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broodings from the burrow

December 3, 2017


coffeeneuring 2017: ride #7
posted by soe 3:43 pm

Coffeeneuring Ride #7: Juanita Thornton Library (7420 Georgia Ave., N.W.) and Ten Tigers Parlour (3813 Georgia Ave., N.W.)

Keemun Tea

Saturday, Nov. 18; 11.9 miles

Keemun Tea

Juanita E. Thornton Shepherd Park Branch Library

Next on my list of libraries to visit was the Juanita Thornton branch in Shepherd Park near the northern border of the city. Thornton was a retired teacher and neighborhood activist who helped convince the city to build a library on this spot instead of a Wendy’s. (This is particularly relevant since there is a McDonald’s literally across the street from the property.) The library opened in 1990 and was rededicated in her honor after her death two years later.

The library closed for renovations in 2015 and reopened 18 months ago. The building has a friendly feel to it.

Juanita Thornton Library

Juanita Thornton Library

Juanita Thornton Library Mural

It’s also the temporary home of the DCPL’s Studio Lab, the library’s maker space (one of three) dedicated to photography, videography and music and sound recordings, while the main branch of the library is under construction.

After picking up my book, Dear Martin by Nic Stone, I headed south on Georgia Ave. I’d taken a less traveled route north to the library to avoid riding on Georgia, but I wanted to check out a tea parlor in Petworth I’d read about, so it seemed silly to diverge from the direct route.

Ten Tigers Parlour

Ten Tigers Parlour is located across the street from Safeway in Petworth and is an interesting place. During the day, it’s a teahouse and includes a Sri Lankan pop-up restaurant. On the weekends, they open their arcade and some of their other spaces for local kids to play in and their bar serves alcohol to beleaguered parents. And then at night it’s a restaurant and bar. They have a patio space that I didn’t realize was enclosed, or I would have taken my tea and book there.

I stopped for paper towels across the street, jamming the 6-pack into my pannier and then cycled home along my normal route back from Petworth (13th St.).

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