Silver Spring, Maryland
An unincorporated area, Silver Spring is a prominent suburb of Washington D.C. Located in Montgomery County, Silver Spring is the third most populous area in Maryland. With more than a thousand new residential units being built in downtown Silver Springs over the last five years, a lot of attention has been paid to the suburb’s development. Today, Silver Spring is widely considered one of the most significant business and residential hubs of the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area. Certainly an interesting place for those interested in moving to Silver Spring.
History:
Commerce was first introduced to the Silver Spring area when cotton and lumber were carried up the Silver River in the 1850s. A decade later, conventional steamboats were brought to the area, and from that point forward, tourists flocked to Silver Spring to experience the translucent waters that had enthralled visitors for centuries. In the early 1900s, suburban development continued when Woodside Development Corporation created Woodside Park. Later, in 1924, Montgomery Blair High School opened, making it the first high school to open in Montgomery County. In 1927, a new Maryland National Guard Armory was constructed, and the old armory was transformed in to a fire station. By the 1950s, Silver Spring was the second busiest retail market between Baltimore and Richmond, thanks to the Hecht Company, J. C. Penney, Sears, Roebuck & Co, and a number of other retailers moving into town. In 1954, the Blair mansion Silver Spring was replaced with Blair Station Post office. Nearly 50 years later, in 2000, downtown Silver Spring began to witness the results of its redevelopment efforts. Several city blocks were reconstructed to make room for a modern shopping center. That same year also brought the reopening of the Silver Theatre, under the support of the American Film Institute. Today, downtown Silver Spring continues to develop with the opening of new office buildings, restaurants, stores and attractions.
Economy:
The suburb’s local economy consists mainly of retail sales, real estate, hospitality and small business development. A suburb of Washington D.C., Silver Spring is located just minutes from the nation’s capital. Due to its proximity, Silver Spring benefits from Washington D.C’s evolving job market and recent growth in the private service sector, which now accounts for one of every three jobs. A magnet for growth industries, such as telecommunications, paper products, information and computer firms and many service industries, Silver Spring is home to nearly 50 major Fortune 500 companies. There are more than 500 publishing and printing companies in the area, which help produce the large amount of documents generated by the federal government. Silver Spring is also the location of leading world, national and regional financial institutions.
Tourism:
In 2002, Silver Spring was designated an Art and Entertainment District by the State, allowing the suburb to offer incentives to help attract artists and entertainment acts to the area. Check out one of the city’s many art houses, including CREATE Art Center, Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz, and the Heliport Gallery. Next, catch a movie at the Majestic 20. This state-of-the-art theater offers amenities including stadium seating and gourmet concessions. From original plays to murder mysteries, Silver Spring offers a wide selection of quality theatre productions. For the golfer, Silver Spring has three public golf courses where you can work on your short game, practice your drive or enjoy a competitive round with a friendly foursome. While in Silver Spring, you are always within striking distance of some of the nation’s most popular tourist attracting, including Library of Congress, the Washington Monument, the National Zoo and the White House.
Colleges/Universities:
• National Labor College
• Everest Institute
• Montgomery College
• University of Maryland
Interesting Facts:
• Considered the area’s largest suburb, Silver Spring is located just seven minutes from Washington D.C.
Helpful Links:
• Silver Spring Real Estate
• Silver Spring Storage Facility
• Silver Spring Insurance
• Silver Spring Dental Offices
• Silver Spring Moving Companies