I am amazed at several businesses that have survived and thrived the rise, the decline, the fall and the current surge in popularity of "Silver Sprung", Md. As a native of Silver Spring, I have lived, gone to school, played and worked here all my life. I've seen the good the bad and the ugly times in Silver Spring.
There are several places in Silver Spring that are gone but not forgotten by me, such as Billy Boy's Subshop, The Hecht Co., Hahns, Eddie Leonards, the bowling alley, the smell of the Heidi -Giant Food Bakery, the Hot Shoppes, the Old Armory Building, The Trojan Horse night club in the Holiday Inn, The Galaxy Room night club and Fire Fountain Restaurant in the old Sheraton Hotel, my Texaco Gas Station (on the corner of Wayne & Georgia), the Drug Fair, Solar Plexus, London Cleaners,Villa Rosa Restaurant, Kushner's, Sakura Palace, Hofberg's Deli, Fred & Harry's, The Wachapreague, and Giffords.
Most of all I miss the Citizens Bank Building (my dad had his Woodside Realty Co Business on the 3rd Floor), this is where my brother and I watched the Thanksgiving Parade every year with an incredible bird's eye view from our warm window perch, 3 stories above Fenton Street, we thought we were the luckiest kids in the world!
Some Silver Spring Businesses that have survived and still thrive:
Crisfield's The Original at Georgia Ave & EW Hwy with the "Early Bathroom" Decor still serving up the best seafood in the area since 1944. A great article about funky old Cristfields from 2003, an article from December 2006 and their website.
Mamma Regina opened in 1974. The name was changed to SERGIO"S in 
1989 by the owner Sergio Toni who is still on the premises almost every night. Sergio acquired the restaurant in 1982. The quality of the food has not changed, this restaurant is always packed! I would give it an A for it's romantic upscale atmosphere. Sergio's has survived how many hotel ownership changes? Has been in the same tucked away location (the very bottom/basement of whatever hotel is there at the time - currently the Hilton)
Douglas Speed and Sport opened on Fenton Street in 1963. The Shop sells Racing and High performance Car products. The owner Larry Lint says 40% of his Business comes from Drag Racing Customers, 10% comes from Truck parts and the bulk of his bussiness is selling to muscle car and restoration enthusiasts. He says that this part of Fenton Street has gone from "a sleepy back street" to gridlock in just the past year.
Viccino's Open since the early 1990's A popular, no frills, laid back, nothing fancy, "hole in the wall" on Sligo Avenue at Georgia (across the street from the newer Jackie's) with plastic red checked table cloths, fake flowers and Excellent Italian food.
Hannigan's Auto Body Jim Hannigan and his brother opened up Shop in 1958. They come very highly recommended and are well known for their satisfied customers. Hannigan's is located on that teeny tiny road in Silver Spring named after the famous horse Selim (933 Selim Road, Silver Spring, Md 20910). People rave about Hannigan's ability to match paint and their resonable prices.
Corner Pub A pine panelled institution in 4 Corners known for it's casual sports bar crowd and really good pizza. The owners are somehow related to the original Fred and Harry's folks (the Pub is in the basement of the former Fred & Harry's Restaurant in Four Corners)
Woodmoor Bakery actually named "Woodmoor Pastry Shop" A Real Bakery in the 
Woodmoor Shopping Center since the early 1950's. No need to say more about this shop -Just HOMEMADE cookies, pastries, pies and cakes made by people doing this for almost 50 years. YUM!
Santucci's stands for Delicious and homemade with care, also in the Woodmoor Shopping Center, This tiny Italian Deli and Sub shop deserves mention here too, for surviving with the chains like Subway, Jerry's and McDonald's only steps away from it.
Atlantic Guns The original location opened on Bonifant Street in 1950. Still owned by the same Family, since 1950, they still do a brisk business (which is surprises me) and now have a second location in Gaithersburg. The only complaint they have about the Silver Spring location is the lack of parking spaces near the gun shop.
Thai Derm another unique little place tucked away on Bonifant Steet with the best 
thai food around, the original owner has been there since 1982. The interior of this restaurant and the superb food quality has not changed in the 24 years they've been there.
The Auto Shoppe Randy Rodman, an expert Mercedes auto mechanic has been in business in Silver Spring for over 30 years, He started out in a tiny location across from Montgomery College on Fenton Street extended. Recently moved to a much larger spot on Philadelphia Ave, just 2 blocks away.
Headlines Hair Designers started out as a small shop in the early 1980's The owners, The Everline Family, occupied a space in an old building on Roeder Road. They have sinced moved twice, first to First Avenue (at the back of Georgian Towers) and then to their "huge state of the art" current location at 8740 Georgia Avenue (the front of Georgian Towers).
The Golden Flame opened in 1972 - Owned by the Mamarus family. Their Greek food is still wonderful and resonably priced and they have a good happy hour!
Sniders Super Foods Local, Small, Very Friendly, Unique and not your average big Chain Grocrery Store. Their website.
Silver Spring Stage in Woodmoor Shopping Center opened Over 30 years ago. Something I never knew was that it was built in a previous BOWLING ALLEY !
White Oak Bowling Alley Still in White Oak Shopping Center. Opened in the early 60's? Duckpin bowling and a snack bar - still takes me back to the 60's. Now the only Bowling Alley I can think of in Silver Spring?
Tastee Diner Opened in the 40's on the corner of Wayne and Georgia. I can't forget those shabby, falling apart booth seats in the place (kinda added to it's charm)before it moved to it's new home on Cameron Street.
Mi Rancho opened up in the Old "3 Aces Restaurant" Space at Ramsey Avenue and Fidler Lane in the early 1990's at a time when we had no really decent restaurants in Silver Spring much less any mexican restaurants. Became very Popular and still is!
Hoover Fisher Florists in Woodmoor Shopping Center in Business for over 50 years occupies a really cool looking corner store of the Shopping center.
Chaconas Florist on Wayne Avenue - I think I remember them having a shop on Silgo Avenue many years ago? Or maybe that was Vincent Agnes Florist?
Bell's Florist - The grandaddy of Silver Spring Florists Same family since 1947. The Mangum Family have always been active Silver Spring Boosters.
Plaza Arts Store - What a Cool place to wander around in and I Love their CAT. The cat must be ancient though, I can't remember NOT seeing it for the last 15 years. Silver Spring Daily Photo has an awesome photo of the shop with this cat in the window! This is going way back, but before Plaza Art, it was LITTMAN"S or LIPPMAN's art and framing.
Dale Music - Since 1950 People are amazed that this little shop has survived, but they do have a website, maybe that has helped them in this day and age. Also word of mouth and having a niche in the business has helped too. I know people that have traveled from DC, PG and NorthernVirginia to this unique little store.
For these Local "mom and pop" small business' to have survived our revitalization and inundation of huge new chains into our downtown and greater silver spring area, they must be doing something right!! I applaud all of them and apologize if I have forgotten any. Please let me know if you think of any I might have missed.
Debbie, I lived in Silver Spring for a couple of years (and commuted to Rockville for work) and loved-loved-loved Santucci's deli and the Woodmoor Bakery. I passed by on my way home from work and usually stopped on Fridays for an Italian sub and then walked down to the bakery for my "weekend" cookies. The people in that area are so great. It is fun to go to the revitalized downtown to watch an old movie at the AFI or go to a newer restaurant, but there is still plenty going on in the rest of Silver Spring. As I recall, there is also a textile shop in the White Oak shopping center (near Sears) that sells gorgeous saris and other materials. Thanks for bringing back the memories.
Thank you Betsy,
Where did you live in Silver Spring? I think the textile shop might be gone now. I haven't seen anything like that in White Oak, I was in that Sears 2 weeks ago. Wow, you moved all the way to the state of Washington. Must be a real difference!
No Walmart Yet. The people around here won't allow it! I love Walmart and have to drive to Laurel, Md (in another county or Germantown, MD (the only one they have allowed in Montgomery County but it's way up county from me) to shop there. I don't know of a property in Silver Spring that would be big enough for a Walmart anyway. Too bad.
All I know of Silver Spring is it's a stop on the Metro. Now I have a better idea thanks to your very descriptive and outstanding post. (thank Mark Flanders for directing me here!)
kk
Mark Flanders,
Sincere thanks, and thanks so much for getting the post noticed! It means a lot to me to have your encouragment!
Debbie, This is a great local post, almost a neighborhood directory. Good job.
HI Debbie.. As Mark points out, this is a great local post. You have set the bar. I am your humble grasshopper. I will try to make you proud! scratch that. I WILL make you proud.
good content, local links, nice layout (esp with photos on right going from skinny to wide to skinny)..
see you around. :)))
Hi Debbie,
This is an unbelievably well done local content post! Kuddos to you and Mark for pointing it out to all of us here on AR. Great job! Took alot of work to put this one together.
Whatever else the Internet and new technology have done, with the aid of those who provide the content, it is possible to wax nostalgic and stroll through memories as never before. I arrived at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in August of 1973. Much of Silver Spring was an easy walk away. I ate at the Hot Shoppes (restaurants, cafeterias, and Jr.'s. Sadly, I didn't eat at Crisfields (in spite of good write ups in the Washingtonian and the lines of people waiting to outside on Friday and Saturday evenings. I did eat at the Luau Hut on Ramsey number of times. I still have a few vinyl LP's I bought in the Hect Company's basement. I enjoyed the Galaxy Room and the Trojan Horse. If I remember correctly, the restaurant in the Holiday Inn continued the Greek theme. I enjoyed eating at Sakura and the Golden Flame. I saw, among other films, Godfather 2 at the Silver Theater. This one stands out because I notice GF2 will be playing again at the AFI Silver this month.
I also remember (or misremember) a sub shop called Tom's. I have had not sub better than the ones I had there. I also remember an icecream parlor on Georgia Ave. It was, I believe an art deco type building, an old fashioned ice cream parlor. I loved it (even more than Ferrel's in Wheaton Plaza).
Lastly, having arrived in the area in late summer 1973, I wonder if anyone else was as amused as I was when I first walked north up Georgia Avenue. I mean, Drug Fair!!! I couldn't help laughing
Although I experienced a number of things over the next three years, Silver Spring remains dear to me.
Thank you.
P.S. Oh, wow! It took a few minutes to incubate in my mind but suddenly the name Gifford's came clearly to mind. Until I saw it in print I was unable to remember.
I apologize for the typos in the previous response.
Thanks, again ever so much.
Ken, I am sol glad you remembered Gifford's because I was already obsessing on the name! It was fabulous (as was Sakura) - and I didn't move there until 1979, but don't remember Ferrel's. Maybe I was just unaware or it closed? Thanks for bringing me back to Debbie's post.
Thank you Carole. Once more, I was careless and misspelled Farrell's. Here is a web page that offers a quick review of Farrell's. When I returned to Texas in 1980 there was a Farrell's in Beaumont. I don't know how many or how widespread the chain was. Haven't thought much about them in years. They were okay, but Gifford's was a charming true survivor of another era.
http://www.farrellsusa.com/FarrellsStory.aspx
The following link has an old picture of Gifford's. It was located at Georgia Avenue and Sligo.
http://silverspringhistory.homestead.com/ThenAgainGiffords.html
I hope this isn't TMI. I confess, I am in a most dreamy and nostalgic mood today.
I have good news - Gifford's is still alive and well and making home made ice cream. They have a little commercial space in an industrial park in Silver Spring. I bought a pint of Peppermint Stick and a pint of Swiss Chocolate the other night from the carryout part of the Parkway Deli in Silver Spring. I have also seen the ice cream being sold at our Local Whole Foods store.
The Giffords Building is still there and still looks art deco. It is a children's day care/school center now - but it is still standing.
Thanks, Debbie. Although I may never return to my old haunts in Silver Spring, I still feel a connection.
Thanks again for posting that delightful bit of Silver Spring history.
Please allow me one last note before I must move on to things present. One other Silver Spring business I enjoyed was the Little Tavern. I had never heard of White Castle's before enjoying the little hamburgers sold at the Tavern. To this day I enjoy the simple tastiness of little burgers made that way.
Lastly, at the interesection at the southwest corner of the Hecht Co. there were pedestrian crossing on the diagonal of the intersection. Likely, there were others like this in the area somewhere, but this is the only intersection I have ever personally seen that included this accomodation.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you.
We are considering a move to SS, pending a contract. We have lived in capital cities of other countries, so we are not "country bumpkins"- but I must be honest, at this point in our lives, we would like more of a small town appeal. Can anyone recommend an area outside of SS that we should look at. We are coming from the south where you can get your hands on acres and square footage for 1/3 of what I am seeing in SS. Country feel and space without dropping a mil.- any possibilities? The position we are looking at involves a great deal of travel, nat' l and international. We want " a place to come home to."
thanks to anyone who has suggestions. "A." in S.C.
Hi Debbie,
Next year my new book "Then & Now: Silver Spring" will be published by Arcadia. One chapter will be devoted to Silver Spring Park, where I own a home (aka E. Silver Spring). I am in need of vintage photos in this neighborhood to pair with current photos that I will take. Can you help get the word out to people in this neighborhood who might have photos that I can borrow? More information is at http://www.takoma.com/ssthenagain/
Thank you.