Greenbelt

Understand

Contained within today's City of Greenbelt is the historic planned community now known locally as "Old Greenbelt" and designated as the Greenbelt Historic District. The historic district was built during the New Deal era in 1937 and much of the original housing is now owned collectively as a cooperative. The architecture is in the Art Deco style. Greenbelt's residents take the city's history of cooperation and volunteerism seriously; as a result they organize a variety of festivals, events, performing and visual arts. The city has three areas: Old Greenbelt is the historic area between Greenbelt Road, the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, Kenilworth Avenue and the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center. Greenbelt West includes the Beltway Plaza strip mall and the Franklin Park rental housing complex. Greenbelt East is a collection of 1990s developments and the Greenway Center. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center is within the city limits.

Getting there

By plane Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI IATA) is 25 minutes north on the B-W Parkway. Washington Reagan National Airport (DCA IATA) is 30 minutes south via the B-W Parkway (but through Washington, D.C.). The Metro can be taken from DCA to the Greenbelt station. Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD IATA) is 40 miles west in Virginia. By car, take the Dulles access road to the Washington Beltway (495) north to exit 23. Or use the airport's metro station and then connect to the Greenbelt station, which should take about 100 minutes total. Ground transportation is available via The Airport Shuttle.

By train Metrorail trains run to the 1 Greenbelt Station on the Green Line. MTA's MARC commuter trains between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. also run to the above-mentioned Greenbelt Station on the Camden Line.

By bus Metrobus service to Greenbelt is available. University of Maryland shuttle buses serve Greenbelt. The Bolt Bus offers service from New York City to the Greenbelt Metro Station.

By car Take exit 23 from the Washington Beltway (95/495) onto Kenilworth Avenue. Go briefly south and turn onto 193 or briefly north and turn right onto Crescent Road.

By bike The American Discovery Trail goes through Greenbelt Park, past Buddy Attick Park and north into the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center. The East Coast Greenway Trail goes through Greenbelt.

Getting around

Route 193 runs the long way through Greenbelt, connecting the 3 main sections of the city. To get to Roosevelt Center in Old Greenbelt from 193, head north on Southway to its end and park in the large parking lot. Metrobus connects the Greenbelt Metro Station, the Beltway Plaza, Crescent Road in Old Greenbelt (Roosevelt Center), the Greenway Center, Cipriano Square, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and on to the New Carrollton Metro Station. Old Greenbelt is very walkable with a network of walking paths separate from the roads.

See

1 NASA/Goddard Visitor Center, Explorer Drive (off Route 193), ☏ +1 301 286-9041, fax: +1 301 286-1781, [email protected]. Tu-F 9AM-5PM, Sa Su noon-4PM. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day. NASA's premier center for unmanned scientific space exploration is the Goddard Space Flight Center. The small Visitor Center features many exhibits to excite tomorrow's inter-planetary researchers. The Visitor Center is accessible from ICESat Rd., not from the Center's main gate. Free. 2 The Greenbelt Museum, 10B Crescent Road, ☏ +1 301 507-6582. Open every Sunday from 1-5PM for tours. Small, but unique museum that chronicles the city's birth as a Roosevelt "New Deal" planned community. One of the original 1937 houses, furnished and maintained as it was when new. $3 general admission, $2 adults 55 and older, $1 children under 12.

Do

Outdoors 1 Greenbelt Park, 6565 Greenbelt Rd. Open year round; day use is dawn to dusk. An oasis of forest on the inside of the Capital Beltway at the B-W Parkway. Operated by the National Park Service, Greenbelt Park is one of the best camping opportunities near Washington DC. There is a walking path from the campground through the woods that leads to the College Park Metro station about a half mile away. The path is hard to find so ask a Ranger for directions. The park is also excellent for picnics in one of the three picnic areas, bicycling, roller blading, and nature walks on 9 miles of trails. Free admission; $16+ fee to camp. 2 Buddy Attick Park (Crescent Rd at Kenilworth Ave). A park with a lake, maintained by the city of Greenbelt. The park includes large playground and several picnic areas. Watch for birds, reptiles, and water mammals while hiking the trail that circles the small, man-made Greenbelt Lake. 3 Greenbelt Tennis Courts, 20 lakeside. (updated Nov 2020) 4 Greenbelt Sand Volleyball Courts, 26 Lakeside Dr. (updated Nov 2020) Playgrounds. There are playgrounds throughout the City, including at Greenbelt Park, Buddy Attick Park, Schrom Hills Park, and across Crescent Road from the library near the City Center. With all of the playgrounds, Greenbelt has been designated as a "Playful City USA."

Sports 5 Greenbelt Aquatic and Fitness Center, 101 Centerway (near Roosevelt Center), ☏ +1 301 397-2204. An indoor pool, an outdoor pool, a hot tub and a variety of aerobic and weight-lifting machines. It is the oldest public pool in Maryland and is open daily year round. On summer weekends, entry is limited to Greenbelt residents and passholders, but a day pass can be purchased at all other times. 6 Greenbelt Skatepark, 99 Centreway (Between the Youth Center and the Community Center). Free. Prince Georges County Trap and Skeet Center, 10400 Good Luck Road, Glen Dale (East on Greenbelt Road, about 1 mile past NASA, turn left on Good Luck Road. The

Buy

Shop at the Festivals: Hand-made art and crafts at the Festival of Lights, the Green Man Festival and the Harvest Festival. Used books at the Labor Day Festival.

Beltway Plaza, 6000 Greenbelt Road. A large indoor-outdoor strip mall. Anchored by Target and a Giant Supermarket, there are a variety of quaint ethnic shops and restaurants inside. Greenway Center, 7575 Greenbelt Road. A strip mall anchored by a Safeway Supermarket. Cipriano Square, 8840 Greenbelt Road (Across from NASA-Goddard). A strip mall anchored by a K-mart.

Eat

Chef Lou's Desserts, 103B Centerway (Roosevelt Center), ☏ +1 301 441-9560. Baked goods and ice cream. Generous Joe's, 107 Centerway (Roosevelt Center), ☏ +1 301 474-4998. Pizza, pasta and deli sandwiches. "The fill your belly deli." Eat in, take out or phone for local delivery. Osaka Restaurant, 8855 Greenbelt Road (Cipriano Square, across from Goddard), ☏ +1 301 552-1442, [email protected]. This is a tasty, reasonably-priced sushi restaurant. Pollo Cabana, 7423 Greenbelt Road (Greenway Center), ☏ +1 301 474-0434. Slow-cooked charcoal rotisserie-style Peruvian chicken. Gourmet taste at a fast-food price. Also has wraps and salads. Three Brothers Pizza, 6160 Greenbelt Road, ☏ +1 301 474-5330. If