Anonymous wrote:My advice is to be really honest with yourself on your feelings of diversity, economic and racial. I have a lot of friends who live in SS who I think love the idea of diversity but not when it means having their kids at schools with high minority and/or FARMS populations. Just read these boards to see how they all go nuts over getting their kids into magnet programs.

I admit to being rather torn on this myself. My kids go to a school with both in SS and there are pros and cons.

No one has mentioned crime and my two cents is that crime happens everywhere. There are car and home break ins all the time in Chevy Chase and Bethesda. And some of the scarier ones tend to happen there as thieves know where the money is.

All that being said, I would still choose Chevy Chase, Kensington or Bethesda over Silver Spring.

Anonymous wrote:I would definitely consider Takoma Park with that budget. You can spend less and get an updated house in walking distance to the Metro and great schools.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They are very similar communities: well-educated, affluent, though Bethesda is more broadly so, and less diverse.

I live in 20910, and love it. And, speaking in very general terms (because we have lovely friends who live in Bethesda an)--what sounds more like your tribe: are you more of a keeping up with Jones' type/anxious about risk? If so, then Bethesda is your place? Or, are you a little more laid back, and want diversity, or okay with it?

I like Bethesda, but people seem a little more anxious over there.

The last census have residents over 25 with just a bachelors degree at 35% for greater silver spring and 80% for Bethesda. Incomes where about 1/3 in silver spring and housing prices about 1/3as well. While the number are slightly better closer to downtown SS where it is closer to 50% and 1/2 & 1/2 They are not similar communities, silver spring just thinks they are.

Anonymous wrote:They are very similar communities: well-educated, affluent, though Bethesda is more broadly so, and less diverse.

I live in 20910, and love it. And, speaking in very general terms (because we have lovely friends who live in Bethesda an)--what sounds more like your tribe: are you more of a keeping up with Jones' type/anxious about risk? If so, then Bethesda is your place? Or, are you a little more laid back, and want diversity, or okay with it?

I like Bethesda, but people seem a little more anxious over there.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you venture over to the schools boards you'll see Bethesda/Chevy Chase parents bemoaning their large class sizes while Silver Spring families celebrate theirs. Because there is so much diversity in Silver Spring and Takoma Park schools, the county has dedicated more resources to them and class sizes are much lower. We love our Silver Spring elementary school. Our neighbors love the middle and high schools. I live in 20910 and love it. I think the people are much nicer and more down-to-earth in Silver Spring.

+1. Very happy with our schools AND our commute to DC - live in the Forest Glen area (20902).

Anonymous wrote:If you venture over to the schools boards you'll see Bethesda/Chevy Chase parents bemoaning their large class sizes while Silver Spring families celebrate theirs. Because there is so much diversity in Silver Spring and Takoma Park schools, the county has dedicated more resources to them and class sizes are much lower. We love our Silver Spring elementary school. Our neighbors love the middle and high schools. I live in 20910 and love it. I think the people are much nicer and more down-to-earth in Silver Spring.

Anonymous wrote:Bethesda and Chevy Chase have better schools, less crime, and a better general reputation. They are, however, way more expensive than Silver Spring. Bethesda and CC housing markets are strong and will continue to hold their value well even if there is a downturn in the economy.

Silver Spring is also a great area (and would be considered even greater if not for it's close proximity to Chevy Chase and Bethesda). I think it represents much better value for the dollar and it may be poised to really take off over the next 10 years. That being said, buying in that area is a bit more of a gamble because it could also go the other way.

Silver Spring has made remarkable progress over the last 15 years. I have a tough time imagining it going anywhere but up. The schools have a ways to go -- but they are improving.

Anonymous wrote:Rosemary Hills is in Silver Spring 20910 and part of the BCC school cluster.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bethesda and Chevy Chase have better schools, less crime, and a better general reputation. They are, however, way more expensive than Silver Spring. Bethesda and CC housing markets are strong and will continue to hold their value well even if there is a downturn in the economy.

Silver Spring is also a great area (and would be considered even greater if not for it's close proximity to Chevy Chase and Bethesda). I think it represents much better value for the dollar and it may be poised to really take off over the next 10 years. That being said, buying in that area is a bit more of a gamble because it could also go the other way.

Silver Spring has made remarkable progress over the last 15 years. I have a tough time imagining it going anywhere but up. The schools have a ways to go -- but they are improving.

We live in 20901 and love it. Forest Knolls elementary is great, although I'm not sure what we'll do when we get to HS.

But to address the bolded, above: prices in SS seem to be suffering from the gentrification of many EOTP neighborhoods in DC. Families that might have bought in SS are now buying in places like Petworth, and it looks like prices in SS have plateaued. That doesn't look like it's affecting the neighborhoods in the BCC cluster, but definitely more areas like 20901.