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Silver Spring is an unincorporated community in Montgomery County, Maryland.

Understand

Silver Spring is just across the northeast border of Washington DC at Eastern Ave.

As the story goes, Silver Spring was named after a spring with flecks of mica that was discovered in 1840. Francis Preston Blair, one of the organizers of the Republican Party, discovered the spring and owned most of the land that now comprises Silver Spring. He named his mansion Silver Spring after the spring. The spring is said to have been located in what is now Acorn Park on East-West Highway.

Get in

By Metrorail

The Silver Spring Metrorail Station is served by the Red Line and is on Colesville Rd between Wayne Ave and East-West Highway.

By bus

From outside of Montgomery County

From other points in Montgomery County

By bicycle

The Capital Crescent Trail runs from Georgetown to Silver Spring.

Get around

By foot

The entire downtown is very compact and easily traversed by foot.

By bus

Van Go Shuttle is a free purple bus that offers frequent service around Silver Spring M-Th from 7AM-midnight and F-Sa from 7AM-2AM.

Metrobus and Ride-on-Bus operate service around Silver Spring.

By bicycle

For information on bike-sharing programs in the Washington, DC area, see Washington DC#Get_around.

See

  • 1 National Park Seminary, 2791 Linden Ln (Georgia Avenue north, left on Seminary Road, keep left onto Linden Lane). Dating back to 1187, this site, formerly a finishing school for girls and resort community, is odd. Inspired by the 1893 World Fair in Chicago, the Seminary owner decided to build 10 buildings of styles around the world including a Greek theater, a Japanese pagoda, and a Dutch windmill. Following the Great Depression and World War II, the Seminary could barely make ends meet, and the entire property was commandeered by the U.S. Army's Walter Reed Medical Hospital in 1942. The military demolished historic property and generally neglected the beautiful exotic and Victorian buildings. Gaining official historic status saved many of the buildings from demolition, but the neglect continued, allowing the elements and vandals to take their toll. In the 1980s, the "Save Our Seminary" group formed to protect what was left, and did an admirable job. The Army returned the historic Seminary properties to private hands and they were restored. 2-hour guided tours on the 4th Saturday of each month at 1PM: $5. 

Religious buildings

Monuments

  • 3 Memorial Bust To the Homeless Mayor (Georgia Avenue, between Thayer Avenue and Silver Spring Avenue, in alley next to Abyssinia Restaurant). Bust of Norman Lane, a beloved local resident who lived in the nearby alley. 
  • The Old Tavern Mural, in Silver Spring Library (on Colesville Road). A 1937 New Deal-era post office mural. 
  • 4 Washington D.C. Northern Boundary Stone (along East West highway, in a park across the street from the Summit Hills Apartments). Erected in 1792, this stone represents the northernmost point of Washington D.C. One of the oldest federal monuments. 

Do

  • 1 AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center, 8633 Colesville Rd (Corner of Georgia Ave and Colesville Rd), ☏ +1 301 495-6700. A 1938 theater, now restored and home to the American Film Institute and Shopping Center. 
  • 2 Ellsworth Plaza Water Sprinklers, 951 Ellsworth Dr. Outdoor water sprinklers where children play during the summer. Free. (updated Feb 2017)
  • 3 Fillmore Silver Spring, 8656 Colesville Rd (Corner of Georgia Ave and Colesville Rd), ☏ +1 301 960-9999. A spacious music venue and bar that features big-name acts. Varies. 
  • 4 Silver Spring Outdoor Ice Skating Rink at Veterans Plaza, 8523 Fenton St, ☏ +1 (301) 588-1221. 12PM - 10PM Mon-Thu; 12PM - 12AM Fri; 10AM - 12AM Sat; 10AM - 10PM Sun (winter only). Outdoor ice skating during the winter. $9 age 13+; $8 age 0-12; $4 to rent ice skates. (updated Feb 2017)

Parks

  • 5 Acorn Urban Park (Acorn Park), 8060 Newell Street. The 12-acre Acorn Park sits on the site of the spring the surrounding area was named after. While small, its acorn-shaped gazebo and grotto are hard to miss. 
  • 6 Jessup Blair Local Park, 900 Jesup Blair Dr (Corner of Georgia Ave and Blair Dr). Sunrise to sunset. 24-acre park with a children's playground, softball field, lighted baseball field, two lighted tennis courts, and a picnic area. Free. (updated Feb 2017)
  • 7 Woodside Urban Park, 8800 Georgia Ave. Sunrise to sunset. Small park with a children's playground, tennis courts, and a 3,500-square-foot skating area. Free. (updated Feb 2017)

Eat

Map
Map of Silver Spring

Downtown Silver Spring, near Ellsworth Street and Fenton Street, includes many chain restaurants such as Chipotle, Panera Bread, and Jimmy John's, as well as many ethnic restaurants.

  • 1 Abol Ethiopian, 8626 Colesville Rd, ☏ +1 301 650-0061. Su-Th 11:30AM-10PM, F-Sa 11:30AM-11PM. As one of many Ethiopian haunts in Silver Spring, Abol serves spicy meat and stews atop sourdough flatbreads, often intended to be eaten by hand. $10-30. 
  • 2 [dead link] Crisfield Seafood, 8012 Georgia Ave, ☏ +1 301 589-1306. Tu-Th 11AM-9PM, F-Sa 11AM-10PM, Su Noon-9PM. Seafood, seafood, and more seafood. $11-30. 
  • 3 [dead link] Cubano's, 1201 Fidler Ln, ☏ +1 (301) 563-4020. 11:30AM -9PM Sun-Thu; 11:30 - 10PM Fri-Sat. Authentic Cuban food and drinks. (updated Feb 2017)
  • 4 Ghar-E-Kabab, 944 Wayne Ave, ☏ +1 301 587-4427. Daily 5PM-10PM. Ghar-E-Kabab (The House of Kabab) serves traditional Indian and Nepalese cuisine -- much of it vegetarian -- at reasonably affordable prices. $10-30. 
  • 5 Goldberg's Bagels, 9328 Georgia Ave (Georgia Avenue northbound, left side of the street just before Seminary Road), ☏ +1 240 450-4177. Su 7AM-3PM, M-Th 6AM-4PM, F 6AM-3PM or so, Sa Closed. Best New York-style bagels in Silver Spring. Kosher. Closed Saturdays. Long lines Sunday mornings. Arrive when they open in the morning for the freshest bagels. $5-10. 
  • 6 Lebanese Taverna Cafe, 933 Ellsworth Dr, ☏ +1 301 588-1192. M-Th: 11AM-9PM, F-Sa: 11AM-10PM, Su: Noon-8PM. Tasty Lebanese fare. Mains: $9-28. 
  • 7 Mandalay, 930 Bonifant St, ☏ +1 301 585-0500. M-Th 11:30AM-10PM, F-Sa 11:30AM-10:30PM, Su noon-10PM, closed 3PM-5PM daily. While the restaurant's ambiance may not lend itself to fine cuisine, Mandalay offers some of the best Burmese fare in the Washington area -- a mix of Indian, Chinese, and Thai cuisines. $12-20. 
  • 8 Masa Hibachi Steakhouse and Sushi, 921-J Ellsworth Dr, ☏ +1 301 608-8989. M-Th 4:30PM-10PM, F 11:30AM-11PM, Sa 12:30PM-11PM, Su 12:30-10PM. Authentic Japanese teppanyaki style cooking, with sushi, noodle and vegetable dishes prepared table-side. $13-35. 
  • 9 [formerly dead link] Mi Rancho Tex Mex Restaurant, 8701 Ramsey Rd, ☏ +1 301 588-4872. Fresh Tex-Mex at reasonable prices, with both indoor and outdoor seating, an extensive selection of Margaritas, and house-made chips and salsa. $8-15. 
  • 10 Moorenko's Ice Cream, 8030 Georgia Ave, ☏ +1 (301) 565-7804. Small-batch, locally sourced gourmet ice cream. Creative, unconventional flavors. Indoor and outdoor seating is available. (updated Feb 2017)
  • 11 Parkway Deli, 8317 Grubb Rd (East-West Highway westbound, left at Grubb Road), ☏ +1 301 587-1427. M-W: 8AM-9:30PM, Th-F: 8AM-10PM, Sa: 7AM-10PM, Su: 7AM-9:30PM. One of Washington area's most well-known New York-style delicatessens. The attached restaurant is frequently busy on Saturday mornings, owing to the area's large Jewish community. (Not Kosher.) $3-15. 
  • 12 Tastee Diner, 8601 Cameron St, ☏ +1 301 589-8171. A true Silver Spring institution, Tastee has served up classic American diner food all day, every day since 1947. $5-10. 
  • 13 The Society Restaurant & Lounge, 8229 Georgia Ave, ☏ +1 301 565-8864. Caribbean food. Good DJs. 
  • 14 Woodside Deli, 9329 Georgia Ave (Georgia Avenue northbound, corner of Georgia Avenue and Corwin Drive), ☏ +1 301 589-7055. M 7AM-5PM, Tu-Sa 7AM - 9PM, Su 8AM-5PM. Popular New York-style diner. $5-15. 

Drink

Bars

  • 1 McGinty's Public House, 911 Ellsworth Dr, ☏ +1 301 587-1270. Lively Irish pub with live music and a good whiskey selection. 
  • 2 Quarry House Tavern, 8402 Georgia Ave, ☏ +1 301 587-8350. 5PM-1AM Mon-Thu; 12PM-2AM Fri-Sat; 5PM-1AM Sun. This bar has been a neighborhood staple for over 70 years. At first glance it's just a friendly looking dive bar, but upon further inspection it reveals itself as something of a gastropub—the food is heads and shoulders above usual bar fare (fried pickles are a must), and they have a great, long list of Belgian beers! Live bands on weekends and a weekly Rockabilly night Sa. 

Cafes

  • 3 Fenton Cafe, 8311 Fenton St, ☏ +1 301 326-1841. M-Sa 8AM-8:30PM, Su 8AM-6:30PM. Sweet and savory crepes and espresso prepared to order in a cozy environment. $2-10. 
  • 4 [formerly dead link] Kaldi's Social House, 918 Silver Spring Ave, ☏ +1 301 557-9991. 7AM-9PM. Comfortable cafe for strong coffee, espresso, as well as tea and pastries. Lovely roof-top seating. 
  • 5 Kefa Cafe, 963 Bonifant St, ☏ +1 301 589-9337. M-Th 7AM-6PM, F 7AM-9PM, Sa 8AM-5PM, Closed Sunday. A quaint cafe and art gallery owned and operated by two Ethiopian sisters. Serves coffee, pastries, sandwiches, salads, and soups. $2-12. 

Sleep

Connect

  • 1 Silver Spring Library, 900 Wayne Ave, ☏ +1 240 773-9420. M-Th 9AM-9PM, F-Sa 10AM-6PM, Su 1PM-5PM. 3-D printers ($1 per file plus $0.05 per gram), computers for public use (free with a library card), digital media lab (free with a library card), earbuds and flash drives available for purchase, loanable laptops (library card and photo identification required), free mobile device charging station, photocopying and printing (black and white $0.15 per page, color $1.00 per page), wifi 

Go next

Routes through Silver Spring
Bethesda ← Kensington ←  W  E  → College Park → Greenbelt
Ellicott City ← Colesville-Burtonsville ←  N  S  → Washington, D.C. → Charlottesville
Glenmont ← Wheaton ←  N  S  → Brookland → East End, Washington
Martinsburg ← Kensington ←  NW  SE  → Washington, D.C. → END


This city travel guide to Silver Spring is a usable article. It has information on how to get there and on restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.
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