BALTIMORE — Outside of photographer Randy Opong's new studio, is an unforgettable sight: A mountain of snow and ice in the Old Town Mall parking lot.
"I've not seen anything like this," he said.
His friend, Shannon Bland, visiting the space for the first time, was also in for a surprise.
Snow pile causing parking issues in Baltimore
"I saw videos of it on Tik Tok. I didn't know how high it was. I didn't realize that it was up there with the light poles and the electric wires," Bland said. "That doesn't seem safe."
According to experts, the pile of snow is basically a "man-made glacier." There's also a similar one but even bigger at Pimlico's grounds.
The icy display, while fascinating, has also presented some challenges for Opong's new venture.
"Funny enough, when I signed my lease, I actually asked, where can I park? And management walked me outside and they showed me this beautiful mountain, and they said, this is actually our parking lot before all of this snow," he said.
"It's kind of an eye sore," Yemonja Smalls, who's studio is next door to Opong's."It'd be one thing if it was fresh snow and pretty and light, but it's dirty and it's huge and it's noisy."
Smalls is used to working in a beautifully chaotic environment where she thrives among all types of mixed media, from fabric to shells to wood, that all come together in a cohesive art piece.
But the chaos outside her studio, from the constant truck traffic, and layers of dirty snow, to new parking limitations, has been less than inspiring.
On any given day, she says, there are usually 20 to 30 cars in the lot.
"[I] had one person who was scheduled to come visit. There was no parking and normally I say there's plenty of parking. You can park right across the street. It's safe. So people have easy access as opposed to having to walk around the perimeter of the building," Smalls said. "A little more than frustrating."
The city of Baltimore has used this site, along with Pimlico and M&T Bank Stadium, to put the excess snow from removal operations.
But it looks like those in Oldtown will have to wait on Mother Nature to make the mountain budge. The city has prioritized clearing the stadium's Lot O, but has no plans to remove snow at the other locations.
According to the Mayor's Office spokesman Jonas Poggi, the Department of Transportation's primary focus is the stadium so it can be returned to normal operations. He also says city teams "must prioritize remediation efforts and any necessary repairs resulting from our snow response operations."
Opong has chosen to look on the bright side, with some street parking still available by the studio.
He anticipates to open in the next couple of weeks.
"I know in like a few months once it all melts, it'll be a great story. Even now it is," he said. "I'm embracing it."
But when exactly this mountain will melt on its own, remains a great mystery.
