And Lexington Market is Still Great

Signs in Lexington Market tell it like it is. I had something crab each day we were in Baltimore.

These signs are at Faidley's in Lexington Market. Faidley's has been there for at least 50 years, and every year they are voted to have the best crab cake in Baltimore--I agree. They also have the most amazing macaroni salad I have EVER tasted. Sure wish they'd give me the recipe.

Still at Faidley's--and says it all!!

I don't know if you can read the sign on the refrigerator door, but it advertises muskrat and raccoon. Now, I've never eaten either, but somewhere in my pictures you will see my former boss, Louis Goldstein, former Comptroller of Maryland, make the statement that in Maryland Surf and Turf is eel and muskrat!!

These crabcakes were soooo good. What I don't understand is how they can sell them at the prices they do. A few weeks ago there was an article in the Charleston newspaper that said much of the crab in Maryland comes from South Carolina. This being so, why is crab so expensive here for what you get as opposed to the price and what you get in Maryland???

This sign was over the oyster bar at Faidley's. It says, "Oyster Barrell opened by the honorable Thomas D'Alesandro, mayor of Baltimore at the grand opening of our raw bar 9 February 1970". For those who don't know, Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi is Tommy D'Alesandro's daughter and a native of Baltimore.
All of these signs are posted on the stall at Faidley's and are articles or comments by actual people about Faidley's food.






This is Hollins Market, on the corner of Carrollton Avenue and Hollins Street. When I was little this was where my mother and grandmother shopped. Friday was Market Day and everone had little carts on two wheels they would take with them to the Market to hold all their purchases. Hollins Market is the oldest existing public market building in the city of Baltimore. It dates back to 1835 when the city granted a petition of a piano manufacturer named Joseph Newman "and others" to erect a market house at their own expense on land that had been donated by banker George B. Dunbar. That structure blew down in a838 during a windstorm, and the market was rebuilt the following year. In 1864 the market was expanded through a $23,000 appropriation by the city to construct the Italiante addition. At the turn of the 19th century the market contained hundreds of stalls, inside and outside, reaching from Poppleton to Carey Streets (we lived on Carey). Wares sold and purchased by a diverse group of merchants and shoppers included farm produce, baked goods, meats and home produced wares. The market is 29, 803 square feet. It is in the center of a neighborhood that also bears the same name. It is the geographical heart of what many refer to as Sowebo, and on the Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend is the center of an arts festival called Sowebibhemian Arts Festival. The market is open Tuesday through Thursday 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Friday and Saturday fro 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM and is closed on Sunday and Monday. Although the market is smaller today, you will still find high quality goods there. I remember we would go to shop, then go across Hollins street to Serio's, a store run by an elderly Italian lady--truly from Italy. She sold home made bread, dry beans, and Italian items. Next we would walk up to Carrollton Avenue and go to Custy's. This was where we bought our coffee. Mr. Custy roasted the coffee beans in the store. He also solf dried beans and can goods. The two ladies, whose names, I am ashamed to say I cannot remember, used to give me a sugar lump (remember I was about four years old). Once there was an article written in teh Sunday Sun's magazine section about Custy's. I was married at the time, and living in Portsmouth, Virginia. I wrote to them and they remembered not only me, but my mother and grandmother. They told me if I was ever back in Baltimore to stop in and they would give me a sugar lump! SOmetimes we would walk another two blocks to Baltimore Street and go the the "Ten Cent Store" to get a few odds and ends, and as we came back down Carrollton Avenue we would stop at a house across from the Market where my grandfather's sister, Aunt Mamie lived. Then it was time to go home, but not before we stopped at Zirkler's Bakery, where I was given a free sugar cookie.
This is the front of Hollins Market.
We had to get a picture of this in Hollins Market. My father used to work for Esskay many, many years ago. He has always said goinig into and out of the refrigerators at Esskay is was caused him to have ear problems!
The inside of Hollins Market






The white door on the left is 1320 Hollins Street. When my parents got married in 1941 my father's Uncle Dan loaned him money to buy this house. It was actually apartments and my Dad ran it. I took this picture because I am going to print several of these and send them to my dad.
My father and his family went to St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church on Poppleton Street. The church was actually built by and for Irish Immigrants. Fr. Edward McColgan organized the people to build it and when the parish outgrew St. Peter's he had them build a second church, St. Martin's. My great great grandfather, Jeremiah Farrell, was one of the laborers who physically helped to build St. Martin's.
Today St. Peter the Apostle, St. Martin's and St. Jerome's have combined to become the Church of the Transfiguration. St. Peter's is no longer used, but it is on the National Register of Historic Places.

I saw a sign in Baltimore that stated: "In the summer we bleed Orange. . .
. . . And in the winter we bleed purple. It's weird." Of course the above picture is Oriole Park and Camden Yards and this is M & T Bank Stadium, where the Baltimore Ravens play.
This is M & T Bank Stadium again, with a statue to the late, great Johnny Unitas in front. THe Baltimore Colts colors were Blue and White, and Indiannapolis has now stolen those colors. Not too many peole have ever forgiven Mayflower Moving Company for coming into Baltimore in the middle of the night and taking our Colts away.



Fells Point, Maryland

Fells Point is home to a variety of shops, restaurants, coffee bars, music stores and over 120 pubs. Located on the harbor and famous for its maritime past, it now boasts the greatest concentration of pubs/bars in the city. This waterfront communitymis a much-visited location in Baltimore, accessible by water taxi, freeway, and bus lines. The neighborhood has also been the home of large Polish, Irish, and Mexican-American populations throughout its history. In recent years and ever-greater number of yuppies have also moved into the neighborhood, being brought in by the gentrification of the area. Fells Point is one of several areas in and around Baltimore that are listed on the National Register of Historic Districs.

Fells Point was founded in 1730 by William Fell. He was attracted by its beautiful deep water and proximity to agriculture and thick forests. It became a shipbuilding and commercial center. In about 1763 Williams son, Edward Fell, laid out streets and began selling plots for homes. The town gre quickly and eventually incorporated with Baltimore Town and Jones Town in 1797 to form the City of Baltimore. The area grew wealthy on tobacco, flour, and coffee trades through the 18th and 19th centuries. SOme of the first vessels commissioned for teh Unitede States Navy were built in Fells Point yards, including the USS Constellation in 1797. However, the area became best known for producing topsail schooners, sometimes erroneously called Baltimore Clippers, renowned for their speed and handling. They were excellent blocade runners, and were frequently used as armed privateers. The Pride of Baltimore II is based on the Chasseur, built by Thomas Kemp, which was one of the most successful privateers built in Fells Point. During the War of 1812, Fells Point built and supported dozens of privateers who preyed on British shipping. Thus, Baltimore became a principal target of the British during the war, which eventually led to the bombardment of Fort McHenry adn the writing of the Star Spangled Banner. Another growth industry in Fells Point was immigration, and it became a major point of entry into the United States. Since jobs were plentiful in shipbuilding and in the warehouses and factories, many of the immigrants stayed in Fells Point. This added to the multi-cultural fabric of the area, but also caused the more affluent to move into other parts of the city. Fells Point remained a shipbuilding center until the Civil War, when it could no longer accommodate larger ship designs. Likewise, the ship industry slowly moved away to larger facilities. The area transitioned into manufacturing, with innovations in canning and packing. The neighborhood also escaped serious damage during the Baltimore Fire of 1904 which destroyed the downtown area. Eventually much of the manufacturing left the city, resulting in a decline in teh neighborhood until preservationists organized to save the area's historic buildings. In 1965, transit planners proposed to link I-83 and I-95 by building an elevated highway along the north shore of teh Baltimore harbor. This project would have meant extensive demolition within Fells Point, and the highway would have cut off the remainder of the neighborhood from the waterfront. A freeway revolt against the proposals was raised by local residents and derailed the project. One of teh leaders of he revolt was Barbara Mikulski, who went on to become a Senator from AMryland. Fells Point achieved soem fame as the central setting for teh 1990s network police drama Homicide: Life on the Street, and has been the site of many films shot in Baltimore. Fells Point, located to the east of teh Inner Harbor, suffered extensive flooding during Hurricane Isabel in September 2003. It is a unique little area and the many shops are fun to wander into.

This is Thames Street in Fells Point, the main shopping area, with lots of little unusual shops.
Now, I love roosters and chickens. Is this not the neatest, coolest, most wonderful rooster you have ever seen? We bought this in a shop in Fells Point. It is made of beads, and is all hand made. It can be used inside or out.
How could you not love this? And before you say anything, Victoria Regina, I could have bought an elephant this size for my granddaughter!!!!!!! I also have their address and can order over the phone, and there is always next year. . .

Look at this Fells Point house very closely. . .
. . . do you notice anything odd???

Look really close, now. . .
. . . have you seen it yet?
Are you sure???
Well, OK. I'll tell you. All of the windows and doors except the one at the very back are painted on. The tree is too. Is this not the neatest thing? When I first saw it I thought I was mistaken, but when I looked a second time I was sure. I metioned it to Michael, and in the middle of the traffic for the Fells Point Festival he had to stop the car and take pictures. I do think they are cool though.

And this is one of the 120 pubs in Fells Point. We just thought the name was so appropriate for a bar. Can't you hear Toby Keith and Willy Nelson singing, "Whiskey for my men, and beer for my horses. . . "?

Next we drove through Little Italy. Again,. this is an area with great restaurnats and food. Vellagio's and several others have been there forever. When I worked in downtown Baltimore at Commercial Credit Home Office, several of the girls I workd with and I used to stay in town after works once in a while and go to one of the better restaurants. Little Italy was sometimes our destination.

There was a great celebration for the returning Olympians and everyone was a Phelps Phan
Especially the more than 10,000 people at Fort McHenry. All the girls are in love with Michael Phelps and are asking him to marry them. He is moving back to Baltimore and is going to start a business with his coach. One little boy, about 6 or 8 had a message for Michael Phelps, though. When the newscaster asked the little boy what is message was, he looked right at the camera and said, "I'm gonna beat ya!"

This is the Crab Shanty where Michael and I went to dinner with my cousins. Another place with great food.

This is some of the art work in teh restaurant.