BALTIMORE — "To me, Hooper House is just like a creative ecosystem that's being built from young creatives that have been already building around and throughout Baltimore City."
Come one, come all. There's something for everyone in this big house, the James E. Hooper House to be exact.
When you arrive at this ornate, but somehow unassuming, building on the corner of Saint Paul on 23rd, you might liken it to any other historic edifice.
And though you may not be entirely mistaken in this assumption, once you look a bit closer, you'll see that it's much, much more.
"It's great energy. I try to be here as much as possible. I've never been in a space like this in the city. I don't think there's anything else you could really compare it to," said Aaron Coleman, designer and founder of the clothing brand "Always Working."
The Hooper House, as it's known today, was once single-family home built by its namesake, James E. Hooper in 1886.
Since then, it's lived many different lives, from operating as a headquarters for the Red Cross, and later becoming the longtime home to Morpheus Records, producing albums for Maryland bands Beach House and Future Islands, amongst others.
Nowadays, it serves its community in a different and perhaps more inclusive way.
"This place filled a void and they really focused on highlighting creatives,"
Upon entry to the Hooper House, you'll find yourself in Mama Koko's, a West African and Creole soul inspired restaurant and cafe.
As you move on up to the 2nd floor, you'll find gallery spaces, painters, and Aaron Coleman, a designer and founder of the clothing brand "Always Working," in his flagship space fashioned to resemble a bespoke bedroom lined with his work.
Coleman told WMAR that having a physical space as opposed to just being has shifted his thought process around his brand.
"It's challenged me to actually take note of how people are responding to the things that I'm making and what I need to have to run a business day to day," said Coleman.
Making your way to the third floor, you'll find clothing brands HEYAKILOGRAM, Jazz Camp, as well as BoundHaus, a candle and perfume shop, amongst many others.
Joshua Slow of Jazz Camp said that being in the Hooper House has made his day to day a bit more scenic.
"It's no longer like, sitting in the basement and making things. It's now like me having this big window in front of me and being able to sew and craft these pieces for people that I'm caring about," Slow said.
Creative partner of Hooper House, Michael Haskins Jr., doesn't hesitate to remind people that even though the house is open, supporting its tenants takes a bit more than a quick visit.
"It's about not just knowing that it's here, and not just, you know, championing the fact that it still exists. It's about really coming in and having these physical connections and patronizing the businesses," said Haskins.
To learn more about the Hooper House, click here.
