I was hoping to make a trip to Paris this year (my best friend lives there, lucky girl) but sadly, it’s not in the cards right now. But now I can go to Hampden’s newest cafe and pretend.

Susannah Siger of Ma Petite Shoe has opened Cafe Choux (French for shoe) right next door to her fabulous shop on The Avenue that sells gorgeous shoes and chocolates…and a certain salted caramel brownie. They have delicious coffee drinks, pastries and more. Soon they’ll have crepes, too – stay tuned to Ma Petite Shoe’s Facebook page for updates. For now, stop by and you’ll be greeted by the friendly staff and they’ll guide you to your perfect coffee drink.
They whipped me up a salted caramel latte…it was a little crazy…did the barista know that I’m the brownie baker?? I also picked up some housemade salads (the broccoli salad is amazing – ate that in about five minutes). Susannah also pointed out that the roasted sweet potato salad uses potatoes from Friends and Farms. I love it.

Ooh la la – what a lovely cafe. I LOVE MY ‘HOOD.

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Maybe this is a bit of the old luddite coming out in us, but remember how they launched that whole Google Glass thing a couple months ago? And remember how it was kind of weird/freaky/futuristic-in-a-way-we’re-maybe-not-quite-ready for? It’s like internet that you wear right in front of your eyes, right? Well, even as modern as we are, it was a bit too much for our personal reality to deal with. But that’s not to say we’re not into digital eyewear, of course. We’re all about it. We just kind of want it to be more on the Super Mario Bros. end of the technology spectrum. Is that too much to ask? Read More →

$238,000
715 34th Street, Hampden
3 bedroom(s), 2 bathroom(s)

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The Golden West Cafe all dressed up on the Avenue in Hampden. Photo via Mend Community Acupuncture.

The Netflix original series House of Cards can be hard for a Baltimorean to watch. The locations are so obviously Charm City that it’s easy to forget the show takes place in D.C. And it looks like we can count on another uncanny viewing experience soon, as quintessential Hampden haunt Golden West Cafe apparently played the role of “4th Street Cafe” in a shoot for the series last Wednesday. Read More →

$329,000
3930 Beech Avenue
3 bedroom(s), 2 bathroom(s)
1,500 square feet




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As the weather gets warmer, a young Baltimorean’s thoughts turn to frosty pints, or spiked lemonade, or minty mojitos, or crisp glasses of Vino Verde. There’s something extra-refreshing about having a drink outside on a balmy night; here are some of our favorite places to do just that. Add your own favorites in the comments! Read More →

Yoga. The word alone can either send you to your happy place, or send shivers up your spine—depending on your prior experience of the ancient practice. Here in the US, yoga gained widespread popularity several years ago when basically everyone discovered that those who practiced it developed a kind of supernatural radiance/flexibility/strength/calm/eternal-youth/ what-have-you. Of course, the price of that ticket is hours of dedication—which can be physically strenuous, and because of yoga’s focus on relaxation and calm, can try those of us with that Western “go, go, go” mentality. But anyone who’s put his or her time in can tell you that the benefits are numerous and well worth the effort. And the level of physical rigor is really up to you. Yoga classes generally consist of between 60 and 90 minutes of simple but challenging physical postures and movements, coupled with breathing techniques that benefit the body and mind.

One local yoga practitioner (“guru” would be almost too apt a term), Anjali Sunita, of Baltimore Yoga Village, shared with us her personal history with yoga, and what makes Baltimore Yoga Village so special. In her words, it’s “the community feel that just cannot be faked. Teachers at Baltimore Yoga Village not only create classes that work out the body, address aches and pains, and some that even become gateways to meditation practice, but perhaps most importantly, they are dedicated to creating community connection. I think that is an underlying need in group classes that perhaps people do not even realize when they come and pull out a mat and drag it to the far corner of the room.”

And we’re here to witness. Walking into BYV, the feeling is truly welcoming and instantly relaxing. The feeling is not that of walking into a gym or health club, but rather, of walking into a sort of sanctuary—a place where you and your neighbors can come to sink deeper into a meaningful practice, and forget the cares of the outside world. Read More →

How many one year-olds do you know with impeccable taste, fabulous vintage clothes, choice pieces by independent designers , and a rotating array of carefully curated accessories? Probably not many (unless you had the pleasure of hanging out with the Jolie-Pitts or Katie and Suri (sorry, Tom) back in the early days.  But up in Hampden, we’ve got our own fabulous one year-old: Hunting Ground—the much celebrated boutique opened this time last year in the old church on Falls Road just north of The Avenue.  And we’re more than excited to help them celebrate their first year of business, this Friday. Read More →

Who doesn’t love browsing in Hampden, grabbing a beer, and buying a good book? Soon you can do all three in the same cozy establishment — wonderful Atomic Books — though not necessarily in that order.

“Purchases must be made before merchandise is brought into the bar area,” says co-owner Benn Ray. “This isn’t going to be like a library with beer.”

The idea is similar to a bookstore cafe, the bar scheduled to stay open during store hours only.

“But instead of chai and soy lattes, we’ll have beer and wine,” Ray says.

Ray and co-owner/fiancée Rachel Whang will set up bar alongside their well-stocked shop, occupying by early summer 3616 Falls Road, where you may have visited extra-adorable Doubledutch Boutique, which is relocating nearby.

What kind of beer and wine’s on the menu? Those key decisions are in the works. Ray will say that he and Whang love their local beer. In bottles. They’ll serve nice wine, but they are not wine snobs even remotely. They’ll leave the wine expertise to noses around the corner at 13.5%.

Ray Tweeted on Monday that they’d tag the bar Dead Poets Society, which had some locals smirking — his announcement came on April first after all, and the name sounded a few notes too cute for the savvy culture-head. Ray told The Baltimore Sun yesterday that the name was a prank, but the bar will surely happen. Cheers to that!