Downtown Bethesda or Tenleytown (NW DC)??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tenley does feel very suburban, but in its favor, it is a quick drive down Wisconsin to the Friendship Heights Whole Foods and shopping and is also a fast 30-bus to Georgetown/Foggy Bottom and H bus to 14th Street area. If I had to pick between Bethesda and Tenley, I think I'd learn more to Tenley because it's so much easier to access the rest of the city.

Tenleytown also has its own Wholefoods (although I much prefer the one in Friendship Heights, which is more spacious).

I consider the Tenley Whole Foods to be more like a Whole Foods Express. Friendship's is so much nicer.

Tenley Wholefoods is not that different from the one in Logan, and it's also similarly crowded and congested.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Van Ness has that strip of stores but it's never been that pedestrian friendly.

I'm guessing you haven't been there in 7 years or more, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you work in Foggy Bottom and DH works near the Verizon Center, check the schedules/maps of the 30s buses that go down Wisconsin Avenue in Tenleytown. There are multiple routes on these overlapping lines, but some of them should work for both of you. You might like the chance to ride together either way and you spare yourself the stress of driving or the randomness of the subway. I also like having the option of getting off early on a nice day to walk the rest of the way.

And since you might be coming from out of town, remember that Tenleytown would let you get aclimated to the area, while being very central, to see how you would judge the trade offs between Bethesda's more hopping scene and being further from work.

Tenleytown is hardly "very central" in the way Dupont and Logan or Kalorama are. It's just 2 stops away from Bethesda--both pretty far from the downtown DC/Foggy Bottom area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Van Ness has that strip of stores but it's never been that pedestrian friendly.

I'm guessing you haven't been there in 7 years or more, right?

No. I have a good friend that lives there and know a few other people that live in the apts. I admit I haven't been to Sfoglina yet but I am in the neighborhood pretty regularly. I don't think opening Bread Furst makes the street scape any more inviting than it's been for the past 20 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you work in Foggy Bottom and DH works near the Verizon Center, check the schedules/maps of the 30s buses that go down Wisconsin Avenue in Tenleytown. There are multiple routes on these overlapping lines, but some of them should work for both of you. You might like the chance to ride together either way and you spare yourself the stress of driving or the randomness of the subway. I also like having the option of getting off early on a nice day to walk the rest of the way.

And since you might be coming from out of town, remember that Tenleytown would let you get aclimated to the area, while being very central, to see how you would judge the trade offs between Bethesda's more hopping scene and being further from work.

Tenleytown is hardly "very central" in the way Dupont and Logan or Kalorama are. It's just 2 stops away from Bethesda--both pretty far from the downtown DC/Foggy Bottom area.

We're are talking about it relative to Bethesda. The point is to help OP, not have a spat about our petty differences about neighborhoods and lifestyles.

If you know of some special Non-Euclidean geometry that makes Bethesda more central and closer to OP's jobs than Tenleytown, please share it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Van Ness has that strip of stores but it's never been that pedestrian friendly.

I'm guessing you haven't been there in 7 years or more, right?

No. I have a good friend that lives there and know a few other people that live in the apts. I admit I haven't been to Sfoglina yet but I am in the neighborhood pretty regularly. I don't think opening Bread Furst makes the street scape any more inviting than it's been for the past 20 years.

+1. Van Ness is still a terrible area to walk around in. Tenleytown is a bit better, but I prefer Friendship Heights over both in terms of streetscape.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Van Ness has that strip of stores but it's never been that pedestrian friendly.

I'm guessing you haven't been there in 7 years or more, right?

No. I have a good friend that lives there and know a few other people that live in the apts. I admit I haven't been to Sfoglina yet but I am in the neighborhood pretty regularly. I don't think opening Bread Furst makes the street scape any more inviting than it's been for the past 20 years.

+1. Van Ness is still a terrible area to walk around in. Tenleytown is a bit better, but I prefer Friendship Heights over both in terms of streetscape.

I wonder why OP is considering either Tenleytown or Bethesda and not Friendship Heights.

[Anonymous]

We have been in Bethesda (live in a neighborhood right off of Wisconsin) for about 6 months. My few thoughts as a newcomer and someone who has no ego in the area. You are really talking about areas that are 5-10 minutes apart from each other, and it isn't as if one is artsy/or upcoming/or something similar -- they are basically the same.

I think the people that would choose to live in downtown Bethesda are pretty similar to those that would choose to live in Tenleytown - you could maybe make a different argument about people who choose to live in different parts of Bethesda.

We came from Center City Philadelphia and I don't find Bethesda to be any snottier, social climbing etc. Really quite less - most people we have met are too busy to give a crap. That being said, we aren't country club members or the like - so who knows.

The people that seem the most entitled to me are those that live in DC and feel as if they are stepping down doing something in Bethesda/CCMD, even on the roads, it is the DC drivers that seem to think they have the right to cut in front of you etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Van Ness has that strip of stores but it's never been that pedestrian friendly.

I'm guessing you haven't been there in 7 years or more, right?

No. I have a good friend that lives there and know a few other people that live in the apts. I admit I haven't been to Sfoglina yet but I am in the neighborhood pretty regularly. I don't think opening Bread Furst makes the street scape any more inviting than it's been for the past 20 years.

+1. Van Ness is still a terrible area to walk around in. Tenleytown is a bit better, but I prefer Friendship Heights over both in terms of streetscape.

I wonder why OP is considering either Tenleytown or Bethesda and not Friendship Heights.

Do you prefer FH to Bethesda/Tenley? Why or why not?

[Anonymous]

FH is a blend of both. Definitely not as crowded as Bethesda, but more shops and restaurants then Tenley. And a better Whole Foods for food (but no wine there). We just moved, but lived a few blocks from the metro there for a decade & had a more or less car free existence with DH working in Foggy bottom & commuting via metro.

But I recognize my tolerance for crowds may be different from OP - Bethesda doesn't seem too crowded to me, and I'd pick busy pedestrian traffic over deserted-feeling streets anytime. Tenley has always seemed kind of run down to me. Plus, you have a thriving drug scene on the bit in front of CVS - ick.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FH is a blend of both. Definitely not as crowded as Bethesda, but more shops and restaurants then Tenley. And a better Whole Foods for food (but no wine there). We just moved, but lived a few blocks from the metro there for a decade & had a more or less car free existence with DH working in Foggy bottom & commuting via metro.

But I recognize my tolerance for crowds may be different from OP - Bethesda doesn't seem too crowded to me, and I'd pick busy pedestrian traffic over deserted-feeling streets anytime. Tenley has always seemed kind of run down to me. Plus, you have a thriving drug scene on the bit in front of CVS - ick.

Is that really still true?

[Anonymous]

Why not one of the buildings on Connecticut either on the Woodley Park side of the bridge or the Cleveland Park side? I don't really get the appeal of Tenleytown for a young couple without kids, particularly if you are renting, since you can move if you ever decide to have kids. Plus, the red line isn't that convenient for Foggy Bottom so you are either going to have to change lines or walk, which isn't going to get you a sub 30 minute commute from Tenley or Bethesda since you'll have a walk on both ends plus all the extra stops on the Metro. I'd try to cut out as many of those stops as possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FH is a blend of both. Definitely not as crowded as Bethesda, but more shops and restaurants then Tenley. And a better Whole Foods for food (but no wine there). We just moved, but lived a few blocks from the metro there for a decade & had a more or less car free existence with DH working in Foggy bottom & commuting via metro.

But I recognize my tolerance for crowds may be different from OP - Bethesda doesn't seem too crowded to me, and I'd pick busy pedestrian traffic over deserted-feeling streets anytime. Tenley has always seemed kind of run down to me. Plus, you have a thriving drug scene on the bit in front of CVS - ick.

It is definitely annoying not to be able to pick up wine at the grocery store, but you also have Paul's Liquor, Rodman's, and World Market for your wine needs. I don't actually drink but whenever I do need some booze (for cooking, a gift, etc) I love dropping by Paul's, they're so helpful and friendly and always offer my toddler a lollipop

[Anonymous]

Op here. Let me clarify that i plan to drive to georgetown/foggy area and husband olans to metro to city center.

Havent thought about FH...seemed very mall like/generic to us but could be wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Let me clarify that i plan to drive to georgetown/foggy area and husband olans to metro to city center.

Havent thought about FH...seemed very mall like/generic to us but could be wrong.

We live in FH between Wisconsin and Connecticut Aves. What I like best about it is the easy access to both the more chain oriented stuff on Wisconsin Ave. and the more independent shop vibe on Connecticut Ave. My kids went to school in Tenley and, while it is great for families, I can't imagine living there without kids. Pretty dull.