Best of Route 1 Reader Poll 2017

Here are the highly anticipated results of the Hyattsville Wire’s inaugural Best of Route 1 Reader Poll, conducted in June of 2017, and based on hundreds of online submissions.

Best Place to Get Coffee: Vigilante Coffee

Vigilante won this category by a wide margin. Notable runners-up include Starbucks, Zeke’s, The Bagel Place and Board and Brew.

Best Restaurant: Franklins Restaurant, Brewery and General Store

Hometown favorite Franklins won by a country mile. Notable runners-up include Shagga Coffee and Restaurant, Busboys and Poets, Bird Kitchen and Cocktails, Northwest Chinese Food, Nando’s Peri-Peri, Tara Thai, Fishnet and Pho Thom.

Best Sunday Brunch: Busboys and Poets

Busboys took the lead here, but Bird Kitchen and Cocktails mounted a strong challenge. “My mom needs to dine here every time she comes to town,” noted one Bird fan. Notable runners-up include Franklins, The Bagel Place and Silver Diner.

Best Pizza: The Original Ledo Restaurant

Longstanding rectangular pizza joint Ledo’s took first prize, but nearby Blaze Fast-Fired Pizza nearly tied it, and Slices and Dumm’s Pizza and Subs weren’t far behind. Meantime, Pizzeria Paradiso isn’t even open yet, and it got more than a few votes.

Best Take-Out or Delivery: Spice 6

The Arts District in Hyattsville scored well in this category. Build-your-own Indian restaurant Spice 6 took first prize, though some preferred nearby Tara Thai and Elevation Burger. Other notable runners-up include Aroy Thai, Paisano’s and Shanghai Cafe.

Best Place for Date Night: Bird Kitchen and Cocktails

The Mount Rainier restaurant has ambiance, an uncomplicated but surprising menu and attentive wait staff. Other notable runners-up included Franklins, Busboys and Poets, Milkboy Arthouse, Nido, Hanami and Fishnet.

Best Place to See Live Music: Milkboy Arthouse

The College Park restaurant and music venue hasn’t had any live shows yet, but customers have seen enough to rank it first. Other notable runners-up included Busboys and Poets, the New Deal Cafe in Greenbelt and Robert Harper Books in Riverdale Park.

Best Public Park: Magruder Park

The 32-acre park in Hyattsville has a playground, soccer fields and nature trails, though the 38-acre Lake Artemesia Natural Area also scored highly. Other notable runners-up included Greenbelt Park, the walking trail in University Park, and Bladensburg Waterfront Park.

Best Playground: Indian Creek Playground

The Berwyn Heights playground has a nice variety of play equipment for different ages as well as picnic benches and access to Indian Creek Trail. Other notable runners-up included Magruder Park and the superhero-themed Heurich Park.

Best Place to Take the Kids: College Park Aviation Museum

The museum has large indoor and outdoor play areas, including flight simulators, coloring stations and an ERCO plane they can climb aboard. Other notable runners-up include the splash fountain at Riverdale Park Station, Artworks Now and Franklins toy store.

Best Piece of Public Art: The Bear at Riverdale Park Station

The stainless steel and urethane sculpture at Riverdale Park Station is Route 1’s newest piece of public art but it’s already well-liked. Other notable runners-up included the birds around town, the mural at Franklins and the mural by Nando’s.

Best Place to Go Running: Lake Artemesia Trail

The 1.4 mile trail’s greatest asset is connections to Paint Branch TrailIndian Creek Trail and Northeast Branch Trail. Other notable runners-up included the Anacostia River Trail, Hyattsville’s Historic District and the Trolley Trail.

Best Place to Go Biking: Anacostia River Trail

The 2.6 mile trail runs along the Anacostia River, including Bladensburg Waterfront Park and Colmar Manor Community Park. Other notable runners-up included Anacostia River Trail, Paint Branch Trail and the Trolley Trail.

Best Local Event: Hyattsville Arts & Ales Festival

The annual event showcases live bands, craft beers and more than a hundred arts vendors. Other notable runners-up included Hyattsville’s Summer Jam series, Maryland Day at the University of Maryland and the Historic Hyattsville House Tour.

Best Hidden Gem: OpenBarre Studios

The College Park barre studio was the faraway winner in this category. Other runners-up included Numi Yoga in College Park, Community Forklift in Edmonston, and Dietz Park in Hyattsville.

Best Locally Owned Shop: Tanglewood Works

The Hyattsville shop, which sells “upcycled” items like hand-painted vintage furniture to home decor and jewelry, was a clear favorite. Other runners-up included Green Owl Design, Three Little Birds, Town Center Market and Numi Yoga.

Best Bike Shop: Arrow Bicycle

The Hyattsville shop, which organizes a 32-mile group ride every Sunday, was the leader in this category. College Park Bicycles, Proteus Bicycles and the Mount Rainier Bike Co-Op had fans as well.

Best Grocery Store: Whole Foods

The newest grocery store in the Route 1 corridor took the prize by a healthy margin. Other notable runners-up included Aldi in Hyattsville, Yes! Organic Market in the Arts District, the Glut Food Co-Op in Mount Rainier, MOM’s Organic Market in College Park and the Greenbelt Co-Op.

Best Community Supported Agriculture: ECO City Farms

The non-profit teaching farm in Edmonston was the far-away favorite in this category, although it’s unclear if it will continue its CSA program. Blades Orchard CSA in Caroline County and Clagett Farm in Upper Marlboro also got votes.

Best Place to Get Beer on Tap: Franklins Restaurant, Brewery and General Store

Support was divided between Franklins and the Town Center Market in Riverdale Park. No other contenders came even close.

Best Place to Get a Haircut: Banana’s

The College Park hair salon took the top spot, although the Hair Cuttery in College Park, Shear Pleasure in College Park and Today’s Hair came close. Carlos Barber Shop in Hyattsville also had support.

Best Yoga Studio: Numi Yoga

The College Park yoga studio took the top spot. Other notable runners-up included Bikram Hot Yoga in Riverdale Park, OpenBarre Studios in College Park, Yoga Space and Love Yoga in Hyattsville and Joe’s Movement Emporium in Mount Rainier.

Best Fitness Studio: OpenBarre Studios

The College Park barre studio did well in this category as well, although Crossfit Hyattsville and Numi Yoga also got mentions.

Best Local Artist: Alan Binstock

Sculptor Alan Binstock, who also has worked as an architect and a master planner at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, took the top spot. Other notable runners-up include mosaic artist Valerie Theberge and Mount Rainier artist Alonzo Davis.

Best Local Musician(s): Blue Plains

The indie rock group Blue Plains took the top spot, with fiddle player Pete Daniels also getting his own votes. Singer-songwriter Audrey Engdahl was another notable runner-up.

Best Barista: Diane Contreras

Vigilante barista and “queen of the vibe” Diane Contreras took the top spot.

Best Real Estate Agent: Ann Barrett

Ann Barrett with Long and Foster was the top vote-getter, although Emily Jackson with Remax and Jean Pirovic with Long and Foster were close behind.

Best Hair Stylist: Kathleen at Bananas

Best Handyman: Joe Fugere

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