Neighborhood Guide: Takoma Park

As a Takoma Park resident for the last eight years, I may be slightly biased, but I truly believe it is one of the best neighborhoods in the greater D.C. area. Takoma Park is actually in Montgomery County, Maryland and is adjacent to Takoma, a neighborhood in Washington D.C. The two bordering cities function as one in many ways, with a shared culture and community. 

The Takoma Park area is notoriously “crunchy.” It is one of the national communities to receive Tree City USA status by adhering to four essential standards of urban forestry management, a nuclear free-zone, a sanctuary city and one of the few places where some of the city government buildings are outfitted with solar panels.

The city also has a robust sustainable energy action plan and is home to numerous Little Free Libraries. Aside from these facts, Takoma Park is a community that is loved for being home to residents who strive to support each other and local businesses. The next time you are in Takoma Park, consider visiting some of the following popular small business establishments to enjoy a local experience.  

Get your caffeine fix at Takoma Park’s favorite coffee shop, Lost Sock Roasters, which is small-batch coffee roaster that focuses on sustainable coffee production practices. Their cold brew is a just what you need in the summertime, and it pairs perfectly with one of their savory empanadas. 6833 4th St. NW, DC; lostsockroasters.com // @lostsockroasters

 

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To satisfy your sweet tooth, head to Donut Run, renowned through D.C. for its extraordinary donuts. From Boston crème to apple cider to coke float there is a flavor for everyone. Insider info: These donuts are actually vegan! 6904 4th St. NW, DC; donutrundc.com // @donutrundc

Need to burn some calories after consuming all the treats Takoma Park has to offer? Look no further than Cycled, a local Black-owned, woman-owned spin studio that offers classes with musical themes like Pharrell & friends, gospel x hip hop, and Future vs. Drake. 6960 C Maple St. NW, DC; cycledstudios.com // @cycledstudios

Downtown Takoma Park hosts a lovely gazebo with surrounding benches that are great for relaxing and people watching. Grab something to read before you head over there from the oldest public library in D.C., the Takoma D.C. library, which was founded in 1911. 416 Cedar St. NW, DC; dclibrary.org/takomapark // @dcpubliclibrary 

If you are in the mood for shopping, Tabletop has local goods and gifts in abundance, where you can find everything from witty greeting cards to puzzles to candles and mugs to cookbooks and aprons. 6927 Laurel Ave., Takoma Park, MD; tabletopdc.com // @thetabletopdc

When it’s happy hour time, the Girl on the Vine has your name written all over it. Order a glass or bottle of wine and enjoy it with friends and snacks like truffled garlic bread and spinach and artichoke dip on the venue’s outdoor patio. 7071 Carroll Ave, Takoma Park, MD; the-girl-the-vine.square.site  

With its focus on sustainability, Takoma Park is home to many vegan and vegan-friendly dining venues, including Elife Restaurant, famous for its vegan mac and cheese and other soul food specialties. 341 Cedar St. NW, DC; eliferestaurant.com // @eliferestaurant 

Other dinner options in Takoma include Cielo Rojo, which features dynamite Mexican fare and even better margaritas. I highly recommend the guacamole, the flautas and the mushroom enchiladas. 7056 Carroll Ave, Takoma Park, MD; cielo-rojo.com // @cielorojomex

 

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To explore Takoma Park’s music scene head to Takoma Station Tavern, a jazz bar that hosts local jazz players every Saturday night. Tickets are usually super inexpensive, and there’s plenty of beer on tap. 6914 4th St. NW, DC; takomastation.com // @takomastationtavern

Priya Konings