Considering Move from Cap. Hill/Hill East to Silver Spring--Am I crazy?

[Anonymous]

As for your commute - I think that might have been a light traffic day, if it was rush hour. The American legion bridge can be just a killer. I think once you get beyond the 270 split it's not so bad, though. And, in a pinch, you can get off on the C.B. pkwy, cut through Bethesda and over on E-W hwy and avoid 495. But I think the highway is pretty slow.

[Anonymous]

That's a really busy street. Wouldn't want to live with that kind of traffic facing me.

[Anonymous]

That is a really nice neighborhood, I can't picture that house, but drive by all the time. It is a busy road, you can't find something in the neighborhood? If you are OK with being on a busy road. Is there an alley in back for your car?

Join the Takoma Pakk yahoo group. There is a Silver Spring moms's list serve it is by invitation only and you can't search for it on yahoo. So if you move here, you will find it, someone will invite you.

Love that it is so close to Sligo Park. There are several nice neighborhoods in Silver Spring, 20901

[Anonymous]

I second the PPs about the commute being horrendous. I don't live in MD, but I have driven past the ramp for 495N at 267 during rush hour nearly every day for two years and it is ALWAYS a parking lot. That's further south than you would get on so you wouldn't get all of that traffic, but those backups start up by Cabin John or 270 so they would invariably affect your commute. That rush hour drive from Northern VA to MD is notorious. My office is in Reston and there are several people that drive there from the Bethesda area. They say they don't bother to leave the office before 7 pm because it takes at least an hour and a half in that traffic. I would not do that commute under any circumstances.

123 and GW Pkwy are probably options, but since they are the favored backup routes for those of us intent on avoiding the highways, they get a lot of spillover traffic.

[Anonymous]

It's a great 'hood with great schools, but that is a very, very busy road.

With work and school in McLean, why are you looking in Silver Spring?

[Anonymous]

OP, I moved from the HIll to a similarly priced older home not far from where you're looking - this was 10 years ago. I've never regretted it for a second. But I'd point out a couple of things you should consider:

1) Your commute is going to SUCK. Sorry for the language and the hard truth. But there's no way I'd do the Beltway from SS to Mclean every day with two kids involved unless I had total flex hours or a live-in nanny. For me, the change wasn't a big deal because I work downtown and with traffic and lousy metro issues, I probably have the same commute from close-in SS/CCMD to downtown DC. Not true if you need to get on the Beltway at rush hour.
2) Busy roads SUCK. I'm on one, so I know. Ours isn't nearly as bad as Colesville, but it's pretty bad. I am happy with the trade off - we couldn't afford the neighborhood otherwise - but it also locks us into this house, because in a decade our house has appreciated reasonably well, but nowhere near what another house in this area would have, off the busy street.
3) Major kitchen / back renos (fill in the blank - won't use the word again here!) Take whatever number you have in your head and double it. Plus think about the fact that if the kitchens and baths are old, the furnace, water heater, electrical system, plumbing and windows probably are too. We have put in 50k to our house without doing anything remotely aesthetic, and there is still endless amount to do. And our house had been mostly renovated in the 80s.
4) Finally, this is controversial here, but I'd dig hard to try to find something in a suburban school district that has a better HS. I'm biased, but my kids are in elementary now and the quality of the schools matters immensely. If you're set on MoCo (maybe it gives your husband a decent commute?), I'd poke around the Rosemary Hills neighborhood, there are often small older Capes near the school that are in the 400s. Rosemary Hills is in the BCC district. I know Highland Park has a good rep, but if you're moving out of the city for the burbs you may as well try to get the best schools possible.

[Anonymous]

We moved from the Hill to Sligo creek Hills which is very close to this house. We love our house, love our neighborhood, love the school, love being so close to SS downtown and the Metro. That said, I'm not sure which would kill you first - the commute to McLean or living right on Collesville Road.

[Anonymous]

Another poster who lives near that house and thinks the commute to McLean will kill you. I love SS and am a big booster, but getting to anywhere in VA from Silver Spring, even on the weekend, is a pain. I take the Beltway in the opposite direction to work and the way you'll be going is a parking lot every morning. Coming home in the evening would be even worse. I would also be really concerned about resale potential of any house on Colesville. Living on a SUPER busy street may not bother you, but I think it's a big issue for most buyers. I'm sorry to be such a downer because the house has great potential, but I think you'll regret signing up for that commute. At the very least, do a trial run of the commute, morning and evening, at least two more times before you make an offer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are a two parent, two kid household and are busting out of our house. I'm fairly organized and have used every space I can, but we've gotten to the point where we simply need more space! We hate to leave the city but, we can't afford significantly more space in our current neighborhood (or even the city.) Our kids are in private school, so we could really move anywhere, but VA is out of the question for hubby. I have fallen in love with this home: http://www.redfin.com/MD/Silver-Spring/9501-Colesville-Rd-20901/home/10966238 We can afford the renovations on it, but hubby doesn't think that the neighborhood is an overall improvement from what we already have. Am I missing something?

I'd say almost no crime, a big yard, good schools, no parking worries and no public housing projects are definitely an improvement. Plus, the Hill is even more depressing place in the Winter; scary dark streets and alleys, people afraid to walk around or even to their cars after dark and neglected children running around without coats on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's a great 'hood with great schools, but that is a very, very busy road.

With work and school in McLean, why are you looking in Silver Spring?

OP here--Although, the kids go to school in Mclean, it is too expensive for us! Also, concerning the home on Colesville, I am mostly interested in the generous sized rooms, huge yard and its relative proximity to the metro. We live in the city now so, I figured a busy suburban street wouldn't be unbearable to us, esp. since the drive-way is on a side street.

[Anonymous]

Have you looked at houses not on Colesville? And can the kids move schools?

[Anonymous]

if you work in McLean and the kids are in school there, why the heck move to SS? For me, I can't understand choosing anywhere over something close to work, unless your work is in an awful location. Then I'd choose the closest livable neighborhood... We ended up in a house a half mile from my husband's work so he can walk. (I don't work yet, but we're walkable to the redline for when I do) I don't love the house at all, and I'd prefer other neighborhoods socially, but limiting commute is such a priority for me. Is there nothing close to work/school that you'd consider?

[Anonymous]

Colesville isn't just a busy suburban street - it's a six lane divded U.S. highway (rte 29). I'm the PP who moved from the Hill and even if you are a city person, noise in the suburbs will bother you and it will diminish whatever lifestyle improvements you hope to achieve with the move. And if your kids go to school in McLean, why not stay in the city, or get a condo in some nice close-in NoVa neighborhood? I'm a SS/MoCo booster, but this seems like an unlikely house to fixate on, especially if you work and your kids go to school in Mclean.

[Anonymous]

Collesville is practically a highway and always always has traffic on it. It is not a busy suburban street. I love living near downtown silver spring, so I understand totally why you might want to live here. That commute takes 35 minutes at 2am. It'll take you up to 2 hours at 5:30pm. And the house needs tons of renovations. I think you can find something that works better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a great 'hood with great schools, but that is a very, very busy road.

With work and school in McLean, why are you looking in Silver Spring?

OP here--Although, the kids go to school in Mclean, it is too expensive for us! Also, concerning the home on Colesville, I am mostly interested in the generous sized rooms, huge yard and its relative proximity to the metro. We live in the city now so, I figured a busy suburban street wouldn't be unbearable to us, esp. since the drive-way is on a side street.

You said Virginia was out of the question earlier. But is it price, or just a dislike for the state. You could find something affordable in an attractive neighborhood in South Arlington or Del Ray that would be an easier drive to McLean by way of the GW Parkway.

If you like the Silver Spring house, I suggest visiting the street during rush hour. If you don't mind the traffic and the noise, then the house might work. But I personally don't like Colesville Rd. It is six lanes, not really pedestrian friendly, and always busy.