‘It’s the best-kept secret in the city’
with its no-frills operating system (sans intercom, visitors must call business owners on the phone to gain access), antiquated freight elevators and reputation for drawing artists and other creatives. The building’s surrounding neighborhood, riddled with abandoned homes, and its lack of advertising, however, have been off-putting for some guests, according to many tenants.
Some businesses value the privacy of being less popular than other creative hubs like Station North’s Copycat building. But other up-and-coming enterprises are thriving off word of mouth and hoping to expand their reach, like vintage furniture and home goods shop Cedar and Cotton, owned by self-taught woodworking and upholstery duo Raina Smallwood and Nasira Latif.
“We’re so off the beaten path. A lot of people don’t know about the building or the other stores. … They’re amazed that there’s so much going on and no one knows about it,” said the 35-year-old Smallwood, who, along with Latif, handcrafts much of the pillows and furniture featured in their Cambridge Building showroom. “It’s the best-kept secret in the city.” Here’s a peek inside five other enterprises inside the Cambridge Building. the community how to be self-sufficient, while also advocating for the use of the city’s 311 call service that allows residents to request help with needs such as trash pickup, tree trimming and street repairs.
Cooper, an artist and metal fabricator, also hosts a range of events and workshops in his second-floor suite and works in local gardens, including a plot near the building, teaching people how to plant raised garden beds and cook fresh produce. her management job in retail and opened a physical showroom in the Cambridge Building for A Day N June, which had been operating online, in November.
“I was doing pop-up shops around the city. I wanted to have a place for my customers to come and feel the whole vibe of the brand without always having to be outside,” said Brown, who was told about the space by Cedar & Cotton owners.
The A Day N June showroom now houses a vibrant assortment of women’s and men’s clothes and accessories acquired from trade shows in Los Angeles and New York and vintage and thrift stores across the country, along with original artworks for art gallery events and shows hosted within her suite.
It’s a deep departure from the building’s surrounding area, which Brown said is not known for its shopping.
“There’s not a lot of other shops around here or really a reason for people to come through this way, and it’s a warehouse, and that’s more of a New York-style setup,” she said.
“It’s new to Baltimore, but we’re trying to get the word out.” wine flavor and ice cream base, which employees mix and flash-freeze before their eyes.