Food and craft vendors (more craft - good for gifts) fill what's known as Veteran's Plaza in front…read moreof the Silver Spring Civic Center, as well as a couple blocks surrounding, and bumps up against the farmers' market that continues through the downtown SS shopping center (though the farmers' market closes up earlier). It makes for a very pleasant hour or two of strolling, sampling, and shopping! There's jewelry, bags, artwork, kids' toys and clothes, and lots of other random stuff - there's even a stand selling refurbished bikes. The Crepes At The Market guys who you probably know from Eastern Market set up shop on the street corner, and right next to them are Migue's Magnificent Mini Donuts, whose name is completely accurate. I've also seen things like cheeses, veggies, and jellies in the farmers' market area, where there's often live music blasting from a big stage. Fabulous place to enjoy Saturday sunshine!

This market has now moved to Veterans Plaza outside the newly constructed civic center in the heart…read moreof downtown Silver Spring. The only sad part is that this past Saturday (Oct.30) was the last opening for the year. It's more spacious now and there appeared to be more craft vendors than in the past. The crepe guy was here too! My friend bought a really cute knit baby sweater and since it was the end of the day and the last event for the season, she got it for about 30% less. I'll be back next April. I hope you will too.

I'm not understanding the low review for this place. I just moved to the area and I have made this…read morea destination for me when I need an item. I also find the uniqueness of the space appealing. My coworkers down here told me that this use to be a department store at one point and then it got redone into what is essentially an urban mall now. One that I personally think works. Parking is fairly easy here. You can do street (if you can find a spot) or the parking garage across the street. Depending on the floor you park on in the garage you have two options to enter Ellsworth. You can take the footbridge which will take you to the fourth floor of the mall, or you can go street level and cross the street. One inside it is a bit of a maze to find where you want to go. My tip here is to start on the bottom and make your way to the top. If you are a discount store shopper than this is the place for you. You can hop from TJ Maxx to Marshalls, than onto Ross's and Burlington. Throw in some Five Below and DSW and you probably just found an outfit for far less than going to a department store. I don't know what this was like before I moved down here, but it looks like it is in bit of a transition. The shoe store on the one level was on its way out and there appeared to be a storefront that was having work done on the inside. Food options inside aren't the best, but at least there are some. Honestly, with the proximity of this place, there are a lot of options just right outside too.

I'm a MOCO girl so this will forever be City Place to me! Back in the day, it was cool hanging here…read moreand going to the movie theater on the top floor. I don't come here very often because honestly there's not much really for me. The place has had some upgrades over the years, but it's still pretty basic and not too many options! Here's a quick list: * Nail salon * Kids for less * Footlocker * Shoe City * Rainbow * Five Below * Beauty supply * GNC * TJMaxx * Marshalls * Burlington * Ross (worst I've ever been to) * Dave and Busters (on the top floor) *I'm sure I missed some but this is the majority! The lower level has some food selections but you're better off going outside with way more choices. There's an hourly garage connected to the "mall" and metered street parking!

This place gets a FIVE star because it is one-of-a-kind. I'm not even into model trains but I…read morefound this place so interesting. You can tell the proprietor has been in the business for a LONG time (the old man is older than dirt) and his shop seems to be a hobby more than an occupation. The store is more like a museum than a store...they have so many antique model trains and if you want supplies, they have 'em! I believe he also used to own the gun store that used to be downstairs (Engage Armament) but the gun store moved to Gude Dr. If you are not into model trains but have some free time to burn, I suggest you check out this place...its a great diversion worth 15-30 (maybe even 45-60 if you are a museum go-er) minutes at a minimum. HOWEVER, if you ARE into hobby model trains, then you will be a kid in a candy store.

"I could stay here all day," said my eight-year-old artist. If you love crafts, Merry Pin is your…read morespot. Inside a corner building along popular Georgia Avenue NW, this woman-owned craft store is more than that. It's a community hub and cafe. Walk inside and you'll find well-organized crafts and art supplies throughout. They sell yarn, needles, stickers, stationary, glue, everything. My daughter especially loved the kits to learn how to crochet and knit. Near the register are "mystery grab bags" for $7 that my daughter bought. In the back is a button area where you can fill a small paper bag with buttons for $1.50. The cafe is on the first floor with a few tables and bar seating. They sell pastries like ham and cheese croissants, empanadas, a pickle plate, and more. My daughter loved the bacon empanada and the gourmet rainbow marshmallows. They also sell drinks of all kinds, including mimosas and margaritas. The upstairs is where you'll find one big room with long tables, couches, and lots of craft supplies in their Little Free Craft Library space. My daughter could stay for hours making art! The public restroom is on this floor too. Street parking is very easy to find even on a Saturday.

I really wanted to have a better experience at Merry Pin. I love crafts, and supporting a local,…read morewoman-owned business? Perfect! I went for the Gilmore Girls fall event and it was just... not good. Tickets were $45. The event sounded great! Themed drinks, trivia, bingo, grab bags, episode viewing, and themed crafts. The concept was fully there, but the execution wasn't. There were a ton of major issues. Trivia? The person was sick, so it didn't happen. Bingo? Every card was the same, so it didn't happen. We didn't learn this until an hour into the event, because that was when the first staff member entered the event space upstairs. The themed craft was making polymer clay magnets. One problem- there were no actual magnets. Other supplies, like parchment paper and a pot holder, were also missing. The craft required an oven, but there was no staff member assisting with anything upstairs. Guests had to set up and preheat the oven themselves. People were taking things in and out of the oven, including other people's items. It just was too complicated without a staff member overseeing it. The episode watching started after an hour. It was an okay set up- a projector, Netflix, and some speakers. But it was just okay. It was difficult to see and hear, and the Netflix would pause for long periods of time because no staff member was present. I hoped for a fun atmosphere where people would react to the episode, but many people were talking or doing other things. The food was a huge issue. Included in the event was themed drinks- these were good and had a good concept. Also included were pop tarts, mallomars, and "grab bags" which contained eggs rolls and mini pancakes. The egg rolls were cold by the time the event started, and one person next to me wanted to know if they had meat. No one was there to answer the question. The food ran out before everyone got to the event. Ordering food was an issue as well. You can tell from the menu that the food was frozen and reheated. It took forever. I arrived half an hour before the event. I got my first food item 35 minutes after ordering and my last item 45 minutes after ordering. One item, hash browns, were still cold in the middle. The quality was what I expected- actually not bad- but it took forever. I think all of the staff were working on the food instead of doing anything else. Other little details were not great. The event room was packed and some people sat on the floor. There was water provided upstairs, but it ran out. You had to bus your own dishes and trash, but the dish bin was full. There weren't lights on all of the tables, so once the episode viewing began it was hard to craft. I really wanted to like Merry Pin, and maybe they were just short staffed for this event. In the end, some of the people I came with wanted a refund. It just felt disorganized and unfinished. I would be cautious about other events here.

It's just perfect. If you enjoy thrift and antique stores this is the place for you. Also the…read moreprices are quite manageable. So great, love it. I plan on coming here all the time.

Great discovery for someone new to the area. Wonderfully and thoughtfully curated items for every…read moreera and design preference. Quality furniture and amazing collection of curiosities.

New store! It's the hobby lobby that's the same as all the others. The arts abs crafts section is…read moreexpansive and honestly every time I'm impressed. The material for the gunpla are beginner level but hey if it gets into the hobby go for it. I would like to see more variety with the models. These ones are fairly basic and generic. The service was excellent for the First day. They wanted every customer to feel welcomed and putting their best display on and they achieved it. The value is good and you know what you're looking for when you first walk in. It still lacks personality that the smaller local stores have but for seasonal stuff and some arts and crafts this will be a welcome addition. Just sewing and fabrics I'll go local.

Already a mess. Stuff not organized. Prices are not great. Staff was not helpful at all. Had no…read moreidea what aisles items would be on. Go to Michaels instead they are so nice there.

Horrible experience being followed around the store by the owner. This place is an eyesore and a…read moregeneral vibe killer on an otherwise lovely downtown street. No idea how they're still in business.

When you put in thrift stores in this area you get a myriad of options that don't necessarily fit a…read morethrift store motif. I have been, and continue to, search for items for my apartment. It's little odds and ends that I think I need and only I understand what I am looking for. In hopes of finding a decent spot to browse, I came here. Now, although they didn't have anything that I wanted to look for, I did spend a good amount of time browsing. That is the one thing that you will need when you enter here, time. There is a ton of stuff in here that you can easily lose yourself in. However, if you are claustrophobic, bypass this place. The aisles are extra small and this could be on the verge of a hoarder case. You kind of have to go with the flow of everyone else in the store, and that means you really can't retrace your footsteps if you need to. Unless you are the only person in the store, which is a rarity. The owner of this place is amazing. She is so full of life and greets everyone that walks in the door. She makes sure that you have what you need even if you didn't expect that you needed it. If you have some time, give this place a shot as there are things in here that you wouldn't expect to find.

I was excited to learn about the only zero-waste store in the DMV from DC EcoWomen. Sustainable…read moreliving is a real priority for me, and I try to avoid single-use plastic as much as I can. Greenthinker sells soaps, cleaning supplies, personal care items, kitchenware - basically a lot of materials that are a source of a lot of unnecessary trash but that most of us (me included) can't imagine living without. Rini is the owner and is super friendly, is helpful in answering questions about products, and is always interested in suggestions for new items to stock. If you're a fellow "susty sista" like me (or a sustainability enthusiast of any gender identity) be sure to give Greenthinker a try!

A good selection of zero waste products from kitchenware (scrub brushes, jar lids, etc) , beauty…read more(makeup removal clothes, sponges, etc), bath products (refillable body wash, shower steamers etc), baby products and other items in between. While the space is small, it's laid out wonderfully and makes maximum use of the square footage available. The staff member running the store was polite but also considerate, giving customers breathing room to shop freely but also being available for any questions or concerns. When I run out of the products I've bought, I'll try to update this review on how refills worked out for me. All in all, an excellent addition to Takoma.