Archive for January, 2012
Laundromats in Silver Spring – You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby
January 13th, 2012 Categories: Silver Spring Businesses
I haven’t been in a laundromat in a long, long time, maybe 12- 15 years.
The last time I needed to use a laundromat I went to the one near the corner of University Blvd & Piney Branch Road and also the one in the 16th Street Strip Mall that was on the level under the McDonalds there. They were both crowded places and kinda dingy and dark. There were 2 different sizes of washers and dryers that took coins. I couldn’t wait to get my laundry done and get out.
I recently went into the new Tropicana Laundromat on Fenton Street to wash some real bulky items (rugs, big comforters and pillows), that my regular washer and dryer can’t handle. I was amazed at how far 
Laundromats have come since I’d been in one!
This place is CLEAN, Bright, Airy, Pleasant and Spacious. You could eat off the floors. They had 2 people outside hosing down and cleaning off the parking lot steps and even the asphalt (that people park their cars on) when I was there. It was immaculate inside and out.
There must be 6 -7 different sizes of washers and dryers, from tiny ones for delicates to the Heavy Duty Super Jumbo size that I used, and there are lots of them! There are huge, long, nice clean folding tables and plenty of those big rolling steel laundry baskets.
There are 3 Big Screen TVS mounted on the back wall and areas to sit and read or watch a big screen while you are waiting for your laundry to be done.
And . . . No more coins to fumble with – you can load money (via credit card)into a card to use in the machines.
I have to admit, when I first saw the sign go up last year I thought it was going to be some kind of an all night Restaurant/Bar. I had visions of Mai Tais, Margaritas, pina-coladas, other tropical drinks and food dancing in my head. I was disappointed at first when I figured out it was a Laundromat.
Tropicana Laundromat
8010 Fenton St
Silver Spring, MD 20910
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Pocket of Pretty Vintage Houses – Downtown Silver Spring – McNeills
January 9th, 2012 Categories: Old Vintage Silver Spring Takoma Park Houses, Silver Spring Neighborhoods, silver spring real estate
A Mature, Established and Vibrant Neighborhood of Unique and Charming 
Single Family Homes on Shady Tree Lined Streets, just 2 Blocks from the Downtown Silver Spring Central Business District.
Robert Hayes Mc Neill was a 40 year old Washington DC attorney from North Carolina, living with his wife Cora and 2 Children on the “Mc Neill Farm” – Silver Spring in 1918. At this time in the 1900’s Silver Spring was mostly open land and forests dotted with a few farms and 3 Large Country Estates.
In 1923 Robert Mc Neill subdivided his farm into lots that today is Robert H. Mc Neills’ Addition to Silver Spring Park.
The lots were sold to a few different builders with E Brooke Lee’s North Washington Real Estate company ending up with most of the lots. Building 
started at the beginning of the Depression in 1932-33.
The old circa 1900’s farmhouse on the Mcneill property is still there, having been updated several times in the last century.
Most of the 137 Homes in the neighborhood were built in the early to mid 1930’s and are prized for their unique character and period architectural detail. No two houses are exactly alike. This is no cookie cutter neighborhood.
The homes in Mc’Neills include unique brick and slate cape cods, colonials and Tudor style houses. Hardwood Floors, Fireplaces, arches, high ceilings and porches were standard ammenities in most of these charming houses. The homes have wide alley’s behind them with garages, another feature that was common in the 1930’s era.
The Boundaries of McNeills Subdivision are: Dale Drive to the south, Cedar Street to the north, Deerfield Avenue on the east and Dartmouth Avenue on 
the west.
This Great location is just steps to Nolte Park (playground, several ballfields and picnic area), Bullis Park and four blocks to Sligo Creek Park. Walking distance to the local public elementary & middle schools, both with a French Immersion program. It’s only ¾ mile to Metro and the MARC train, and a few Blocks away is the Silver Spring town center with the new civic building & Veteran’s plaza, ice rink, shops, restaurants, entertainment, and farmers market. The site of the upcoming, state-of-the-art Silver Spring Library is only four blocks away. McNeill’s Neighborhood is the ultimate walkable neighborhood with the perfect balance of urban and suburban living.
Public School Info for McNeills Subdivision – Silver Spring 20910
Sligo Creek Elementary School
Silver Spring International Middle School
Downcounty Consortium (DCC)
*School information is as reported on the MCPS school finder site. As directed by MCPS, this information shall not be relied upon without a call to the MCPS Boundary Line at 301-279-3331.
Homes in this neighborhood sell quickly - Check out the most recent Homes SOLD in Mcneills Addition
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Bungalows Galore in Old Downtown East Silver Spring – Blair Subdivision
January 6th, 2012 Categories: Old Vintage Silver Spring Takoma Park Houses, Silver Spring Neighborhoods, Silver Spring Takoma Park Restaurants, silver spring real estate
The Blair Subdivision is one of the earliest subdivision of homes in Silver 
Spring. Originally called E Brooke Lee’s Addition to Silver Spring, it is one of E Brooke Lee’s first forays into Residential Real Estate Development. E Brooke Lee’s father, Blair Lee, had originally started developing the Blair area in the early 1900’s aroung the B&O Railroad Station. Carved out of land that was part of the Blair Family Country Estate, many of the street names come from the Blair and Lee families, such as Gist, Violet and Woodbury. There is even a tiny street named after the famous horse “Selim” that threw Francis Preston Blair and ran off, causing the discovery of the original “Silver Spring”. Blair is one of the first working class neighborhoods of Silver Spring.
Most of E Brooke Lee’s addition eventually became the commercalized area of Downtown Silver Spring and South Silver Spring. There are residential single family homes left that make up the Blair Subdivision with some sections called Blair/ Takoma. The boundaries of the residential sections of Blair and Blair Takoma are roughly: Sligo Avenue to the South, Philadelphia Avenue and the Montgomery College Campus to the North, Fenton Street to the West and Piney Branch Road on the East.
Within Walking Distance:
All the great ammenites of Downtown Silver Spring! Silver Spring Metro Station (Red Line), Downtown Silver Spring, Restaurants, Shopping, Veterans Plaza, Ice Skating Rink, year-round farmers market, NOAA, Discovery Channel Headquarters, Montgomery College, The New 
Montgomery College Performing Arts Center, Whole Foods, Safeway, Giant Food, Pyramid Atlantic Art Center, Sligo Creek Park, many delightful “pocket parks” and much more.
Public Schools:
East Silver Spring Elementary School (K-4)
Piney Branch Elementary
Sligo Creek Elementary
Takoma Park Middle School
High School: Home School is Montgomery Blair High School
Downcounty High School Consortium – Choice Process: Blair, Einstein, Kennedy, Northwood, or Wheaton high schools
*Note: always Check the Montgomery County School Assignment Locator for the specific school a child will attend that is assigned by street address.
Full of wonderful old timey bungalows, some colonials, american four squares, victorian farmhouses and cape cods, this neighborhood borders on Downtown Silver Spring on one side and Takoma Park on the other. The 
Blair – Blair/Takoma Subdivision is considered part of East Silver Spring.
Blair and Blair Takoma Home Sales 2011
11 single family homes Sold
Average List Price – $507,855
Average Sold Price – $480,045
Lowest Sale Price – $350,000
(a small 2 Bedroom 1 Bath 1928 Bungalow)
Highest Sale Price – $701,000
(a large expanded and completely renovated 5 Bedroom 4 Bath 1923 Bungalow)
Average Days on Market – 41
Check out Homes for Sale Now in Blair Subdivision, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910
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