Best Neighborhoods To Find Culture

If you’re looking to explore locations or experiences in Baltimore rich in culture you might not find at Inner Harbor, here is a list of Sepi recommendations. 

Pennsylvania Avenue Black Arts & Entertainment District

In its heyday, Baltimore’s Pennsylvania Avenue was a thriving mecca for Blacks in the city, and a popular tourist destination for food, entertainment, shopping, and worship. Prior to desegregation, it was the only place in the city where Black people were able to see popular artists perform. All the greats of that period, from Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway to Miles Davis and John Coltrane, could be heard. It was the place to see and be seen (Royal Theatre 1930s).

While the district suffers from urban blight, the area is currently undergoing a revitalization and, while many of the clubs and bars have long since gone, there are a few remnants that still stand, including the Arch Social Club and the Marquee from the Royal Theater.  Newer Black-owned establishments are starting to take hold. The Avenue Bakery and Everyone’s Place (bookstore & gift shop) are a couple taking part in the revival. A guided tour of the area is offered by https://www.explorebaltimore.org/ for more information on the district https://www.blackartsdistrict.org/welcome.

Nancy Snac Café (Station North Arts District)

Kevin Brown, co-owner of Nancy by Snac, established in 2005, is a well-known and beloved character born and raised in West Baltimore. His café is in Station North Arts District, a revitalized area that is now home to a comedy club, a renovated historic movie theater, artists’ studios, and a host of other new businesses popping up every day. 

Kevin is a colorful artist whose career has spanned many iterations from editor of the historic Afro Newspaper to a segment host on the evening news “Around Town with Kevin Brown,” where he gave advice on all the fun and interesting things to do in town. His café is a vibe that now counts as one of the those things. 

Kevin’s creativity is conveyed through many talents, including writing, poetry, art, and a Nancy by Snac Chef! The recipes are built through generations of dishes, all with southern roots. The atmosphere of the café is as bright as the character himself. Stop by for one of their from-scratch dishes like the big fat buttery Belgian waffle. Breakfast is served all day and daily specialty sandwiches are available.

To learn more about Station North Arts https://www.stationnorth.org/http://www.stationnortharts.com/home.html 131 West North Ave. 410.225.2459

Waller Art Gallery

Waller Art Gallery, located in the Station North Arts District, focuses on art created by people of color using a multi-media approach. If you are interested in supporting Black arts and artists, the Waller Art Gallery is a must-stop.  

The gallery works with digital, craft, photographers, and design artisans with multi-faceted backgrounds to bring unique programming and shows to the gallery. They also provide an art advisory service for people who are interested in supporting and becoming collectors who may not know where to begin. 

2420 North Calvert Street, https://www.wallergallery.com/ 443.879.9731

Jazzy Summer Nights

Jazzy Summer Nights is a concert series that has taken place in Baltimore for more than 20 years. The first concert took place in Hopkins Plaza in downtown Baltimore in 1999.

The first Thursdays in the summer on Hopkins Plaza used to be the place where people of color gathered after work to listen to the smooth sounds of local and national artists, from Chuck Brown to Bilal to Ledisi to Kim Waters. It was the place to be to get the weekend started. Over the years the series has brought in crowds from all over the DMV area, with a variety of participating vendors of food and merchandise.

The concert series has now moved south to Port Covington, on the waterfront close to the Sagamore Spirit Distillery. The new location gives the program all the space it needs to breathe on sultry summer nights. Check out the website of local organizer LaRian Finney of the Finn Group, a Black-owned marketing group. 101 West Cromwell Street https://www.thefinngroup.net/index.php 

Keystore Korner (Jazz Nightclub & Restaurant)

Patterned after its famous namesake in San Francisco, and adhering to the same motto, “to provide the best music in the world for the most affordable prices in the most loving environment,” Keystone is the place for the grown and sexy jazz lover. The club has a full schedule of performances throughout the year. General and preferred seating is available. 

A $10 per person minimum on food and beverage is required, but save your appetite to experience the cuisine of Michelin-starred Chef Robert Wiedmaier.

Keystone Korner even has a virtual concert ticket available. Not interested in attending in person, but interested in hearing the smooth sounds? You can sit outside along the water or in the comfort of your hotel room. Choose the live stream ticketing option to enjoy the experience online. Keystone Korner is in the upscale Harbor East neighborhood at 1350 Lancaster Street. https://www.keystonekornerbaltimore.com/ 410.946.6726

The (New) Lexington Market

Lexington Market was founded in 1782, making it the oldest marketplace in the country. In its early days, it was just a parcel of land donated by a local landowner. The only roadways leading to the area were the ones that were naturally created by the horse-drawn wagons coming to and from the area to trade goods. The city took over control of the market in 1817. Downtown Baltimore was a highly segregated area in the ’40s and ’50s, and most shops did not welcome Black shoppers. Lexington Market was not one of them.

Talk to just about any Black Baltimorean born in the late ‘20s to early ‘60s and they will have stories of traveling to the marketplace with their parents to buy all the necessary items to create Sunday dinners.  Back then, most of the stalls were filled with butchers, fishmongers, and bakeries. Stalls provided raw scratch goods. The market later grew into a place filled with prepared food items and then expanded into a place where many Black entrepreneurs from across the state of Maryland rented stalls to sell food, art, and other wares. As it stands today, the market is still a gathering place to hear music, and purchase art, food, clothing, and other merchandise.

It is currently undergoing a huge renovation slated to open in June of 2022. Black-owned businesses confirmed include Connie’s Chicken & Waffles, JBee’s Jamaican Me Crazy, Hominy Kitchen, Black Acres Roastery, and Taharka Brothers Ice Cream, amongst many others. https://transformlexington.com/ 400 West Lexington Street.