I know several people in Baltimore who have built their own beehives and even small apiaries within city limits in back yards and rooftops. For those who don’t have enough time to make their own, here’s this slick, pre-made one by Philips.

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Sonho makes sweet, unique charms that separates itself from the rest of the laser-cut jewelry out there. These pendants are handmade in Baltimore using birch, brass components and a whole lot of cuteness.

During the recent 10 Minute Play Festival in Baltimore, some of my friends performed in this amazing piece written by Arther M. Jolly from the perspective of a rag, a toy submarine, a rubber ducky, and a sponge.

People are often skeptical when I tell them Baltimore is one of the best cities in America, mainly because they only know the city via The Wire and John Waters movies. Maybe this will convince them: the country’s largest pinball museum will open in Charm City by the end of the year.

At the risk of tarnishing my metal cred (if it ever even existed), I really love Lower Dens. I think front-woman Jana Hunter writes gorgeous lyrics, and the band’s music is catchy and accessible without being too polished or safe.

Recently, a portion of the band’s song ‘I Get Nervous’ appeared in an Exxon commercial that attempts to defend the energy company’s process for extracting natural gas. It’s caused some intense debates here in Baltimore, where we’re super tight-knit and we all know each other. Some people think the band has sold out and have given their support to an evil company that engages in fracking, a process that poisons groundwater in Maryland, and therefore the very water-supply we Baltimoreans depend on. Others defend the band, saying that there are few means of making money for a band with the collapse of the music industry, and we have to take what we can get. What do you all think?

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Summer is in full swing here in Baltimore, so I’ve been blasting this awesome song by the British hard rock band Gun, which was active in the late ’60s.

Beth Hoeckel, a Baltimore-based artist, has created some wildly experimental and wonderfully psychedelic works over her career. Her figures tend either directly challenge or ignore the viewer, referencing themes of identity and perception. Bright and bold, these are insistent images. Do they remind anyone else of Run, Lola, Run?

Yup, only in Baltimore. This creative hotspot is now home to the oddest short course race on the planet: ‘Run For Your Lives is an apocalyptic 5K obstacle race. But you’re not just running against the clock. You’re running from brain-hungry, virus-spreading, bloody zombies’. And if that isn’t enough, at the end of it all, there’s a full-on celebration, ‘or zombie transformation’, as they put it, with live music, food, and beer. It all takes place on October 22.

My friend Bethany Dinsick, who I’ve posted about a couple times, just posted her new video for her song, Bad Lil’ Boy. It’s a great, goofy parody and celebration of the DIY culture we’re embedded in here in Baltimore that’s an interesting contrast to the ethereal feel of Dinsick’s music.

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If you’re in the market for a great custom bike, check out Bishop Bikes in Baltimore. Chris Bishop, the man behind the operation, fabricates his own components mostly from scratch, and builds gorgeous, one-of-a-kind frames to your specs. They’re not cheap, but all things considered, they’re a fantastic value.

With its countless abandoned buildings and neglected public space, Baltimore is the perfect city for wheat-paste artists. Gaia has set up shop here, and now pieces by Nanook have been popping up around town.

I’m a wheat-free guy, and though I’ve never been into sweets, I love Sweet Sin, the only gluten-free bakery in Baltimore. Aside from their wheatless treats, they also serve a wide range of savory meals such as snapper, goat, and greens.

Berlin-based American ex-pat Daniel Kingery, an old college friend of mine, ditched his homeland almost a decade ago and has become a rather amazing artist. I hope to drop in on him sometime. I hear Berlin and Baltimore have a lot in common.

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My friend Shaun Flynn designed one of the best show posters I’ve ever seen, a lattice portrait of Asa Osborne of Zomes and Lungfish, for a recent show headlined by a Daniel-Higgs-fronted Skull Defekts.

Zomes opened along with along with Microkingdom and Shave, making it a bit of a Baltimore homecoming for Higgs who has been floating around the world lately. Shaun details his process of creating the poster on his Flickr account. This town never ceases to inspire me.

Word On The Street is a fascinating, frequently updated blog of street interviews mainly of random people in New York City. I’d love for Peter Madsen, the freelance writer behind the blog, to come down to Baltimore sometime. There are some really interesting characters around here.

James Pobiega aka Little Howlin Wolf was an iconic figure in Chicago, playing sax and blues on the streets of the Windy City for decades until he moved to Baltimore. Now he’s a fixture here, and he’s quickly become one of the many unforgettable characters that makes this city so amazing.

His Twitter feed will give you a glimpse of the amazing stuff he says all the time, and if you ever meet him, he’ll tell you how he invented street theater or all the movies he’s been in. Also, check out his album from a few years ago, Brave Nu World.

My good buddy Jake Freeman has his first ever tape out on Ehse Records. It’s a little sampler of the layered, tantric, psychedelic textures and feverish compositions Jake’s been working on for the past few years. Get it! All tapes come with hand-made inserts made by Jake himself.

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Baltimore artist Jackie Milad, born of an Egyptian father and Honduran mother, explores social behavior and non-verbal communication with her conceptual work, drawings, and performance.

Sewn Leather is the one-man noise-punk project of Griffin Pyncant, who moved to Baltimore not too long ago. This shit is more punk than punk, designed to irritate and infuriate. If you want to know what’s going on, this is what’s going on.

Shameless self-promotion: Baltimore artists Jordan Bernier and John Bohl are working on a silkscreen book that will feature art by an array of other Baltimore artists, including yours truly. Each copy of the book will also come with a limited edition silk-screened poster.