Dumb idea for the parents to do this in Silver Spring...
You're entitled to your opinion. They are are entitled to their's. No?
As someone who grew up in the NYC suburbs, I am not familiar with Silver Spring. However, I used Google Earth to do a little scouting, and it is not a bad area. It is a typical suburban town, red brick federal and tudor style homes. I believe I drove through the town a couple of years ago when my daughter attended an event at American University. My impression was it was a pretty upscale place. Starbucks style places everywhere.