Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
September 20, 2021
Leisure is the section where we highlight the intriguing, exciting and all-around fun events and activities happening in Baltimore over the weekend.
I’ve been on a little bit of a museum kick lately.
It was already a bit dark by the time we pulled in to the nearly full, gravel parking lot of Birroteca, an Italian restaurant — I think it might technically go by “pizzeria,” but I’ve forgotten — resting in the luxuriant shade of I-83 as it goes over Jones Falls.
When I first moved to Baltimore for school last year, the most common question I received from friends and family was “What are you going to eat?!”
The school year is just starting to rev up, which means it’s time for a few of my favorite things: fresh stationery, taking notes for the first 30 minutes of class and Hampdenfest.
Lately it feels as though the entire student body has moved into Brody. We’ve all been there: the sad moment when they announce the service desk is closing for the night and the even sadder moment when it opens again the next morning.
This semester has truly been a sprint to the finish. At the end of it, I graduate and leave Baltimore at least for the summer, if not longer. This comes with a lot of nostalgia. However, I haven’t gotten a chance to deal with it: I’ve been trying to enjoy my Hopkins “lasts” like my last Spring Fair, my last Outdoor Pursuits trips and events and of course the looming deadlines of my last set of final projects.
I have had a standing weekly coffee date with a friend of mine for a few months now. She is a senior, and as the semester nears its end and her graduation date quickly approaches, we have tried to see each other more often to squeeze in as many fun memories as possible.
Especially for those of us who stayed on campus during spring break, this time of year tends to feel a little monotonous; You can only look out the windows of Brody for so long before you go a little stir crazy.
Saturday is inching closer, and I know what you’re all thinking: It’s mother-loving EARTH DAY, my friends! (And yes, it also happens to be Homecoming, for those of you still proudly waving that school spirit. I salute you.)
Here at Hopkins we have an unusual and special opportunity. While it’s clear that this school’s academic and research opportunities are top notch and of course there are many other opportunities, that is not what I’m talking about.
In the spirit of searching for new potential study spaces as the end of the semester draws near and deadlines loom, this past week I went to check out Baby’s On Fire, a coffee shop and record store in Mount Vernon. Named after the Brian Eno song, it opened just last year to generally positive reviews.
Perhaps the most important part of any city, for me, is its walkability. Growing up in a town with absolutely nothing to do, walking for the sake of walking was legitimately an activity, and some of my fondest memories are talks with friends on aimless walks.
It’s housing season here on campus, and while distressed freshmen may be busy making protest shirts about the dorm lottery, sophomores are facing another distinct challenge: grown-up, off-campus housing.
