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

Coming Soon: Jazz & Blues, Wine & Art Festival

The annual Federal Hill Jazz & Blues, Wine & Art Festival promises to be a great one! On Sunday, June 2 from 11 am to 7 pm, come help us celebrate the summer with great music, food, drinks, and more!

This free event features something for everyone! New Orleans JazzFest bands Bonerama and Honey Island Swamp Band will be performing as well as Jamie McLean Band, local favorite Cris Jacobs Band, Speakers of the House, Soul Island Rebels, and many more! Boordy Vineyards will be sponsoring a wine garden and Greyhound Express bus will be doing on-site promotions. There’s also an Artist Alley where area artists will show off their work, including local gallery owners Mark Cottman and Crystal Moll.

For younger festival-goers, Kids’ Kross Street will offer its standard moon bounces, toddler play area, crafts, and face painting. You can even find the Urban Pirates, gymnastics performances, kid-friendly cooking lessons, and more!

So bring your kids, your friends, even your dog to the Jazz & Blues, Wine & Art Festival and enjoy all that Federal Hill has to offer! We hope to see you there!

Elizabeth Nelson, Intern

Big Day Coming Up for Comics and Book Lovers!

Saturday May 4^th is a going to be a great day for book lovers! Join The Book Escape and Alliance Comics for two exciting events celebrating Baltimore and the love of books.

The Book Escape will be hosting a book signing by local author Evan Balkan. Balkan writes fiction and nonfiction centered on travel and outdoor recreation. He has written local interest books such as 60 Hikes within 60 Miles of Baltimore.

Balkan will be at The Book Escape at 805 Light Street from 1-3 pm on Saturday signing copies of his new book Walking Baltimore: An Insider’s Guide to 33 Historic Neighborhoods, Waterfront Districts, and Hidden Treasures in Charm City. He will also be talking about Baltimore and his writing.

If comic books are more your style, pop across the street to Alliance Comics at 904 Light Street to help them celebrate Free Comic Book Day, which happens the first Saturday in May every year in North America.

This year, Alliance Comics is offering Marvel's Infinity, DC's Superman, and The Walking Dead as well as choices for younger readers. The store will be open from 11 am to 5 pm.

Whatever your reading pleasure, don’t miss your chance to support these two great events in Federal Hill at The Book Escape and Alliance Comics this Saturday, May 4^th.

Elizabeth Nelson, Intern