The name Silver Spring isn't just for show; original landowner Francis Preston Blair named Silver Spring, Maryland after finding fresh spring water whose base was flecked with mica in 1840.
Even if the town was named for the glitter of mica chips in spring water, there's no fools gold in Silver Spring. This unincorporated town has over 71,000 residents, and in its southern, most urbanized section lies a bustling business district packed with retail, office, and residential development. Social and artistic gatherings also abound. The town is a suburb of Washington, D.C., and while many of its residents commute to the home of our national government, many do not, focusing their residence and business alike on this community.
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Rental Tips
Vacancy rates are low, so start looking for your new abode early. Base your search on proximity to the subway or the Capitol Beltway if youre commuting into D.C. for work. On average, commuters spend around 35 minutes on the daily drive, or via public transit. Public transportation is sought after and well utilized in Silver Spring. When meeting with your broker, bring all your paperwork with you from the get-go. You never know when you might find the perfect spot you want to jump on.
Neighborhoods
Diversely populated, with residents working primarily in management, administration, and education, theres also a strong artistic contingent in the community, with artists and media designers among them. Young educated singles and families are both right at home here.
Rock Creek Forest / Forest Glen Park: Near Rock Creek Park, with a wooded ambience, the neighborhood is densely populated and has an urban feel. Here your apartment search will turn up high rise apartments and condos, single family homes, and many older, comfortable properties. This is a community of drivers, with commutes into the metro DC area taking up to 40 minutes.
Hillandale: Small apartments, medium sized apartments, and single family homes abound here, in an area that attracts renters. Commuters use a mix of public transportation and private vehicles for the daily drive.
In addition to the gorgeous interiors of their apartments, residents are leaving great reviews about The Veridian Apartments Silver Spring's communal amenities: billiard room, lounge, fitness center, playroom for kids, and outdoor pool.
Burnt Mills/Burnt Mills Manor: Located in the northern part of the city, with a strongly suburban feel, and more green space than in other parts of town, here you’ll find town homes and single family rental homes. Rental properties are in high demand, in a community where those headed into work take the subway as well as drive. Theres an artsy feel to this neighborhood, with many residents employed in media or technology based work.
Burtonsville/Spencerville: A solid suburban community, made up primarily of large single family homes, four bedrooms or more. Some smaller apartment complexes are also available. It’s a desirable community, and many residents have children here. Commuters primarily use their own cars to get to their place of business.
Glenmont: Urban in feel with a mix of small to medium sized high rise apartments and single homes. The neighborhood is diverse, with a good blend of singles and families.
The Big City
Silver Spring covers a large stretch of land in Montgomery County, extending to Rock Creek Park - the D.C. area’s answer to New York’s Central Park - and all the way to the edge of Prince Georges County. Silver Spring is spread over a larger area than any other Maryland city, besides Baltimore. It’s studded with landmarks too: the aforementioned Rock Creek park offers nature at its best with hiking trails, picnic spots, and biking through a beautiful wooded, undeveloped area. Discovery Communications, purveyor of Shark Week, among other televised offerings, is headquartered here, as is the Seventh-day Adventist Church. If you're looking for many activities, from active entertainment venues to shopping and eateries, this is the place. What's not to like? Great restaurants, a diverse population, many options for apartment rentals and rental homes make starting your apartment search in Silver Spring a win/win.
Along with Rock Creek Park, Sligo Creek Park also follows the trajectory of a waterway, and offers hiking trails, tennis, and childrens playgrounds. Youll find the original site of that Silver Spring, the towns name sake, in downtowns Acorn Park. Don’t plan on bringing your water bottle for a quick refill, though. The spring is now dry. Playing fields and tennis courts dominate at Jesup Blair Park, while in nearby Wheaton, Brookside Gardens floral extravaganza is on full display. The award winning garden park is rife with azaleas and has a butterfly garden, too.
The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration is also located here, and the downtown area hosts the well regarded Silverdocs Documentary Film Festival each June, through Discovery Communications and the American Film Institute, who both have a strong presence in the community. Obviously, there's always something to do.
Besides Silverdocs, this vibrant community also hosts the Silver Spring Jazz Festival, which draws crowds of over 20,000 every fall to hear local and national jazz artists including renowned artists like Sergio Mendes and Aaron Neville. And when it's turkey time, you'll gobble up Silver Spring's large Thanksgiving Day parade, which draws countywide recognition. Music, film, and a parade - quite a collection of annual events right in the palm of your hands.
A new outdoor shopping venue, Downtown Silver Spring features such upscale shopping destinations as Macy's, Whole Foods, and Ann Taylor, plus a 20 screen, state of the art Regal Theater complex. National chain restaurants are one dining option, and run the range from budget to high end options so wallets of all kinds are welcome. But Silver Spring’s ethnic diversity yields some dynamic local eateries from Haitian to Mexican cuisine, with Moroccan, Vietnamese, and Thai also well represented. You could have spring rolls for lunch and jerk chicken for dinner without leaving downtown Silver Spring.
The art deco era Silver Theater has been reborn with help from Discovery and AFI, showing independent American films, classics, and foreign films. The concert venue The Fillmore hosts rock, hip hop, and other acts, and the classic B&O rail line station has been revitalized and restored. The area’s renaissance has been documented by PBS. Once looking forlorn, downtown is strong, unique, and vital. It's a destination for residents, even with Washington D.C.'s many charms just a subway ride away. Sports haven’t been slighted either - the Silver Spring Saints Youth Football Organization is well supported, and rugby and tennis teams are also part of the mix.
