College Perk - Best News Ever?

Reporting by The Kleinette, Your Resident College Park Afficianado:

I may be the last, but definitely not the first, to see this post on the College Perk's MySpace page.  People outside College Park might not have known the joy of the Colleger Perk, a crazy little coffee house that settled into what seemed almost like a little compound on the hill at the juncture of Rt-1 and 193.  Rumors were that the property really had been a brothel, with all kinds of secret codes and rituals to get in.  I'm not sure I buy it, but, it was simply the most ideal coffee shop ever.  Full of rooms with bright walls and group couches and strange chairs that sometimes included a dental chair, the perk served delicious chai and coffee and eventually even alcohol and food.  It had an enormous white wooden movie screen outside, nights with very local politicians, open mic nights and music.  There was a genuine hippie, warm accepting atmosphere and many a person was there alone just finding their way.  I really loved it.  That said, I will quit gushing, because it had some tax problems and ended up shutting down.

However, their myspace page appears updated and it looks like it might take over:

"A New PERK—Yes, there may be a new PERK! The 94th Aero Squadron abandoned their lease on the property near the College Park Airport. We hope to resurrect a new improved version of The PERK in its place. The new PERK will maintain the same bohemian style coffeehouse—But lots more! The new PERK will offer a spectacular fine dining area, a banquet hall, and an indoor music stage for dinner theatre style concerts. So far, three notable chefs have signed on to make this effort succeed, including the original chef that first opened the 94th We are working with other local groups to include new features such as a green roof, solar, enhanced re-cycling, herb gardens, free meeting space for civic associations and student groups, blues jams, wine tastings, and a showcase of local musicians

 All we need to do now is convince M-NCPPC that The PERK should be there!"

Sounds great doesn't it???

Takoma Park - Magic Hippie Land on the State Line?

Reporting by The Kleinette

I found myself on Sunday afternoon with a few hours to kill between teaching ice skating lessons out in Rockville, Maryland and my girly activity of the groupon discounted facial in Takoma Park.  I had purchased a 'groupon' a month ago for a $25 facial at the Still Point spa in Takoma Park.   Groupons coupons that are sold through the Groupon website for extremely discounted goods and services, often at places that you actually do want to go.  Many of the groupons tend to be for restaurants. Between the Kleiner and the Kleinette, we hold groupons for Policy, Napolean Cafe, ACKC, and L'Enfant Cafe.  Example: $15 for $35 worth of food and drink at L'Enfant Cafe in Adams Morgan. 

Since I was very early for the facial, as I am known to do, I stopped by a local coffee shop that I think is probably pretty new to Takoma Park called The Savory Cafe.  I love, love, love independent coffee shops because often they play nice music, have a community atmosphere, and more often than not serve really nice espresso drinks that I don't make at home.  I am still searching for one that can match the greatness of the College Perk, now gone from College Park, Maryland.  The Perk certainly can be credited with the reasonably high quality coursework I produced as an undergrad at Maryland, I spent all my free time studying there on their comfy community couches listening to their well chosen music.  The Savory Cafe was filled with laptop users, group meetings, and people having a bite to eat. They served food ranging from typical coffee shop wraps to asian noodles and dumpings.  I had a cafe-au-lait and an oatmeal cookie. They have live music on Friday nights, and I'd definitely like to stop in one night after getting dinner at Mark's Kitchen (to be reviewed later). It was a very different scene from the Big Bear Cafe, which is the place to go if you want to listen to obscure hipster indie rock and drink exceptionally good coffee with the hipster population of Eckington while reading a paper or editing something on your computer.

The Still Point is a pretty little spa located on the Maryland side of Takoma Park.  Interestingly, along with their spa treatments they also offer yoga classes in a serene looking studio that has windows onto the woods.  The 'Groupon' Facial was an extremely express facial, very minor extractions, no massage, so I don't know that a review from me of that will nesecarrily offer the best review of what the Still Point has to offer.  The treatment was okay, the technician chatted to me the whole time about her experiences online dating which did not make it particularly relaxing, but interesting and funny.  I probably would not go back to the Still Point as their express facial is $80 and their regular facials are $150 which is so above and beyond my budget for girly rituals that I wouldn't really even consider it.  I personally prefer to get treatments at the Aveda Institute in DC.  They are about $35-40 and done by students who generally seem to know very well what they are doing :)  [word of warning - hair color / spa treatments = excellent at Aveda, cuts, eh..... at your own risk]