An die Musik is an incredible place. It is a smaller venue--the general admission seats are cushioned and seem like ones you might find in a family friend's living room. They specialize in jazz (especially local jazz, from younger Baltimore folk), contemporary classical, and avant-garde formats. The tickets are inexpensive--especially for students, of which there are many in the surrounding area (Peabody, Baltimore School for the Arts, etc.). The impression one gets as an audience member is that some kind of secret is being uncovered, or that a quiet experiment is underway, and the findings are immediate, spontaneous, and elusive. Always interesting music, a small crowd, low-volume, familiar faces, etc.

At the top of a hill on Cathedral street downtown, we find the central branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore's public library system. Always open to the public, even without a library pass, it is like a great and beautiful sanctuary. Some of my best thinking has taken place in the humanities wing reading room. It is, after all, one of the few places in the city devoted exclusively, and uninhibitedly, to thinking.

Normal's is a great records-and-books store just off of Greenmount Avenue on 31st street. They have an inspiring collection of used books, all very affordable. One gets the impression that each book was deliberately chosen, and personally read through by the storekeepers. The curation of books and records feels very intentional and meaningful. Formed in 1990 by a collective of nine people who wanted to work for themselves on a project that they cared about, Normal's is distinguished by its discernment.

Located in the Copycat Building in Baltimore's Station North area, the Soft House is a sanctuary for soft music and comfortable cultural experiences. The Soft House is one of the best places in Baltimore to experience live music, experimental dance, and theater performances.

Run by artists Seth Adelsberger and Alex Ebstien, Nudashank is one the best places in the city to see and purchase art from some of the most exciting young artists from Baltimore and up and down the east coast.