Bananapuddin

The current version of the 9:30 Club isn’t as much fun as the original at 9:30 F St. but it still gets good bands, is very comfortable with good sound (at least in the center). You can still get really close to the bands on stage which I think is important to the live experience.

I miss the old legendary club though—used to work in the coatroom there – and went to shows there since the day it opened. Saw so many great bands and made so many life-long friends while dancing there. I’ll never forget it.

I loved having a drink at the Bucket of Blood Saloon. Plus they have really great antique one-armed bandits there. Some of the small museums there are really cool.

Weirdly enough, my 9th grade high school class actually went here on a field trip. Can you imagine the parents’ permission slip?

My grandparents owned a farm and a mountain here but sold most of the land. There’s still a road there named after them and my cousins still live on it. I still have idyllic memories of rollerskating around the streets downtown and going to the ice cream stand for a cone. The scenery in the country is lovely and the Northern Spy apples are great.

This museum is the coolest! Art by outsider artists galore. They basically have one large themed show per year (and several smaller shows) so I recommend you try to go at least once a year. This is a “don’t miss” attraction when you’re in Baltimore. It’s located right on the Inner Harbor and easily accessible. 3 stories including a cafe. There’s also a really good Cuban bar within walking distance. They also have a kinetic sculpture race once a year with sculptures designed to float on the water (past floats have included a giant pink poodle!). Their museum shop is great as well (with lots of kitschy stuff similar to that at La Luz de Jesus Gallery in L.A.).