Apartment Showcase Blog

From Russia with love: Feeling indulgent this season? Consider the VIP ticket package, which includes orchestra center seating, plus a "Nutcracker" tote bag, CD, book and poster. (gabrielsaldana via Flickr)

What screams “the holidays” louder than “The Nutcracker”?

Santa Claus? Obnoxious retailers? Fruitcake of mysterious origin? OK, OK, I’ll shut up, but “The Nutcracker” has to be on the list … somewhere.

This year, come out to the Music Center at Strathmore in North Bethesda on December 15 and 16 at 7:30 p.m. and you’ll get to see Moscow Ballet’s production of the “Great Russian Nutcracker.”

[ Related: Strathmore Offers the Arts in Full for North Bethesda Renters ]

“The Nutcracker” ballet is an adaption of a story by E.T.A. Hoffmann, and the Moscow Ballet gives us a peak into its origins. Set to music by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, as per the Moscow Ballet website: “The story centers on a young girl’s Christmas Eve and her awakening to the wider world and romantic love.”

Here is a detailed synopsis of Moscow Ballet’s version of events.

There are two 45-minute acts in the ballet, and according to the Strathmore site (which points out that this is an independent production), the ballet “features lavish costumes, nine hand-painted backdrops with 3-D ornamentation and fanciful, larger-than-life puppets designed by a Russian master.”

Whenever there’s a “Russian master” involved, you know you’re on to something pretty special.

[ Related: Woolly Mammoth a Big Attraction for D.C. Theater Lovers ]

Make sure to check for available seats. They go from $27.50 to $87.50. As of this writing, Friday’s performance is close to sold out, but quite a few seats for Thursday’s performance are still to be had. Either way, ballet lovers and/or renters in the North Bethesda area should act quickly.

Strathmore is located right next to the Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro station on the Red Line.

Killer tunes: The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra performs some choice cuts from Alfred Hitchcock's classic "Psycho" at the Strathmore Music Center. (thisisbossi via Flickr)

Summertime in the Washington, D.C., metro area offers quite a few cultural and artsy things to do for the savvy renter. One place that offers up such fare, and whose tagline reads “At the intersection of art and life,” is Strathmore in North Bethesda.

Here’s how they self-describe: “Strathmore provides affordable, accessible, multi-disciplinary arts programming in the Mansion at Strathmore, the Music Center at Strathmore, and in its scenic 11-acre site.” That’s quite a mouthful. Let’s probe a little deeper into the delights of this cultural institution.

Strathmore was founded in 1981 and aims to deliver “high quality arts programming” that’s “designed for audiences of many tastes, served with the hospitality and warmth of a family enterprise.” OK, that sounds downright homey, if highbrow. Give me more.

How about seasonal outdoor events? And with the summer solstice approaching on June 21, that’s a good thing. How about performances by artists, orchestras and ensembles in myriad musical genres? Heck, you can even tour the Music Center for free twice a week.

[ Related: North Bethesda: Trendy Shopping and a Short Commute ]

Speaking of the Music Center, it boasts a 2,000-seat concert hall that the Strathmore describes as “acoustically superb.” Resident partners include the National Philharmonic, the Washington Performing Arts Society and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, all big deals.

Man cannot live on strings and woodwinds alone, so the Strathmore also offers a bevy of fine art exhibitions. How many? More than two dozen a year (for those slow on the counting, that’s more than two a month). They even call themselves “a premier art institution of the mid-Atlantic region.” Again, as they do a better job of laudatory description than me, I’ll let them chime in again: “Throughout its spacious galleries on the first and second floors of the Mansion, Strathmore offers art lovers an eye-catching and thought-provoking array of works in every medium by artists from the region, the nation, and around the world.”

Other than the serial comma, that’s not bad.

They go on to add that they collaborate with the likes of the Walters Art Museum, the Corcoran Gallery of Art and the Baltimore Museum of Art. Again, big names.

As part of the Strathmore’s mission, it also offers ways to learn about the arts in its education center located in the Music Center. These include classes in music and dance, mentoring sessions, workshops, private lessons, and even art camps for kids. And this Music Center of theirs will even feed you at the Prelude Café.

[ Related: Del Ray's Birchmere Music Hall Shows Its Roots ]

The whole sprawling campus is conveniently located adjacent to Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro station (surprise!) on the Red Line, so you don’t have to drive unless you want to. Strathmore’s hours of operation vary, so check here for details.

Yes, the Strathmore is certainly a cultural boon to those who rent in North Bethesda – and for the rest of us as well.

It's a deal: North Bethesda offers scores of shopping options along Rockville Pike.

According to the 2006-08 American Community Survey 3-Year Estimate, North Bethesda in Montgomery County, Md., has 38,308 residents, and the town has a lot to offer those searching to find apartments for rent in North Bethesda, including, of course, its location. And what a location it is.

Sitting five miles north of its big sister, Bethesda, by way of either Old Georgetown Road or Rockville Pike, North Bethesda offers apartment renters commuting to Washington, D.C., a short, 15-mile drive to the city. Better yet, the town straddles three WMATA Metrorail stops on the Red Line, even though none of them have a North Bethesda address. In fact, a little intrepid research by yours truly reveals that there actually is no North Bethesda! Well, it’s not a figment of my imagination; it just doesn’t have a post office. And I’m willing to start the petition to fix that. Any signers?

North Bethesda is More than Just a Great Location

To tell you the truth, there’s a lot going on here, and hopefully you can find a job in or around this unincorporated town. North Bethesda Market is a mixed-use edifice that houses 400 residences, and assorted retail shops and restaurants. Food snobs will dig the Whole Foods Market, and those with the urge to sweat will make their way to LA Fitness. And it’s right next to the White Flint metro stop.

I’m dubbing this makeshift town’s center “Planet Plaza,” and I’m getting it trademarked (oops, I let the cat out of the bag on that one):

• You’ve got Federal Plaza Shopping Center with Trader Joe’s, Lane Bryant and T.J. Maxx
• Montrose Crossing with Barnes & Noble, Hudson Trail Outfitters and Giant Food
• Mid-Pike Plaza, which features a Toys “R” Us, Silver Diner and Bally Total Fitness among others
• And, finally, Congressional Plaza with Chico’s, Harry & David, and a Last Call Studio by Neiman Marcus to come

There are other stores in the area, but I’ll leave it up to you to search them out when you move here. Or, you can check out Neighborhood profile for North Bethesda restaurants and shopping.

North Bethesda offers the renter more than retail and food; it’s also home to the Strathmore arts institution, which features multidisciplinary arts programming at the Mansion at Strathmore and Music Center at Strathmore, all on an 11-acre site. There are performances in blues, folk, pop, jazz, even show tunes, as well as classes in the Education Center. There is also a café.

Golfers may want to join Woodmont Country Club, which is private and member-owned, while more versatile outdoor-lovers will delight in Rock Creek Regional Park, where you can hike on 13 miles of trails, go fishing or boating in two lakes, and even take a shot at the archery range.