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Shark Week at the Discovery Channel HQ

Silver Spring is the largest Maryland inner suburb of Washington, D.C..

Understand

Silver Spring attracts a diverse mix of both middle-class suburbanites and local immigrant communities to its newly-rejuvenated downtown core. While there is a heavy chain establishment feel hanging over the area, there is also no shortage of independent shopping, dining, and entertainment options.

Get in

Downtown Silver Spring is located just across the District of Columbia line, separated by Eastern Avenue.

By Metrorail

The Silver Spring Metro Station is served by the Washington, D.C. Metro Red Line and is located on Colesville Road between Wayne Avenue and East-West Highway.

By bus

From outside of Montgomery County, MD

From other points in Montgomery County, MD

By bicycle

The Capital Crescent Trail runs from Georgetown to Silver Spring.

Get around

By foot

The entire downtown is very compact and easily walkable.

By bus

  • Metrobus [1] operates bus service around Silver Spring.
  • Ride-on-Bus [2] operates service between downtown Silver Spring and other locations in Silver Spring.
  • Van Go [3] are free purple buses that offer frequent service around Silver Spring on weekdays between 7:00AM and 7:00PM.

By bicycle

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

See

  • 2 Discovery Channel Headquarters, 1 Discovery Place, near corner of Georgia Avenue and Wayne Avenue. Check out the dinosaur skeleton in the lobby. 
  • Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Station, 8100 Georgia Avenue. A restored station from 1945. 
  • Mayor Lane Memorial Park (Georgia Avenue at Mayor Lane Alley). Bust of Norman Lane, a beloved local resident who lived in the nearby alley. 
  • The Old Tavern, in Silver Spring Library (on Colesville Road). A 1937 New Deal-era post office mural. 
  • 3 Acorn Park, 8060 Newell Street. 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. 

Do

  • 1 Ellsworth Drive, Ellsworth Drive. During weekends, Ellsworth Drive is closed to traffic, making it a lively pedestrian street. During warm weather, there is occasional live music, a fountain where children play, and a farmer's market on Saturday mornings. In the winter, there is an ice skating rink. Enjoy the many restaurants, shops, and a movie theater. 
  • Walking Tour of Forest Glen Seminary, Linden Lane. fourth Saturday of each month, March-November. The Seminary was an early 20th century school that features a unique collection of architecture from around the world (including an Italian Villa, a Japanese Pagoda, a Dutch windmill, etc). Tours are run by the "Save Our Seminary" organization. 
  • Washington D.C. Northern Boundary Stone (along East West highway in front of the Summit Hills apartment complex). Erected in 1792 and one of the oldest federal monuments. This stone represents the northern most boundary of Washington D.C. 

Eat

Map
Map of Silver Spring

Downtown Silver Spring

Most of downtown's chain restaurants are concentrated near Ellsworth Drive and Fenton Street, but there are plenty of other options a little more further afield.

  • 1 8407 Kitchen and Bar, 8407 Ramsey Avenue, ☏ +1 301 587-8407. M-Th 11:30AM-10:30PM, F 11:30AM-Midnight, Sa 5PM-Midnight, Su 11AM-9PM. Artisanal American menu features house made charcuterie, locally-sourced produce, meat, and seafood, and a very creative selection of mixed drinks. $6-32. 
  • 2 Abol Ethiopian, 8626 Colesville Road, ☏ +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. If you have never eaten Ethiopian food, it is definitely a fun, new experience to enjoy. $10-30. 
  • 3 Crisfield, 8012 Georgia Avenue, ☏ +1 301 589-1306. Tu-Th 11AM-9PM, F-Sa 11AM-10PM, Su Noon-9PM. Seafood, seafood, and more seafood. $11-30. 
  • 4 Fenton Cafe, 8311 Fenton Street, ☏ +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. 
  • 5 Ghar-E-Kabab, 944 Wayne Avenue, ☏ +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. 
  • 6 Jackie's Restaurant, 8081 Georgia Avenue, ☏ +1 301 565-9700. Tu-Th 5:30PM-9:30PM, F-Sa 5:30PM-10:30PM, Su 11:30AM-9PM. In an unlikely area of town populated primarily by auto body shops, Jackie's offers fresh, more upscale American cuisine, including "Elvis" burgers, oysters, and an extensive wine list. $10-30. 
  • 8 Kefa Cafe, 963 Bonifant Street, ☏ +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. 
  • 9 Lebanese Taverna Cafe, 933 Ellsworth Drive, ☏ +1 301 588-1192. M-Th 11AM-9PM, F-Sa 11AM-10PM, Su Noon-8PM. Tasty and inexpensive Lebanese fare in the heart of downtown. $8-13. 
  • 10 Mandalay, 930 Bonifant Street, ☏ +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 ambience may not lend itself to fine cuisine, Mandalay offers some of the best Burman fare in the Washington area -- a mix of Indian, Chinese, and Thai cuisines. $12-20. 
  • 11 Masa Hibachi Steakhouse and Sushi, 921-J Ellsworth Drive, ☏ +1 301 608-8989. Restaurant: M-Th 4:30PM-10PM, F 11:30AM-11PM, Sa 12:30PM-11PM, Su 12:30-10PM. Masa Hibachi offers authentic Japanese teppanyaki style cooking, with sushi, noodle and vegetable dishes prepared tableside. $13-35. 
  • 12 Mi Rancho Tex Mex Restaurant, 8701 Ramsey Road, ☏ +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. 
  • 13 Pete's Apizza, 962 Wayne Avenue, ☏ +1 301 588-7383. Su-Th 11AM-10PM, F-Sa 11AM-11PM. New Haven-style "Apizza" is the main draw of this tucked-away establishment, though Pete's menu also features salads, panini, pasta, and gelato on the side. $10-30. 
  • 14 Tastee Diner, 8601 Cameron Street, ☏ +1 301 589-8171. A true Silver Spring institution, Tastee has served up classic American diner food all day, every day since 1947. $1.5-10. 

Outside of Downtown

These eateries can make for a great breakfast, lunch, or dinner stop when touring outside of the immediate downtown.

  • Parkway Deli, 8317 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. $3-15. 
  • Woodside Deli, 9329 Georgia Avenue, ☏ +1 301 589-7055. M 7AM-5PM, Tu-Sa 7AM - 9PM, Su 8AM-5PM. Another popular area delicatessen. $5-15. 

Drink

  • 1 Quarry House Tavern, 8401 Georgia Avenue (below Bombay Gaylord), ☏ +1 301 587-8350. Su-Th 5PM-midnight, F-Sa 5PM-2AM. 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. 
  • 2 Sidebar, 8081 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20906, ☏ +1 301 565-9700, . Classy bar with creative drinks. $5 - $10. (updated Apr 2015)

Sleep

  • Courtyard by Marriott, 8506 Fenton St, ☏ +1 301 589-4899, fax: +1 301 589-4898. Free WiFi, gym, restaurant, lounge, coffee bar in lobby. Three blocks to Metro, two miles to D.C. border. $200-280. 
  • Residence Inn Silver Spring, 12000 Plum Orchard Drive, ☏ +1 301 572-2322, fax: +1 301 572-2362. Located off Cherry Hill Rd, 4 miles north of the Capital Beltway. Located near NSWC and the University of MD. 

Go next

Routes through Silver Spring
Bethesda ← Kensington ←  W  E  → College Park → Greenbelt
Ellicott City ← Colesville-Burtonsville ←  N  S  → Washington, D.C. → Charlottesville
END ← Wheaton ←  N  S  → Takoma, Washington → 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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