Capclave 2005: Local Area Information

CAPCLAVE

Fannish Dodo. Copyright Lynn Perkin 2005

Where reading is not extinct

2005

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Silver Spring, Maryland

Silver Spring, is the third largest "city" (actually it's an unincorporated area, but let's not complicate matters) in Maryland with a population of 76,540. It's located in Montgomery County, just north of the District of Columbia border, approximately six miles from the center of Washington, DC. Our hotel, the Hilton Washington DC/Silver Spring, is located about ten city blocks (one-half mile) from the Silver Spring Metrorail station on the WMATA Metro Red Line. The Hilton is located at 8727 Colesville Road (US Route 29), just south of the interthingie with Spring Street. It's easy to reach by car from Exit 30B (US-29 South toward Silver Spring) of the Capital Beltway (Interstate Route 495). There is a public parking garage directly across Colesville Road from the hotel with an entrance on Spring Street. Valet parking is also available at the hotel.

The American Film Institute Silver Theater is located two blocks from our hotel. AFI is dedicated to the recognition and celebration of excellence in the art of film, television and digital media. The recently opened AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center is a state-of-the-art three theatre complex, offering a year-round program of the best of American and international cinema, both classic and contemporary. On 14 – 16 October, they will be showing a new 35mm print of the THE WICKER MAN, an occult thriller from the 1970s about sinister neo-pagan doings on a remote Scottish isle. Scripted by Anthony Shaffer (SLEUTH) and starring Britt Ekland and Christopher Lee. On 14 & 15 October, they will also be showing SPACEBALLS, Mel Brooks' silly take on the STAR WARS saga. And on 15 October, they will present a new 35mm print of BANDITS VS. SAMURAI SQUADRON [Kumokiri Nizaemon], probably the top samurai film of the '70s. Tickets may be purchased in advance from the AFI Silver Theatre web site.

The Discovery Communications Inc. world headquarters (Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, BBC America, Travel Channel, etc.) is located between our hotel and the Silver Spring Metrorail station. Visitors are welcome to enjoy the exhibits in the lobby, including a 13-foot high replica of a Tyrannosaurus rex fossil found in the Black Hills of South Dakota. There is also an intricate "kinetic" sculpture, and a video wall. Other exhibits in the lobby include: a custom made motorcycle from the cast of American Chopper and The Prehistoric Worlds, Backyard Discoveries exhibit, which includes a robotic mammoth, an actual mammoth hair and tusk, as well as a replication of a Bambiraptor, a breed of dinosaur thought to be a link between dinosaurs and birds. Visitors are also welcome to visit Discovery's "sensory" garden, which was designed to stimulate the five senses.

Located just across the street from Discovery Communications' new worldwide headquarters, Downtown Silver Spring is a exciting new mixed-use redevelopment project encompassing four city blocks. Restaurants that recently opened here include Austin Grill, Panera Bread, Red Lobster, Macaroni Grill, Potbelly Sandwich Works, Eggspectation, Starbucks, Lebanese Taverna, Chick-fil-A and Cold Stone Creamery. The Majestic, a 20 screen, first run theater, is now open as well as Whole Foods Market, Pier One, Men's Wearhouse, Bombay, Ann Taylor Loft, Ulta Salon, Borders Books, Storehouse and many others. The Round House Theatre, located next to the AFI Silver Theatre, will be hosting a production of THE CHAIRS by Eugène Ionesco starting on 14 October. French director Alain Timar restages his acclaimed production of Ionesco’s absurdist play, seen at the 2002 Avignon Festival.

Seven of the Washingtonian Magazine's "100 Best Bargain Restaurants" are located in Silver Spring. Two of our local food connoisseurs, Paul and Aly Parsons, have written reviews of some of the fine restaurants in Silver Spring. And you don't have to go far for fine food. Sergio's Ristorante, located off the Hilton lobby, has been serving Northern Italian cuisine for over 17 years. This lovely restaurant expertly prepares home made pastas and other Italian specialties. You may wish to experience a meal at Mrs. K's Toll House, a former Tudor toll house on Colesville Road. Blanche and Harvey Kreuzburg bought the house early in 1930 and opened their restaurant on April 1. Mrs. Kreuzburg's passion for antiques and gardening turned the restaurant into a convenient escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. Her enthusiasm had evolved into extensive collections of Lutz glass, Blue Plate China, Christmas ornaments, and other period objects. Theo and Konstantina Margas bought the restaurant in 1996. As proprietors, they have taken great pains to keep the building as historically accurate as possible, right down to the pine floors in the upstairs bedrooms. A visit to Mrs. K's is like stepping back in time. There's even a winery in Silver Spring — the Penn Oaks Winery, which specializes in a range of Germanic style white wines from dry to sweet. While the winery is not open to the public, private tours and tasting may be scheduled by appointment.

And, of course, Washington, DC is a short ride away on the Metro Red Line. We don't need to tell you about all the attractions in DC. Check out the sightseeing information we collected when the Washington Science Fiction Association (WSFA) hosted the World Fantasy Convention in 2003.

Silver Spring, Maryland

	Silver Spring, is the third largest "city" (actually it's an unincorporated area, but let's not complicate matters) in Maryland with a population of 76,540. It's located in Montgomery County, just north of the District of Columbia border, approximately six miles from the center of Washington, DC. Our hotel, the Hilton Washington DC/Silver Spring, is located about ten city blocks (one-half mile) from the Silver Spring Metrorail station on the WMATA Metro Red Line. The Hilton is located at 8727 Colesville Road (US Route 29), just south of the interthingie with Spring Street. It's easy to reach by car from Exit 30B (US-29 South toward Silver Spring) of the Capital Beltway (Interstate Route 495). There is a public parking garage directly across Colesville Road from the hotel with an entrance on Spring Street. Valet parking is also available at the hotel.

	The American Film Institute Silver Theater is located two blocks from our hotel. AFI is dedicated to the recognition and celebration of excellence in the art of film, television and digital media. The recently opened AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center is a state-of-the-art three theatre complex, offering a year-round program of the best of American and international cinema, both classic and contemporary. On 14 – 16 October, they will be showing a new 35mm print of the THE WICKER MAN, an occult thriller from the 1970s about sinister neo-pagan doings on a remote Scottish isle. Scripted by Anthony Shaffer (SLEUTH) and starring Britt Ekland and Christopher Lee. On 14 & 15 October, they will also be showing SPACEBALLS, Mel Brooks' silly take on the STAR WARS saga. And on 15 October, they will present a new 35mm print of BANDITS VS. SAMURAI SQUADRON [Kumokiri Nizaemon], probably the top samurai film of the '70s. Tickets may be purchased in advance from the AFI Silver Theatre web site.

	The Discovery Communications Inc. world headquarters (Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, BBC America, Travel Channel, etc.) is located between our hotel and the Silver Spring Metrorail station. Visitors are welcome to enjoy the exhibits in the lobby, including a 13-foot high replica of a Tyrannosaurus rex fossil found in the Black Hills of South Dakota. There is also an intricate "kinetic" sculpture, and a video wall. Other exhibits in the lobby include: a custom made motorcycle from the cast of American Chopper and The Prehistoric Worlds, Backyard Discoveries exhibit, which includes a robotic mammoth, an actual mammoth hair and tusk, as well as a replication of a Bambiraptor, a breed of dinosaur thought to be a link between dinosaurs and birds. Visitors are also welcome to visit Discovery's "sensory" garden, which was designed to stimulate the five senses.

	Located just across the street from Discovery Communications' new worldwide headquarters, Downtown Silver Spring is a exciting new mixed-use redevelopment project encompassing four city blocks. Restaurants that recently opened here include Austin Grill, Panera Bread, Red Lobster, Macaroni Grill, Potbelly Sandwich Works, Eggspectation, Starbucks, Lebanese Taverna, Chick-fil-A and Cold Stone Creamery. The Majestic, a 20 screen, first run theater, is now open as well as Whole Foods Market, Pier One, Men's Wearhouse, Bombay, Ann Taylor Loft, Ulta Salon, Borders Books, Storehouse and many others. The Round House Theatre, located next to the AFI Silver Theatre, will be hosting a production of THE CHAIRS by Eugène Ionesco starting on 14 October. French director Alain Timar restages his acclaimed production of Ionesco’s absurdist play, seen at the 2002 Avignon Festival.

	Seven of the Washingtonian Magazine's "100 Best Bargain Restaurants" are located in Silver Spring. Two of our local food connoisseurs, Paul and Aly Parsons, have written reviews of some of the fine restaurants in Silver Spring. And you don't have to go far for fine food. Sergio's Ristorante, located off the Hilton lobby, has been serving Northern Italian cuisine for over 17 years. This lovely restaurant expertly prepares home made pastas and other Italian specialties. You may wish to experience a meal at Mrs. K's Toll House, a former Tudor toll house on Colesville Road. Blanche and Harvey Kreuzburg bought the house early in 1930 and opened their restaurant on April 1. Mrs. Kreuzburg's passion for antiques and gardening turned the restaurant into a convenient escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. Her enthusiasm had evolved into extensive collections of Lutz glass, Blue Plate China, Christmas ornaments, and other period objects. Theo and Konstantina Margas bought the restaurant in 1996. As proprietors, they have taken great pains to keep the building as historically accurate as possible, right down to the pine floors in the upstairs bedrooms. A visit to Mrs. K's is like stepping back in time. There's even a winery in Silver Spring — the Penn Oaks Winery, which specializes in a range of Germanic style white wines from dry to sweet. While the winery is not open to the public, private tours and tasting may be scheduled by appointment.

	And, of course, Washington, DC is a short ride away on the Metro Red Line. We don't need to tell you about all the attractions in DC. Check out the sightseeing information we collected when the Washington Science Fiction Association (WSFA) hosted the World Fantasy Convention in 2003.