Downtown Baltimore Real Estate Agent

Maryland Zoo in Baltimore to Open March 13 After Delay From Major Blizzard Damage

The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore is ready to reopen its gates after two major blizzards caused a tremendous amount of damage to buildings and animal housing.

As I have written in multiple posts about these blizzards, the heavy snow caused damage to many homes, and hurt the Baltimore real estate market. It also has hurt Baltimore businesses and tourist attractions both with their buildings, and the fact that the damage in the zoo’s case, forced them to remain closed for an additional two weeks to repair and remove snow from walkways and the like.

The Baltimore Business Journal reports that the damage to the zoo could top $2.5 million, a hit to the attraction that is already having financial woes.

Tickets for the weekend of March 13-14 will be reduced to $5 to celebrate its’ reopening, and hopefully entice many visitors to come see the animals. Some exhibits may not be open, or they may be modified (for example, the giraffes will not be outside, but can be viewed in their inside habitat) due to the still snowy, cold & muddy conditions, or damage to the area.

After the opening weekend, ticket prices will be $14 for adults, $12 for seniors, and $10 for children on weekdays, and $16 adults, $13 seniors, and $11 children on weekends.

Coming up on March 20th is the popular Samson the elephant’s SECOND birthday party from 11 am-1 pm. It is hard to believe he is now TWO!

So come on down to the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore to support and help them rebuild — just by coming to visit the animals and enjoy the beautiful surroundings in Druid Hill Park.

The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore is located in Druid Hill Park in Baltimore, 21217. The hours once open are 10 am – 4 pm. For more information, call 410-366-LION (5466).

Charm City Circulator — Free Transportation in Baltimore City

Have you heard of the free bus transportation available in Baltimore City called the Charm City Circulator?

This is a new great idea from the City of Baltimore that will run three routes and transport workers, commuters, students, visitors and the like for FREE. The busses run every 10 minutes from designated stops on the lines.

The first one up & running is the ORANGE ROUTE, which runs from Hollins Market to Harbor East. It runs around Little Italy and along Lombard Street down to the University of Maryland Baltimore right by the UMD Medical Center, and loops back around and heads back to Harbor East going down Pratt Street. It has 26 stops in all, including the National Aquarium in Baltimore and the Inner Harbor, as well as the Convention Center and Camden Yards.

The Purple Route will run Penn Station to Federal Hill, and the Green Route will run run from City Hall to Johns Hopkins.

This is an exciting initiative set forth in Baltimore, and even more exciting is that the busses are DesignLine 2009 EcoSaver IV LF Hybrid Electric vehicles, which conserve gas and are good for the environment. The goal of the Circulator, per the Baltimore.org site,  is to “reduce congestion and greenhouse gas pollution by offering a convenient, reliable and eco-friendly form of public transportation.”

So, hop on the Circulator and help the environment while getting where you need to be in Downtown Baltimore quickly & efficiently.

Snowpocalypse 2010 2.0 brings SnowSayCanYouSee 2010 2.0 Tomorrow in Fells Point

As I lament about what bad the Snowpocalypse 2010 2.0 brings, in Downtown Baltimore’s Fell’s Point comes the fun snowball fight called SnowSayCanYouSee at Broadway Square at Broadway and Thames to enjoy the large amount of snow we will have on the ground.

The last one was just this last Saturday, as we are due to have the second blizzard in one week in the Baltimore area, the “fun” just doesn’t seem to end! We make history with this storm, and hopefully many will enjoy another good snowball fight.

Details are posted on Facebook for anyone who wants to join in. Date: February 10, 2010, Time: 2:30 pm

The likelihood is that roads will be closed so you need to live close enough to walk to enjoy this great time tomorrow. So if you live in or around Fell’s Point, don’t miss it!

Snowpocalypse 2010 “Snow Say Can You See” Snowball Fun in Fells Point February 6, 2010

With the “Snowpocalypse” coming tomorrow through Saturday night with predictions of snow accumulations of around TWO FEET, residents of Downtown Baltimore are ready to have fun.
On December 19, 2009, we got about this same amount, and there was a fun snowball fight in Federal Hill called “Snow Say Can You See”.
This Saturday, February 7, 2010 is Snow Say Can You See Part Two — this time in Fell’s Point at the Broadway Square at Thames and Broadway.
A great time was had by all who attended the last, and I am happy to see that they are moving across the Harbor to let more city residents enjoy!
What a wonderful idea to get people out of their houses for a safe, fun time, since attendees will walk from their houses!
Enjoy to those who get to go — and take pictures to share!

Barack Obama to Visit Baltimore for First Time as President

This Friday will mark President Obama’s first visit to Baltimore since becoming the 44th President of the United States of America.

He will be in town to join the House Republican retreat at the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel in Downtown Baltimore.

Paul West of The Baltimore Sun reports that the House Republicans chose Baltimore to host their retreat to raise awareness for our city and others like it. Baltimore is a working class community that currently has a 10.8% unemployment rate.

Make sure to plan for extra time if you are going to be around Pratt Street and the Inner Harbor in Downtown Baltimore this Friday, as there will be extra security, cars, and, I would imagine, traffic blockades.

Welcome back to Baltimore, President Obama, and welcome House Republicans! We hope you enjoy our city, and are able to raise awareness and work to fix the unemployment issues while at your retreat. Thank you for visiting!

Baltimore Restaurant Week January 22-February 7, 2010

An exciting time in winter happens in Baltimore when Restaurant Week comes to town and full three course dinners at select restaurants are only $35.10!

You will want to make reservations, because these restaurants will book up quickly — this is an amazing deal for these three course meals!

There are so many places participating in many neighborhoods including Fells Point, Federal Hill, the Inner Harbor, and many others all around Baltimore.

Visit baltimorerestaurantweek.com to see which restaurants are participating, and make your reservations through opentable.com to take advantage of these great deals!

Celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. in Baltimore on Monday, January 18, 2010

Monday has Baltimore schools, plus government and local services closed in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.

This is a day celebrating a man who did so much, and there are many things to do in Baltimore to remember him!

In Downtown Baltimore there is a parade at noon on his namesake street, Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.

Port Discovery has its’ “I Have a Dream” weekend Saturday through Monday with quilt making with the African American Quilters of Baltimore and the Fun Drum Rhythm Circle to celebrate the life and work of Dr. King.

The Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture will have a book discussion, crafts for children, films, and musical entertainment throughout the day.

The American Visionary Arts Museum past Federal Hill will offer free admission and tours, birthday cake, performances and demonstrations to “honor the life and dreams of one of the greatest visionaries in recent history.”

If you are in Baltimore County, you can send kids 6-9 years old to Oregon Ridge Nature Center in Cockeysville for their “Nature Day Camp” from 10 am – 3 pm. For $10 per child, kids will get an outdoor nature adventure! That evening at 7:30 pm there is a lecture on “How Insects Make the World Go Around.”

So much to do to learn about and honor the man, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr,  whose life had such an impact on all of our lives!

Baltimore Named One of 18 Possible Official Host Cities for FIFA 2018/2022 World Cup

Congratulations to our great City of Baltimore for being named one of the 18 possible US World Cup city hosts for the 2018/2022 game!

Now, we need to support Baltimore and sign the petition to win our bid to become the hosts!

Our own M&T Bank Stadium would be the site of the game, and as we know from Baltimore Ravens games, it is a fantastic place to hold an exciting sporting event!

Our Downtown Baltimore is such a neat, eclectic place for visitors from all over the country and world to enjoy. The Inner Harbor has a myriad of hotels, restaurants, and events to bring people in.

The Federal Hill neighborhood near the site of the game, has its own amazing amount of wonderful restaurants, boutiques and shops for visitors to enjoy — plus a Bed & Breakfast for travelers to enjoy.

So help support Baltimore in its bid to win the Host City for the games. It will bring a great stream of revenue for our hardworking folks and the City of Baltimore!

Here is how to vote:

• Click the link: http://www.gousabid.com/city/local/baltimore-md/
• On the left side of the page there is a box where you enter your email address and zip code. Enter those and hit the “Join us” button.
• A new screen will pop up asking you to invite others to join. Do it!

Thank you!

Photo courtesy of ktylerconk on Flickr.com

Baltimore Paints the Town Purple to Support Our Ravens’ Playoff Run

The City of Baltimore knows how to show its’ pride in the hometeam of the Baltimore Ravens.

Yesterday morning, outside of City Hall and on Federal Hill, the Ravens groundcrew painted the logo on the grass to show our city’s support.   WJZ has video of them stenciling the logo. If you live in Federal Hill, make sure to check it out — and if you don’t, make a trip to see it!

Baltimore Ravens official blogger, Mike Duffy, reported that Governor O’Malley visited the team at practice today and cheered them on, putting the whole state’s support behind them. (O’Malley’s website has been Ravenized as well!)

This is such an exciting time in Baltimore with our Ravens in the playoffs. Friday is officially Purple Friday here in Baltimore, and we are all ready to celebrate and cheer on our team!

GO RAVENS!

 

Photo courtesy of mislibrarain on Flickr.com

Northrup Grumman Moving Headquarters to Washington, DC Area Should Help Baltimore Housing Market

The Los Angeles Times reported today that Northrup Grumman is moving its Headquarters to the Washington, DC area.

This could mean a lot of jobs in the Maryland/DC/Virginia area, if current employees don’t want to move across the country.

They will be scouting locations in all three states before deciding where to plant their roots, which will happen by summer of 2011.

Should they choose to be in Maryland or even the northern part of DC, this could be a fanastic for the Baltimore real estate market in 2011.

Why?

Washington, DC, the Potomac, and the surrounding areas are very expensive places to live. Now, coming from Los Angeles, it might not be as much of a shock, but with MARC trains and easy commutes from Baltimore to the DC area, living in Baltimore is a great option for those employees who will be working for them.

So, welcome, Northrup Grumman!

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