Silver Spring was first settled in the 1840s by a series of wealthy Confederate families. The Lee Development company spurred building from the mid 1920s onward, leading to the creation of new schools, retail spaces, streetcars and more. New construction declined in the 1980s but resumed in the 21st century with the building of Downtown Silver Spring, an outdoor shopping plaza that brought with it a number of trendy and convenient businesses. Silver Spring enjoyed a resurgence in the 2000s as numerous businesses relocated downtown and a hip shopping, dining and music scene emerged.
Residents have access to countless events throughout the year; the Silver Spring Jazz Festival, Silverdocs Documentary Festival, and more grace downtown annually. It’s home to renowned music venue The Fillmore, as well as the American Film Institute’s Silver Theatre. Transportation is easy, with the Silver Spring Bus Terminal, Red Line Metro Station, Capital Beltway, and a planned Purple Line station all downtown. Because of its size, Silver Spring offers an excellent mixture of single family homes, townhouses, and apartment buildings.
Easy travel to DC is one of Silver Spring’s selling points – but this dynamic, livable suburb is a city all its own, and offers anything a resident looking for a dynamic, livable town needs.