SILVER SPRING
Significance
Dating back to 1842, Silver Spring is the first downtown in Montgomery County, Maryland and was the largest office market outside Washington,D.C. as well as the largest retail center between Washington and New York. The first to combine a parking lot, movie theater and shopping center in the U.S.A. which was recently renovated and still stands. Today it is the largest urban area in Maryland outside Baltimore and the largest urban area in the D.C. metro area. It is home to Discovery Communications, TV One, World Space, NOAA, United Theraputics and now the FDA. If incorporated its population would swell to over 280,000. It is home to the largest high school in the State of Maryland, Montgomery Blair named after the founder of Silver Spring. Some Famous people from Silver Spring are Dave Chappelle, Steve Francis, Ben Stein, Brady Anderson, Connie Chung, Maury Povich, Dominique Dawes, Goldie Hawn and Michael Ealy to name a few.
Downtown
Silver Spring is a 360 acre Central Business District(CBD) centered on a Metro Station. The area is a high density urban environment with a population density of 15,600 per square mile. The CBD contains 17.6 acres of parkland, 7,254,729 square feet of office space (2004), plus 5216 dwelling units.
The transformation of the Silver Spring Central Business District began to take shape with two events: (1.) the American Film Institute established an east coast presence in the restored historic Silver Theatre, and (2.) the world headquarters of Discovery Communications, Inc. relocated to a new building in the center of Silver Spring. With a string of opening events for new businesses in the Redevelopment Project, the revitalization of downtown Silver Spring was established in 2004. The Downtown Redevelopment Project built a retail/entertainment base that attracted WholeFoods Market, the 20 screen megaplex cinema The Majestic by Consolidated Theatres, Borders Books and Music, supported by men’s wear, dress, and furniture shops. The combination of 4500 theater seats surrounded by 4500 dining seats in a dozen new restaurants has created an environment that is in high demand.
History
Wanting to escape the summer heat of Washington, D.C., where he had a home on Pennsylvania Avenue near the White House, Blair began Construction of the three-story home in 1842, two years after he discovered a nearby mica-flecked spring that sparkled like silver when struck by sunlight. The house featured 20 rooms, 4 baths, 9 fireplaces, 2 kitchens, and a wine cellar. Named Silver Spring, the estate eventually encompassed over 1,000 acres, taking in a large portion of present downtown Silver Spring as well as areas of Takoma Park and the District of Columbia
http://www.homestead.com/silverspringhistory/
http://www.takoma.com/archives/copy/2003/08/features_thenAgain.html
http://www.takoma.com/archives/copy/2003/09/features_thenAgain.html
Significance
Dating back to 1842, Silver Spring is the first downtown in Montgomery County, Maryland and was the largest office market outside Washington,D.C. as well as the largest retail center between Washington and New York. The first to combine a parking lot, movie theater and shopping center in the U.S.A. which was recently renovated and still stands. Today it is the largest urban area in Maryland outside Baltimore and the largest urban area in the D.C. metro area. It is home to Discovery Communications, TV One, World Space, NOAA, United Theraputics and now the FDA. If incorporated its population would swell to over 280,000. It is home to the largest high school in the State of Maryland, Montgomery Blair named after the founder of Silver Spring. Some Famous people from Silver Spring are Dave Chappelle, Steve Francis, Ben Stein, Brady Anderson, Connie Chung, Maury Povich, Dominique Dawes, Goldie Hawn and Michael Ealy to name a few.
Downtown
Silver Spring is a 360 acre Central Business District(CBD) centered on a Metro Station. The area is a high density urban environment with a population density of 15,600 per square mile. The CBD contains 17.6 acres of parkland, 7,254,729 square feet of office space (2004), plus 5216 dwelling units.
The transformation of the Silver Spring Central Business District began to take shape with two events: (1.) the American Film Institute established an east coast presence in the restored historic Silver Theatre, and (2.) the world headquarters of Discovery Communications, Inc. relocated to a new building in the center of Silver Spring. With a string of opening events for new businesses in the Redevelopment Project, the revitalization of downtown Silver Spring was established in 2004. The Downtown Redevelopment Project built a retail/entertainment base that attracted WholeFoods Market, the 20 screen megaplex cinema The Majestic by Consolidated Theatres, Borders Books and Music, supported by men’s wear, dress, and furniture shops. The combination of 4500 theater seats surrounded by 4500 dining seats in a dozen new restaurants has created an environment that is in high demand.
History
Wanting to escape the summer heat of Washington, D.C., where he had a home on Pennsylvania Avenue near the White House, Blair began Construction of the three-story home in 1842, two years after he discovered a nearby mica-flecked spring that sparkled like silver when struck by sunlight. The house featured 20 rooms, 4 baths, 9 fireplaces, 2 kitchens, and a wine cellar. Named Silver Spring, the estate eventually encompassed over 1,000 acres, taking in a large portion of present downtown Silver Spring as well as areas of Takoma Park and the District of Columbia
http://www.homestead.com/silverspringhistory/
http://www.takoma.com/archives/copy/2003/08/features_thenAgain.html
http://www.takoma.com/archives/copy/2003/09/features_thenAgain.html