Buying a house in Silver Spring or Takoma Park (vs. Bethesda/NW)? (apartment)

[berlinexpat]

My husband and I are currently looking to buy a house in the DC area. We are mostly looking in Bethesda and upper NW DC, which we can marginally afford, but are wondering about Takoma Park and Silver Spring as well, because we wouldn't have to stretch ourselves quite as much financially.

We are interested in the areas within about a mile of the metro, and schools are a concern because we are planning to have kids and don't want to have to move again any time soon. We like Bethesda because it seems like an international community with plenty of well-educated people and good schools.

I know Silver Spring and Takoma Park are more 'diverse' (which is fine), but I am wondering where those areas are headed. I'm relatively new to DC (from Europe), so I'm not very familiar with the more long-term developments, and what they might mean for the future. Are the schools in Silver Spring and TP getting better or are they going downhill? Would it be a good investment to buy there? I've heard both of the "Bethesdafication" of Silver Spring and of rising crime rates. I'm not sure what to make of the area, especially Silver Spring.

Thanks in advance for your input!

[BKmachine]

As far as crime in Silver Spring I'll list them as follows:

20910, Downtown Silver Spring Area (Safest, minor crimes. Roudy teenagers during the warmer months and occasional fights around silver spring station.)
20902, Forest Glen, Wheaton, Glenmont,(Ok, most of the crime is between Wheaton and Glenmont)
20903, Hillandale, Langley Park area (Sketchy overall, some safe parts)
20904, White Oak, Fairland, Briggs Chaney, Greencastle, Colesville (same as 20903)
20901, Four Corners area (Safe, not too much to worry about)
20905, Spencerville, Cloverly, Good Hope Park (same as 20901)
20906, Aspen Hill, Layhill, Norbeck, Rossmoor (Minor crimes in Aspen Hill, safe for the most part)

with all of the zip i just mentioned, you can also go to crimereports.com as well.

[jl9999]

If you want to stay in the Bethesda area, why not look into the Parkside Condominiums? They are cheaper than most other properties in the Bethesda area, but in a safe, quiet neighborhood. They are half owned, half rental. I rented there for 2 years and liked it a lot. I almost bought a condo there, until I found a newer condo in Rockville closer to my budget.

[dudeoflife]

I grew up and went to school in silver spring. I'd say pretty much any school in Mo Co is better than most other places in the country. If your children are bright and can get into SS's Blair High School magnet program, they'll get one of the best high school education's in the country (admittedly, I'm a bit biased as I went there). SS is definitely on the upswing but it will never be as upper class as Bethesda but in my opinion, that makes it better. Also, SS is plenty safe, although you'll have to practice some citysmarts there as opposed to bethesda which is more like disneyland than some place urban.

If you're rich and want to live some place fancy, there's nothing wrong with Bethesda. But, if you're trying to stretch your dollar, SS will give you more bang for your buck.

[berlinexpat]

Thank you all for your responses. We just went under contract for a house in NW DC, so we don't need to consider the suburbs for at least another ten years or so. Nonetheless, I appreciate your replies!

[Marv101]

Is Rockville less expensive than either Silver Spring or Takoma Park insofar as apartment renting is concerned?

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by -.-

As far as crime in Silver Spring I'll list them as follows:

20910, Downtown Silver Spring Area (Safest, minor crimes. Roudy teenagers during the warmer months and occasional fights around silver spring station.)
20902, Forest Glen, Wheaton, Glenmont,(Ok, most of the crime is between Wheaton and Glenmont)
20903, Hillandale, Langley Park area (Sketchy overall, some safe parts)
20904, White Oak, Fairland, Briggs Chaney, Greencastle, Colesville (same as 20903)
20901, Four Corners area (Safe, not too much to worry about)
20905, Spencerville, Cloverly, Good Hope Park (same as 20901)
20906, Aspen Hill, Layhill, Norbeck, Rossmoor (Minor crimes in Aspen Hill, safe for the most part)

with all of the zip i just mentioned, you can also go to crimereports.com as well.

Is that a pretty safe assessment of ALL of 20910....or just the very downtown area? Thanks for the breakdown of SS though, I've been quite curious about that as so many people mention how large SS actually is.