Parade Magazine is sponsoring a contest to see which of the incredible Main Streets throughout the US will be featured in a cover story at the end of the summer. Ellicott City is currently in the top 16, 8, Final 4! We hope that you consider to place your vote with Ellicott City’s Main Street. Please go here to vote: http://www.parade.com/mainstreet There are numerous reasons that Historic Ellicott City’s Main Street should be featured and grace the cover of Parade Magazine. It’s rich in history and culture, the community is comprised of residents, business owners and building owners that work together for the good of the town. Throughout the year, locals and out-of-towners can enjoy our wonderful Spring and Fall Festivals, Music Fests, Art Walks, Girls Night Out, First Friday celebrations, Midnight Madness….to name a few. 🙂 Our beautiful Main Street is lined with unique shops, boutiques, salons, artist’s studios and restaurants. I’ve enjoyed Ellicott City’s Main Street for many years, and it’s always been one of the first places I bring out of town visitors. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to move my photography studio there 2 years ago and thoroughly enjoy working with the other business owners and residents of this unique town. Our friendly Main Street has an eclectic group of people that enjoy it daily! I’m very proud to be a part of this charming town. I could go on and on telling you why you should consider voting for our Main Street, but I would like you to hear from some of the other residents, visitors, employees and business owners, as to why Ellicott City’s Main Street should be THE Main Street for the Parade Magazine’s cover story.
HERE IS THE LINK TO VOTE: www.parade.com/mainstreet
I love being part of a business on Main Street, Ellicott City! First of, it’s beautiful, even more so since Benjamin Moore gave the storefronts a make-over in vibrant colors. I love the old stone buildings, secret gardens you can just glimpse behind iron gates, and impossibly narrow passageways between houses. You can see that the place is historic and proud of it. It’ s an exciting little town, too. There are Art Events, Music Festivals, a Farmers Market with great food, movie nights, First Fridays and Girls Night Out events. There are also historical tours, ghost walks ( the whole town is haunted), Shakespeare plays and Civil War re-enactments at the Railroad Museum. There’s always something to do or see. I love the people, too. There’s a nice mix of residents aand business owners that are committed to preserving the town’s heritage as well as helping it to grow. They’re friendly and care about each other and their town. There’s a lot of energy and enthusiasm in Ellicott City, and it’s fun to be a part of it! ~Sue O’Connor, The Wine Bin
There is so much to see and do on Ellicott City’s Main Street. There seems to be something new to discover every time I go. I always look forward to seeing the Bubble Man spreading joy with his colorful soapy creations, checking out the little vintage shops and specialty stores, sitting streetside for a bite to eat and taking in the art, history and culture that makes Main Street so special. I love coming to Ellicott City and as a lifelong Marylander, Ellicott City’s Historic Main Street will always be one of my favorite places to spend an afternoon. ~Kim Lynch
The B&O Railroad Museum, located in Ellicott City is the oldest surviving railroad station in America!
Main Street is very unique and they have stores that you wouldn’t really find anywhere else. That’s why Ellicott City’s Main Street is so special to me! ~Hayley, age 10
Coming from a relatively small town in Pennsylvania, I truly appreciate and respect when residents come together to embrace their Main Street communities. Nowhere is this type of adoration shown more than in historic Ellicott City. From the camaraderie of merchants to the collaboration displayed among local government and residents in good times and bad, Main Street Ellicott City represents much more than a street, it is a sense of who we are and what we want to become. We value history but we recognize that progress is a good thing. My husband and I absolutely love patronizing the restaurants and shops that dot this truly unique community–and whenever we have friends and family over to visit, it is the first destination for us to show off. We look forward to seeing historic Ellicott City thrive year after year as it continues to bring people from all walks together and demonstrates why community matters. ~Sam O’Neill
Ellicott City’s Main St is not only historical and charming, but it has great natural beauty. Nestled between two rivers and rolling hills, it features interesting shops, wine pubs and restaurants. ~Sara Arditti, owner of Still Life Gallery
Ellicott City has a soul. Its history and current vibrancy make you feel like the place is bigger than the buildings and concrete. The people who live, work, and play in Ellicott City have an unspoken attachment to one another simply by loving a certain place. We may not always agree on everything, but we all want to see Ellicott City thrive. ~Tom Coale
Ellicott City’s Main Street hosted the Ellicott City Volunteer Fire Department’s 125 Anniversary Parade…
What makes Ellicott City Special? How can you quantify it? Do you talk about the ancient stone, quarried from our own hills, used to build most of the buildings? Do you talk of the past, a town known for the mills and mill-workers that populated it, founded before our Country broke off on its own? Do you talk about the churches that dot the hillsides, overlooking a Main Street built next the river and rail line (the first rail line!) that was the bread and butter of the people living here?
History like that is fascinating. But what makes Ellicott City special, is that its history is still alive today.
It’s not just a place for preserving the past, held together behind glass to keep it safe. It lives. It’s a community of residents, shopkeepers and visitors who create an energy, a life and a bustle in the town. The dedication and love of these people are what preserves the history here. These people have refused to let developers turn the wood siding into modern plastics, small businesses into chain stores, and old, quirky buildings into personality-less office buildings.
Each day in Ellicott City, the past meets with the present. Delicious coffee is brewed in a building that was once a funeral home, and goods are for sale in an old opera house. Tongue row, one legend says, got its name from women who would lean out the windows and wag their tongues at each other all day. People fill those buildings still, and actually talk to each other every day.
It’s a fight to live and work here. Historic floods have decimated the town, poor economic turns have shadowed parts of Ellicott City’s past. The stones try to return to the ground from which they came, the waters try to rise up and the hills encroach. Developers look at Ellicott City and see dollar signs. Landlords are always tempted by that chain store, looking for a way to elbow itself into this slice of America’s past. But the community holds together, keeping the town clean, fresh, exciting, healthy and true. It’s a place where you can walk down the street, and say hello to people who genuinely care about you. Shopkeepers know you by name, residents know their neighbors, and visitors are always welcome.
My husband and I were married in St. Paul’s Church, which we walked to every week. Years later, our son was baptized there. Our photographer has her shop on Main Street; we pass it when we walk to Church. After church, we walk through the bustle of the town, always saying hello to the owner of Forget Me Not Factory, (“The Bubble Man”, as he is often affectionately known, for the impressive soap bubbles he blows for the kids), and have coffee at the local shop. Sometimes we’ll stop at the French Cafe for fresh-baked bread afterwards. Our home is full of furniture, decor and antiques from the shops around town, and we still keep in touch with neighbors who have moved away. When the snows were piled 3 feet high in 2010, we walked down to the bars. Judge’s Bench was open, because the owners or the bartender lived in walking distance. Our neighbors drank together and helped each other through the storm. It’s a simple, fulfilling lifestyle, and one very much like the people who lived here a hundred years ago. Because the history of Ellicott City isn’t just to be looked at; it’s alive. It’s meant to be lived and experienced and loved. ~ Steeny Benkowski
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Barry, The Bubbleman, is a favorite on Main Street.
It is easy to get around and it has my most favorite store “All Time Toys”, La Palapa is there and I love their food, and who wouldn’t love a town that celebrates the origins of the railroad? ~Andrew, age 11
I have been coming to Main Street, Ellicott City ever since I was a kid. I love the beauty of the town and the quaintness that it still has even with the hustle and bustle right down the road! When you walk down Main Street you feel like you are stepping back in time. Through the devastating fires and floods over the years, Ellicott City has never failed to rebuild and keep the town as it has always been. The store owners treat everyone like family…when you go into a store it feels the same as if you were visiting a close friend. I love the food…they have everything from casual or quick service to more elegant dining options. Portallis is one of my favorite places to go for date night, the atmosphere is just as wonderful as the food they serve! The beauty of Ellicott City changes with the seasons making it a special place to visit year round. Local merchant Pam Long Photography embraces the beauty of Ellicott City as backdrops for many of her portraits. My family is looking forward to brining home a little piece of Ellicott City in a family portrait this fall! I love that the town is so pet friendly! I love knowing that you can take your dog with you and the merchants have water bowls out for them. I especially love the pet store, Work.Play.Bark, we go in there every couple of months to pick up the latest and greatest collars (I am a freak…I change Barley’s collar for the holidays!) because of him I even came home and made a few collars. ~Kristen Coffee
I like the way the river goes under some of the shops and the rocks edge the sidewalks. When I go to Ellicott City I just feel happy. It is so cool when you stand under the train tracks and look up the street. It is a fun place to go with friends because there is always something new to see. ~Elizabeth, age 13
Ellicott City’s Main Street is truly a unique and charming gem. What makes this particular Main Street extraordinarily special is it’s history and natural setting. The B&O railroad and museum at the end of the street, against the Tiber River, the whole street lined with granite walls, hundreds of years old, pushing into the streets in little beautiful shaded corners, keep the Old World feeling going throughout the entire street.
The shops are truly eclectic and unique with funky clothing, jewelry, art, unique toys and gifts and excellent bistros and bars interspersed with modern needs provided by small, hands-on merchants and service-providers. Main Street is a paradise for the entire family and a mecca which we are blessed to call home in Ellicott City. ~Lisa Markovitz
Since 1772, rising like a phoenix from several disaters (floods, fires, war and wrecks) Ellicott City Main Street is a Civil War and “The Goddess” Hollywood movie star that shines today retaining our local color as Charm City’s sister.
At Suze Makeup Studio we go from the Red Carpet to the White House to the real world. Although we have big connections to Hollywood and the Capital of the free world in DC, we like to slow down and connect with our local community through small business. On Ellicott City Main Street, people can stroll along the historical sidewalks, experience a bygone world and escape from modern daily life. ~Suze Heydt, Suze Makeup Studio
Main Street has a wonderful variety of shops and boutiques from which to shop….
So where do I start about Ellicott City, my first memories go back to the early sixty’s when I would ride with my Grandfather John Baker on his many stops collecting rent from his more than 30 apartments. From River Road in Baltimore County, Mulligan’s Hill along the rail road tracks, ( I remember delivering a box of toys and presents with my Grandfather one Christmas to children who lived there, donated by the Ellicott City Lions Club) , lower Main Street, Weaver’s Court , Merryman Street, West End , Fell’s Avenue. It was a weekly trip for me and I learned many skills from him while growing up. Ellicott City then is still the same today in many ways, the buildings look the same, new businesses may occupy them, but the outside appearance is the same today as it was 40 years ago. The merchants are as friendly and helpful now as they were then. There is no big box store or chain restaurant feeling when shopping or eating in Ellicott City. My wife and I enjoy coming to Ellicott City almost every Friday night to have a well prepared meal in a relaxed atmosphere at one of the many fine restaurants there. The variety is endless, from French, Mexican, Italian, American, Casual to dress up. There is no reason to go anywhere else. I could go on and on about the charm I find when visiting Ellicott City and want to mention one more before I finish. The calming beautiful chimes that come from the Emory Methodist Church , anyone who has a had a stressful day need only stop and Liston to the beautiful sounds. I guarantee you will feel better afterwards. ~Ron Peters
I’ve been visiting Main Street since the 90s when I participated in poetry readings at Riverside ( now Bean Hollow) and playing gigs at th little theatre on the corner. What I love about Ellicott city is it’s physical beauty, it’s history, and the vibrancy of the people that live and work here. There’s no other place like it around. You can’t plan a town like this and I’m lucky to be able to work here now. ~Dee Cunningham, owner of Deelite Design
Ellicott City’s community is committed to preserving it’s past while preparing for it’s future. We have banded together to polish this Maryland gem and promote all that is has to offer – rich history for our town, state and Country (1st passenger rail station, greater Ellicott City is still home to the family of one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence), great art, amazing antiques, fantastic restaurants, and a myriad of specialty boutiques that all combine in this wonderful place! ~Jon Weinstein
When I first came to Main Street on a date 17 years ago, I fell in love with the place as we walked up and down the street going into the unique shops and walking down by the river. For several years after that, I visited often and kept thinking that I would love to live here. I would drive up and hang out with the Tuesday night happy hour crowd in the basement of the Ellicott Mill Brewing Company and everyone would yell your name when you walked in the door. Really, that happens. Years later, I finally got that spot on Main Street and haven’t left since. I couldn’t imagine ever living anywhere else. You can’t walk up or down the street without someone yelling your name or waving at you as they drive by. There is such a strong sense of community especially when it really matters, like pulling together for some unexpected flood or a train derailment, and helping out those in need. Some see it as a destination but I see it as a home. I love living here and all the people I get to interact with. For over 6 years, my bedroom window was over this stream in Tiber Park and there is nothing more soothing than sleeping to the sound of the stream that runs through and under our town. ~Peter Edelen
My mother moved us to Howard County when I was nine. I loved Main street as a child. I moved onto main street when I was 20, lived there for four years. I loved my time in Old Ellicott City and moving on was bitter sweet. I am very fortunate to still work on Main Street. It feels like home. In just three traffic lights there are countless bar/restaurants that always have some sort or special or entertainment every night of the week (open mic nights, comedy night etc.), three salons, photographer studios, makeup studio, all ages yoga studio, hands on pottery, skate shop/record store, coffee shops, hookah bar and last but not least all the amazing shopping. A vintage/antique lovers heaven! The Spring Fest/Fall Fest and December’s Midnight Madness are three huge, full street participation festivals that happen once a year. But there is also a First Friday and a Third Thursday (Girls Night Out) celebration that happen every month! The street is always alive with music and art and expression for every age group. Main Street Ellicott City is an amazing place to live, relax, play music, eat, drink and explore. ~Lauren Ward, singer, songwriter, hair stylist
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We house many of the finest artists in the world! The hairdressers at Ooh lal Lal are fantastic! Pam Long is the best photographer and Sweet Elizabeth Jane is the bomb! And what a fun place to hang! There are bars and restaurants all up and down the street. There is a fabulous Wine Bar and small plate restaurant. And there is always something going on like open mic night and comedy nights. I also love the outdoor spring and fall festivals with live bands and entertainment for the whole family! ~Sheela Lal, Owner of Ooh La Lal
H. L. Mencken, the American journalist, essayist, magazine editor, satirist and critic, spent the summers of 1889 and 1890 in Ellicott City, between the ages of eight and ten. He and his family stayed at the house now called The Vineyard, at 3611 Church Road. Like many people, they probably cut through the Howard House (ca. 1800), and up three flights of stairs, as a short cut. Young Mencken often made a trip to Kraft’s butcher shop for a ration of pork chops. The Kraft’s operated out of the granite-based Lauman House (ca. 1800) that became Alda Baptiste Castaldi’s specialty dress shop for thirty years and later the Obladi, the first hotel in Ellicott City since the 1950s. On one of these frequent trips young Mencken ventured out onto the second floor porch that stretched along all the buildings to the railway line. It was press day at the Ellicott Times office, and the young Mencken immediately became smitten with a life of journalism. ~Ken McNaughton
What makes Ellicott City a cover story town? In a word, everything. Main Street is made up of more than stone buildings, trains, haunts and history, though all of those things are an integral part of our town. It’s made up of memories. In my case, two decades worth. My love affair with this eclectic historic town began in high school and has continued while working for my family’s business Salon Marielle. The doors and hearts of this town are always open. From First Fridays to Farmers Markets, museums to art galleries, there is always something to do or see. Our unique blend of retail, restaurants and residents continues to grow and with it our sense of pride and community. The people who live and work here come together in a way I haven’t seen anywhere else. With a can do spirit and a smile on their face people pitch in to maintain our parks and creeks and even volunteer their time at the many festivals and events throughout the year. I can’t imagine spending my days any where else! ~Rachel Rawlings, Salon Marielle and Author
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When I first moved to the area about 8 years, downtown Ellicott City was one of the first places I had really visited. I loved the historic Main Street; it reminded me of an area in PA where I had lived. I immediately felt right at home with the quaint shops and old treasures. Now after almost 3 years, I feel very lucky to get to come to work here everyday. Ellicott City is like my second home.
~Tanya Crouse, A Journey from Junk
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Whether you choose to be photographed in our studio, on location or along the quaint streets of our own beautiful historic town, you will truly enjoy your experience with Pam Long Photography. Clients enjoy a variety of portraiture, from maternity and babies, to children and families, high school seniors, pets, business headshots and special events. Whatever occasion life blesses you with, we will help you capture and document those moments to cherish for generations to come. To receive information about what we offer and how we can meet your needs, please contact us at 410.988.5563 to set up a complimentary consultation. We look forward to transforming your memories into your favorite works of art!
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