South Baltimore Now! brings you the latest on new businesses, major projects, and the people powering South Baltimore’s momentum.
Episodes
Tuesday Jan 13, 2026
Tuesday Jan 13, 2026
- A wild first month: Zac’s son was born the same night he was sworn in, kicking off a year of balancing newborn life with the demands of public office.
- Learning the job: From 4 a.m. work sessions to building a new staff, Zac shares what the transition into city government really looked like.
- Why smoke shops exploded: He explains the legal loopholes, synthetic cannabis issues, and market forces behind the surge — and how new zoning rules aim to rein it in.
- Housing reform at scale: Zac breaks down the city’s Housing Options & Opportunities package and what it means for rowhomes, small apartment buildings, parking requirements, and neighborhood character.
- Parking minimums clarified: He addresses concerns from South Baltimore residents and explains what actually changes (and what doesn’t).
- Downtown’s crossroads: A candid look at office vacancies, competing districts, public space challenges, and why Downtown’s health matters to every neighborhood.
- Lexington Market progress: Zac shares details on a new multi‑agency effort he’s leading to tackle vacancy and improve conditions around the market.
- Neighborhood‑level wins: From code enforcement to youth vaping concerns, Zac talks about the hands‑on work his office is doing across District 11.
- The transition from candidate to councilmember
- Balancing family life with public service
- How committee work shapes legislation
- The process of drafting and negotiating bills
- The smoke shop zoning package and youth vaping concerns
- The city’s housing package and zoning modernization
- Parking requirements and development flexibility
- Downtown Baltimore’s challenges and opportunities
- Vacancy, graffiti, and quality‑of‑life issues
- How residents can engage with Zac’s office
Phone: 410‑396‑4816
Email: zachary.blanchard@baltimorecity.gov
100 Holliday Street
Room 516
Baltimore, Maryland 21202
Podcast inquiries & sponsorships: southbmoremarketing@gmail.com
Tuesday Dec 23, 2025
Tuesday Dec 23, 2025
Nate and Kevin close out the year with a full breakdown of the biggest stories shaping South Baltimore in 2025 — from major development updates and new restaurants to youth sports growth and the major events coming in 2026. If you follow Baltimore neighborhoods, real estate, restaurants, or waterfront redevelopment, this episode brings you everything you need to know.
🎙️ What’s Inside
• Baltimore Peninsula / Port Covington — Bank OZK land updates, new construction, leasing, Locke Landing growth, and rumored 2026 retail
• Neighborhood Development — One Westport going vertical, Middle Branch housing, and transportation challenges
• Retail & Restaurants — Slutty Vegan, Bar Vegan, Ben & Jerry’s, Jersey Mike’s, Daily Grind, Little Wing, plus upcoming sushi, Mexican, Jamaican, noodle bar, brunch, and karaoke concepts
• Tide Point & Under Armour’s Former Campus — Cristo Rey’s plans and early redevelopment details
• Stadium Square & Warner Street — 316 new apartments, Paramount Baltimore progress, entertainment district expansion, and M&T Bank Stadium renovations
• Federal Hill’s Chauffeur’s Building — 51 apartments, 12,000 sq ft of retail, and the push for a grocery store
• Community & Youth Sports — Booming leagues, new club teams, and the next generation of South Baltimore athletes
• Big Events — Blue Angels returning, Lionel Messi at M&T Bank Stadium, and major 2026 events already on the calendar
🎧 Watch the Full Video
YouTube: https://youtu.be/xYE8zgLCPsM
📍 More South Baltimore Coverage
For daily updates on Baltimore development, real estate, restaurants, and neighborhood news, visit:
👉 SouthBMore.com — https://www.southbmore.com
📣 Support Local Journalism
Like, follow, rate, and share the show to help strengthen independent local reporting in South Baltimore.
For podcast or advertising inquiries:
📧 southbmoremarketing@gmail.com
Friday Nov 21, 2025
Friday Nov 21, 2025
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Field of Futures - Get your Tickets Here: https://buba.rallyup.com/fof2025/Campaign/Details
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The Diamond Collective: https://www.thediamondcollective.org/
Friday Nov 07, 2025
Friday Nov 07, 2025
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Growing up in Baltimore: Jon shares his experience growing up in both Canton and Middle River, reflecting on the changes and growth of those neighborhoods.
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Locust Point Life: He explains how he came to live in Locust Point, drawn in by his now-wife and the neighborhood's strong sense of community and volunteerism.
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Marine Corps Service: Jon discusses his decision to enlist in the Marine Corps from 1998 to 2004, driven by a family tradition of military service, and the painful yet growth-filled experience.
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Veterans Community: He highlights the special camaraderie among veterans in Baltimore, often seen picking up trash or teaching younger generations community values.
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The Marine Corps League: Jon details the mission of the Marine Corps League Baltimore Detachment 565, which supports Marines and former Marines, and keeps the Corps' heritage alive. He also talks about the event hall and Marine Corps-specific museum housed in a repurposed firehouse.
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Dewar General Contracting: As the owner of a South Baltimore-based business, Jon outlines the company's focus on major residential and commercial renovations, including additions, build-outs, and restaurant work. He emphasizes the company's commitment to customer relationships, quality, and being licensed and insured in multiple states (Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and pursuing North Carolina).
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Community Advocacy: Jon shares his active pursuit of a volunteer seat on the Baltimore City Veterans Commission to advocate for veterans and act as a liaison to the city government.
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Scottish Heritage: He is involved with the St. Andrew's Society of Baltimore, which promotes Scottish Americans and provides scholarships and parades, where he serves as the second vice.
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Non-Profit Involvement: Jon discusses his involvement with organizations that help pets, explaining how volunteering with animals helped him transition back to civilian life after the military.
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SouthBMore.com: www.southbmore.com
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Bodega & Vino: www.bodegaandvino.com
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Marine Corps League Baltimore Detachment 565
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Dewar General Contracting
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Office: 410-656-4277
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jdewar@dewargc.com
Friday Oct 10, 2025
Friday Oct 10, 2025
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Official Webpage: Luke H. Clippinger, Maryland State Delegate
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Campaign/Personal Site: Luke Clippinger
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Annapolis Office Address: 101 Taylor House Office Building, Annapolis, MD 21401
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Email: luke.clippinger@house.maryland.gov
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Phone (Office/Campaign): 410-841-3488 (Annapolis) or 410-989-3876 (Direct/Campaign)
Friday Sep 19, 2025
Friday Sep 19, 2025
In this episode of South Baltimore Now!, host Nate Carper sits down with Gabe Bustos, co-founder of Hector Home Services Marketing. They dive into the company's unique journey and its mission to help local, family-owned home service businesses succeed.
Gabe shares his personal motivation, revealing that past business failures in music and education due to a lack of marketing knowledge inspired him to help others who are skilled at their trade but need help with promotion. This passion for service is what led Hector Home Services Marketing to focus exclusively on the home services industry.
While the company has clients across the U.S., most of their clients are located right here in Maryland. Gabe and Nate discuss how smaller to mid-sized cities and suburbs provide a great environment for businesses to quickly improve their Google ranking and compete with larger corporations.
Hector Home Services Marketing specializes in Google marketing and lead generation, with a focus on helping businesses rank high on Google Maps and managing Google ad products.
Gabe offers a free, no-obligation video analysis for potential clients. His team will analyze a business's online presence and provide clear, actionable steps to improve their ranking and performance.
Links
- Hector Home Services Marketing Website: hectorhomeservicesmarketing.com
Friday Sep 05, 2025
Friday Sep 05, 2025
In this episode of the South Baltimore Now podcast, host Nate Carper interviews Karen Kindig, the owner of The Womb Room. Karen shares her journey from being a therapist to owning The Womb Room, a business offering prenatal and postpartum support, lactation consulting, and parental classes. Karen discusses the importance of community and support during and after pregnancy and highlights some of the unique services offered by The Womb Room, including placenta encapsulation and virtual therapy sessions. She also shares valuable advice for expecting parents on feeling empowered and prepared for childbirth. Tune in to learn more about the impact of this local business on the South Baltimore community.
About The Womb Room
The Womb Room is a community perinatal health and wellness center in Baltimore, Maryland. They offer a wide range of services to support families locally and online.
· Website: https://www.wombroom.mom/
· Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewombroom_baltimore/
Contact
· The Womb Room: support@wombroom.mom
· Nate Carper: southbmoremarketing@gmail.com
· Like, Subscribe, Leave a review - www.southbmore.com
Sunday Jul 27, 2025
Sunday Jul 27, 2025
This special summer episode of the South Baltimore Now podcast features Nate, Rob Wahl, and Julie Carper discussing sponsorship opportunities for the South Baltimore Youth Soccer League's (SBYSL) Fall 2025 season. Your support directly impacts over 700 young soccer players across Baltimore by funding player stipends, providing essential soccer infrastructure, enabling free programming, and developing a youth referee program. Learn about various sponsorship tiers, branding opportunities (including jerseys and social media), and how businesses can connect with the community while supporting youth sports.
Key Takeaways -
SBYSL's Reach: Entering its 21st year, SBYSL serves almost 500 families and over 700 individual players from 90 schools and 30+ zip codes across Baltimore.
Impact of Sponsorships -
Financial Assistance: Ensures accessibility for all families by providing player stipends, with over $5,000 in assistance given to 30+ players this year.
Infrastructure: Funds goals and equipment at local parks like Latrobe and Riverside.
Youth Development: Supports free soccer clinics, instruction, outings, and a referee development program for local kids to learn skills and earn money.
Tiered Options: Various levels available to suit any business budget.
Brand Visibility: Recognition through league-wide communications, logo/verbiage on player jerseys, and social media promotion.
Community Connection: Opportunity for businesses to set up booths at Saturday games to promote products and services directly to attendees.
Expanded Exposure: Unlike single-team sponsorships, SBYSL offers branding across entire league divisions (8-15 teams), maximizing reach to over 60 teams and five divisions.
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Act Now! Opening day is September 6th at Latrobe Park. To have your business promoted on jerseys by then, contact SBYSL within the next week.
Relevant Links:
Learn More & Sign Up: sbysl.com/sponsors
Email for Sponsorships: sbysl.sponsorship@gmail.com
Friday May 16, 2025
Friday May 16, 2025
In this episode, we go inside the Baltimore Orioles organization with longtime South Baltimore resident Zach Brown, the Senior Director of Ticket Operations, who has dedicated over 18 years to the team.
Hosted by Kevin Lynch, the discussion covers Zach's journey from an intern to his current role, the strategic aspects of ticketing, and the vibrant energy of working at Camden Yards. Zach shares memorable moments as an Orioles fan, insights on planned renovations, and the focus on improving fan experiences. They also discuss community engagement, special themed nights, and the addition of new ticketing options. Zach emphasizes the value of community support and the efforts to enhance the ballpark experience for everyone. The conversation highlights the impact of baseball on the local neighborhood and the broader Orioles community.
Friday Mar 14, 2025
Friday Mar 14, 2025
Join Kevin Lynch of SouthBmore.com as he sits down with Will Fagg, the heart and soul behind Tiny Brick Oven in Federal Hill, Baltimore. In this inspiring episode, Will shares his remarkable journey from Southern food roots and Airbnb Superhost to crafting artisanal pizzas in his own backyard. Hear about the challenges of running a small business, including the near-closure that was miraculously averted by a Christmas miracle.
Then, witness the incredible "One Bite Effect" as Dave Portnoy of Barstool Sports makes a surprise visit, changing everything. Discover how this unexpected review sparked an outpouring of community support and a generous donation that saved Tiny Brick Oven. Will also shares his future plans and unwavering commitment to the community.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Will's unique journey from Southern cooking to artisanal pizza.
- The struggles and triumphs of running a small business.
- The life-changing impact of Dave Portnoy's "One Bite" review.
- How community support can transform a struggling business.
- Will's vision and plans for Tiny Brick Oven's future.
Links & Resources:
- Dave Portnoy Donates $60k to Tiny Brick Oven (Story by SouthBmore.com): https://www.southbmore.com/2024/12/25/dave-portnoy-donates-60000-to-tinybrickoven-in-federal-hill-during-viral-pizza-review/
- Tiny Brick Oven Website: https://tinybrickoven.com/
- Dough-Nate Pizza to the Hungry: https://checkout.square.site/buy/AGS6OEDIFCMXJJROZTYEWCOP
- Kevin Lynch (Pizza Channel Kevin) - Watch Episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8VcbccuiZ0&t=3s