Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Runners enter the Capital Crescent Trail, which feeds into Bethesda Avenue. The trail was established in 1966 and the Bethesda-Silver Spring portion was temporarily closed in September of 2017.

Bethesda Row, located on Bethesda Avenue and its neighboring streets, is lined with restaurants, clothing stores, boutique shops and more. This June, an Amazon Books opened on Arlington Road near Uncle Julio’s Rio Grande Cafe. Every book in the store is either a best-seller or a newly released book, and the store also sells games, tablets and other electronic devices. The Amazon Books is the second location in the DC/Maryland area and has received lots of positive feedback since its opening.

In addition to the new Amazon Books, an Anthropologie & Co. has just opened on the corner of Bethesda Avenue this fall, replacing the former Barnes & Noble. Highly anticipated by many Bethesda residents, this Anthropologie has taken over the three-story space, containing over 24,000 square feet. With over 70 different stores, Bethesda Row is a great place to spend the day with friends and family.

For a sweet treat in Bethesda, 520 Ice Cream & Tea is a fantastic place to check out. Opened in spring of 2017 and located on Elm Street, 520 is a Thai-inspired ice cream and tea shop. 520 offers rolled ice cream, which is made by rolling up a liquid mixture on a cold ice pan to create ice cream.

Juniors Holly Darby and Bella Quattrucci visit Bethesda frequently and whenever they do, they’re sure to go to 520.

“It’s really good ice cream and it’s so much better than store-bought ice cream,” Quattrucci said.

The shop has rolled ice cream specials such as Monkey Business, which is topped with sliced banana and nutella and Smores Galore, which is topped with crushed graham crackers and chocolate syrup. 520 also allows customers to choose their own toppings for their rolled ice cream. With a variety of milk and fruit teas, 520 has something for everybody.

“It’s a little bit pricey, but it’s well-worth it. There are so many different options and I want to try them all,” Darby said.

One way to get out and active in Bethesda is to head out to the Capital Crescent Trail, located just across the street from the new Anthropologie & Co. The 11-mile trail stretches from Georgetown to Silver Spring, extending along the C&O Canal and Potomac River. Due to construction of the purple line Metro train, a segment of the trail is closed and will reopen around 2021-2022. The trail is a very popular site for joggers and bikers, and there are many different places to visit alongside the trail, including Bethesda Pool and Columbia Country Club.

Another exciting place to spend a day in Bethesda is the Music Center at Strathmore. Strathmore Music Center, located on Rockville Pike in North Bethesda, is a concert hall with a capacity of nearly 2000 people that has been around since 1983. Strathmore holds both musical and dance performances, from the National Philharmonic year-round to presentations of The Nutcracker in December.

Bethesda is home to a plethora of activities for all ages and interests. There are many hidden gems in Bethesda, so go out and explore them!