All Time Low’s Alex Gaskarth Shares Favorite Places in His Beloved Baltimore, Maryland

Singer Alex Gaskarth has been touring the world for over 20 years with his band All Time Low. The rock quartet—Gaskarth, guitarist Jack Barakat, drummer Rian Dawson, and bassist Zack Merrick—recently wrapped up a two-month-long 33-date tour across the United States as part of the “Everyone’s Talking!” world tour following the release of the band’s 10th album of the same name. 

While many celebrities often leave their hometowns in exchange for Los Angeles or New York City, Alex has remained in Baltimore County. When he’s not playing rock shows around the globe, Alex lives in Maryland on his farm. He loves where he’s from—so much so that All Time Low has released several songs that pay homage to the city. 

“It's a city with grit and heart—a place where creativity, resilience, and authenticity coexist,” the singer said of his beloved hometown. “Folks are proud to be from Baltimore, and that pride permeates and keeps you coming back.”

During a two-night run at New York City’s Hammerstein Ballroom, I caught up with Alex, and he shared some insights into his all-time favorite spots in Baltimore.

Finding creative inspiration in Fells Point  

When he wants to channel his creative energy, whether that’s working on new music or looking for everyday inspiration, Alex loves to head to Baltimore’s Fells Point neighborhood.

The waterside neighborhood is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Baltimore. Remaining relatively unchanged in appearance, with picturesque tree-lined cobbled streets, Fells Point is a very walkable area that offers plenty of great seafood restaurants, gorgeous boutique shops, and cozy pubs. 

“That area has inspired several All Time Low songs. It goes without saying that it's heavily connected to the band's history. It's quaint, charming, by the water, and the community is vibrant,” he said. “It's a good place to find something to write about.”

In 2007, the band released Six Feet Under the Stars, with lyrics that point out several spots in Downtown Baltimore. For Baltimore, which features on the 2012 album Don’t Panic, is an ode to the city.

Jazz singer Billie Holiday called Fells Point home,  proving that it’s the perfect destination for musicians to live and work on their craft. 

“It's right on the water. It's really peaceful and a cool place to bob around, especially during winter when it's cozy and wintry and good for bundling up and taking a walk,” Alex added. “It's always been a place that I've gone back to,”

Connecting with nature in Maryland’s many parks 

Alex previously lived near Oregon Ridge Park, a vast 1,000-plus-acre park in Cockeysville. The park offers diverse habitats, and its six miles of trails have been voted some of the best in the Baltimore area. 

“Oregon Ridge really connects to me. I would take my hyperactive dogs there to get some energy out. It’s miles of trails, and it’s it's all really well-maintained and pretty. I've done a lot of miles over the years.”

Prettyboy Reservoir, according to Alex, is a great place to go if you’re looking to disconnect. 

“It's very quiet.  You don't see a ton of other people out there, which is sometimes really nice if you're trying to disconnect and find a vibe.”

Soldiers Delight NEA, another one of the musician’s favorite spots, features seven miles of lush hiking trails and is known for its unique ecosystem. There are dozens of rare and endangered plant species, along with rare insects and minerals. 

“It’s protected, untouched land. It’s also a landscape that I didn't know Maryland had, which was cool to discover the first time I hiked there. The topography changes a lot,” Alex explained. “One minute it feels like plains, then it’s an evergreen forest, and then more dense east coast woodlands, and the hikes there transform as you go. Maryland has a lot to offer in that way, and that was something I was surprised about.”

Alex said that hiking is one of his and his wife’s favorite activities, and they also enjoy taking their horses out onto Baltimore County’s many trails. 

“We're very lucky to have a lot of trailheads around us. There's a place where you can trailer your horses called Union Mills. There are public footpaths you’re allowed to ride on, which is rad,” he said, explaining that it’s a lot less common than places like the United Kingdom — my home country. “In the UK countryside, the public walking paths are usually open for horseback riding as well, but in the States, it's a little more regulated, so it's sometimes not as easy to find,”

Some of Alex’s favorite restaurants are staples among Baltimore County locals 

Andy Nelson’s Barbecue is one of Alex’s “staple” restaurants and is somewhere he has been dining for a while. 

“It’s near where we grew up and went to high school [Alex and his bandmates started All Time Low in high school]. Anyone who lives out in the county knows about it. It's been there forever. It’s just really simple, good barbecue. It’s somewhere I always like to put people on to because, unless you're from there, you wouldn't necessarily know or think to go. There's a reason it's been there for as long as it has, and it’s a Baltimore County staple.”

“The Milton Inn does awesome French country-inspired food,” Alex explained of another one of his favorite restaurants. “It’s in a quaint old house, and they flipped it into a restaurant really well. It has big-time time big cozy vibes and some of the best food that you can get in the county.”

For Basque cuisine, La Cuchara is a hit. “I’ve known them for a long time, and they make great food. They've been there for a few years now and, you know, some restaurants, the longer they stay around, there's a drop in quality or they change too much and then it's not what made it magic in the first place, but La Cuchara is a place that's stayed true to itself and the team has done a great job of it,”

This indie record store plays a part in All Time Low’s history

The Sound Garden, opened in 1993 and located on Thames Street in Downtown Baltimore, is an independent record store close to Alex’s heart. He called it All Time Low’s home record store, and explained that the band has hosted a lot of events there over its 20-year career. 

“Signings, record releases, performances; we’ve done a lot there,” he said. “It has always been the place we would go to do in-store signings when we've had an album come out. We've done um record store day celebrations there and vinyl exclusives. They're people we love to collaborate with, and we like to support the indie record store scene in general, but the fact that it’s the band’s hometown store makes it even more special.”

Everyone’s Talking! is out now via the band’s own imprint, Basement Noise Records, in partnership with Photo Finish Records and Virgin Music Group.