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Downtown Bethesda bustles 24/7
 | | Sonny Odom for the Bethesda Urban Partnership | | Visitors sample local fare at Taste of Bethesda. |
Arrive in Bethesda by Metrorail from Washington, D.C. and you may think you never left the nation's capital. Soaring office complexes, hotels and restaurants entice business and leisure visitors to the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area in increasing numbers.
A bustling mini-metropolis whose workforce numbers around 43,000, Bethesda boasts a median income, according to the Census Bureau, of $99,102. And the median home price is just shy of $400,000. (No, those are not typos.) Bethesda has risen grandly to the challenge of serving this upscale, well-educated population. You don’t have to go to D.C. for haute cuisine or ethnic food, or for entertainment. The cultural scene is thriving here. And there is precious little that you can't find in Bethesda's shops.
Many feel Bethesda is even more desirable without her make-up. Amid greenery and wildlife, locals bike and hike the picturesque Capital Crescent Trail that runs to Georgetown, about 7 miles away. Venture off Bethesda's main arteries and enter an idyllic world of stately trees and well-tended neighborhoods, sprawling parks, backyard barbecues, and well-fed golden retrievers. These all contribute to Bethesda's retaining its small-town feel.
Visitors opt to stay in Bethesda for a variety of reasons. Tourists and those with business in the nation's capital can get good value at Bethesda's half a dozen hotels and 200 restaurants. The travel time to D.C. is 15 to 30 minutes (depending on destination) via Metrorail's Red Line. Those staying near the station can walk to restaurants and entertainment. The attitude is strictly Y'all come to outdoor and cultural events which abound year-round. Not surprisingly, the area is hot with the young, hip, and upwardly mobile set. So don't be shy. Ask your concierge, "What's happenin'"?
Hotels
Bethesda offers visitors 1,500 rooms in six hotels that offer a wide range of accommodations for business and leisure travelers alike. Rates sometimes dip as low as $100 (weekends and special promos), rising incrementally according to location and the number of perks. When all is said and done, travelers can expect to shell out fewer shekels than for comparable accommodations in D.C.
 | | Michael Dersin | | Imagination Stage features family theater. |
Be forewarned: If convenience is a priority, ask about the hotel's proximity to the Bethesda Metro station. While we're on the subject, here's a mantra to tuck in your suitcase: Take Metro. Whenever possible, I urge you to park in Bethesda and take advantage of the Metrorail system. Metro will whisk you to the Smithsonian museums on the National Mall, National Airport, Union Station and destinations in between. No muss, no fuss.
Restaurants
Not only are the major food groups represented in Bethesda (fats, carbos, and sweets in my lexicon), but nearly every ethnic cuisine you might name—Afghan, Indian, Thai and Vietnamese among them. A comprehensive list of restaurants, by cuisine, can be found at www.bethesda.org. Among my favorites (no doubt you will find your own!): Jaleo (for tapas), 7271 Woodmont Ave., 301-913-0003; Le Vieux Logis (French), 7925 Old Georgetown Rd., 301-652-6816; Rio Grande Cafe (Mexican), 4870 Bethesda Ave., 301-650-2981; Houston's (burgers, ribs), 7715 Woodmont Ave., 301-656-9755; Tastee Diner (American; open every day but Christmas), 7731 Woodmont Ave., 301-652-3970; Il Forno (pizza), 4926 Cordell Ave., 301-652-7757; Gifford's (ice cream) 7737 Woodmont Ave., 301-907-3436.
Culture
Catch a play at the Round House Theatre (7501 Wisconsin Ave., 301-933-1644), Montgomery County's resident professional theater company. Imagination Stage (4908 Auburn Ave., 301-280-1660) draws families to its state-of-the-art theater complex for high-caliber weekend entertainment by professional actors for those 3 and older. Two multiplex theaters with 18 screens between 'em satisfy the differing tastes of movie buffs; more theaters are one or two Metro stops away. Those with kids in tow frequent Glen Echo Park (MacArthur Boulevard at Goldsboro Road), on Bethsda's outskirts, for performances by The Puppet Co. (301-320-6668) and Adventure Theatre (301-320-5331), and rides on the 1921 Dentzel carousel (301-492-6282).
Shopping
 | | Courtesy of Montgomery County | | Baked goods star at Farm Woman's Market. |
A book could be dedicated to Bethesda shopping. Among the more colorful and unusual finds is The Montgomery Farm Woman's Cooperative (7155 Wisconsin Ave., 301-652-2291). Open since 1932, it's a must-stop for fresh produce, home-baked goodies, knickknacks, crafts, quilts and more. Hours are Wednesday and Saturday, 7am to 3pm, year-round. Other shops of note include Second Story Books (4636 Bethesda Ave., 301-656-0170), where it is easy to while away an hour or more in the stacks; Second Chance (7702 Woodmont Ave., 301-652-6606), for upscale consignment clothing; and Big Planet comics (4908 Fairmont Ave., 301-654-6856), with the latest X-Men as well as vintage comics such as Nancy and Sluggo and the Archie series.
The area known as the Woodmont Triangle (Wisconsin Avenue west to Old Georgetown Road and the streets between them: Norfolk, St. Elmo, Cordell, Del Ray and Auburn avenues) is loaded with galleries, boutiques and upscale home furnishing stores. Also, you can shop till you drop and eat till you pop on Woodmont Avenue and adjacent streets west of Old Georgetown Road. Serious shoppers head to White Flint Mall on Rockville Pike (Metro to White Flint station, then the free shuttle); or Montgomery Mall (formally, Westfield Shoppingtown Montgomery) on Democracy Boulevard (Metro to Grosvenor station, then no. 47 or 96 bus). Take plenty of cash or plastic. Or both.
Special Events
Among Bethesda's top annual events (and there are many!), my faves include the Taste of Bethesda which runs the first weekend in October. More than 50 restaurants dish out small portions of their top dishes at reasonable prices. Admission and ongoing musical entertainment are free. At the Fine Arts Festival in mid-May area craftsmen and artists sell their wares at 150 booths. The Bethesda Artists Market, showcasing regional and national artists, takes place the second Sunday in May, June and July at Bethesda Place Plaza, 7700 Wisconsin Ave. Summer concerts are presented lunchtime and evenings from May through August.
For information on lodging, restaurants, special events:
maryland.com; mdwelcome.org; bethesda.org or call 301-215-6660.
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Beth Rubin, who lived in Bethesda when it was a sleepy town, is the author of Frommer's Washington, D.C. With Kids and Split Ends, a novel.
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