With one foot in Washington D.C. and the other in Baltimore, Rockville, Maryland has become a booming centre of technology and boutique-driven downtown charm. Far more than your average bedroom community or commuter town, Rockville is Maryland’s third largest city with ample shopping.

Rockville’s Town Square is fully pedestrianised and features the largest outdoor ice rink in Montgomery County. The area is surrounded by a slew of locally owned shops and restaurants. From tapas to Tex-Mex, Italian to Afghan cuisines, a diverse array of dining options is easy to find. The Pike shopping centre is chock full of quality eateries alongside its many specialty stores and clothing boutiques.

Part of Washington D.C’s sprawling metro area, Rockville has two stations on the Washington Metro red line, Rockville and Twinbrook. A daily Amtrak train service also connects the city to Washington Union Station. Amtrak also offers regional service to Pittsburgh and Chicago. Buses and trains to both downtown Baltimore and BWI Airport are available as well.

New railways connecting Rockville to the nation’s capital at the turn of the century were responsible for much of the Maryland town’s boom in growth, but Rockville was originally founded in 1803. The city was a stopping point for Confederate soldiers on their way to Gettysburg during the American Civil War.