It's A Small World

A tangled web of social connections makes it easy to connect the dots among residents of Baltimore -- or is it Smalltimore?

As Baltimore's population stabilizes after years of loss, Smalltimore stories may become less common. And yet, says James Evans, CEO of illume communications, "Smalltimore" retains all the punch of a hip brand.

As he confirmed in a very Smalltimore way, the term brings added value to Charm City life. Evans was dining with friends and a newcomer to his Tuscany-Canterbury apartment building. Naturally, dinner party chatter turned to Smalltimore.

As his friends traded tales, Evans mentioned that he had reserved the Web domain for Smalltimore.

"You're the guy!" the newcomer exclaimed, a bit irately.

It happened that a friend of hers had tried to buy the domain name from Evans, but e-mail negotiations had faltered. "We howled about that," Evans says.

Soon, Evans says he hopes to have his Smalltimore Web site up and running so that anyone may post accounts of local ties that bind. Advertising may follow.

And then, perhaps Evans can expand the Smalltimore brand to another city with small-town pretensions. But up there, they call it Smallbany.

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