This is how I first remember the home at 10502 Hayes Avenue Silver Spring Maryland. Of course, my earliest memories of the home go all the way back to 1963. My friend Bob Merrbach lived here with his mom and dad. Bob and I and several of our friend spent the summer at MacDonald Knolls recreation center. We played softball, ping pong and badminton. It was the last summer of our youth. Boyhood games were soon traded for cars, part-time jobs and high school. We still gathered here. Late night phone calls, plaintively sharing sweet nothings, to my first real girlfriend originated from the family room in the basement. Three of us listened to Cassius Clay beat Sonny Liston for the heavyweight title on the old RCA radio here. Pop taught us how to change oil in the driveway. It was really the quintessential all-American home. We all grew up and moved away. Bob's parents stayed until one after another they passed on. Bob ended up moving back in a few years ago and now it is time to finally move on.
This is the house today. The floor plan is still the same. The front door opens to a large living room that features original hardwood floors and a wood burning fireplace. The picture window allows lots of sunlight during the day. The hardwoods gleam! The eat-in kitchen is behind the living room. Bob put down a new floor. Did I mention that the upstairs has been repainted? The two bedrooms are on this floor. The front bedroom is the larger of the two but the rear bedroom is large enough for a queen bed. The main floor bathroom has been spiffed up. There is probably storage space in the attic, but Bob's father preferred to fill the space with insulation. The insulation kept heating and cooling bills lower all the years the family has owned the home.
Downstairs is the large finished family room and a bar. There is also a full bath with a shower. The laundry area features a washer and dryer. The furnace is only 15 years old. The memories are timeless.
The home is well landscaped and the backyard is fully fenced-in. Pop's old shed is still out in the corner (sorry the "Pop's Garage" sign does not convey). There is a small patio and room for planting a garden. The yard gets plenty of sunlight during the afternoon.
Today, people are pretty concerned with location. When Pop bought the place, he just wanted a decent place to raise his son. The location remains terrific. You have your pick of three or four subway stops. You can drive through the park and take Forest Glen Road to the Forest Glen stop. Continue farther down Sligo Creek Parkway to Colesville Road and use the Silver Spring Stop. If you would rather use Wheaton, it is a short drive down University Boulevard and if you prefer Glenmont, you can go across Arcola to Georgia. Don't over look the fact that there is a Marc Train stop in Kensington as well as Silver Spring.
The area has grown, but you are still close to Wheaton Regional Park, Brookside Gardens, Sligo Creek Golf Course and Sligo Creek Park. Feeling adventurous? Sugarloaf Mountain, the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River are all a short drive away. Downtown Silver Spring has outdoor events all summer, Wheaton features the "Taste of Wheaton" and when summer turns to fall, you are but a 30 minute drive from the County Fair in Gaithersburg.
Commuting to downtown DC? You have many ways to get there. Sure, you can use the Metro and one of the four Redline stops I mentioned or you can drive in using one of the many under utilized roads downtown or you can bike your way to work. The choice is yours. Work from home? Choose between Verizon fios or Comcast, both are available for your internet needs.
The one thing that pictures can't convey, there was a lot of love in this home. A little boy grew up there and became one of my life long friends. I feel privileged to have been asked to help him sell the home. As we went through each room, there was always a story and a memory. We shared the anxieties that teen aged boys faced and realized that it is time. It is time to open the door to a new owner. It is time to allow someone new create memories. It is time.
The house is on the market. Soon, someone will bring an offer and this chapter will close. It's time.
If you would like more information about the home, feel free to contact me at 301-509-5111.
ps to the Merrbach's ... thank's for the memories!
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