Archive for the 'silver spring real estate' Category
Historic Riggs – Thompson House in Downtown Silver Springh as Long History
April 19th, 2011 Categories: New Construction, Old Vintage Silver Spring Takoma Park Houses, Silver Spring Neighborhoods, silver spring real estate
The Riggs – Thompson House was built in 1858 by George Washington Riggs. 
The house was used as a country estate and working farm that was known for it’s ”fine blooded” cattle.
The estate was originally sited on over 140 acres facing what is now Georgia Avenue. Imagine a property that originally stretched from Georgia Avenue in the front, to past Sligo Creek in the back and from Colesville Road to present day Bonifant Street on the sides. The house was accessed by a long drive from Georgia Avenue (then called Westminster Road). The driveway is now the present day Pershing Drive. The original GW Riggs house was brick, built in the Second Empire Style with a handsome mansard roof. At this time the area was known as Sligo, it was not known as Silver Spring yet.
The Riggs family sold their Silver Spring Farm in July of 1864, a week after the torching and plundering of the Silver Spring area in a skirmish by Confederate and Union troops. The Riggs estate was generally unscathed by the skirmish, except for the loss of some “hay forage”, vegetables and a valuable ox.
The second owners were William and Helen Thompson. William Thompson was a prominent Washington businessman who was retiring from a plumbing and gas fitting business. Thompson was also vice president of the Metropolitan National Bank and had financial interests in Steamboats and Real Estate.
The Thompsons enlarged the house by adding an Italinate style front and side, encasing the original brick Second Empire/Mansard style house. The outline of the original Riggs house and mansard roof can still be seen peeking out over the top and at the back of the present house.
In 1872 Thompson aquired more land along Colesville Rd increasing the size of the estate to 160 acres.
After the Metropolitan Branch of the B&O Railroad station opened in Silver Spring (1873) development increased in the Sligo area. The train stop was given the name Silver Spring in Honor of the Blair Estate, but the area around the intersection of Colesville Road and Georgia Ave continued to be known as Sligo until the early 1900’s.
The Thompsons maintained a home in NW, Washington, DC and their country estate became a social center where they entertained frequently. In the late 1880’s the Evening Star reported that the “beautiful rolling country of the Silver Sprng area” was characterized by “attractive residences of people who have established charming country homes with spacious surroundings of lawn, park,
forest and farm”. The Riggs-Thompson house represents a period of prosperity when upper class Washingtonians established country seats in lower 
Montgomery County.
William Thompson died in 1896 on his Silver Spring Farm and Helen Thompson continued to maintain the country estate until the early 1920’s. She owned several automobiles driven by a chauffer and to manage the estate she employed an overseer. Helen Thompson died in 1923 leaving her estate to her sister and a sister in law.
To be Continued . . . . .
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Unique, Cozy, Funky and Vintage – Silver Spring Books
March 24th, 2011 Categories: Silver Spring Businesses, silver spring real estate
I’ve always liked this bookstore. The atmosphere, arrangement and smell remind me of the “bookmobile” that used to come to our neighborhood when I was a kid. Remember them? This place is exactly what you think of when you think of a great used book shop. Long rows of tall bookshelves, cluttered, dusty, books piled almost to the ceiling. It’s packed with books, hardbacks, paperbacks, periodicals, reference books, magazines and a huge selection of romance novels. The organization here is a little crazy, but searching for a book is half the fun of visiting this shop. Just browsing in here is a great relaxing escape and I could do it for hours. Rooting through shelves and stacks of miscellaneous books is a experience you can’t put a price on. The prices are decent, higher but sometimes much lower than online used bookstores but competitive if you consider that you don’t have to pay for shipping or wait for your books to 
arrive.
Looking for a specific category or author? You may need to look in two to four different places. Because the store handles books for multiple used book dealers, and they each get their own area of the store, one book or author may exist in a different section for each of the sellers.
Co-owner, Cynthia Parker, is an expert in Romance Novels. She has won an award for promoting romance novels and writers. The award is proudly displayed at the front desk. Cynthia was wearing a pink “Books – The Original Search Engine” T Shirt when I visited. She says they are struggling to stay in business right now.
There used to be a lot of these used bookstores, but they are mostly gone. Remember Bonifant Books? This one moved to Wheaton – then died. I also remember a cool little used bookstore being on that strip of Sligo Avenue where Jackie’s Restaurant is now. It is great to see this one still hanging on after 20 years in business.
Shop this store, and support a local Silver Spring business. It’s definitely a different experience than you will have around the corner at the huge Silver Spring Border’s Store.
This perfect little independent book store is within walking distance of 
Downtown Silver Spring/METRO. Located on the “eclectic” part of Bonifant Street, between Georgia Avenue and Fenton Street. Don’t drive or walk down this street too fast, or you might miss it, the storefront is inset next to the Ambros Tattoo Parlor, just past the Atlantic Gun Shop.
Silver Spring Books
938 Bonifant Street
Silver Spring, Maryland 20910
(301) 587-7484
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Indian Spring – 1940’s Washington Suburban Dream Homes
March 22nd, 2011 Categories: Old Vintage Silver Spring Takoma Park Houses, Silver Spring Neighborhoods, silver spring real estate
The Indian Spring Neighborhood is located just inside the Beltway in Silver Spring, Md 20901, east of Colesville Road (Route 29). The southern border is Franklin Avenue and the west, University Boulevard.
Originally built as a “bedroom community” for Washington DC Metro area workers, Indian Spring had a Golf Course, Country Club, Parks, plenty of open country space, 
woodland, peace and quiet outside of the busy city.
Abraham Kay and others purchased the defunct Indian Spring Golf Club and the 150 surrounding acres in 1939. It was revived into a functioning popular country club until 1960. Indian Spring Country Club moved out to Layhill Road when the Capitol Beltway came through and sliced it in half. After the country club left, the grounds and buildings that remained became the home of the Silver Spring YMCA. Eventually, the vacant land leftover from the Country Club on 
the north side of the Beltway was used for the relocation of Montgomery Blair High School in the mid 1990’s.
The original Houses, built closest to the golf course, are in the subdivision called “Indian Spring Club Estates” and were the homes built by Kay Development in 1940. Radiating out from these original 212 houses are the smaller subdivisions of Indian Spring Terrace, Indian Spring Park, Indian Spring Manor and Indian Spring Hills. These smaller subdivisions were built by different developers over the years. There are 767 Single Family homes total in the 5 Indian Spring 
Subdivisions.
Indian Spring was listed in the Washingtonian one of the “Best Places to Live” “This is the kind of inner-Beltway suburb that downtown Silver Spring was revitalized for. The professionals living here may have families, but they’re not so suburbanized that they don’t enjoy the art films, live music, and trendy food that are trademarks of the new Silver Spring.” – Washingtonian Magazine.
Today Indian Spring has family-oriented social events for neighbors to meet and an email group for neighbors to keep up on the latest news, events, announcements and learn about local services. Some of the Neighborhood events are: “Taste of Indian Spring”, neighborhood clean up, yard sale, Fall Fest, July 4th Celebration, Holiday Celebrations and Holiday House Tours. Find 
out more about the Indian Spring Community by visiting their website www.Iscaonline.com
Indian Spring Real Estate Sales:
23 Homes Sold in 2010
Average List Price 2010 – $461,813
Average Sold Price 2010 – $450,648
Lowest Sale Price 2010 – $228,000
Higest Sale Price 2010 - $647,000
Average Days on Market 2010 – 56 Days
Single Family Homes Currently for Sale in Indian Spring, Silver Spring, Md 20901
For More Information and or Details about Indian Spring Real Estate in Silver Spring Call or email me:
Debbie Cook – Silver Spring Real Estate (301) 587-3528
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Purim Festival FREE Outdoor Event Sunday in Downtown Silver Spring
March 19th, 2011 Categories: Silver Spring Events, silver spring real estate
Come to Downtown Silver Spring this Sunday March 20th for a Purim Festival This Family and kid friendly FREE event will be on Ellsworth Drive from 12:00 to 3:00 pm. The event was such a big hit last year it’s back again this year!
The centerpiece of the festival will be Mordechai’s Royal Horse Parade with live horses and everyone in costume.
There will be Delicious Traditional Hamentashen
At 2:15 pm a performance of “Magic in Disguise” – A Purim magic show with Magician Benjamin Corey
Also:
Inflatable Moonbounce & Obstacle Course
Pony Rides
Games and Prizes
Eco Arts & Crafts
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What’s the Age of Your House? Start by Looking in the Toilet
March 14th, 2011 Categories: Old Vintage Silver Spring Takoma Park Houses, Takoma Park Real Estate, silver spring real estate
Yes, that’s right, I did say look in your toilet. Look inside the tank of the toilet in your home, there is a date stamped in the tank somewhere either on the inside of the tank near the top over the water line (thank god) or on the underside of the tank’s top. This is the date your toilet was manufactured.
Of course, this won’t work if the toilet has been replaced in your house. If you have more than one toilet in the house, check them all for the oldest date.
I’ll bet the powder room or basement mud room toilets that weren’t used as much may still have the original toilets installed.
When I was a new real estate agent, a home inspector told me that’s the first place he always looked when trying to date an old house. Since most of the houses in Silver Spring and Takoma Park are of older vintage, I was looking in the tanks of all the houses I previewed or showed, just to see if the date was there and what that date was. I remember doing this for awhile without regard for how icky or unsanitary it was to be looking inside a bunch of toilets.
Now that we have ready online access to tax records, I can find out when a house was built without looking in the toilet. Once in a while I will still look inside a tank or two just for fun.
Someone has started a blog about this called Toilet Birthdays. This guy has gone far and wide including looking in a lot of public bar, restaurant and hotel room toilets all over the US and beyond. This is where I would draw the line, toilet tank checking in public restrooms? I don’t think I would do that, that is, unless I had a pair of latex gloves and some hand sanitizer with me!
You can get tips for toilet owners here ( they are serious good tips) and you can/add submit your toilet’s birthday here.
My toilet tank stamp says: JUN 17 1933.
What does yours say?
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Elegant Old Country Estate Homes on 1-2 Acre+ Lots in Burnt Mills Hills Silver Spring
March 1st, 2011 Categories: Old Vintage Silver Spring Takoma Park Houses, Silver Spring Neighborhoods, silver spring real estate
One of Silver Spring’s best kept secrets is this sylvan setting off of Route 29 (Colesville Road) just 3 miles north of the the traffic light at Georgia Avenue and Colesville Road in Downtown Silver Spring. It’s hard to believe this subdivision is so close to the Urban area of Downtown Silver Spring, the Capitol Beltway and just 4 miles from the District of Columbia – Washington DC line.
Lush Majestic Settings in a coveted hidden community of only 60 estate homes. Burnt Mills Hills is a quiet pastoral neighborhood of rolling hills, lush indigenous and mature landscaping with Acre+ lots.
Burnt Mills Hills was developed by the R. E. Latimer Land Company in the early 1930’s after purchasing a large tract of farm land from the McCeney 
Family and others. The first and main road through the Burnt Mills Hills subdivision is McCeney Avenue. The oldest house is a 1856 Farmhouse, that predates the development.
Silver Spring’s best kept secret is this sylvan setting off of Route 29 (Colesville Road). It’s hard to believe this subdivision is so close to the new Urban area of Downtown Silver Spring, the Capitol Beltway and just 4 miles from the District of Columbia – Washington DC line.
Boundaries: The neighborhood is a small group of streets tucked between Lockwood Drive and New Hampshire Avenue, with Northwest Branch Park to the south.
Schools: Cresthaven Elementary, Francis Scott Key Middle and Springbrook High schools.
Within Walking distance: Private community swimming pool, Northwest Branch Park, two synagogues, Seventh Day Adventist church, the New Burnt Mills Shopping Center with a Trader Joes Grocery. Medical and Professional offices at Lockwood and New Hampshire and at Lockwood Drive and Colesville Road and The White Oak Shopping Center with a Giant Food Store and Sears Store.
Within minutes by car: The US Food and Drug Administration, Hillandale and Four Corners shopping centers, downtown Silver Spring and Metro, Silver Spring YMCA, Capital Beltway, Wheaton Mall, restaurants, shops.
Very Close by is the White Oak Library, and the 95 Acre Martin Luther King Recreational Park including an outdoor and indoor swimming pool operated by the Montgomery Recreation Department, tennis courts, ball fields, a playground, and small lake.
Real Estate and Home Sales:
Listings and Sales in the legal subdivision/neighborhood of Burnt Mills Hills are rare. Most recently there were no sales or listing activity at all in the years 2006, 2007, and 2009.
4 Homes Sold in 2005
Average Sold Price – $956,000
Highest Sold Price – $1,250,000
Average Days on Market - 20 Days
In 2006 there were No Sales.
In 2007 there were no sales
In 2008 there was 1 Sale
One Home Sold in Burnt Mills Hills priced at 950,000. This grand home, situated on 1.2 acres, features 6 bedrms & 4.5 bths. It has a separate 2-level Carriage House. The home sold
for $900,000
In 2009 There were no sales
4 Homes Sold in 2010
4 Bedroom 3 1/2 Bath Colonial on a 1.23 Acre Lot was Listed at $864,000 & Sold for $828,900 in 48 days
4 Bedroom 3 Bath Split Colonial on a 2.25 Acre lot was listed for $849,000 & Sold for 800,000 in 97 days
5 Bedroom 2 Bath Cape Cod on a 1.7 Acre Lot was Listed for 764,900 & Sold for 764,900 in 6 days
4 Bedroom 4 Bath Rambler on a 2.41 Acre lot was listed for 725,000 & Sold for $665,000 in 117 days
Call or email Debbie Cook – Silver Spring Real Estate Expert for info on any current homes for sale in Burnt Mills Hills. (301) 587-3528
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4th Annual Drumline Competition at Northwood High School this Saturday
November 9th, 2010 Categories: Silver Spring Neighborhoods, silver spring real estate
If you like that sound of big drums and a marching band, (like this man) come see a local competition of high school drum lines! Held at the football stadium at Northwood High School - 919 University Blvd W, Silver Spring, Maryland, 20902 (near the intersection with Arcola Ave.) this Saturday, November 13th, 2010.
This competetion has school bands from around Montgomery County and surrounding counties.
Featured performances this year by The Bowie State University “Symphony of Soul” Marching Band and DC Pan Jammers Steel Drum Band.
Sponsered by:
Roland, Yamaha Percussion and Chuck Levin’s Washington Music Center.
The Competition begins at 4:30 pm! BBQ, Hot Dogs, Pizza, and Popcorn will be sold.
Cost of Admittance: $10 for Adults, $6 for Students, Kids 5 and under are admitted FREE.
*IF IT RAINS the event MOVES INSIDE the Northwood High School AUDITORIUM.
Northwood is one of the 5 High Schools serving the Silver Spring area through the Downcounty consortium giving students a choice regarding their academic area of study.
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Silver Spring’s Urban Pumpkin Patch and Farm Stand
October 21st, 2010 Categories: Silver Spring Neighborhoods, silver spring real estate
A Pumpkin Patch recently opened on a vacant lot in East Silver Spring on Fenton Street between Thayer and Silver Spring Avenues.
It looks like it might be an urban kid’s heaven at this time of year.
Usually you would have to drive outside the Silver Spring CBD to find a pumpkin patch and farm stand like this one and it sure helps with the scenery on Fenton Street right now.
Besides pumpkins, there are ciders, some pretty impressive gourds, squash, apples, potatoes and onions
Opens around 10am and closes at dusk.
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Old Fashioned, Overlooked, Out of the Way Dive with the Best Burgers and Breakfasts in Silver Spring, MD
October 6th, 2010 Categories: Silver Spring Neighborhoods, Silver Spring Takoma Park Restaurants, Takoma Park Real Estate, silver spring real estate
Step back in time behind the cases and coolers of beer, wine, snack displays and 
the cramped cash register to one of Silver Spring’s best kept secrets, the Flower Delicatessen Restaurant.
A little lunch counter/restaurant and bar that’s been in business since 1937. Located in the Old Flower Avenue Shopping Center where most of the original businesses have been replaced and the historic Flower Theatre sits closed.
The current proprietor “Hadi” took over the Flower Deli from the original owner in 1979 and “redecorated” the bar/restaurant. Nothing fancy here, just good food, friendly staff and what everyone can appreciate, prices from another era!
One regular named “Jim” has been coming to the Flower Deli since 1975. Jim Lives in nearby Takoma Park and was in the “music business”. Jim comes for lunch at least 2 or 3 times a week and always sits at the bar. He says he loves watching the Redskin games there during the season.
An elderly lady with a cane has been having lunch there for a least 30 years. She says you can’t beat the prices, “where can you get a hot dog (Genuine Hebrew National) and a cup of coffee for less than $3.00?” She says the Deli beats the Tastee Diner hands down.
The red headed waitress, Gloria has been working at the Deli for over 27 years. She’s efficient and personable. Gloria works the breakfast and lunch shift.
Some people think that the Deli has the best breakfast in town. The owner says people rave about his 
breakfasts. He say’s it’s all about the sausage. A few years back he changed the sausage meat brand he was buying, many of the customers noticed and complained, so he has switched back to his original brand, and no . . no one would tell me what brand of sausage it is.
The most expensive Breakfast on the menu is the “Flower Special”
That’s 2 Pancakes – 2 Eggs with choice of bacon, ham, sausage, corned beef hash or scrapple served with hash browns, white toast, butter and jelly . $4.59
No wonder the Flower Deli is beloved by all construction workers and contractors.
In my humble opinion, the hamburger is the best one in Silver Spring. For some reason it tastes familiar, like the burgers my mother used to make when I was a kid.
The 1/4 lb hamburgers are $2.29 and cheesburger $2.49.
Located at 8707 Flower Avenue, Silver Spring , Md 20901
Open 6:30 AM – 12 Midnight Monday through Friday
Saturday and Sundays 7:30 AM – Midnight
BTW - The other old fashioned thing about the Flower Deli, besides the ambience and the prices, they don’t take Credit Cards – So bring some good, old fashioned CASH.
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Woodsy Vibe and Eclectic Mix in Highland View of Sligo Creek Neighborhood
October 5th, 2010 Categories: Home Sellers, Homebuyer, Silver Spring Neighborhoods, silver spring real estate
Located Just inside the Beltway adjacent to the Indian Spring Neighborhood. 
The boundaries are roughly, Sligo Creek Park to the south, University Blvd to the north, Piney Branch Road and Takoma Park to the east and Franklin Ave to the west. Flower Avenue is the Main drag through Highland View with the old Flower Ave Shopping Center positioned at the edge of the neighborhood on the corner of Piney Branch Road and Flower Avenue. The main citizens association for residents of Highland View is called the Sligo Branview Citizens Association. Subdivisions included in this area are named Highland View of Sligo Creek, Branwell Park, Long Branch View and Brookside Forest.
Highland view is an established mature neighborhood with a “woodsy vibe”. You will find ample wooded lots with an eclectic variety of home styles including cape cods, colonials, bungalows, tudors and mid century modern. There are several old early 1900’s Farmhouses scattered through out the area that pre date the suburban development. Highland View of Sligo Creek was first developed in the 1930’s by E Brooke Lee’s North Washington Realty Co. The neighborhood began as a “bedroom community” and was advertised as having “golf, swimming and beautiful parks near main arterial routes of tranportation”. 
Homes in the Highland View neighborhood are older, charming and unique, unlike the cookie-cutter tract homes of the 1950’s post war suburbs.
Schools:
The location of the house within this neighborhood determines which elementary school children will attend. Montgomery County Public Schools has 6 Elementary Schools that serve this area: Highland View Elementary, Pinecrest Elementary, Montgomery Knolls, Oakview Elementary, Rolling Terrace and New Hampshire Estates Elementary.
The majority of students in this neighborhood attend Eastern Middle School, a smaller percentage attend Silver Spring International Middle School.
Montgomery 
Blair High School is the base High School for this area of Silver Spring. At the high school level the Downcounty consortium is available giving students a choice regarding their academic area of study. The five high schools in the Downcounty cluster include Northwood, Albert Einstein, John F. Kennedy and Wheaton High Scchools.
It is always best to check with the Mongtomery County Public School locator by street address to find out the schools kids will attend in a given neighborhood.
Shopping
The closest large grocery store is the Giant Food on Arliss Avenue, within walking distance for the neighborhood. There are also many ethnic shops and 
restaurants in the Flower Avenue Shopping Center. Downtown Silver Spring and all it has to offer is less than 2 miles away. There are plenty of Ride-On Bus and regular MetroBus stops throughout the neighborhood to wisk you to Downtown Silver Spring or Takoma Park or their Metro Stations.
Links to some Parks, Recreation and a Library within walking distance:
Longbranch Community Center
Longbranch Pool
Silver Spring YMCA
Sligo Creek Park
Longbranch Library
Longbranch Park
Real Estate Sales for Highland View, Brookside Forest, Branwell Park and Longbranch Village Subdivisions in Silver Spring, Md 20901.
2010 YTD 20 Single Family Homes have Sold
Average Listing (Asking) Price - $393,455
Average Sold Price – $386,543
Average Seller Subsidy – $5,660
Lowest Sales Price – $181,500 for a very “beat-up” 3 Bedroom 1940’s Colonial Foreclosure.
Highest Sales Price – $572,000 for a completely renovated 3 Bedroom 1930’s Cape Cod.
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