As a barber, Julio finds comfort in the shop he has converted into home with items tying back to his roots of Ponce, Puerto Rico.  Julio remembers the island fondly but worries about he direction of his beautiful homeland; he doesn't think he will move back.  Having lived in Baltimore and worked in a babershop on Eastern Avenue for over a decade, he has embraced the city as a cherished place of home and work.  However, he is finding it increasingly difficult over time to maintain business as younger men become interested in contemporary looking and elaborate buzz-cut designs.  This profession is tough on the barber, he states, there is a lot of concentration and pressure to make the man in the chair look really good.  He also adds that these challenges burdens the health of the heart both emotionally and physically.  

 

Linda moved from North Caronlina to find work when she was just eighteen.  She has strong ties to her memories of her Lumbee tribe while growing up in the South and has attempted to keep the traditions alive within her family in Baltimore.  Linda remembers a difficult transition being accepted and understood as Lumbee, but she has since created an environment for her children to find a space where they could be themselves.  Linda is proud of her children's passion for culture and supportive in their endeavors to keep ties to their rich history.  

 

Ray is the son of Polish and German Immigrants and veteran resident of Upper Fells Point.  Loyal to his country and neighborhood block, Ray is an enthusiast of the past - from the red brick and form stone homes to the nostalgic memories of youthful moments growing up near the corner candy and fresh food store and the local horse stables tucked between homes. As time has progressed, Ray notices the change in the structures of the neighborhood as some of the structure and bricks decay in reaction to both time and weather.  What keeps him here, however, are the memories that remain layered within the homes.