Bethesda

Understand

Bethesda was a quiet suburb until 1984, when the Red Line of the Metrorail was extended. This brought an explosion of growth, and many high rise office and apartment buildings were built. Bethesda became the major suburban destination in Maryland for wining and dining, and is much more family-friendly than anywhere in D.C. Bethesda is one of the richest and most educated areas in the U.S.

Local information Bethesda Urban Partnership website

Getting there

By plane Baltimore-Washington International (BWI IATA), Dulles International (IAD IATA), and Washington Reagan National (DCA IATA) airports are more or less equidistant by taxi from downtown Bethesda, usually taking about 30-45 minutes, without traffic. Budget an extra 30 minutes during rush hour. For information on getting from the airports to Bethesda, see Washington, D.C.#Get_in

By Metrorail Bethesda is served by WMATA trains via its Red Line; travel time from central Washington, D.C. is just over 20 minutes. 1 Bethesda Station is located at the intersection of Wisconsin Ave and Old Georgetown Road. Eventually, the Purple Line will be built, giving easy access to Silver Spring and the campus of the University of Maryland.

By bus

From New York City Tripper Bus, ☏ +1 718 834-9214. Service to Penn Station in New York City. Pickup/dropoff near the Metrorail stations in Bethesda and Rosslyn. $27 discounts available with multiple online tickets purchased. Elite bus service option includes leather captains reclining chairs. Vamoose Bus, ☏ +1 301 718-0036. Service to Penn Station in New York City Pickup/dropoff near the Metro stations in Bethesda and Rosslyn. $30 free ticket with every four purchased.

From other points in Montgomery County, MD Ride-on-Bus and MetroBus operate service between downtown Bethesda and other locations in Montgomery County, including Rockville, Silver Spring, and Wheaton.

By car Wisconsin Ave (Route 355) and Connecticut Avenue run from Downtown Washington DC to Bethesda.

By bicycle The Capital Crescent Trail, which runs from Georgetown to Silver Spring passes through Bethesda. Between Bethesda and Georgetown the trail is smooth asphalt suitable for rollerblading. The trail from Bethesda to Silver Spring is closed as of Oct 2020 due to construction of the Purple Line light rail.

Getting around

By bus Bethesda Circulator operates free bus service within downtown Bethesda. It runs every 10 minutes M-Th 7AM-11PM, F 7AM-midnight, Sa 10AM-2AM, Su no service. Ride-on-Bus and MetroBus operate service between downtown Bethesda and other locations in Bethesda, including Montgomery Mall and the National Institutes of Health.

By foot You can walk around downtown Bethesda — it's not so big.

By car

Parking Parking is usually only available in the public garages, which have rates between $1.50 and $2.00 per hour. Parking meters cost $2.25 per hour. Parking enforcement is aggressive and fines start at $45 for an expired meter.

See

Bethesda is not known for its sights; it's known for its restaurants and bars. Nonetheless, you might be interested to see:

1 Bethesda Fine Art, 4931 Cordell Avenue, ☏ +1 240-800-3628, [email protected]. By appointment only. To schedule an appointment, contact Lori Rapaport, +1 914-806-1979. Art gallery 2 Gallery B, 7700 Wisconsin Avenue, ☏ +1 301-951-9441. W–Su noon–6PM. Art gallery. 3 Madonna of the Trail statue, Wisconsin Ave & Old Georgetown Rd. The Madonna of the Trail memorial was dedicated at Bethesda in 1929 by the Daughters of the American Revolution. It is one of 12 identical memorials that mark the National Old Trails Road, also known as the Ocean-to-Ocean Highway. Each Madonna of the Trail monument stands 18 feet tall and weighs 17 tons and is constructed of algonite stone. The statue depicts a pioneer woman clasping her baby with her young son clinging to her skirts and is a tribute to the women that headed west with their pioneer husbands. Free. 4 National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike (north on Wisconsin). The mammoth collection of buildings housing the majority of the nation's government bio-research. Due to worries about the security of the bio-weapons research programs here, admission of non-employees to the grounds requires a security screening. 5 Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The view from Wisconsin Ave of the main building is plenty impressive. If you see a helicopter landing on that main building, it's probably the president or one of the top cabinet officials — this is where they get their repairs. Frankin Delano Roosevelt sketched the design for the impressive main building. 6 Waverly Street Gallery, 4600 East-West Highway, ☏ +1 301-951-9441. W–Su noon–6PM. Art gallery

Do

Bethesda Urban Partnership sponsors many events including free concerts, movie showings, and art exhibitions, all of which are posted on the website.

1 KID Museum, 3 Bethesda Metro Center, Suite 140 (Above the Bethesda Metro station), ☏ +1 301 941 4905, [email protected]. Open only Sundays 10AM to 4PM. Hands-on learning center and museum where kids learn how to make, build and design things and objects with science and technology. Open to general public only on Sundays 10AM to 4PM. $15 per child.

Parks 2 Elm Street Urban Park, 4600 Elm St. Sunrise to sunset. A 2.1-acre park in downtown Bethesda. There is a playground, a picnic area with an open shelter, and a stone and metal statue by Jenny Read titled Girl with Hoop. Occasionally, this is the site of free dance classes on weekends.

Bowling Bowlero Bethesda, 5353 Westbard Ave, ☏ +1 301 652-0955. M 5PM-2AM, Tu-Th 5PM-midnight, F Sa 11AM-2AM, Su 11AM-11:30PM. A big, 34-lane upscale bowling alley with two large and popular bars. $4-9/game depending on time, Monday night special: $14 all-you-can-bowl +shoes 8PM-close.

Live music 3 Bethesda Theater, 7719 Wisconsin Avenue. Strathmore Hall (The Music Center at Strathmore), 5301 Tuckerman Lane North Bethesda (Adjacent to "Grosvenor-Strathmore" Metrorail station), ☏ +1 301-581-5100. A fantastic hall for seeing concerts because of its state-of-the-art acoustics and great seating. Even the last row has great sound and viewing lines. Check the schedule to find everything from classical music symphonies to rock concerts to kids music performances.

Festivals Bethesda Row Arts Festival. Mid-Oct: 10AM-5PM. A festival featuring arts and crafts for sale by local artists and live music. Taste of Bethesda. Early Oct: 11AM-4PM. The taste of Bethesda is the biggest festival of the year, when people from all over the area come to sample Bethesda's restaurant offerings and to enjoy big free concerts. A pack of 4 taste tickets costs $5, and restaurants will give yo

Buy

Stores 1 The Blue House, 7833 Woodmont Ave, ☏ +1 301 656-6088. M-Sa 10:30AM–5 PM, Su noon–5 PM. Eclectic store offering jewelry, clothing, baby gifts, and home decor. 2 Paper Source, 4805 Bethesda Ave, ☏ +1 301 215-9141. Sa Tu 10AM-7PM, Su M 11AM–6PM, Tu 10AM–7PM, W-F 10AM–8PM. Decorative