Bethesda [1] is a city in Montgomery County in the state of Maryland. It's located right on the outskirts of Washington (D.C.), inside the Beltway.

Understand

Bethesda was a quiet suburb until 1984 when the Metro red line was extended out. This brought an explosion of growth and many high rises were built. Critics argue that the rapid growth of Bethesda has given it an over-commercialized feel.

Get in

Metro

Bethesda has its own stop on the Washington, D.C. Metro red line at the intersection of Wisconsin and Old Georgetown Avenues.

Get around

See

• The National Institutes of Health http://www.nih.gov
• The National Naval Medical Center. This is the official hospital of the President of the United States of America. http://www.bethesda.med.navy.mil/
• The Madonna of the Trail statue.

Do

Buy

There are many places to shop in Bethesda. See http://www.bethesda.org/shopping/shoppingdatabase.asp for a full list.

Eat

Bethesda had 180 restaurants at the end of 2004. It is known throughout the Washington D.C. area for the abundance of restaurants in the downtown area. There are 29 different categories of restaurants according to the Bethesda Urban Partnership (www.bethesda.org). See http://www.bethesda.org/dining/diningdatabase.asp for a full list of restaurants in Bethesda.

• Tastee Diner, 7731 Woodmont Ave, [2]. Looking for the true American diner experience with greasy spoons and waitresses with too much eye shadow? How about cheap eats any time of day or night? Look no further as Tastee diner will serve your needs.

• Bangkok Garden, 4906 St. Elmo Ave., (301) 951-0670 [3]. This ethnic Thai restaurant is one of the best in the D.C. area. It has relatively inexpensive food served in a warm, inviting atmosphere.

Drink

All of Montgomery County, including Bethesda, is smoke-free in restaurants and bars.

• Rock Bottom Brewery (301) 652-1311, 7900 Norfolk Avenue [4].
• Flanagan's Irish Pub http://flanagans-irish-pub.com/
• The Barking Dog 4723 Elm Street, (301) 654-0022 [5]. Dance floor upstairs.
• Union Jack's 4915 St. Elmo Avenue, (301) 652-2561 [6]. A newer bar with pool tables, 80's music on Saturday nights, and strong Long Islands.
• Caddies on Cordell 4922 Cordell Avenue, (301) 215-7730 [7]. A sport's bar.

Sleep

• Hyatt Regency Bethesda [8]. A large Hyatt conveniently located right on top of the Bethesda Metro station.

Get out

The Capitol Crescent Trail [9] passes through Bethesda, and provides a bike trail from Georgetown to Silver Spring. Between Bethesda and Georgetown the trail is smooth asphalt suitable for rollerblading, while from Bethesda to Silver Spring is currently loose gravel.

• The grave of American novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald (The Great Gatsby) at the nearby Saint Mary's Cemetery in Rockville.