Baltimore, MD

Rare books, magazines, local zines, and all other things literary can be found at Atomic Books. Atomic’s website is extensive and covers fun events in the area, all things John Waters related, and Atomic’s merchandise, including but not limited to: Audio (CDs, Vinyl), Bentos, Bags & Lunchboxes, Comics, Cult Film/TV, Freaks/Oddities/Sideshows, Roadside / Travel, Satanism / Occult / Goth, Scams / Pranks / Revenge, Signed Items, Stories For Disturbed Children, Toys / Tchotchkes / Junk, Writerly Supplies (Stationery), Adult Fiction, and much more!

Address: 1100 W. 36th Street
Baltimore, MD 21211
Phone: 410.662.4444
Website: www.atomicbooks.com

Hours: Mon - Sat 11am - 7pm, Sunday 11am - 6pm

Atomic Books, books, CDs, rare literature, zines, Hampden, The Avenue, John Waters

If you are looking for a Baltimore-related gift or souvenir, stop at Hometown Girl. There are Baltimore history and recipe books, local artists’ work, Maryland crab novelties, Orioles memorabilia, and other tasteful and trendy items. To top it off, there is an old-fashioned ice cream shop in the back of the store with delicious shakes and sundaes.

Address: 1001 W. 36th Street Baltimore, MD 21211
Phone: 410.662.4438
Website: www.celebratebaltimore.com
Email: htgbaltimore@aol.com

Hometown Girl, gifts, souvenirs, Baltimore, MD, shopping, The Avenue

The Wise Women Foundation and Health Quest are sponsoring a “Soul Searching Conference” on Sunday, September 16, 2007, from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Its only $10 to attend!

Here are a few of the many exhibitors as described on the conference webpage:

The BeeWell Company: The BeeWell Company was created to provide high quality, cost effective, Personal Home Care Products centered around the Three Pillars of Integrative Health: Detoxification, Nourishment and Regeneration with a unity of body, mind and spirit.

Breathe Books: breathe books will provide books, music and other items to enhance your experience at the conference. Presenters will be on hand to sign copies of the books and CDs at our table throughout the day.

Earthsave Baltimore: Earthsave educates and supports people in making healthier, earth-friendly food choices. We promote a shift toward a plant-centered diet.

Ruscombe Mansion Community Health Center: Since 1984 Ruscombe Mansion Community Health Center has offered the finest variety of natural/holistic healing options with over 30 licensed and certified practitioners.

There will also be workshops and keynote programs throughout the day, including:

Maintaining a Sense of Well-Being in Times of Radical Change with Carol Fitzpatrick:
We are beings of light who have come to liberate ourselves from the shackles of the mind. But we cannot do so if we have forgotten the very truth of who we are. We are not the body, and we are not the mind that tells us that we are to be afraid of change. Learn tools and strategies for rising above the strife and turmoil in turbulent times. Learn how to be the change you so desire for the world.

Breath of the Soul with Adam Gainsburg:Times of great change often send us searching for something real, something stable to hold onto. They also will often bring us to question hidden assumptions about our life. Join Adam and experience the Breath of the Soul, an elegantly simple, unique meditation experience to root you deeply in your Center, the place in you that does not change, that is timeless, that is eternal.

Soul Journey with the Native American Flute with Jan Seiden:
If you could hear the song of your soul calling to you from Creation, how would you answer? How would you manifest this song in your conscious life? Jan Seiden and her Native American flutes lead us on a journey of discovery with sound and imagery to the sanctuary of the soul. The timeless voice of these flutes speaks to our deep ancestral memories and awakens us. Combined with breath work, the music channeled through Jan’s flutes guides us in gaining new soul-level awareness of our direct connection to Creation. From this place we may manifest our soul journey in increasingly profound and responsible ways.

Holiday Inn Conference Center
2004 Greenspring Dr. Timonium, MD
(Just off of I-695 and I-83)
Free Parking/Restaurant On-Site

wellness, Soul Searching Conference, workshops, Wise Women Foundation, Health Quest, holistic health, Baltimore, MD, breathe books, Jan Seiden

Red Emma’s describes itself as, “a worker-owned and collectively-managed bookstore and coffeehouse”. It is located at 800 St. Paul St. Walking into Red Emma’s is like no other bookstore and coffeehouse experience. The mission of the place is clear: read, explore, and act; and Red Emma’s provides the tools to do just that.

The first thing you see as you descend the stairs and push through the front door, are a line of internet-surfing patrons. Both times I’ve visited Red Emma’s there have been a few people at the counter ready to help with anything from a cup of coffee to finding a book. The menu is vegetarian and vegan friendly, and the coffee and espresso are fair trade and organic.

Red Emma’s also hosts events supporting groups such as the United Workers Association, the Underground Literacy Alliance, independent films, and many, many more social, literary, and arts organizations. This is a bookstore and coffeehouse that is much more than it seems at a glance. Red Emma’s is making a strong, positive impact on our community. Here are their plans for the future (from the Red Emma’s website):

As you may have heard, Red Emma’s is seriously considering moving to a new location, where we hope to be able to offer a much larger space for events as well as a greatly expanded menu with a vastly expanded amount of places to sit (not to mention the radical children’s activity corner, the expanded free computer lab, the cooperative produce purchasing pick up location, the activist conference room, the outdoor tables, and most importantly accessible entrances!)

But in order to make this dream a reality, we need your help. In order to take on a project of this magnitude, we need to raise about $50,000. If you can help us by making a donation(we’re happy to announce that it is now possible to make a tax-deductible contribution to the Red Emma’s project) or a long-term no-interest loan, or know of potential sources for funding for a project of this sort, please drop us a line at info@redemmas.org.

The next time you’re looking for a book, a cup of coffee, or a delicious meal, check out Red Emma’s. You’ll be fully satisfied and you’ll be supporting a place that is working to build a healthier Baltimore everyday. You can even check Red Emma’s inventory online by clicking here. Let us know what you think of your visit or past experiences by commenting here.

Address: 800 St. Paul St.Baltimore, MD 21202
Phone: (410) 230-0450
Email: info@redemmas.org
Hours: Monday through Saturday from 10AM-10PM, and Sunday from 10AM-6PM
Weekly collective meetings: Sunday at 7PM (open to anyone interested in the project)

books, worker cooperative, Red Emma’s, Mt. Vernon, coffee, vegetarian, vegan, Baltimore, MD

The Book Thing started in the back seat of Russell Wattenberg’s van. He was a bartender at the time and after hearing school teachers complaining about the book shortage in schools, he began buying books with his tip money. The idea caught on and soon the back seat of his van was filled with book donations. He was a travelling free book fair. In 1999, Wattenberg formed a nonprofit and housed his growing collection of free books in the basement of 3001 Vineyard Lane, near Johns Hopkins University.

Today, people walk out of “The Book Thing” with around 10,000 free books a week! If you have any books around the house or office that are dusty and lonely, think about giving them a new home through the Book Thing. Maybe you could use a gently used book or you know someone that would love more books, but can’t afford a trip to Barnes and Noble. The Book Thing is waiting to share its thousands of free books! It is open on the weekends from 9am-6pm, but donations are welcome 24 hours a day, every day. There are lots of volunteer opportunities too! Let us know what you take home from The Book Thing on your next (or first) visit.

books, The Book Thing, Baltimore, MD, donations, nonprofit, free, Charles Village, reading

The first place my fiance and I rented in Baltimore was a carriage house in Ridgely’s Delight (a small downtown neighborhood between Martin Luther King Blvd. and Russell Street). We LOVE coffee and bookstores and there was a “coming soon” sign in the window of nearby shop. A huge coffee cup was hanging above the door, which read, “Baltimore Chop”. We sneaked peeks into the store almost everyday hoping that the doors would open soon.

A week after we moved to Hampden, Baltimore Chop was open for business. Luckily, we still visit the neighborhood and we popped in to explore one Saturday afternoon. There are so many reasons to visit this bookstore/coffee shop/music venue. First of all, there is a fantastic selection of books. Every genre you could imagine (especially indie ones) are represented, plus there is a children’s section and a section devoted to the neighborhood’s most famous late resident, Babe Ruth and his passion-baseball.

In the front of Baltimore Chop is the cafe. Just to give you a heads up, their coffee drinks are all espresso based. That doesn’t mean you can’t have your morning coffee, it just means you’ll call it a “cafe americano”. There are also many other drinks including chai and other specialty drinks.

This Saturday, July 15, at 8:00pm, Baltimore Chop is hosting: Lexington, KY Indie/Pop band-Watson Park and Pittsburgh Indie/Pop band-Bridgley Moore. There are many more shows, pictures, book updates, etc. that you will find on their myspace page.

They are even dog friendly and the staff are very pleasant! Be sure to drop by soon, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

Baltimore, Bookstore, music, Baltimore Chop, Ridgely’s Delight, Coffee, Coffee Shop, myspace, Bridgley Moore, Watson Park