Washington D.C. Travel Forum

We'll be moving to DC area in the summer and would like to stay in MD county. We were thinking Rockville/Silver Spring area. What are the most desired neighborhoods in those areas? Do you have any other location suggestions? We'll be working in Silver Spring.

Silver Spring is not the best place to live, you will understand when you get there.
I suggest Chevy Chase Area, somewhere near Massachussets Avenue,its a bit more expensive, but much , much better, especially if you have kids and need a good school.
Rockville could be also an option,it's nice and not far from Silver Spring.
Success

Thanks. We saw some nice houses in Rockville, but I guess it's all relative once we actually get there. Do you know how long is the actual drive from annapolis area? We know the mapquest travel time is not including the traffic in the dc area.

Not sure what you mean by "MD county" as Maryland is a state. There is a county in Maryland called Montgomery County, which borders DC.

I agree that Silver Spring is not exactly a garden spot, but it really depends on what your priorities are. Rush hour traffic in that area can be nightmarish (in all directions). That said, it is very easy to get to Silver Spring via metro, so you might not care about the drive. Are good schools important? Parks? Detached house vs. apartment/condo? Ability to walk to shops/restaurants? Are you renting, or do you want to buy, and how much money do you have to spend in either case?

If you can be more specific about what you want, then it will be possible to help you. There are a lot of "desired" neighborhoods, but different people desire different things.

Addition to what the other posters have said, do you intend to commute to Annapolis? That would not be a fun commute from Rockville or Silver Spring. As mentioned before, what are you priorities? Access to DC, price of housing or ease of commute?

Montgomery County in Maryland is a fairly good area to stay in. Bethesda/Chevy Chase areas are nice and more upscale areas to live in. Although Silver Spring may not be the BEST area to live in, there are some good points, namely: easier navigation in the roads (though there could be congestion) compared to DC, diversity as to its residents, ethnic dining, the recent gentrification of downtown, which is good for people coming in, but unfortunately driving out old-time residents who may no longer be able to afford to live there as rental prices/real estate have dramatically soared, among others.

I agree with the posts above that it depends on your preferences.

Goodluck!