The gangsters who once ruled the streets are now helping to stop the shooting in Baltimore.
At dusk in the 3100 block of McElderry Street in East Baltimore, Dante Barksdale grabs a bullhorn. In baggie shorts and work boots, a hoodie pulled over his shaved head, Barksdale, whose very name is widely associated with inner city violence (courtesy of the HBO series The Wire), strides into the intersection of McElderry and North Robinson streets, stopping traffic. Forty-eight hours earlier, a...
Eight new Charm City residents reflect on their first year in Baltimore.
It's widely known that people born in Baltimore have a hard time leaving. But what about people who just got here?
In 2007, some 8,400 out-of-state residents packed up and relocated to Baltimore, according to IRS migration data. They nested in our city's various neighborhoods and acclimated to its colorful and sometimes curious customs. For eight new Baltimoreans, the first year presented both...
The mistress of mystery on Baltimore’s bum rap, Frances McDormand’s book shelf, and how not to get cast by her husband.
In her popular Tess Monaghan series, Laura Lippman writes about Baltimore with great affection, humor—and candor. In her latest standalone novel, Life Sentences, the best-selling author (and wife of The Wire's David Simon) tackles memory, the subconscious, and race.
Where did you go to school?Thomas Jefferson Elementary, then the brand spanking-new Dickey Hill Elementary, Rock Glen Jr....
In TNT's HawthoRNe, Jada Pinkett Smith plays a character who's a lot like her mom.
Even when Jada Pinkett Smith was still a student at the Baltimore School for the Arts (BSA), her mentor, theater department head Donald Hicken, knew his diminutive pupil was headed for stardom.
"What I remember most was that she was interested in everything: dancing, music, and acting," he says. "We had a student-driven variety show, and Jada took over the whole thing. She choreographed, danced,...
The Chamber of Commerce chief on wearing velvet, raising money, and achieving Rat Pack cool.
Gary Rubin has more job titles than Ryan Seacrest. He's the new chair of the Baltimore County Chamber of Commerce, the VP for University Advancement at Towson University, and—wait for it—an accomplished lounge singer. We add Grill subject to the list.
What is the best advice you ever got?"Whenever you get overly concerned with what people might be thinking about you, remember: Don't...
Hundreds of thousands of strangers have shared their deepest secrets with Frank Warren as part of an elaborate community art project.
If Frank Warren isn't the "most trusted stranger in America," which he has been called, he's definitely our collective confidant. Each week, hundreds of people write their innermost secrets on artfully decorated postcards and send them to Warren's house in Montgomery County. Along with the cable bill, mail-order catalogs, and magazines, he regularly sifts through confessional messages such as:
"I...
For nearly a century, the Tochtermans have been luring fishermen to an Eastern Avenue shop that's become a local institution.
It's late afternoon at Tochterman's, and the venerable tackle shop's neon sign flickers over Eastern Avenue. Its large-mouth bass, outlined in white light, splashes from an electric sea of green, hooked by some irresistible lure. The sign beckons fishermen of all stripes, hinting at pleasures to be found both out-of-doors and in the shop.
Entering Tochterman's is like walking into a forest...
For those fixated on collecting stuff both valuable and strange, spring cleaning is a dirty word.
Alex Bready, Candy Man1,400 PEZ DispensersEven though Alex Bready, 27, works as an inventory planner and buyer, he can only estimate how many PEZ dispensers he owns: "About 1,400." "Collecting is embedded in my DNA," he says: His grandfather collected Maryland rye whiskey bottles and sports memorabilia; his grandmother collected doorstops, cookie cutters, and rabbits; and his father collects...
Before the starting bell of the 134th Preakness Stakes, those who know horse racing best tell of an industry on the brink.
Horse racing has a long and storied history in Maryland, but it's not one tied just to colorful jockey silks, the roar of the gamblers, or the beauty of the beasts: It's about jobs, land preservation, and a way of life. Sure, Preakness-related expenditures still impress: In 2007, they totaled $23.8 million and generated $1.4 million in state and local taxes. And the racing industry employs...
Eight famous Baltimoreans show off their favorite ladies.
Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. debated with Mama Ripken over whose eyes were bluer. Ace of Cakes' Duff Goldman curled up on a sofa and playfully placed his head in his mother's lap. Fox 45's Jennifer Gilbert read potty-training passages from her mother's diary, and
Governor Martin O'Malley and his mom tussled over how often he keeps in touch. To mark Mother's Day 2009, we checked in with some of...
