Best guess . . .

Christopher Myers

Baltimore Living

News and Media

Goods and Services

Dining

Arts and Entertainment

Nightlife

2011 Readers Poll: Baltimore Living

2011 Readers Poll: News and Media

2011 Readers Poll: Goods and Services

2011 Readers Poll: Dining

2011 Readers Poll: Arts and Entertainment

2011 Readers Poll: Nightlife

So, we seem to be in a period of transition here in Baltimore. They say our local economy isn’t sinking anymore, but it sure as hell isn’t climbing yet. Our mayor is on her way from being a default leader to a properly elected one (thanks to the paltry few who bothered to vote—what’s up with that?). Crime is down, but some city cops seem to be personally trying to make up for it. Schools are better, ostensibly, but are they really? The test scores don’t necessarily tell for sure, apparently. We started the baseball season with hopes of a better-than-.500 year only to wind back up at the, ahem, “rebuilding” stage. We said goodbye to Willie Don and hello to the Grand Prix. All in all, it’s been a wait-and-see kind of year, if you don’t count the weather. It was the snowiest 12 months we can remember as well as the wettest.

But while we’re waiting for Baltimore to emerge rejuvenated, all its problems solved, we’re pretty grateful for what we have. In fact, when it comes time to compile the Best of Baltimore issue, we’re downright good with it. Because—except for the occasional backhanded compliment—it’s one long list of things to like, love, lift up, celebrate, and just plain dig about all things 410/443, from an arts scene that’s booming to a culinary scene that ranges from haute cuisine to down-and-dirty delicious to the many day-to-day amenities that improve life here immensely but often go unnoticed. And in the Readers Poll, you get to tell us your own picks.

One thing’s for sure: We’ll be interested to see what this next year brings. Won’t you?

City Paper’s Best of Baltimore 2011 was written by Andrea Appleton, Michael Byrne, Laura Dattaro, Anna Ditkoff, Alex Ebstein, Edward Ericson Jr., Jerard Fagerberg, Lionel Foster, Lee Gardner, Tim Hill, Geoffrey Himes, Henry Hong, Heather Joslyn, Jenn Ladd, Joe MacLeod, Bret McCabe, Max Robinson, Al Shipley, Van Smith, Brandon Soderberg, Wendy Ward, Baynard Woods, and Mary K. Zajac, with help from research assistant Phyllis Zhu and Editor Emeritus Anna Ditkoff. Interns Danielle Ariano, Natalie Copeland, Andy Holter, Dennis Mizzoni, Sarah Salovaara, Annie Stevenson, and Phillip Walters helped make it happen for credit. Photographs by John Ellsberry, Mel Guapo, Frank Hamilton, Sam Holden, Frank Klein, Christopher Myers, Michael Northrup, Rarah, Josh Sisk, Van Smith, and Jefferson Jackson Steele. Cover photograph by Frank Hamilton with very special thanks to Mr. Boh, The Oriole Bird, Todd Evans, and Besty™.