Takoma Park loves the environment
Nature is not to be disturbed in the hippie city of Takoma Park. Locals in this Maryland community on the Washington, D.C. line take the environment seriously. Gardeners tending to their azaleas cannot use certain pesticides, per local ordinance. The city government gets 100% of its electricity through wind power. Front lawns are filled with overgrown plants, where ivy grows along brick and stone walls. Cutting down a tree, even on private property, involves getting a permit from the city.
Storybook streetscapes with overgrown gardens and azaleas
With its hilly roads, cracked sidewalks and front lawns with overgrown bushes, Takoma Park’s residential areas look like something out of a children’s storybook. Some houses were built as part-time residential cottages in the 1920s. Renovated 1960s ramblers, stone contemporary houses, midcentury modern homes, brick Cape Cods and century-old bungalows sit next to each other on tightly packed streets. “There are huge Victorians that are just stunning, and they also have small bungalows. That diverse mix of gorgeous housing makes the neighborhood so unique and different,” says Heather Foley, Realtor with the Foley Group of Go Brent Realty in nearby Silver Spring. Prices range from $185,000 to $1.6 million. Religious and spiritual organizations sit within Takoma Park, including a center for Buddhist studies and meditation and a Chinese Christian Church.
Walkable shopping and dining in Takoma Park
Besides its progressive politics and blooming azaleas, Takoma Park is known for its eclectic mix of mom-and-pop stores. A pedestrian mall stretches along Laurel Avenue, with Adirondack chairs, benches and patio space for outdoor dining at the local restaurants. Kin Da serves Thai cuisine, and people start their days at Takoma Beverage Company with coffee and breakfast toasts. On the same block, the Magic Carpet sells funky décor like lamps, vases and paintings of dragons. “Tabletop is my favorite home store, they have everything,” says Foley of another Laurel Avenue store. “If you need a gift for someone, you have to go to Tabletop. But as I do, I also go to buy things for myself.”
The restaurant scene in Takoma Park, Foley says, is “fabulous.” Upscale American eatery Motorkat serves fresh oysters and creative cocktails in a cozy dining room with red cushy booths and sage green walls. Vegan Korean restaurant Seoul Food started as a food truck, and the Girl and the Vine sells wine, cheese and sandwiches.
Gorgeous walking and biking trail along Sligo Creek
Takoma Park has its share of natural wonders. Snaking through the community is Sligo Creek, a tributary lined by a 10-mile paved trail. People use the Sligo Creek Trail to run, rollerblade and ride their bikes. Parks sit along the creek, including Sligo Creek North Neighborhood Park, which has a playground for children. Skateboard tricks and volleyball games happen at the 17-acre Takoma-Piney Branch Park, which also has a playground and basketball courts. The Takoma Park Recreation Center is an active organization with fitness rooms, a gymnasium and classes for things like dance, martial arts and self-improvement.
Top-rated Montgomery County schools
Takoma Park is in Montgomery County, so kids go to the highly-rated county public school district. Children can attend Takoma Park Elementary School for prekindergarten through second grade, Piney Branch Elementary School for grades 3-5, Takoma Park Middle School for grades 6-8 and Montgomery Blair High School for grades 9-12. Piney Branch and the middle school have A-ratings from Niche, the Takoma Park Elementary is rated A-minus and the high school is rated A-plus. Montgomery Blair has a communication arts program, and a science, math and computer science magnet program.
Takoma Metro station takes commuters to D.C. in 35 minutes
Takoma Park sits along the Metro. Commuters can be in the center of D.C. in about 35 minutes. Driving into D.C. takes about 25 minutes, and Silver Spring is six minutes away by car. Travelers can take advantage of Amtrak service from Washington Union Station and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is 40 minutes away by car. “People like it because it’s close to D.C., and it’s convenient to commute into town,” says Russell Carter, Realtor with Keller Williams Capital Properties in D.C.
