Bethesda is an upscale suburb located northwest of Washington, D.C. This community is best known for its high-end shopping centers, including Bethesda Row and The Shops at Wisconsin Place, but it also boasts premier private country clubs, acres of parkland, the world-renowned Strathmore performing arts center, and the acclaimed Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and National Institutes of Health. Because of its luxury lifestyle and top-rated public schools, Bethesda consistently ranks among the best places to live in the Washington D.C. metro area and in the United States. Bethesda residents are able to commute to Washington, D.C. and surrounding areas using the metro, buses, and the Beltway (I-495).