A Day In Towson
Towson Hot Bagels
16 Allegheny Ave.
Towson, MD 21204
(410) 337-0006
www.towsonhotbagels.com
Start your day off right with breakfast at Towson Hot Bagels. Supposedly a breakfast and brunch location, it is busiest during the lunch hour, meaning breakfast is the time to come. It's the right time of day for the food and the traffic isn't quite as heavy. Obviously the main attraction here is the breathtaking variety of bagel choices. In addition to all of the different types of bagels, the shop's utility of bagels is quite creative. Try your bagel with peanut butter, regular butter, sliced lox or any of the dozens of cream cheeses and flavors. Or get a breakfast bagel sandwich, which includes any combination of eggs, bacon, cheese, sausage and tomato. If bagels aren't your thing, have no fear. Towson Hot Bagels offers several different three-egg omelettes. It's hard to think of a better way to start your day than with a stop at Towson Hot Bagels.
Loch Raven Reservoir
12101 Dulaney Valley Road
Timonium, MD 21131
(410) 887-7692
www.lochraventrails.com
Just a stone's throw from downtown Towson sits the Loch Raven Reservoir. Not every attraction of Towson includes city activities, and after a good breakfast, a morning spent in nature is ideal. Loch Raven is a placid and beautiful stretch of water surrounded by gently sloping mountains and fresh air. This area is popular for fishing, swimming, canoeing and hiking. Enjoy some time on the trails, or take in some fishing before heading back to town for lunch.
Fortunato Brothers Pizza
6374 York Road
Towson, MD 21212
(410) 377-7300
www.fortunatosonline.com
After an exhilarating morning spent out in nature, it's fair to treat yourself to a mouth-watering New York-style pizza at one of the most praised pizza joints in Baltimore County which, as it happens, sits right in Towson. Fortunato Brothers Pizza dishes up warm, filling Philadelphia-steak subs, homemade pastas, calzones, Stromboli and, of course, large, floppy, New York thin-crust pizza. Besides the usual pizza flavors, some of the specialties include the Margarita, stuffed cheese steak and taco thin pizzas.
Towson Town Center
825 Dulaney Valley Road
Towson, MD 21204
(410) 494-8800
www.towsontowncenter.com
After lunch, walk off some carbs with everyone's favorite activity: shopping. Arguably the very heart of Towson (if not literally, then definitely metaphorically), the Towson Town Center is three levels of shopping bliss. Walking through the Town Center feels somewhat like walking through the Olympus of Greek myth. With its balconies, pillars, fountains, marble stairways and high-domed ceiling with a decorative skylight window that seems to stretch on forever, even the most jaded shopper will be impressed. Store-wise, there is very little the Town Center doesn't offer. Of the five Apple stores in Maryland, one is right in the Town Center. A person would be hard-pressed to think of some kind of merchandise that could not be purchased at this mecca of shopping delight, but in addition to all of the regular clothing, home appliance, jewelry and service stores, here are a few highlights: Godiva Chocolatier, Build-a-Bear Workshop, Marbles: The Brain Store, Teavana and Capitol Luggage and Leather. Shop 'til you drop, and then on to a relaxing dinner.
Charles Village Pub & Patio
19 W. Pennsylvania Ave.
Towson, MD 21204
(410) 821-8155
www.cvptowson.com
The Charles Village Pub was popular before it burned down in 2011. Now that it has re-opened its doors under the branding of "The Bigger, Better Charles Village Pub & Patio," patrons have crowded through the doors, making it as popular as it ever was. Grabbing dinner at a pub is always a good way to wind down your day. The very popular menu includes such treats as the Greek flatbread, house-made spicy chili topped with cheese and onions, wild west burger or the pub's very own Towson CVP club sandwich. Pick a spot inside, on the rooftop deck, on the 365 patio deck or at its CVP second floor lounge. Toss back a few brews or mixed drinks from the bar, fill up on the house-tossed Bay and Blue chips and watch your favorite sport playing on the 150" projection screen or one of 36 flat screen TVs. This is the perfect end to the perfect day in Towson.
Joel Furches is a freelance writer and researcher for The Examiner and Logos Software, and also manages his own catalog of writing on Hub Pages. Joel is on the board of directors for Ratio Christi. He has a bachelors in Psychology and a Masters in Education.
