Tucked away at the end of a long stretch of strip malls on Baltimore Avenue, we find a large, somewhat run-down looking house. It is the home of College Perk.
A junkyard chic piano on the front porch leads you into a welcoming hall of traced hands. An apparent tradition the proprietors started as a way for patrons to leave their own special ‘Kilroy-Was-Here’ type of mark.
The rest of the place is a series of casual yet hip, large and very colorful rooms filled with artistic kitsch and nostalgia. A pool table, barber chair, cushy sofas, photos and a few upside-down tables added to the atmosphere.
College Perk was set up by owner Chris Gordan back in the summer of 2003 to be part student hangout, part artist community. The main house doubles as a residence for the owners and a handful of artists/staff members.
There were several people quietly reading while sipping mocha-whatevers. Others were pounding the keys of their laptops in this well connected (both wired and wireless) yet inconspicuous hotspot. Of course I had my usual cool drink for the coffee hater … Chai Tea. Behind the counter you’ll also find pastries, sandwiches and a modest assortment of beer and wine.
College Perk is set up nicely for acoustic music. By placing the band in the larger front room but still having smaller rooms for folks to hideaway, it allows people to go off and have conversations without disrupting the performance while still being able to enjoy the music.
See Also:
Photo Gallery
clueLess in Washington DC
