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| Women of Property. Gaia 2017. |
Murals
Gaia has been busy around Remington finishing three murals which, supposedly, depict the distinct auras of the three communities that comprise the neighborhood. If you read my book, you will know which communities I'm talking about. The first mural appeared in Greater Remington on 26th Street in Fall 2017 entitled "Women of Property", which makes no sense because one of the women was Section 8 and didn't own her property. She no longer lives in Remington. However, she still visits so frequently it's like she never left.
Twenty-sixth Street doesn't have a high volume of traffic, so it's not likely to elicit much commentary.
The second mural appears in the Stony Run area on Remington Avenue at Wyman Park Drive. It depicts the large alley cat that the block adopted. I haven't seen it since the mural was painted; it probably got scared. Other Stony Run fauna are shown. The most commentary I've heard was questioning the inclusion of the heron (which I mistook for an egret) as no one seems to have seen one in the Park. I saw one in the Jones Falls a couple years ago, so I'm sure they are hiding somewhere.
The third and last Gaia mural got me some screed on Facebook, just because I questioned the choice of locale. The gorgeous painting, in Little Little Italy, shows the influence of Italian immigration to the area. Unfortunately, it is on the side of a bar where there is trash collection. I thought it rather appropriate in a black humor sort of way, so I posted it in the local FB group, and boy did that generate some unnecessary commentary.Anyway, thanks to Gaia for putting the aRt in Remington.
| New 'Big Jump' Bike Lane and Remington |
August 27, 2018. Sunday, August 26, a date that will live in infamy for Remington drivers. On that day, city leaders inaugurated a new bike lane that they hope will improve accessibility for residents in Reservoir Hill and Remington. Called the BigJump, the bike lane eliminates one lane of southbound traffic on Sisson Street. It’s part of a nationwide initiative called the Big Jump Project, sponsored by the group PeopleForBikes. Baltimore was one of 10 cities selected nationwide.
It will be a yearlong pilot program, said German Vigil, a spokesman for of the city’s transportation department, during which his office will seek feedback from pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers to find ways to improve it. So far, Vigil said, the lane has been popular with pedestrians, though he acknowledged that there had been some complaints from drivers who objected to the removal of a lane of traffic. Everyone I know who owns a car in Remington curses the lane every time they have to drive past. As a pedestrian, I love it. I can now cross 28th Street without fear of impending death from loco drivers.
What motorists don't understand is why some of us choose not to drive. The reasons are many and varied, but check this out: A 66-year-old wheelchair-bound woman who lives in Reservoir Hill used the path to go to the Burger King on Sisson Street (she bought a bacon cheeseburger). So there, the bike lane is contributing to local economy. Bike on!
Source: ctkacik@baltsun.com
