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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Thank you. DC is very risk averse. This also extends to other areas too like food options, coffee shop options, etc. 90% of what’s out there follows a generic formula. So much fun experimentation in other cities. There are lots of Blank Street cafes and Compass Coffees but few indie places like Lost Sock Roastery (Takoma). There are tons of Tattes but few interesting indie bakeries. Instagram reveals the far richer selection that exists in virtually every other city.

True there’s lots of good ethnic food from recent immigrants, and a few good michelin star restaurants, but that’s all DC really has going for it. Our museum food is even outsourced to a generic provider of cold sandwiches and hot tea or bottled drinks.

At least Bethesda has a decent mix of high end casual chains like Tatte and a Maman. A new market segment, and wildly different from when the neighborhood was dominated by middle of the road but beloved local restaurants like Hot Shoppes, O’Donnell’s Seafood, Luigi’s, Szechuan Garden, etc.

[Anonymous]

^Forgot to add Bethesda’s Hard Times Cafe to that list of beloved local chains popular with families in the olden days.

[Anonymous]

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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.

Yes, but they can also outsource some of the service expenses to the new cities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^Forgot to add Bethesda’s Hard Times Cafe to that list of beloved local chains popular with families in the olden days.

People like to remember the good more than the bad or mediocre. There was an Arby’s next to the hot shoppes. And a sit down Pizza Hut restaurant, a McDonald’s, and a Burger King a block away.

[Anonymous]

The B&N was really a hangout anchor. Let's grab dinner and go over to B&N for a while. Let's get lunch, catch a movie, and check out B&N afterwards. It really activated that area.
Bethesda lost, IMO, many of its non-chains and 3rd places, only to see them replaced with mixed use high-rises (that end up being bank branches, ugh).