Greenbelt, MD Road Trips

Contained within today's City of Greenbelt is the historic planned community now known locally as "Old Greenbelt" and designated as the Greenbelt Historic District. The historic district was built during the New Deal era in 1937 and much of the original housing is now owned collectively as a cooperative. The architecture is in the Art Deco style. Greenbelt's residents take the city's history of cooperation and volunteerism seriously; as a result they organize a variety of festivals, events, performing and visual arts. The city has three areas: Old Greenbelt is the historic area between Greenbelt Road, the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, Kenilworth Avenue and the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center. Greenbelt West includes the Beltway Plaza strip mall and the Franklin Park rental housing complex. Greenbelt East is a collection of 1990s developments and the Greenway Center. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center is within the city limits.

1 NASA/Goddard Visitor Center, Explorer Drive (off Route 193), ☏ +1 301 286-9041, fax: +1 301 286-1781, [email protected]. Tu-F 9AM-5PM, Sa Su noon-4PM. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day. NASA's premier center for unmanned scientific space exploration is the Goddard Space Flight Center. The small Visitor Center features many exhibits to excite tomorrow's inter-planetary researchers. The Visitor Center is accessible from ICESat Rd., not from the Center's main gate. Free. 2 The Greenbelt Museum, 10B Crescent Road, ☏ +1 301 507-6582. Open every Sunday from 1-5PM for tours. Small, but unique museum that chronicles the city's birth as a Roosevelt "New Deal" planned community. One of the original 1937 houses, furnished and maintained as it was when new. $3 general admission, $2 adults 55 and older, $1 children under 12.

1 Greenbelt Park, 6565 Greenbelt Rd. Open year round; day use is dawn to dusk. An oasis of forest on the inside of the Capital Beltway at the B-W Parkway. Operated by the National Park Service, Greenbelt Park is one of the best camping opportunities near Washington DC. There is a walking path from the campground through the woods that leads to the College Park Metro station about a half mile away. The path is hard to find so ask a Ranger for directions. The park is also excellent for picnics in one of the three picnic areas, bicycling, roller blading, and nature walks on 9 miles of trails. Free admission; $16+ fee to camp. 2 Buddy Attick Park (Crescent Rd at Kenilworth Ave). A park with a lake, maintained by the city of Greenbelt. The park includes large playground and several picnic areas. Watch for birds, reptiles, and water mammals while hiking the trail that circles the small, man-made Greenbelt Lake. 3 Greenbelt Tennis Courts, 20 lakeside. (updated Nov 2020) 4 Greenbelt Sand Volleyball Courts, 26 Lakeside Dr. (updated Nov 2020) Playgrounds. There are playgrounds throughout the City, including at Greenbelt Park, Buddy Attick Park, Schrom Hills Park, and across Crescent Road from the library near the City Center. With all of the playgrounds, Greenbelt has been designated as a "Playful City USA." 5 Greenbelt Aquatic and Fitness Center, 101 Centerway (near Roosevelt Center), ☏ +1 301 397-2204. An indoor pool, an outdoor pool, a hot tub and a variety of aerobic and weight-lifting machines. It is the oldest public pool in Maryland and is open daily year round.

Chef Lou's Desserts, 103B Centerway (Roosevelt Center), ☏ +1 301 441-9560. Baked goods and ice cream. Generous Joe's, 107 Centerway (Roosevelt Center), ☏ +1 301 474-4998. Pizza, pasta and deli sandwiches. "The fill your belly deli." Eat in, take out or phone for local delivery. Osaka Restaurant, 8855 Greenbelt Road (Cipriano Square, across from Goddard), ☏ +1 301 552-1442, [email protected]. This is a tasty, reasonably-priced sushi restaurant. Pollo Cabana, 7423 Greenbelt Road (Greenway Center), ☏ +1 301 474-0434. Slow-cooked charcoal rotisserie-style Peruvian chicken. Gourmet taste at a fast-food price. Also has wraps and salads. Three Brothers Pizza, 6160 Greenbelt Road, ☏ +1 301 474-5330. If you had an Italian mama from New York coming to visit, this is the pizza she'd want! Part of a Maryland chain.

11 The New Deal Cafe, 113 Centerway (Roosevelt Center), ☏ +1 301 474-5642. Live music daily with a wide range of styles: jazz, folk, alternative, blues and rock. In 2012, the New Deal Cafe was voted the best local music venue in the Washington DC area by listeners of WTOP radio.[1] Known as "The community's living room," on some nights the audience takes the stage at the singer-songwriter open mic, the poetry open mic and others. Don't miss the future superstars at the popular monthly kid's open mic. The monthly Reel and Meal has a documentary film and discussion with optional vegetarian buffet. The Cafe features a vegan menu. Craft beers on tap and a selection of wine. Local artwork hanging on the walls is changed monthly. Free Wi-Fi. No cover charge; musicians are paid by tips. (updated Feb 2017) Chevy's, 7511 Greenbelt Road (Greenway Center), ☏ +1 301 220-0078. Great margaritas in a chain Mexican restaurant. Happy hour until 8pm. Ruby Tuesday, 8811 Greenbelt Road (Cipriano Square, across from Goddard), ☏ +1 301 552-0100. A popular place to hang-out after meetings at NASA.

1 Crowne Plaza Greenbelt, 6400 Ivy Lane, ☏ +1 301 441-3700, fax: +1 301 441-3995. Check-in: 4PM, check-out: noon. Newly renovated rooms. Hilton Garden Inn, 7810 Walker Drive (Off Greenbelt Rd. near Greenbelt Park and Capitol Cadillac), ☏ +1 301 474-7400. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Modern, mid-range business-oriented hotel. 155 rooms, 6 stories. Holiday Inn Greenbelt, 7200 Hanover Dr. (Behind the Greenway Center, off Greenbelt Rd. near B-W Parkway), ☏ +1 301 982-7000. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon. Modern full-service hotel built in the early 1980s. Popular choice for NASA contractors. 7 stories, 125 rooms. Sonesta Select Greenbelt College Park, 6301 Golden Triangle Drive, ☏ +1 301 441-3311. Residence Inn by Marriott – Greenbelt, 6320 Golden Triangle Drive, ☏ +1 301 982-1600. (updated Jun 2017) Camping at the Greenbelt Park, 6565 Greenbelt Road. 174 campsites; open year round. Reservations are for Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend only; off-season is first-come first-served, but never fills up. Camping fee is $16, or $8 with a National Parks pass.

Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI IATA) is 25 minutes north on the B-W Parkway. Washington Reagan National Airport (DCA IATA) is 30 minutes south via the B-W Parkway (but through Washington, D.C.). The Metro can be taken from DCA to the Greenbelt station. Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD IATA) is 40 miles west in Virginia. By car, take the Dulles access road to the Washington Beltway (495) north to exit 23. Or use the airport's metro station and then connect to the Greenbelt station, which should take about 100 minutes total. Ground transportation is available via The Airport Shuttle. Metrorail trains run to the 1 Greenbelt Station on the Green Line. MTA's MARC commuter trains between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. also run to the above-mentioned Greenbelt Station on the Camden Line. Metrobus service to Greenbelt is available. University of Maryland shuttle buses serve Greenbelt. The Bolt Bus offers service from New York City to the Greenbelt Metro Station. Take exit 23 from the Washington Beltway (95/495) onto Kenilworth Avenue. Go briefly south and turn onto 193 or briefly north and turn right onto Crescent Road. The American Discovery Trail goes through Greenbelt Park, past Buddy Attick Park and north into the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center. The East Coast Greenway Trail goes through Greenbelt.

Route 193 runs the long way through Greenbelt, connecting the 3 main sections of the city. To get to Roosevelt Center in Old Greenbelt from 193, head north on Southway to its end and park in the large parking lot. Metrobus connects the Greenbelt Metro Station, the Beltway Plaza, Crescent Road in Old Greenbelt (Roosevelt Center), the Greenway Center, Cipriano Square, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and on to the New Carrollton Metro Station. Old Greenbelt is very walkable with a network of walking paths separate from the roads.