Takoma!

August 28, 2014 – Takoma!

If you’re looking for an easy day trip in the DC area, try Takoma.  Takoma Park is a section of DC as well as an independent city just across the district line in Maryland’s Montgomery County.  You can reach Takoma in less than an hour from northern Virginia via Metro.  Although I’ve lived in the DC area for over twenty-five years, I’d never set foot on Takoma soil until a few days ago when my friend Kathy and I set out on an urban adventure.  

First of all, I must mention Takoma Park’s reputation as a bastion of hippiedom dating back to the sixties and seventies.  For years, the city, sometimes known as the People’s Republic of Takoma Park, was the scene of frequent protests.  In 1996, it passed a Free Burma resolution.  A little research reveals that, until recently, Takoma Park billed itself as a nuclear-free zone.  Nowadays, real estate prices are rising and the population is shifting towards a younger generation.  However, the core of the city retains many signs of its counter-culture past. 

Just a short walk from the Takoma metro station, Kathy and I found an assortment of interesting and decidedly non-mainstream shops and eating establishments.  Our first stop was at SouperGirl, where you can find a variety of homemade vegan soups, salads, and baked goods.  On the day of our visit, five or six different cold soups were available.  I quenched my thirst with a small bowl of watermelon-tomato gazpacho.  I will have to try to recreate this delicious soup at home. 

As we headed up Carroll Street, the main commercial road, we stopped for a brief look in Trohv, a vast retail space devoted to a conglomeration of merchandise, ranging from antique typewriters to contemporary artwork.  We peered into the windows of The Covered Market and marveled over the exotic and colorful lamps and fabrics.  Unfortunately, the store was closed for summer break.  We’ll have to return after Labor Day.  Not surprisingly, there were many second-hand stores and shops selling the work of local artists and artisans.  It was refreshing to browse in Amano, a clothing store that carried fashions not available in the usual mainstream stores.  

Everything for the home at Trohv

The Covered Market

After looking in at a few restaurants, we chose to have lunch at Mark’s Kitchen, a Takoma Park favorite since it opened in 1990.  From its Korean-American menu, we chose spinach-tofu cakes with plum sauce and stir-fried vegetables with chicken.  Both dishes were exceptionally tasty.  As we took a leisurely stroll back to the metro, we glanced at the gelato shop, but we were too full from our healthy lunch to eat anymore.   

Lunch at Mark's Kitchen

 If you decide to go, note that downtown Takoma Park isn’t very large.  You can easily cover the interesting area in an hour (not including time to eat).  So, try Takoma – it’s a fun place for a brief escape from suburbia.