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Favorite thing: When we lived in Roland Park, we were in a neighborhood that was walkable, but also had public transportation. The trolley ran down the middle of Roland Avenue. It went all the way to Lake Roland at the north end, and I remember taking a field trip from school on the trolley to the lake.

When University Boulevard split off of Roland Avenue, if we wanted to go downtown, we would transfer to the trackless trolley at the water tower. The Italianate octagonal Roland Water Tower was built by the City of Baltimore in 1904-05. The area where the water tower stands is now a Historic District.

We could walk to our school going down an alley and across in front of a small block of stores. A branch of the Enoch Pratt library was right across the street. If we got up early enough, we could walk to Sunday School, although usually our parents drove us there, and we just walked home.

Fondest memory: When I went back to Baltimore in July 2007 to do the closing on my mother's house, I drove through Roland Park on my way home. I took some pictures of our old school which looked pretty much the same (although bigger). I drove up our street and took pictures of our old house.

I took a picture of the library which had a bunch of construction in front of it (photo 3). Apparently it was enlarged and the newly refurbished library opened there in 2008

I took a picture of the stores that I used to walk across in front of to school (or run if I was late). In those days it was an A&P grocery store, a Graul's grocery store, and the store where I used to buy Turkish taffy with the money I was supposed to use for lunch. Now there's a big Starbucks and Eddies grocery store.

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Favorite thing: When it came time for me to go to school, my parents moved from an apartment to a house in Roland Park which is an old established neighborhood in Baltimore. Roland Park was the first planned "suburban" community in North America and it was developed between 1890 and 1920 as an upper-class suburb. The early phases of the neighborhood were designed by Edward Bouton and Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. A street car line connected it to the city. This line was still in operation on Roland Avenue when we lived there.

I think my parents moved here so I could go to Roland Park Elementary/Middle School, a K-8 school, which has earned the Blue Ribbon for Academic Excellence from the state department of education.

Since my dad was an assistant professor with a small salary, they couldn't afford a big house, and we ended up with the original farm house in the district on the fifty cent side of Roland Avenue. (The other side with the big homes designed by Olmsted was the "dollar side").

When we sold my mom's house after she died, I went back and took a photo of our old house. When we lived there it had brown shingles, red shutters and a white picket fence. My mother put window boxes on the upstairs windows which were to keep us (me) from climbing out onto the roof as my mother thought that would be dangerous. It didn't work.

Fondest memory: The house had a porch around the front and part of the side. The front door led into what was originally the front parlor. My father used this room as his study. The next room right behind it was our living room and dining room (photo 3 which shows me and my mother's desk with a bust of me as a child, and a photo of my grandmother over it). Back of that was the big farm kitchen. Behind that was the pantry and woodshed. Upstairs there was a front room, a side room and a back room and an indoor bathroom had been sectioned off of the back room. In the basement was the furnace which burned coal. There was a one car garage which was too small even for a 1948 car.

The street we lived on (St. Johns Rd.) was very narrow (photo 5). People could not park on both sides or no one could drive through. This meant that we were pretty much safe to bike or roller skate or play in the street without fear of traffic

We lived here from sometime during WWII until 1950 when we moved to Towson

Now, the shingles have been painted grey, the shutters are white, and the picket fence is gone (photo 2). But the street is still narrow and shady (photo 4)

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Favorite thing: At Sherwood Gardens, approximately 80,000 tulip bulbs are planted annually along with other spring flowering bulbs. Sherwood who planned the gardens often ordered the bulbs he used from the Netherlands. It is now the most famous tulip garden in North America.

Also dogwoods, flowering cherries, wisteria and magnolias bloom throughout the garden.

Fondest memory: We used to make a visit to Sherwood Gardens each spring around the end of April or in May to look at the new tulips. This was before Mr. Sherwood died in 1965.

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Favorite thing: City Hall houses the offices of Baltimore's mayor and city council. The cornersgtone of this fine building was laid in 1867, and it was completed in 1875. The interior of the building was renovated in the 1970s, and money was approved for exterior renovations in 2009.

City Hall is surrounded by Lexington Street on the North, Guilford Avenue on the West, Fayette Street on the South and War Memorial Plaza to the East

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Favorite thing: Natty Boh is the nickname for National Bohemian - beer brand which was first brewed in 1885 by the National Brewing Company (whose other brands were National Premium and Colt 45) in Baltimore. Their slogan "The Land of Pleasant Living" referred to the Chesapeake Bay.

For a time, National's head Jerry Hoffberger also owned the Baltimore Orioles; Natty Boh was served at Memorial Stadium and became the "official" beer of Baltimore in the late 1960s

The company's mascot, the one-eyed, handlebar-mustachioed Mr. Boh, has been a recognizable icon since the 1950s. He is still a highly popular, especially in Baltimore, where it is considered an unofficial city mascot.

Even though the beer is now brewed in by Miller Brewing in North Carolina and distributed by Pabst, Mr. Boh still appears on all cans, bottles, and packaging; and merchandise featuring him can still easily be found in shops all over Maryland.

Fondest memory: Every time we go through the I-895 Tunnel, I see the Mr. Boh neon sign which currently sits atop the former site of the National Brewery building in Canton, Baltimore. The former brewery is now known as Natty Boh Towers and is rented out as apartments and offices.

Favorite thing: There are two well know historic movie theaters in Baltimore, The Senator and The Charles. The Senator is the home to many movie premere's in Baltimore. John Waters premeres his movies at The Senator. Its a big classical theater from the 1930-1940's completely restored. In spite of all of his I consider The Charles to be Baltimores best movie theater. Its historically old also, although not as renovated as The Senator. But The Charles offers more than just the latest Hollywood blockbuster. The Charles shows many foreign films, art films, and also has an ongoing classic movie showing three times a week. There is a wonderful Tapas bar connected to The Charles where you can have a glass of wine before going to the movies. And there is a resident cat living in the lobby. All in all Baltimore's best movie theater.

For more information check out the link below

http://www.thecharles.com/

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Favorite thing: The Team Captain, Jason Varitek is the Catcher. Even though he has struggled a bit offensively of late, he is invaluable playing his position in the field. He is renowned for his ability to work with Pitchers and get the most effective performances from them.

On April 22, 2007 in a game against the New York Yankees, Varitek hit the final of four consecutive Home Runs for the Red Sox, tying a Major League Baseball record.

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Favorite thing: The regular starting Center Fielder for the Red Sox is Coco Crisp. For those who are wondering, Coco is just a nickname; his actual first name is Covelli. His father, Loyce, was a boxer nicknamed (interestingly enough) Sugar Crisp.

Crisp was injured and did not play in this game. That turned out to be a good thing for the Red Sox, since his replacement had the game-winning hit.