Best of Baltimore
Best of Baltimore 2024: Fun & Games
Our annual celebration of the best that Charm City has to offer.
Edited by Max Weiss
COURTESY OF THE CHICAGO SKY/GETTY IMAGES : EMILEE CHINN
Athlete
ANGEL REESE
Baltimore native Angel Reese may have her fair share of haters, but she doesn’t care. She’s too busy having the time of her life—posing for Vogue photo shoots, using the WNBA hallways as her own personal runway, and attending the Met Gala—all while absolutely balling on the court for the Chicago Sky. “I went to the Met Gala, slayed the Met Gala . . . came back, slayed against [the] New York [Liberty],” she told reporters, with a shrug. The best part? She reps Baltimore at every turn. For a recent game against the Washington Mystics, she wore sneakers with the Maryland flag emblazoned on one side, and her nickname, Baltimore Barbie, on the other. And after an ankle injury, the rookie forward was asked if she would be able to play the next day: “Oh for sure,” she said. “I’m from Baltimore. That’s what we do.”
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ARCADE
THE DUGOUT
Peabody Heights Brewery has long hosted a handful of pinball machines and other arcade games at its Waverly taproom, but earlier this year, the brewery took their arcade offerings to the next level (literally). In March, Peabody debuted an expanded “barcade” called The Dugout, just a few steps away from the main taproom. For an entry fee, guests can enjoy free play on vintage stand-up games, Japanese rhythm games, classic shooter and fighter games, and—perhaps best of all—the 10-player strategy game, “Killer Queen.” Along with beer on draft from a second bar and food by Fuzzies Burgers, The Dugout features artwork by local UV-light installation artist Todd Blatt and local muralist Marshall Adams. So expect a cheery, bright vibe during the day and a futuristic underground club vibe at night.
CHEERLEADER
ANNIE DEMCZAK
You think no one loves Baltimore more than you do? Then you haven’t stumbled across the Instagram account of Annie Demczak, aka “your unofficial Charm City BFF.” Her entire grid (@anniedemm) is dedicated to singing the praises of Baltimore, and showcasing all its cool restaurants, festivals, and activities. Her origin story is this: In 2019 she quit her job as a teacher, with plans to travel the world. So much for the best-laid plans. Thanks to COVID, she was stuck home in Baltimore, so she decided to make the most of it—treating her hometown like the best vacation ever. Her page is specifically designed to quiet those who don’t share her level of enthusiasm for Baltimore. We dare you to follow her and not feel the Baltimore love.
MY FAVORITE PASTIME:
“Taking my dog, Maui Blue, for a walk around Fort McHenry.”
—KYLE BRADISH , ORIOLES PITCHER
FOOD TOUR
CHARM CITY FOOD TOURS
If you’d like to eat your way through Baltimore and explore its historical roots along the way, Charm City Food Tours is your meal ticket. The roughly three-hour outings take you through neighborhoods like Fells Point, Little Italy, Federal Hill, or Mount Vernon. As you stroll to various restaurants, you’ll also learn about the local lore. In Fells Point, for instance, you’ll find out that the area’s charming stone roadways are Belgian block, not cobblestone, and how an old dive bar, known for its second- floor ghost, was transformed into a modern, hipster spot. By the end, your curiosity and appetite will be sated.
ORIOLE
DAVID RUBENSTEIN
Yes, of course, we considered giving this award to reigning Rookie of the Year Gunnar Henderson, who is in serious contention for league MVP. But the man of the hour is clearly new Orioles owner David Rubenstein, who acts the way we think we’d act if we bought a Major League Baseball team. Rubenstein is like a kid in a (very expensive) candy store. He was the guest Mr. Splash for a day, even calling himself “David Rubensplash” for the occasion. He routinely throws free baseball caps into the stands. He makes goofy commercials, like the one where he’s in the sound booth with The Bird playing “Orioles Magic” over and over again. His enthusiasm and vibe perfectly match what’s happening on the field. We love the guy—but we’re going to need him to sign Gunnar to a long-term deal. This award can be retracted, sir.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRISTOPHER MYERS
Book Cruise
GREEDY READS
Book lovers rejoiced when Greedy Reads owner Julia Fleischaker started offering a sunset cruise and book swap around the Inner Harbor via a Baltimore Water Taxi. Participants buy a ticket, show up with a book they are willing to exchange—used is okay, but it needs to be in good shape—and Fleischaker passes out glasses of bubbly. (You can also bring your own food and drink.) Guests spend an hour (or two, if you go on one of the extended cruises) rubbing elbows with other bibliophiles and geeking out over the choices while the sun sets on their favorite city. Just remember the cruises are super popular and sell out quickly.
COOL CLASSES
SO MANY WAYS TO GET SMARTER
COOKING CLASSES
Baltimore Chef Shop
This homey teaching kitchen spreads across two rowhomes on The Avenue in Hampden. Menu-based classes span the globe, from Vietnamese Street Food to a Taste of Normandy.
CORNUCOPIA OF CLASSES
Manor Mill
The list of artistic and wellness courses offered in this charming, 1742 grist mill is exhaustive: stained glass and jewelry making, basket weaving, ceramics, watercolors, fly tying, wood turning, broom making, needle felting. And did we mention falconry? And welding?
GLASS BLOWING
McFadden Art Glass
Among many other classes, McFadden offers a glass-blowing lesson that’s actually kid-friendly. Each family member gets to blow their own glass piece. Participants can’t stop gushing over how patient McFadden is, especially with the youngest artists.
TEA BLENDING WORKSHOP
Heron’s Meadow Farm
At Maryland’s first tea farm, located in Howard County, learn how to create your own blend, starting with black, green, or rooibos tea leaves and adding any number of ingredients, including rosehip, hibiscus, orange peel, and more.
SALSA CLASSES
SalsaNow
Beginners and pros alike are welcome at SalsaNow, run by Niss and Alexandra Albaig. Classes run often throughout the Baltimore area and are easy to find by following SalsaNow’s social pages. Learn the steps, then enjoy dancing and entertainment, like live music or DJ sets.
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PARK
CROMWELL VALLEY PARK
Just minutes from the hustle and bustle of Towson is Cromwell Valley Park, a hidden Baltimore County oasis offering visitors a range of activities. The entrances can sneak up on you, but once you’ve found your way to the parking lots, adventurers can hike multiple trails, visit a nature center with outdoor pens of chickens and turkeys, have a picnic, or sign up for events, like a moonlight stroll or nature hunts. The trails, some of which lead past historic structures like the old lime kilns, are well-marked and geared to all fitness levels. Dogs on leashes are welcome, too.
PARTY SPOT
WONDERFLY
Despite the name, there is no flying, but Wonderfly—with two locations including Timonium—is still the ultimate party space, especially for a large group of teenage boys with energy to burn. The 12,000 plus-square-foot venue has glow-in-the-dark dodge ball, giant knockerballs (think human-size hamster balls), basketball hoops, Nerf guns, and video games. There’s room for 150 people, a caterer, and DJ for a big mitzvah celebration, but they also host birthday parties and corporate work events, if you ever wanted to nail your boss with a ball—for the, um, game.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY J.M. GIORDANO
Place for Star Gazing
TOWSON UNIVERSITY PLANETARIUM
Towson University planetarium director Christian Ready is a self-admitted Star Trek geek. “The universe is my holodeck,” he says, referring to the franchise’s hologram device. And Ready likes nothing better than to take students and visitors through a journey of the cosmos at the all-digital planetarium, which is open to the public the third Friday of each month while school is in session. Budding astronomers will find themselves soaring through the galaxies at the 7 p.m. show. And in the darkest months of the year, guests can head up to the rooftop to view the actual stars and planets through a telescope.
PLACE TO TAKE A DIP
INNER HARBOR
After years—decades, maybe a century—of being the last place you’d want to go for a swim in Baltimore, the Inner Harbor is now clean enough for 150 Baltimoreans to jump off the Bond Street Wharf into the water. At least according to the Waterfront Partnership, which, on a too-hot Sunday in late June, hosted the Harbor Splash, the first time since 1981 that a public swimming event was allowed in the harbor. Mayor Brandon Scott led the group, all in life jackets, into the deep as a crowd cheered on. “They survived!” an announcer shouted from a loudspeaker. Indeed they did. And based on the enthusiasm for this event, there will be many more Harbor Splashes to come.
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Explore The Winners
Best of Baltimore 2024
Home & Service
Edited by Janelle Erlichman Diamond and Christianna Mccausland
Best of Baltimore 2024
Lifestyle & Wellness
Edited by Janelle Erlichman Diamond and Christianna McCausland
