It's a battle of the cities! Composed of Redskins and Ravens fans and separated by 50 miles, Bethesda and Towson square off in this article. These are the many differences and few similarities of two Maryland cities, though this match-up may be a little skewed in that I've lived in Bethesda for 18 years and in Towson for just a couple. I also know what Bethesda is like on a personal and high school level whereas I only know Towson on a college level. Nevertheless, it is fun to compare and contrast two places.

Restaurants

Bethesda

Bethesda has a terrific restaurant scene in the heart of the city. There are fast food places, cafes, brunch places, fancy restaurants, and really fancy restaurants. If I want something to eat, Bethesda will almost always have it. Many restaurants have patios to sit out on when the weather is nice. Bethesda has some of the best salmon, sushi, and steak I've ever had. Shout out to Ruth's Chris Steak House, Benihana, Persimmon, and Tako Grill. There's not a good Chinese place, however. All of them are so-so. There's also the issue of the city being so crowded during lunch and dinner hours. Sometimes the wait is long.

Towson

Towson offers some tasty menus as well. There's a decent restaurant scene close to campus that has a fairly wide selection. The Cheesecake Factory highlights the area for me. Then there are plenty of more fast food restaurants and a few homey ones like Bread and Circuses. Towson restaurants don't have the biggest selection though and it's so-so cooking.

Winner: Bethesda gets the edge. The quality of food is just better and more interesting.

Adults

Bethesda

I am not a picky eater. I can sleep on a bed of nails. I'll do almost anything as long as I'm with good people. Having said all that, most Bethesda adults are not like me at all. They love money and they need things to be a particular way if they're going to be happy. At the same time, I've met some incredible Bethesda souls who have lead me in the right direction.

Towson

Towson adults, fine, but nothing flashy stands out to me.

Winner: Bethesda.

Party Scene

Can't believe I'm going here. This one goes out to all the nights that can't be remembered.

Bethesda

The Bethesda party scene is pretty low-key. There might be a few house parties on the weekends but the people who go to them are really only part of the party group.

Towson

Towson parties can be anything from sharing a beer with two friends to a frat party where people are puking, crying on their friend's shoulder and getting emotional, ending up at McDonalds at three in the morning, and waking up in a bed you can't recall how you arrived in. Need I go further?

Winner: Towson. No contest.

Overall I like both cities. I have to give Bethesda the edge overall though. There are too many memories that I've made and it feels more like home.