While I miss my friends and classes at Hopkins like crazy, I’ve really found myself to miss the charm and opportunity that lies in Baltimore as well. In order to supplement my St. Louis summer with the spirit of B’more, I’ve been keeping up with what’s been going on around the city through the news.

Baltimore Opens Its Walls to Street Art (The Huffington Post)

I really like this article because it shows Baltimore’s commitment to the arts, especially in Station North, the major art district in the city. One of my favorite parts is the picture at left, showing a building-turned-workspace for street artist MOMO, because that building is actually Gallery CA, a contemporary art gallery where I’ll be interning in the fall while working with the current Curator-in-Residence, a MICA grad student in the Curatorial Practice program. Not only does Baltimore draw in artists from around the city, but also internationaly-acclaimed artists, such as John Ahearn who definitely made a statement at New York’s Frieze Art Fair. Baltimore is surrounded by New York and D.C., a few of the art capitals of the U.S., but it is evident that it is becoming a landmark of its own, made even more clear by the efforts of this year’s Open Walls Baltimore. (Click on the title link to see a few dozen more examples of recent and amazing Baltimore street art)

Baltimore Museum of Art receives major gift of works by artist Morris Louis (Artdaily)

With the Baltimore Museum of Art getting ready to reopen their modern and contemporary galleries in the fall, (I’M SO EXCITED) they’re also acquiring new works through their In a New Light campaign. Morris Louis is one such artist whose works are being accessioned by the Museum, which is fitting seeing his long history with Baltimore, being both born in the city and graduating from MICA. In working in the curatorial offices at the BMA all last year, I actually got to attend a pre-accessions committee meeting in which the BMA contemporary curator showed us the works she was looking to acquire, among which were works by Louis, straight from his estate and still in the crate. It was an incredible experience to see the art in such an environment as the BMA vaults, and I know that the acquisition of such works will make the efforts of the BMA’s reinstallation even more incredible.

Baltimore: Crabcake-Topped Burger at Oriole Park at Camden Yards (Serious Eats)

I’ll admit it: I’m addicted to food blogs; so, when an entry comes up about Baltimore, I’m eager to read it. One of the recent articles is about the “Camden Giant,” a new crabcake-topped burger available at the home of the Orioles. The crab and old-bay featured in the burger, staples of Maryland cuisine, make this one tempting dish, and as a burger junkie, it may prove hard to resist if I find myself at a game. During my year’s Orientation, there was a trip to Camden Yards, so if that goes on again this year, Class of 2016′ers, you may have to take one for the team and try it out.

Burger City Guides: Duff Goldman’s Favorite Burgers in Baltimore (A Hamburger Today)

Yes, I follow a blog called A Hamburger Today. No, I’m only slightly-ashamed of it. The blog recently put out a guide to burgers in Baltimore as chronicled by Charm City Cakes‘ chef Duff Goldman. (Fun fact: Charm City Cakes, the bakery in Food Network’s Ace of Cakes, is only a few blocks away from campus. Swag.)  Coming in at #3 on Duff’s list is Kooper’s Chowhound Burger Wagon, a food truck that frequently comes around the Homewood campus with some pretty tempting burgers. I’ve yet to have free time to try one myself when they’re serving up burgers right outside of Charles Commons, but it’s definitely become a priority for when I head back to Baltimore in the fall.

As you can see, Baltimore is a busy and constantly-changing city, and if you get out to explore it, there’s a lot to be seen. Class of 2016, get excited, because come the Fall you’ll be living in one of the best cities in the country, and even being 750+ miles away in St. Louis for the summer hasn’t made me a stranger to the Baltimore charm.