Downtown Bethesda or Tenleytown (NW DC)??
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Anonymous
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We are couple looking to rent in either NW DC or Bethesda. We are looking for a 2 br (1 br + den ok) under 3K, also have 2 cars. We have narrowed our search to these two areas.
Most important things: - Ease of commute into DC (husband to city center/verizon, me to foggy bottom/georgetown -- driving and metro), metro close walking distance a must, <30 min commute desirable - Access to amenities, fitness, yoga, grocery, coffee etc - Feeling not too crowded, no huge local traffic congestion etc, no huge CF when trying to get morning coffee etc, also reasonably quiet - Safety I feel that Bethesda has more to offer as far as amenities, but is it very congested? Everytime Im there I feel like the traffic is bad and everything feels packed. Do residents feel that way or am I wrong? Tenley area or other parts of NW seem more homey, quiet, peaceful but seems more limited as far as amenities and we'd really rather not drive much besides going to work. Street parking seems easier in NW. Which do you prefer? TIA! |
Anonymous
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There are more amenities in downtown Bethesda. In Tenley. you have a relatively small commercial strip on Wisconsin but it has all your essentials. Bethesda is an extra 7 or so minutes my metro than Tenley is to your work locations. Personally, I don't think the traffic is that bad in downtown Bethesda, but maybe others disagree with me.
Both area are pretty similar at the end of the day. |
Anonymous
I agree with all of that. Downtown Bethesda has a lot more than the Tenley strip, although some recent additions to Tenley have helped. I drive into downtown Bethesda during rush hour daily and it isn't bad downtown, but you would probably want to metro into work. (I would say the same from Tenley.). Tenley has a slightly shorter commute, but in the end the commutes and the locations generally are quite similar. The schools differ in some respects and that drives a lot of peoples's decisions, but it seems like that isn't a concern for you. |
Anonymous
| For me - Bethesda is home, work is Tenley. It is funny how more suburban Tenley feels sometimes but the pockets of neighborhood are smaller and I agree right there there isn't a huge amount of stores and places to eat and there's a strange lack of a nice bar but it's not like you're cut off from the rest of the city. Bethesda is getting a bit more exciting in its amenities but it is also in crazy construction mode. I don't find traffic much worse than Tenley and there are more options to divert away from traffic. The Crescent Trail is super nice too. I think the hardest thing will be your budget - not that it is out of whack but that there is a like a hole in that price range - lots much higher, a a few gems lower. Have you considered Friendship Heights? There are some older units (I think its the Elizabeth?) or similar |
Anonymous
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I used to live in Glover Park, and Tenleytown was (and is) the closest metro. (I used to commute in by bus.) From a commuting standpoint, I'd go with Tenleytown for driving or taking the Metro. River Road and Wisconsin Ave. get pretty backed up during rush hour. The Metro has more problems in reliability in the last few years, but it's still a viable option.
You won't have a problem finding fitness/yoga studios either Bethesda or Tenley Town. There's a Y in Bethesda, and I'm also pretty sure that the public has accessibility to Woodrow Wilson h.s. pool in TT. In terms of restaurants, there's not a lack of them anywhere, and pretty sure having a Starbucks in mandated every three blocks in the DMV. Just kidding--the mandate is actually every two blocks. 
When I lived in Glover Park, I loved walking through the park, to the zoo, around the Cathedral. Popping down to Georgetown was easy, or other surrounding neighborhoods of Friendship Hts, CC, or even Spring Valley for a bite to eat or coffee was easy. I live Bethesda adjacent now and I feel much more tethered to that bubble. |
Anonymous
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Downtown Bethesda resident here and I love it. If you don't live here and your only exposure is Wisconsin Avenue at rush hour, then you could develop a pretty skewed perception of what life here is really like. When the weather is nice I walk all the time. When I feel like driving, I drive, and the parking has increased exponentially in the last few years with several new commercial lots. So, don't believe those who say that there is no parking because either they havent been here in years or they are too lazy to walk a block or two. When you live here, you know how to manage it.
Love the shops, restaurants, farmers market, various food businesses like Cornucopia, Butchers Alley, Pescadeli, Vace, etc. There is much more in Bethesda than Tenleytown, and more coming. Whether you think this is a good thing or a bad thing is a matter of perspective. A lot of people here in Bethesda don't like all the development, as many old buildings are being torn down for mid or high rise mixed residential/retail. I happen to love it. Tenleytown residents have been more effective at limiting development, but their commercial area has suffered for it and to me, it is less appealing than many other areas. Still the area has its charm and it is less "sanitized" than Bethesda probably feels to some people. Tenleytown feels to me like Bethesda did when I first moved here 20 years ago. |
Anonymous
| Thanks everyone, OP here. Besides driving/parking, does Bethesda feel crowded to you (residents) in terms of packed restaurants, foot traffic congestion, getting into the metro etc? Is street noise an issue? |
Anonymous
| As a resident, I don't consider any of those things issues. I don't notice street noise, and getting into Metro is no problem. You might not be able to just walk in and get a table without a reservation at a popular retaurant on a Sat night, and there are lots of people out and about on Bethesda Avenue on a Sat afternoon, but that is just part of the vibrancy of a popular neighborhood and part of its appeal to me. Others might hate it. It's really so subjective. You would have to hang out here at different times of day to see how you feel. |
Anonymous
| What kind of people do you like to be around? |
Anonymous
Also, what kind of people might you not want to be around? |
Anonymous
Not in my mind. It just isn't that dense or urban. There are a few restaurants that can get crowded, but there are plenty of other places. (Of course there are a lot of mediocre restaurants, but you generally can get into a good place without too much trouble.). Getting into the metro is no big deal and one advantage of getting on in Bethesda vs Tenley is that you are on two stops earlier so you have a better shot at a seat. Street parking really isn't an option so you would need a space, though. |
Anonymous
OP: uhm... we like regular people? I dont know. We are 30-somethings professionals. Probably wouldnt want to live in an apartment building with loud, inconsiderate college kids or young families. We mostly keep to ourselves honestly. As for the crowdedness... we went to Traders Joes in dupont on a Sunday -- Cant deal with that level of crowded. Not sure how Bethesda compares to Dupont area on a regular basis. Same for going to a coffee shop and theres not a seat in sight. Dont like that. Concerned that people from further out areas crowd Bethesda on evenings and weekends. Thats the only time Ive been there so resident opinions are helpful. What about traffic in the am... like getting to 495 or roads leading to DC? |
Anonymous
| I don't like Tenleytown |
Anonymous
Walking around isn't like Times Square in NYC. A summer night has a lot of pedestrians, but it's still kind of suburban city at the end of the day. Getting into the Metro at rush hour has a lot of people, but it's far enough away that I can typically find a seat (by Tenleytown, that's not always the case, since you're two stops closer to downtown). |
Anonymous
It is hardly a zoo on the weekend. In fact, after dinner it gets reasonably quiet since there aren't a ton of late night actio. What is a zoo: the Bethesda Trader Joe's. I go there before 9 am or after 8 on the weekend. Getting to 495 is easier from Bethesda and into DC is easier from Tenley because you have about 2 fewer miles to travel in each instance. But the roads you take may very well be the same so you are dealing with the same traffic. |