House Beautiful

Thanks very much for your great May issue highlighting the many important architecture and design opportunities in Baltimore. We are fortunate to have a great stock of varied historical buildings, and communities with plenty of space for new, high-quality developments throughout the city. There truly is a house and a neighborhood in Baltimore for everyone. Editor-in-Chief Elizabeth A. Evitts noted that New York author and critic Roberta Brandes Gratz spoke here recently as part of the American Institute of Architecture Baltimore 2005 Spring Lecture Series, and lauded our rich urban fabric, which does make us distinctive. Throughout the year, AIABaltimore offers a wide range of public programs. Watch for our second annual Baltimore Architecture Week beginning October 15, or check us out at www.aiabalt.com.

—Karen Lewand is the executive director of AIABaltimore.

 
Go West, Hon Man

I live in Waverly, in the 700 block of East 36th Street. In order to drive, bicycle, or walk from my house to Hampden's West 36th Street, you have to know how to maneuver around or through the Johns Hopkins Homewood Campus.

At least a couple of times a year, I discover someone parked in the middle of my street looking totally perplexed. Almost immediately I sense the problem: He or she is looking for Hampden's West 36th Street. It happened again last June 12, which, unbeknownst to me, was the day of the 2004 HonFest.

I was leaving my house on my bike to mail a package at the Waverly post office when I saw a Chevy Suburban parked in the middle of my street. I asked what the problem was and, of course, got the expected answer: "Where are we? Where's West 36th Street?"

As I was giving them the required convoluted directions, I suddenly had an "aha" moment.

If my bike would fit into their SUV, I could personally guide them to West 36th Street and mail my package (containing euthanized cicadas for my 4-year-old grandson in New York) at the Hampden post office. They liked the idea and, feeling a little tinge of guilt over the prospect of being seen in an SUV, I loaded my bike into the back and off we went.

My new friends were Sue of Crofton, Gerry of Odenton, and Kathy and Carol of Severna Park. How they landed on East 36th Street is another story. I guided them to Hampden via the "scenic route," San Martin Drive, from which I pointed out the Space Telescope Science Institute (home of the Hubble Telescope) and Olin Hall (the earth and planetary sciences building). Along the way, they surprised me with the news that they were going to HonFest. Well, I thought, what a great way to get to my first HonFest!

After we spent five minutes solving the HonFest parking riddle, I joined the ladies for my first ever festival immersion. What a crowd, what great Hons—and they were everywhere you turned! Unfortunately, all too soon our accidental adventure had to end, as I needed to get to the Hampden post office before it closed. We exchanged sweet farewells and promised to meet again at this year's HonFest at the corner of Roland Avenue and West 36th Street.

—Herman Heyn, aka Baltimore's Street Corner Astronomer, contributed this piece in honor of HonFest 2005 (June 11).

 
Taking Care of Business

I just read Urbanite cover to cover on the train, and wanted to let you know that I thought it was excellent—congrats on running a tight, stylish magazine. The article on the Hispanic community in Fells Point was interesting. One aspect of that story that might be worth exploring someday is the growing Hispanic business community. The Baltimore Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (www.baltimorehcc.org) is very active, and includes owners of successful tech companies—the sort of businesses that bust the image of the Hispanic day laborer waiting for work on Fleet Street.

—David Thompson lives in Otterbein and works in Washington, D.C., as an attorney with Bingham McCutchen LLP.

Urbanite encourages its readers to write—and it does not have to be all about us. We want to hear what you're saying. Send your letters, including name, address, and daytime phone, to Mail, Urbanite, P.O. Box 50158, Baltimore, MD 21211. E-mail us at mail@urbanitebaltimore.com. Mail may be edited for length and clarity.