Would Silver Spring and Wheaton be considered a ghetto? (Bethesda: middle-class, apartments)

[scinfaxi]

Hello everyone

This is my second post but my first question about places. I am asking this because of curiosity. Anyways I would like to know if Silver Spring or Wheaton is considered ghetto. I actually live a few miles north of silver spring but I actually don't know the city very well so I'm just wondering. Thanks everyone

[adelphi_sky]

Originally Posted by scinfaxi

Hello everyone

This is my second post but my first question about places. I am asking this because of curiosity. Anyways I would like to know if Silver Spring or Wheaton is considered ghetto. I actually live a few miles north of silver spring but I actually don't know the city very well so I'm just wondering. Thanks everyone

ghetto

Noun
# The district in a city where Jews were compelled to confine themselves.
# A district where members of an ethnic, religious or cultural minority are congregated, usually voluntarily.
# An economically depressed urban district predominantly inhabited by members of one ethnic or religious group.

Since none of those definitions apply, the answer is no.

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by scinfaxi

Anyways I would like to know if Silver Spring or Wheaton is considered ghetto.

Absolutely not! They are diverse communities with many different ethnic groups and income levels. Check the main City-data profiles.

[motoreater]

I think quite a few of us on here could take you someplace truly ghetto. I think the word is tossed around a bit too often and loses it's true intent.
As for those two towns...of course not.

[scinfaxi]

I'm sorry. I know the true definition of ghetto but it seems to be the most appropriate word that I could think of at the time.

[Lubina]

The most appropriate word to describe what? What is it that you really want to know?

[motoreater]

If you have ever been to Arlington you can find parts of what would be like either of your two MD towns. The bad part of MD is the demographics can change within a mile and back again. Arlington/Alexandria are basically far west DC - and keeps tradition with wealthy NW DC whereas SS/Wheaton are so close they can be classified as urban. McClean is upscale.

[Ricky93]

If you ask somebody from Bethesda or Potomac, they will probably tell you yes. Aside from that, Silver Spring is a slightly upper-middle class diverse area. It's difficult to define because there are some slightly shady areas and then there are some middle-class to very wealthy neighborhoods.

[justtitans]

Originally Posted by scinfaxi

Hello everyone

This is my second post but my first question about places. I am asking this because of curiosity. Anyways I would like to know if Silver Spring or Wheaton is considered ghetto. I actually live a few miles north of silver spring but I actually don't know the city very well so I'm just wondering. Thanks everyone

I'm not sure, what you are looking for here. What exactly is ghetto to you because by definition, as others have said, neither are considered ghetto. Not in the least bit. I would say if you wonder if there are some bad areas, that's one thing, but when you use the word ghetto, it just doesn't fit either of these places. If you want to see what a real ghetto looks like, you might want to try to go to the bad parts of Rio De Janeiro or some place like that and then compare the two. That would show you why nothing in the DC region comes close to resembling a ghetto.

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by pgtitans

I'm not sure, what you are looking for here. What exactly is ghetto to you because by definition, as others have said, neither are considered ghetto.

I recall someone in the past someone said Wheaton was too ghetto. If they meant, in a colloquial sense, too many poor black people, that's not at all true. Wheaton has clusters of low-income apartment dwellers, but they are mainly Hispanic. There's nothing scary about those folks-- they just trying to make a living.

We used to live a mile away from those Wheaton apartments in an area where the houses are worth $400-600K. So I was outraged by the original questions. As others have noted. Wheaton is gentrifying with upscale apartments like Archstone, townhouses like the brownstones on Amherst Avenue, and single families at Leesborough selling for $575,000.