Gaithersburg, Germantown

Gaithersburg offers opportunities for singles, families, and seniors in a thriving community with numerous parks, retail shopping and restaurants.  Located 21 miles north of the District of Columbia, and 6 miles north of Rockville, Gaithersburg is approximately a 40 minute commute via the Beltway into the Nation’s Capital; the trade-off is home prices are far less than in the closer suburbs of Bethesda, Chevy Chase, and Potomac.

Gaithersburg has a diversified economy including high technology research and development communities ranked with California and Massachusetts. It is ranked the Fourth Best Area in the Country for Business by Fortune Magazine.

Although Gaithersburg is considered one of the outlying suburbs, there are walkable communities – notably the Kentlands and Lakelands, both of which are within walking distance of Chabad and Shaare Torah. These close knit Jewish communities often have informal gatherings around holidays (i.e. sukkah hop, break-fasts).

Germantown lies to the north of Gaithersburg and is a rapidly growing suburban community.  Named number 24 of Money Magazine’s “Best Places to Live” in 2012, its growth is largely based on a plan that includes a downtown area with outlying villages.  More southern points of Montgomery County and Washington are accessible by Metro as well as the Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) train, which eases the commute to downtown DC.

Nearby in Damascus is Or Chadash, a reform congregation with regular services, a religious school and social activities for adults and families.  There are two kosher-style delis in Germantown — Woodside and Royal Bagel Bakery.

Most notable points of interest are the BlackRock Center for the Arts, which hosts local and national talent in the performing arts and houses an art gallery as well as music and dance studios.  The South Germantown Recreational Park is a very large sports complex with a professional soccer field, aquatic center, and many other indoor and outdoor sports and recreational spaces.  Some of the high tech industry from the southern part of the county is making its way to Germantown, most notably the headquarters for the US Department of Energy’s Office of Biological and Environmental Research.  Germantown is a suburb where affordable housing, open spaces and planned growth are its most distinct characteristics.