Bethesda’s Cabin John neighborhood is defined by the Beltway to the north and west, the Cabin John Parkway connector to the east, and the Potomac River to the south. The ZIP code is 20818.
Amenities: This is a nature lover’s dream, with easy pedestrian access to the river and the C&O Canal towpath for hiking or biking. There are two public parks, Cabin John Local Park and Seven Locks Local Park, as well as the private Palisades Swim & Tennis Club. Montgomery County Recreation operates a community center, which has a preschool, summer camps and other activities. The shopping center is MacArthur Plaza with a post office, deli, salon, dry cleaner, restaurants and the Bethesda Co-Op. The Alpine Veterinary Hospital is nearby. An active citizens association publishes a monthly newsletter and advocates for residents on issues such as pedestrian safety, I-495 expansion, airplane noise reduction, and repairs to the C&O Canal. Public school students attend Bannockburn Elementary School, Thomas W. Pyle Middle School and Walt Whitman High School.
Vibe: Cabin John doesn’t feel like a typical suburban Bethesda neighborhood. There’s a relaxed atmosphere in this close-knit village, with streets that wind through the woodsy hills above the Potomac. Neighbors enjoy casual get-togethers such as potlucks and trivia nights, as well as annual events, including a July 4th parade, turkey trot and community canoe trip. The chicken and crab feast has been a Cabin John tradition for decades. It began in a resident’s backyard and is now held outside at the community center to accommodate many residents and friends.
Housing Stock: There are about 700 houses in the neighborhood, in architectural styles from every era in a wide range of sizes and prices. The eclectic mix includes historic farmhouses and bungalows, midcentury ranches and split levels, and new contemporary and colonial homes. Cabin John Gardens is a 100-house cooperative on the south side of MacArthur Boulevard. The modest dwellings were built by the federal government to house employees of the David Taylor Model Basin in the early years of World War II. In the 1950s, the residents formed a cooperative and purchased the 19 acres and the houses from the government for $400,000. It has operated as a co-op ever since, and most of the original homes have been remodeled and enlarged.
This story appears in the March/April issue of Bethesda Magazine.