HISTORY OF MARYLAND AND DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA BARS & RESTAURANTS

I grew up in Baltimore/Towson/Columbia/Ellicott City Maryland.  Since much of my family still lives there, I go back to visit from time to time.  What follows is not a comprehensive list of all old bars and restaurants that still exist.  But it's a good start!  I find the attitude in Maryland and D.C. toward old bars and restaurants is quite different from the West Coast.  Since these cities are much older, less attention seems to be paid to old places.  There's just so many of them. It's sort of taken for granted. And for that same reason, places seem to get remodeled more often.  But I did find a few really good gems for your enjoyment, hon.

MARYLAND (Mostly Baltimore - haven't ventured out much yet to small towns)
Annapolis, Maryland

I only spent a couple of hours here, when you need weeks to explore this very historic city. This place gives you the same time machine feeling as Ellicott City (although on most days Ellicott City is not jammed with tourists). Being on the bay with miles of boats and plenty of places on the water is a major plus. The water taxi is a very inexpensive way to enjoy a little taste of the boating experience if you're on a budget.  I'll just put a smattering of pictures here to give you a slight feel for the place.

 

Middleton Tavern is considered by many to be the oldest Tavern in the U.S. (but I'm sure there are others that calculate that in a different way - continuous operation, same family of owners, same location, etc.). It's a beautiful bar and restaurant, although, as one would expect, it does not seem that much historic interior has survived, but certainly an historic exterior.

Alonso's Restaurant, 415 West Cold Spring Lane Baltimore, MD 21210. 410 235-3433 (since 1931)

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This bar and restaurant is in an interesting historic Baltimore neighborhood. The exterior has those neat glass cubes they built things with in the 30's (someone write me to tell me what those cubes are officially called).  I poked my head inside. Looks like a nice local place. Pretty much remodeled except for what looks like the original bar counter constructed in a unique way from metal.

Attman's Deli,  1019 E Lombard St, Baltimore, MD 21202(410) 563-2666

(since 1915)

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Great old Deli on what's left of an historic block on Lombard. Incredible selection of Jewish Soul Food, served by a fun cast of characters. Not to much left of the original decor but a throwback to the past in any event. Got to try the knishes! I'm getting hungry just thinking about this fantastic place.

Clyde's of Columbia, 10221 Wincopin Circle, Columbia, MD 21044 Phone: 410-730-2829.

The original Clyde's in Georgetown I believe dates from 1963, although the Columbia one if I remember right is '70s.  I worked here in high school when they had an outdoor short of patio place. It was a nice place to work for. I also worked for years in the Columbia Mall for Barry's Restaurant.  Occasionally, we could get a free omelet in the omelet room. I think I had the best omelets of my life one night with Swiss cheese and asparagus. One of those strange memories that sticks with you for life. The interior on a recent visit was virtually unchanged from when I worked there in the 70's.  The antique bar they have (I don't know if it's a recreation or brought in from somewhere else - no one there knew) has a real time machine effect. Really beautiful work. A very pleasant upscale place to hang out.

Double T Diner, 6300 Baltimore National Pike, Catonsville, MD 21228 (410) 744-4151 (since 1959)

Also 10055 Baltimore National Pike
Ellicott City, MD 21042
(410) 750-3300 (other locations as well that I have never been to)

 

Original albeit remodeled Double T Diner in Catonsville

Ellicott City Double T. If you see two hip looking seniors here - it's my folks!

We moved to Ellicott City in 1967. There were so few places to eat in the area, we would drive all the way to Westview/Catonsville to eat at the Double T Diner almost every weekend. Not being big spenders, my usual order was the chicken croquettes (a sort of breaded, cone shaped ground chicken) for $1.25 which included French bread, salad, mashed potatoes and a vegetable. We would usually then go to the Westview Cinema or the Edmondson Drive-In. My father was so dedicated to seeing drive-in movies, I remember we once watched Romeo and Juliet at the Edmondson Drive-In and it began to snow. Slowly, every car left as the snow accumulated to several inches. Finally, being the last car there, they had to turn the movie off before we would leave. Nice memories. Back to the Double T - This true '50s diner ironically remodeled a few years ago to look like a fake 50's diner. Same great food however. 30 years later, my parents, now retired eat at the Double T in Ellicott City almost everyday. Now owned by Greeks with a mostly Salvadoran staff, they still love the place. The menu has so many items, it's almost a novel, and the place is always packed. Good old American (and occasionally Greek) comfort food! Although these places do not have historic interiors (although they are sort of retro)I have them on here for nostalgic reasons.

Question for old timers - anyone remember the Patio Sub shop across the street from the Double T in Catonsville, that is now mostly a Korean shopping center? That place had great food as well. How about a restaurant right near the Edmondson Drive-In that served an almost exclusively Black clientele in the 60's?

ELLICOTT CITY, MARYLAND

Unfortunately, I only got over here at nighttime, but this is one of the very few "time machine" entire cities I've ever seen (along with Viriginia City, Old Sacramento, Grass Valley and Nevada City). Until Columbia came in, our mailing address when I was a kid was Ellicott City, but we really lived about 10 miles away from the real city (I went to Ellicott City Middle School which was an incredibly red neck place in the '60s - great place to stick a Bohemian kid!). Ellicott City once had a very authentic ice cream soda fountain. It still has an amazingly authentic "general store" (wish I had gotten pictures).  I'll let you investigate all the rich history here as to the Mills and Railroad. For the purposes of this website, the main point is the place transports you back (just figuratively - not for real - you weirdos!) to another time and place.  Great place around Christmas because when the snow starts falling you sort of feel like you're in Dickens' Christmas Carole (hey - I'm half Jewish/half Catholic so I get to celebrate all the holidays! Well - more than most people at least). Just a few pictures to give you a feel for the place.

FELLS POINT, BALTIMORE

Fantastic area of Baltimore with an intense conglomeration of historic bars, restaurants and buildings. Great place to spend some time, both day or night (although use typical big city caution). I need to spend a lot more time here to give you a real feel for the place. This is just the briefest of introductions.

 

(The) Horse You Came In On Saloon, 1626 Thames St. Fells Point, Baltimore, MD 410-327-8111 (since 1775?)

Unfortunately, this bar was closed when I stopped by. But I looked inside and it appeared to have an interesting interior. This may be the oldest bar in the United States (but there are so many different ways of calculating that).  Some people I talked to in another bar said there's been much remodeling going on.  I hope they don't turn it into historic airspace.

The Waterfront Hotel, 1710 Thames St. Baltimore, MD 21231 410-537-5055 (since 1771?)

Although historically a hotel, it's now a bar and restaurant. While somewhat remodeled, they kept it more original than most of the other places in Fells Point. I was a bit disappointed how many other "historic" bars were completely remodeled.

The Admiral's Cup,1647 Thames Street, Baltimore, MD 21231 410-522-6731 (interior since 1916)

 

I liked this place the most because they have retained more of the original interior. It gives you the feel of history, rather than being some generic upscale place.

Forest Diner, 10031 Baltimore National Pike, Ellicott City, Maryland 410-465-5395

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The Forest Diner on Rt. 40 is another place we went to for decades. Although they have expanded it and covered it over with a mundane facade, the original diner car is still in wonderful condition inside. Huge plates at reasonable prices keep this placed packed, even though it has the Double T diner right next to it. You can't go wrong with either one. Across the street is the remnants of another nostalgic Howard County mini-"Theme park" - the Enchanted Forest.

Question - why is it almost impossible to get snowballs - mildly similar to a snow-cone - on the west coast? I fondly (and with great desire) remember the true snowballs with chocolate syrup and marshmallow or great flavors like egg custard, skyline, watermelon, etc. I think the only place I've seen these on the west coast is in El Centro, CA. Some young entrepreneur could make a fortune introducing these (the real flavors) to the West. I guess a former snowball stand close to the Forest Diner brought this to mind.

The Enchanted Forest

Frank's Diner, 7395 Cedar Ave Jessup, MD 20794 410 799 8198

(structure since 1959)

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This place was so crowded, I couldn't get any interior shots. The owners brought this classic diner in from New Jersey and it's great that this history was saved.  It appears to be quite a commercial success.  People generally seem to love classic diners more than any other "time machine" restaurant.  It's nice that they are movable! A movable feast.
Hollywood Diner, 400 East Saratoga Street, Baltimore, MD, 410-962-5379

(structure since 1954)

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Another great diner brought in from Long Island, New York. Used in many films. It's a little hard to find, but don't give up trying. Maryland may be the diner capitol of the world! Friendly service.

Kibby's bar and restaurant, 3450 Wilkens Ave, Baltimore, MD 21229(410) 644-8716 (since 1934)

An old restaurant that appears to be completely remodeled. Don't know if this is the original location. I just went to the bar with my sister Helen, who used to live in the area. You're guaranteed to be called Hon here! I enjoyed the intensely blue collar Baltimore culture here. It had a mid-70's look. Friendly staff. Looks like a nice restaurant with very reasonable prices.

The Owl Bar (in the Belvedere Hotel /Condominiums), 1 E. Chase St., Belvedere Hotel, Mount Vernon, Baltimore, MD 21202 (410) 347-0888 (since 1902)

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After Werner's restaurant, this was the best "time machine" in Baltimore. Unique brick designs make up the walls. Very historic feel with ancient booths and an well worn wooden bar.  Old Owl statues above the bar were once outside during prohibition times and their eyes would light up to secretly signal the clientele when booze was available (or something like that).  A true hidden gem. The Belvedere Hotel - now condos - is also a beautiful historic building and lobby.

LITTLE ITALY, BALTIMORE

Fun little slice of Baltimore concentrated in an area you can easily walk around and plenty of street parking (at least when I went). Can't say it has an intensely Italian feel, although all the restaurants in the area are Italian, but very much gives me the feeling of the Baltimore I remember as a child. Can't go wrong eating here (unless you're on a diet).  Here's a few pictures below of the area and restaurants to the right.

Sabatino's Italian Restaurant, 901 Fawn St, Baltimore, MD 21202 (410) 727-2667 (since 1955)

I stopped in here with my mom and had a very relaxing time. The interior appears to be new, but there was something very calming and reassuring about this classic Italian restaurant. Try the Calamari appetizer. One very wonderful thing anywhere you go in Little Italy are the strong Baltimore accents. My father would always correct me anytime he heard a Maryland accent creeping in. I sort of wish I had more of a Maryland accent - I feel a bit devoid of culture. But out West I always have to repeat myself when I ask for wadder instead of waTer.

Caesar's Den, 223 S High St, Baltimore, MD 21202 (410) 547-0820

Chiapparelli's Restaurant, 237 S High St. Baltimore, MD 21202 (410) 837-0309 (since 1947)

Da Mimmo Italian Restaurant, 217 South High Street, Baltimore, MD(410) 727-6876

All of the above restaurants are famous for their Italian food. I poked my head in several places.  They were all very attractive, but not much in the way of historic interiors (which is the focus of this website). I went into Da Mimmo's with my sister and had a nice time at their bar. Although it's fairly new, they've done a great job of giving it an "old School" Sinatra-like feel. Chatting with the bartender and a manager (I guess) was very pleasant - these guys were pure Baltimore, which is something I very much miss. The interior of the restaurant (above) was very attractive.

The Senator Theatre 5904 York Road Baltimore, MD 21212  410-435-8338 (since 1939)

I don't have enough material for a D.C./Maryland movie palace page, but this is a very well preserved quasi-movie palace that I used to go to as a kid. Wish I had had time for interior shots. Art Deco in style.
Swallow at the Hollow Bar, 5921 York Road, Baltimore, MD 21212 (410) 532-7542

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This place today looks like just about every other neighbor bar in the world. Clean and comfortable but not particularly old looking, although the bartender seemed to think it had been around 70 years which is possible. I have nice memories of it because my grandfather used to take me there (it's a grill as well) and my dad used to play shuffle board with his friends here in the mid-60's.

Tastee Diner, 8516 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD, 301-589-8171 (since 1946)

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Another great diner saved from destruction by a move. Most of the diner is a new extension added on, but it still has the classic homemade diner food, and much of the original diner remains in tact.  Like all true diners it has great homemade soups. Don't know if the three remaining Tastee Diners in Maryland are still affiliated. I didn't get out to the one in Bethesda,

Tastee Diner, 118 Washington Boulevard, Laurel, MD, 301-953-7567 (since 1951)

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Remnant of a Little Tavern across the street.

You don't get much better than this. This diner is so well preserved that it still has its original wooden booths.  Great local crowd with a lot of small town Maryland culture (although Laurel ain't so small anymore). When I was a teenager, Columbia Maryland was still so new that it had little in the way of restaurants or businesses. So we would often go down Rt. 32 over a one lane bridge to Rt. 1 (a very historic road) to Laurel to eat or shop. There was so little Hispanic culture in Maryland at the time (I never once heard anyone speak Spanish while I lived in Maryland), that we would have to drive 40 minutes to Laurel to get so called "Mexican" food at Tippy's Taco House. Although we loved that place, it made Taco Bell look like a street stand in Tijuana authenticity wise. One of the least authentic but most loved dishes was "Chili con queso" - Velveeta cheese melted with some mild canned chili's. Now Maryland has a large Hispanic population and far more authentic places, although curiously some places still sell Chili con queso.

Werner's Restaurant, 231 E. Redwood St. Baltimore, MD 21202 410-752-3335 (since 1950, interior since 1938?)

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This is nothing less than a landmark of American pop culture. HBO's "the Wire" has been filmed here (nice to know these guys know the REAL Baltimore). Places like this could never be replaced.  I tend to judge all "time machine" restaurants by the Musso and Frank's yardstick and this place gives Musso's a major run for its money.  A perfectly preserved interior - the ultimate time machine, with great food to boot.  I could eat their Maryland Crab soup every day and not tire of it. While the restaurant dates from 1950 - it appears to have a lot of earlier art deco elements (one article says the interior is from 1938. Anyone know the previous restaurant?).  But this is the best time machine I've found in the Baltimore/D.C. area and probably one of the top six best I've ever seen along with Musso and Frank's in Los Angeles, Merchants Cafe in Seattle, and House of Shields and Original Joe's in San Francisco and the Golden Steer in Las Vegas - though keep in mind I only travel to a few cities.  Extremely nice new owner who very wisely has not changed the place one bit (with a great Baltimore accent to boot).  It doesn't get any better than this!

Patronize this place regularly and keep it going forever!  This should really become one of the iconic symbols (is that redundant?) of Baltimore.

WASHINGTON D.C.  DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA I was never a big fan of D.C. as a kid, but it seemed a whole lot nicer on my last visit. For the first few days you are there, if you are driving it will seem like King Minos' Labyrinth, but after a few days, it will just be a maze. At night, when you hit a traffic circle, you have about a 30% chance of being able to continue along the same road. Parking on the street was surprisingly often available. It seems like our founding father's had terrorism in mind when they designed D.C. No terrorist will ever be able to find their way around this city.
Ben's Chili Bowl, 1213 U Street, N.W. Washington D.C. 20009 (202)667-0909 (since 1958)

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Great place that serves as the historic anchor of the black community on U Street. It's a "greasy spoon" with all the yummy food you'd expect. Can't beat the chili burgers and at very reasonable prices. The staff is a lot of fun - it's almost a show with all of the singing and dancing going on (at least when I was there someone was doing a great Prince imitation). Supposedly this is a favorite of Bill Cosby. Much of the interior is new but there are a lot of nice old elements as well.  A landmark in Washington D.C.

Florida Ave Grill, 1100 Florida Ave. Washington, DC 20009 202-265-1586 (since 1944)

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They don't make places like this anymore. About as classic an old coffee shop as you can find. Mostly benches at a counter. From the celebrity photos, it looks like just about everyone has eaten here (I though it was amusing that Al Sharpton's photo was right next to Strom Thurman's - a strange coincidence given recent news!). Another landmark of the Black Community. Very well preserved and great soul food (although not exactly a low cholesterol place!). Strangely, this is the only place I've ever seen that makes pancakes exactly like my mom. I guess we can forgive them for that!

(Billy) Martin's Tavern 1264 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC 202 333-7370 (since 1933)

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Wonderful find in Georgetown, with an amazing amount of political history. Every president from Truman to George W. Bush has eaten here.  One booth is famous as being the place where JFK proposed to Jackie.  Many other booths have fascinating stories as well. Beautiful old interior with dark woods and a very well preserved bar. Did I mention the food was excellent as well. I'm so glad they have not refinished the booths - it would ruin the place. Many generations of the same family have run this place since the 30's. If you see nothing else in Georgetown, ya gotta stop in here!

Round Robin Bar, 1401 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Willard Inter-Continental Hotel, Washington DC 202-628-9100 (perhaps since 1850)

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Nice old and historic bar in a very historic hotel, right near the White House. It's been fairly remodeled but in a way preserving the historic feel. The star here is the circular bar that does appear to have the 150 some years wear its history indicates.  Nice place for a quiet drink with a fairly good amount of street parking after 7:00pm the night I went.  The Willard Hotel has a really beautiful lobby to boot.

Watergate Hotel, 2650 Virginia Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20037 202-965-2300

(since 1967)

 

Obviously a very historic hotel, it's also a very nice place to stay. Very nice value for the price (at least at the government rate). Large luxurious rooms and a beautiful lobby. Another big plus is its proximity to Georgetown (the staff suggested walking there but I don't know enough about Washington to concur). Right on the shores of the Potomac River with serene views. Very affable mostly African staff.  The architecture is quite interesting (but sort of strange). Seems to have a Frank Lloyd Wright influence but I'm not sure the architect completely pulled it off (probably due to cost cutting beyond the architect's control). Of course that doesn't detract at all from it being a great place to stay.

Yenching Palace Restaurant, 3524 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20008 202-362-8200 (since 1955)

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The oldest Chinese Restaurant in Washington D.C. This place has a fascinating history. Apparently representatives of JFK and Nikita Khrushchev met here secretly to work out the deal resolving the Cuban Missile Crisis. This is the best looking historic interior I've seen in any Chinese restaurant. Indirect lighting, faded murals, sort of a pinkish leather in  rounded booths, it's all original and a perfect time machine. Good food to boot and right off a subway stop. It would be a major blow to Washington if this place is ever lost.  Great neon signage out front. A must see. Food is very good as well!

UPDATE:  Bill H. has sent me an article indicating this fabulous place will probably become a Walgreens Drug Store sometime in 2008. While I like Walgreens Drug stores, the fact remains that this place is one of D.C.'s great culture and historic treasures (people forget that all historic treasures were once "only" 50 years old before they became 200 years old!).  While there are many "time machine" places I have yet to explore in D.C. I would think this place is at least tie for the best "time machine" in D.C. (along with Martin's Tavern). D.C. is rapidly becoming a generic city.  This restaurant is the best mid-century Chinese Restaurant interior I have ever seen anywhere. And of course it's Cold War history is irreplaceable (the very existence of the world as we know it may have been saved here)!  The City of D.C. or more realistically the Federal Government should have stepped in and run this place as a living history museum.  I'm sure they could have made a higher offer to the owners then the current deal (although I guess that's a fait accomplis - any contract must be honored unless you could make a deal with Walgreens to their advantage as well).  It wouldn't have cost much and could even be profitable. What are we going to have left to show our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren as to how life was in one of the greatest decades of American history? Pictures? Alternatively, how much would it cost to save the great exterior and interior but moving it to another structure and doing our best to recreate and restore it. Crazy billionaires waste so much money on more trivial things - how about doing this! It's just ridiculous that a city would just quietly let such an incredible place just disappear! Better get over there and experience it while it's still there!!!!

MY MARYLAND MEMORIES

Let me be self indulgent and self-important and reminisce about growing up in Maryland for a bit. Hey - it's my website - I can bore people if I want (and you're free to scroll down and click on the hyperlinks below to get out of here!).

While I was born in the mid-West, my first conscious memories were in an apartment we moved to at 712 Walker Ave. in Baltimore.  This place is quite a mystery to me (would love to know the history of this place). It was sort of an old brick mansion that had been divided up into apartments (cheap ones at that). We lived in the attic. This is a picture of the place today (with two lion statues out in front of the porch). We then moved down the street to a brick duplex at 1114 Walker Ave. purchased at the whopping price of $10,000. This was a wonderful neighborhood for a kid (I think the area is called Idyllwild), where Walker Ave. and "The Alameda" meet. Here's a shot of what that house looks like today (although the porch apparently was removed, completely changing the appearance of the place). Down the Alameda was a little commercial area that a six year could easily walk to and enjoy all the great pleasures of life. There was a drug store (it was the brick structure pictured here to the right that is now something else).

At the drug store there was a classic drug store soda fountain where hamburgers and those incredible milkshakes made in the metal receptacle could be had for a little change. They also sold car models (cheap one's for 50 cents and really nice one's for $1.50) and all the great comic books which were then only 12 cents each (many of which now would be worth hundreds or thousands of dollars if I had kept them. I remember trading away the first ten issues of Fantastic Four for a few minerals I liked! I sadly no longer own any comics.). They also had the classic snow balls I mention above. Next door was a High's (a chain of convenience stores still in business) where a scope of ice cream was 5 cents and a pretzel stick was 2 cents. There was also a classic barbershop I would go to get my hair cut (not always a good experience). Also on this street, an IGA supermarket, a gas station which would fix flats on my bike and a hardware store.

Further down the street was my favorite store, sort of a small market that still exists today although very much changed inside. McLellan's (which we called Mac's), pictured as it appears today,  was the kind of place a kid could go in and buy candy (even you only had a penny). Bazooka Joe's gum was a penny, Tootsie Pops were 2 cents, and a monster sized chocolate bar was a nickel (does anyone remember something like Bamanos Turkish Taffee (sp?). My mom used to make up a grocery list and send me here to get it (I would usually hand it to an employee to help me out). I remember the grocery list would often include Suburban Club Soda Pop (what ever happened to that? They were great) and Wise Potato Chips (the note would emphasis "only Wise - nothing else", as my dad was a potato chip connoisseur (although he moved on to UTZ later in life). This place would also actually pay you for returnable bottles (hence my first job of searching the neighborhood for bottles and getting some of that candy in return!). I also remember a few neighborhood kids who would take a bottle from the cart the store innocently kept them in in front of the place with the already returned bottles and getting the refund (my first exposure to the nascent lack of integrity in our culture I guess). Part of the structure of McLellan's pictured above was actually Art Donovan's (of Colt's fame) Liquor Store, where Art used to actually hang out. Amazingly kids could walk in and he would had out free lollipop's - a nice guy and nice memories. Hard to imagine a kid today in Baltimore having this carefree a life on his own at age six (although our home was on the edge of Baltimore County).  Other nice memories of this time were Memorial Stadium and the 1966 season for the Orioles, Stewart's Department Store, Read's Drug Store (with a lunch counter) and McCrorys all in the mini-mall at the corner of Walker Ave. and York Road.  The Senator movie palace and Swallow at the Hollow are mentioned above. Further up York Road were Harry Little's Subs (still there), Eutaw Savings Bank, A&P Supermarket, Little Tavern Hamburgers, 31 Flavors Ice Cream and a small movie theater in Towson. Not far away was a drive up hamburger joint called Amici's. Read Robert Ward's great novel, "the King of Cards" for some nice memories of these places and Towson State Teachers College (and Baltimore in general including Sheppard Pratt Hospital and Maryland Institute College of Art where my mother also taught for 30 years).

Another great memory of Towson and Baltimore was my elementary school, Lida Lee Tall. This was an experimental school where Towson State Teacher's College would train their education majors. There was never another school like it (and it was recently callously torn down despite its very significant Mid-Century Modern Architecture and unique experimental history). The school had no homework, no grades and no timed tests.  Even in second or third grade you made your own morning schedule and could walk to the very well stocked library any time you liked (which had me attempting at least to read Moby Dick in the 3rd or 4th grade). It's hard to believe it worked, but for me it really did (I was scoring well above six grade level when I changed schools in the sixth grade). Every week the school librarian would tell us these great stories (I think her name was something like Mrs. Wilmer or Wilner?). I particularly remember the story of the Gunny Wolf (sp?).  She would also have us create books and actually give them a call number and put them in the library stacks with a catalog card! The teachers I can remember were Mrs. Marino, Ms. Cohen (who hated me because she had my mother as a teacher at Towson and apparently didn't like her), Mrs. Dyer or Dryer, Mr. Bradley (who liked me because he had my mother as a teacher - go figure!), and Mrs. Hughes. At Christmas time it was fabulous (before today's political correctness). A giant real Christmas tree would be placed in the middle of the class and we were given tons of time (remember we individually planned our mornings) to create our own Christmas decoration out an abundant amount of art supplies. Then we were all given choir robes and for a month the entire school would go to the assembly room and practice Christmas songs for a student-parent show near Christmas time (they may have even given us candles and turned out the lights if I remember correctly). Man, what a great school that was, although it was quite a shock moving to Howard County and entering the repressive red neck schools there (although of course I have some good memories there as well).

We moved to Howard County in the early 70's. I'm not sure my memories there are terribly unique. It was then still a very rural county. A farm was located in front of Ellicott City Middle School. Howard High, where I went, had a forest behind it (now there's a super highway). Columbia was just starting. All that existed was Lake Kittamaqundi with the Columbia Exhibition and rental boats and the Wild Lake Shopping Center (that had a drug store which briefly had a lunch counter). It was hard to find Columbia. Rt. 29 was only two lanes (unfortunately right behind my house in Guilford Downs). The places we ate, as mentioned above, were the Double T diner in Catonsville, the Patio Sub Shop in Catonsville, Read's Drug Store (lunch counter) on Rt. 40 near Ellicott City, Drug Fair lunch counter near Ellicott City (now in a Korean Shopping Center), the Forest Diner, and Tippy's Taco House in Laurel.  That was pretty much it. On weekends we would go to the Pulaski Drive In, the Reisterstown Drive-In, the Elkridge Drive-In and the Edmondson Drive-In (we would go literally every weekend with me, my two sisters and parents crammed in the car - often to see triple feature horror movies that would keep me awake at night for days!). Not much else to note. I would go on my own to the Merriweather Post Pavillion to see some great concerts including Janis Joplin, the Beach Boys, the Who, Led Zeppelin, and my best experience was being back stage for the Doors. My father's cousin played in the lead on band "Earth Opera" and got us in to see the concert. Seeing the Doors up close back stage was a lot of fun (strange that they would let some little kid wander around back there, but it was more innocent times - ignoring Jim Morrison of course!). To the left is my parent's home in Columbia, bought in 1967 for the princely sum of $20,000. It seemed like a castle to me at the time. Sort of a mid-Century modern design, but originally with a flat roof that always leaked.

Howard High was sort of a generic, classic American high school with little that stands out. Other than race relations (a topic too heavy to address here) these were very innocent times. I never once saw anyone take or use drugs in four years of high school (the rebels in the school would smoke cigarettes or drink underage - not me!). Being the school Bohemian, I shocked everyone by being the first to wear wire rim glasses in the style of John Lennon (I was constantly asked if they were real). My friends and I formed a band copying Sha Na Na called Jupiter and the Jets. I have fond memories of my friends Billy, Rick, Jay, Ted, Craig, John and others who will remain nameless. I later went to the University of Maryland College Park, which cost about $300 a semester and was probably not even worth that!  A dismal school in the 70's - at least for me.

The picture to the right is a metal man made out of tractor parts that has been in my house for 20 or more years, made by one of my mom's student's at the Maryland Institute of Art.  One of the reasons neighborhood kids were not allowed by their parents to go into my house!  Neighborhood kids sometimes referred to us as the Adams Family, due to all of the strange paintings and statutes my mother collected from her art students. I moved to San Diego in 1978 and have been a West Coast kind of guy ever since!  And as you know, I worship Los Angeles as a sacred place! Well, I guess I thought if I am preserving the memories of all these restaurants, bars and buildings, I might as well preserve a few memories of my own!  If you are still awake at this point - thanks for sticking with me. If anyone lived in any of these places or went to any of these schools, please write me to share memories - latimema2 at latimemachines.com (recopy the address using the @)  Be nice - no mean letters if I've been mildly critical of anything. All people have their own unique perceptions!

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