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ok. we are looking to move somewhere just outside of D.C.
We found the aparments Bennington at Silver Spring onlline and wanted to know, how are they? what do you think? is it conveniently located?
How is downtown silver spring?
We are looking for a place with a city feel. quite hip but safe.
I can't address the questions about the Bennington (though I live just down the street from there), except to say when I was looking at apartment guide books about 2 1/2 months ago, it appeared the Bennington was the nicest (i.e. most expensive) complex in downtown Silver Spring. The Bennington is conveniently located to get to the Metro; it is at most a 5 minute walk, and you don't need to cross any higher traffic streets (Georgia Avenue, Colesville Road, East West Highway) to get there.
Downtown Silver Spring isn't as hip as other places in the DC area; it has many people in their 20's and 30's, but it also has many people that are older and/or have families. A decent number of DC area natives appear to live in the non-rental properties too. Still, it is a place with a lot going on and still is plenty good for a younger person. In general, downtown Silver Spring is safe, though the areas near Georgia Avenue south of the railroad overpass (especially near the District/Maryland line) can be a little rough. The areas west of the railroad tracks/Metro and north of 14th Street IMO is probably the nicest area in Silver Spring; the Bennington is located in that area. The area in the District just west of there (across Eastern Avenue) over to 16th Street is very nice too, though pretty much entirely single family residential housing.
I used to live in Silver Spring. I preferred living in the city, but the Bennington is gorgeous. I went on a tour, but the price was a bit more than I wanted to pay. Silver Spring has its dodgy places and denizens. Very mixed income-wise, including almost all of the apt bldgs. There are section-8 renters, but the management seems to handle the expectations of the high, middle and low income residents. I, unfortunately, had a very bad experience where mangement did not handle the disparity well and went to the Bennington for some relief. I didn't want to pay that kind of money for a repeat experience. Again ... The Bennington team seems to have their act together so you may not have any problems.
Having lived in the city the different incomes didn't bother me, but where I had lived in Silver Spring, management let things get out of hand which I had never experienced before.
I've heard some people complain about the sound of the train coming by at night from the Bennington. does anyone have any thoughts on this? thanks!
As noted above, I live near the Bennington but a little further away from the CSX and Metro rail lines. (The CSX line also has some MARC Brunswick Line trains running on it at peak periods.) You definitely hear both the CSX and Metro trains (and MARC trains) from where I live even with the windows shut. The noise at the Bennington, especially if you are in an apartment facing northeast (towards the railroad tracks) would probably be somewhat louder and will definitely be noticeable. However, after a period of time you learn to tune it out most of the time. I just moved from an area where I was few hundred feet from an interstate highway and after a few weeks I didn't even notice the noise from the traffic.
Hmm, ironically the best complexes and nicest areas of downtown Silver Spring tend to be near the CSX/Metro tracks!
One property that is fairly new (or at least renovated) that is along Georgia Avenue (MD 97) is the Georgian; that place probably wouldn't have much railroad noise. Another place that is a little older but a place I strongly considered is Cole Spring Plaza (at the corner of Colesville Road/US 29 and Spring Street). One negative with Cole Spring Plaza (and a few other complexes in downtown Silver Spring) is you need to cross Georgia Avenue to get to the Metro station, which can be tough.
One place fairly close to the railroad tracks but not right next to them that is nice is Lenox Park, located at the corner of Colesville Road and East West Highway. If you get an apartment that doesn't face East West Highway, you shouldn't have major train noise issues. Another good place is The Blairs, which has a bunch of buildings. One of the buildings (Blair East) is along East West Highway and not too far from the railroad tracks, but the other apartment buildings are further away from the tracks and would have less noise.
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