West Read street retains a quiet mystique which harkens back to early Baltimore days. While walking past the cozy brick and mortar buildings, I spy an old-fashioned pub, a barber shop, a deli, a bakery, and a cafe. This little Mount Vernon enclave feels like something from Rick Steves’ Europe and less like any place else in the city. Nestled amidst the quaint shops is the newly minted Mount Vernon Records and despite a bit of drizzle folks have shown up to celebrate its grand opening on a chilly autumn day. Glizzy’s Hot Dog cart rolls up offering a yummy reprieve from the comparatively chilly weather with mustard, ketchup, or relish.
I find William Hicks, one of the partners in Mount Vernon Records, very busy greeting old friends, patrons, and random folks walking by who are curious about all the new commotion. A smooth R&B number called “Park Bench People” by Freestyle Fellowship pumps out of a mini speaker at the shop’s entrance where artist Tracey D Cooper sits chatting with a friend amongst a collection of his lush and evocative paintings, collages, and prints featuring stoic and mirthful faces staring back at you over splashes of aqua blues, grapefruit pink, black, yellow, and red.
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