Is Cresthaven safe?
Silver Spring, Maryland · safety score updated nightly
Yes — it is one of the safer places in the metro to walk around.
VibeLoco rates Cresthaven as “Go”.
Gogo's take on Cresthaven
“Go. Cresthaven is a peaceful, established suburban neighborhood in Silver Spring offering a safe, low-crime environment. Visitors will find quiet residential streets and easy access to nearby parks and dining with minimal safety concerns.”
About the area
Cresthaven is a mid-century, tree-lined residential community situated between New Hampshire Avenue and the Northwest Branch parklands in eastern Montgomery County. It features single-family homes, quiet cul-de-sacs, and a diverse population with quick access to commercial amenities in neighboring Hillandale.
- Suburban Quiet
- Family-Friendly
- Tree-Lined
- Car-Dependent
Walking and biking in Cresthaven
Walk score: 42/100 · Bike score: 48/100
Capital Bikeshare docks are limited in the interior residential streets, but the neighborhood provides convenient road connections to the paved multi-use Northwest Branch Trail.
Reasons to go, and reasons to think twice
Pros
- Consistently low rates of violent crime well below national and regional averages
- High homeownership rate and stable, well-maintained housing stock
- Peaceful suburban setting with mature trees and ample green space
- Strong civic engagement and high rates of health insurance and digital connectivity
Cons
- Car-dependent infrastructure with few commercial destinations inside the neighborhood core
- Periodic opportunistic property crimes such as vehicle break-ins along border avenues
- Indirect transit access requiring bus transfers to reach the Metrorail network
Homelessness: Visible homelessness is practically absent from the interior residential streets of Cresthaven, though occasional individuals asking for assistance may be encountered near major bus stops along New Hampshire Avenue.
What Cresthaven is like at each time of day
- Morning · 5a – 11a
- Peaceful and active with residents jogging, walking pets, and heading out on morning commutes.
- Afternoon · 11a – 5p
- Very calm with low vehicle traffic and families utilizing Cresthaven Local Park.
- Evening · 5p – 10p
- Quiet residential setting with well-lit driveways and safe conditions for evening strolls.
- Late night · 10p – 5a
- Extremely low activity with occasional localized darkness on residential side streets; standard suburban awareness applies.
Transit, parking and getting around
Montgomery County Ride On bus routes (primarily Route 20 and Route 22) and Metrobus K6 along New Hampshire Avenue connect the neighborhood to the Silver Spring and Glenmont Metrorail stations on the Red Line, located about 15 minutes away by bus.
Street parking throughout the residential subdivisions is free, abundant, and rarely restricted, alongside large free surface lots at adjacent commercial plazas.
Things to do in Cresthaven
- Enjoy the playgrounds, tennis courts, and open fields at Cresthaven Local Park
- Hike and birdwatch along the adjacent Northwest Branch Stream Valley Trail
- Explore the authentic multicultural restaurants along the nearby New Hampshire Avenue corridor
Local favorites
- Silvestre Chicken · Peruvian Restaurant · 4.4★ (980)Popular local spot serving authentic Peruvian rotisserie chicken, plantains, and traditional sides.
- Pho Real · Vietnamese Restaurant · 4.3★ (620)Neighborhood favorite offering rich bowls of pho, banh mi sandwiches, and noodle bowls.
- Tiffin · Indian Restaurant · 4.2★ (570)Relaxed eatery known for traditional Indian specialties, tandoori dishes, and a popular lunch buffet.
Scores are safety-driven — recent reported crime and local news plus Census income, poverty, housing, education, household and access data — refreshed nightly. Walk and bike scores are shown separately and do not affect the safety score. A guide, not a guarantee — conditions change street to street.