Maryland or Virginia?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What areas/neighborhoods in Virginia are comparable to Bethesda, Potomac, North Bethesda, etc. in terms of great schools and somewhat close (commute) to DC?
(The above poster mentioned Arlington and Silver Spring, but I don’t think they are necessarily comparable??)

They are absolutely not comparable at all. Silver Spring doesn’t have near the amount of amenities, jobs, safety, and wealth as South Arlington, let alone North Arlington. Shirlington and Crystal City are MUCH nicer than Downtown Silver Spring, which has been circling the drain for 30 years.

This happened last night Silver Spring Metro. Four kids were stabbed in a mob attack. Bethesda Magazine is so craven for burying the lead in this story and representing this as a simple fight in the headline. It’s no wonder people don’t trust the media.

More than 20 juveniles involved in fight near Silver Spring Metro

https://bethesdamagazine.com/2026/02/09/silver-spring-stabbing/

County police said in a Monday night statement that officers were dispatched around 6 p.m. to a large fight with “more than 20 juveniles” near Wayne Avenue and Ramsey Avenue. Around the same time, MCFRS crews were dispatched to the Silver Spring Metro at 8400 Colesville Road for a report of injured people after “an assault/stabbing,” MCFRS spokesperson Pete Piringer posted on social media.

Additional MCFRS resources were added shortly after for a second patient, according to MCFRS radio transmissions that noted “one was hit in the head, and one was stabbed in the neck.” Minutes later, dispatch informed responders that there were four patients.

DTSS is one concentrated area. Silver Spring has plenty of residential neighborhoods as nice as anywhere in South Arlington. Woodside neighborhoods, Forest Glen Park near National Park Seminary and Sligo Park Hills are all solidly upper middle class and stable.

[Anonymous]

Catching up here. From my research, it looks like the Income Tax proposal was kicked to session 2027 (so soonest implemented would be tax year 2028) and the Net Investment Tax is stalled in committee.

Is that right?

[Anonymous]

A big factor is what industries you and your spouse work in.

Overall there are more job opportunities in NoVA than Maryland. In some industries, dramatically more.

I like living in Arlington and now Alexandria city because it’s easy for me to access job markets in Rosslyn, Tysons, DC and everywhere in between.

[Anonymous]

They're both horrible places to live. If I weren’t locked into a 3% relatively tiny mortgage I’d be gone due to both states having very high costs of living and very limited amenities. But if I had to choose, having lived in both, it would be Virginia, today.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maryland.

You need easy access to more and better private schools

The publics trash everywhere

You sound barely literate. Did your kid get a scholarship to play for DeMatha or something?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What areas/neighborhoods in Virginia are comparable to Bethesda, Potomac, North Bethesda, etc. in terms of great schools and somewhat close (commute) to DC?
(The above poster mentioned Arlington and Silver Spring, but I don’t think they are necessarily comparable??)

They are absolutely not comparable at all. Silver Spring doesn’t have near the amount of amenities, jobs, safety, and wealth as South Arlington, let alone North Arlington. Shirlington and Crystal City are MUCH nicer than Downtown Silver Spring, which has been circling the drain for 30 years.

This happened last night Silver Spring Metro. Four kids were stabbed in a mob attack. Bethesda Magazine is so craven for burying the lead in this story and representing this as a simple fight in the headline. It’s no wonder people don’t trust the media.

More than 20 juveniles involved in fight near Silver Spring Metro

https://bethesdamagazine.com/2026/02/09/silver-spring-stabbing/

County police said in a Monday night statement that officers were dispatched around 6 p.m. to a large fight with “more than 20 juveniles” near Wayne Avenue and Ramsey Avenue. Around the same time, MCFRS crews were dispatched to the Silver Spring Metro at 8400 Colesville Road for a report of injured people after “an assault/stabbing,” MCFRS spokesperson Pete Piringer posted on social media.

Additional MCFRS resources were added shortly after for a second patient, according to MCFRS radio transmissions that noted “one was hit in the head, and one was stabbed in the neck.” Minutes later, dispatch informed responders that there were four patients.

Crystal City? That hellhole? Oh, and there's plenty of crime going on there:

https://www.arlingtonva.us/About-Arlington/Newsroom/Articles/2025/Fashion-Centre-at-Pentagon-City-Evacuated-Following-Fights
https://wjla.com/news/local/boy-stabbed-fashion-centre-at-pentagon-city-mall-fight-arlington-virginia-south-hayes-street-juvenile-crime-police-investigation-arrest
https://www.arlnow.com/2025/12/17/police-man-beat-up-three-people-then-urinated-in-public-after-arrest/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What areas/neighborhoods in Virginia are comparable to Bethesda, Potomac, North Bethesda, etc. in terms of great schools and somewhat close (commute) to DC?
(The above poster mentioned Arlington and Silver Spring, but I don’t think they are necessarily comparable??)

They are absolutely not comparable at all. Silver Spring doesn’t have near the amount of amenities, jobs, safety, and wealth as South Arlington, let alone North Arlington. Shirlington and Crystal City are MUCH nicer than Downtown Silver Spring, which has been circling the drain for 30 years.

This happened last night Silver Spring Metro. Four kids were stabbed in a mob attack. Bethesda Magazine is so craven for burying the lead in this story and representing this as a simple fight in the headline. It’s no wonder people don’t trust the media.

More than 20 juveniles involved in fight near Silver Spring Metro

https://bethesdamagazine.com/2026/02/09/silver-spring-stabbing/

County police said in a Monday night statement that officers were dispatched around 6 p.m. to a large fight with “more than 20 juveniles” near Wayne Avenue and Ramsey Avenue. Around the same time, MCFRS crews were dispatched to the Silver Spring Metro at 8400 Colesville Road for a report of injured people after “an assault/stabbing,” MCFRS spokesperson Pete Piringer posted on social media.

Additional MCFRS resources were added shortly after for a second patient, according to MCFRS radio transmissions that noted “one was hit in the head, and one was stabbed in the neck.” Minutes later, dispatch informed responders that there were four patients.

Crystal City? That hellhole? Oh, and there's plenty of crime going on there:

https://www.arlingtonva.us/About-Arlington/Newsroom/Articles/2025/Fashion-Centre-at-Pentagon-City-Evacuated-Following-Fights
https://wjla.com/news/local/boy-stabbed-fashion-centre-at-pentagon-city-mall-fight-arlington-virginia-south-hayes-street-juvenile-crime-police-investigation-arrest
https://www.arlnow.com/2025/12/17/police-man-beat-up-three-people-then-urinated-in-public-after-arrest/

+1. Most of South Arlington is not nice at all. You drive around, and the neighborhoods look horribly run down -- hoarding out in the open, chain link fences, overgrown shrubs and grass, houses that look like they haven't been maintained, and the list goes on. It looks like people have just given up. I know some people who live there, and the petty crime is awful -- constant car break ins, package theft, etc. And many people refuse to step foot in Pentagon City Mall, which has been the source of stabbings, huge fights, violent assaults, and even multiple murders. Silver Spring may not be perfect, but it's actually much nicer, especially Woodside.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What areas/neighborhoods in Virginia are comparable to Bethesda, Potomac, North Bethesda, etc. in terms of great schools and somewhat close (commute) to DC?
(The above poster mentioned Arlington and Silver Spring, but I don’t think they are necessarily comparable??)

They are absolutely not comparable at all. Silver Spring doesn’t have near the amount of amenities, jobs, safety, and wealth as South Arlington, let alone North Arlington. Shirlington and Crystal City are MUCH nicer than Downtown Silver Spring, which has been circling the drain for 30 years.

This happened last night Silver Spring Metro. Four kids were stabbed in a mob attack. Bethesda Magazine is so craven for burying the lead in this story and representing this as a simple fight in the headline. It’s no wonder people don’t trust the media.

More than 20 juveniles involved in fight near Silver Spring Metro

https://bethesdamagazine.com/2026/02/09/silver-spring-stabbing/

County police said in a Monday night statement that officers were dispatched around 6 p.m. to a large fight with “more than 20 juveniles” near Wayne Avenue and Ramsey Avenue. Around the same time, MCFRS crews were dispatched to the Silver Spring Metro at 8400 Colesville Road for a report of injured people after “an assault/stabbing,” MCFRS spokesperson Pete Piringer posted on social media.

Additional MCFRS resources were added shortly after for a second patient, according to MCFRS radio transmissions that noted “one was hit in the head, and one was stabbed in the neck.” Minutes later, dispatch informed responders that there were four patients.

Crystal City? That hellhole? Oh, and there's plenty of crime going on there:

https://www.arlingtonva.us/About-Arlington/Newsroom/Articles/2025/Fashion-Centre-at-Pentagon-City-Evacuated-Following-Fights
https://wjla.com/news/local/boy-stabbed-fashion-centre-at-pentagon-city-mall-fight-arlington-virginia-south-hayes-street-juvenile-crime-police-investigation-arrest
https://www.arlnow.com/2025/12/17/police-man-beat-up-three-people-then-urinated-in-public-after-arrest/

+1. Most of South Arlington is not nice at all. You drive around, and the neighborhoods look horribly run down -- hoarding out in the open, chain link fences, overgrown shrubs and grass, houses that look like they haven't been maintained, and the list goes on. It looks like people have just given up. I know some people who live there, and the petty crime is awful -- constant car break ins, package theft, etc. And many people refuse to step foot in Pentagon City Mall, which has been the source of stabbings, huge fights, violent assaults, and even multiple murders. Silver Spring may not be perfect, but it's actually much nicer, especially Woodside.

Silver Spring has plenty of dumpy areas. Woodside is no nicer than Arlington Ridge or Aurora Heights in South Arlington. And Wakefield is a nicer HS than Einstein, not to mention schools like Kennedy or Springbrook.

[Anonymous]

VA is best for instate college. However, all three of my kids refused to go to an instate college as wanted to "go away" to college not a place close by with a lot of kids from their HS.

It also depends where you work in DC. some parts DC easy to get to from VA some parts easy MD some parts same either way.

and people on DCOM miss if poor or lower income you want to live in high tax places. Why they have lots of services for lower income folks and you dont pay taxes anyhow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They're both horrible places to live. If I weren’t locked into a 3% relatively tiny mortgage I’d be gone due to both states having very high costs of living and very limited amenities. But if I had to choose, having lived in both, it would be Virginia, today.

agree, we have 2.75% mortgage, and our PITI is barely $2300 on a 3200 sqft house. Hard to give that up. But, we really want to move when our youngest goes off to college next year.

But I think both close in areas are very similar.

As for college, it really depends. My one kid is CS/math major, and UMD (our instate) is much better for CS than any of the VA colleges.

My other DC doesn't want to stay in state for various reasons, one of which is that UMD doesn't have the major that they want, though VA does. Even so, if we lived in VA, would they have wanted oos like they do now? (this is not a debate on oos costs).

VA does have a leg up on MD on college choices.

[Anonymous]

Is neither a possibility for you? Because that's my advice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maryland.

You need easy access to more and better private schools

The publics trash everywhere

You sound barely literate. Did your kid get a scholarship to play for DeMatha or something?

Hey! My kid went to DeMatha and not to play sports.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What areas/neighborhoods in Virginia are comparable to Bethesda, Potomac, North Bethesda, etc. in terms of great schools and somewhat close (commute) to DC?
(The above poster mentioned Arlington and Silver Spring, but I don’t think they are necessarily comparable??)

They are absolutely not comparable at all. Silver Spring doesn’t have near the amount of amenities, jobs, safety, and wealth as South Arlington, let alone North Arlington. Shirlington and Crystal City are MUCH nicer than Downtown Silver Spring, which has been circling the drain for 30 years.

This happened last night Silver Spring Metro. Four kids were stabbed in a mob attack. Bethesda Magazine is so craven for burying the lead in this story and representing this as a simple fight in the headline. It’s no wonder people don’t trust the media.

More than 20 juveniles involved in fight near Silver Spring Metro

https://bethesdamagazine.com/2026/02/09/silver-spring-stabbing/

County police said in a Monday night statement that officers were dispatched around 6 p.m. to a large fight with “more than 20 juveniles” near Wayne Avenue and Ramsey Avenue. Around the same time, MCFRS crews were dispatched to the Silver Spring Metro at 8400 Colesville Road for a report of injured people after “an assault/stabbing,” MCFRS spokesperson Pete Piringer posted on social media.

Additional MCFRS resources were added shortly after for a second patient, according to MCFRS radio transmissions that noted “one was hit in the head, and one was stabbed in the neck.” Minutes later, dispatch informed responders that there were four patients.

Crystal City? That hellhole? Oh, and there's plenty of crime going on there:

https://www.arlingtonva.us/About-Arlington/Newsroom/Articles/2025/Fashion-Centre-at-Pentagon-City-Evacuated-Following-Fights
https://wjla.com/news/local/boy-stabbed-fashion-centre-at-pentagon-city-mall-fight-arlington-virginia-south-hayes-street-juvenile-crime-police-investigation-arrest
https://www.arlnow.com/2025/12/17/police-man-beat-up-three-people-then-urinated-in-public-after-arrest/

+1. Most of South Arlington is not nice at all. You drive around, and the neighborhoods look horribly run down -- hoarding out in the open, chain link fences, overgrown shrubs and grass, houses that look like they haven't been maintained, and the list goes on. It looks like people have just given up. I know some people who live there, and the petty crime is awful -- constant car break ins, package theft, etc. And many people refuse to step foot in Pentagon City Mall, which has been the source of stabbings, huge fights, violent assaults, and even multiple murders. Silver Spring may not be perfect, but it's actually much nicer, especially Woodside.

Pentagon City Mall might be dangerous, but it has Nordstrom, Apple Store, J Crew and other desirable retail options. Downtown Silver Spring has Ellsworth Place with a TJ Maxx and a Ross. It is dangerous and depressing and dilapidated. At least Pentagon City Mall is nice.

As far as South Arlington, even if you don’t like South Arlington it is across the bridge from The Wharf and the National Mall and sandwiched between North Arlington and Del Ray / Old Town. It has so much more to do within a 5-10 minute drive that Silver Spring, which has Wheaton to the north and Langley Park to the east, two incredibly crime ridden areas that are much more dangerous than anywhere in VA that borders South Arlington.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What areas/neighborhoods in Virginia are comparable to Bethesda, Potomac, North Bethesda, etc. in terms of great schools and somewhat close (commute) to DC?
(The above poster mentioned Arlington and Silver Spring, but I don’t think they are necessarily comparable??)

They are absolutely not comparable at all. Silver Spring doesn’t have near the amount of amenities, jobs, safety, and wealth as South Arlington, let alone North Arlington. Shirlington and Crystal City are MUCH nicer than Downtown Silver Spring, which has been circling the drain for 30 years.

This happened last night Silver Spring Metro. Four kids were stabbed in a mob attack. Bethesda Magazine is so craven for burying the lead in this story and representing this as a simple fight in the headline. It’s no wonder people don’t trust the media.

More than 20 juveniles involved in fight near Silver Spring Metro

https://bethesdamagazine.com/2026/02/09/silver-spring-stabbing/

County police said in a Monday night statement that officers were dispatched around 6 p.m. to a large fight with “more than 20 juveniles” near Wayne Avenue and Ramsey Avenue. Around the same time, MCFRS crews were dispatched to the Silver Spring Metro at 8400 Colesville Road for a report of injured people after “an assault/stabbing,” MCFRS spokesperson Pete Piringer posted on social media.

Additional MCFRS resources were added shortly after for a second patient, according to MCFRS radio transmissions that noted “one was hit in the head, and one was stabbed in the neck.” Minutes later, dispatch informed responders that there were four patients.

Crystal City? That hellhole? Oh, and there's plenty of crime going on there:

https://www.arlingtonva.us/About-Arlington/Newsroom/Articles/2025/Fashion-Centre-at-Pentagon-City-Evacuated-Following-Fights
https://wjla.com/news/local/boy-stabbed-fashion-centre-at-pentagon-city-mall-fight-arlington-virginia-south-hayes-street-juvenile-crime-police-investigation-arrest
https://www.arlnow.com/2025/12/17/police-man-beat-up-three-people-then-urinated-in-public-after-arrest/

+1. Most of South Arlington is not nice at all. You drive around, and the neighborhoods look horribly run down -- hoarding out in the open, chain link fences, overgrown shrubs and grass, houses that look like they haven't been maintained, and the list goes on. It looks like people have just given up. I know some people who live there, and the petty crime is awful -- constant car break ins, package theft, etc. And many people refuse to step foot in Pentagon City Mall, which has been the source of stabbings, huge fights, violent assaults, and even multiple murders. Silver Spring may not be perfect, but it's actually much nicer, especially Woodside.

Pentagon City Mall might be dangerous, but it has Nordstrom, Apple Store, J Crew and other desirable retail options. Downtown Silver Spring has Ellsworth Place with a TJ Maxx and a Ross. It is dangerous and depressing and dilapidated. At least Pentagon City Mall is nice.

As far as South Arlington, even if you don’t like South Arlington it is across the bridge from The Wharf and the National Mall and sandwiched between North Arlington and Del Ray / Old Town. It has so much more to do within a 5-10 minute drive that Silver Spring, which has Wheaton to the north and Langley Park to the east, two incredibly crime ridden areas that are much more dangerous than anywhere in VA that borders South Arlington.

Why would anyone in SS go to Langley Park. That's like saying that people in South Arlington visit the many dangerous parts of Alexandria for fun.

You omit that DTSS has very nice retail options in its walkable outdoor downtown area (uniqlo, h&m, whole foods, nike) and is right next to Chevy Chase and Bethesda (which have lots of high-end retail). DTSS also has a major concert venue, live theater venue, independent movie theater, community center with indoor pool, and hundreds of great restaurants and breweries. If you went to DTSS to spend time in the old indoor mall with TJMaxx and Ross, that's your own fault. I don't shop at TJMaxx and Ross, and every retail option I actually need is nice and within 10 minutes and all are infinitely better than taking chances at Pentagon City Mall.

South Arlington has its own crime ridden hellholes like Green Valley, and Alexandria has tons of incredibly dangerous parts. And South Arlington is so ugly. And eventually the time will come when Amazon has mostly exited South Arlington, as it continues firing people and replacing them with AI.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What areas/neighborhoods in Virginia are comparable to Bethesda, Potomac, North Bethesda, etc. in terms of great schools and somewhat close (commute) to DC?
(The above poster mentioned Arlington and Silver Spring, but I don’t think they are necessarily comparable??)

They are absolutely not comparable at all. Silver Spring doesn’t have near the amount of amenities, jobs, safety, and wealth as South Arlington, let alone North Arlington. Shirlington and Crystal City are MUCH nicer than Downtown Silver Spring, which has been circling the drain for 30 years.

This happened last night Silver Spring Metro. Four kids were stabbed in a mob attack. Bethesda Magazine is so craven for burying the lead in this story and representing this as a simple fight in the headline. It’s no wonder people don’t trust the media.

More than 20 juveniles involved in fight near Silver Spring Metro

https://bethesdamagazine.com/2026/02/09/silver-spring-stabbing/

County police said in a Monday night statement that officers were dispatched around 6 p.m. to a large fight with “more than 20 juveniles” near Wayne Avenue and Ramsey Avenue. Around the same time, MCFRS crews were dispatched to the Silver Spring Metro at 8400 Colesville Road for a report of injured people after “an assault/stabbing,” MCFRS spokesperson Pete Piringer posted on social media.

Additional MCFRS resources were added shortly after for a second patient, according to MCFRS radio transmissions that noted “one was hit in the head, and one was stabbed in the neck.” Minutes later, dispatch informed responders that there were four patients.

Crystal City? That hellhole? Oh, and there's plenty of crime going on there:

https://www.arlingtonva.us/About-Arlington/Newsroom/Articles/2025/Fashion-Centre-at-Pentagon-City-Evacuated-Following-Fights
https://wjla.com/news/local/boy-stabbed-fashion-centre-at-pentagon-city-mall-fight-arlington-virginia-south-hayes-street-juvenile-crime-police-investigation-arrest
https://www.arlnow.com/2025/12/17/police-man-beat-up-three-people-then-urinated-in-public-after-arrest/

+1. Most of South Arlington is not nice at all. You drive around, and the neighborhoods look horribly run down -- hoarding out in the open, chain link fences, overgrown shrubs and grass, houses that look like they haven't been maintained, and the list goes on. It looks like people have just given up. I know some people who live there, and the petty crime is awful -- constant car break ins, package theft, etc. And many people refuse to step foot in Pentagon City Mall, which has been the source of stabbings, huge fights, violent assaults, and even multiple murders. Silver Spring may not be perfect, but it's actually much nicer, especially Woodside.

Pentagon City Mall might be dangerous, but it has Nordstrom, Apple Store, J Crew and other desirable retail options. Downtown Silver Spring has Ellsworth Place with a TJ Maxx and a Ross. It is dangerous and depressing and dilapidated. At least Pentagon City Mall is nice.

As far as South Arlington, even if you don’t like South Arlington it is across the bridge from The Wharf and the National Mall and sandwiched between North Arlington and Del Ray / Old Town. It has so much more to do within a 5-10 minute drive that Silver Spring, which has Wheaton to the north and Langley Park to the east, two incredibly crime ridden areas that are much more dangerous than anywhere in VA that borders South Arlington.

Why would anyone in SS go to Langley Park. That's like saying that people in South Arlington visit the many dangerous parts of Alexandria for fun.

You omit that DTSS has very nice retail options in its walkable outdoor downtown area (uniqlo, h&m, whole foods, nike) and is right next to Chevy Chase and Bethesda (which have lots of high-end retail). DTSS also has a major concert venue, live theater venue, independent movie theater, community center with indoor pool, and hundreds of great restaurants and breweries. If you went to DTSS to spend time in the old indoor mall with TJMaxx and Ross, that's your own fault. I don't shop at TJMaxx and Ross, and every retail option I actually need is nice and within 10 minutes and all are infinitely better than taking chances at Pentagon City Mall.

South Arlington has its own crime ridden hellholes like Green Valley, and Alexandria has tons of incredibly dangerous parts. And South Arlington is so ugly. And eventually the time will come when Amazon has mostly exited South Arlington, as it continues firing people and replacing them with AI.

That’s why Silver Spring is more expensive than South Arlington, right? Because it’s so safe and desirable?