Media sources were buzzing yesterday with the news that the Goldseker Foundation has granted $435,000 to a select group of Baltimore city schools. However, the grants came with some interesting stipulations: the money must be used in partnership with their surrounding neighborhoods. These joint grants serve to improve not only schools, but the community as a whole.

The Goldseker Foundation intends to build healthy neighborhoods from the inside out by improving educational standards and serving the children of the neighborhoods. Better educational standards raises property values, and the grants are expected to make the neighborhoods more desirable places to live through better upkeep of properties and stronger ties to the community.

School grants were offered between $20,000 and $50,000 for the improvement of academics in order to attract residents. Neighborhoods that received grants had already received “Healthy Neighborhoods” program grants from Goldseker, and could win $20,000 to $30,000 to support community organizing and incorporate the schools into Healthy Neighborhoods marketing.

As reported by the Daily Record, the eight Baltimore city schools which have received grants are:

* Cross Country Elementary/Middle School, which received $50,000 for technology integration (in partnership with Comprehensive Housing Assistance Inc., who receive $25,000)

* Calvin M. Rodwell Elementary received $50,000 for the WeatherBug Science curriculum (its partner Garwin Oaks Northwest Housing Resource Center got $25,000)

* Gwynns Falls Elementary received $50,000 (in partnership with Greater Mondawmin Coordinating Council, which received $25,000)

* The Neighborhoods of Greater Lauraville Inc. won a total of $40,000, for partnerships with City Neighbors Charter School, ($25,000), and Hamilton Elementary/Middle School and St. Francis of Assisi School (both $20,000).

* $35,000 each was granted to the Greater Homewood Community Corp. with Barclay Elementary/Middle School and Margaret Brent Elementary/Middle School.

My personal favorite is the Calvin M. Rodwell Elementary grant for its WeatherBug Science curriculum. Students claim that if they had used the curriculum in the first place, they would have been better prepared to inform their community about the impending blizzards. Cutest.

Although the grants will be immensely useful, only schools which bested the city average test scores were awarded the money, which seems only to further the gap between academically successful schools and many others that are struggling. Furthermore, the pattern of rewarding high test scores often leads to devaluation of a whole education in favor of drills and practice tests.

Timothy Armbruster, the president of Goldseker, claimed in a press release that strengthening connections between schools and neighborhoods “is one more step in making the city more reponsive and attractive to a wide range of families, including Baltimore’s growing middle class.”

Check out listings in these up-and-coming neighborhoods (see Lauraville or Homewood) on CondoDomain.

The culture of the coffee house has lost many of its adherents to the fast-paced, corporate cut-and-dry chains of Starbucks and Caribou. But in the Baltimore area, indy coffee shops are striking back. All the Fells Point folks are probably looking a little smug right now, but indy shops are not just for the ‘artsy’ kind. These community-centered cloisters of warm drinks and beautiful art offer a more economically-friendly option for café lovers – and usually, much better coffee.

However, finding these neat spots can sometimes be a hassle compared to the Starbucks on every corner. So for those of you interested in discovering fresh places to spend your coffee dollars – or, even better, new places to spend time reading, writing, or talking – I offer you a survey of the top independent coffee shops in Baltimore:

(in alphabetical order)

Café Latte’da 1704 Aliceanna St - A friendly Fells Point institution, this local hang-out offers an intimate space to share good coffee and fresh pastries made from scratch! With free wi-fi and a homey atmosphere, Café Latte’da is a great place to spend an afternoon. As a bonus, they even offer 2 complimentary computer stations.

Carma’s Café 3120 Saint Paul Street – A Charles Village gathering most famous for its Icelandic yogurt, this warm spot near 32nd street is worth skipping the chains. Coffee is wonderful, and breakfast is also delicious – check out specials on their daily blog. They even offer lots of yummy vegetarian options!

Chocolatea 3811 Canterbury Road – The name alone should set your mouth watering. This incredibly delicious shop isn’t exactly coffee, but its coco-lattes (chocolate drinks infused with milk, spices, and fruit) are absolutely to-die-for. They have a fantastic selection of teas, which upon request will pair with Swiss truffles. Simply amazing.

A Common Ground 819 W. 36th St – This funky café is possessed of perhaps the coolest location: a renovated Hampden row house. Offering all kinds of cozy nooks to curl up in, the coffee is locally roasted and very reasonably priced. A Common Ground may also be the best spot in the area to grab an outstanding bagel – theirs are a definite cut above the rest.

Koffee Therapy 6 E. Franklin St – Voted best coffee shop by CityPaper in 2008, their mission statement states “A great cup of coffee inspires great ideas, creativity, an entrepreneurial spirit, a sense of community, and a time to sit back, relax, and enjoy the good life.” The owners of Koffee Therapy have made it their goal to provide such a space in the culture center of Mt. Vernon. Great coffee, great atmosphere, and awesome quiches.

Red Canoe 4337 Harford Road – If you’re into fuzzy warm feelings and family-friendly spots, Red Canoe is the place for you. Doubling as a delicious coffee shop and a children’s bookstore (featuring daily storytimes!), the neighborhood of Lauraville is lucky to have such a community-focused location. Red Canoe serves Zeke’s Coffee and a large selection of incredible eats, including the best muffins in town.

Van Gough Café 300 S. Ann Street – Nope, that’s not a misspelling. Cute and still somewhat undiscovered, the new kids on the block in trendy Fells Point are on the corner of Ann and Gough in a renovated three-story brick building (the café is located on the first floor). In my opinion, Van Gough wins points for continually supplying some of the coolest artwork. But art isn’t the only thing they’re known for: Van Gough serves up a killer combination of specialty coffees, smoothies, sandwiches, salads, and Goldberg’s bagels.

BONUS: Local coffee shop Zeke’s Coffee actually supplies the coffee for many shops in the Baltimore area. Offering a huge and unique selection of blends, Zeke’s puts West Coast roasteries to shame with their great organic options. They regularly participate in the Baltimore Farmer’s market, and are located at 3003 Montobello Terrace in Lauraville.

Check out listings for the neighborhoods of Fells Point, Charles Village, Hampden, Mt. Vernon, Lauraville, and more on CondoDomain!