Where We Live: Lyttonsville, a neighborhood where change once came slowly

Grenidge, 57, said the neighborhood’s inclusive atmosphere and friendly vibe made it feel like home right away.

“It’s a peaceful, happy place,” Grenidge said. “Everyone is so happy and courteous. When you walk by, everyone smiles and says ‘Good morning’ and ‘Goodnight’ to each other.”

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(Laris Karklis/The Washington Post)

Roger Paden, who has lived 30 feet from the neighborhood boundary with Rosemary Hills for the past 10 years and has been active in civic affairs for both neighborhoods, touted the neighborhood’s proximity to downtown Silver Spring and Bethesda, and to major roads. “We can drive down Rock Creek Parkway and be downtown at the Kennedy Center or the National Mall within 10 to 15 minutes, if there’s no traffic,” said Paden, 60, who teaches philosophy at George Mason University.

New and longtime residents alike are preparing for another wave of change with the proposed construction of a Purple Line station near Brookville Road and Lyttonsville Place.

Initially, Maryland Transit Administration officials also proposed a new rail yard and maintenance shop near the station that would have displaced 17 properties, according to the MTA.

The Lyttonsville Community Civic Association, of which Coffield is president, protested that the facility was too close to neighborhood homes, and it successfully lobbied for a new location. In March, MTA officials unveiled a new plan that calls for a more compact facility farther from the residential part of the neighborhood, west of Lyttonsville Place.

A Purple Line station would still mean major change for the neighborhood. The latest iteration of the plans would call for part of Brookville Road and the Lyttonsville Place bridge to be realigned, displacing five properties, according to the MTA.

Discussions about the Purple Line come as residents start to work with Montgomery County planning officials to create the Lyttonsville-Rosemary Hills Sector Plan, which will direct the community’s future growth.

Paden said he and others see opportunity in the changes. He envisions the community becoming a nature destination, with the proposed rail station’s proximity to Rock Creek Park. He said he is also optimistic the station could lead to more development along Brookville Road.

Paden said whatever the neighborhood’s future holds, the fact that residents are working together to create it proves that its original character is still intact.

“Lyttonsville has a great history of political involvement, and that tradition really helps make the community strong,” Paden said. “Through the process of civic engagement, I have gotten to know many of my neighbors, and I think that’s great.”

Amy Reinink is a freelance writer.

ZIP CODE: 20910

BOUNDARIES: Lanier Drive to the east, Talbot Avenue to the north, Brookville Road to the west and Lyttonsville Place to the south.

SCHOOLS: Rosemary Hills, North Chevy Chase and Rock Creek Forest elementary; Westland Middle; and Bethesda-Chevy Chase High.

HOME SALES: In the past 12 months, one home was sold in Lyttonsville, for $515,000, according to Debbie Cook of Long & Foster. Two houses are on the market, for $300,00 and $375,900. One house is under contract, for $379,900.

WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE: Gwendolyn E. Coffield Community Recreation Center, Rock Creek Park, Capital Crescent Trail.

WITHIN 10 MINUTES BY CAR: Downtown Silver Spring, downtown Bethesda.

TRANSIT: Multiple bus lines, Silver Spring Metro station (Red Line).