What’s happening to Bethesda, Montgomery Mall, etc.?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like every place is more generic. All across the coutnry I see the same restaurants and the exact same looking apartments and townhomes—everything is owned and supplied by the same mega businesses. I saw an interview with a famous restiajrantejr recently (now I can’t remember who, but you would know him), and he was basically saying it’s nearly impossible to come up in the restaurant scene now as an independent and he would never make it now. It’s the same with the little stores and so forth….tje headwinds are all again unique and quirky.

That is depressing but probably true.

Still with intentionality and will, more could be done by Bethesda urban planners to mitigate the overwhelming blandness

There are no such people.

There are property owners, that's who you are talking about.

DP
Then it’s time to incorporate as a city.

Too late now! And the County would never allow it. A bunch of us looked into it back when they first started working on the Downtown Plan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like every place is more generic. All across the coutnry I see the same restaurants and the exact same looking apartments and townhomes—everything is owned and supplied by the same mega businesses. I saw an interview with a famous restiajrantejr recently (now I can’t remember who, but you would know him), and he was basically saying it’s nearly impossible to come up in the restaurant scene now as an independent and he would never make it now. It’s the same with the little stores and so forth….tje headwinds are all again unique and quirky.

That is depressing but probably true.

Still with intentionality and will, more could be done by Bethesda urban planners to mitigate the overwhelming blandness

There are no such people.

There are property owners, that's who you are talking about.

No that’s not who I am talking about. Property developers don’t get to operate in vacuums with no accountability or inputs - yet anyway.


Bethesda Downtown Implementation Advisory Committee

The Bethesda Downtown Implementation Advisory Committee (IAC) is an integral part of the Bethesda Downtown Sector Plan. This advisory group will work in coordination with the Montgomery County Planning Department, Bethesda Urban Partnership, Bethesda Chevy-Chase Regional Services Center and Bethesda Green by providing specific community and redevelopment expertise that would also serve as an interface between developers and County agencies in implementing the Bethesda Downtown Sector Plan recommendations. The IAC will be guided by the vision, goals and recommendations in the Approved and Adopted Bethesda Downtown Sector Plan, the Bethesda Downtown Design Guidelines, and the Bethesda Overlay Zone.

The role of the Committee is to coordinate and monitor the progress of development and address implementation of the recommendations in the Approved and Adopted Bethesda Downtown Sector Plan.

https://montgomeryplanning.org/planning/communities/downcounty/bethesda-downtown-plan/bethesda-downtown-implementation-advisory-committee/

The mission of the Bethesda Urban Partnership is to create an environment in which downtown businesses and residents can thrive and prosper.

https://www.bethesda.org/

Ha, ha, ha. I can’t count the number of meetings I’ve been to. The County completely ignored the desires of residents. We were sandbagged.

So there were no residents on the committee? Or they ignored residents on the committee? Either way -/ That is grounds to complain to your political representatives and to Montgomery County government ombudsman!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'll bite too - has (almost) no one in this thread explored / walked around the Woodmont area of downtown Bethesda? It has a bunch of "niche" cool shops like art galleries, boutique coffee shops like French Press, multiple craft stores, old school family-run jewelry store, music stores, hobby stores, 4+ thrift/consignment stores kids activities (Imagination Station, karate, fencing, skate shop, electric bike rentals, etc.), tons of family-owned restaurants (I think over 50??), and a few bars and brewery w/ pool tables and trivia.

They also finally added a bookstore.

What else are you looking for? If you haven't explored since COVID/right after COVID, take part of the weekend and walk around including the side streets - I think you'll be surprised.

+ 1

We are complaining about new Bethesda not old Bethesda.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like every place is more generic. All across the coutnry I see the same restaurants and the exact same looking apartments and townhomes—everything is owned and supplied by the same mega businesses. I saw an interview with a famous restiajrantejr recently (now I can’t remember who, but you would know him), and he was basically saying it’s nearly impossible to come up in the restaurant scene now as an independent and he would never make it now. It’s the same with the little stores and so forth….tje headwinds are all again unique and quirky.

That is depressing but probably true.

Still with intentionality and will, more could be done by Bethesda urban planners to mitigate the overwhelming blandness

There are no such people.

There are property owners, that's who you are talking about.

No that’s not who I am talking about. Property developers don’t get to operate in vacuums with no accountability or inputs - yet anyway.


Bethesda Downtown Implementation Advisory Committee

The Bethesda Downtown Implementation Advisory Committee (IAC) is an integral part of the Bethesda Downtown Sector Plan. This advisory group will work in coordination with the Montgomery County Planning Department, Bethesda Urban Partnership, Bethesda Chevy-Chase Regional Services Center and Bethesda Green by providing specific community and redevelopment expertise that would also serve as an interface between developers and County agencies in implementing the Bethesda Downtown Sector Plan recommendations. The IAC will be guided by the vision, goals and recommendations in the Approved and Adopted Bethesda Downtown Sector Plan, the Bethesda Downtown Design Guidelines, and the Bethesda Overlay Zone.

The role of the Committee is to coordinate and monitor the progress of development and address implementation of the recommendations in the Approved and Adopted Bethesda Downtown Sector Plan.

https://montgomeryplanning.org/planning/communities/downcounty/bethesda-downtown-plan/bethesda-downtown-implementation-advisory-committee/

The mission of the Bethesda Urban Partnership is to create an environment in which downtown businesses and residents can thrive and prosper.

https://www.bethesda.org/

How can we get more artists and creative types plus people who care about creating more community spaces and events on this Bethesda Urban Planning committee?

Bethesda Urban Partnership has a huge benefactor who is a major supporter of the arts (Trawick). Their motto used to be "Bethesda, where the arts shine" or something like that. They have a whole promotional section on their website about their Arts and Entertainments district, and even have a board that focuses on just that:
https://www.bethesda.org/arts-and-entertainment

Bethesda issues annual awards or has festivals for songwriters, contemporary arts, painting and theater. If anything, Bethesda has too much of a focus on the arts:
https://www.bethesda.org/bethesda/events

Name another place in this area of similar size (50k population) that does that much for the arts.

I noticed the map provided by Bethesda Urban partnership only covers old Bethesda (Woodmont Triangle area) and not new Bethesda (Anthropologie/ Apple stores etc)

This clearly shows in the way each side of urban Bethesda has developed. Old Bethesda is way more interesting and charming. New Bethesda is soulless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Having been in the area for the past decade, Bethesda is for racist boomers and snobby white folk. If you want fun, go elsewhere.

Well, at least we know there is a market for a Kleenex store.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To those saying Montgomery Mall is dying.. have you even been there recently? Abercrombie took over the old Banana Republic space. Daughter very excited about that. Its been bustling every time Ive been there in past few months.
Food court is always crowded too.

There are a bunch of weirdos that are always crying about not having a “third place,” yet cheer the decline in malls, the ultimate third places.

I have a teen that loves going to the mall with her friends, and it’s not uncommon. I get the feeling that some forms of brick and mortar shopping and socializing will stick around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Downtown Bethesda has terrible traffic and terrible parking. The stores are all high end and chains. So, nothing new or interesting. And, the things that used to make it interesting at night are gone, namely families, young couples, teens, etc. used to go to the movies, Barnes & Noble, get ice cream, and hang out by the fountain. All of that is missing and we stopped going long ago.

The stores are high end, but many aren’t chains…or aren’t national chains.

On any nice Spring, Summer or Fall day there are tons of families and teens in Bethesda, and there is a movie theatre right in downtown.

There is tons of parking in the public garages and surface lots.

It’s like the Yogi Berra quote “nobody goes there anymore…it’s too popular”.

[Anonymous]

Bethesda Row is always busy… what are you on about?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ann Taylor and Soma were bought out by a PE firm that is closing down stores.

https://www.storereporter.com/ann-taylor-and-soma-close-westfield-montgomery-mall/

And Gap announced (way back in October 2020) that it would be closing 350 Gap/Banana Republic stores by the end of 2024. These closings have nothing to do with the mall and everything to do with the companies that own the stores.

Talbots, as mentioned in the OP, is also really struggling.

For the last 30 years, there have been just too many of these stores. The one-in-every-shopping-center model is unnecessary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bethesda has a decent nightlife, just it's in "old" Bethesda centered on Cordell Ave, not "new" Bethesda (Bethesda Row). I was out bar hopping in Bethesda last weekend, and finally went home at 2am. Places were decently busy even with the holiday weekend and lots of folks out of town.

The only places in new Bethesda with any nightlife are Salt Line, though their bar closes around midnight, and Barking Dog. Pisco y Nazca will open nearby soon, and that may help.

The area directly around the Metro is all office buildings and totally dead at night due to poor planning.

Then in old Bethesda, Caddie's and Tommy Joe's are lively not only at night but during the day on weekends if there's a game on. Down the block, La Catrina actually has a full-on nightclub on the second floor that does decently well. Also on the same block is Gringos & Mariachi's whcih draws a 30+ crowd at the bar. Then a block up, BT's just opened in the old Brickside space, and over another block On St Elmo opened up in the old Union Jacks/Shark Club space. Then Velvet Room (on Norfolk) just got approved for a liquor license and will open in a few months; and another place on the corner also will be opening soon. Also Babycat brewery is opening soon. Then Hanaro has rebranded as Kusshi and has potential with their newly-renovated bar, and Beth's Cafe in the old Positano space has potential if they stay open later. And let's not forget Hip Flask on the roof of the Marriott -- there is often a waitlist to get in on nice summer nights, if you can believe it.

The nightlife is there if you know where to look.

+1. My friends and I always have a good time. It's really not that hard to find nightlife.

[Anonymous]

For people complaining about the lack of independent boutiques in Bethesda and elsewhere, the simple truth is that that independent entrepreneurial spirit is lacking in DC, and has been for quite some time now.

That’s particularly true if you’re comparing DC to cities with trendsetting boutiques like Philadelphia, Richmond, Portland (maine and Oregon), not to mention NYC, et al. DC is very corporate and the business climate reflects that. There are however many independent boutiques in suburban strip malls that cater to various ethnicities, since the DC region is very diverse.

Old Town Alexandria does have some nice boutiques however.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For people complaining about the lack of independent boutiques in Bethesda and elsewhere, the simple truth is that that independent entrepreneurial spirit is lacking in DC, and has been for quite some time now.

That’s particularly true if you’re comparing DC to cities with trendsetting boutiques like Philadelphia, Richmond, Portland (maine and Oregon), not to mention NYC, et al. DC is very corporate and the business climate reflects that. There are however many independent boutiques in suburban strip malls that cater to various ethnicities, since the DC region is very diverse.

Old Town Alexandria does have some nice boutiques however.

There are plenty of boutiques in Georgetown but at a mid-level there are definitely less women's fashion boutiques than other cities. The Union Market area also has some local independent stores as well.

One thing about those boutiques is a lot don't sell independent designers (that's for high end expensive boutiques). They sell mass produced stuff wholesale that's not really any different than what is available on Amazon. A lot of it is cute, and the boutique itself may be locally owned, but from a fashion perspective there aren't a lot of moderately priced boutiques anywhere selling unique locally made clothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For people complaining about the lack of independent boutiques in Bethesda and elsewhere, the simple truth is that that independent entrepreneurial spirit is lacking in DC, and has been for quite some time now.

That’s particularly true if you’re comparing DC to cities with trendsetting boutiques like Philadelphia, Richmond, Portland (maine and Oregon), not to mention NYC, et al. DC is very corporate and the business climate reflects that. There are however many independent boutiques in suburban strip malls that cater to various ethnicities, since the DC region is very diverse.

Old Town Alexandria does have some nice boutiques however.

Baltimore has more boutiques as well. DC is not corporate per se, it’s just filled with people in Federal government jobs. These people aren’t exactly looking to break the mold or do anything at all to stir the pot. So the retail options, especially fashion wise, are not as adventurous and eschew risk as well. New York is corporate, but there are a lot of boutiques in Manhattan. A lot of the people with money up there are less risk averse, and fashion follows suit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like every place is more generic. All across the coutnry I see the same restaurants and the exact same looking apartments and townhomes—everything is owned and supplied by the same mega businesses. I saw an interview with a famous restiajrantejr recently (now I can’t remember who, but you would know him), and he was basically saying it’s nearly impossible to come up in the restaurant scene now as an independent and he would never make it now. It’s the same with the little stores and so forth….tje headwinds are all again unique and quirky.

That is depressing but probably true.

Still with intentionality and will, more could be done by Bethesda urban planners to mitigate the overwhelming blandness

There are no such people.

There are property owners, that's who you are talking about.

DP
Then it’s time to incorporate as a city.

Too late now! And the County would never allow it. A bunch of us looked into it back when they first started working on the Downtown Plan.

What does the county lose if they let more cities incorporate like Rockville in Montgomery County ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like every place is more generic. All across the coutnry I see the same restaurants and the exact same looking apartments and townhomes—everything is owned and supplied by the same mega businesses. I saw an interview with a famous restiajrantejr recently (now I can’t remember who, but you would know him), and he was basically saying it’s nearly impossible to come up in the restaurant scene now as an independent and he would never make it now. It’s the same with the little stores and so forth….tje headwinds are all again unique and quirky.

That is depressing but probably true.

Still with intentionality and will, more could be done by Bethesda urban planners to mitigate the overwhelming blandness

There are no such people.

There are property owners, that's who you are talking about.

DP
Then it’s time to incorporate as a city.

Too late now! And the County would never allow it. A bunch of us looked into it back when they first started working on the Downtown Plan.

What does the county lose if they let more cities incorporate like Rockville in Montgomery County ?

They lose a portion of the tax revenue derived from the properties located inside the newly incorporated city.