5 Best Indie Shops in College Park, Maryland 

Yes, College Park is the home of the University of Maryland, but if you look beyond all the Terrapin knickknacks and gear, you’ll discover a quirky town filled with local businesses that love both their regular customers and out-of-town visitors staying at nearby hotels. From specialty bike shops to organic food markets to a coffee shop that’s establishing a name for itself on the national stage, here are five indie College Park shops well worth exploring.

Get fit at Proteus Bicycles

Get out and ride with Proteus Bicycles. Photo Credit: Proteus Bicycles

Personalized service is the name of the game at Proteus Bicycles. They’re dedicated to getting to know you as a person and a cyclist, thereby ensuring a perfect fit when it’s time to upgrade to a new set of wheels or meet any of your other cycling needs. Proteus is a College Park shop that’s all about community, organizing workshops to teach riders about the basics of bike maintenance, as well as hosting organized rides and events for everyone from beginners to advanced cyclists. On Thursday nights, stop by for the weekly potluck dinner from 7 to 9 p.m. for food, drinks and lively conversation.

Shop smart at Mom’s Organic Market

Find organic and natural foods galore at My Organic Market. Photo Credit: My Organic Market

My Organic Market, also known as “MOM’s,” is a much-loved, D.C.-area natural food store chain that’s one of the most beloved College Park shops as well. Founded by local natural foods enthusiast Scott Nash in the late 1980s, MOM’s opened a College Park store in 2000. Well-known for its wide selection of exclusively organic fruits and vegetables, the natural grocery store also offers dairy-free and gluten-free baked goods and pastas (they started offering the products years before they were trendy); frozen and refrigerated vegetarian items; organic meats, cheeses and juices; vegan specialties; chocolates; sweets; and ecofriendly household items and cleaners. Best of all, the store prides itself on keeping its prices reasonable so all of its customers can enjoy pesticide-free produce.

Find community at Numi Yoga

Even if you don’t know your downward dog from your lotus position, there’s a place for you at Numi Yoga. Photo Credit: Numi Yoga

While Numi Yoga is definitely a yoga studio, it’s also another one of the College Park shops striving to be a community space, welcoming all (even the “yoga shy”) to experience the studio with no-fee meditation classes, guest-speaker events, movie screenings and more. For those looking to get started with yoga, there are many styles to choose from, including vinyasa, Baptiste Power, restorative, yin and chair yoga classes. For specific classes to deepen your practice, try one focused on a specific skill such as balance, alignment or foundational poses.

Warm your soul and get your caffeine fix at Vigilante Coffee

The folks at Vigilante Coffee take their java very, very seriously. Photo Credit: Vigilante Coffee

After refining their coffee-roasting skills in Hawaii, the Vigilante Coffee team set up shop in a humble, 250-square-foot basement space in Washington, D.C., in 2010, four years before settling into their first permanent roastery and cafe in Hyattsville, Maryland. The space was such a resounding success with visitors from in and around the DC area that they set a goal to become the best college-town coffee shop—and, in 2018, opened a 2,600-square-foot cafe among the College Park shops near the University of Maryland. The space is bright, warm and welcoming, with tall speakers sharing the natural analog sound of vinyl LPs, exposed brick walls and plenty of communal seating. Go for the expertly roasted coffees from Kenya, Indonesia, Guatemala and more, and stay for delicious acai bowls, muffins and croissants.

Go a more natural route at Smile Herb Shop

Smile Herb Shop has been promoting the benefits of natural healing since 1975. Photo Credit: Smile Herb Shopimg5

Smile Herb Shop educates the public on natural healing through herbal products, from essential oils to specialty teas. If you’re new to natural healing, try one of the shop’s “Foundations in Herbalism” classes, covering topics like the immune system or the lymphatic system and skin care, or try a one-on-one clinical herbal consultation. In partnership with White Lotus Wellness Center, Smile Herb Shop also hosts fitness, yoga, craft and astrology classes.