According to the zoning map, the vacant property was block 108 and the house next to it was block 106,” he says. “So I asked, ‘What happened to 107?’” The answer lay with a successful local urologist who’d purchased the property in the 1980s for approximately $100. “He’d forgotten he owned it,” Kargon says. For $3,000, plus several thousand dollars in back taxes, Kargon was able to acquire the lot; however, the purchase was contingent on his ability to get an appeal on a Baltimore zoning regulation that requires end-of-row units in that zone to be set back 10 feet, and at the same time requires that the home be a minimum of 16 feet wide. To meet the minimum width, the setback could be 8 feet at most, though Kargon preferred 6 feet. His appeal was ultimately approved. Kargon sees his structure as an efficient and economic solution within the existing zoning envelope— essentially a reinterpretation of the “Hampden box.” Indeed, the same rectangles that make up the porch, windows, and floors of the traditional home are simply reconfigured in Kargon’s building. The scale is the same and the transition between the abutting building is smooth, but Kargon has articulated the boxes according to their function. The living room projects from the facade, and the face of the building has been moved to the home’s exposed side, where it receives
the best light and views. “That popped out wall represents the new Hampden,” Kargon says. One challenge for creating new infill architecture is cost. Kargon kept expenses down by forgoing traditional Baltimore wood and brick. Instead, Maryland Bay Contractors built Kargon’s structure (which in total cost close to $200,000) from what he calls “highly engineered strip-mall materials” such as synthetic stucco and cinderblocks. Despite this dissimilarity from the neighboring stick-built homes, Kargon’s home offers a yellow, white, and red color scheme to match the Maryland flag that hangs beside the front door from a telephone pole (which actually helps to support that corner of the house)— a nod to local culture and community. Inside, the second-floor living room provides the nucleus for various planes stacked and linked by a simple logic. “We should put social life up top and keep our boudoirs private,” Kargon says. There are no doors on any of the rooms—“a point of economy and a test of mutual respect”—and the bathrooms and kitchens are small and efficient. “We should do things smaller,” Kargon says. “A family of four living in a shoebox is a good thing.” Among his numerous opinions on urban living is a desire to embrace a minimalist attitude. “Certainly the economy of consuming less space is no less urgent than consuming less energy, fewer resources, etcetera,” he says. Kargon, who currently works full-time for a downtown commercial architecture practice, hopes to one day design and sell more investment homes. Although he’s temporarily living in the house with his wife and two young sons, he doesn’t anticipate having any trouble selling the place in the future. “The demographic is desperate for this,” he says of the streamlined architecture. Rehr agrees. He’s spoken to neighbors in Hampden and has found, “if they’ve driven by it, they like it,” he says. Kargon’s next project will involve several lots he has procured near Clipper Mill, but he hasn’t yet decided how he’ll use them. One thing Kargon is sure of: His designs will continue to challenge traditional perceptions of the Baltimore rowhouse. n
A curved wall and a trellis frame a courtyard leading from the ground-floor master bedroom.
Studio One addresses even the finest details of your space. Examples of our Kitchen Specialist Check List, keep for reference in your space. • Cabinetry
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cork: never a bad year
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Sunday, October 2 at 2pm Sunday, November 13 at 2pm Tuesdays starting Oct. 11 at 8:30am
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b y a m a n d a k o l s o n h u r l e y
“We’re really following a national trend, to have the building reflect its environment, but also to add something, and to be inviting.” —Carla Hayden, Director, Enoch Pratt Free Library
rendering by Hillier Architecture
baltimore observed
THE ARCHITECTURE OF READING THE FUTURE FACE OF THE ENOCH PRATT the second in a two-part series on the architectural design of the enoch pratt free librar y system
It’s a sunny Saturday morning, and the Roland Park branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library—a sweet, cottage-like building on Roland Avenue—hums with activity. Fathers and children leaf through periodicals while, a few feet away, older women scrutinize the fiction shelves. This library is popular with local readers: It is one of the busiest branches in the Pratt system. But the crowded feeling here is also, partly, a trick of space. As modern libraries go, Roland Park is tiny—a scant 4,000 square feet. The library system is planning a renovation and expansion of the Roland Park facility that would more than double its current size. It’s one of four ambitious building projects the Pratt will undertake around Baltimore over the next several years: Two completely new branches will go up, in Highlandtown and in East Baltimore (replacing the current Broadway branch), and a major $55 million renovation of the central library on Cathedral Street is expected to begin in 2007. So far, the Highlandtown project is getting the most attention, not least because of its prominent site on the corner of Eastern Avenue and Conkling Street—a site that has remained yawningly vacant since early 2004 when a row of commercial buildings was torn down to make way for the new building. “Hopefully we’ll break ground this fall,” says Mona
Rock, the Pratt’s spokeswoman, who acknowledges that local residents and community leaders are frustrated by the long delay. Although a construction contract has yet to be awarded, “the project is ready to move forward,” says Randal Gaskins, AIA, president of the Baltimore architecture firm Probst-Mason, Inc., which designed the new $11 million branch in collaboration with another local firm, Alexander Design Studio/McLain Associates, and New Jersey-based Hillier Architecture. Gaskins describes the envisioned Southeast Anchor library—the first newly constructed branch Pratt has commissioned for over 30 years, to be funded entirely by the city—as “modern in approach. The idea is to express the newness of the direction that Enoch Pratt wants to take in the future.” The twostory, 30,000-square-foot facility will be “organized in two blocks,” Gaskins explains. On the western side, a glass box looks towards the street, while to the east, a weightier, brick-clad block is intended to reflect the scale and appearance of the surrounding neighborhood. (See architectural rendering above.) “We’re really following a national trend, to have the building reflect its environment, but also to add something, and to be inviting,” says Carla Hayden, director of the Enoch Pratt. “It’s making the library more than just a place that houses materials, but also
a place that welcomes the community for all types of activities.” The design emphasizes natural light, openness, and “making a connection from the street to the activity inside,” says Gaskins, citing an entrance plaza at the northwest corner with an adjacent café area and the linear atrium space that cuts through the library’s interior. “Another key design element is a variety of spaces,” which should appeal to a wide range of users, Gaskins observes. Accordingly, the plan includes different kinds of reading areas, all with comfortable seating and wireless Internet connections. “We try to make [the design] open-ended,” Gaskins says, “so that as technology changes, the building can change with it.” The same team of Probst-Mason and Alexander Design Studio/McLain Associates designed the Roland Park project, whose $3 million cost will be met mainly by private donations. A particular challenge for the architects was fitting an addition onto the library’s small lot. They responded with a wraparound extension that will cradle the back and one side of the 1924 structure. At the front of the building, the only modification will be a below-grade entry ramp offering disabled access. “We wanted to design the addition in a sensitive way that didn’t draw away from the original architecw w w. u r b a n i t e b a l t i m o re . c o m s e p t e m b e r 0 5
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1000 Hull Street
•
Baltimore, MD 21230
Telphone: 410-837-0073 Fax: 410-837-0078 web: www.myharvesttable.com Operating Hours Monday: Friday: 7am - 5pm (breakfast till 11am, lunch till 5pm) Saturday: 9am - 2pm “best saturday brunch in town”
photo by Alexander Design Studio
the harvest table is now accepting new corporate catering clients for breakfast, lunch meetings and afterwork functions. call and see what all the fuss is about!
ture,” Gaskins says. At the same time, “The addition is fairly contemporary, so there’s a clear distinction between what’s old and what’s new.” The expanded library will offer more space for all of its current resources, plus more storage, improved technology capability, and a new classroom/meeting area. Although it has not yet taken physical form, the addition has already won an award from the Baltimore chapter of the American Institute of Architects. “This is an incredibly important civic project and we poured our hearts into it,” says lead design architect Charles Alexander of Alexander Design Studio/McLain Associates. “Our addition accommodates all of the new and modern functions that make up a library, but it also preserves the traditional aspects. The memory of a traditional library is celebrated.” “This is the design I’m most proud of,” says John Sondheim, planning manager for the Pratt. Whereas Roland Park is too cramped, the Broadway branch struggles with a different set of problems. Described by Sondheim as “Fort Apachestyle,” the uninviting structure on the corner of Broadway and Orleans Streets dates to 1971, an era when riots flared in the city. Not only is the building’s appearance obsolete, “its function has changed an enormous amount, too,” says Sondheim. “It began as a neighborhood services branch, and now a large part of the space is allocated to the Pratt Center for Technology Training.” Eager to expand its hospital complex into Broadway’s current home, Johns Hopkins University made a deal with the Pratt: Move up the street and we’ll give you a new library. A $4.5 million, 14,000square-foot building will soon rise on a city-owned lot close to Dunbar High School. Hopkins, the project’s sole funder, will choose an architect, “maybe within six weeks,” says Sondheim. Finally, the Pratt hopes to spend $55 million of state money renovating the Central Library, a 1933 Beaux-Arts landmark in Mount Vernon. The local firm of Ayers/Saint/Gross, working with Beyer Blinder Belle (the firm that restored New York’s Grand Central Station), has drawn up plans; however, the funds are not scheduled to be in the state capital budget until fiscal year 2008. The two-yearlong renovation will focus on upgrading mechanical systems, like the decrepit 1950s heating and air conditioning. Don’t expect an extreme makeover, says Sandra Parsons Vicchio, the project manager for Ayers/Saint/Gross: “This is a beautiful historic building—it was never anyone’s intention to change its appearance.” n
Wi l l i am Car rol l
Model of Roland Park Library and new addition, as seen from Roland Avenue.
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encounter
b y j a s o nn tt ii nn nn ee yy
p h o t oo gg rr aa pp hh yy bb yy sk aa mr e hn o pl da et tn e r s o n
the shoe shine king
it’s not the same old song and dance with this calvert street legend
A man in a business suit pops his head inside the door and points to the three chairs upon the stand. “Is he in?” I shake my head. “No, not yet, but he will be.” “He” is “the man;” a self-proclamation written in magic marker above a photograph. He is Charles Craig, commonly known as Butch—The Shoe Shine King. At 85, Butch is an undisputed institution among those who work downtown. Policemen, lawyers, judges, and bankers wait their turn, talk shop, and take in Butch’s shoe shine show. His bop, bang, snap, crack, jingle-jangle, thump-thump shining sounds have rung out from Baltimore Street to Pennsylvania Avenue, the Inner Harbor to Calvert Street. Today, Butch’s stand sits inside the entrance to The Original Fader’s Tobacconist at 12 South Calvert Street. The building, erected just after the Great Baltimore Fire of 1904, is only fifteen years older than Butch. Two years ago, as he turned 83, his birthday wish was for seventeen more years. Asked what he was going to do at 100, he replied, “Sit down. Rest awhile.” Butch has earned the right to sit awhile after a long lifetime of work to support his family. “Shoe shine’s a good hustle,” he says. “Why do you call it a hustle?” I ask. “Anytime you do something you don’t get paid by the hour, that’s a hustle.” Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, Butch began shining shoes at age 7. A Charlotte shine man named Samuel Williams introduced him to the craft. Williams would work his rag to create a drum beat, and one day, he noticed a boy hanging around his stand, tapping on whatever he could find, imitating the sound of the rag. Williams showed the young Butch a couple of shine tips and how to turn the rag into a percussion instrument. Butch recalls, “That’s when it all came together.” Butch moved to Baltimore at 16 to work at his uncle’s produce store, shining shoes on the side and developing a routine that included his drum and dance show. He married at 19 and with his wife, who
Butch the Shoe Shine King at work
passed away twenty years ago, raised eight children. From those eight children came twenty grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren. But shining shoes didn’t always pay the bills. “Sometimes it’ll rain a week. Can’t shine the shoes,” Butch says. So over the years Butch worked at Bethlehem Steel, did a stint in the Navy, and even sold snowballs alongside his shoe shine stand on Pennsylvania Avenue. “Anything hard you can think of, I’ve done,” he says and then adds, “To raise the children.” The past couple of years he’s begun to wear down. “Arthur come to visit,” he says, referring to the arthritis that afflicts his legs. Last winter was particularly difficult with the ice and snow and especially the rain. (Arthur loves the rain.) Butch missed several days and an occasional week. His loyal customers (some he has had for thirty years) checked in daily to see how he was doing. There is a deep sense of affection along Calvert Street for this man.
Butch returned to claim his throne this past spring. One regular customer, Attorney William Buie, exclaimed, “I’ve never been so happy to see someone in my life.” Today, Butch ambles in slowly, his bow-legged strut supported by an aluminum cane. He wears a blue shirt and red vest with “The Shoe Shine King” written on the back. His pale skin, thin mustache, and smooth smile give him a Cab Calloway appearance. And his eyes—grayish-blue—still reflect youthful exuberance. “I’m doing what I wanted to do since I was 7,” he says as he sits his cane against the wall and begins to set up his stand, placing clean rags on top of the footrests. A young woman from the Downtown Partnership comes into the store. “How you doing, Butch?” she asks. continued on page 60 w w w. u r b a n i t e b a l t i m o re . c o m s e p t e m b e r 0 5
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A COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAM OF THE ENTERPRISE FOUNDATION AND STRUEVER BROS. ECCLES & ROUSE, INC.
8 hours of community ser vice
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great day!
September
Baltimore neighborhoods transforming Baltimore’s schools and parks
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A C O M M U N I T Y S E R V I C E DAY S P O N S O R E D B Y T H E E N T E R P R I S E F O U N DAT I O N AND S T R U E V E R B R O S. E C C L E S & R O U S E , I N C .
“Whatever excuses others may have had for conditions in their cities - we have none.” James W. Rouse
5th Annual • James W. Rouse • Community Service Day G E T I N V O LV E D w w w. j w r d a y. c o m SEPTEMBER 10, 2005
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urbanite september 05
grassroots design coming home to
Coming home to Baltimore means returning to a particular place with a unique character. When a weed or wild grass pushes up out of the pavement, its roots spread wide beneath the surface.
photo by Abbott Miller
Ellen Lupton, Guest Editor
Ellen Lupton is director of the graphic design MFA program at Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). She is also curator of contemporary design at Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York City. She is the author of numerous books on design, including Thinking with Type (2005). She recently started a blog with her sister, Julia Lupton, www.design-yourlife.org.
My niece Hannah, visiting Baltimore this summer from suburban California, wandered through Bolton Hill one day picking up bits of broken glass. Her mother and I were horrified, as can be expected, but later, as we looked through Hannah’s bag of booty, we found it wasn’t dangerous at all, worn down around the edges by time and traffic—urban diamonds washed up on the asphalt beach. Another feature of this restless urban ecology is the profusion of green things that take root in every crack in the sidewalk or fissure between curb and street, testaments to Baltimore’s subtropical climate. The ambitious weeds and the broken glass are both part of my memory of growing up in Baltimore, where I lived until moving to New York City for college and a career. I came back to Baltimore eight years ago to head up the graphic design program at Maryland Institute College of Art, joined by my husband (graphic designer Abbott Miller) and son ( Jay). Our family has grown since then (daughter Ruby), as has the design scene at MICA. We recently started a graduate program, whose students come from far and wide to study design from within the glass-walled laboratories of the Brown Center as well as out on the streets of Baltimore. This issue of Urbanite looks at the city’s homegrown design culture. Baltimore, like other cities, worries about its image and is struggling to define (or invent) an authentic self; we take a look at the city’s plans for a branding campaign and make some suggestions of our own. We visit a community of independent fashion designers that has sprouted up along Charles Street, producing original clothes for hip young party people. We talk with Inna Alesina, a local designer whose work is having an international impact. We show you how to can your own vegetables and package them up pretty with homegrown graphics. We travel to a park in Zurich, where crushed glass is part of a glittering mix of nature and culture. Design can be hometown, homegrown, and homemade, but that doesn’t make it provincial. Baltimore also is a node or link within the larger community of art, design, and culture. Our schools and museums, train stations and airports, publishing houses and hospitals, connect and attract a mobile, global discourse. n w w w. u r b a n i t e b a l t i m o re . c o m s e p t e m b e r 0 5
Design: Ellen Lupton
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branding the search for city identity baltimore by Elizabeth A. Evitts
“Our positioning, like any good brand, will bubble up out of the people who use the product. We will start by talking to customers and finding out about what they think of Baltimore and what would get them to come back more often.” —Margot Amelia, Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association
design your own city Logo study by Mike Weikert When graphic designers develop a logo for a product or place, they create an extensive list of attributes associated with the brand. They try dozens of ideas, using different symbols, typefaces, and colors to evoke a variety of moods. Mike Weikert is co-chair of the graphic design program at MICA and the creator of Small Roar, a line of graphic T-shirts for infants and toddlers. As a senior designer at Iconologic in Atlanta, he served as a design consultant to the International Olympic Committee.
two
of
our
series
on
authenticity
In the opening chapter of his 2002 book Hub Culture: The Next Wave of Urban Consumers, writer Stan Stalnaker accompanies a group of tourists into a bucolic setting outside Manchester, New Hampshire. The tourists, hailing from cities all along the East Coast and varying in age and race, congregated at a local museum before piling into vans to travel deep into a wooded landscape. They had journeyed to this remote area to see a private home designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright, and the venture, Stalnaker wrote, had “a certain whiff of pilgrimage.” That people would spend precious vacation time in search of an architectural gem hidden in the woods is part of what Stalnaker identifies as the new “global urban culture.” In the U.S. tourism industry, this “culture” of travelers constitutes a multibillion-dollar segment of the population looking for adventures in authentic settings. Rather than trek to a Disney replica of a place, these people increasingly want what’s real. “They are consumed by the quest for experience,” Stalnaker writes. This search for authentic experience is manifesting in the way cities across the globe have begun to advertise their amenities to potential visitors. Bill Baker, whose consulting group Total Destination Management branded Australia with the famed “Shrimp on the Barbie” campaign, notes on his website that “While branding has been applied to consumer product categories for decades, the concept of the systematic branding of countries, cities and regions really only appeared in the mid-’90s to assist them to compete more effectively in a more competitive environment.” In step with this trend, the Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association (BACVA) is currently spearheading a comprehensive branding initiative for Baltimore City. Through this branding process, BACVA hopes to dispel misconceptions about Baltimore and to distill its essence into a simple logo and tagline that will sell the city to tourists and conventioneers alike. The campaign, which BACVA plans to launch in time for next year’s summer tourism season, aims to reposition Baltimore as a top destination choice in an increasingly competitive market. When BACVA president and CEO Leslie Doggett first came to Baltimore two years ago, she believed that the city’s uniqueness was its most valuable asset. “I have a particular soft spot for Baltimore because I think this is an authentic American city,” Doggett told the Baltimore Business Journal on July 17, 2003. But few outside the city are getting that same message. In 2001, the Baltimore Community Foundation hired marketing guru Alan Parter of Parter International, Inc. to take an audit of Baltimore’s image as a tourism destination. Parter found that while there has been a “dramatic increase in … cultural tourism both nationally and internationally,” and while Baltimore w w w. u r b a n i t e b a l t i m o re . c o m s e p t e m b e r 0 5
Design: Ellen Lupton
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has strong cultural offerings, “there is little knowledge of Baltimore beyond the Inner Harbor.” “The quality and diversity of Baltimore’s cultural product has gone unrecognized,” Parter reported. “Even Baltimoreans … are unaware of the potential their own city has as a cultural tourist destination.” Margot Amelia, BACVA’S vice president of marketing, reiterates that sentiment today. “We found in our own research that Baltimore didn’t have a particularly well-clarified position in the minds of our target market” of leisure travelers and meeting and event planners, Amelia says. In fact, the city was being represented in the marketplace more by shows like HBO’s gritty crime drama The Wire than by concerted city messaging. Last year, in a follow-up to his 2001 audit, Alan Parter noted that of the 154 million tourists in the United States, more than two-thirds say that they are looking for unique cultural and historical features from their destinations. “Cultural tourism is too critical to Baltimore’s future to let it languish unsupported by marketing and promotion,” Parter cautioned. In December of 2004, a few months after the release of Parter’s second report, Doggett announced at BACVA’s annual meeting that the organization would lead a campaign to brand Baltimore. Clarence Bishop, chief of staff to Mayor O’Malley, is chairman of the BACVA board of directors. “We have to understand what our unique attractions are and then pitch that to folks who are looking for something different,” says Bishop. Bishop, who led the charge to get the 2012 Olympics to the Baltimore region, knows the complexity of marketing a city. He says the important distinction here is appreciating the end goals of this campaign. “The thing that’s important to [the city] and to BACVA is that people understand this so called ‘branding’ effort for what it is,” Bishop says. “It is not an effort to brand Baltimore one way or another as a great place to work, or buy a home, or expand your business. It’s about tourism.” Amelia is also clear that this is not a citywide campaign. “I recognize that there are other entities that have other needs for a Baltimore brand,” Amelia says. “But our mission is to generate an economic impact from conventions and leisure travelers. That’s where this positioning will be directed.” So how do you name that which is authentic about a place and articulate it successfully to the hordes of travelers looking for a unique voyage? How do you distill the complexities of a city and hit the mark without feeling counterfeit? Gary Vikan, director of the Walters Art Museum, is on the BACVA committee researching the branding process. He believes it begins with realistic self‑appraisal. “This is about more than what people think we are; it’s about being serious about comparing ourselves to very prominent cities,” Vikan says. “As a museum director, I realize that I compete with the Met. That’s serious competition. What do we have that they don’t? These are the kinds of questions that we have to ask of ourselves.” Amelia expands on this idea. “We need to find out what is the most viable selling proposition the city of Baltimore has as a destination,” she says. “Our positioning, like any good brand, will bubble up out of the people who use the product. We will start by talking to customers and finding out what they think of Baltimore and what would get them to come back more often.” BACVA will also consult local entities. “We’re going to do a survey that will go out to all of our members and community stakeholders asking them how they feel about Baltimore and what they think would be good positioning,” says Amelia. One concept that has bubbled up recently as a branding position is the idea of “authentic” Baltimore. In 2004, the Baltimore City Heritage Area, under the leadership of Director Bill Pencek, created an “Authentic Baltimore” logo for businesses and sites in the city. The idea behind the Authentic Baltimore Initiative is to help visitors and residents identify those places that represent the “real” Baltimore. The program has an open application process and evaluates, on a quarterly basis, restaurants, hotels, museums, and events
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through a set of criteria. Designated sites get to place the Authentic Baltimore logo on their buildings and their promotional materials. “It’s a cool way to send visual prompts to people who live in the community and to people who visit,” says Pencek. “It’s a simple way of showing that we have a rich heritage and we’re proud of it.” The concept of creating an “authentic” Baltimore brand also surfaced ten years ago in a University of Baltimore design class. Nancy Roberts, president of NRCS, Inc., a public affairs company, sat as a judge on a panel for a UB course where graduate students were asked to develop a comprehensive branding initiative for the city. One group came up with a clever twist using the word “authentiCITY.” Last year, Roberts shopped that idea around to the city and to BACVA, but there seemed to be little interest in using that specific branding approach. “Both BACVA and the Mayor’s office chose not to go down that path, at least not at this point,” Bishop explains. “We have this major branding discovery effort underway and we didn’t want to jump to conclusions.” “The authentic Baltimore experience has certainly been included in these conversations,” Amelia says, but BACVA does not know yet where the actual branding campaign will lead, she notes. At the time of publication, BACVA was in the process of negotiating a contract with an outside firm to help lead the branding initiative. “It’s some art, but it’s a whole lot of science,” says Vikan, who worked closely with branding experts in repositioning the Walters Art Museum. “The people who do it well are smart. You don’t just sit around a table and conjure these things up.”
BACVA has also been looking at cities like Las Vegas and Toronto, Amelia says, for best practices. Toronto recently launched an ambitious branding campaign, the results of a two-year study of its market potential. The city partnered with Tourism Toronto and the Ontario Ministry of Tourism to “create a clear message about our dynamic identity,” according to Toronto Mayor David Miller. Las Vegas also recently redefined its brand with its successful “What happens here, stays here” tagline. After a misrouted marketing campaign targeting family travelers throughout the nineties, Las Vegas came to realize its true identity was that of a city steeped in “sin, sex, and fun,” Amelia says. “They had to do something that was really difficult,” she says. “They had to go back to their target audience and say we can’t focus on [families]. Our messaging is going to be about what Las Vegas really stands for, and what brings us the most money.” At the heart of this effort, then, is the desire to identify the true qualities of Baltimore that will attract the most economic benefit. Stakeholders involved in the process realize that the resultant branding program could affect broader city policy. “Once you begin to think seriously about positioning, you see what you’re doing right now that can compromise your position,” says Vikan. “If you’re clear on your position, than positioning it can be a long-term guide to public policy.” “Hopefully it will affect policy,” Bishop says of the future Baltimore brand. But to be successful, “you can’t just have BACVA say it,” he adds. “The community has to embrace it as well.” n
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To build a greener world, he's starting from the ground up. Biohabitats, Inc. is a company with a missionto help government and private enterprise
Creating a community takes art…
discover the value of green. Headquartered in Baltimore, this national
The art of seeing amazing
firm specializes in conservation planning, ecological restorations, and regenerative
possibilities where others
design. Its skilled professionals manage projects that range from bringing streams
don’t—and being absolutely hands-on in
back to life to sophisticated computer modeling. When he decided to move
crafting every detail.
Biohabitats' local offices to a larger space, says president and founder Keith Bowers, “we wanted to walk the talk in terms of environmental stewardship.” They chose
That’s what you’ll discover
Clipper Mill. “Clipper Mill lets us re-use an existing brownfields site rather than build
at Clipper Mill— a new
a new site out in suburbia that takes up additional land and resources,” says Bowers.
community that’s uniquely defined by the artisans and
Even their new office space will be environmentally unique, complete with non-toxic
artists who have worked here for more than 150 years.
paints and finishes, and an interior “green wall” of plants and soil that will filter and purify the building's air-the first one of its kind in the U.S. For Bowers, setting this kind of example means a lot. “It what's we're all about,” he says. Pictured above: Biohabitats works to restore the land.
From its start as the Union Machine Shops, once the largest machine manufacturing plant in the nation, to its later role as an artist’s colony, Clipper Mill has always been a place of innovation and activity. Now along the Jones Falls, it is being reinvented as a vibrant mixed-use community—one that you can call home or work, or both. Within its 17 acres bordering massive Druid Hill Park, Clipper Mill will offer cutting-edge choices balanced with environmentally sustainable design—and your pick of homes, apartments,
Heavy metal? Not with his new spin on outdoor sculpture.
condominiums, office space, and live/work artist studios. With its central location and own light rail stop, you’re never far from, well, anywhere.
The small brass model on the worktable catches your eye right away, with kite-like wings extending out from its axis, supported on a triangular base of three angled wheels, so that the entire piece only can move in a circle. This is exactly what sculptor Paul Daniel has in mind. “The wind will
There’s an art to creating a community—and you’ll find it where it all started, at Clipper Mill.
catch in the sails and push the piece around a track,” he explains. Except the final
For leasing opportunities call
sculpture will be huge-several hundred pounds of fabricated metal nudged into
443-573-4000, for residential information call 410-243-1292.
motion by the slightest breeze. This magical act of making metal dance in the air or float on water-it's why this famed artist's large kinetic sculptures are so popular with the public. Daniel creates his art at Clipper Mill, where he's worked for the past 30 years. “It's a nice art community and very convenient with the Light Rail
Clipper Mill Tenants: Artisan Interiors, Biohabitats, Corradetti Studios, Gallery G @ The Beveled Edge, Gutierrez Studios, Harry Campbell, Infoculture, Les Harris, Linda Bills, Lisa Egeli, Mandala Creations, Norma Wallis, Patrick O'Brien, Paul Daniel
stop,” he says. He leans over and blows on his model; it does an elegant spin. “There's a lot to like about simplicity,” he grins. Pictured above: A model of Paul Daniel's latest creation.
Clipper Mill In Baltimore’s historic Jones Falls Valley
www.clippermill.net
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images courtesy of the Young Designers Forum
the young the city’s next designers forum architects of change “We’re looking for ways to get back into the community. Baltimore has so much potential. As an architect you can be inspired.” —Phil James, the Young Designers Forum
By Joan Jacobson
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Every other Wednesday, the Young Designers Forum gathers for lunch in the aptly named “Patapsco Room” of the architecture firm RTKL on the Fells Point waterfront where they can view Baltimore’s architectural history without getting up from their seats. It is the perfect vantage point to ponder the city’s architectural future. The group of about 25 young professionals at RTKL work in architecture, graphic design, engineering, marketing, and communications, and they have been meeting since November 2004 in this mammoth room with a classic Baltimore view (Domino Sugar to the west, Sparrows Point to the east). The gatherings began as a way for architecture interns to discuss their craft and to identify potential mentors in their field. Soon, though, conversation turned to the profession of architecture as a calling for social activism that could literally shape the city’s future. “We were talking about how we could do better design, how we can translate that into something positive,” says Phil James, a 28-year-old architecture school graduate from Syracuse University and one of the forum’s founders. “We’re looking for ways to get back into the community. Baltimore has so much potential. As an architect you can be inspired,” he adds. Baltimore’s renaissance has gone a long way to inspire this group. The members of the forum, mostly in their 20s and early 30s, are predominantly transplants to Baltimore, hailing from cities like San Antonio, Milwaukee, Kansas City, Chicago, Pensacola, and Chapel Hill. As newcomers they are embracing urban life, buying and renting in Patterson Park, Federal Hill, Charles Center, Canton, Little Italy, Locust Point, Fells Point, Mount Vernon, and Bolton Hill.
The Young Designers Forum From left to right, first row: Megan Nash, Phil James, Nelson Lowes, Eric Truong. Second row: Bridget Stankiewicz, Daniel Umschied, David Dymond, Garth Erikson, Erica Hart, Derek Allison, Adam Carballo. Third row: Shipei Wang, Mide Akinsade, Sara Cederberg, Jacob Mertens. Photo by Joseph Giordano
Some have taken urban commuting to heart: They come to work by foot, on bicycle, by water taxi, and even kayak. A few are new to urban life, like Brian Frels, 24, who arrived in Baltimore this year from Pampa, Texas. “I’m comfortable in this environment. Our office is one of several reasons I moved up here from Texas,” he says, looking out the windows of RTKL as sailboats pass by. “I’ve never lived in a big city, never lived near water,” says Frels, who chose to live close to work. The historic buildings that he passes each morning on his walk to the office intrigue him. “We don’t have that in West Texas,” he says. Many were pleased to find Baltimore an accessible and affordable city, as opposed to the larger, more glamorous cities where they might have found work. “Most people out of school want to go to New York, Chicago, London, San Francisco. I know people who got here randomly and are pleasantly surprised,” says Megan Nash, a 25-year-old architect-in-training from Saratoga Springs, New York. Determined to do social good with their skills, the members of the Young Designers Forum are now leaving the desks of their glamorous office on Bond Street Wharf and plunging into the gritty—and often inharmonious—world of Baltimore neighborhood viewpoints. They realize the limitations of sitting at a sterile computer to design a building, as opposed to hearing from community residents about how a building’s design will affect their lives. And, like urban planners, they believe, “Architects … have a social responsibility attached to the design,” says Nash. Since the group’s inception, forum members have designed new store fronts for struggling businesses on downtown’s West Side, built homes with their hands in West Baltimore’s Sandtown‑Winchester, molded clay models for design possibilities of Key Highway’s contentious waterfront development in Federal Hill, and taught design to city middle school students. “There is an inherent joy to being an architect. A lot of which lies in helping people shape their environment, their houses ... which in turn helps them shape the very city they call home,” says Mide Akinsade, 32, an archi-
tect born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Nigeria who has been working for RTKL in Baltimore for seven years. “I call them brilliant activists, the next generation,” says RTKL Vice President Dianne Black, who’s been with the firm for 26 years. The Young Designers Forum, she says, is the first of its kind at RTKL, an international architecture, engineering, and planning firm that started fifty-nine years ago as a two-man firm in Annapolis. The group is now tackling nine topics at its meetings, including design quality, continuing education, sustainable design (or “green” building), and social activities. (They named their softball team the Wharf Rats.) They also sponsor a lecture series open to the public, which features noted architects. Past topics have included architectural fellowships and how to build housing projects to accommodate a variety of family incomes. Members of the forum have begun volunteering with outside groups like the Neighborhood Design Center, a nonprofit design organization that has been helping neighborhoods revitalize since 1968. “I think it’s great to have a group of young architects and designers who are eager to give their time and talent to look at these issues. I applaud their initiative,” says Mark Cameron, executive director of the Neighborhood Design Center. Because the Neighborhood Design Center was originally founded by young architects from RTKL, “it only seemed natural to connect with them,” says Cameron. Members of the forum are working with the Design Center and BRIDGE (Baltimore Regional Initiative Developing Genuine Equity) to draw designs and graphics for “inclusionary” housing, which would give developers of market-rate housing incentives to set aside some units for low-income residents. Their work, though theoretical at this point, is being done as part of a Baltimore City Council task force. The forum is also co-sponsoring a lecture on October 18 during AIA Baltimore’s Architecture Week with the Neighborhood Design Center and the Center for Art and Visual Culture at University of Maryland Baltimore continued on page 59 w w w. u r b a n i t e b a l t i m o re . c o m s e p t e m b e r 0 5
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the inspired design of “When you pay attention to the way people use things and how they live, it becomes obvious that things must always change to remain useful and interesting.” —Inna Alesina
by Molly O’Donnell
Opposite page, clockwise from upper left: “Puff Pastry Lamp” made of shredded paper; “Truly Yours” furniture system; “String It” light; “Nesting Menorah.” Photographs by Inna Alesina
Below: Inna Alesina with “Good Egg” foot stool. Photograph by Karen Patterson
inna alesina When given a glimpse of the diversity of Alesina Design’s collection of products, it’s evident why founder Inna Alesina has become an internationally renowned industrial designer. Her creations are so unique they resist categorization—an accomplishment every inspired mind strives to achieve. Her portfolio is even more astounding when you discover that most of her products are fashioned from garbage. Originally from Kharkov, Ukraine, Alesina settled in the Charm City area to raise her family. From a studio in Owings Mills she creates consumer products for the home that have earned recognition in The New York Times, I.D. magazine, and Metropolis magazine and have garnered awards from Seattle to Milan. The key to her success: Alesina sees potential where others see rubbish. Disposable, everyday objects inspire her artistry—that and the good feeling she gets when she “takes something out of the trash,” salvaging it from a landfill and turning it into something entirely different and beautiful. Alesina uses found and discarded components to fashion her products, and she strives to use as little pre-consumer material as possible in her work. What sets Alesina’s green enterprise apart from many other earth-friendly concepts is sheer ingenuity and attractiveness. Her award-winning “Good Egg” stool transforms 100 nested egg crates into a piece of furniture that can serve as an ottoman or the base of a coffee table. Her “String It” light finds a solution for those unwanted compact discs: Users assemble the fixture from old CDs. The striking lines of her “1,000 & 1 Straw Lamp” become even more incredible when you realize that the lamp is composed of disposable plastic drinking straws. Your eye is drawn to the composite effect of the product, not the original utility of the individual materials. Alesina’s products evoke an array of emotions, from the comforting nostalgia associated with home to the excitement of discovering a fresh perspective. Beyond mere beauty, though, is a much deeper commitment to sustainability. Finding that idyllic balance between form and function requires diligence. “If it looks the way I want but doesn’t function elegantly, then the idea gets revised,” Alesina says. As an instructor at Towson University, Alesina emphasizes to her students the almost monastic commitment to modification one must have to design well, explaining that “it’s amazing how much time you can spend on the smallest detail … brainstorming and constant revision are key.” That lesson extends beyond the classroom into the design world itself. Upon viewing her “Nesting Menorah” constructed from unrecycled metal, her former mentor was pleased to see that she had “stopped playing with trash.” Even in the face of such good-humored jabs, Alesina’s determination to “raise awareness about alternatives to waste” remains unvanquished. “Education about alternative, environmentally friendly design is enormously important in today’s world,” Alesina says. The biggest challenge may be in educating the marketplace about the economic benefits of environmentally focused design. “People seem to get really furious about the destruction that goes on [in our environment], but when it comes to production and demand it’s difficult to convince manufacturers, retailers, and people in general that paying more for something that’s earth-friendly but constructed from recycled/reused material is worth the added expense.” She draws attention to these needs by injecting her work with a sense of humor, and she enjoys creating “small objects that make people laugh.” In 2002, continued on page 55 w w w. u r b a n i t e b a l t i m o re . c o m s e p t e m b e r 0 5
Design: Ellen Lupton
built to last
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Irish
Charities of Maryland Presents
Tour of Ireland Festival eileen ivers
back by popular demand!
O’Malley’s MArch
Danny Doyle
S MO KERS
SEPT. 16-18 2005
Fifth Regiment Armory 29th Division Street at Howard and Preston Streets
Traditional Irish Food Irish beer Irish Vendors Cultural Workshops Irish Story Tellers and Children’s area Entertainment Schedule
Smokers age 18-65 are needed to participate in a research study on the effects of nicotine and smoking during a practice quit attempt. Participation will include nine visits to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. Abstinence from smoking for 4 days is required. Total possible earnings are $351.00. CALL 410-550-1206 AND REFER TO STUDY 0316 BPR 03-09-05-01 Principal Investigator: E. Houtsmuller, Ph.D.
Friday, Sept. 16, 6-11pm Sunday, Sept. 18, 12-5pm Mass Welcome and Na Fianna LAOH Junior Dancers Pipe Band (children) O'Toole's School of Irish Amhranai na Gaeilge Dancing A Ceili featuring Move Like Seamus The Baltimore Ceili Band Donegal X-Press Dance School Extravaganza O'Malley's March Irish Fire Saturday, Sept. 17, 12-11pm Paddy's Mongrels Mention Rigadoo this Ad at Custom House Ellis Island door and Spalpeens receive a James Gallagher & Off the Boat VENDOR/ discount REFRESHMENT BREAK off your Rossnareen Danny Doyle ticket Eileen Ivers and Immigrant Soul
for more info visit
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sustainable city
clothing by Enigmatology by Tyree Canty & Sivels
clothing by Madison Walker by Dermaine Johnson
photo by Timothy Christmas
photo by Timothy Christmas
by cara ober
strike a pose
BALTIMORE FASHION AT STREET LEVEL In the past, Baltimore shoppers looking for hot fashion items would have to travel to Georgetown, Philadelphia, or New York to purchase high quality original products. However, the recent success of several runway fashion shows and a growing number of boutiques featuring one-of-a-kind designs are re-fashioning Baltimore as a couture destination all its own. Building off of last year’s success, Fashion on Charles, a free outdoor runway show, will again feature professional models and designers from Baltimore, New York, and Los Angeles. Organizer J’david Crook coordinated the show in 2004 to “expose Baltimore’s stylish European side, which is often hidden under a more urban look.”
At the September 16 event, which will transform West Mount Vernon Park into a fashion runway, Crook hopes to gain exposure for Baltimore designers and unite them with the national fashion scene. “The local fashion community is growing,” says Crook. “Baltimore will soon be able to compete with some of the more fashion-forward cities.” Regular fashion events around town at clubs like Sonar and restaurants like Red Maple and Mosaic Lounge have also been showcasing this growing design community, while a free runway event called Strut is drawing big crowds. Strut organizer LG Concannon of Sonic Soul Productions began the events in 2003 and has since organized four fashioncentric parties where he pairs designers from Baltiw w w. u r b a n i t e b a l t i m o re . c o m s e p t e m b e r 0 5
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photo by Michael Liberman
photograph by Phillia Downs clothing by pH by phillia
clothing by Riot Apparel photograph by Phillia Downs clothing by pH by phillia
photo by Ethan Cook clothing by Riot Apparel
more, Columbia, and Washington, D.C., with live DJ music. “Strut is more than just a fashion show—it is a dance party, a networking event,” says Concannon. “We like to incorporate the underground DJ culture into everything we do.” Strut’s most recent event, held June 18 at Power Plant Live, drew an audience of nearly eight-hundred people. The crowd saw models wearing styles carried at local retailers like Pikesville’s Box of Rain, Mount Vernon’s Katwalk, and Fells Point Surf Company. They also saw clothing from emerging local labels like Madison Walker and pH by phillia. On September 17, the fifth Strut event will take over the outdoor promenade at Power Point Live, and an after-party at Mosaic Lounge will offer guests an opportunity to meet local designers and boutique owners. According to pH by phillia designer Phillia Downs, these events are important because, “we see so many styles represented in Baltimore—all over the spectrum … There is a place out there for everyone’s style.” The goal of her clothing line, a fusion of funky modern fabrics and traditional Asian designs, is to “create truly special one-of-a-kind items that convey a personal statement of individual style.” The rising Baltimore designers have a creative energy that is contagious, generating opportunities for would-be models, hairdressers, make-up artists, musicians, and artists. That energy is spreading to the consumer as small boutiques carrying local labels pop up around town. “The pendulum is beginning to shift because there are a lot of people here who don’t want to travel when they want designer labels,” Crook says. Crook observes that Baltimore now has the momentum to establish shopping destinations for people who eschew the mall experience. “I like shopping on the street, and the infrastructure is here to have
these tiny boutiques,” Crook says, citing shopping enclaves that have been emerging along Read Street in Mount Vernon and The Avenue in Hampden. Along the Charles Street corridor, shops like Blu Vintage and Luv 2 Shop, at 823 and 815 North Charles Street, respectively, offer the street-level boutique experience that Crook describes. Both stores offer affordable and fashionable clothing designs, the majority between $35 and $65. A few blocks south at 525 North Charles Street is The Doll House, a store that describes itself as “a stylish, eccentric, couture boutique.” Exclusively selling locally designed clothing, The Doll House has been attracting customers from Baltimore, D.C., and New York with their complex and playful clothing. Local fashion labels Rag Dolls by Design, Elle Evans, and Madison Walker offer unusual pairings of denim and tulle, corsets and crinoline, creating a look both sophisticated and urban. Baltimore is getting better-looking all the time, attracting and supporting independent and unique fashion expressions. n
Take to the highway! Enjoy 89 acres of highway—minus 40,000 cars. Be part of the eighth annual festival on the Jones Falls Expressway.
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The Columbia Bank Flanigan RCM&D Foundation Baltimore Community Foundation WMMX Mix 106.5 Baltimore Messenger
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by ellen lupton
photo by G. Hoch
photo by Raderschall
out there
The steel-framed structure of MFO-Park will one day be hidden by a cover of lush greenery.
urban jungle
mfo-park in switzerland shows that more than just skyscrapers can rise above the city Imagine a park that reaches into the sky—a building wrapped in vines. The building is straight and square, made from a grid of steel beams and cables. A rich variety of plants has begun to grow up along the mesh of crisscrossed cables, and in a few years, the building’s open skeleton will be fleshed out with green. There’s a courtyard at the center with a copper-clad fountain and a floor covered with crushed glass, creating a field of brilliant emerald mixed with glittering bits of blue and white. This is MFO-Park, located at the core of a dense development of office buildings and new apartment blocks in Zurich, the prosperous financial center of Switzerland. With land here priced at a premium, the architect has extended a modest patch of green space up into the air, creating a structure that provides not only a dramatic and unforgettable image, but also a complex and unfolding experience for the visitor. Pathways around the courtyard of this new public park form the interior “rooms” of the steelframed structure, leading to a network of stairs and raised walkways that carry one higher and higher into the sky, past walls planted with exotic vines to a furnished roof garden at the top, with a view of the surrounding city. MFO-Park was designed by Raderschall, a Swiss landscape architecture firm. The park draws on a long tradition of garden struc-
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tures—from arbors and trellises to vine-covered fences—at a new and surprising scale. This rational modernist cube, crystal clear in its geometric construction, is preparing to surrender its transparency—over time—to a romantic tangle of greenery. The park is a site for picnics, lunchtime walks, and personal recreation, as well as for parties and special events. How would such a structure function in an American city such as Baltimore, Philadelphia, or New York? The profusion of hidden spaces could pose a potential security risk here at home, harboring illicit activity or encouraging unwelcome behavior. Switzerland is known for its seemingly impeccable social order (jaywalking is a serious crime, for instance), in contrast with the visible social inequities of U.S. cities. A park structure like this could work well, however, in an area with a lot of commercial activity and opportunities for continuous use by the community. It would be, indeed, an unforgettable asset. n
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in review
MUSIC Lake Trout Not Them, You Rx/Palm, 2005 The advance copy of the CD cover of Not Them, You, the new recording by Baltimore indie rock fivepiece Lake Trout, sports an overexposed photo of the band standing on the street in a bleak industrial
BOOK Shoichi Aoki Fresh Fruits Phaidon Press, 2005
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neighborhood. It could be Dundalk, Cherry Hill, or Curtis Bay—but then again, it could be Red Hook, Brooklyn, or any one of those neighborhoods that hipsters take over from blue-collar inhabitants. Lake Trout recently spent some time impressing industry personalities at the hipster epicenter of New York’s Ludlow Street on the Lower East Side, with shows at Pianos and the Cake Shop. This past July, by contrast, the band also shared a gig with pot-brownie bluegrass band String Cheese Incident at the post-Phish All Good Festival in West Virginia. This billing was a remnant of the days when Lake Trout used to be a jam band in the vein of The Disco Biscuits. Sometime around their third album, they became interested in a kind of minimalist repetition that pinned their sound as distinctly British. Now, if all signs are right, they’re trying to nail down an arty indie aesthetic—and, with a vitality that’s been welded over the fires of countless different genres in the past few years, it works. At Cake Shop, the room was packed and charged with energy as lead singer Woody Ranere cooed the lyrics to the Rolling Stones’ “Street Fighting Man” over echoing electronics. Covered with tactful restraint on Not Them, You, this particular song
choice is a wink to the band’s longtime fans: Lake Trout’s last record, Another One Lost, was an atmospheric homage to English bands Radiohead and Pulp, among others. On the new album, the band still sounds like Britpop heard through a mescaline haze, but now they’ve realized that a sleepy London town is just no place for a Baltimore street fighting band. “Have You Ever” and “Peel” are mechanical, drum-and-bass-influenced funk songs, driven mainly by Mike Lowry’s cymbal-heavy, break-beat drumwork. “Riddle”—whose melody strongly resembles Beck’s “Nobody’s Fault But My Own”—and “King” have a creepy, drug-induced stupor about them, but owe more to lo-fi American acts like Folk Implosion and The Apples in Stereo than they do to UK bands. The rest of the album is filled with languorous lyrics about love (“It’s not the game I thought it would be …”) and daydreamy tunes like “Systematic Self ” that confirm Lake Trout’s status as a band on the run from their British vibes, on their way back to Baltimore. Or New York. Somewhere hip, at any rate.
Japanese youth are known the world over for putting together wild, unusual, and fantastical looks that combine designer clothes with handmade and tailored garments. Fresh Fruits is the second “best of ” collection of photographs previously published in Fruits magazine, the ’zine that has documented Japanese fashion and street culture since 1994. In his introduction, Fruits founder and photographer Shoichi Aoki explains that all the photographs in the collection were captured on the bustling Omote-sando street in Tokyo, which was a pedestrian-only thoroughfare every Sunday until 1998. The absence of vehicles was the catalyst, Aoki reveals, for the eye-catching parade of many-layered, DIY fashion—an unintentional urban catwalk. Fresh Fruits celebrates the street’s ever-changing style and the culture that produced and nurtured it. Each glossy page features one or two teens (many staring, expressionless, straight into the lens) decked out from head to toe, showcasing items such as fuzzy green sandals, brightly patterned leggings over red tights, white bloomers under a jelly bean-print skirt, and a customized children’s kimono. On girls’ outfits, strawberries, Barbies, and cartoon characters abound; boys sport mismatched suits, furry jackets, and punk-style tight black jeans and band T-shirts.
The glossy pages also feature notes on each teen that describe where each obtained the outfit’s elements, the idea or theme on which the outfit is based, and his or her current obsession. These raise the book above a simple series of photographs, and also add a note of humor—teens’ current obsessions include “my best friend Mimichin,” “fairy tales,” “my poor life,” and “mayonnaise.” Unfortunately, most of the text—like the fashion—is in vivid color, which works on the street but is difficult to read. Perhaps what is most valuable about this book are the ruminations it inspires about how the rise and fall of trends in pop culture occur, and the way in which the urban environment can effect cultural change. Aoki notes that once the pedestrian-only zone was outlawed, the outlandish street fashions declined in intensity. That zone, termed by Aoki a “fashion eco-system,” gave Japanese youth a place to hang out, check each other out, and get ideas for new styles; now that this zone no longer exists, the fashions documented in Fresh Fruits have diminished significantly. But as cities evolve, so does fashion; and although this particular vein of Japanese style has disappeared, others are developing all the time.
—Robbie Whelan
—Marianne Amoss
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Sunday, November 6 • 1 p.m. Weekday Information Sessions and Tours by appointment for parents of students entering Pre-K through grade five. Call 410-649-3211 to schedule. FRIENDS SCHOOL OF BALTIMORE 5114 North Charles Street • Baltimore, MD 21210 www.friendsbalt.org
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in review
MUSIC Electric Eel Shock Go USA! and Beat Me Gearhead Records, 2005 PINE*am Pull The Rabbit Ears Eenie Meenie, 2005 Japan’s pop-cultural dominance has long been on the rise, but one arena where the U.S. has yet to feel the Japanese influence is rock. The 5,6,7,8’s—the undeniably cool, all-girl surf-rock house band that
DVD Samurai Champloo: Volumes 1 and 2 Geneon Entertainment, 2005
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appeared in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill Volume 1 —may have been the first on the radar for most American rock ’n’ roll fans, and Gwen Stefani’s recent holler-backing with the Harajuku Girls has turned but a few heads. But two new bands, Electric Eel Shock and PINE*am—respectively, a loud, dirty all-boy grunge punk outfit and a precious, all-girl electropop trio—represent the two different genres where the Japanese are staking a claim in the American indie rock scene. Electric Eel Shock works within Western conventions—namely, Black Sabbath-style metal and CBGB’s punk—to the point of even lampooning them. At this year’s South by Southwest music festival, the mother of all rock showcases held each spring in Austin, Texas, the band made waves, garnering photo spreads in most of the nation’s top music rags, including Spin. Since then, Californiabased Gearhead Records has released two promo CDs, Beat Me and Go USA! to get the word out. With song titles like “Do the Metal” and “I Can Hear the Sex Noise,” Electric Eel Shock plays heavyduty garage punk that blasts, “We’re glad to be in America, even if we’re not 100% up on the language thing yet.” Sometimes, their concepts are bizarrely funny, as in “Don’t Say F--k” (“Hey you, dirty: don’t say f--k! / Vulgar, yes you are: don’t say f--k!”). Other times, they capture the spirit of early Ramonesesque punk rock quite admirably, as in the one-liner jam “Suicide Rock & Roll.”
Still, it’s not clear if Electric Eel Shock is reliving ’70s rock, making an ironic comment on it, or just staging a William Hung-style novelty act (i.e., that of a foreigner who deliberately misunderstands what’s going on and in turn makes his own ignorance the big joke). They are genuinely funny in their outsider’s interpretation of the rock ’n’ roll spirit. But is that enough? PINE*am, on the other hand, works hard to create pop that fits the technophile spirit of modern Japan. On their American debut Pull the Rabbit Ears, released on the Eenie Meenie label, the Osaka-based trio lays video game–style blips and beeps over wiggling funk bass lines, and sings in crystalline threepart harmony. Songs like “Starlight, Star Bright,” “Rhyme Mime,” and “Get a Choco” are stylistically close to American bands like the Postal Service and the Flaming Lips, but stand apart because of their earnestness. PINE*am finds the bionic sounds of their generation a true inspiration for their creativity, rather than a cynical selling point. It remains to be seen which approach is the best way for a Japanese band to crack the Western consciousness. It helps that bands like PINE*am and Electric Eel Shock have started singing in English, and perhaps, like the anime that replaced Dungeons & Dragons for thousands of suburban nerds a few years back, Japanorock will catch fire.
Of the newest anime offerings coming out of Japan this year, one of the most appealing is Samurai Champloo, a stylish program that recently reached the end of its 28-episode run on Fuji-TV. The first two DVD volumes of Samurai contain the first eight episodes and provide a solid introduction to the series and the art of director Shinichiro Watanabe. Watanabe broke ground with Cowboy Bebop, an anime that relied heavily on a jazzy, bluesinfused soundtrack to craft an ultra-hip tale of space-traveling bounty hunters. The show was a runaway hit in Japan and enjoyed enduring success in the United States on Cartoon Network and in the video market. Watanabe also directed a segment of The Animatrix, the animated companion to The Matrix series of films. In his latest vehicle, Watanabe further explores the relationship between animation and music. Champloo means “mixing” or “combination” in the Okinawan dialect of Japanese. It’s an obvious title choice, as the hip-hop score to this series sends urban street beats crashing back to the context of feudal Japan’s Meiji era. The overlap isn’t as awkward as it sounds. Martial arts and African American popular culture have played off of each other since the 1970s. Seeing a Japanese interpretation of the marriage of samurai swordplay and hiphop in Samurai Champloo produces an interesting take for those accustomed to the American kung fu aesthetic of blacksploitation movies and the Wu-Tang Clan.
Samurai opens with interwoven scenes of two rogue samurai confronting abusive government fighters. Mugen, a young, scruffy swordsman who enters a teahouse in search of a meal, comes to the defense of Fuu, a waitress facing torture at the hands of the power-drunk son of the region’s governor. As the furious action unfolds, we meet Jin, a refined, bespectacled ronin who kills the governor’s entourage after preventing them from murdering a peasant farmer. With government troops closing in, Mugen and Jin meet in a burning building, where the two fighters begin their tenuous cooperation. Out of a job and homeless after her teahouse burns, Fuu seeks out the two samurai. Always up for a fight and bound by poverty, Jin and Mugen reluctantly join forces and embark on a journey marked by dishonor, bloodshed, and hard living. It’s thug life, feudal Japan style. Samurai relies on angular shots from extreme perspectives to convey its director’s stock ultramodern sensibility, but his keen sense of timing keeps the audience from feeling jarred. Smooth timing is especially important as Watanabe synchronizes the animation with the hip-hop music score. Reinforcing the fusion of sight and sound, Samurai introduces an ingenious editing trick that emulates a DJ scratching a record on turntables by toggling the film back and forth to cut between scenes. The result is a satisfying fusion.
—Robbie Whelan
—Brett D. Rogers
Built to Last continued from page 45
Alesina developed a drinking glass, “Want/Need,” divided into two parts. A small hole divides the two sections, and when filled to the rim, the user must plug the hole to keep the liquid from leaking. The product description explains that “one could put a stop to waste (in a global sense) with one’s own hands.” The most adaptive of Alesina’s innovations is her aptly named “Metamorphosis,” which earned high marks at this year’s Designboom in Cologne, Germany. The system, created with functional apparel designer Lauretta Welch, replaces traditional kitchen cabinetry with light nylon mesh stretched over tubular aluminum frames. The material’s skin-like appearance and elasticity create an almost maternal aesthetic. Multifunctional pockets can be reconfigured to any kitchen and can evolve over time to fit the needs of the user. “When you pay attention to the way people use things and how they live, it becomes obvious that things must always change to remain useful and interesting,” Alesina observes. Seeing the world as the ever-altering landscape it is, Alesina’s global outlook and interest in environmental preservation produce works of simple beauty that promise to stand the test of time. “I’m not attached to any particular aesthetic,” she says. “Good design is about problem solving.” n
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8/16/05
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Glory Days continued from page 23 spreading over her face. “And all I ever wanted to do was dance.” The neighborhood steadily deteriorated after the Second World War. Some of the finest properties fell into disrepair. When Matthews Wright bought his house for $5,000 in 1977, it was, he says, “little more than a cave wrapped up in chicken wire.” But an influx of middle-class homeowners brought a new vitality to the area. By 1980, Metropolitan magazine was calling Madison Park “an oasis” of the inner city, carved by “young, black professionals” who “have discovered the charm and beauty of the spacious rowhouses and have begun to restore life and vibrancy to the neglected buildings.” It also drew a lot of local musicians from the city’s jazz scene, and Wright remembers the likes of Miles Davis and Charles Mingus gathering at the home of a local musician named Plato, “smoking and jamming into the night.” Architect Leon Bridges, who has been recognized for his work in restoring Penn Station and has served as national director of the American Institute of Architects, remembers “a sense of tremendous momentum in the neighborhood” during the late 1970s, when he designed the modernistic steel trestles atop the Crown gas station at Madison and North. He calls the homes “unique, fabulous in design.” Yet the revitalization has never quite taken hold. Bridges faults the city for never making the kind of commitment to the neighborhood that it made in similar, white sections of the city, like Federal Hill. “You have residences that have basically the same kind of potential,” he says. “The only difference is you have residents that are colored.” Cummings blames the “drug problem that hit fourteen years ago” for driving away many committed homeowners. Like other residents, he also laments the lack of a vibrant commercial district, and wishes the city would commit to revitalizing nearby Pennsylvania Avenue “the way Washington did with U Street.” Though pockets of crime still exist, centered primarily around the neighborhood’s public housing projects, residents proffer that the crime problem has steadily diminished, though certainly not abated. And a new round of revitalization has again crept back into Madison Park, though not with the fervor of its neighbor to the north, Reservoir Hill. Shells on the roughest blocks can still be had for next to nothing, but some restored homes, particularly in the historical district, have sold for close to $200,000. And the neighborhood, with its storied history, continues to draw committed black professionals, like Regina Drake, a city planning commissioner and aide to State Delegate Salima Siler Marriott. Drake bought her home seven years ago, and she plans to stay and raise her infant daughter. She wishes there were more viable restaurants nearby and a grocery store other than the Save-A-Lot in Bolton Hill. But she has no regrets. “It’s about the amount of house you can get here for the money,” she says. “You really can’t find that in the city anymore.” n
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new Urbanite
6/30/05
3:35 PM
Page 1
Excitement is brewing…
That's Brewers Hill– An exceptional mixed-use community that combines location and convenience with an unique work environment.
Location features include: 790,000 square feet Free on-site parking • Office, retail, and industrial space, historic and environmentally friendly renovations • Easy access to I-95, I-895 and downtown Baltimore • •
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urbanite september 05
Young Designers Forum continued from page 43
County, says Cameron. (Urbanite is a media sposor of Architecture Week.) The lecture, which is being hosted at the RTKL offices and is open to the public, will feature William Morrish of the University of Virginia, who will talk about preserving older suburbs. Some forum members have also teamed up with the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore to design new facades for eight small, low-income businesses on the 200 block of Saratoga Street and the 300 block of Park Avenue, just west of Mount Vernon. The businesses in need of makeovers included a beauty salon, a hardware store, and a gift shop. Each business was awarded a $10,000 grant for the work. The results were so successful that other nearby businesses have begun their own exterior renovations, said Megan Stearman, business and economic development manager for the Downtown Partnership. Meanwhile, David Dymond, a 27-year-old architect-in-training who’s been in Baltimore a year and a half, participated in a city charette (a collaborative design session), modeling clay structures for possible use along Key Highway at the foot of Federal Hill. He learned firsthand that his own ideas don’t always mesh with those of the people who will live near the buildings he helped conceive. Dymond came to the charette with suggestions for buildings with “more of a dense urban feel, and residents wanted more of a suburban feel,” he said. Though final plans for Key Highway are yet to come, Dymond says the charette participants came up with ten zoning models of mixed use to include residential, office, parking, and retail space of varying size up to ten stories high. A challenge when building this densely, says Dymond, is to respect the scale of the waterfront and the surrounding community so as to maintain favorable views. Not all the Young Designers Forum’s efforts are as serious as helping transform the most controversial stretch of Baltimore’s waterfront. They are also tackling smaller, more practical problems. After debunking a rumor that their office’s recyclables were being thrown in the trash, the Forum held an inner office competition to design recycling boxes to encourage recycling of paper, bottles, and cans. Black says that the work the forum is doing is just what the founders of RTKL would have liked to see of young architects. And today, she says, RTKL’s chairman Paul Jacob is supportive. “He’s given them this speech about people rising together. When you’re in the studio and you show leadership, it inspires other people to be courageous enough to take these steps,” says Black. n The Urbanite 7-29.indd 1
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The Shoe Shine King continued from page 33 With a slight chuckle he says, “Holding on, holding on.” I help him with his folding sign, which he puts outside on Calvert Street to let folks know that the King is in. Butch’s philosophy is this: “Learn to listen.” Now, thanks to decades of listening to the diverse characters who’ve passed through his stand, he can talk to you about anything: women, love, fighting, making peach wine and corn whiskey, property taxes, what the weather is going to be tomorrow, running numbers, pro wrestling, masonry, and parenthood. Sometimes all in the same conversation. And he is never without pearls of advice. Don’t stand so close to a woman when you’re dancing with her. Her fella might be watching. If she puts her head on your shoulder, then you’re alright. Anything you do in life should be with respect. The smartest man in the world is the one who can talk himself out of a fight. Never reach for something with both hands full because you might lose something. A little B.S. goes a long way.
Chef Ann Nault’s Diablo Shrimp isn’t all that got Clint Eastwood fired up.
William Cole, a homicide investigator for the Attorney General’s Office and a retired Baltimore City police detective, takes a seat. Butch has been shining his shoes for thirty years. Butch takes a towel from a bucket filled with a mixture of saddle soap and water and cleans the shoes. “He’s the undisputed king of shoe shine, without a doubt,” says Cole. Asked about Butch’s staying power, Cole says, “Staying power? I’m just trying to find out what he’s drinking. I want some of it.” Butch begins to apply Lincoln Shoe Polish to the loafer with his hand. “This is what the Marines use,” he explains. “I use it because I like to put my hands in it, see,” he says, as he digs his fingers into the brown polish. “Kiwi is too soft.” He goes to work in earnest on Cole’s shoe, moving the rag back and forth rapidly, shifting feet here and there, moving to a rhythm in his head. The leather begins to glow. He snaps the rag, then stops and starts in quick staccato swipes across the shoe, producing a low bass thump, and then cycles through a whole series of rhythm sounds. This is The Show, the song and dance portion of your shoe shine, part of the hustle. Early on Butch learned, “You got to do anything you can to increase your tips.”
“Not only does he give the best shoe shine but the show to match,” says Buie, who has known Butch for years, and adds that all his own formal education can’t compare to the knowledge that Butch, with his eighth-grade education, has gathered just by listening. “If you were to look up the word ‘wisdom’ in the dictionary there should be a picture of Butch,” says Buie. Butch finishes up Cole’s other shoe. The scrapes and bruises from Baltimore’s curbs and streets are healed and the leather is shining. Butch gives one more snap and thump to the shoes, stands straight reflecting in his work, a venerable version of the 7year-old boy tapping his foot in Charlotte, and gives a satisfied nod. Once, years ago, when questioned about his claims of being Baltimore’s best shoe shine, he said, “It ain’t bragging if it’s true.” But now, he notes, “You say things when you’re young. You got to think good of yourself.” I press the issue. “Are you the best?” He’s slow with the response. “Well … I wouldn’t say I’m the best necessarily.” Then with a twinkle and a smile he says, “But I’d challenge the best. I’d challenge him.” n
Chef Ann Nault headed up Clint’s kitchen at his Carmel, California Mission Ranch. Then she brought her Tex-Mex/Pacific Rim/Carolina/French-inspired menu eastward. With her, she brought rainbow trout stuffed with julienne carrots, leeks and crabmeat topped with spicy Thai sauce. And a fabulous, mostly California wine list. Served by knowledgeable, doting staff, on our patio or in our award-winning space. Dinner: Tues. - Sun. 510 E Belvedere Ave | 443 278 9001 | TasteRestaurant.biz
(She left him for you.) UPSCALE FOOD... Unpretentious everything else.
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18 Putting Up For canning enthusiasts who don’t have farms of their own, visit www.pickyourown.org. The site includes a national online directory of farms and orchards where you can pick your own fruit, along with easy canning instructions, recommended readings on preserving produce, and some simple yet delicious recipes to get you started. Pickled, Potted, and Canned: How the Art and Science of Food Preserving Changed the World (Simon & Schuster, 2001) by Sue Shephard gives more history on the subject of putting up. And for more recipes to make on your own, try The Complete Book of Year-Round Small-Batch Preserving: Over 300 Delicious Recipes (Firefly Books Ltd., 2001) by Ellie Topp and Margaret Howard, and Blue Ribbon Preserves: Secrets to Award-Winning Jams, Jellies, Marmalades and More (HP Books, 2001) by Linda J. Amendt. Need more inspiration for canning? The National Center for Home Food Preservation (www.uga.edu/nchfp) is a great source for recipes and current researchbased recommendations for most methods of home food preservation. The Center was established with funding from the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture to address food safety concerns for those who practice and teach home food preservation and processing methods. Peaches will be available until the end of the month at the markets, and apple picking starts this month at Weber’s Farm (2526 Proctor Lane, Parkville; 410-668-4488).
by Roderick Ryon. The Baltimore Book: New Views of Local History (Temple University Press, 1994), an anthology edited by Elizabeth Fee, Linda Shopes, and Linda Zeidman, guides readers as they navigate through Baltimore, providing maps, photographs, and contemporary documents; also included are interviews with community activists, Catholic Workers, civil rights activists, and residents of all parts of the city. If you like putting your feet to the pavement, check out Walking in Baltimore: An Intimate Guide to the Old City (Johns Hopkins University Press, 1995) by Frank R. Shivers Jr. The notable architecture of Charm City is captured in The Architecture of Baltimore: An Illustrated History (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2004), edited by Mary Ellen Hayward and Frank R. Shivers Jr. Explore the history of the famed Baltimore rowhouse with The Baltimore Rowhouse (Princeton Architectural Press, 2001) by Mary Ellen Hayward and Charles Belfoure.
36 Grassroots Design Ellen Lupton’s newest book DIY: Design it Yourself (Princeton Architectural Press, 2006), with contributions from her students at MICA, hits the streets in January 2006. If you’ve ever wanted to embroider your own clothing, impress colleagues with unconventional business cards, or make CD and DVD packaging that really stands out, this is the book for you. It includes everything you need to make your own stuff, including lists of materials and places to purchase them, and information about how much experience and time each project requires.
Picture
photo by Ron Solomon
resources
For more on this Hampden rowhouse, see page 25.
38 Branding Baltimore 21 Glory Days A must for anyone interested in Baltimore’s history is West Baltimore Neighborhoods: Sketches of Their History, 1840–1960 (self-published, 1993)
To find out more about branding, read about the genesis of the Toronto campaign on the website www.torontotourism.com. There’s also the seminal Marketing Places by marketing guru Philip Kotler (Free Press, 2002), which identifies the key compo-
nents to selling a city as a destination. Hub Culture: The Next Wave of Urban Consumers (John Wiley & Sons, 2002) by Stan Stalnaker gives an interesting insight into today’s urban traveler. n
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urbanite marketplace
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N
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you can’t arrive unless you know the destination. 2005 fall season sampler:
d:
d:
Fri., Sept. 9th, 7:30 pm Tavis Smiley presents The Talented Tenth HBCU Tour
Sat., Sept. 24th, 6 pm Soulful Symphony– Darin Atwater, Conductor
Lecture by prolific talk show host and political pundit.
d:
Tribute concert to benefit the Dr. Nathan Carter, Jr. Foundation.
d: Fri., Oct. 14th & Sat., Oct. 15th, 7 pm Urban Underground Unplugged Music Festival! Featuring Amel Larrieux, Bilal, Martin Luther, N’Dambi, and more!
d:
d:
Thurs., Oct. 20th, 7 pm Wynton Marsalis & Septet
Fri., Nov. 11th, 7:30 pm Duke Ellington Orchestra
Sat., Nov. 19th, 8 pm Comedian Rain Pryor
The iconic jazz musician, trumpeter, and composer and his ensemble.
Performing “Duke Ellington’s Sacred Concerts” with the Morgan State University Choir.
Performing her award-winning one-woman show, “Fried Chicken and Latkes.”
the murphy fine arts center www.murphyfinearts.org
Tickets available through Ticketmaster at (410)-547-SEAT (7328), www.ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster Outlets, and at the Murphy Fine Arts Center box office (443-885-4443).
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