Notable Observations From Around Downtown
By Silver Springer • Nov 27th, 2006 • Category: Uncategorized
Highland Coffee and Ethiopian Mart will be another independent business addition to the downtown area. The store will fill the former CD Publications space located at the corner of Fenton Street and Silver Spring Avenue.
Six Montgomery County Police cars stormed and apprehended the driver of a red Dodge Intrepid Sunday at the corner of Sligo and Georgia Avenues, before heading south towards the D.C.\Maryland border.
Centex Homes has removed the signboards from the site of the Cityhomes at 1200 East West Highway development. Silver Spring Scene first reported that the project was no longer being pursed by the Texas based developer and affiliates because of “construction issues”. The 14 story highrise condo building would have featured 247 dwelling units and 10,600 sq\ft of ground floor retail.
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So what happens to all these vacant lots? Do they now become a permanent blight or will MoCo take some responsibility for turning them into neighborhood assets?
Ihateyuppies, developmental interest in Silver Spring is astronomical. I know the planners in charge of the Silver Spring sector and they are approached weekly by developers interested in getting their foot in the door. We’re going to start seeing more office and retail development catch up with the continually burgeoning residental market in the downtown area. Within the next year or so, my guess is those residential project sites will have new developers backing them for more mixed-use development, especially once the transit center construction gets underway.
Pennster is exactly right. Perhaps condo development has cooled on Silver Spring, but that is only temporary until the demand resurfaces. Those same developers who build condos are often multi-faceted and simply switch gears into the sector where there is demand. Same cyclic pattern…different decade.
And BTW, Ihateyuppies…with the exception of PG County, a $350-$400K condo IS developed for the middle class who want to be in a close-in, transit and pedestrian location like DTSS and they can’t afford a house. As mentioned many times before, the “luxury” you refer to is pretty standard entry-level now. And in those tiny kitchens, you don’t save a lot by switching from granite to laminate counters.
Looking for advice: I’m about to abandon my apartment here in the Blairs. Someone with a key walked in to my apartment and stole my computer while I was out. The management’s response has been just awful. This added to the mice issue, and I think I’m done here.
Is there anything better in the immediate area? What’s Alexander House like compared to the Blairs? Is Lenox Park worth checking out? I’d like to pay around 1400 USD for a one bedroom. Is that unreasonable?
Thanks in advance.
First, go to http://www.move.com and search under your critera, then when you find what you are looking for, go to http://www.apartmentratings.com to see what others say about your choice. Keep in mind, on the latter site there are many disgruntled people who just like to complain and don’t want to abide by management rules. You should be able to get a decent idea if the general consensus is good or bad a out a place, though.
“And BTW, Ihateyuppies…with the exception of PG County, a $350-$400K condo IS developed for the middle class who want to be in a close-in, transit and pedestrian location like DTSS and they can’t afford a house.”
But wait…in 2000, the median home price in Silver Spring was around $180,000. Metro was around back then.
Silver Spring was affordable for middle class income earners…back then. Real estate prices in Silver Spring have more than doubled in a matter of six years. Have incomes of Silver Spring residents doubled in that timeframe?
Silver Spring had the real estate bubble fever. The building of the Discovery HQ and the new DTSS/Ellsworth area development alone should not have doubled housing prices in SS.
The bubble was pricked and prices are coming down and condo developments are put on hold.
Obviously, the majority of commentators on this blog are pro-real estate development and gentrification. Wow, Silverman would have been the choice for Montgomery County Executive with the bloggers here.
Hey, I respect your viewpoints. But you guys are losing now. The Go-Go Real Estate of the 2000s is coming to an end for Silver Spring.
Check out Summit Hills. The lobbies of the buildings tend to be formica palaces, but my apartment is very large and bright. I’ve lived there since 1999 and have always found my building manager and staff to be helpful and prompt when there’s something that occasionally needs to be fixed.
My neighbors are a mix of young professionals and families, particularly people working at Walter Reed, NOAA, and other nearby government offices. There are also a smattering of college students (UMd, Gallaudet, and a few from Catholic, from what I’ve seen) but not enough to turn the place from a quiet complex into Party Central.
All utilities are paid, except phone and cable.
Summit Hills is still the best deal in all of Silver Spring.
Thanks for the advice. I’ve lived in Silver Spring since 1992, and I think I’ve spent most of that time in one of the Blairs. The last time I checked out Summit Hills (1992), it was called Slummit Hills.
Has it improved much? How is Lenox Park? How is Alexander House?
ihateyuppies said…
Holy sh#t, Galaxy is not happening?? Wow…this is a sign that the DC area real estate market isn’t heading south.
Developers have really cooled on Silver Spring in particular. I told everyone so. The demographics in Silver Spring are not like Bethesda, Rockville, Arlington, or northwest DC. Silver Spring is not as affluent as other communities; more important, the desire for yuppies to move to Silver Spring is not strong. If you can’t attract yuppies, you won’t have the condos and high-rent apartments coming up.
These are wonderful times
11/27/2006 03:30:19 PM
RE: I would expect such of a biased statement comimg from a Maryland hating Virginia loving country southern hillbilly troll.
The “Slummit Hills” days are long over.
My only issue is that the buildings were constructed in a time when kitchens didn’t have as many counter top electric appliances. I can’t spread out my microwave, food processor, mixer, blender, and toaster oven.
Summit Hills is MUCH cheaper than the Blairs. I lived in Blair East for 6 months before moving to Summit Hills. In the move, I went from a moderate sized one bedroom to a big two bedroom and my rent went down. Also, I found the noise from the trains at Blair East a pain, particularly on Thursday nights when the especially rattle-y car carriers seemed to go through. The windows of my Blair East apartment would shake. Here at Summit Hills, I only can hear the trains distantly on calm nights or if I have all the windows open. Even then, it’s not bad.
My only noise problem was right after 9/11 when Bush’s flights to and from Camp David were accompanied by jet fighters. Those babies flew low overhead (must have followed 16th St down) and all the glasses in my cabinets would rattle. Bad for the nerves, particularly given the time.
Hey, I just moved into Blair East. So far it’s better than Georgian Towers, mostly because management hasn’t yet caused an electrical fire in my apartment by neglecting to repair a leak that was reported to them twice a day for three days. I guess I set the bar low.
I live in Summit Hills now. Unfortunately, the rent increases are hitting me hard so I have to relocate.
Summit Hills has free parking and close access to Metro and downtown Silver Spring.
You get a one bedroom for like $1,200 including all utilities.
The down side to Summit Hills:
The building are old. The kitchens are not attractive and the appliances are out of date. I have experienced a couple of mice problems during my five year living experience here.
Plus, all units are wall-to-wall carpet. The carpets stain real easily and those stains are a bitch to take out.
Did you tell your building manager about the mice? I had one a couple of years ago and my manager and the building maintenance guy reacted quickly. We had traps and poison out (they checked with me on what I was comfortable with in my apartment, too, which was nice). Old Mickey was toast in short order.
Since then, the only vermin I have seen was a single ant on my window sill. They treat the apartment quarterly, which is a good thing given how many folks live in such close association around the complex.
It sounds like ihateyuppies really likes the amenities of condos designed for yuppies…
Thanks, “TerryinSS.”
I’ll be looking at Lenox Park, Summit Hills, and Alexander House tomorrow. We’ll see. My experiences in the Blairs have been mixed. The apartments are nice, but the security has been getting worse. Anyone can walk in and out of Blair Plaza, and I rarely see security doing much else but talking to the desk clerk or sleeping in their cars. Security doesn’t work when the thefts may be an inside job, too.
Blair East was okay for many years, but I outgrew the space. The freight trains were a nightmare, and I can’t imagine living in the Canada Dry condos.
I have a wonderful view here in Blair Plaza, but the view provides no consolation when someone is using your apartment as their own personal COMPUSA.
Time to move on.
Is there anything better in the immediate area? What’s Alexander House like compared to the Blairs? Is Lenox Park worth checking out? I’d like to pay around 1400 USD for a one bedroom. Is that unreasonable?
Thanks in advance.
If you’re planning to spend $1,400 for a one bedroom (which is a lot even for Silver Spring imo), the Bennnington Apartment high-rise on East-West is the best Silver Spring has to offer if money is no object. Arguably the new Blair Towns would be too. Both are $1300+ for a one bedroom.
SilverSpringer
I’d look at the Bennington, but the location…I’ve already lived in Blair East and I can’t imagine living any closer to the train tracks. And if I can pay less than 1400 USD for a 1-bedroom, all the better. 1400 is an upper limit of tolerance for me. I am paying 1100 USD now at Blair Plaza, but I’ve been there a while.
ihateyuppies said…
“But wait…in 2000, the median home price in Silver Spring was around $180,000. Metro was around back then.
Silver Spring was affordable for middle class income earners…back then. Real estate prices in Silver Spring have more than doubled in a matter of six years. Have incomes of Silver Spring residents doubled in that timeframe?
Silver Spring had the real estate bubble fever. The building of the Discovery HQ and the new DTSS/Ellsworth area development alone should not have doubled housing prices in SS.
The bubble was pricked and prices are coming down and condo developments are put on hold.
Obviously, the majority of commentators on this blog are pro-real estate development and gentrification. Wow, Silverman would have been the choice for Montgomery County Executive with the bloggers here.
Hey, I respect your viewpoints. But you guys are losing now. The Go-Go Real Estate of the 2000s is coming to an end for Silver Spring.”
11/28/2006 12:23:18 AM
While the asking prices for some of these condo projects are excessive, Silver Spring has come a long way in a relatively short time.
Even in the years of “decayâ€, the abandonment of the largest business hub outside D.C. was unwarranted for many reasons. Even with that — it still held it’s own in some respects.
IMO the addition of the new retail district, AFI and especially Discovery Communications headquarters warrants Silver Spring flexing its muscles a bit. Not to mention other not so mentioned firms like TV One, American Nurses Association, Social Scientific, World Space, and United Therapeutics to name a few. They are expanding with new additions and/or taking up more vaccant space.
2000 was almost 7 years ago, a lot has changed since then, coupled with national housing frenzy, it was perfect timing for County to jump start the area, I’m sure the splash would not have been as big if not for the new additions mentioned above.
A LOT of improvements have been made in this downtown, did you expect it to stay at the same distressed level?
I think the best is yet to come for Silver Spring, it is gaining more clout at a remarkable speed.
I think it’s time residents demanded higher quality projects that will contribute to a healthy downtown instead proposing memorandums.
I know you’re concerned about gentrification issues but an economically unhealthy downtown does nobody any good. Instead you should take the development in Silver Spring to your advantage; make your voice heard for what you feel will better integrate the old and new Silver Spring.
Anonymous said…
“SilverSpringer
I’d look at the Bennington, but the location…I’ve already lived in Blair East and I can’t imagine living any closer to the train tracks. And if I can pay less than 1400 USD for a 1-bedroom, all the better. 1400 is an upper limit of tolerance for me. I am paying 1100 USD now at Blair Plaza, but I’ve been there a while.
11/29/2006 05:16:19 PM”
If not the two I just mentioned then Alexander House and the Gramax are your best bets for a quality/price ratio. Especially the Gramax if you are tired of the trains.
Don’t expect too many frills though, but the in unit washer and dryers coupled with fact that they are relatively new make up for any out unit amenity.
By the way what would everyone like to see on the East-West Highway site, if the project is completely dead?
I would like to see a taller building consiting of an office/ hotel with ground floor retail. Also they should eliminate the huge set backs from the street.
SilverSpringer said: “If not the two I just mentioned then Alexander House and the Gramax are your best bets for a quality/price ratio.”
Thank you so much. I didn’t even think of the Gramax. And they have wash/dryers? I will definately check them out.
I’d like to thank those who gave me advice and suggestions on housing. I went to several places today, and I found them all lacking. Perhaps this has to do with being spoilt with my wonderful one bedroom here at the Blairs. Wonderful except for the worthless management. The Gramax leasing agent was illiterate. I’m sorry, but the customer service there was awful. Lenox Park had a one bedroom that was technically larger than my current apartment but looked like it was about half its size. Alexander House was terrible. They had a “two bedroom” that was 890 sq ft. The appliances were 80s-era cutting edge. The Bennington…well, I laughed. And poor Summit Hills. They were very nice, but the two bedroom was dingy compared to what I currently have. I also suffered this terrible deja vu, recalling a wild party I attended at “Slummit Hills” in 1992. I swear it was the exact same apartment I saw on that memorable night.
I don’t know what I’m going to do; probably nothing. Blair management’s response to the burglary in my apartment was to do nothing. It took me two days to get them to change my locks. And since then, they’ve done nothing to prevent the former employee of entering the building again. He could very well be stealing from other apartments. What the heck is wrong with these people?
Try Wayne Manchester Towers…it’s a little off the beaten path but worth it: Take Wayne Ave from downtown SS…go about 1/2 mile (max) and cross Sligo Creek Parkway. You’ll see it on the right. From the street, it has great curb appeal with beautiful landscaping and everything well maintained. And you can’t beat the location…just stone’s throw from that great park with all the recreational stuff.
Hi. I’m new to this site. I live in Silver Spring Towers, and it is okay. I live in a studio for 900 a month…369 sq ft. Not bad, though you do have to deal with mini roaches on a daily basis and I see 1 or 2 big ones every other week. The big plus is that you are next to Safeway and Whole Foods and a 1 minute walk to the downtown area. I’ve been to Giant, and they have the worst checkout lines out of all 3.