Suburbia between Rock Creek Park and Downtown Silver Spring
The large, hybrid community of Silver Spring encompasses much of southern Montgomery County, anchored by the commercial district and condos of Downtown Silver Spring but also featuring several suburban, park-heavy subdivisions like Woodside and Woodside Forest. Silver Spring has been steadily growing; according to the Census, the city’s population grew from around 71,000 people in 2010 to over 81,000 in 2020, bolstered by prominent biotech and healthcare jobs along the Interstate 270 corridor west of town. Though there are some bars and venues in Downtown Silver Spring, Heather Foley, a Silver Spring local and Realtor in the Foley Group of Go Brent Real Estate, says that folks don’t usually move here for the nightlife. Rather, people settle in this suburb of Washington D.C. for the parks, highly rated Montgomery County schools and the region’s cultural diversity.
Silver Spring's growing population can gather at Veterans Plaza for events like Jazz Fest.
Ellsworth Drive is a pedestrian only shopping area in Downtown Silver Spring.
Silver Spring is covered in parkland, most prominently Rock Creek.
Though it has a bustling downtown, Silver Spring is still mostly residential.
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A variety of global restaurants within the town limits
Goldberg's New York Bagels on Georgia Avenue has a kosher menu of bagels and deli fare. Further north is La Casa del Mofongo, with a bright yellow neon sign and offering Caribbean and Latin entrees. The Parkway Deli & Restaurant is along Grubb Road and serves omelets for breakfast and a NY deli menu of pastrami sandwiches and smoked fish bagels for lunch; it even has a pickle bar. More options are east of Colesville Road, what Foley describes as “a vibrant downtown community with a plethora of cuisines from all over the world.” Downtown Silver Spring hosts international restaurants like Fire Pit Brasilian Barbecue and Ethiopian eateries like Effoi Restaurant and Sheger Spring Café. The Fillmore Silver Spring is a regional draw for high-profile concerts and comedy specials. Aldi is available for grocery shopping, as well as a Whole Foods location a few miles away near downtown.
Parkway Deli has traditional Jewish food like knishes and latkes.
La Casa Del Mofongo is a popular Mexican restaurant in Silver Spring.
The Fillmore has musical performances and comedy special events.
Silver Spring residents can get authentic Ethiopian food at Sheger Spring Café.
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D.C.'s largest park on Silver Spring's border
Rock Creek Park serves as the western border of Silver Spring and is considered D.C.’s premier green space. With over 1,700 acres stretching from Gaithersburg down through Northwest D.C., the park features everything from the bike-accessible Rock Creek Trail to tennis courts, the Carter Barron Amphitheatre for concerts and a planetarium and nature center, popular spots for school field trips. To the east is the 9-hole Sligo Creek Golf Course, one of Montgomery County’s largest golf courses. In Ray’s Meadow Park, cyclists whiz along part of the Capital Crescent trail, a 7-mile pedestrian path that connects to Washington's famous Georgetown district. In addition to these larger parks, Foley says that Silver Spring has more than 10 neighborhood pocket parks within its borders, so residents are always within reach of green spaces. Woodside Urban Park is in the Woodside subdivision and has basketball and tennis courts, a playground, a fountain and a skate park. Further west is Rosemary Hills-Lyttonsville Local Park, with soccer and baseball fields and two playgrounds. It's also home to the Gwendolyn Coffield Community Recreation Center, which has multipurpose rooms and several after-school athletic camps for kids.
Rock Creek Park runs through Silver Spring and connects all the way to Downtown DC.
The Capitol Crescent Trail is another biking popular bike route.
Woodside Urban Park is one of many neighborhood pocket parks in Silver Spring.
The Gwendolyn Coffield Community Recreation Center has fitness rooms and playing fields.
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The National Museum of Health and Medicine
Forest Glen Annex, now home to Walter Reed Army Institute of Research and the Naval Medical Research Center, can be found in the Forest Glen Park neighborhood, just north of the Capitol Beltway. The facility also houses the National Museum of Health and Medicine, where oddity lovers and history buffs can view the bullet used in Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, Ulysses S. Grant’s tumor and photographs of Albert Einstein’s brain. Some of Montgomery County’s biggest employers are in bioscience and healthcare, including the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration, both of which have offices within a couple of miles of Silver Spring.
United Therapeutics Corp is a large biotechnology company headquartered in Silver Spring.
The National Museum of Health and Medicine is located in Silver Spring.
The Walter Reed Army Institute of Research is a large employer in Silver Spring.
the National Institute of Health is one of the world's foremost medical research centers.
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A lottery choice system at Montgomery County Public Schools
Students in Silver Spring attend Montgomery County Public Schools, which Niche ranks as the second-best place to teach in Maryland, the state's second-best school district for athletics, and its overall second-best school district. This area is under the DCC, or Downcounty Consortium, a lottery system that allows parents to send their kids to one of several high schools. Other schools involved in the lottery include Blair, Kennedy, Northwood and Wheaton high schools.
J.F.K High School is one of several High School options for Silver Spring residents.
Wheaton High School is just outside of Silver Spring but is another great option.
Northwood High School gets a B from Niche.com.
Montgomery Blair High School has a Communication Arts Program.
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Midcentury homes among modern condo complexes
Foley says that homebuying in Silver Spring “is very competitive, and since it’s not as expensive as Bethesda with price per square foot, it’s a very quick-moving market.” Homes sell after an average of 17 days on the market, much lower than the national average of 43 days. Single-family homes in town go from $500,000 to $1.3 million; they're typically split-level, Colonial and Cape Cod houses built around the 1970s and 1980s. Condos are popular close to Downtown or up north near the Capitol Beltway and Forest Glen, and they tend to run from $130,000 for one-bedroom options to $500,000 for two- to three-bedroom units with amenities like private entrances.
Red brick colonial revival homes are a common sight in Silver Spring.
Condos are the only housing option for purchase in downtown Silver Spring.
Ramblers and cottages line certain streets in Silver Spring.
Split levels are less common but still present throughout the whole of Silver Spring.
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Life in Silver Spring
The area has a temperate climate and four distinct seasons, with slightly higher annual rainfall than the national average. According to Montgomery County Police data, the overall crime rate in the county rose in 2023, with auto thefts having the most significant increase and Downtown Silver Spring being one of the more affected areas. According to the U.S. News & World Report, Montgomery County’s violent crime rate still runs lower than the national average, with a county rate of 173.3 incidents per 100,000 residents, compared to the national rate of 255.2 incidents per 100,000 residents.
Capitol Beltway and Red Line metro access
Silver Spring is bordered to the north by the Capitol Beltway, the major highway that encircles the greater D.C. area and can take residents to medical employers like Walter Reed National Military Medical Center or the National Institute of Health headquarters just 5 miles away. Commuters can also drive 7 miles to downtown D.C.’s government employers along 16th Street Northwest. To skip traffic, the Silver Spring metro station is right outside the neighborhood on Colesville Road and offers Red Line access through D.C., Maryland and Virginia (locally known as the DMV area).
Evelyn is the managing partner of the Lugo Parker Team of Compass and ranks consistently in the top 5% of Realtors in the nation. Over the years, Evelyn and her team of real estate professionals have assisted hundreds of home buyers and sellers in DC, Maryland and Virginia with all their real estate needs and would love the opportunity to assist you in finding you special place in the world??
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