Sell me on Silver Spring

[Anonymous]

... because it's still better than bethesda.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bethesda is where souls go to die. Rockville, Frederick, anything thing is better than heinous and hoitey Bethesda with its zero parking, congestion, and office park overload. Blah blah blah. It’s the Arlington of MoCo.

Oh yes, the drug & opioid epidemic ground zero, crime riddled Frederick is MUCH better than Bethesda.
I'm sure given the option of a free home in either location, you'd far prefer to live in Frederick, right? 🤣

Oh, and please spare us the part where you extolle all of the virtues of Frederick, ok?
I grew up there.

Nothing, absolutely nothing you can say would make Frederick a better place to raise your family than Bethesda.

Any place is better than Frederick to raise a family... ANY PLACE.

I live in Rockville now, so I have no dog in this Silver Spring fight, but for you to make such a ridiculous, laughable and untrue statement, shows that you have ZERO clue of what you speak of.

It sounds like you have a lot of unresolved trauma in your family of origin. That absolutely can color your opinion of a place. I live in Takoma Park, and like most people here, I would never ever want to live in Bethesda. We have friends in Frederick who have kids who love it. The parks are great and the college town vibe is a positive. I also like Columbia, MD and Severna Park. Rockville, too, checks a lot of boxes.

Nah, Frederick is one of those places that has a picture pretty facade, but is completey fake.

I'm not the PP, but I agree with their sentiment.

Frederick tries to put on a quaint, small-town, quirky, neighborhood vibe, however if you scratch just slightly under the surface, you'd be shocked at how abhorrent of a place it really is.

I would never, ever send my child to college in/near Frederick, as the drug culture starts very early -- not in high school, but in middle school and sometimes shockingly, elementary school.
It is so out of control, there's no way to get away from it easily if you grow up there, because so many parents send siblings are involved in it.

Anyone who has lived there for at least 30-40 years and has generational family members living there too, has most likely had a family member affected by drugs (usually one of their parents or their children).
Drugs & crime go hand in hand (crimes to get money to get their drugs) and it affects all ages there, young & old. It's really sad.

My husband is a defense attorney up in Frederick, and he's constantly disturbed by the cases he receives with heartbreakingly young clients getting arrested.

It really affects him deep down that these kids are so young, fresh and could have potentially had the brightest of futures (if they'd grown up somewhere else), as well as because we have kids the same age as some of his clients (which is what made him get into defense in the first place).

He firmly believes that every child should have the opportunity to dream big and do whatever they want in life, yet growing up in Frederick doesn't usually provide them with a great chance for that bright future, because:

1. The drugs are everywhere.
2. They are easily accessible.
3. It's absolutely effortless to get sucked in.

I truly hope your friends love it in Frederick and their lives are never touched by the unbridled drug epidemic that runs rampant and has infiltrated & permeate Frederick, because it's very rare for families who live there to come out totally unscathed by drugs.

Please, please make sure that if your friends have children of any age, that their eyes are wide open and they start talking to those kids *early and often* about drugs, because even if it seems that their kids "would never do drugs" it doesn't mean that their kid's best friend won't try drugs.
It's no secret that a teen's best friend has a lot more influence over your kid than you do.
A lot more influence.

I'll end this on this last statement.
The last place any family want to end up is in my husband's office - retaining his services, because every family comes in with the same shocked, bewildered & panicked look of "how did we ever get here??".

Sigh, sorry to get off topic, back to the topic at hand.

Like the PP, I too don't have a dog in the Bethesda/SS argument.
Honestly, both seem to be really nice places and they both have redeeming qualities & places.
I guess it really comes down to person preference, doesn't it?

However, I don't believe it's necessary to trash Bethesda because you live in Silver Spring, and vice versa.

Why does it have to be one or the other, why can't people appreciate both places?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bethesda is where souls go to die. Rockville, Frederick, anything thing is better than heinous and hoitey Bethesda with its zero parking, congestion, and office park overload. Blah blah blah. It’s the Arlington of MoCo.

Oh yes, the drug & opioid epidemic ground zero, crime riddled Frederick is MUCH better than Bethesda.
I'm sure given the option of a free home in either location, you'd far prefer to live in Frederick, right? 🤣

Oh, and please spare us the part where you extolle all of the virtues of Frederick, ok?
I grew up there.

Nothing, absolutely nothing you can say would make Frederick a better place to raise your family than Bethesda.

Any place is better than Frederick to raise a family... ANY PLACE.

I live in Rockville now, so I have no dog in this Silver Spring fight, but for you to make such a ridiculous, laughable and untrue statement, shows that you have ZERO clue of what you speak of.

It sounds like you have a lot of unresolved trauma in your family of origin. That absolutely can color your opinion of a place. I live in Takoma Park, and like most people here, I would never ever want to live in Bethesda. We have friends in Frederick who have kids who love it. The parks are great and the college town vibe is a positive. I also like Columbia, MD and Severna Park. Rockville, too, checks a lot of boxes.

Nah, Frederick is one of those places that has a picture pretty facade, but is completey fake.

I'm not the PP, but I agree with their sentiment.

Frederick tries to put on a quaint, small-town, quirky, neighborhood vibe, however if you scratch just slightly under the surface, you'd be shocked at how abhorrent of a place it really is.

I would never, ever send my child to college in/near Frederick, as the drug culture starts very early -- not in high school, but in middle school and sometimes shockingly, elementary school.
It is so out of control, there's no way to get away from it easily if you grow up there, because so many parents send siblings are involved in it.

Anyone who has lived there for at least 30-40 years and has generational family members living there too, has most likely had a family member affected by drugs (usually one of their parents or their children).
Drugs & crime go hand in hand (crimes to get money to get their drugs) and it affects all ages there, young & old. It's really sad.

My husband is a defense attorney up in Frederick, and he's constantly disturbed by the cases he receives with heartbreakingly young clients getting arrested.

It really affects him deep down that these kids are so young, fresh and could have potentially had the brightest of futures (if they'd grown up somewhere else), as well as because we have kids the same age as some of his clients (which is what made him get into defense in the first place).

He firmly believes that every child should have the opportunity to dream big and do whatever they want in life, yet growing up in Frederick doesn't usually provide them with a great chance for that bright future, because:

1. The drugs are everywhere.
2. They are easily accessible.
3. It's absolutely effortless to get sucked in.

I truly hope your friends love it in Frederick and their lives are never touched by the unbridled drug epidemic that runs rampant and has infiltrated & permeate Frederick, because it's very rare for families who live there to come out totally unscathed by drugs.

Please, please make sure that if your friends have children of any age, that their eyes are wide open and they start talking to those kids *early and often* about drugs, because even if it seems that their kids "would never do drugs" it doesn't mean that their kid's best friend won't try drugs.
It's no secret that a teen's best friend has a lot more influence over your kid than you do.
A lot more influence.

I'll end this on this last statement.
The last place any family want to end up is in my husband's office - retaining his services, because every family comes in with the same shocked, bewildered & panicked look of "how did we ever get here??".

Sigh, sorry to get off topic, back to the topic at hand.

Like the PP, I too don't have a dog in the Bethesda/SS argument.
Honestly, both seem to be really nice places and they both have redeeming qualities & places.
I guess it really comes down to person preference, doesn't it?

However, I don't believe it's necessary to trash Bethesda because you live in Silver Spring, and vice versa.

Why does it have to be one or the other, why can't people appreciate both places?

Way to hijack the thread

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:all these people triggered by OP's question and insulting her are so embarassing. bethesda is large, and everyone knows deep down its nicer. that's why its more expensive. i don't really feel a huge difference between downtown bethesda and downtown silver spring, but if people think the neighborhoods in bethesda or the schools are worse than silver spring .... they're either lying to themselves, have only lived in this area for 5 years or something and don't know sh*t about the region, or delusional. give me a break.

The people who made the choice to live in Silver Spring disagree with you. We resent the fact that you are jamming your opinion down our throat and by saying we are "triggered" is really low and gaslighting. If we don't say anything you can say yes SS is trash but, if we stand up for SS you say we are triggered and deep down "jealous".

So damn if we do and damn if we don't.

I prefer SS to Bethesda. I don't trash Bethesda. I just don't prefer it.

Uh, when I did I say Silver Spring is trash? Jesus Christ, I think Silver Spring is just fine. Like I said in a follow up response to someone else, I've lived there... I'm not sure why my point (which I stand by) that Bethesda is better maintained, safer and has better schools means I'm gaslighting you. I don't care if you're jealous of Bethesda or not, but you're helping my point above where I said "all these people triggered by OP's question .. are so embarassing."

Are you the op? If not, I was not referring to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:all these people triggered by OP's question and insulting her are so embarassing. bethesda is large, and everyone knows deep down its nicer. that's why its more expensive. i don't really feel a huge difference between downtown bethesda and downtown silver spring, but if people think the neighborhoods in bethesda or the schools are worse than silver spring .... they're either lying to themselves, have only lived in this area for 5 years or something and don't know sh*t about the region, or delusional. give me a break.

Ha, no. I could afford Bethesda or SS, and I prefer SS. DT Bethesda truly does not appeal at all. DT SS is fun and active. And I prefer more down to earth people and schools.

I think both downtown Bethesda and downtown silver spring are mediocre. It's funny how everyone thinks everyone in Bethesda is some millionaire with a butler or something. I can't easily differentiate between silver spring "people" and Bethesda "people." I live in NW DC, I'm from the area, and yeah - I think I know more than 90% of people in this thread about these neighborhoods because I've lived in both of them (and NW DC and NE DC). SS has more crime than Bethesda. The schools are NOT good. They just aren't.

Have you actually been in the schools? Met all of the staff and students? People are so quick to label a school without actually spending time in one. I’ve worked in Northwood High school (and a few others in the county, elementary and high school, while also having friends who worked in W schools) and I know all about the school ratings.

No, I haven't been in ALL the schools and met ALL the staff and teachers. What kind of idiotic question is that? But Bethesda schools are better overall than Silver Spring schools. It's not subjective. I don't think there's some special teacher insider knowledge about ratings that you have access to that the general public doesn't. Thanks for the genuine chuckle.

The schools are the same. The curriculum is the same. The only difference is the students. Sorry but, the moco schools, all of them have gone down. Thank god my kids have aged out and don't have to deal with them anymore.

[Anonymous]

Hi OP. I’ve lived in DTSS, Kensington, and Bethesda. I understand what you are saying. There is a lot of fun stuff around DTSS but it is not pretty to look at. I agree that it’s the total lack of greenery. I’d definitely try Kensington - much more green and some of the spottier areas are being rebuilt and upgraded. It’s a nice mix of the benefits of SS and Bethesda. No ethnic restaurants though which is often mentioned as a big SS plus. But walking to the MARC, wine bar, dinner, post office, etc is nice and leafy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh, man. This. Thread.

I assume that the OP is British, or of the Commonwealth, or educated in a British system from the spelling of neighboUrhood.

If correct, where and how the OP grew up is probably instrumental in their expectations and desires for home life. If you have to be *sold* on Silver Spring, then it probably isn't for you. I can understand the concerns over the current shape of downtown SS. It's a bit of a mess. The ever evolving purple line has been digging up roads for years now. Throw that on top of the non stop construction and things can look messy. Not that downtown Bethesda is all that different in terms of constant construction, but to each their own.

I live in Silver Spring and like it very much. Not in downtown though. Just outside. If you want old sub and semi-urban neighborhoods, there are plenty of options that surround downtown. If you want to live in a diverse area with a bunch of terrific restaurants that offer cuisines from around the globe, then come to the Spring. If you want to shop at lululemon then eat at an overpriced, mini chain restaurant, then Bethesda awaits. One choice is not superior to the other. It's a matter of taste.

I will say that vitriolic comments about Bethesda and "stay away" snipes are repugnant. So much for those pillars of tolerance and inclusion. As a SS resident, I welcome any and all people to our neighborhood. That even includes Trump folk. I won't agree with your views for one second, but you have the right to live wherever you choose. As an old person who has spent the bulk of their existence, and has generations of family members buried in Montgomery County, I am astounded at the amount of self righteous, intolerant, frankly hateful, individuals who label themselves as progressives, that have been implanting themselves all over MoCo, but especially in Silver Spring. MoCo has always been a conservatively liberal county, but now things have taken a full on Portland turn and I can not gauge when the rhetoric will morph into to full on stupidity. If you want things to get better in this country, it starts with engagement - not derision. I've talked a couple people to come down from the Trump tree. It *can* happen.

Also, way back in the day, Bethesda and Silver Spring weren't that different. Anyone remember McDonald's Raw Bar? Yup. Didn't think so. Then the 80's came. Bethesda grew while downtown Silver Spring sunk. If you think SS is rough now, you should have seen it 20 years ago before Doug Duncan lifted taxes and Whole Foods and Discovery can a running. Now change keeps coming for both areas, which has been great. Sure, I miss shopping for records at Vinyl Ink, but I can't wait to see what new things will pop up in the coming years. In the meantime, I'm going to get some coffee at Zed's and chill.

Wow. This is the OP. You are correct that I grew up in the British commonwealth and did my O and A levels. Then came to the US for college. Interesting that you caught that. Thank you to you and some of the other gracious and kind posters who genuinely tried to answer my question. I sincerely did not mean to offend anyone. The title of my post was perhaps a little thoughtless. I dashed off the title without thinking how it might sound. I think it makes sense to look in SS along with looking in Kensington and Takoma Park. Someone on this thread made a great point which I think made me realize why I don’t like downtown SS. There are no green spaces. No town commons or big fountain or plaza area in the town center which always helps embue a calming vibe. Instead it is all concrete and traffic spread out haphazardly in all directions. I’m not too worried about schools as Blair is on par with or better than Wilson HS and MC has more magnet options than DC. I’m not familiar enough with Northwood to comment on it. Our budget is probably about one million but we would prefer to spend less if possible. I like houses with character (not too generic), lots of light, a yard and some curb appeal. Friendly neighbors, of course. I’m fine with Bethesda but it is pricey and the vibe is a little intense for me.

If you value green space and fountains and calm there is no place that meets your criteria as much as Kensington. It literally has a fountain near the MARC station and has several parks including an English Garden.

I’d add Garrett Park to your list as well because of green space.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh, man. This. Thread.

I assume that the OP is British, or of the Commonwealth, or educated in a British system from the spelling of neighboUrhood.

If correct, where and how the OP grew up is probably instrumental in their expectations and desires for home life. If you have to be *sold* on Silver Spring, then it probably isn't for you. I can understand the concerns over the current shape of downtown SS. It's a bit of a mess. The ever evolving purple line has been digging up roads for years now. Throw that on top of the non stop construction and things can look messy. Not that downtown Bethesda is all that different in terms of constant construction, but to each their own.

I live in Silver Spring and like it very much. Not in downtown though. Just outside. If you want old sub and semi-urban neighborhoods, there are plenty of options that surround downtown. If you want to live in a diverse area with a bunch of terrific restaurants that offer cuisines from around the globe, then come to the Spring. If you want to shop at lululemon then eat at an overpriced, mini chain restaurant, then Bethesda awaits. One choice is not superior to the other. It's a matter of taste.

I will say that vitriolic comments about Bethesda and "stay away" snipes are repugnant. So much for those pillars of tolerance and inclusion. As a SS resident, I welcome any and all people to our neighborhood. That even includes Trump folk. I won't agree with your views for one second, but you have the right to live wherever you choose. As an old person who has spent the bulk of their existence, and has generations of family members buried in Montgomery County, I am astounded at the amount of self righteous, intolerant, frankly hateful, individuals who label themselves as progressives, that have been implanting themselves all over MoCo, but especially in Silver Spring. MoCo has always been a conservatively liberal county, but now things have taken a full on Portland turn and I can not gauge when the rhetoric will morph into to full on stupidity. If you want things to get better in this country, it starts with engagement - not derision. I've talked a couple people to come down from the Trump tree. It *can* happen.

Also, way back in the day, Bethesda and Silver Spring weren't that different. Anyone remember McDonald's Raw Bar? Yup. Didn't think so. Then the 80's came. Bethesda grew while downtown Silver Spring sunk. If you think SS is rough now, you should have seen it 20 years ago before Doug Duncan lifted taxes and Whole Foods and Discovery can a running. Now change keeps coming for both areas, which has been great. Sure, I miss shopping for records at Vinyl Ink, but I can't wait to see what new things will pop up in the coming years. In the meantime, I'm going to get some coffee at Zed's and chill.

Wow. This is the OP. You are correct that I grew up in the British commonwealth and did my O and A levels. Then came to the US for college. Interesting that you caught that. Thank you to you and some of the other gracious and kind posters who genuinely tried to answer my question. I sincerely did not mean to offend anyone. The title of my post was perhaps a little thoughtless. I dashed off the title without thinking how it might sound. I think it makes sense to look in SS along with looking in Kensington and Takoma Park. Someone on this thread made a great point which I think made me realize why I don’t like downtown SS. There are no green spaces. No town commons or big fountain or plaza area in the town center which always helps embue a calming vibe. Instead it is all concrete and traffic spread out haphazardly in all directions. I’m not too worried about schools as Blair is on par with or better than Wilson HS and MC has more magnet options than DC. I’m not familiar enough with Northwood to comment on it. Our budget is probably about one million but we would prefer to spend less if possible. I like houses with character (not too generic), lots of light, a yard and some curb appeal. Friendly neighbors, of course. I’m fine with Bethesda but it is pricey and the vibe is a little intense for me.

Yeah, I'm surprised that no one caught your background before I did, but anyhoo, I think for your budget and home life desires, Takoma Park and Kensington are more of what you are looking for. If schools are a priority, I recommend Takoma Park based on their cluster. Good luck in your search.

[Anonymous]

I don't get the green space comment at all. SS has tons of gorgeous trails, parks, and playgrounds. Many are very close to downtown. No idea what you are talking about OP.

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately not many places have town centers like that in this area unless they are new builds. It is a very European thing.

And SS isn't beautiful but it's utilitarian.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't get the green space comment at all. SS has tons of gorgeous trails, parks, and playgrounds. Many are very close to downtown. No idea what you are talking about OP.

When we moved out of the city we bought a home in just off Sligo Creek in Silgo park hills. Cute neighborhood with interesting neighbors we thought was perfect counter to the city. In the 3 years we lived there-
1- a homeless man who slept in the park behind our house scared my wife a couple of time so she stop walking with the baby and jogging
2-our street parked car and back shed were broken into multiple time with bikes stolen out of the shed (master lock cut)
3-a car jacking block away
4-murder a block away on flower ave in the middle of the street
5-gun shots during the summer around the same flower Ave area multiple times
6-some lady at the church where we sent our son for preschool decided my wife took her parking spot and started a verbal altercation threatening to go physical. She was there for the food pantry while my wife had a small child. Even if my wife was oblivious is that really the place for thug life with kids around?

None of that has happened since we have moved to Bethesda but I will say our renters love the spot so it just shows different strokes for different folks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't get the green space comment at all. SS has tons of gorgeous trails, parks, and playgrounds. Many are very close to downtown. No idea what you are talking about OP.

How accessible are they from Downtown SS? That is, how close are they from Colesville and Georgia? People throughout this thread have said Silver Spring in general has nice neighborhoods, just that Downtown Silver Spring is poorly planned and has little green space.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unfortunately not many places have town centers like that in this area unless they are new builds. It is a very European thing.

And SS isn't beautiful but it's utilitarian.

New builds in this area don't have them, either. They tend to have Potemkin Village-type centers, kind of like The Truman Show.

In New England, town centers with green space, a church, etc. are very common.

[Anonymous]

Are ethnic restaurants a plus or a minus. I say that as one rich then I lived with blocked them constantly. They allowed them but always trouble and brought up crime, quality of life issues, traffic and tons of garbage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi OP. I’ve lived in DTSS, Kensington, and Bethesda. I understand what you are saying. There is a lot of fun stuff around DTSS but it is not pretty to look at. I agree that it’s the total lack of greenery. I’d definitely try Kensington - much more green and some of the spottier areas are being rebuilt and upgraded. It’s a nice mix of the benefits of SS and Bethesda. No ethnic restaurants though which is often mentioned as a big SS plus. But walking to the MARC, wine bar, dinner, post office, etc is nice and leafy.

Sligo Creek isn't green enough for you?