What's it like to live in downtown Bethesda, right off of Wisconsin?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only risk is getting run over by a car. Super safe area otherwise.

i think as a country we really need to recalibrate what we consider safe/unsafe. A place where there is a meaningful risk that you could get hit / run over by a car should be considered an unsafe area. Like - getting hit by a car is something that can easily kill you.

How many people are getting hit by cars in East Bethesda? Yikes people. I was worried about residential burglary (because of being close to businesses and metro) or car break ins. Now you have me worried that cars will be plowing through stop signs onto sidewalks every other day. Is this really a serious thing? Like how many people are hit by cars each year in Bethesda?

Actually having people hit by cars is very rare. I can think of maybe three or four in 20 years. But the neighborhood associations have been proactive about working with DOT MD and MoCo government to get better crossings on Wisconsin.

Vehicle crashes generally speaking are the most common cause of death between ages 1-35 and have been substantially increasings since 2010. But yes, that part of Bethesda is being proactive. For example they put up barriers at Bethesda row to prevent drivers and have trails that are physically separated from roads. On the other hand, the rest of MoCo seems to be a thunderdome these days with speeding drivers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s a lot of crime. They’re attracted by all the kitchen design showrooms. Things haven’t been the same since Stromboli closed because that was a mob establishment that controlled all the corners so they kept the violence hidden. Now it’s a turf war. It’s a lot like The Wire, idk if you have seen that show but it is a good way to get a sense of downtown Bethesda.

This is hilarious. Well done!

+1. I lol’d

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only risk is getting run over by a car. Super safe area otherwise.

I think this is also sarcasm however rooted in truth. The intersections around Wisconsin Ave are dangerous with drivers turning and not paying attention that people are crossing the street. I’m always freaked out walking/crossing Wisconsin. I’ve almost been hit several times.

The idea that Wisconsin Ave is unique in this respect is odd. Yes, MoCo has distracted drivers; so does the entire DMV. I am a big walker around this area, and in my opinion, it's actually way worse in DC and Silver Spring than Bethesda/Chevy Chase. DC and Silver Spring also have an epidemic of drivers with modified cars that are incredibly loud.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only risk is getting run over by a car. Super safe area otherwise.

I think this is also sarcasm however rooted in truth. The intersections around Wisconsin Ave are dangerous with drivers turning and not paying attention that people are crossing the street. I’m always freaked out walking/crossing Wisconsin. I’ve almost been hit several times.

The idea that Wisconsin Ave is unique in this respect is odd. Yes, MoCo has distracted drivers; so does the entire DMV. I am a big walker around this area, and in my opinion, it's actually way worse in DC and Silver Spring than Bethesda/Chevy Chase. DC and Silver Spring also have an epidemic of drivers with modified cars that are incredibly loud.

I don't know if it's unique but it certainly happens. Actual hits, few; near misses, lots. People are assholes and don't stop for pedestrians. And when cars stop, the cars around them honk and pull around to plow through the intersection. I walk very, very defensively and insist my kids not cross Wisconsin without an adult. For that matter people blow through stop signs in the neighborhood too (East Bethesda). Drivers and bicyclists both. Especially the stop sign at Pearl and Cheltenham which is at the bottom of a hill - people just roll right through.

Otherwise a great neighborhood. But yeah, the people talking about car safety are spot on. That is what worries me most.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only risk is getting run over by a car. Super safe area otherwise.

i think as a country we really need to recalibrate what we consider safe/unsafe. A place where there is a meaningful risk that you could get hit / run over by a car should be considered an unsafe area. Like - getting hit by a car is something that can easily kill you.

How many people are getting hit by cars in East Bethesda? Yikes people. I was worried about residential burglary (because of being close to businesses and metro) or car break ins. Now you have me worried that cars will be plowing through stop signs onto sidewalks every other day. Is this really a serious thing? Like how many people are hit by cars each year in Bethesda?

Actually having people hit by cars is very rare. I can think of maybe three or four in 20 years. But the neighborhood associations have been proactive about working with DOT MD and MoCo government to get better crossings on Wisconsin.

Vehicle crashes generally speaking are the most common cause of death between ages 1-35 and have been substantially increasings since 2010. But yes, that part of Bethesda is being proactive. For example they put up barriers at Bethesda row to prevent drivers and have trails that are physically separated from roads. On the other hand, the rest of MoCo seems to be a thunderdome these days with speeding drivers.

+1 My sister who moved away texted me and my other sister who’s also still here an OMG!!! photo of some guy driving into the front of a building in her town, and we were both like “yeah, that happens every week here.”