Baltimore Orioles, infamous bootleggers, novelists of the Jazz Age and famous musicians have all wandered and lived among the stately Victorian homes and vibrant "painted ladies" of Charles Village. From its beginning as a series of country villas for the wealthy elite of Baltimore to escape the crush of downtown, the neighborhood has become a diverse and vibrant cultural hub of the city. Local authors Gregory J. Alexander and Paul K. Williams chart the evolution of this famous Baltimore community and its institutions while telling fascinating tales of some of its most colorful residents.