Baltimore and the surrounding suburbs are not lacking in places for creatives, but last Monday night, when I had an hour to myself to write, I struggled with the idea of where to go. I didn’t want to head to my local Starbucks (I have 11 – soon to be 12 – within 3 miles of my home), and I didn’t want to go any place where I couldn’t get into the vibe of the setting.

No offense, friends. Sometimes, we just need a place to go where we can write, or create, without interruption.

So I posed a simple question on Facebook, and I was inundated with the favorite places fellow writers and artists go to create, find some peace, and maybe a little of both.

Here’s a summary of their recommendations. Save this list, and visit these locations often. I hope to see you there, and if I do, the next cup of coffee’s on me (after we are finished creating, of course).

Cafes and Restaurants

Artifact Coffee, 1500 Union Ave., Baltimore (http://artifactcoffee.com/)

Atwater’s, locations in Towson and Belvedere Square, as well as Catonsville, Canton, and elsewhere (http://www.atwaters.biz/)

Barnes and Noble (http://bn.com)

Bean Hollow, 8059 Main St., Historic Ellicott City (https://www.yelp.com/biz/bean-hollow-ellicott-city)

The Bun Shop, 239 Read St., Baltimore (https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-bun-shop-baltimore)

Caffe Bene, 10039 Baltimore National Pike, Ellicott City (https://www.yelp.com/biz/caffe-bene-ellicott-city)

Common Ground Cafe, 819 W. 36th St., Baltimore (http://www.commongroundhampden.com/)

The French Twist Cafe in Sykesville (http://www.frenchtwistcafe.com/)

Red Emmas: The Greenmount Coffee Lab, Two locations at 20 W. North Ave. and 1400 Greenmount Ave. (in Open Works), Baltimore (https://redemmas.org/gcl)

Paper Moon Diner, 227 West 29th St., Baltimore (http://www.papermoondiner24.com/)

R House, 301 West 29th St., Baltimore (http://r.housebaltimore.com/)

Red Canoe Cafe, 4337 Harford Road, Lauraville, MD (http://redcanoecafe.virb.com/)

Rise Up Coffee, 618 Dover Rd., Easton, MD (https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g41121-d3196546-Reviews-Rise_Up_Coffee-Easton_Talbot_County_Maryland.html)

Tous Les Jours, 9380 Baltimore National Pike, Ellicott City (http://www.tljus.com/)

Museums and Libraries

Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore (https://artbma.org/)

College libraries (St. Mary’s, Goucher, Towson’s CLA building)

Enoch Pratt Free Library, Main location, Baltimore (http://www.prattlibrary.org/)

National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC (https://www.nga.gov/)

Natural Settings, Creative Spaces

Bon Secours, Marriotsville, MD (https://rccbonsecours.com/)

Commerce Street Creamery Cafe Bistro, 110 N. Commerce St.,  Centreville, MD (http://creamerycafebistro.com/)

Cromwell Valley Park, 2175 Cromwell Bridge Rd., Towson, MD (http://www.cromwellvalleypark.org/)

Cylburn Arboretum Association, 4915 Greenspring Ave., Baltimore, MD (http://cylburn.org/)

Idlewild Park, Easton, MD (http://eastonmd.gov/ParksAndRec/Idlewild.html)

Loch Raven Dam, Can be accessed from Cromwell Bridge Road Loch Raven Drive, and Morgan Mill Road, Hampton or Glen Arm, MD (http://lochraventrails.com/about-loch-raven-reservoir/)

Open Works, 1400 Greenmount Ave., Baltimore (http://www.openworksbmore.com/)

Own office space in PJs! We can never underestimate the power of the dining room table!

Root Studio, 9140 Guilford Rd., Suite D, Columbia, MD (https://www.therootstudio.org/) Another open space for creatives

Third Haven Meeting House, 405 S. Washington St., Easton, MD (http://www.thirdhaven.org/)

The Wood and Stone Retreat, Crisfield, MD (http://www.woodandstoneretreat.com)