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Silver Spring and Wheaton have always been a melting pot for non whites, ALWAYS. It's an alternative to expensive city living but with the same walkability, transpotation, shopping and entertainment. Gentrification is not always necessary to make a city successful. Even though DC is the economic driver for these surrounding cities, they still have their ethnic originality, not ghetto by any means. Being from DC I've seen the growth and appeal and alternatives these two cities bring, with just as much urban appeal but without the urban price tag. But compared to other suburban cities, Silver Spring, Wheaton etc, are still expensive places to live because of the proximity to DC. Cities like Baltimore should look at these two cities instead of worrying about gentrifying. Gentrifying pretty much erases the original "sound and rhythm" of a city, but brings money.
Silver Spring and Wheaton have always been a melting pot for non whites, ALWAYS. It's an alternative to expensive city living but with the same walkability, transpotation, shopping and entertainment. Gentrification is not always necessary to make a city successful. Even though DC is the economic driver for these surrounding cities, they still have their ethnic originality, not ghetto by any means. Being from DC I've seen the growth and appeal and alternatives these two cities bring, with just as much urban appeal but without the urban price tag. But compared to other suburban cities, Silver Spring, Wheaton etc, are still expensive places to live because of the proximity to DC. Cities like Baltimore should look at these two cities instead of worrying about gentrifying. Gentrifying pretty much erases the original "sound and rhythm" of a city, but brings money.
This doesn't really answer the question. What is keeping more upper middle and upper class people from moving into Silver Spring and Wheaton the way they have in other places with new development?
Nothing can help Baltimore. Not worth bringing up.
Silver Spring and Wheaton have always been a melting pot for non whites, ALWAYS. It's an alternative to expensive city living but with the same walkability, transpotation, shopping and entertainment. Gentrification is not always necessary to make a city successful. Even though DC is the economic driver for these surrounding cities, they still have their ethnic originality, not ghetto by any means. Being from DC I've seen the growth and appeal and alternatives these two cities bring, with just as much urban appeal but without the urban price tag. But compared to other suburban cities, Silver Spring, Wheaton etc, are still expensive places to live because of the proximity to DC. Cities like Baltimore should look at these two cities instead of worrying about gentrifying. Gentrifying pretty much erases the original "sound and rhythm" of a city, but brings money.
With that being said there are a large number of whites in Silver Spring too. It's just a melting pot. In many ways Silver Spring shares this with DC's Chinatown. It attracts people from around the area.
Like I said, there are a great number of middle and upper-middle income people in Silver Spring already, and more are moving into the area. You are largely missing that and it shows how little your really know the area these days. As I must reiterate once again, it is not low income by any means. It's pretty consistently middle and upper-middle income. Calling Downtown Silver Spring low income, kind of shows how little you know the area.
If you don't think that is the case already, you clearly have not been spending much time in and around Silver Spring recently. Especially considering that Sidecar, Denizens, Urban Butcher, etc. are all fairly successful businesses that consistently attract affluent crowds.
Much what you are putting forth does not match at all with reality. Downtown Silver Spring is in no way low income, and generally skews middle and upper-middle income, especially considering who lives in the area.
This area though will never look and feel the same as Bethesda, because they are inherently different. This is partially because the people in Silver Spring and Takoma Park do not want it too. It is ending up resembling more of a nightlife area of DC, than an affluent suburb, because Silver Spring is more urban in character. With that being said it is gentrifying, and if you can't recognize it, that's your problem. It's more the type of gentrification that happens inside DC, rather than the suburbanized style affluence you find in Bethesda. It's a different area with a different feel. There is a very big difference between the urbanized gentrification Silver Spring is experiencing, and the general suburban affluence that is Bethesda (it's not undergoing gentrification, it's just a rich suburb). Urbanized gentrification looks and feels different than affluent suburbs, as much as some people thinks it doesn't. This is why Silver Spring more closely resembles the gentrifying neighborhoods in DC than it does Bethesda. Many of those gentrifying neighborhoods in DC have a fairly diverse crowd for the amenities. The difference being here is that Silver Spring skews both safer than many of those DC neighborhoods.
Silver Spring is gentrifying, and has been from some time, but this is not going to change the fact the area, like Chinatown or U St in DC, is a melting pot in terms of people enjoying amenities. But who lives there is an entirely different thing.
Again much of what you are putting forth makes zero sense and does not mesh with reality, at least in terms of downtown Silver Spring.
Silver Spring and Wheaton have always been a melting pot for non whites, ALWAYS. It's an alternative to expensive city living but with the same walkability, transpotation, shopping and entertainment. Gentrification is not always necessary to make a city successful. Even though DC is the economic driver for these surrounding cities, they still have their ethnic originality, not ghetto by any means. Being from DC I've seen the growth and appeal and alternatives these two cities bring, with just as much urban appeal but without the urban price tag. But compared to other suburban cities, Silver Spring, Wheaton etc, are still expensive places to live because of the proximity to DC. Cities like Baltimore should look at these two cities instead of worrying about gentrifying. Gentrifying pretty much erases the original "sound and rhythm" of a city, but brings money.
With that being said there are a large number of whites in Silver Spring too. It's just a melting pot. In many ways Silver Spring shares this with DC's Chinatown. It attracts people from around the area.
Like I said, there are a great number of middle and upper-middle income people in Silver Spring already, and more are moving into the area. You are largely missing that and it shows how little your really know the area these days. As I must reiterate once again, it is not low income by any means. It's pretty consistently middle and upper-middle income. Calling Downtown Silver Spring low income, kind of shows how little you know the area.
If you don't think that is the case already, you clearly have not been spending much time in and around Silver Spring recently. Especially considering that Sidecar, Denizens, Urban Butcher, etc. are all fairly successful businesses that consistently attract affluent crowds.
Much what the OP is putting forth does not match at all with reality. Downtown Silver Spring is in no way low income, and generally skews middle and upper-middle income, especially considering who lives in the area.
This area though will never look and feel the same as Bethesda, because they are inherently different. This is partially because the people in Silver Spring and Takoma Park do not want it too. It is ending up resembling more of a nightlife area of DC, than an affluent suburb, because Silver Spring is more urban in character. With that being said it is gentrifying, and if you can't recognize it, that's your problem. It's more the type of gentrification that happens inside DC, rather than the suburbanized style affluence you find in Bethesda. It's a different area with a different feel. There is a very big difference between the urbanized gentrification Silver Spring is experiencing, and the general suburban affluence that is Bethesda (it's not undergoing gentrification, it's just a rich suburb). Urbanized gentrification looks and feels different than affluent suburbs, as much as some people thinks it doesn't. This is why Silver Spring more closely resembles the gentrifying neighborhoods in DC than it does Bethesda. Many of those gentrifying neighborhoods in DC have a fairly diverse crowd for the amenities. The difference being here is that Silver Spring skews both safer than many of those DC neighborhoods.
Again much of what the OP is putting forth makes zero sense and does not mesh with reality, at least in terms of downtown Silver Spring.
This doesn't really answer the question. What is keeping more upper middle and upper class people from moving into Silver Spring and Wheaton the way they have in other places with new development?
What on earth are you talking about? Downtown Silver Spring avg rent is like $1700-2200 for 1br and houses cost in the $300-450 sqft range, depending on size (i.e. usually in the $500K-1.1M range). What the heck is your definition of "upper middle and upper class"? Outside of your apartment complex (Summit Hills) there is very little that's affordable these days, for better and worse. As everyone has stated a million times, SS isn't even remotely "ghetto." You either don't understand what the word means or you consider anything that's not Bethesda vanilla to be "ghetto."
With that being said there are a large number of whites in Silver Spring too. It's just a melting pot. In many ways Silver Spring shares this with DC's Chinatown. It attracts people from around the area.
Like I said, there are a great number of middle and upper-middle income people in Silver Spring already, and more are moving into the area. You are largely missing that and it shows how little your really know the area these days. As I must reiterate once again, it is not low income by any means. It's pretty consistently middle and upper-middle income. Calling Downtown Silver Spring low income, kind of shows how little you know the area.
If you don't think that is the case already, you clearly have not been spending much time in and around Silver Spring recently. Especially considering that Sidecar, Denizens, Urban Butcher, etc. are all fairly successful businesses that consistently attract affluent crowds.
Much what the OP is putting forth does not match at all with reality. Downtown Silver Spring is in no way low income, and generally skews middle and upper-middle income, especially considering who lives in the area.
This area though will never look and feel the same as Bethesda, because they are inherently different. This is partially because the people in Silver Spring and Takoma Park do not want it too. It is ending up resembling more of a nightlife area of DC, than an affluent suburb, because Silver Spring is more urban in character. With that being said it is gentrifying, and if you can't recognize it, that's your problem. It's more the type of gentrification that happens inside DC, rather than the suburbanized style affluence you find in Bethesda. It's a different area with a different feel. There is a very big difference between the urbanized gentrification Silver Spring is experiencing, and the general suburban affluence that is Bethesda (it's not undergoing gentrification, it's just a rich suburb). Urbanized gentrification looks and feels different than affluent suburbs, as much as some people thinks it doesn't. This is why Silver Spring more closely resembles the gentrifying neighborhoods in DC than it does Bethesda. Many of those gentrifying neighborhoods in DC have a fairly diverse crowd for the amenities. The difference being here is that Silver Spring skews both safer than many of those DC neighborhoods.
Again much of what the OP is putting forth makes zero sense and does not mesh with reality, at least in terms of downtown Silver Spring.
You are right about the young whites that are either living in Silver Spring or socialize there. I just saw lots of folks at the AFI theater just now at the movies.
What on earth are you talking about? Downtown Silver Spring avg rent is like $1700-2200 for 1br and houses cost in the $300-450 sqft range, depending on size (i.e. usually in the $500K-1.1M range). What the heck is your definition of "upper middle and upper class"? Outside of your apartment complex (Summit Hills) there is very little that's affordable these days, for better and worse. As everyone has stated a million times, SS isn't even remotely "ghetto." You either don't understand what the word means or you consider anything that's not Bethesda vanilla to be "ghetto."
Yes. ALMOST as much as living on Connecticut ave. The Blairs are very expensive since being renovated.
This doesn't really answer the question. What is keeping more upper middle and upper class people from moving into Silver Spring and Wheaton the way they have in other places with new development?
Nothing can help Baltimore. Not worth bringing up.
Then I don't get your question. There are no ghetto folks in Silver Spring and Wheaton. Very diverse population. Very urban, very hip that is all.
Then I don't get your question. There are no ghetto folks in Silver Spring and Wheaton. Very diverse population. Very urban, very hip that is all.
Based on all these responses I guess Silver Spring and Wheaton are indeed going through the same gentrification as other DC areas.
And the person who said "I know little about the area" might be somewhat right. Since I moved out of Silver Spring I haven't visited much. But when I finally came back to do some shopping, I saw a good amount of low class people. I was surprised to see the new bus station in Silver Spring. Had no idea that was up and running. There was a crazy man walking around yelling profanity there too.
I guess the people who actually live in downtown Silver Spring and Wheaton are higher class than a lot of the people who come there to hangout. I'll have to visit again and pay closer attention.
Based on all these responses I guess Silver Spring and Wheaton are indeed going through the same gentrification as other DC areas.
And the person who said "I know little about the area" might be somewhat right. Since I moved out of Silver Spring I haven't visited much. But when I finally came back to do some shopping, I saw a good amount of low class people. I was surprised to see the new bus station in Silver Spring. Had no idea that was up and running. There was a crazy man walking around yelling profanity there too.
I guess the people who actually live in downtown Silver Spring and Wheaton are higher class than a lot of the people who come there to hangout. I'll have to visit again and pay closer attention.
You get those types in U St, DuPont Circle, Capital Hill, and Chinatown/Gallery Place too...so your point? There are the people who live in the area and visit the area. Silver Spring is a major entertainment draw, but also a central transit hub. You seem to deny that Silver Spring is gentrifying though it is extremely obvious to anybody who has walked down Georgia or East-West highway in the last two years. Again, you are looking at some of the people who visit rather than knowing who lives there. Even then, it's a face value judgement.
Again Wheaton is more working and middle class, but it's primarily an immigrant neighborhood. Silver Spring though, most people I know living in the area are middle class and upper middle class professionals who liver. Again, you are judging the area by those who visit, which is pretty much everybody, even then you are probably misreading quite a bit.
Also I would not group downtown Silver Spring and Wheaton together like you are, they are different places. That's just part of the mistake you are making. Downtown Silver Spring is shares more with DC neighborhoods, while Wheaton is a bit more suburban, and shares more with the immigrant heavy working and middle class suburbs. Downtown Silver Spring is much more connected to DC, while Wheaton is much more suburban.
Again, your idea of the downtown Silver Spring area though is really off, kind of removed from any working knowledge of the area and is based on your own face value judgements. Which are not even accurate.
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