Stuart and I are getting
settled into our new place. He's been
here a few weeks and I just moved in about 2 days ago. It's starting to look like a home, which is a
huge relief after living in the "in between" for a few months (or
three years, depending on how you look at it).
Before I give you pictures of the apartment, let me tell you about our
neighborhood.
We're living in Takoma
Park. I'm still a little confused over
the semantics, but there is a neighborhood in Washington DC called Takoma, and
a contiguous neighborhood just across the Maryland border called Takoma
Park. Our apartment is literally sitting on the DC/Maryland line, but has a DC address.
Just walking around on foot,
it's difficult to tell where one ends and the other begins. The reason we picked this neighborhood is
because it's a perfect mix of "walkability" to just about anything we
could need, close to transportation for Stuart, and has lots of grass and
friendly people which I needed in order to be able to handle living in a huge
city. Really if you just plopped down in
this neighborhood you'd have no idea the White House was just a couple metro
stops away.
Now, important to note is Takoma Park is nicknamed "the Berkley of the East". I've never been to Berkley, but I think
everyone knows that it is quite a hippie-liberal-land. I'm on board with the local food/drink
movement and being as environmentally conscious as possible (Prius!), but this
neighborhood is taking us a bit outside our comfort zones. For instance, it's illegal to cut down a tree
in your own yard without a permit from the city, and it's also illegal to use
fertilizer anywhere in the neighborhood limits.
Lots of folks have
multiple tattoos or facial piercings or a combination or both, and some don't
look as if they shower often. It can be
a bit, well, different at times. But
probably my favorite aspect of this is that the area is very socially and
racially diverse.
Interesting you say, but
what is there to DO there? Well let me
tell you. When you walk out the front
door of our apartment building, there is a funky furniture and a Jewish funeral
home immediately across the street. Our
apartment already features a small painting from the furniture store. If you choose to walk to the right, the Metro
stops two blocks ahead, and on your way there you'll pass a locally-owned
fair-trade coffee shop, the restaurant recently voted
“healthiest in DC”, and a "community space" called the Electric
Maid. Mostly they have concerts there
for a suggested $10 donation. Tonight
was some rap group and there were throngs of thugged-out teenagers around. But don't fret - there's no alcohol allowed
and the place closes at 10pm sharp! If
it's around rush hour you'll probably also be lucky enough to find some
musicians playing around the Metro stop, and a couple of food trucks in the
parking lot of that furniture store.
Too much excitement
there? If you go behind the complex
instead you'll enter Maryland and the historic section of the neighborhood. This is where Stuart and I dream of owning a
house one day (also, isn't it weird that we might live in Maryland?!). The homes are gorgeous and all look like they
date back to about the 1920s. There are
book trade-in stands every few blocks, and families let their kids play out in
their front yards with the neighbors. A
couple more blocks back will land you at the Takoma public library and the
community center which does family movie nights and book clubs.
If that's not awesome enough
for you, you could turn left out of our complex. Within two blocks of walking you'll find
Busboys and Poets, a bookstore/coffee house/restaurant/community theatre
combination. Next to that is a pet store
that offers doggie accupuncture, which I'm still not sure what to make of, and
a CVS right across the street. The
neighborhood yoga studio is up next, followed by a
gelato shop, great restaurant, and a store selling Turkish and Egyptian furniture
imports. BUT WAIT! As if that isn't enough, exactly two blocks
from our house is the year round farmers market!!!! You can find everything from fresh milk to
rabbit meat to cherry tomatoes there.
And most every stand (including a wine stand or two) does free
tastings! It doesn't get much better
than that.
Want to come visit us yet?!
