Tips for Looking for Apartments in Baltimore

Posted on July 31, 2014 by ezstoragecorp

The apartment rental business has been quite busy the past few years. Occupancy rates are very high as a result of significant demand. If you are looking for an apartment, it is important to have a game plan in mind for your search. There are many important factors that have to be determined before you can even start your apartment hunt. The first is to start searching for your new apartment 30 to 60 days before you actually need to move in. If you are now renting and need to be out of your current apartment, then you will really need to stick to the 60 day timeline to give you time to see many options for your new home. Also consider the following questions as you start your apartment hunt:

Will you have a roommate?
Where do you want to live? Do you need to be close to public transportation? Do you want to live in a more suburban or urban area?
How much space do you need in an apartment?
Are you looking for special amenities such as a washer/dryer or dish washer?
How many bedrooms or bathrooms do you need?
Does the apartment accept pets and is there an additional cost?
What is your budget for the apartment including utilities?

Tips for Apartment Hunting

After you have answered these questions, set your budget and decided what you really want in an apartment, then you’re ready to start your apartment hunting. In most cases, you should be able to do the search on your own without a help of a realtor. You can also look at many online sites that will help you find apartment listings in your city such as Craigslist or consult a realtor if you are having a hard time with your search. Narrow your apartment hunting to your favorite neighborhoods or areas. If you are new to the city, then walk around the neighborhood that you want to live in before you start looking at apartments. You might actually come across more rentals walking or driving around the area instead of online. When you are looking at the neighborhood, establish that the apartment building is near schools, shopping or public transportation. Make checklists of likes and dislikes of the various places that you have seen so you can compare them when you have to narrow down your favorite places.

What to Look for in an Apartment

As you look at different apartments, be prepared to ask the landlord or leasing agent questions about the rental agreement, additional costs, amenities, garbage or recyclable materials removal, decorating changes to the apartment, and parking, just to name a few. Make sure to get the answer to your questions in writing to use for future reference. It is okay to look in closets, drawers and cabinets to check for hidden issues. At this point, rely on your senses by noticing any odors or looking for flaws such as cracks in the walls, windows and floors. Also, mentally take note of the size of the rooms to make sure that your furniture will actually fit. If you really like a place, ask to apply for it right away. Be prepared to fill out applications, have references (if needed) and make a deposit for the apartment.

Apartments for Rent in Baltimore

Baltimore is a diverse city with many wonderful neighborhoods from historical areas such as Fell’s Point to suburban areas such as Glen Burnie. It is home to great universities such as John Hopkins University and UMBC. With college students starting back to school next month, empty apartments that are in the neighborhood of these schools will be filling up fast. There are many apartment rental sites for Baltimore that can assist you in your search including: www.baltimore.ForRent.com, www.baltimore.apartmenthomeliving.com, and www.apartmentguide.com/apartments/Maryland/Baltimore/. If you don’t find an apartment for rent in Baltimore that you like via these sites, then it might be a good idea to consult a realtor to help you in your search.

If you are downsizing from a house to an apartment, then you will be in need of a place to put items that you no longer have room for. Self storage is a great solution to store larger home items that will not fit in a smaller apartment. ezStorage has 15 Baltimore storage unit locations to help with all of your storage needs from packing supplies to storage units. Good Luck with your apartment hunt!

Storage Tips for Artwork

Posted on July 29, 2014 by ezstoragecorp

ezStorage’s Brentwood facility has 1st floor artist studios

We are a collecting culture. We collect everything from artwork to Pez dispensers and everything else in between. Many of us have artwork and family heirlooms in our home that has been passed along from generation to generation or artwork that has just been created by a friend or a favorite artist. Collecting artwork is an investment and you want to protect that investment. If you do not plan on displaying the artwork in your home, then it needs to be stored properly either in the home or at a storage facility specifically designed to store works of art. Storing the artwork in a secured and tightly regulated climate will give you the peace of mind that your artwork is adequately protected. Most self storage facilities are not designed to secure and protect works of art so please check with your self storage facility before storing such items. Also, most self storage facilities limit the value of what can be stored so precious works of art require extra special consideration and storage designed specifically for works of art.

Storing Artwork in Self Storage

There are also self storage facilities that offer studio space for artists to work. ezStorage provides local Maryland artists a number of 1^st floor artist studios at its Brentwood/Hyattsville storage location. The ezStorage Brentwood facility is located in the heart of The Gateway Arts District, just north of Washington D.C. The studios are rented under lease agreements via the Arts District Authority.

Store your artwork in a specially designed climate controlled environment certified for art storage. Make sure to call the storage facility before storing.

Football Training Camp Time for the Redskins and Ravens

Posted on July 24, 2014 by ezstoragecorp

Mid July brings the dog days of summer, heat, humidity and professional football training camps! It’s the time of year to start looking ahead to tailgating, football rallies and trips to the Super Bowl! Both the Washington Redskins and Baltimore Ravens open up their training camps this week. The first official football training camp day for both teams is today, July 24^th. All members of the teams need to be in camp and on the field ready for practice. During training camp, there are no winners or losers, there is only learning the playbook and becoming a team. These skills will be in full force during training camp for both teams. Fans can attend practices and special events at training facilities as well as at special events at their perspective stadiums. Both teams have some great events lined up for fans for training camp this year!

Baltimore Ravens Training Camp

The Baltimore Ravens had an average 8-8 2013 season. They were plagued by injuries and listless offense. They are hoping to improve and head back to the Super Bowl this season. The Ravens hold their training camp at Under Armour Performance Center in Owing Mills, Maryland. The training facility includes practice fields, strength-training areas, full indoor practice field and the corporate headquarters for the team. Up to 300 people can attend a training camp session. There was a lottery for tickets for fans to get a chance to get on the field for one out of 12 open training camp sessions. There will be special showcases at M&T Stadium in Baltimore and Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis during training camp. The Ravens will host their first ever Fireworks Night on July 28th starting at 7pm at M&T Stadium. The Baltimore Ravens training camp practice will include post-practice autographs for children, interactive fan events, cheerleader and mascot meet and greets and a laser and fireworks show. The Ravens will have a practice on Monday, August 4^th starting at 7pm at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis. This event will feature a youth football clinic on the field before practice starts, cheerleaders and mascots, Baltimore’s Marching Ravens and an autograph session after the practice. The Ravens will also be practicing for 4 days against the San Francisco 49ers starting August 7^th. Check out the Baltimore Raven’s training camp schedule.

Ravens manager, John Harbaugh and the team are ready to put the 2013 season behind them and work hard in training camp. In fact, the Baltimore Ravens football training camp is known to be the toughest in the NFL. The majority of the team is full of veteran players with some great rookie prospects. The defense is young and fast and the offense has the veteran leadership of Joe Flacco. The first game of the season is at home at M & T Stadium on September 7^th against AFC North rivals, Cincinnati Bengals.

Washington Redskins Training Camp

The Washington Redskins unfortunately did not have a good 2013 season with a 3-13 season, which resulted in the firing of head coach Mike Shanahan and his coaching staff at the end of the season. Jay Gruden was chosen as the new coach and his staff will lead the Redskins with a new offense when players report for training camp on July 24^th. The Washington Redskins training camp is held at Bon Secours Washington Redskins Training Center in Richmond, Virginia. This state-of-the-art facility opened for the 2013 season. There are many training camp practices open to the fans free of charge. Saturday, August 2^nd is Fan Appreciation Day. There are also preseason practices against the New England Patriots from August 4^th to 6^th cumulating in a game on August 7^th at Fed Ex Field at 7pm. Tickets are available for this event via a special lottery system. You can register up to July 25^th for the randomly selected lottery. You can find more information about training camp on the website. Check out the Washington Redskins training camp schedule for practice time and information.

New manager, Jay Gruden, former offensive coordinator at the Cincinnati Bengals, and his staff welcome back a majority of veteran players to the 2014 training camp. There will be a lot of pressure on quarterback, Robert Griffin III to return to his 2012 form. The offense added three new starters in receiver DeSean Jackson, wideout Andre Roberts and left guard Shawn Lauvao. The defense hopes to improve with draft choice Trent Murphy and off-season pick, Jason Hatcher. The Redskins start the season at Houston on September 7^th. The first Redskins home game is September 14^th versus rival Jacksonville Jaguars.

ezStorage is proud to have locations that are in Ravens and Redskins territory. Stop into our Washington D.C. storage and Baltimore storage facilities to find out how ezStorage can make personal and business storage easier!

Storage for Your Many Life Events

Posted on July 22, 2014 by ezstoragecorp

Throughout our lives, we experience many life events from getting our first apartment to getting married to eventually downsizing our homes. Self storage can be a great storage solution for life’s major changes. Placing your personal items in self storage will give you peace-of-mind that your belongings are in a safe and secure place as you tackle your life events.

Moving Storage Solutions

One of the number one reasons to rent a self storage unit is because you are selling your home or moving to a new home. Over 35 million people move a year and a good portion of these people need a moving storage solution to store excess household items. Staging a home, or storing excess items from your home to make it more “neutral” to potential buyers is becoming more and more popular with real estate companies and home owners. If you are moving to a new city, but do not know the size of your new home yet, then it is a good idea to place your belongings in a self storage unit until you get settled into your new home. This is especially true for recent college graduates or people who are moving to new cities for their jobs.

Storage for Life’s Events

Two more major life events are actually related: getting married and starting a family. When you are getting married, you are combining two households into one. There could be duplicates of furniture, kitchen items, appliances and linens. Place the excess in storage until you can use them or you decide to sell or donate the items. Self storage is a great option for storing wedding gifts and other items that you have collected along life’s journey. Once you have settled down and decided to start a family, you might need to transform a “man cave” or office into a nursery. If there is no other storage option in the home, place these extra items in a self storage unit until you might be able to use them again.

Empty Nesting and Self Storage

As children grow up and go to college, parents can start to go through an “empty nesting” phase and decide to redecorate or repurpose a child’s room into an office, multi-media room, workout room or craft room. Place the child’s “stuff” in a self storage unit and have them decide if they want to keep their childhood memorabilia. After college is over, the graduate might end up moving back home, so the room could have to be changed back to a bedroom yet again!

Self storage is also an option for some of life’s more difficult such as divorce, placing a loved one in assisted living or even a family death. As we get older, we do not need as much “stuff” in our lives. This is when we decide to downsize your home to a smaller place or apartment. If you have to clean out a home after a loved one has passed away, it is a good idea to place the items in self storage until you are able to decide what to do with them.

ezStorage has storage solutions for all of your life’s events from just starting out after college to downsizing after a long life. Stop in to one of our 46 Baltimore, Northern Virginia or Washington D.C. area locations to see how we can help with storage for any of life’s many events!

Artscape Baltimore 2014

Posted on July 17, 2014 by ezstoragecorp

Photo courtesy of articles.baltimoresun.com.

Baltimore is a vibrant city that supports its art and culture. There are many art galleries, museums and performance halls throughout the city where you can see artwork on display from famous artists from around the world or take a stroll through smaller art galleries to see the local Baltimore art. One of the great ways to see and hear Baltimore’s art and culture in action is at the yearly Baltimore art festival, Artscape. Artscape, America’s largest free arts festival is sponsored by the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts and has over 350,000 annual visitors to the show. Baltimore’s Artscape runs July 18^th to 20^th along Mt Royal Ave and Cathedral Street, Charles Street, and Bolton Street. There are galleries, performance areas and food venues up and down each of the streets in the Station North Arts & Entertainment District neighborhoods.

What to do at Baltimore’s Artscape

Baltimore’s Artscape art festival features a wide variety of art from visual art to musical performances. The festival spotlights over 150 artists, fashion designers, craftspeople, visual art exhibitions, outdoor sculpture and photography exhibits. There are also great live concerts on outdoor stages throughout the festival area as well as indoor performances, including performances by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. You can also get a behind-the-scenes tour of Joseph Myerhoff Symphony Hall, home of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Local, regional and national rock, jazz, and R&B acts will be performing on three stages (MEA Energy Stage, Station North Stage and Festival Stage) over the weekend. There are theater, dance, opera, film, and experimental music performances. The Aerial Arts Arena will showcase aerial artists, dancers, and circus performers during the festival and will also be the venue for a variety of DJ’s during the weekend.

Family entertainment is also a central part of Artscape. There will be children’s entertainers as well as hands-on projects for kids, face painting, arts and music demonstrations specially designed for children. For the older kids, there is Gamescape, a showcase of video games with a focus on the people who create them. You can discover tips and the inside story on how video games are developed and produced.

Artscape has a variety of food vendors during the show featuring traditional festival food to international cuisine. There are food courts and food vendors placed around the streets of the event. There will also be a Food Truck Rally on Preston Street during the Baltimore art festival.

In order to get the best experience for Baltimore Artscape, you can download the Artscape app for Android or iPhone for your phone. You can get the latest schedules and event information via the app. You can also find the schedule of performances and competitions via the website.

ezStorage is very proud to be part of such a vibrant arts culture in Baltimore. Stop by any of our 15 Baltimore storage locations to find out how we can help you with all of your storage needs.

Ten Baltimore Area Farmers Markets

Posted on July 15, 2014 by ezstoragecorp

Photo Courtesy of webblog.baltimoresun.com.

There are many farmers markets in the Baltimore area that cater to those who enjoy everything from organic produce to hand-crafted items. A few of the farmers markets in the Baltimore, Maryland area are open for the entire year and others open for the season starting in May and June. Farmers markets, which come in all shapes and sizes from road-side stands to very large indoor and outdoor institutions, help to provide consumers in Baltimore with great fresh locally grown produce. Below is a list of just ten of the Baltimore farmers markets. There are many more to explore and share!

Baltimore City Farmers Markets

1. Baltimore Farmers Market and Bazaar

Baltimore’s Farmers Market and Bazaar, celebrating its 37^th season, is Maryland’s largest producers-only market. The market is held every Sunday morning from April 16^th through December 21^st from 7am to noon underneath the Jones Falls Expressway at Holiday and Saratoga Streets. You will find many organic products, unusual finds and multi-cultural cuisines at the market every week. The products include fruits, vegetables, poultry, seafood, beef, pork, lamb, bison, goat, rabbit, fresh-baked goods, herbs and spices, organically raised and produced milk products and much more. There are also food stands selling everything from burritos to crepes!

2. 32^nd Street Farmers Market

The 32^nd Street Farmers Market is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1980. It offers baked goods, produce, fruits, prepared foods and flowers every Saturday from 7am to noon at the parking lot on East 32^nd Street and Barclay Street. The market runs all year. The mission of the market is to provide a place for independent vendors to be able to thrive in the agribusiness world, while promoting produce, meat, bread and plant selections to an underserved city community. All money collected from vendor space fees or donations goes back towards improving the market and helping with expenses.

3. Fell’s Point Farmers Market

The Fells Point Farmers Market is located on Broadway Square in the highly visited and historic waterfront area of Fell’s Point every Saturday morning at 7:30am to 12:30pm. The market opens in May and runs to November 23^rd. The Fells Point Farmers Market, started in 2011, has over 40 vendors offering a variety of fresh, natural and organic products. Local chefs frequent the market to get the freshest produce for their restaurants. The market also offers craft vendors, children activities and artisans.

Farmers Markets Outside of Baltimore

4. Howard County Farmers Markets

There are 4 different farmers markets that take place in Howard County. The first is held every Wednesday at the Miller Library in Ellicott City from 2pm to 6pm. The second is held at Howard County General Hospital in Columbia every Friday afternoon from 2pm to 6pm. The third is held the 1^st and 3rd Saturday mornings from 8am to noon at the Maple Lawn Medical Building in Fulton. The fourth market is held every Sunday morning from 9am to 1pm at the Oakland Mills Village Center in Columbia. All of the markets focus on locally grown produce, seasonal fruits and flowers. There are also baked goods, organically grown produce and specialty items. All of the markets are producer only markets, meaning the persons growing or making the items are those that are selling at the markets.

5. Catonsville Farmers Market

The Catonsville Farmers Market is located at the Bloomsbury Community Center every Wednesday from 10am to 1pm. The market, open rain or shine, runs from May 7^th to November 26^th each year. The market has special events during its season from chef demonstrations to wine testing and there is a Customer Appreciation Day on July 16^th! The market is also a producer only market. The items that are bought at the market are grown, made and prepared by the vendor who sells directly to the customer. This is a great way to know the people behind the product. A variety of foods and produce are offered each week including beef, organic bread, eggs, chicken, honey products, fruits, and vegetables.

6. Severna Park Farmers Market

The Severna Park Farmers Market is held April through October in the parking lot at Ritchie Highway and Jones Station Road. It is run by the Anne Arundel Economic Development Corporation. The market offers locally grown fruits and vegetables every Saturday morning from 8am to noon.

7. Annapolis Freshfarm Market

The Annapolis Freshfarm Market is every Sunday morning from 8am to noon starting May 4^th and running to November 23^rd. The market is located in the Donner Parking Lot on Compromise St at the Harbor in Downtown Annapolis. There is a large variety of produce and goods from vendors from Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia. The produce includes fresh fruits and vegetables, baked goods, meats, eggs, cheese, flowers and much more.

8. Towson Farmers Market

The Towson Chamber of Commerce sponsors the weekly Towson Farmers Market at Allegheny Avenue between York Road and Washington Ave. The market is held every Thursday from 10am to 3pm. There are fresh vegetables and fruits, fresh-cut and potted plants and flowers, home-baked goods and fresh roasted coffee.

9. Baltimore County Farmers Market

The Baltimore County Farmers Market is held every Wednesday morning from June to October at the main gate of the Maryland State Fairgrounds. The market is open from 10am to 1pm. Ten local Baltimore County farmers and producers came together to create the market and present the best of their local in-season produce, meats, milk, ice cream, eggs, flowers and much more.

10. Carroll County Farmers Market

The Carroll County Farmers Market is held every Saturday morning from 8am to 2pm starting in June and running until December 13^th. The market is held at the Agriculture Center and Arena and is the oldest farmers market in Carroll County opening in July 1972! There are between 80 to 100 vendors featuring locally grown fruits, vegetables, fresh farm eggs, cheeses, homemade baked goods and cut flowers and plants each week at the market. There are also handmade juried crafts and gourmet foods!

There are so many great farmers market in the Baltimore area! Head out and support the local farmers and producers and taste some great food! ezStorage is very happy to be part of a community that is so rich in great food, local produce, customs and culture! We have 15 locations around the Baltimore area where you can rent a variety of storage unit sizes. Stop by to see how we make storage easy!

Self Storage for Contractors

Posted on July 11, 2014 by ezstoragecorp

Self Storage is a great storage solution for both homeowners and businesses. For businesses, a self storage unit can be used to store retail inventory overstock, pharmaceutical samples, business documents and office equipment and tools. In past blog posts, we have shared that self storage is a perfect storage option if you are doing a home renovation or remodeling project. But, where do many construction workers, contractors, plumbers, electricians, and painters store their tools and equipment? They store it at a self storage facility! ezStorage makes it easy for contractors, painters, and plumbers to store their equipment with our construction storage solutions.

Contractors, plumbers and painters work out of their vans, trucks or out of their homes; most do not have “brick and mortar” locations or buildings to store their equipment. The cost of renting a storage unit can be significantly lower than paying rent and utilities for a storefront or a warehouse. Using a self storage unit for storing building materials and tools helps contractors keep their overhead low and their budget in check. And the right size self storage unit is a convenient place for storing building materials as well.

Building Material Storage

Some self storage facilities have drive-up storage units, which allows for easy access for contractors to load and unload their equipment. Some self storage facilities also have computerized gate access hours starting at 6am for contractors, painters and plumbers to access their tools early in the day. And some facilities even offer 24 hour gate access. Security amenities such as video surveillance, individually alarmed storage units and key coded gate access gives contractors peace-of-mind that their equipment will be safe while in storage.

Stop in to any of our 46 Baltimore, Northern Virginia and Washington D.C. ezStorage locations to find out more about how we can help construction companies, contractors, painters and plumbers keep an eye on their bottom line by storing their equipment, tools and materials with ezStorage..

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