Childfree couple considering moving to MD (Silver Spring, Bethesda: fit in, houses, neighborhoods)

[Montacute]

We currently live in Old Town Alexandria and like it, but need more space and would love a decent yard. We've been looking in Alexandria and Arlington and not seeing much to buy, so may expand our search to Maryland. We also need to be close-in to commute to DC. Budget of about 1 million for 3 bedroom SFH. Could anyone recommend any neighborhoods that could meet our needs and where we would not be the only ones for miles without children? We are hardly ever in MD and know so little about it. Many thanks for any pointers.

[bufflove]

1M for 3br isn't unreasonable at all. Inside the beltway Montgomery County consists of:

1. Bethesda - might be your best bet (probably 1/3 of homes are priced 750K-1M, 1/3 are 1M-1.5, 1/3 are 1.5-2.5M+), if you're interested in a place like Arlington.

2. Chevy Chase - is largely out of your price range except for maybe a spare house or two.

3. downtown Silver Spring (zip 20910) - an interesting (has been in the news the past couple days for making a national "Most Interesting U.S. Suburb" list), diverse, close-in neighborhood where your 1M will go the furthest as most places are priced in the $550-750K range w/only the larger houses going for 1M+. This is where I currently live (love it!) after previously living in Bethesda, Rockville, and NW DC.

Just outside the beltway is Kensington, which has a very nice housing stock that would be well within your price range, though it's a bit further out and doesn't have the amenities of Bethesda or downtown Silver Spring.

Ultimately, all 4 areas are quite different, so it comes down to what you're looking for. Good luck!

[bufflove]

Also, I'd think Bethesda and downtown Silver Spring are the most child-friendly as they're the most appealing areas for Gen Yers these days. Chevy Chase, on the other hand, has a substantially older population, I'm sure.

[Montacute]

Thank you for the info. From your descriptions, Silver Spring or Bethesda sound the most appealing. Biggest negative is the child-friendly, younger family aspect (I'm Gen X myself). Seems like there isn't really a place well-populated by DINKs in MD, the way there is in Old Town Alexandria or DC. I definitely want well inside the beltway. May I ask what you like about Silver Spring more than Bethesda?

[bufflove]

Ha, it's late enough that I totally misread and though you were saying you wanted an area that was kid-friendly. I think all 4 of the neighborhoods I listed have a large enough pool of older DINKs that you won't feel out of place. I also totally forgot to mention Takoma Park - that might be a great area for you if your politics line up with theirs (very liberal). Great, old, eclectic houses that are mostly filled by long-time residents instead of young couples w/kids. Great sense of community, I'm sure.

IMHO, Bethesda is a bit on the bland side. It's a very good version of what it is - wealthy, white, family-friendly+a sizable yuppie population. Quite similar to Arlington in that respect. You can walk down any number of blocks in the commercial district and they all look and feel the same. In both a positive (clean and polished) sense, but also a very negative (sterile and monotonous) sense.

Silver Spring, on the other hand, feels more authentic to me and it's also much more diverse. There's 1 block (Ellsworth Dr.) that's very generic - filled with chain restaurants and bending over backwards to be family-friendly, but outside of that small area you have your pick of experience. For lunch yesterday I ate at a modest but tasty Burmese place; tomorrow I have reservations at an upscale small-plates restaurant that's in a converted auto-shop. I've lived here for 8 years now and it still hasn't gotten old because there's such a wide variety of experiences to be had. That's why I've put down roots here over other places in Montgomery County.

[Montacute]

Ha! I thought you were subtly warning me I wouldn't fit in when you mentioned "child-friendly". Thanks so much for your continued thoughts. I really had not considered Silver Spring before.

[bufflove]

Best of luck!

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by Montacute

We also need to be close-in to commute to DC. Budget of about 1 million for 3 bedroom SFH. Could anyone recommend any neighborhoods that could meet our needs and where we would not be the only ones for miles without children?

I will also suggest neighborhoods in NW Washington DC such as Spring Valley and American University park.

[Montacute]

Originally Posted by goldenage1

I will also suggest neighborhoods in NW Washington DC such as Spring Valley and American University park.

Thank you. I will have a look at those as well.

[AeroGuyDC]

What do you consider close-in? Fulton, MD is a more rural community in south Howard County just across the Rocky Gorge Reservoir from Montgomery County. Maybe check it out to see if it fits your desire.