Justin Timothy Temple
Baltimore, Maryland
Teavolve
This is THE brunch spot on the weekends. I'll start by saying plan early because there is usually a wait but it is well worth it. As the name suggests, there is a whole menu of tea-based drinks for you to try with your favorite brunch entrees. Speaking of which, the items (like my favorite, the shrimp and grits) are done so well, they don't need the usual "twist" that most places want to throw in. Combine that with great, attentive staff, live music, and outdoor seating when the weather permits and you have the experience worth the wait
Jinji
Jinji is a local chocolatier. Let that sink in. Everything is handmade from the orange blossom infused bars to the date poppers, to the liquid drinking chocolate (yes). The great thing is while her storefront is a little more north within the city compared to other locations listed, her chocolates can be found seemingly everywhere in the city. Including Sophomore coffee, which is on this recommendationlist!
Sophomore Coffee
My friend Kris's second establishment (sophomore, get it?) is quickly becoming an institution here in Baltimore. Using Partner coffee from Brooklyn, I would venture to say that nobody in the city pours as well as Kris and his team. The icing is that you are always greeted upon entering with a smile and the decor is equal parts beautiful, minimal, and unique. I may have taken a couple of pictures of the tile work just for inspiration for my own home projects some day in the future.
Walters Art Museum
The Walters Art Museum is founded on the personal art collection of the Walters family and is located just south of the Washington Monument. Its Oddities room is fascinating – plus, it is the site where monthly talks and weekly artist workshops are held. But the best part is the Hackerman House, an adjacent mansion that houses the museum's South and East Asian Art. Look for the annual taxidermy expo as well – it's an experience!
Visitors to Baltimore come face-to-face with a community of people who are passionate about this city. The people here are driven to make Baltimore not just a thriving place to live but sustainable as well. The community is so strong, so supportive, and so energized that everyone is working to not only get their wins but also making sure others get theirs, too.
I teach yoga. I got started by tagging along to my first yoga class with friends over ten years ago. I was bitten by the bug and never looked back. Now, I co-lead a 6-day a week Mysore yoga program. Mysore is a way to practice yoga. Students gather together as a group and practice a sequence of poses on their own. A teacher is in the room to provide assistance and support. I tap into my creativity when I am teaching because our practice space has around twenty people practicing different parts of a sequence at any given time. I don't have a lot of time to assess a student's needs because postures are typically held for five breaths. I commit to a decision pretty quickly and then (hopefully!) present it in a way that the student I am interacting with at that moment can understand easily. Choosing what's right for a student, as an individual, takes quite a bit of creative energy.