🍦Annapolis Mall sold again

Good morning, Annapolis. An escaped zebra in Armenia last Friday turned out to be. . . a donkey that a very patient someone (or someones) painted. But I really want to know is did they paint it white with black stripes or black with white stripes?

In today’s Naptown Scoop:

Let’s get to it.

— Lauren Burke Meyer, Dylan Roche, & Duffy Perkins

In honor of Military Appreciation Month, 84 Lumber is proud to recognize the dedication and sacrifice of our nation’s heroes. We’re saying “thank you” in a meaningful way by offering a 20% discount to all military personnel and first responders until May 31.

Whether you're building, renovating, or tackling a weekend project, 84 Lumber is here to support you with quality materials, expert guidance, and unmatched service. This special offer is just a small token of our gratitude for the courage and commitment you show every day.

At 84 Lumber, we stand behind those who stand for us. Visit our Annapolis location or contact store manager, Bill McDonald at 724-831-6856 or [email protected] for more details on this exclusive offer.

Annapolis Mall has a new owner — again. Less than two years after a four-firm investor group bought it from Westfield, publicly traded Santa Monica-based Macerich (who also owns Tysons Corner) just dropped $260 million on the property and another $12 million on the vacant Sears parcel next door. Total tab: $272 million.

Macerich plans to spend another $40 million into leasing on top of what the previous owners spent. The sellers brought in some great names too: DICK's House of Sport (opening August), Dave & Buster's, Tesla, Uniqlo, and Abercrombie, just to name a few.

It’s interesting to note that the sale does not include the Macy’s store or the former JCPenney as those weren’t owned by either the sellers or Westfield. It’s common practice in mall ownership for a large company like Macerich to own most of the mall while some anchors (like Macy’s) own their own box (mall speak for “store”).

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Team Naptown Scoop Coast 2 Coast 4 ALS progress: $11,553/$20,000

🎈 = family-friendly events

🎈🍽️ Food Truck Fridays - 12+ food trucks at Truman Parkway with free admission and something for everyone.

🎈 Disney's 'The Lion King JR' at Children's Theatre of Annapolis - The Circle of Life comes to CTA's main stage with beloved songs and characters.

🎶 AACC Symphony Orchestra - Titans Rising - AACC's spring symphony concert.

⛵ Annapolis Sunset Cruise with Live Music - Pretty Big Deal's acoustic duo on a scenic Watermark cruise.

🎈🐮 Anne Arundel County Farmers Market - Fresh local produce, meats, dairy, and crafts at Truman Parkway.

🎈🛍️ Mad Cute Market - Vintage lovers' paradise with 30+ woman-owned small businesses, Y2K clothing, and handmade treasures.

🎈🌱 William Paca Garden Plant Sale - Over 8,000 native plants and gardening expertise from Historic Annapolis volunteers.

🎈🐑 Baby Lamb and Goat Cuddles - Cuddle newborn lambs and goat kids at Hollywood Farm's 126-acre spread.

🎈 Disney's 'The Lion King JR' - Children's Theatre of Annapolis presents two shows today.

📚 Book Signing with Author Elizabeth Liechty - Meet the author of "The Story of Hope" from the Blue Elephant and Friends series.

🎭 CP presents Poor Clare - Colonial Players' medieval comedy continues.

🎷 AACC Big Band Jazz - AACC's spring jazz concert.

🎈🐮 Anne Arundel County Farmers Market - Local vendors and fresh goods at Truman Parkway.

🎈🌱 William Paca Garden Plant Sale - Over 8,000 native plants and gardening expertise from Historic Annapolis volunteers.

🎈 Disney's 'The Lion King JR' - Final weekend performance of CTA's beloved production.

🎭 CP presents Poor Clare - Colonial Players' comedy wraps up the weekend with a Sunday matinee. Only one more weekend to catch this show!

🎶 AACC Concert Band and Clarinet Choir - "Echoes of Time and Place" spring concert.

🔮 Annapolis Crystals Grand Reopening - Grand reopening weekend with walk-in readings, shop tours, and downtown scavenger hunt.

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Most homeowners notice rot too late.

A stain on the ceiling. Paint bubbling where it shouldn’t. A soft spot that wasn’t there before.

It’s understandable. The warning signs are easy to miss – trim that’s starting to break down, small gaps water always seems to find, or wood that’s quietly been absorbing moisture season after season. Nothing urgent-looking. Until it is.

Summer is the easiest time to catch those small problems before they become large problems. At Gold Seal Services, we focus on spotting and addressing exterior wear early. Because most damage inside started outside a long time ago.

Let’s take a look before it becomes something bigger.

By Duffy Perkins

Have you been into Señor’s Market yet? After months (which felt like years) of anticipation, doors finally opened last weekend and the new grocery store is everything we’ve been hoping for.

If you haven’t been yet, the first thing that will strike you is the gorgeous produce when you walk in. Señor’s stocks both North American standards like tomatoes and lettuces, but also plenty of harder to find South American standbys like dragon fruit, papayas, and spicy peppers.

There’s your mix of American-style cheeses as well as Latin American queso frescas and cremas. In a back corner, the market has an on-site butcher where you can get cuts of meat (some liberally seasoned) we dare you to find at a big box grocer. There’s also a spice section, bakery, and five rows of staples if you need to just run in and grab a bag of rice or peanut butter. There’s no chance you’ll leave with just one thing, but they make it easy to think that.

Here’s the best thing about the market, though: the takeout counter. Señor’s knows good food with 4 restaurants across Anne Arundel & Queen Anne’s Counties. My family really just wanted fresh chips and salsa but we came home with empanadas, elote, street tacos, and this thing called a Mulita that the kids fought over. The whole menu is right here, and if you live in Hillsmere or Arundel on the Bay, there’s a chance you’ve declared that you’re never making dinner ever again.

Check Señor’s out at 121 Hillsmere Drive in the Bay Ridge Shopping Plaza, just across from the Quiet Waters Park entrance. You’ll likely find me there.

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🏁 Remember this? Nitro Circus returning to Annapolis reminds me of when Hoonigan filmed Gymkhana 2020 here. Travis Pastrana literally jumped a car over Ego Alley (twice) and honestly, that might not even be the craziest thing in the video. It’s got 74 million views and counting and if you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend you being view number 74,000,001.

🍝 Blueberry steaks aren’t going anywhere: The building that plays host to Acqua al 2 (and its wonderful underground sibling Harold Black) was just sold for $7.2 million. But there should be no panic among Italian food and underground cocktail lovers. Acqua al 2 has a long-term lease with 11 years remaining that remains in place after the sale.

💆‍♀️ Goodbye for now: Sadona Salon & Spa on West Street has officially closed. Owner Dona Brown announced the closure in early April.

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64 🌡️ 50 | 🌧️ | 31% ☔ | 💨 NE 8 mph (7 knots)

68 🌡️ 55 | ☀️ | 6% ☔ | 💨 W 9 mph (8 knots)

💧🌡️ Water temperature = 60ºF
Temperature readings taken from the mouth of the Severn River the night before publication

49 West | Jeff Antoniuk Quartet | 7:30–10 PM
The Admiral’s Cup | Heartwood | 7–10 PM
Beer Farm | Joey Fitz | 4–7 PM
Brian Boru | Ciaran Quinn | 6–9 PM
Dark Horse | West Street Revival | 8 PM
Killarney House | Nate Finn | 6–9 PM
Market House | Daphne Eckman | 6–9 PM
Mother’s Peninsula Grille | Dave Tieff & Cade Long | 7 PM
La Sierra | Cristopher Dean | 5:30–8:30 PM
Pirates Cove | Jason Bishop | 6–9 PM
The Point | Aidan Ewald | 5–8 PM
Rams Head On Stage | Mama’s Black Sheep, The Sweet Leda Duo, Regina Sayles, Colleen Clark, and Madisun Bailey | 8 PM | Tickets
Severna Park Taphouse | Federico Tubaya Jazz Ensemble | 7 PM
Rams Head Tavern | Mike Miller | 5 PM

49 West | Jeff Muller & Friends | 7:30–10:30 PM
The Admiral’s Cup | Anthony Hurley, JJ Billings | 3:30 PM
Annapolis Smokehouse & Tavern | Mac Heat | 8:30 PM
Beer Farm | Michael McHenry | 4–7 PM
Blackwall Hitch | Dana B | 4–7 PM
Blackwall Hitch | Timmie Metz Band | 9 PM
Brian Boru | Aidan & Bryan | 7–10 PM
Captain’s Daughter | TBA | 5–7 PM
Coconut Joe's | Mook Jones | 5–8 PM
Great Frogs | Daphne Eckman | 5:30–8:30 PM
Killarney House | Pete Best | 7:30–10:30 PM
Libbey’s Coastal Kitchen | Jonathan Viers | 5–8 PM
Market House | Faith and the Faithful | 8–1 PM
Market Space | Leo Havens | 6–9 PM
Middleton Tavern | Sidewalk Soul | 10 PM
Old Stein Inn | Eddie Pasa | 7–10 PM
Pirates Cove | Dust on the Bottle | 7–10 PM
Rams Head On Stage | BoDeans | 8 PM | Tickets
Rams Head Roadhouse | BroRoy | 8 PM
Rams Head Tavern | Nate Finn | 9 PM
Romilo’s Restaurant and Bar | The Shore thing | 7 PM
Stan & Joe’s Saloon | Troll Tribe | 9:45 PM

Thanks for reading Naptown Scoop today. If you found something useful, please share it with someone who tried to put up their own wallpaper and ended up calling a professional two days later. It’s me. I call the pro and I’m not ashamed of it.