NEWS
Jacques Kelly | April 12, 2013
I laughed at a news report quoting an official who lamented that Lexington Market lacked a French bakery. The Lexington Market I know is a place that has a thriving bakery, but it sells red velvet cake by the slice and at a price to fit its customers' pocketbooks. As beat-up and poorly maintained as the market is, it possesses a thriving urban vitality. It's good to go there for a Baltimore reality check. The people-watching is incredible and a lot of money seems to change hands.
NEWS
By Patricia Schultheis | April 11, 2013
On a stormy April evening seven years ago, an unexpected email inextricably linked me to a cornerstone of Baltimore's past. The message was this: "Can you do Lexington Market?" And it came from Arcadia Publishing, a firm specializing in pictorial local histories. I read it in a last-minute email check before leaving with my husband for the Maryland Historical Society, which was awarding him its prestigious Brewington Prize for his article on Maryland maritime history. Between the rain, the snarled, rush-hour traffic, and the fact that the evening's focus was on my husband, I corked up Arcadia's message until, arriving at the society, I blurted "I've been asked to write a book about Lexington Market!"
NEWS
By Luke Broadwater, The Baltimore Sun | April 3, 2013
Charles Kelley stands in Baltimore's historic Lexington Market, chowing down on a Faidley's overstuffed crab cake sandwich. It doesn't bother the 37-year-old North Carolina man that the market doesn't have gourmet coffee, wine or cheese shops. He's OK with the faded signs and the dirty floor. As jumbo lump crab meat spills out of his sandwich, Kelley is in a state of bliss. "I've had crab cake sandwiches all over," he says, "and this is the best. " While devotees such as Kelley, who come from long distances for the renowned seafood at the 231-year-old market, are content with their surroundings, city officials are hoping to attract a broader audience.
BUSINESS
By Carrie Wells, The Baltimore Sun | April 1, 2013
Managers of West Baltimore's historic Lexington Market are looking for a consultant to help them plan a multimillion-dollar renovation to transform the market into a regional draw. Lexington Market released the call for consulting services on Monday and expects to pick a firm by September. The 231-year-old market wants a face lift that will make it into a "food destination" attracting a "broad mix" of customers, according to the request for consulting services. Owners want the renovation to make the market better looking inside and out, improve the flow of customers in the building, and for the consultants to give recommendations on whether to promote things like healthy eating.
HEALTH
By Andrea K. Walker | December 11, 2012
A Baltimore retailer has been ordered by city health officials to stop selling a children's ring, necklace and earrings because the items contain dangerous levels of lead. The Baltimore City Health Department said Tuesday it has issued a nuisance order to Choice Corner on West Lexington St. telling the owners to remove the jewelry from its shelves because of lead levels above 100 parts per million. The levels are 900 to 2,400 times what is legally allowed. The products pose a danger to children's health because the lead levels can cause cognitive impairment and neurological problems.
NEWS
By Luke Broadwater, The Baltimore Sun | November 1, 2012
Baltimore's six historic public markets should be equipped with Wi-Fi before the year's end, the city's new Chief Information Officer said Thursday. Chris Tonjes, who runs the Mayor's Office of Information Technology, said it should cost less than $25,000 to equip five markets - Avenue, Broadway Market, Cross Street, Hollins and Northeast - with the service. The upgrade of Lexington Market - the city's best known and first to receive the upgrade - will be funded by a donation from Believe Wireless Broadband, which is giving the city the equipment and bandwidth for the project, officials said.