Silver Spring

Silver Spring is named for a mica-flecked spring that Francis Preston Blair came across in 1840; Acorn Park, south of downtown, is believed to mark the spot. The Metropolitan Branch of the B&O Railroad opened through the area in 1873, and the Silver Spring Shopping Center and Silver Theatre followed in 1938, turning a crossroads community into a regional shopping district. Downtown is centered on Georgia Avenue and Colesville Road, just north of the DC line.

Montgomery Planning describes downtown Silver Spring as surrounded by residential neighborhoods made up primarily of single-family homes, including Woodside, Woodside Park, Seven Oaks-Evanswood, and East Silver Spring. Closer in, buyers find condo and apartment buildings, the historic Falklands apartments near East-West Highway, and the multifamily Ripley District steps from the Metro.

Downtown landmarks include AFI Silver, the restored 1938 Silver Theatre designed by John Eberson, which reopened under the American Film Institute in 2003; Veterans Plaza and the Silver Spring Civic Building, opened in 2010; and The Fillmore on Colesville Road. Fenton Village is known for its small businesses. 2-mile hard-surface trail, and parts of Sligo Creek Parkway close to cars on weekends.

Transit is a big part of the appeal. The Silver Spring Metro station is on the Red Line, with Forest Glen, also on the Red Line, just to the north. Silver Spring is a stop on the MARC Brunswick Line, and the Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center also handles Ride On and Metrobus service. The Purple Line light rail, which will add stations in Silver Spring, is still under construction.

Silver Spring buyers often use the Maryland Mortgage Program, run by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, and the Montgomery Homeownership Program, a deferred down payment and closing cost assistance loan offered through MMP while funds last. See our Maryland programs page for what is open now.

A practical note: Silver Spring has numerous resources on Montgomery County's Master Plan for Historic Preservation, such as the Silver Spring Shopping Center and Theatre. Designated properties fall under the Historic Preservation Commission, so check a specific address before planning exterior work.