Silver Spring Development News

[Eerik]

Originally Posted by JAB323

I personally don't consider SS as big as everyone says. If you go by zip code SS goes all the way up to the Norbeck area by Olney. It's rediculous.

I guess I'm still befuddled by the question of what exactly is Silver Spring? Is it a:

• city?
• town?
• place?
• crossroads?
• suburb?

Is it an attractive place to:

• work?
• live?
• spend free time?

Maybe Silver Spring should be an incorporated city. I don't know. What provision does Montgomery County law give to incorporating towns/cities; how would that play out in the State legislature? From a cultural/historic perspective, is there anything significant that Silver Spring contributes? (Boston you have the Colonial history, Tea Party, etc.; Philadelphia with Constitution Hall, temporary seat of US Gov't, etc.,...) I've always thought of it as being a bedroom community to Washington, and before that, simply a railroad stop on the B&O line, nothing more...

[Silver Springer]

Originally Posted by Eerik

I guess I'm still befuddled by the question of what exactly is Silver Spring? Is it a:

• city?
• town?
• place?
• crossroads?
• suburb?

Is it an attractive place to:

• work?
• live?
• spend free time?

Maybe Silver Spring should be an incorporated city. I don't know. What provision does Montgomery County law give to incorporating towns/cities; how would that play out in the State legislature? From a cultural/historic perspective, is there anything significant that Silver Spring contributes? (Boston you have the Colonial history, Tea Party, etc.; Philadelphia with Constitution Hall, temporary seat of US Gov't, etc.,...) I've always thought of it as being a bedroom community to Washington, and before that, simply a railroad stop on the B&O line, nothing more...

Your point is mute, what is so significant about Los Angles, Detroit, or Chicago then because they didn't play a pivitol role in the forming of the nation? Let add Roswell, NM to the list of great places jsut because. Annapolis was a temporary seat of U.S. government too what's your point?

Just to prove again how mute your point is Silver Spring played a Pivotal role in Civil War and also was a route for the underground railroad. The Space Race is claimed to have started here, many famous people come here and the military developed many new technologies here as well. Even Silver Spring dates back further than some bigger cities, so what is your point?

Look. No one trying to say Silver Spring is on the same level as Philly, NY or any other major city which seems to be implied within your confusion and totally ridiculous but on hierarchical scale it's the next step down after some mid-sized cites and in the state of Maryland it's the next step down after Baltimore . You just don't see many "crossroads" or "bedroom communities" this large especially with world headquarter companies or the busiest metro station in one of the most renowned systems in the world.


Here is map of Silver Spring territory that should put an end to that discussion.

[cityman1100]

Whew...now thats what I call getting shutdown!

Anyhow...I wanted to know will the MidTown Silver Spring be the tallest building in the city?

[Silver Springer]

Originally Posted by cityman1100

Whew...now thats what I call getting shutdown!

Anyhow...I wanted to know will the MidTown Silver Spring be the tallest building in the city?

No, the Former AT&T building will still be the tallest.

[Silver Springer]

ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROJECTS EVER IN SILVER SPRING

LINK

[MasonsInquiries]

Originally Posted by Eerik

So now I have a question, but let me preface by saying I'm from Baltimore, currently live in Arlington, but have also worked and lived in Silver Spring.

If Silver Spring neighborhoods reach as far away as Burtonsville and Fairland, are the neighborhoods of Takoma Park considered a part of Silver Spring? What about the neighborhoods in Ward 4 across the District line?

I'm just not accustomed to the notion people living within a stone's throw of Laurel and Columbia are actually living in Silver Spring neighborhoods. I'm open to the idea...it's just I've never heard folks I know who live in the Takoma Park-Burtonsville-Laurel corridor suggest that in any way they somehow live in "Greater Silver Spring"...if there is such a thing.

Since I'm a visual person, let's plot this out on a map:

"Greater Silver Spring".......LOL. Oh boy, this is getting to be funnier and funnier by the minute. What's even funnier is when pennster referred to Silver Spring as a "Mid-sized" city.

Well, anyway, here's the answer to your questions, Eerik. Here's some information from Emporis that hopefully will put this whole thing to rest. READ CAREFULLY, SILVER SPRINGER. READ THE UNDERLINED BOLD ESPECIALLY.

Silver Spring

Population
76,540 in city and 8,157,184 in metro


Area
24 km² (9 mi²)


About Silver Spring

Silver Spring is one of the primary business hubs in Montgomery County, Maryland, just north of Washington, DC. Located on the Red Line, downtown Silver Spring has many highrise office and residential buildings.
Silver Spring is unincorporated, and shares mailing addresses with neighboring areas, including Wheaton-Glenmont, White Oak, Fairland, and Rossmoor. Additional highrise buildings can be found in these cities also.


So, in essence, Silver Spring's nothing more than a suburb of the nation's capital; a "bedroom" community if you will.

[bmorescottamanda]

Originally Posted by Silver Springer

Your point is mute, what is so significant about Los Angles, Detroit, or Chicago then because they didn't play a pivitol role in the forming of the nation? Let add Roswell, NM to the list of great places jsut because. Annapolis was a temporary seat of U.S. government too what's your point?

Just to prove again how mute your point is Silver Spring played a Pivotal role in Civil War and also was a route for the underground railroad. The Space Race is claimed to have started here, many famous people come here and the military developed many new technologies here as well. Even Silver Spring dates back further than some bigger cities, so what is your point?

Look. No one trying to say Silver Spring is on the same level as Philly, NY or any other major city which seems to be implied within your confusion and totally ridiculous but on hierarchical scale it's the next step down after some mid-sized cites and in the state of Maryland it's the next step down after Baltimore . You just don't see many "crossroads" or "bedroom communities" this large especially with world headquarter companies or the busiest metro station in one of the most renowned systems in the world.


Here is map of Silver Spring territory that should put an end to that discussion.

I agree with you on that one Silver Spring is the next step down after Baltimore even if the population is 280,000 or 80,000.

[Eerik]

Why not just say Rockville, Laurel, Columbia, and NW/NE Washington DC are Silver Spring neighborhoods? That way, the population of Silver Spring balloons to something like 1.9 million, and then you can even claim Silver Spring is served by BWI airport (or would that be Silver Spring International airport?).

As for my question of historical/cultural significance, I was merely suggesting cities/towns often have some "impetus" or "birth" that made them come about (such as a natural resource like a harbor; perhaps an historical event/movement, i.e. Salt Lake City=Mormons or the Gold Rush=San Francisco). All I've ever known about Silver Spring is it has a long ago abandoned depot on the B&O line and that it had (still has?) a small natural spring, hence it's name.

But little did I know Silver Spring played such a "pivotal role" in the Civil War! I realize there are many cities which developed after the first inhabitant of Silver Spring raised his shack at the crossroads of Georgia Avenue and Colesville Road, but the point is they developed. For the last hundred years, nothing really happened in Silver Spring to move it beyond the status of being a Washington bedroom community. Most of the growth is occurring now. So maybe in the next twenty years Silver Spring will be something more than just "a place" in the shadow of DC as it has been...

Seriously though, either way, Silver Spring is a suburb of Washington. It has developed nicely in the last twenty or thirty years, and I like what they're doing now. Occasionally when I get the opportunity on my way back to DC, I take a detour to see what's new. All-in-all, I think it's great you are so passionate about the community. I suspect this board isn't your only channel for enthusiasm and energy?

[MasonsInquiries]

Originally Posted by Eerik

Why not just say Rockville, Laurel, Columbia, and NW/NE Washington DC are Silver Spring neighborhoods? That way, the population of Silver Spring balloons to something like 1.9 million, and then you can even claim Silver Spring is served by BWI airport (or would that be Silver Spring International airport?).

As for my question of historical/cultural significance, I was merely suggesting cities/towns often have some "impetus" or "birth" that made them come about (such as a natural resource like a harbor; perhaps an historical event/movement, i.e. Salt Lake City=Mormons or the Gold Rush=San Francisco). All I've ever known about Silver Spring is it has a long ago abandoned depot on the B&O line and that it had (still has?) a small natural spring, hence it's name.

But little did I know Silver Spring played such a "pivotal role" in the Civil War! I realize there are many cities which developed after the first inhabitant of Silver Spring raised his shack at the crossroads of Georgia Avenue and Colesville Road, but the point is they developed. For the last hundred years, nothing really happened in Silver Spring to move it beyond the status of being a Washington bedroom community. Most of the growth is occurring now. So maybe in the next twenty years Silver Spring will be something more than just "a place" in the shadow of DC as it has been...

Seriously though, either way, Silver Spring is a suburb of Washington. It has developed nicely in the last twenty or thirty years, and I like what they're doing now. Occasionally when I get the opportunity on my way back to DC, I take a detour to see what's new. All-in-all, I think it's great you are so passionate about the community. I suspect this board isn't your only channel for enthusiasm and energy?

exactly. a suburb, nothing more. well-said, eerik.

[pennster]

"Population
76,540 in city and 8,157,184 in metro"

That is from emporis, and represents only the Census Designated Place (obviously). Get past the Census population figures--it stops a thinking mind.

-------

Just because some of you people don't like what Silver Spring is, and what it's becoming does not mean you get to change the rules of the game, its population, its significance, its very definition. It's neighborhoods have been part of Silver Spring for many, many decades. I do not insult you, you do not insult me, especially those of you from the Baltimore forums where we're all banded behind the same goals--which should also include repping all of Maryland.

I do not see why Silver Spring threatens your very being so much. It has become quite comical and I would think that on these respectable forums you would not hide behind your screen names representing the very worst of human behavior.

-------

From the chamber of commerice website: "Population of more than 200,000 in one of the most affluent counties in the U.S."

From wikipedia: "After Baltimore, Silver Spring is the second largest place in Maryland. (Note: According to the Census Demographic Profiles, Silver Spring is the third largest after Baltimore and Columbia, Maryland; however, census data accounts only for Silver Spring's core and does not include surrounding neighborhoods which would be included in a comprehensive analysis of population.)...When the entire portion of Montgomery County, Maryland using Silver Spring addresses is taken into account, the population can swell to over 250,000 people, comparable to mid-sized American cities such as Buffalo, New York and St. Paul, Minnesota. In the Washington-Baltimore region, Silver Spring is the third-largest community, behind the cities of Baltimore, Maryland and Washington, D.C., and ahead of Arlington, Virginia and Alexandria, Virginia."

-------

Discussions of incorporating Silver Spring have occurred before in other forums, and while some people would like it, most think it unnecessary (including myself). Silver Spring already has enough of a sense of place and support from the county and the state that incorporating would benefit only the Census bureau and those of us who do not understand its borders (and for those who don't, I would suggest being a little more mature and receptive).

[pennster]

Originally Posted by Silver Springer

ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROJECTS EVER IN SILVER SPRING

LINK

Wow this sounds crazy. I'm not sure what I think about this development because I really like their feel. I would like to see if some of the original buildings could be kept as is, instead of demo-ing it all. I'm wondering why this is coming about now, especially with the real estate slowdown. Silver Springer, do you know who the developer would be?

Speaking of which, it seems to me, and my coworkers at the planning commission, that this slowdown will only be temporary. A few of my superiors are selling their homes right now and have the same points of view. What seems to be happening is that a mass stoppage of buying homes started when potential buyers realized that they could get better prices by waiting. So once people start buying homes again, it will all pick up as they realize they can't wait as long to buy the homes they want without someone else putting down a bid. So if developers just hang in there (and I'm sure they're going to try), then things may pick up again in mid-2007 or thereabout. Of course this is just our opinion, but I mean, it seems to make sense.

[Eerik]

Originally Posted by pennster

"Population
76,540 in city and 8,157,184 in metro"

That is from emporis, and represents only the Census Designated Place (obviously). Get past the Census population figures--it stops a thinking mind.

-------

Just because some of you people don't like what Silver Spring is, and what it's becoming does not mean you get to change the rules of the game, its population, its significance, its very definition. It's neighborhoods have been part of Silver Spring for many, many decades. I do not insult you, you do not insult me, especially those of you from the Baltimore forums where we're all banded behind the same goals--which should also include repping all of Maryland.

I do not see why Silver Spring threatens your very being so much. It has become quite comical and I would think that on these respectable forums you would not hide behind your screen names representing the very worst of human behavior.

-------

From the chamber of commerice website: "Population of more than 200,000 in one of the most affluent counties in the U.S."

From wikipedia: "After Baltimore, Silver Spring is the second largest place in Maryland. (Note: According to the Census Demographic Profiles, Silver Spring is the third largest after Baltimore and Columbia, Maryland; however, census data accounts only for Silver Spring's core and does not include surrounding neighborhoods which would be included in a comprehensive analysis of population.)...When the entire portion of Montgomery County, Maryland using Silver Spring addresses is taken into account, the population can swell to over 250,000 people, comparable to mid-sized American cities such as Buffalo, New York and St. Paul, Minnesota. In the Washington-Baltimore region, Silver Spring is the third-largest community, behind the cities of Baltimore, Maryland and Washington, D.C., and ahead of Arlington, Virginia and Alexandria, Virginia."

-------

Discussions of incorporating Silver Spring have occurred before in other forums, and while some people would like it, most think it unnecessary (including myself). Silver Spring already has enough of a sense of place and support from the county and the state that incorporating would benefit only the Census bureau and those of us who do not understand its borders (and for those who don't, I would suggest being a little more mature and receptive).

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I like Silver Spring. I would love to see Silver Spring (as well as all inner city suburbs) revitalize and thrive; become great places to live, work and shop. This would encourage more people to live closer to mass-transit possibilities, closer to attractions, and all the other amenities that urban areas offer. The greater the concentration of people and the less sprawl, the better for the region and environment.

However I cannot -- and will not – sit quietly and not respond to such delusional nonsense and distortion of reality! To somehow suggest Silver Spring represents nearly a quarter million people; that Silver Spring in population could in any way be equal to “mid-sized American cities such as Buffalo, New York and St. Paul, Minnesota” is total bunk.

Call it immature thinking, or what you wish, but that’s total crap, and we all know it!

[StevenW]

Silver Spring is very nice and there is alot going on, but I, as well as many probably, view it, (no offense), as a suburb of DC. Still a nice urbany suburb.

[Silver Springer]

Originally Posted by Eerik

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I like Silver Spring. I would love to see Silver Spring (as well as all inner city suburbs) revitalize and thrive; become great places to live, work and shop. This would encourage more people to live closer to mass-transit possibilities, closer to attractions, and all the other amenities that urban areas offer. The greater the concentration of people and the less sprawl, the better for the region and environment.

However I cannot -- and will not – sit quietly and not respond to such delusional nonsense and distortion of reality! To somehow suggest Silver Spring represents nearly a quarter million people; that Silver Spring in population could in any way be equal to “mid-sized American cities such as Buffalo, New York and St. Paul, Minnesota” is total bunk.

Call it immature thinking, or what you wish, but that’s total crap, and we all know it!

No offense but the only one who is delusional is you and others who don't believe it. Why is it so hard for you to comprehend? If someone said the same thing about Baltimore you'd have a major fit and rip their head off but its okay for you to dis another part of your own state for no apparent reason. You find it comical but I've already explained my valid and factual points while you and everybody else are just being incongruous. Like Pennster said why does Silver Spring threaten you so much?

The same unfounded negative perception and dislike you have of Silver Spring is in the same category others have of Baltimore that you are so trying to dispel and makes you relentlessly defend it because you know it's in part a misconception.

The capital region of Maryland is not your enemy as so many Baltimoreans believe, your hatred is misplaced and a form of internal cannibalism. In fact I will go as far to say that Montgomery County is the economic glue that is holding the state together, if Montgomery County just so happens to weaken do you think the jobs and economic strength will fly to Baltimore? You have wishful thinking if you think that is the case as they will swim across our Potomac River right into Northern Virginia! Montgomery can only do so much within a state that is known to have a bad business climate whether true or false. The goal is to reposition Prince George's, Baltimore and any other cities or counties so they can play a role in strengthening this great state.

Montgomery County is not only the wealthiest but the most populous county in the state it is practically a million people, Silver Spring's population wouldn't even be half that at 250,000. It was the first downtown in Montgomery County and the part of the county that was first to truly develop and mature. I'm dumbfounded as to why you think 250,000 people are such a bogus claim. At one point Silver Spring was the largest retail hub between D.C. and New York and the largest office market in the D.C. area. With half our land in Montgomery County naturally preserved (highest ratio in the nation) where do you think all these people are living?

I'm gong to shut all the haters down right now. You find Silver Spring comical but facts are facts. The Silver Spring CBD has well over half as much office space as Baltimore's (some claim equal to) and the Bethesda-Chevy Chase is arguably equal or larger, if you add all Bethesda territory it surpasses the entire city of Baltimore, so much for suburbs huh? Silver Spring has a population density of 15,600 per square mile while Baltimore has a population density of 8,058.4 per square mile. Baltimore may have some larger pockets but 35,000 people within 2 1/2 square miles is nothing to laugh at. The Silver Spring CBD has 5000 residential units coming down the pipe all within 2 1/2 square miles! See it for what it is and not what your ignorance is telling you.

[Silver Springer]

Originally Posted by StevenW

Silver Spring is very nice and there is alot going on, but I, as well as many probably, view it, (no offense), as a suburb of DC. Still a nice urbany suburb.

Over 50 posts in this discussion would disagree with you.

http://www.dcist.com/archives/2006/0...yland_envy.php

Do you still consider the low density residential areas of single family homes and tract housing in Baltimore urban and non-suburban simply because they lie within the bounds of an arbitrary line?

[JAB323]

Originally Posted by StevenW

Silver Spring is very nice and there is alot going on, but I, as well as many probably, view it, (no offense), as a suburb of DC. Still a nice urbany suburb.

That's fairly acurrate description.

[Eerik]

Originally Posted by Silver Springer

No offense but the only one who is delusional is you and others who don't believe it. Why is it so hard for you to comprehend? If someone said the same thing about Baltimore you'd have a major fit and rip their head off but its okay for you to dis another part of your own state for no apparent reason. You find it comical but I've already explained my valid and factual points while you and everybody else are just being incongruous. Like Pennster said why does Silver Spring threaten you so much?

The same unfounded negative perception and dislike you have of Silver Spring is in the same category others have of Baltimore that you are so trying to dispel and makes you relentlessly defend it because you know it's in part a misconception.

The capital region of Maryland is not your enemy as so many Baltimoreans believe, your hatred is misplaced and a form of internal cannibalism. In fact I will go as far to say that Montgomery County is the economic glue that is holding the state together, if Montgomery County just so happens to weaken do you think the jobs and economic strength will fly to Baltimore? You have wishful thinking if you think that is the case as they will swim across our Potomac River right into Northern Virginia! Montgomery can only do so much within a state that is known to have a bad business climate whether true or false. The goal is to reposition Prince George's, Baltimore and any other cities or counties so they can play a role in strengthening this great state.

Montgomery County is not only the wealthiest but the most populous county in the state it is practically a million people, Silver Spring's population wouldn't even be half that at 250,000. It was the first downtown in Montgomery County and the part of the county that was first to truly develop and mature. I'm dumbfounded as to why you think 250,000 people are such a bogus claim. At one point Silver Spring was the largest retail hub between D.C. and New York and the largest office market in the D.C. area. With half our land in Montgomery County naturally preserved (highest ratio in the nation) where do you think all these people are living?

I'm gong to shut all the haters down right now. You find Silver Spring comical but facts are facts. The Silver Spring CBD has well over half as much office space as Baltimore's (some claim equal to) and the Bethesda-Chevy Chase is arguably equal or larger, if you add all Bethesda territory it surpasses the entire city of Baltimore, so much for suburbs huh? Silver Spring has a population density of 15,600 per square mile while Baltimore has a population density of 8,058.4 per square mile. Baltimore may have some larger pockets but 35,000 people within 2 1/2 square miles is nothing to laugh at. The Silver Spring CBD has 5000 residential units coming down the pipe all within 2 1/2 square miles! See it for what it is and not what your ignorance is telling you.

I don’t think anyone here has any animosity, negative perception, or hatred of Silver Spring. I’ll say it again; let me bold it for you if you’ve failed to read it in past posts: Silver Spring is a great place. With ongoing development, it’s going to be (hopefully) even a greater place than it is now.

But Silver Spring is what it is: a community; an inner suburb. It’s not even a city, so how can you make comparisons between Silver Spring and municipalities like Buffalo, Baltimore, St. Paul and other cities? You not even comparing apples and oranges, but more like apples and…I don’t know…tomatoes!?

Frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Silver Spring area has over more than half the office space of Baltimore. Big deal. It’s a submarket of probably the most bureaucratic city in the world. I’m surprised there isn’t even more office space in Silver Spring…

So: Baltimore has more warehouse space and more freight, deepest and farthest inland harbor on the East Coast; and probably the highest consumption of UTZ potato chips and scrapple consumed by a demographic of women who use aqua-net hairspray…so what.

You are correct I don’t like Baltimore bashing, but I also dislike and bristle when outrageous claims are made.

What I have a hard time “digesting” are some of your claims, which you cite as being fact, yet use on a conditional basis. For example, you agree Silver Spring isn’t an incorporated city with definitive boundaries, yet compare Silver Spring population density statistics to that of Baltimore. Are you basing these numbers on census tracts or what? (Or should I ask, how are these numbers being calculated? Do you even know?) It’s all relative, and ultimately moot unless one can cite a source with more reliability than simply Wikipedia or a web blog.

Likewise, I’ve seen the claim before that Silver Spring was the largest retail hub (not between Washington DC and New York City), but between Philadelphia and Richmond. But I’ve also seen the claim Wheaton was the largest retail hub between Richmond and Wilmington; Baltimore as the premiere retail hub south of Philadelphia; Philadelphia’s Center City as the largest retail hub on the East Coast (south of New York City), etc. Get my point?

So for now, I’ll leave it at that: Silver Spring is a great place; I like Silver Spring (I’ve bolded that part for you again, just in case you missed it above). Great things are happening in Silver Spring, and I’m glad I remember what Silver Spring was like decades ago, because it has come a long way. But please don’t make some of these unsubstantiated and ludicrous claims about Silver Spring. Being a Silver Spring civic booster is great, but some of your claims are provincial thinking at best. Being someone with deep roots in the Silver Spring area, I find some of these claims a bit “overboard” and embarrassing to read…

[bmorescottamanda]

Originally Posted by StevenW

Silver Spring is very nice and there is alot going on, but I, as well as many probably, view it, (no offense), as a suburb of DC. Still a nice urbany suburb.

I agree with that.

[Silver Springer]

Originally Posted by pennster

Wow this sounds crazy. I'm not sure what I think about this development because I really like their feel. I would like to see if some of the original buildings could be kept as is, instead of demo-ing it all. I'm wondering why this is coming about now, especially with the real estate slowdown. Silver Springer, do you know who the developer would be?

Speaking of which, it seems to me, and my coworkers at the planning commission, that this slowdown will only be temporary. A few of my superiors are selling their homes right now and have the same points of view. What seems to be happening is that a mass stoppage of buying homes started when potential buyers realized that they could get better prices by waiting. So once people start buying homes again, it will all pick up as they realize they can't wait as long to buy the homes they want without someone else putting down a bid. So if developers just hang in there (and I'm sure they're going to try), then things may pick up again in mid-2007 or thereabout. Of course this is just our opinion, but I mean, it seems to make sense.

I thought the boom was over too and I'm surprised as much as you are about the size of this project with all the housing doom and gloom talk. Then again this project is apartments not for sale units and there is a huge demand for them in the CBD. I just did a tally of project built and proposed since the revitalization and we've come up to 5929 and that is only for the residential units!!!!!!

As for a temporary slowdown I conceived that as one of my scenarios but the only reason the probability increased is because of the BRAC plan and the feds have stopped increasing interest rates.

P.S. There is another project in the works that I’m sure you’ll love to know about. I’ll have more info on that and this project on my blog.

[MasonsInquiries]

Originally Posted by Silver Springer

I'm gong to shut all the haters down right now. You find Silver Spring comical but facts are facts. The Silver Spring CBD has well over half as much office space as Baltimore's (some claim equal to) and the Bethesda-Chevy Chase is arguably equal or larger, if you add all Bethesda territory it surpasses the entire city of Baltimore, so much for suburbs huh? Silver Spring has a population density of 15,600 per square mile while Baltimore has a population density of 8,058.4 per square mile. Baltimore may have some larger pockets but 35,000 people within 2 1/2 square miles is nothing to laugh at. The Silver Spring CBD has 5000 residential units coming down the pipe all within 2 1/2 square miles! See it for what it is and not what your ignorance is telling you.

There's nothing worse than someone who can't accept the truth. I probably have just as much pride in Silver Spring as you do, but I would never hype a SUBURB up to be this huge metropolitan area right next to the nation's capital. And then, you have the audacity to try and develop this "Silver Spring vs. Baltimore" boxing match. Why not be happy for the development of BOTH places?

I'm a teacher at a Baltimore city inner city school, and 3 of my coworkers are from Silver Spring (BORN AND RAISED in Silver Spring) and they even said that it's nothing more than a suburb. Bottom line, Silver Spring is what it is: a wonderful SUBURB.