Chevy Chase

Majestic, comfortable homes define Chevy Chase Park, a well-established Maryland community where residents can still find two of the famous 1790s boundary stones that originally marked the borders of the District of Columbia along Western Avenue. Though the neighborhood is tucked between Bethesda and Washington, D.C., it maintains a vintage, peaceful environment. “It’s a really community-friendly neighborhood. People have block parties, gatherings and community events, and you open your door and see people taking walks, pushing strollers and walking their dogs,” says Lisa Resch, a Realtor with Compass who lives nearby in Chevy Chase, D.C. Neighborhood parks and tree-lined streets insulate the neighborhood from much of the city commotion, though residents aren’t far from the energy of the nation’s capital. Chevy Chase Park encompasses Martin’s Additions, a small, incorporated village renowned for its centuries-old oak trees and white picket fences. This section of the neighborhood features early 20th-century architecture, like Colonial and Tudor Revivals, farmhouses and bungalows, which tend to be priced between $1.3 million and $2.3 million, depending on size. Outside the village, homebuyers can find mid-century cottages that start around $1.3 million and Colonial Revivals, which start around $2.1 million. Residents often go to Bethesda for an array of vibrant stores and restaurants, but they do have access to a couple of local gems. “There’s a small-scale shopping area on Brookville Road where the neighborhood shops at the Brookville Market, the old school pharmacy, coffee shop and barber — and they have a really robust, popular farmers market on the weekends,” Resch says. Brookville Road is also where locals find La Ferme, an upscale farm-to-table French restaurant that maintains an elevated farmhouse vibe. There’s also Olympia Café, where locals enjoy coffee and sandwiches. Residents stop by Brookville Market to pick up some groceries, but they also have convenient access to supermarkets, as Safeway, Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s are all within 2 miles of the neighborhood. They can also drive 2 miles west to Bethesda Row for a large collection of trendy retailers. Residents are minutes away from the excitement of Downtown Washington, D.C. and Bethesda, but they can also enjoy more lowkey activities close to home. The Village of Martin’s Additions brings the community together for seasonal events, like the 4th of July Celebration, where residents order from food trucks, splash down water slides and listen to live music. In October, kids don their Halloween costumes for a costume parade and Halloween party at Chevy Chase Local Park. The neighborhood also congregates with the town of Chevy Chase — the community welcomes autumn with the fall festival that includes pumpkin painting and live music. Kids can begin at Rosemary Hills Elementary, which serves grades prekindergarten through second and has an A-minus rating from Niche. In third grade, they can advance to A-rated Chevy Chase Elementary. Students can continue at Silver Creek Middle, which has an A rating, and Bethesda-Chevy Chase High, which earns an A-plus. High school students can begin preparing for college and their future careers by enrolling in the International Baccalaureate program or career pathways. “People love living there because there’s great access to green spaces and neighborhood parks,” Resch says. At Chevy Chase Local Park, kids climb on the playground, shoot baskets at the basketball court or kick a soccer ball around on the fields. Residents head to Meadowbrook Local Park to walk on the paved trails by Rock Creek or play on the tennis courts or ballfields. “For commuting, it’s an ideal location because you’re not too far from I-495, Connecticut Avenue and Rock Creek Parkway — the major commuter routes that get people to their jobs downtown quickly,” Resch says. Residents only have to drive about 6 miles southeast to get to Downtown Washington, D.C., and 2 miles west to arrive in Downtown Bethesda. Locals can also access public transportation options, as bus stops operated by the Montgomery County Department of Transportation are scattered throughout the neighborhood, which they can use to link with the closest Metrorail station in Friendship Heights. The CAP Index crime tracking database gives Chevy Chase Park a 1 out of 10 score, with 10 indicating highest crime.

Chevy Chase Lake is a burgeoning mixed-use development within Chevy Chase, Maryland. Neil Bacchus, a real estate agent with Long & Foster Real Estate, says, “Chevy Chase is approximately a 4-5 mile radius, within that you have subdivisions; Chevy Chase Lake is one of those subdivisions. The Lake is a small community with homes averaging $1 million. A developer by the name of Ritz Carlton built a community of condos in the area there too.” This development is brand new and may feel like an investment to buy a home here, but it has the potential of being a popular retail and dining hub minutes away from D.C. to the south or Bethesda to the west soon. Though there are occasional single-family properties and townhouses, the community is slowly being defined by the high-rise condos and apartments built near the Georgetown Branch Trail, where a new light rail is being constructed to simplify metro commutes for Maryland locals. This parcel of land between Bethesda and Silver Spring was once the home of Chevy Chase Lake Amusement Park -- a streetcar stop that offered city residents a diversion with dancing, boating and a merry-go-round. The park, initially a marketing tool for the adjacent planned suburban housing development, faded away with the decline of trolleys. The manmade lake, long ago used for leisurely rowboating and seasonal ice skating, is now the site of a condo building. Bacchus mentions that much of the heavy lifting for setting up these shops in the mixed-use developments is done, “They’re about 90% complete; they’re just finding tenants for their storefronts.” Already open to shoppers is Amazon Fresh, the e-commerce titan’s grocery store location with fast QR-code checkout, which rests at the center of Chevy Chase Lake. Ground-floor stores promote walkability and add to the area’s convenience – A Starbucks or a local restaurant like Manoli Canoli is just a few steps from home. Manoli Canoli serves Greek and Italian cuisine, from pork souvlaki to eggplant parmesan entrees, and they also sell their brand of olive oil. Residents searching for homegrown and freshly harvested food can head to Norman’s Farm and Market Stand on Jones Mill Road. The produce stand serves as a daily farmers market, stocked with local fruits and vegetables for the quick-stop shopper or discerning regulars. Significant retail is already in place less than 2 miles west in Woodmont and the Bethesda Row outdoor mall, featuring a Honda car dealership, Apple store, and numerous high-end diners like matchbox, a regional chain bistro serving wood-fired pizzas, cocktails and seafood. Home values in Chevy Chase Lake range from $700,000 to over $2.5 million, for anything from modest condos and townhouses under 2,000 square feet or newly built detached single-family Contemporary homes with 5,000 square feet and luxury condos with amenities like fitness center, free building internet connection or a 24/7 concierge. Chevy Chase Lake’s median household income is more than double the national average, around $160,000, and the reputation of the city of Chevy Chase is defined by its upscale, planned suburban communities, filled with stately colonials and split-level houses dotting the outskirts of the neighborhoods. Cul-de-sacs, roundabouts and dead-end streets help limit vehicle traffic on residential roads. At the same time, front lawns are marked by traditional boxwoods and colorful azaleas, and slate or brick walkways lead to the entrances of houses. "Since this an older community, there is still a lot of green," says Theresa Helfman Taylor with Keller Williams Capital Properties. The pockets of suburban tranquility weave into the newest Chevy Chase Farm development. This mixture of condos, apartments and retail space is designed around a modern town square, providing an almost self-sustaining and contemporary living space. North Chevy Chase Local Park has soccer and baseball fields and basketball and tennis courts for outdoor playtime and exercise. Kids can climb on the park’s playground, and an activity building is available for community use. You can take a morning or early evening run along Georgetown Branch Trail, a gravel portion of the Capital Crescent Trail that runs from the retail-heavy streets of Georgetown north as far as Silver Spring, Maryland. Ray’s Meadow Park allows for nature walks along Rock Creek Trail, leading from Chevy Chase deep into Northwest D.C. The park also has a playground and quaint views of the bubbling Rock Creek stream. The Women’s Club of Chevy Chase, a nonprofit civic and philanthropic organization, hosts guest speaker luncheons and produces annual events such as a community art sale and seasonal gatherings. The club also rents garden space at its Connecticut Avenue location for weddings and private parties. Students in Chevy Chase Lake fall under the Montgomery County Public School system. Nearby options include Bethesda Elementary, North Chevy Chase Elementary and Silver Creek Middle, all rated an A on Niche, and Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, boasting an A-plus on Niche. Chevy Chase Lake will be connected to the upcoming public rail project called the Purple Line, a 16-mile light rail line stretching east-to-west from Montgomery County to Prince George's County that will ease Maryland commutes and increase neighborhood access. It will allow Maryland commuters to travel across the state by rail without taking the metro through D.C. The Purple Line will run through the Georgetown Branch Trail, so alternate routes and detours are currently in place to allow the trail to be used during its construction. “It’s still a brand new area and not heavily trafficked yet. Adjacent to that, the Metrorail from Bethesda to Chevy Chase is about four years out.” Bacchus discusses Chevy Chase Lake’s potential growth once the Purple Line is completed, which is projected to be around late 2027. “It’s great because it's within the Beltway for the whole region. Fantastic access to get into DC, about a mile to the beltway, and a skip, hop, and jump to the metro when that’s finished.” The Capital Beltway is Interstate 495, a significant highway encircling Washington D.C. to ease commutes through the massive metropolitan center. Chevy Chase Lake’s residents are less than a mile from the nearest access point to the Beltway.