Dominicans in Baltimore City!

[DCKenny]

Hello my name is DCKenny I'm new to this forum. I'm always curious about the latino scene in Baltimore because I thought that Baltimore was a Black and White city. Until I was checking out Baltimore latino community, it's growing I'm not too such about the latino nationalities in Baltimore but I know they have a latino fest every year. I was asking does anyone in this forum knows about the Dominican poputation in Baltimore?

[ALB3]

Hey DC,

I know there is a Dominican population in the Balto area but it is small. The last numbers I saw was 2 years ago and it was roughly 2,000. Is that an accurate count? I have no idea. I'm sure others will be posting what they know.

[Tordok]

I live in Baltimore. Not a lot of Dominicanos here, and the few that are here are spread around various areas of the city and the surrounding counties.

There's a couple of Dominican-owned colmados near Patterson Park and the fast growing "Spanish" neighborhood near Fells Point on the Boradway street corridor south of Johns Hopkins hospital. There is alrger concentration of Dominicanos near Washington, D.C., in Silver Spring and Wheaton (Montgomery County).

The Asociación Dominicana de Maryland has a website with no data:
http://get-me.to/mddomclub

During the annual Latino Festival each summer the asociation puts up a quiosk serving typical Dominican food staples and often DOminican bands play live music.

There is also a group of older professional Dominicans that have been here since Trujillo's times, but who are fully integrated into mainstream culture and have very little to do with modern popular culture of Dominicans.

- Tordok

[DCKenny]

I heard about this spanish town how big is it in Baltimore? Also are there alot of Puerto Ricans in Baltimore City? I was thinking about going to the Latino Fest in Bmore this year but I did'nt have anyone to come with me was this festival big?

[Tordok]

Originally Posted by DCKenny

I heard about this spanish town how big is it in Baltimore? Also are there alot of Puerto Ricans in Baltimore City? I was thinking about going to the Latino Fest in Bmore this year but I did'nt have anyone to come with me was this festival big?

Spanish town is only 3-4 city blocks in each direction at most. There's one good Ecuadorian restaurant, some Mexican places, several Central American colmadones, travel agencies,, etc. In all honesty I have not attended the Festival in the last 8 or 9 years. It was very small then but I hear it is much larger now. You should try it since there's nothing to loose and the food is always good.

Baltimoreans in general are friendly people and our Latino presence is small but with good reputation for hard work and fun partying.

There's a club near the Inner Harbor that I hear gets a nice eclectic mix of young people, the Iguana Cantina. I'm no longer that young so I can't give you firsthand accounts but from what I know plenty of college age kids of all ethnicities go there and the ambient is predominantly Latino.

There is a also place called the Latin's Palace on Broadway street (Spanish Town) with a mostly Central American crowd, but also some Puerto Ricans and Dominicans as well as nonLatins who like our music. Next door there is a reasonable restaurant owned by a Spaniard. BTW, the best -$$$$- Spanish restaurant in town (in downtown, off Charles Street near the Peabody Conservatory is called Tío Pepe, and the owners/chef are from Spain but virtually every one else on staff is from el Cibao).

There's the Havana Club on Water street (couple of blocks from Inner Harbor) that caters to a more traditional (elegant dressers and older) crowd of dancers of salsa and merengue, this one is more touristy and expensive. The only Latino thing there is the music. For some reason a lot of good looking young Russian women go there.

good luck,
-Tordok

[deelt]

To find out what's really moving in B-more at night I would call the Spanish radio stations. They have all the hookups and know what's shaking. I would check with La Mega 92.7FM and that other new station. I think it's Caliente 97.9FM. Please accept my apologies. I really should know this but my brain is going a million miles an hour on other things. My head is full of debris...literally.
From the Gulf Coast,
D

[Tordok]

Originally Posted by deelt

To find out what's really moving in B-more at night I would call the Spanish radio stations. They have all the hookups and know what's shaking. I would check with La Mega 92.7FM and that other new station. I think it's Caliente 97.9FM. Please accept my apologies. I really should know this but my brain is going a million miles an hour on other things. My head is full of debris...literally.
From the Gulf Coast,
D

Hi Deelt,
Those Latino stations are geared toward the DC area market and B-more is a bit off their radars, it is its own -much smaller- latino market. Maybe the AM stations have a better grasp. On FM, your Caliente station cannot be picked up in Baltimore unless it is actually El Zol 99.1 (that signal used to be for WHFS, an alternative rock station from Annapolis). BTW I can't stand the 99.1 reggaeton/bachata all day long format and their DJs get away with more on-the-air vulgarity than Howard Stern ever even tried on his idiotic shows.
saludos,
- Tordok

[ALB3]

Originally Posted by Tordok

There's the Havana Club on Water street (couple of blocks from Inner Harbor) that caters to a more traditional (elegant dressers and older) crowd of dancers of salsa and merengue, this one is more touristy and expensive. The only Latino thing there is the music. For some reason a lot of good looking young Russian women go there.

good luck,
-Tordok

I've gone to Havana Club a few times with a friend from Argentina. Yes, it's older meaning 25 and up. Everytime I've gone there have been Boricuas and Cubanos and lots of everything else..., including the nice Russian ladies.

[DCKenny]

Word! I might go up there when I get an oppertunity to go to Baltimore! I here Baltimore is changing to a better city than it used to be.

[DCKenny]

I believe we have a spammer!