Welcome!

Hey everyone, I'm Jess Blumberg, Baltimore magazine's associate editor. Welcome to the magazine's latest blog, On The Town! Here we're going to discuss the city's nightlife scene, whether it's a new bar in town, concert, gallery opening, sports game, play, gala, etc. If it's at night, we can cover it.

The city has always had an energetic nightlife, starting at its birth when sailors would stumble around the taverns lining Fells Point. A century later, Baltimore became the second largest port of entry into the U.S., attracting immigrants from all over the world who brought their diverse cultural identities with them. Starting in the 1950s, The Left Bank Jazz Society brought legends John Coltrane, Sun Ra, and Duke Ellington to play in our very town (for more, see our April issue).

Fast-forward to today and our nightlife landscape is ever-changing. Within the past few years, Station North has emerged as a cultural epicenter in Baltimore, providing us with tons of art and performance spaces. A little bit north is the burgeoning Hamilton area, where Harford Road is now host to tons of shops, restaurants, bars, and a whole new scene. Downtown, Harbor East has had a giant makeover and at night its streets are bustling with shoppers, diners, and movie-goers.

Those are just a few examples of why we want to dedicate a blog to the city's nightlife. And when I say we, I mean myself, along with senior editor Evan Serpick and assistant managing editor Amy Mulvihill. Evan is a Baltimore native and former Rolling Stone editor, who helped put the city on the map by naming it "Best Scene" in the 2008 Best of Rock issue. Amy is a Goucher alum who loves Fleetwood Mac, drinking, and eating leftover baked goods in the office.

Of course, there are already great sources that explore the city's scene, like Midnight Sun, Metromix, SEN Baltimore, and obviously City Paper. We want to act as a complement to all of these extensive sources. We won't just cover great happy hour specials or what big act is playing this weekend, but we also want to tap into the other side of nightlife.

Hopefully we can rise to the challenge!