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Glyndon Area Players Perform at Hon Fest on 36th Avenue in Hampden

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Last year around this time I had moved out of my pool house and was living out of boxes in New Orleans, thanks to the kindness of friends. I was also reading all about Baltimore, and I read about Hon Fest, a street festival celbrating Baltimore’s iconic “Hon.” Yeah~I had no idea that was an icon. And then there was the part where some lady tried to copywrite “hon,” and I was all, like, that’s like copywriting “Who dat.” That guy from Kitchen Nightmares came in and got her to drop the copywrite, so she’s I guess less of an asshole now. And now I’m here, it’s Hon Fest, and I was on my bike to Hampden to check it out. There are food vendores, the local photography vendors, the jewelry and pottery and incense and beer stands. There were three music stages, and the first made me miss New Orleans more than anything. I stopped at the main stage, though, and I saw the Glyndon Area Players performing Broadway and pop hits; they were so good, especially the guy who did “My Girl.” We were all totally in to it, for real, and the kid got more and more confident as we shrieked, which meant more runs and higher notes. Awesome. Yeah, it’s just like any other street festival in the country, but the Glyndon Area Players from out Reistertown Road are only here, so there. I kept walking, got ice cream, listened to 9 Mile Limit, our local rock/roots/reggae band for awhile, watched an odd mix of folks dance along, and then headed back home for a read and a nap. Thank you, Saturday.

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Tracks to Nowhere at Eden & Eastern

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Today’s ride was almost identical to yesterday’s, but I took right one block sooner than usual, which meant new streets, including Eden, which at Eastern Avenue gets railroad tracks that just end where to asphalt takes over. There used to be an entirely different infrastructure here, traces peeking out here and there, but today we act like the way our streets are is the way they have to be. I mean, the struggle to get one stinking bike lane… I pedaled along, ran my errand, ate ice cream, had some coffee, finished my book, and then I was back up the hill to home. Oh, summertime, you are lovely.

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Crowd At Mt. Vernon Square for First Thursdays

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Today’s ride took me to Hampden for an errand and some writing, to lunch at BMA with V. and her parents, down the hill to Patterson Park and the Can Company for another errand, and then to Mt. Vernon Square for First Thursdays. I locked up the bike before running into B. and G. in their car. I hopped in as we looked for parking–a much easier task on a bike–and then we walked over to meet the already-huge crowd. We got beers and sat on the curb and caught up. G. quite aptly declared the crowd “a Sutter Home crowd,” B. unhelpfully pointed out that come November, all these folks are going to vote on our civil rights–I mean, can youimagine?– and I thought to myself that we were all finding this event a lovely way to spend the evening, likely oblivious to the part where this whole thing was brought to us by Baltimore City Parks & Rec while we’re closing community centers all over the city, but this is just a lovely summer tradition, and then, after awhile, the sky looked like it was going to open up, so I raced it home. At every intersection, to the left and the right, you could look right under the storm and see the pink sky on the other side. So, so pretty. Why in the world would I take my car on a day like this?

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Buildings Being Demolished on Druid Hill Park Lane & Linden Avenue

I’m back home in Baltimore, and after a day of rest it was time to take the Surly out for a trip around Druid Hill Park to see if anything’s changed. After a few days on the Brompton, it was good to be back on the touring bike, all stretched out and high up. Man, I love that bike. I pedaled over to Hampden, made a couple of stops, and then headed toward the park for a quick ride around the water. Continue reading →

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Stopped at an Intersection at 17th Street & 8th Avenue

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It’s time to head home to Baltimore after this quick trip to NYC with the Brompton, so after a lazy morning, I packed up and rode the bike over to Bergen and Flatbush for brunch with E. She took the subway and just missed her train. I took bike lanes and stopped twice to double check directions, and I beat her by about four minutes. I wonder how long I’d have to live in NYC for that game to get old. Anyway, the Brompton neatly folded and sat next to us, and after I watched a couple of strollers barrel through there I wondered why I would ever be nervous about this bike taking up too much space. After breakfast I popped the bike open and headed toward the Brooklyn Bridge en route to Penn Station. I basically followed the signs to the bridge where I was greeted by a zillion walkers pouring into Brooklyn as part of some kind of walkathon. Sigh. I used my bell and my voice to navigate the throngs successfully and then I was in the city again, zigging and zagging to Hudson and then the slight right to 8th Avenue and the fancy protected bike lane, complete with its ver own stoplight, studiously observed by no one but me. I wonder how long I’d have to in NYC before I would be flying through those along with the other bikers who passed me (but who never ended up more than a block or two ahead of me, but whatever). I snapped this picture stopped at one of those intersections~dang, that is good design, and frankly, I’d marry that bike infrastructure if it were legal in New York State. The light turned, I pedaled through, pulling up again at 31st Street where I folded up and hopped into the train station, got my ticket, went down the escalator, shoved the bike above my seat, and now I’ll read my way home, having seen more of New York on my bike this weekend than I have in years. Brompton for the win!

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Broken Satellite Dish on a House at Bedford & Glenwood

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It was a beautifully sunny day in Brooklyn, not to hot, a slight breeze, and all of it demanded our presence outside. E. and I spent our morning and early afternoon walking around Park Slope, and after a quick breather, I left her at home and took the bike out for a ride. I wanted to see water, so I checked a map and it looked like Bedford Avenue would lead me to it, so off I went. There’s a bike lane on this street, which I have quickly discovered means extra room to double park, or even another place for pedestrians to wander. I used my eyes, my bell, and my outside voice to navigate my way through. When I stopped at a red light, a pedestrian thanked me, said he’d never seen a cyclist stop before. Listen, if we’re all going to share the roads, we all have to actually share, and that includes walkers and bikers. The fairly quick 7 miles or so took me through parts of Brooklyn ithat looked like Philadelphia or Boise’s North End, or even Queens. I lived here for a number of years, but I probably saw more of Brooklyn today than in all that time. I snapped this photo of a broken satellite dish atop a brick house that looked like it belonged in Baltimore more than here, but perhaps the only reason I think that is because I have never actually seen Brooklyn. That satellite has certainly seen better days. I kept on riding, and then I was at water. I took a right and tried to feel my way to a beach, got turned around and had to look at a map again, and then I was on the beach. So, so many people, so much noise, and so many signs, but still the beach was just beautiful. We can’t mess up the ocean, yet. I rode down the boardwalk and back again, and it was already time to head home. I took Ocean Parkway, grateful to be away from parked cars, frustrated that there were still pedestrians, everywhere. Sigh. It was a long ride home, and I was thoroughly beat down, but in the very best possible way. I could go on countless rides in this city; please stay here, New York.

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View of Pier 40 From Christopher & Hudson River Parkway

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I woke up early this morning, packed a weekend’s worth of gear in the Brompton’s bag, and flew down the hill to Penn Station where I folded up the bike and shoved it onto the overhead luggage rack for our getaway weekend in New York City. This is precisely why I got the Brompton~so we could do short trips along the Eastern seaboard together. Yeah, I was pretty excited. After getting over my nerves about the whole thing (I’m the anxious type) I settled in and enjoyed the ease of travel. Literally three minutes after I got off the train at Penn Station I was u.folded and dodging traffic and other cyclists on Eighth Avenue and then over to Fifth to meet up with my sister for keys to the house. I goggleymapped directions and found myself rolling down Fifth with all the buses, taxis, and pedestrians, an unexpected danger. Oh, it was fun, so, so fun, even if a little scary. I finally got off the freeway and onto side streets over to the bike path along the river. I snapped this picture looking toward the pier, which is like Disneyland compared to what it looked like 15 years ago when I lived in NYC. Now it’s this beautiful bike path and a succession of parks-a playground, but for folks who used to call this home, it is a real loss. I mean, what are yachts doing there? Across the river just looks like every New York metro area skyline–a postcard. I took my left and followed the signs to the Brooklyn Bridge where I did a series of portraits of Brompty, and then I fumbled around Brooklyn before getting myself headed in the right direction, and then I was at my sister’s where I just folded the bike, lugged it up a few flights, and tucked it away behind the TV. Yep, I have everything I need to live in NYC, except for the patience you must need to live somewhere so crowded. I look forward to many more rides with Brompty, though. This place is fun to ride in, that’s for sure.

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ABF U-Pack Moving Pods at St. Paul & Chase

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Summer school started today, so no time for a longer bike ride in the slightly cooler day, but I did take the Surly down the hill for drinks and dip with friends in Mt. Vernon, a ppace I would never go by car. As I was unlocking my bike I noticed three of those moving pods and a U-Haul truck~it’s that time of year again, but this year I am not one of those poor souls packing up and trying to figure out the best way to get things you feel like just burning from one end of the country to the other, and where to park whatever moving vessel happens to win out. Nope, this summer I’m staying put, just riding my bike up and down the hill, just like I like it. Godspeed to the rest of you!

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Row of Houses at Potomac & Fait

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It was another scorching and humid day in Baltimore, and I spent most of it working and reading in front of the window ac unit and wondering if this is an unseasonable heat wave or if it’s just going to be this hot for the next five months. To be honest, I didn’t exactly feel like going out on a bike in this weather, but I best get used to it, or it will be a long summer off the bike and whining. (And yes, I know I bicycled daily through multiple New Orleans summers, but that doesn’t make this less hot. And yes, I know I grew up in Idaho, but I haven’t lived there in almost 20 years, and I still get cold in cold weather.) I took the Surly down the hill and against Beryl’s fingertips blowing hard on our way to Patterson Park, where the drinking fountain was out of order. Not cool, man. Then I biked around, panting, until I hit the shops at Brewer’s Hill, I think it is~the sandwich shop has mad air conditioning and unsweetened iced tea! After my break I headed home. Cloud cover was rolling in, and that made the ride back exceedingly more pleasant. I stopped at the stop sign at Potomac & Fait and snapped this picture of the same house after house after house; this block needs some serious tree action to stay reasonable during the summer. That house in the middle has built a deck on top~now we’re talking. I hope they can install one of those misting fans up there. Pedal, pedal, pedal, and then I was home. Sometimes a ride is all about the weather.

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Roger Taney Memorial in Mt. Vernon Square at Monument & Charles

I woke up early, finished my book–so good–and then it was time to lug Brompty down the stairs to ride  to the Jackson & Lee monument over by the BMA for a historical tour of Baltimore monuments. They’re there on horseback, and etched at the base is this: “They Were Great Generals amd Christian Soldiers and Waged War Like Gentlemen.” Then we weaved in ways I never would to get down to the Battle Monument on Calvert and Lexington, the first public memorial to a war, but not the last. Continue reading →