Takoma Park Book Party

The Bourgeois Book Tour made a stop last night in Takoma Park, Maryland, at a reception and reading hosted by friends and Rehoboth aficionados Liz Cook and Anna Prow. Thanks, ladies, it was a fun and engaged crowd. Plus, we sold a lot of books!

While Takoma Park and Rehoboth Beach might seem worlds away, they were both founded about the same time and for somewhat similar reasons. Rehoboth was founded in 1871 as part of the Methodist movement to get people out of the cities and into nature where they could restore their spiritual and physical health. Takoma Park was founded in 1883, and it was one of the first planned Victorian commuter suburbs. These suburbs sprouted throughout the northeastern United States as railroad and streetcar lines opened up locations for residences distinctly removed from the urban workplace. Increasingly congested and alienating cities spurred families and individuals to migrate to the wholesome countryside.

Both cities today are official tree cities. Both attract a hip and diverse constituency. Both aim to maintain a small-town, cottage feel. Sort of interesting, don’t you think?