My family moved to the Takoma Park area in 1956 on Underwood Place Northwest. There were only two other African American families that we knew of in the area, most family were white and didn’t have any experience, patience or the desire to share their neighborhoods with us. We had lived in the inner city of Washington DC where African Americans were in the majority and out neighbors looked like us. No matter where we went (Playground, Swimming Pool, School, Store) some while boy or man would call shout names out of their house window or car window, mostly the “N” word. But, coming from the inner city, we loved Takoma Park.
During the winter months would make money shovelling snow for money and spend it all at 4th and Butternut. There was a “Highs” store, People’s Drug Store, a Hardware Store, Mr. Greenes Shoe repairs and of course the Takoma Theatre. Many cold winters my friends and I would warm up on “chicken Noodle soup” we purchased from People’s Drug Store’s carryout counter. Most times we had to eat it outside but, ocassionally depending on who was working, we’d eat inside. One year my brother, sisters and I had saved all our money. We agreed to buy our mother a christmas gift so, in three feet of snow, we walked to the Hardware store at 4th and Butternut and brought this Black electric Cat Clock. The clock was outlined in rhine stones and the tail moved left to right. After returning home with our gift we and seeing how beautiful it was, we surmised that it costed much more than the seven dollars we had paid for it. We concluded that the old man running the Hardware store was being nice because it was christmas season and sold it to us for a good price.
We spend many weekends in the Takoma theatre. Sometimes staying there all day watching movies over and over, we loved it there.
Still today my mother and father are enjoying retirement life in the same home they raised us in at Underwood Place Northwest.
I made friends in that area who are my friends today. I met my wife of 34 years in Takoma Park.
The Takoma Park area isn’t as nice and quiet as when I was a child but the residence care deeply about their community and it continues to be a great place to raise a family.
My family moved to the Takoma Park area in 1956 on Underwood Place Northwest. There were only two other African American families that we knew of in the area, most family were white and didn’t have any experience, patience or the desire to share their neighborhoods with us. We had lived in the inner city of Washington DC where African Americans were in the majority and out neighbors looked like us. No matter where we went (Playground, Swimming Pool, School, Store) some while boy or man would call shout names out of their house window or car window, mostly the “N” word. But, coming from the inner city, we loved Takoma Park.
During the winter months would make money shovelling snow for money and spend it all at 4th and Butternut. There was a “Highs” store, People’s Drug Store, a Hardware Store, Mr. Greenes Shoe repairs and of course the Takoma Theatre. Many cold winters my friends and I would warm up on “chicken Noodle soup” we purchased from People’s Drug Store’s carryout counter. Most times we had to eat it outside but, ocassionally depending on who was working, we’d eat inside. One year my brother, sisters and I had saved all our money. We agreed to buy our mother a christmas gift so, in three feet of snow, we walked to the Hardware store at 4th and Butternut and brought this Black electric Cat Clock. The clock was outlined in rhine stones and the tail moved left to right. After returning home with our gift we and seeing how beautiful it was, we surmised that it costed much more than the seven dollars we had paid for it. We concluded that the old man running the Hardware store was being nice because it was christmas season and sold it to us for a good price.
We spend many weekends in the Takoma theatre. Sometimes staying there all day watching movies over and over, we loved it there.
Still today my mother and father are enjoying retirement life in the same home they raised us in at Underwood Place Northwest.
I made friends in that area who are my friends today. I met my wife of 34 years in Takoma Park.
The Takoma Park area isn’t as nice and quiet as when I was a child but the residence care deeply about their community and it continues to be a great place to raise a family.
Leon L