5 Super-Fun Things To Do In Silver Spring, MD

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If you have Silver Spring on your radar as a place to invest in property, you’re on the right track. Renters occupy over 60% of homes in this town on the outskirts of the capital. 

Many people want to live in Silver Spring because of its proximity to Washington DC as well as it’s diverse and interesting population. There’s no shortage of things to do in Silver Spring either.

Some of our top options include:

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Downtown Silver Spring

The downtown area is one of the fastest-growing places in Silver Spring. It’s a hive of high-energy attractions and is a pedestrian-friendly destination. There are also great transport options available if you’re heading further afield.

Some of the best things to do in downtown Silver Spring include:

  • AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center for independent films as well as classic hits.
  • The Fillmore where you can catch live concerts featuring blues, jazz, country, rock, and folk tunes.
  • Public Art Walk which has so many interesting installations you need a map to see them all.
  • Veterans Plaza – a farmer’s market in summer and an ice-rink in winter.
  • The National Capital Trolley Car Museum celebrates the story of the streetcar.

In between exploring, pop in at one of the 150 restaurants and bars in the area for some refreshment or a night on the town. 

people in silver springs looking at things to do in silver springs

Movies and Theatre

Apart from the theatrical attractions of downtown, Silver Spring also plays host to several concerts and shows throughout the year. Live music is always on the cards in this vibrant town. 

The Silver Spring Stage has been bringing music and theatre to the community for over 22 years and it’s a great place to catch up with local thespians practicing their art. 

If you prefer silver screen attractions, there’ll be something on show at the IMAX and Regal Majestic Theatre.  

Couple watching movie at theater with glasses and popcorn

Amazing Museums 

Museums are one of the best things to do in Silver Spring MD during the daytime. You’ll find several of these historic and scientific attractions in the area. 

The National Museum of Health and Medicine is a treasure trove of fascinating facts and exhibits. Look out for the bullet that killed Lincoln, weird Japanese anatomical models, tumors, hairballs, and plenty of other things to make you go “EEUW”.  

The KID Museum is a dedicated space where children can learn about the world with hands-on activities and interactive displays. 

The HBCU Museum focusses on the journey of African American education over the years and raises funds for scholarships.

At Gateway to NOAA the emphasis is on the science of weather and conservation of the Earth’s resources.

Girl with glasses looking at painting in museum

Outdoor Things to Do in Silver Spring

It might be close to the big city but Silver Spring has plenty to offer lovers of the great outdoors.

Wheaton Regional Park presents opportunities for year-round fun with both winter and summer activities to enjoy. Some of the top things to do here include horseback riding, hiking, train rides, picnicking, and ice skating. Within the park, Brookside Center features nature centers and exhibits for the less active visitor to admire.

Sligo Creek Park offers a chance to walk, bike, fish, or relax in lovely surroundings. You can enjoy a round of golf at Hampshire Greens, Northwest Park, or Argyle Country Club.

Woodside Urban Park has plenty of room for skateboarding, inline skating, tennis, and basketball as well as a playground for kiddies. 

The Washington DC area is expecting a super-snowy winter which means a weekend trip to Maryland’s only ski resort, Deep Creek Lake, could be in order this year.

two people going on a hike

Wining and Dining

Great Shoals Winery Tasting room is a must for those who love the fruits of the vine. This successful wine farm has over 20 different wines up for grabs as well as delicious ciders made from locally-sourced fruits and berries. 

Silver Spring is a top spot for artisanal ales too and there are three craft breweries in town. The best way to enjoy them all is on a Saturday afternoon pub crawl.

If it’s sustenance you’re spoiled for choice in Silver Spring with Cuban, Vietnamese, Peruvian, and Italian eats up for grabs as well as all your usual favorite fast foods and grills. 

Two people at a fancy dinner

Children’s Entertainment

Color Me Mine has a full itinerary of artistic activities for children. There are painting and ceramic workshops on the go all the time. Adults can join in the special classes hosted just for them too. 

Kiddz Bounce in the Wheaton Mall is the perfect place for youngsters to blow off steam while the Wheaton Library and Recreation Center has a games room, billiard tables, and ping-pong tables.

Round House Theatre’s play days are a hit with children wanting to explore their theatrical talents with their peers.

The Glen Echo Park Aquarium is a treat with educational displays as well as live exhibits for little ones to admire. They can get to grips with harmless sealife in the touch tank, and meet the baby sharks, or clamber on the Pirate Ship and play in the sandboxes. 

Three kids plating in a sunset

Silver Springs Real Estate is Hot Property Right Now

With so many things to do in Silver Spring, this city on the outskirts of Washington DC is a popular destination for tourists. It’s also a residential hotspot for people working in the nearby city as well as a great place to start a new business.

The schools are good and the cost of living is in great shape, making Silver Springs a top choice for homeowners as well as renters. 

When you own a home in Silver Spring you’ll have no shortage of tenants wanting to move in. If you decide to go that route, get in touch with our award-winning team of property managers to help you keep things in order. 

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Enhanced Reporting

Your portal includes a selection of extremely useful reports. Reports are available in the “Reports” section, and are distinct from the financial statements. Unlike financial statements which are static records, Reports are dynamic real-time records that will update with current data every time you view them. 

Scroll down to learn more about Reports:

Navigate to the "Reports" module in your portal:

Owner Portal Reports
  • Keep in mind, these reports are dynamic records. They will refresh to display current information every time you view them. 

Enhanced Rent Roll Report:

Enhanced Rent Roll Report
  • The Enhanced Rent Roll Report will show the rent amount, last payment date, move-in date, lease expiration date, and security deposit amount for each of your tenants. 
  • It will also show a portfolio summary with occupancy percentage, vacancy loss, and more!

Unit Comparison Report:

Unit Comparison Report
  • If you own multiple units (or buildings) with Nomadic, you’ll get access to the Unit Comparison Report. 
  • This report enables you to quickly compare financial performance between your units at a glance without toggling between individual reports. 

Income Statement Month-Over-Month:

Income Statement by Month Report
  • The Income Statement Detail – Monthly Report serves as a month-over-month record of portfolio performance. You’ll see itemized income and expense categories and can track monthly. This report will update with fresh data every time you view it. 

Financial Statements

Financial statements will be published to your portal on a monthly basis. The statements are found in your Documents library, and provide a historical record of all financial performance. The statements serve as a snapshot of financial performance over a given period, and are static documents (unlike Reports, the statements do not update/change in real-time). 

Scroll down for more info about the Financial Statements in your Documents library:

The Documents area contains monthly financial statements:

Owner Portal Documents
  • The statements in the Documents are are static documents. They are posted to the portal once a month to serve as a historical record of financial performance. 

Download a statement to see month and YTD financials:

Owner Portal Property Statement

You'll also find a month-over-month operating statement:

Month over Month Statement

Portal Communication Tool

You can use your owner portal to communicate with our team. Any messages you send through the portal will go straight to your Account Manager. When we reply, you’ll get an email notification and you’ll also see the message in your portal next time you log in. 

Here’s an overview of using the communication platform:

Click "Communications" and navigate to "Conversations":

Commincation Dashboard Screenshot
  • The communications module will contain a record of all messages that you create through the portal. 

Click the "New Message" button and send your message:

Owner Portal New Message Screenshot

Responses will show up in the conversation ticket:

Portal Conversation Response Screenshot
  • You’ll get an email notification whenever you get a response, and you’ll also see the message in your portal next time you log in. 

You can reply in-line using the comment box:

Owner Portal Comment

Each conversation will be logged in its entirety:

Portal Conversation Snapshot

Understanding the Ledger

Your portal includes a ledger with all transactions. The ledger is populated with data in real-time as transactions flow through our accounting software. Much of this information is also available in the Reports area, as well as the Statements in your Documents library, but the ledger is the most comprehensive resource for diving into the details. 

Please scroll through the sections below to get a better understanding of how to interpret the ledger. 

By default, transactions are sorted chronologically:

Owner Ledger Dates
  • The date reflected in the lefthand column is the actual transaction date, not the “bill date”. This is the date the transaction was actually processed. 

If you have multiple properties with Nomadic, you'll see the address for each transaction in the "Location" column:

Ledger Property Column
  • You can filter the ledger to look at just one property, all properties, or specific sets of properties. 
  • If you only have one property with us, you’ll just see the ledger for that property. 

The Description column displays the transaction type:

Owner Ledger Description Column
  • BILL: this is an expense transaction, such as for repair costs or management fees.
  • CHARGE: this is a transaction  billed to the tenant, most typically a rent payment. 
  • NACHA EXPORT: this is a credit we processed to your distribution account. This type of transaction is how you get paid! 

The Amount column shows the dollar value of each transaction:

Owner Ledger Amount Column
  • Positive Amounts: if an amount is positive, it reflects a transaction that is payable to you. Typically, this will be a rent payment that we collected from your tenants. On occasion, a positive number could also signify a journal entry or credit adjustment. 
  • Negative Amounts:  if an amount is negative, this is a transaction that is either payable to Nomadic or is an amount that has already been paid to you. Typically this will be for repair costs or management/leasing fees. Owner draws (net distributions into your checking/savings account) also reflect as negative amounts, since they have already been paid to you. 

The Account Balance column shows a sum of positive/negative transactions at a given point in time:

Owner Ledger Account Balance Column
  • Account Balance should always equal zero after a net distribution has been processed. When the balance is zero, this means that all expenses have been paid and you’ve received the remainder as net operating income, leaving a balance of zero (meaning: no one is due any money, as all funds have been distributed appropriately). 

Navigating the Propertyware Owner Portal

Your portal includes some extremely useful features that help you understand your property’s financial performance at a new level, with real-time transparency into every transaction.

Scroll through the snapshots below for an overview of portal navigation! If you need more help or have specific questions about using the portal, you can reach out to your Account Manager any time for a screen share. 

You can filter all info by date range or property:

PW Portal Filters

View a snapshot of income and expenses on your dashboard:

PW Owner Dashboard View

See every transaction in real-time on your ledger:

Owner Portal Ledger View

Statements and forms will be posted to your documents library:

Owner Portal Document Library

View a suite of real-time financial reports:

Portal Reports View

See a running list of all bills, and drill down for more detail:

Owner Portal Bills View

Under Bill Details, you'll find dates/descriptions/amounts and more:

Portal Bill Details

You can also communicate with your Account Manager through the portal:

Owner Portal Communication Tools

How do net distributions work?

Net distributions keep your accounting clean and simple. Each month we’ll collect rent from the tenants, deduct any repair expenses for the previous month and any management/leasing fees for the current month, and credit the remaining net operating income to your account. 

Net Distribution

You’ll receive a statement via email each time a net distribution is processed, and can view all transaction details in your Propertyware owner portal.