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Vibrant Silver Spring lures visitors across the District line
 | | Chun Lai (Courtesy of AFI/Gensler) | | The Silver Theatre screens classic films. |
Silver Spring, Maryland, one of Washington, D.C.'s oldest bedroom communities, hugs the northeast border of the District. Easy access to Washington, D.C. via Metro, affordable accommodations, and scores of restaurants make Silver Spring an attractive alternative to staying in the heart of Washington.
More city than sleepy town, Silver Spring's downtown area has been undergoing grand-scale development and revitalization for the past decade. Soaring office complexes, new restaurants and shops, and expanded transportation to and from D.C. have helped to put Silver Spring back on the map after it flatlined in the '70s and '80s.
Propelling Silver Spring back into the circle of prestigious inside-the-Beltway communities is Downtown Silver Spring, a huge redevelopment project contained within the boundaries of Georgia Avenue to the west, Fenton Street to the east, Colesville Road north, and Wayne Avenue south. A block from the Silver Spring Metro, it takes in the updated City Place mall, a 400,000-square-foot bonanza of off-price stores, branches of national chains and independent shops. Here you find such standbys as Borders Books, Pier I Imports, Office Depot and Whole Foods. Silver Spring is also a cultural magnet, thanks to the Silver Theatre (a recently resurrected Art Deco gem from 1938 which screens American Film Institute classics, foreign and art films, and hosts an annual film festival), the esteemed Round House Theatre for live productions, and 20-screen Majestic Theater complex (slated to open in Spring 2004).
Enhancing Silver Spring's vitality far beyond mortar, bricks and healthy consumerism is a rich and diverse citizenry. Feeding the culinary habits of this multicultural population, along with the sophisticated tastes of bureaucrats, businesspeople and families, are scores of ethnic restaurants—Mexican, Salvadoran, Cuban, Greek, Italian, Middle Eastern, Oriental, and Kosher (in nearby Wheaton). In addition, a host of reliable institutions—chains and stand-alones—dish up Tex-Mex, seafood, fast food, beef, and that old American fave, pizza. Acolytes of Big Bucks, I mean, Starbucks, will find a branch serving their favorite java jolt.
 | | Courtesy of Montgomery County | | Annual festival draws crowds. |
Silver Spring's hotel rates are, across the board, more reasonable than their D.C. counterparts. And the nation's capital is a mere 7 miles away. Without emptying their wallets, visitors can opt for the tried and true and bed down at their chain of choice. Courtyard by Marriott, Hilton, Holiday Inn, Econo Lodge, Days Inn, Ramada and Travelodge all have hotels in Silver Spring. For a less homogenized experience, some choose to stay in a B&B. The historic Davis Warner Inn, with a rich and colorful past, is just a few minutes from Silver Spring in Takoma Park. The Park Crest B&B (which welcomes some pets), is a gracious Tudor manse nestled in the woods of Sligo Creek Park.
From the Silver Spring Metro Station at Georgia Avenue and Colesville Road, it is only 20 minutes to Union Station for Amtrak trains north and south. Another 5 minutes will put you at Metro Center, 13th and F Streets NW. From there you can walk 10 minutes to the National Mall and most Smithsonian museums, or transfer to the Orange line with a Smithsonian stop on the Mall. Sometime in the future, Silver Spring will also be served by Amtrak (daily) and Marc (Monday through Friday) from Union Station in D.C. and Penn Station in Baltimore. Metrobus and Montgomery County Ride-On routes blanket the area, transporting riders to and from Metro and between destinations further afield. Of course, there are also several taxicab companies to choose from.
After wrapping up your business meeting or sightseeing in D.C., you may wish to visit several local attractions: Brookside Gardens (in nearby Wheaton), The National Capital Trolley Museum, Woodend (home of the Audubon Naturalist Society in Chevy Chase, about a 10-minute drive from downtown Silver Spring) and NOAA (National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration) which has displays of meteorological instruments and a model of the Tiros weather satellite.
Restaurant Sampling
Austin Grill
Tex-Mex
919 Ellsworth Dr.
240-247-8969
www.austingrill.com
Crisfield
Seafood
8012 Georgia Ave.
301-589-1306
Tastee Diner
American
8601 Cameron St.
301-589-8171
Vicino
Italian
959 Sligo Ave.
301-588-3372
Accommodations
Courtyard by Marriott 800-228-9290; www.marriott.com
Davis Warner Inn 888-683-3989; www.daviswarnerinn.com.
Days Inn 800-325-2525; www.daysinn.com
Econo Lodge 800-55-ECONO www.hotelchoice.com
Hilton 800-HILTONS; www.hilton.com
Holiday Inn 800-HOLIDAY; www.holiday-inn.com
Park Crest B&B 301-588-2845; www.bedandbreakfast.com
Ramada Inn 800-2-RAMADA; www.ramada.com
Travelodge 800-255-3050 www.travelodge.com
Local Sights (accessible by taxi, car or bus)
Brookside Gardens
1800 Glenallen Ave.
Wheaton
301/949-8230
www.brooksidegardens.org
The National Capital Trolley Museum
1313 Bonifant Rd.
Silver Spring
301-384-6088
www.dctrolley.org
Woodend
8940 Jones Mill Rd.
Chevy Chase
301-652-9188
www.audubonnaturalist.org
NOAA (National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration)
1305 East-West Highway
301-713-2227
www.noaa.com
General Information
Montgomery County Convention & Visitors Bureau
800-925-0880; 301-428-9702
www.visitmontgomery.com
Metro (Metrorail and Metrobus)
202-637-7000
www.wmata.com
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Longtime Maryland resident Beth Rubin lived in Silver Spring in the '60s. She is the author of Frommer's Washington, D.C. With Kids and Split Ends, a novel.
Other Stories by Beth Rubin
Baltimore Charms the Kids
Don't Ski? Other Ideas for Winter Fun
Chick and Ruth's: An Annapolis Classic
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