Looking in Silver Spring, Good schools a must, want to stay under 700K...which areas are best

[Anonymous]

Howard is the best bet by far. Trust me; I am an insider.

[Anonymous]

I was going to suggest Columbia/Ellicott City, too. There are some great schools up there. And bonus - the prices are cheaper! And I don't live there, but am familiar with it.

[Anonymous]

Takoma Park, Woodside, Woodmore, College Park, University Park.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Howard is the best bet by far. Trust me; I am an insider.

Cheaper houses on bigger lots but it's way the freak out there. Of course, maybe that's a good thing for some people.

[Anonymous]

Not a terrible commute to Greenbelt, though.

[Anonymous]

I have a ton of friends who live in Howard county, it's pretty and the houses are affordable but that's about it. IMO its not really walkable at all unless you are just walking on trails for exercise and there isn't much character. For instance if you are looking for a great sub you only have the choice of going to subway. Nothing like a parkway deli anywhere. Very very few choices for non-chain restaurants. And unless you live right near one of the shopping centers (or hubs or whatever) there is absolutely nowhere to walk to.
It just seems very manufactured to me, just my opinion

[Anonymous]

It is manufactured. It's called suburbia post-1950s. Ellicott City has a small town and historic homes and is an easy commute to Greenbelt. But it's not comparable to Silver Spring or Takoma Park. It is different and you lose some good stuff (to me) but gain other stuff.

I was recently looking and just could not pull the trigger for SS schools. Would possibly have done Rosemary Hills or Woodside (p.s. much of SS is not walkable anywhere and same w Bethesda etc) but that's it. Liked other areas but not the schools.

Decided on Ellicott City bc $600k got me an awesome historic home that killed what $600k would have gotten me in SS and definitely Bethesda or Kensington (dumps) and good schools. But I lose out on things I wanted by doing that. It's definitely a different choice and feel and living experience. We'll see how it turns out. I am nervous about it.

[Anonymous]

We love Silver Spring. I honestly can't figure out what people are on about when they talk about how awful SS schools are, unless of course they think there are too many brown kids in the classroom.

I have kind of a unique perspective because I have one kid in SS schools and one kid in a magnet in the western part of the county in a "desirable" school.

The biggest differences:

- in the western school there are very few minority kids and the ones that are there are from well-off families, primarily.

- The western school has a very active PTA that raises a lot of money, so there are a lot of extras -- an extensive after school program the includes a lot of activities, online school directory with an app for your smartphone, online payment of PTA and activity fees, etc. etc.

- The parents in SS seem a lot more friendly and open. The western school is full of moms driving Mercedes with skinny jeans, expensive boots and bags, perfect hair, and kind of a snooty attitude. I am MUCH more comfortable in the SS school but YMMV.

I have not seen any appreciable difference in the level of work that the kids are given. There have been behavior issues in class at the western school but this year, none in the SS school. All the teachers seem equally good -- some great ones, some not-so-great, but no appreciable overall difference.

Both the western and SS schools (these are middle schools) had drug issues last year -- these were along the lines of kids getting caught with marijuana at school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a ton of friends who live in Howard county, it's pretty and the houses are affordable but that's about it. IMO its not really walkable at all unless you are just walking on trails for exercise and there isn't much character. For instance if you are looking for a great sub you only have the choice of going to subway. Nothing like a parkway deli anywhere. Very very few choices for non-chain restaurants. And unless you live right near one of the shopping centers (or hubs or whatever) there is absolutely nowhere to walk to.
It just seems very manufactured to me, just my opinion

I agree. Other than the good schools I don't see the appeal. It is so far away the commute is a total nonstarter for me. Sounds like your husband has a secure gig but what about you OP, are you planning on working from home forever? If you think you will get back into the workforce at some point I wouldn't move to Howard County. Commuting options are better for SS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
- The parents in SS seem a lot more friendly and open. The western school is full of moms driving Mercedes with skinny jeans, expensive boots and bags, perfect hair, and kind of a snooty attitude. I am MUCH more comfortable in the SS school but YMMV.

Nothing betrays your insecurities quite as readily as typecasting moms from CC/Bethesda/Potomac this way. Screams that you think you're not on our level. Give it (or us) a break. We all just want the best for our kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are a lot of homes in 20910 and a corner of 20815 in that price range; bounded by East-West Highway, the beltway, 16th Street and Rock Creek. Almost all of the single family homes in that area are in the Bethesda-Chevy Chase school cluster.

+1

Neighborhoods to look at are Rock Creek Forest and Rosemary Hills. Both are in the BCC school cluster which we have been very happy with. Look around Grubb Rd and East-West Highway. Grubb is the Silver Spring / Chevy Chase boundary, and houses are slightly less on the Silver Spring side. Great access to public transport (~1 mile to SS metro), many bus routes on E-W Hwy. Good commuting as the beltway is close by.

Good Luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
- The parents in SS seem a lot more friendly and open. The western school is full of moms driving Mercedes with skinny jeans, expensive boots and bags, perfect hair, and kind of a snooty attitude. I am MUCH more comfortable in the SS school but YMMV.

Nothing betrays your insecurities quite as readily as typecasting moms from CC/Bethesda/Potomac this way. Screams that you think you're not on our level. Give it (or us) a break. We all just want the best for our kids.

Hmm, not the poster of the quoted comment, but I have to agree with that poster. I grew up in the western part of the county and you could not pay me to move back there. Much friendlier in Silver Spring and more diverse too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
- The parents in SS seem a lot more friendly and open. The western school is full of moms driving Mercedes with skinny jeans, expensive boots and bags, perfect hair, and kind of a snooty attitude. I am MUCH more comfortable in the SS school but YMMV.

Nothing betrays your insecurities quite as readily as typecasting moms from CC/Bethesda/Potomac this way. Screams that you think you're not on our level. Give it (or us) a break. We all just want the best for our kids.

Not necessarily! I just am calling it like I see it. I can blend in with these moms perfectly and don't feel insecure at all. But many of them are very tightly wound, entitled, and unpleasant.

There are lots of friendly moms at the western school, too, but I don't see this particular group (I think of them as Tory Burch 1, Tory Burch 2, Gucci 1, Gucci 2, etc.) in SS and they aren't very nice. I have lots of examples that don't have to do specifically with me but that I've observed ... the emphasis on labels/brands that a lot of the girls are picking up from their moms is very evident.

This may be perfectly fine for some people, but if OP is looking for a more laid-back, friendly atmosphere, SS might be the way to go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We love Silver Spring. I honestly can't figure out what people are on about when they talk about how awful SS schools are, unless of course they think there are too many brown kids in the classroom.

I have kind of a unique perspective because I have one kid in SS schools and one kid in a magnet in the western part of the county in a "desirable" school.

The biggest differences:

- in the western school there are very few minority kids and the ones that are there are from well-off families, primarily.

- The western school has a very active PTA that raises a lot of money, so there are a lot of extras -- an extensive after school program the includes a lot of activities, online school directory with an app for your smartphone, online payment of PTA and activity fees, etc. etc.

- The parents in SS seem a lot more friendly and open. The western school is full of moms driving Mercedes with skinny jeans, expensive boots and bags, perfect hair, and kind of a snooty attitude. I am MUCH more comfortable in the SS school but YMMV.

I have not seen any appreciable difference in the level of work that the kids are given. There have been behavior issues in class at the western school but this year, none in the SS school. All the teachers seem equally good -- some great ones, some not-so-great, but no appreciable overall difference.

Both the western and SS schools (these are middle schools) had drug issues last year -- these were along the lines of kids getting caught with marijuana at school.
I am wondering the same thing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We love Silver Spring. I honestly can't figure out what people are on about when they talk about how awful SS schools are, unless of course they think there are too many brown kids in the classroom.

I have kind of a unique perspective because I have one kid in SS schools and one kid in a magnet in the western part of the county in a "desirable" school.

The biggest differences:

- in the western school there are very few minority kids and the ones that are there are from well-off families, primarily.

- The western school has a very active PTA that raises a lot of money, so there are a lot of extras -- an extensive after school program the includes a lot of activities, online school directory with an app for your smartphone, online payment of PTA and activity fees, etc. etc.

- The parents in SS seem a lot more friendly and open. The western school is full of moms driving Mercedes with skinny jeans, expensive boots and bags, perfect hair, and kind of a snooty attitude. I am MUCH more comfortable in the SS school but YMMV.

I have not seen any appreciable difference in the level of work that the kids are given. There have been behavior issues in class at the western school but this year, none in the SS school. All the teachers seem equally good -- some great ones, some not-so-great, but no appreciable overall difference.

Both the western and SS schools (these are middle schools) had drug issues last year -- these were along the lines of kids getting caught with marijuana at school.
I am wondering the same thing

I am wondering the same thing!