Federal Hill Demographics: Read All About It!

The new demographic study commissioned by Federal Hill Main Street in January is now available and posted on our Web site. The final report is in two parts, the main report and the appendices.

The study’s authors (local resident Maggie Cawley on behalf of Go Global GIS. LLC) report on the growth, changes, and opportunities in South Baltimore compared with 2000. Since that time, Federal Hill’s population has grown significantly as more college-educated professionals moved to the area. In addition to college graduates, the data also show that the area has drawn young families and “empty-nesters.”

The study also includes information on “retail opportunities” for new businesses and the gaps that exist in the area. The data show a myriad of opportunities for retailers in Federal Hill, including specialty food, home, and sports-related products.

Federal Hill Main Street’s Business Development Committee will use the report as a resource to attract new businesses and expand the appeal of the district by meeting broader consumer demands.

If you would like to get involved or join the volunteer committee, please contact Jane Seebold, Executive Director by emailing admin@historicfederalhill.org.

To view the demographic study, click here and for the appendices click here.

Elizabeth Nelson, Intern

Free Kids’ Kross Street at Jazz&Blues Fest: June 2

It’s that time of year again! On June 2^nd, Federal Hill Main Street will host the 13^th Annual Jazz & Blues Wine & Art Festival featuring the popular children’s play area, Kids’ Kross Street! Misty Keens, parent volunteer and co-coordinator, says she’s excited about their return and feels the activities provided by Kids’ Kross Street enrich the Federal Hill community.

“I’ve immensely enjoyed organizing Kids’ Kross Street. Shane and I have been fortunate enough to have inherited a very dedicated core group of volunteers that give so much to this community throughout the year. It’s nice to be a part of that,” says Misty.                                                                                    

SoBo Kids, the neighborhood family volunteer organization, returns to the festival to adorn children of all sizes with colorful face paint and temporary tattoos. Their station will be operating between 1 and 3 pm. There will also be a sidewalk chalk area where children can create their own masterpieces and a bubble pool, along with some do-it-yourself craft booths.

After they’ve been artfully crafted into their favorite cartoon character or animal, be sure to accompany your little ones to listen to the famous Urban Pirates, who will host story time at 3 pm. After patiently sitting through these sedentary, though fun activities, your kids are sure to be bursting with energy and excitement! What better way to channel that energy than jumping around in one of the two moon bounces? To keep kids safe, parent volunteers take turns supervising the blow-up vessels (which also enables them to enjoy the festival’s adult activities, including the amazing music line-up).

The overwhelmingly popular rice-pools (who knew?) will be set up again this year, where toddlers can amaze and amuse their senses using the many toys on hand to scoop up and play with raw rice. Lawn games will be ongoing, where older kids can compete in bean bag and ring toss. After all the jumping, throwing, tossing, running, and playing, our kids are sure to work up an appetite! Satisfy their hunger and perhaps spark cultural curiosity by participating in a sushi-rolling demo with Roy’s Restaurant.

“Every kid will be entertained,” said volunteer co-coordinator Shane Splitt. “Every parent will be able to enjoy the time while their child is busy playing.”

Thanks to volunteers and organizers, Kids’ Kross Street will continue to be an integral part of the Jazz & Blues Festival, helping to create memories and build bonds within the Federal Hill community. “I hope that the future brings in a new band of parents willing to give back to this community that gives so much to them,” says Misty.

For more information on the festival, go to www.historicfederalhill.org

Briana Lopes, Intern

New Service Assists Drivers with Parking

Tired of searching for parking in Baltimore? It just got a whole lot easier!

Parking Panda is an online and mobile app service that allows drivers to save time and money by reserving and paying for a parking spot in advance. Parking Panda also helps parking owners and managers, both private and commercial, to fill up their spaces by “driving extra traffic when yield is low and improving pricing when the lot is full.”

“Simply put, we allow drivers to find and reserve parking to help remove the pain of parking in a city or near an event and help garage owners fill up their empty spaces,” said co-founder Nick Miller.

Parking Panda now offers services in Washington DC, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, and many more locations, but they started here in Baltimore and operated out of an office at 1111 Light Street in Federal Hill. Both Miller and his co-founder, Adam Zilberbaum, grew up in Baltimore.

“When you're starting a business, a knowledge of the local market is really helpful.  We also thought Baltimore was a great representation of the larger market we wanted to attack. Baltimore has a small but burgeoning tech community that really helped foster our company when it was starting out and has always been very supportive of what we're doing,” Miller said.

So next time you’re looking for affordable parking, let Parking Panda take the hassle out of the search. You’ll save time, money, and most importantly, the frustration of searching for parking on a busy Baltimore street!

Elizabeth Nelson, Intern

RedOwl Analytics Receives Innovation Award

Congratulations to 1111 Light Street’s RedOwl Analytics for their grand prize win!

On April 15^th, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley awarded the $100,000 grand prize of the InvestMaryland Challenge for start-up companies to RedOwl Analytics.

RedOwl Analytics, which calls 1111 Light Street home, is a company that focuses on analyzing the data that companies retain and using it to look at corporate fraud, legal investigations, and fiscal institutions. The Reveal software takes this data and helps organizations monitor governance, risk, and compliance, which can be used as an investigative tool for early case assessment.

The InvestMaryland Challenge was created by Governor O’Malley and the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, and more than 250 companies competed in information technology, life sciences, and general business categories.

"We are absolutely thrilled and humbled to have been selected - it's a wonderful testimony to the hard work of our team over the last twelve months,” said CEO Guy Filippelli

Elizabeth Nelson, Intern

Think Phina’s for Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is this Sunday, and if you’re still looking for that perfect gift, Phina’s for the Home (919 South Charles Street) in Federal Hill has everything you need to make your mom feel pampered and relaxed on her special day.

Try a hand-painted silk scarf by artisan Denise D’Aoust. These beautiful pieces are as unique as your mom. Each scarf is personally signed by the artist and comes with instructions for caring for your mom’s new work of art.

Instead of the standard bouquet of flowers, consider a floral-scented candle. These candles, with scents including poppy and nectar, blooming orchid, pink pansy, English rose, and water lily will last for up to 150 hours. Now your mom can enjoy the scent of her favorite flower for weeks to come!

For the ultimate relaxation, give your mom the gift of luxury with a cotton spa robe lined with terry cloth. These comfy robes come in many colors like periwinkle blue, smoke grey, soft pink, eggshell, white, or black and for Mother’s Day – and, monogramming is on Phina’s!

When you visit this charming shop Wednesday-Friday, you’ll receive a free spa gift with any in-store purchase!

Elizabeth Nelson, Intern