Why is Friendship Heights so empty and lame?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, it was dying a slow death way before covid. It needs to be redeveloped but not by stupid commercial real estate developers who just keep putting in chains.

This seems like quite a dilemma. Who should redevelop it, if not the people whose business is to redevelop commercial parcels?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's sad that such a nice area can't support the high-end stores. I loved all the department stores back in the day - the best selection. All supported despite having a thriving Montgomery Mall and White Flint close by.

+1
I grew up here and have great memories of shopping for formal dresses and having nice lunches afterwards with my mom. The week before Christmas my dad and I would go shopping at neimans for my mom. Everything was decorated perfectly for the holidays.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, it was dying a slow death way before covid. It needs to be redeveloped but not by stupid commercial real estate developers who just keep putting in chains.

This seems like quite a dilemma. Who should redevelop it, if not the people whose business is to redevelop commercial parcels?

Commercial real estate development developed by commercial real estate developers is the worst!

/s

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unlike Bethesda Row, it's not a fun place to walk/stroll. You've got Wisconsin and Western Avenue traffic cutting off each side of the street. Ten years ago when they had J Crew, H&M and those sorts of retailers there, they never got a critical mass of stores where people would want to go to. Finally, it's ugly as sin. The architecture is hideous and uninviting.

This. If they could somehow route the traffic in a circle aroundthat intersection, and create an enclosed space, it would be more inviting. Or create an architecturally interesting bridge/pavilion like the Maggie Daley park in Chicago. Something. But as it is I fear for my life every time I have to cross there. And yes it is just so ugly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, it was dying a slow death way before covid. It needs to be redeveloped but not by stupid commercial real estate developers who just keep putting in chains.

So if developers don't develop it, then who should?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I used to Metro over there to buy groceries in 2000-2002. I would also go shopping and see movies. That was when I didn't have a car and lived near the metro. I do now.

Now I do all of that in either:
Downtown Silver Spring,
PG Plaza area

Other places like Beltsville or Annapolis.

It became a commercial center when there was a lot less competition. I would think that the construction on the Red Line which happened for a long time on weekends slowly killed peoples' habits of going there. With no movie theater and groceries near so many more metro stations now, I don't know why people would go over there. Other than for doctors' offices.

There were two movie theaters there. Once closed in the 1980's, the other concurrent with Covid.

There are still two grocery stores there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's sad that such a nice area can't support the high-end stores. I loved all the department stores back in the day - the best selection. All supported despite having a thriving Montgomery Mall and White Flint close by.

+1
I grew up here and have great memories of shopping for formal dresses and having nice lunches afterwards with my mom. The week before Christmas my dad and I would go shopping at neimans for my mom. Everything was decorated perfectly for the holidays.

When is the last time you went to a real store for shopping, and then a nice lunch afterwards? And where?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Online shopping killed it. Should bring in kids play places, water fountains, cafes, gyms like rock climbing, library or bookstore, senior center or other community center, farmers market, etc to regrow traffic. Not very walkable though. Need to make parking more convenient.

There must be at least 1,000 parking spaces in friendship heights. And it is VERY walkable, there just isn't anything there to walk to at the moment. That will change as new development gets completed. But the claim about "hard to park" is just plain strange.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unlike Bethesda Row, it's not a fun place to walk/stroll. You've got Wisconsin and Western Avenue traffic cutting off each side of the street. Ten years ago when they had J Crew, H&M and those sorts of retailers there, they never got a critical mass of stores where people would want to go to. Finally, it's ugly as sin. The architecture is hideous and uninviting.

This. If they could somehow route the traffic in a circle aroundthat intersection, and create an enclosed space, it would be more inviting. Or create an architecturally interesting bridge/pavilion like the Maggie Daley park in Chicago. Something. But as it is I fear for my life every time I have to cross there. And yes it is just so ugly.

You realize you can use the metro accesses to "cross" the streets, right? I mean, that is what most people do.

[Anonymous]

My theory is when bookstores close, neighborhoods die. Borders was the first nail in the coffin.

Bethesda was dumb to lose B&N. I no longer go there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unlike Bethesda Row, it's not a fun place to walk/stroll. You've got Wisconsin and Western Avenue traffic cutting off each side of the street. Ten years ago when they had J Crew, H&M and those sorts of retailers there, they never got a critical mass of stores where people would want to go to. Finally, it's ugly as sin. The architecture is hideous and uninviting.

All of this, plus that unsightly bus terminal that sits on the northeast corner of of western/wisc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's sad that such a nice area can't support the high-end stores. I loved all the department stores back in the day - the best selection. All supported despite having a thriving Montgomery Mall and White Flint close by.

+1
I grew up here and have great memories of shopping for formal dresses and having nice lunches afterwards with my mom. The week before Christmas my dad and I would go shopping at neimans for my mom. Everything was decorated perfectly for the holidays.

Regularly. I take my girls to neimans at Tyson’s II and then we have lunch in the cafe. We also regularly will shop in old town and then grab lunch or an early dinner.

When is the last time you went to a real store for shopping, and then a nice lunch afterwards? And where?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unlike Bethesda Row, it's not a fun place to walk/stroll. You've got Wisconsin and Western Avenue traffic cutting off each side of the street. Ten years ago when they had J Crew, H&M and those sorts of retailers there, they never got a critical mass of stores where people would want to go to. Finally, it's ugly as sin. The architecture is hideous and uninviting.

This. If they could somehow route the traffic in a circle aroundthat intersection, and create an enclosed space, it would be more inviting. Or create an architecturally interesting bridge/pavilion like the Maggie Daley park in Chicago. Something. But as it is I fear for my life every time I have to cross there. And yes it is just so ugly.

You realize you can use the metro accesses to "cross" the streets, right? I mean, that is what most people do.

You don’t get it. You can order everything online these days. People want an enjoyable experience if they go out shopping. Not to scuttle through underground tunnels to avoid the freeway-like environment above ground.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Online shopping killed it. Should bring in kids play places, water fountains, cafes, gyms like rock climbing, library or bookstore, senior center or other community center, farmers market, etc to regrow traffic. Not very walkable though. Need to make parking more convenient.

How much more convenient can the parking be?!?!

Also you can either have convenient [free] parking, or you can have a walkable area, but there's no such thing as a walkable area with convenient [free] parking.

Exactly. FH is neither. Parking is not terrible but can be inconvenient. Not fun to walk there either for all the reasons PPs pointed out.

For as long as I've lived in DC no one "goes" to that area for anything. You live there to get away from DC crime, and because you can afford to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unlike Bethesda Row, it's not a fun place to walk/stroll. You've got Wisconsin and Western Avenue traffic cutting off each side of the street. Ten years ago when they had J Crew, H&M and those sorts of retailers there, they never got a critical mass of stores where people would want to go to. Finally, it's ugly as sin. The architecture is hideous and uninviting.

This. If they could somehow route the traffic in a circle aroundthat intersection, and create an enclosed space, it would be more inviting. Or create an architecturally interesting bridge/pavilion like the Maggie Daley park in Chicago. Something. But as it is I fear for my life every time I have to cross there. And yes it is just so ugly.

You realize you can use the metro accesses to "cross" the streets, right? I mean, that is what most people do.

You don’t get it. You can order everything online these days. People want an enjoyable experience if they go out shopping. Not to scuttle through underground tunnels to avoid the freeway-like environment above ground.

+ 100

The area is built for cars. Not pedestrians.