Silver Spring

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.

The area was named after a spring discovered in 1840 that is now dry. 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.

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

• BestBus, ☎ [phone], toll-free: [phone]. Operates service to/from Penn Station in New York City; Pickup/dropoff at Silver Spring Metrorail Station. Buses offer free Wi-Fi, electrical outlets, and free water. $30. (updated Apr 2017)
• Greyhound. Operates bus service to New York City and other cities north. (updated Apr 2017)

From other points in Montgomery County

• Ride-on-Bus operates service between downtown Silver Spring and other locations in Montgomery County, including Rockville, Bethesda, and Wheaton.

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

• 🌍 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. 

• 🌍 Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Station, 8100 Georgia Ave. A restored railroad station from 1945. 

Religious buildings

• Seventh-day Adventist Church World Headquarters, 12501 Old Columbia Pike, ☎ [phone]. Offers free 45 minute tours M-Th at 9AM. Free. 

Monuments

• 🌍 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. 
• 🌍 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

• 🌍 AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center, 8633 Colesville Rd (Corner of Georgia Ave and Colesville Rd), ☎ [phone]. A 1938 theater, now restored and home to the American Film Institute and Shopping Center. 
• 🌍 Ellsworth Plaza Water Sprinklers, 951 Ellsworth Dr. Outdoor water sprinklers where children play during the summer. Free. (updated Feb 2017)
• 🌍 Fillmore Silver Spring, 8656 Colesville Rd (Corner of Georgia Ave and Colesville Rd), ☎ [phone]. A spacious music venue and bar that features big-name acts. Varies. 
• 🌍 Silver Spring Outdoor Ice Skating Rink at Veterans Plaza, 8523 Fenton St, ☎ [phone]. 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

• 🌍 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. 
• 🌍 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)
• 🌍 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

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

• 🌍 8407 Kitchen and Bar, 8407 Ramsey Ave, ☎ [phone]. M-Th 11:30AM-10:30PM, F 11:30AM-Midnight, Sa 5PM-Midnight, Su 11AM-9PM. American menu features house made charcuterie, locally-sourced produce, meat, and seafood, and a very creative selection of mixed drinks. Dress sharp. $18-32. 
• 🌍 Abol Ethiopian, 8626 Colesville Rd, ☎ [phone]. 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. 
• 🌍 Crisfield Seafood, 8012 Georgia Ave, ☎ [phone]. Tu-Th 11AM-9PM, F-Sa 11AM-10PM, Su Noon-9PM. Seafood, seafood, and more seafood. $11-30. 
• 🌍 Cubano's, 1201 Fidler Ln, ☎ [phone]. 11:30AM -9PM Sun-Thu; 11:30 - 10PM Fri-Sat. Authentic Cuban food and drinks. (updated Feb 2017)
• 🌍 Ghar-E-Kabab, 944 Wayne Ave, ☎ [phone]. 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. 
• 🌍 Goldberg's Bagels, 9328 Georgia Ave (Georgia Avenue northbound, left side of the street just before Seminary Road), ☎ [phone]. 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. 
• 🌍 Lebanese Taverna Cafe, 933 Ellsworth Dr, ☎ [phone]. M-Th: 11AM-9PM, F-Sa: 11AM-10PM, Su: Noon-8PM. Tasty Lebanese fare. Mains: $9-28. 
• 🌍 Mandalay, 930 Bonifant St, ☎ [phone]. 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. 
• 🌍 Masa Hibachi Steakhouse and Sushi, 921-J Ellsworth Dr, ☎ [phone]. 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. 
• 🌍 Mi Rancho Tex Mex Restaurant, 8701 Ramsey Rd, ☎ [phone]. 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. 
• 🌍 Moorenko's Ice Cream, 8030 Georgia Ave, ☎ [phone]. Small-batch, locally sourced gourmet ice cream. Creative, unconventional flavors. Indoor and outdoor seating is available. (updated Feb 2017)
• 🌍 Parkway Deli, 8317 Grubb Rd (East-West Highway westbound, left at Grubb Road), ☎ [phone]. 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. 
• 🌍 Pete's Apizza, 962 Wayne Ave, ☎ [phone]. 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. 
• 🌍 Tastee Diner, 8601 Cameron St, ☎ [phone]. A true Silver Spring institution, Tastee has served up classic American diner food all day, every day since 1947. $5-10. 
• 🌍 The Society Restaurant & Lounge, 8229 Georgia Ave, ☎ [phone]. Caribbean food. Good DJs. 
• 🌍 Woodside Deli, 9329 Georgia Ave (Georgia Avenue northbound, corner of Georgia Avenue and Corwin Drive), ☎ [phone]. M 7AM-5PM, Tu-Sa 7AM - 9PM, Su 8AM-5PM. Popular New York-style diner. $5-15. 

Drink

Bars

• 🌍 McGinty's Public House, 911 Ellsworth Dr, ☎ [phone]. Lively Irish pub with live music and a good whiskey selection. 
• 🌍 Quarry House Tavern, 8402 Georgia Ave, ☎ [phone]. 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

• 🌍 Fenton Cafe, 8311 Fenton St, ☎ [phone]. M-Sa 8AM-8:30PM, Su 8AM-6:30PM. Sweet and savory crepes and espresso prepared to order in a cozy environment. $2-10. 
• 🌍 Kaldi's Social House, 918 Silver Spring Ave, ☎ [phone]. 7AM-9PM. Comfortable cafe for strong coffee, espresso, as well as tea and pastries. Lovely roof-top seating. 
• 🌍 Kefa Cafe, 963 Bonifant St, ☎ [phone]. 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

• Courtyard Silver Spring Downtown, 8506 Fenton St, ☎ [phone], fax: [phone]. Free WiFi, gym, restaurant, lounge, coffee bar in lobby. Three blocks to Metro, two miles to D.C. border. $200-280. 
• Hilton Garden Inn Silver Spring North, 2200 Broadbirch Dr, ☎ [phone], fax: [phone]. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: Noon. Indoor pool, free WiFi, business center, fitness center. 
• Holiday Inn Express Washington DC N-Silver Spring, 7990 Georgia Ave, ☎ [phone]. 
• Sheraton Silver Spring, 8777 Georgia Ave, ☎ [phone]. Outdoor pool, 24-hour fitness center, 24-hour business center, meeting space, restaurant. 

Go next

• Bethesda
• Takoma Park
• College Park
• Washington, D.C.

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