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

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

Op, it sounds like you’re at the stage of your life where you want it to be an extension of your college days. Bethesda is not for you. Bethesda is for people who have jobs with responsibility that require them to be up early in the morning, plus family responsibilities that also require early mornings. Bethesda has never catered to the college-aged crowd that just wants to drink themselves into oblivion every weekend.

[Anonymous]

The reality is that Bethesda is a suburb with people who don't want to be out late at night.

People are not avoiding Bethesda because of crime, GMAFB.

Family oriented areas always have prioritized spending time with family not going out to all times at nights. They go out to dinner and then go home to their $1+M mansion.

They are not partying all night.

[Anonymous]

Crime op.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yet the mall itself always seems to be bustling. I think people prefer places like Pike and Rose and Rio for dining.

I hate Pike and Rose (parking) and any place I have to circle around a garage to park. Too much effort.

I haven’t shopped in a mall since Covid. I shop online and mostly go in malls to make returns. I live near Mont Mall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Crime

This and "downtown" Bethesda isn't particularly impressive. Seems quite the opposite of what's going on in Tysons

+1 I moved here 10 years ago, and don't find Bethesda all that interesting. I have had dinner there a few times, and walked around, and it was pretty staid. They also have boring stores.

I hate Tysons, though. Traffic is a nightmare. And I'm from CA.

[Anonymous]

Bethesda is a shopping and dining place, not a going out at night place. People are at home with their families by 8 or 9. Even more those with little kids lol

[Anonymous]

Because Bethesda is desirable for white middle aged and older families

[Anonymous]

Uber eats

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yet the mall itself always seems to be bustling. I think people prefer places like Pike and Rose and Rio for dining.

I hate Pike and Rose (parking) and any place I have to circle around a garage to park. Too much effort.

I haven’t shopped in a mall since Covid. I shop online and mostly go in malls to make returns. I live near Mont Mall.

Malls are for high schooler and senior citizens these days

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yet the mall itself always seems to be bustling. I think people prefer places like Pike and Rose and Rio for dining.

I hate Pike and Rose (parking) and any place I have to circle around a garage to park. Too much effort.

I haven’t shopped in a mall since Covid. I shop online and mostly go in malls to make returns. I live near Mont Mall.

Malls are for high schooler and senior citizens these days

And neither of those spends much $ except high schoolers a little bit if mom/dad opened the purse strings. Hence the retail issues nationally.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is something happening in the Bethesda area that I’m not aware of?
The last few times we had dinner in downtown Bethesda, including on New Year’s Eve, the streets are empty by 8 or 9. It feels sad and empty even with all the surrounding residential housing and businesses.
Also, several national stores have recently left Montgomery Mall; including Ann Taylor, Banana Republic and Talbots.
Is there a reason for Bethesda being so empty at night/evening? And retailers leaving one of the only major malls left in Montgomery County?

I agree that downtown Bethesda is becoming more and more soulless especially at night. When Barnes and noble had its 3 floor book store it was such a hangout place. There used to be small ethnic restaurants and activities such as fire me up for painting ceramics as gifts. Now it is just endless high end bland stores on that side of Bethesda(except for Bethesda Row theater which has some none generic mainstream movies the other side of Bethesda on Norfolk has more character and more interesting restaurants.

We went to Alexandria for new years and it was so much more lively. Bethesda needs something like the Torpedo Factory. Too bad it is so far from the river.

The downtown Bethesda planning people definitely need fresh ideas and to encourage more interesting activities, shops and restaurants. They have some cool art festivals though - maybe they could connect with the Smithsonian and off to host some of the national folk festival groups or encourage graffiti artists to paint the buildings with approved colorful art that celebrates the diversity of MC.

All the wealth and education of Bethesda is not apparent in downtown area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is something happening in the Bethesda area that I’m not aware of?
The last few times we had dinner in downtown Bethesda, including on New Year’s Eve, the streets are empty by 8 or 9. It feels sad and empty even with all the surrounding residential housing and businesses.
Also, several national stores have recently left Montgomery Mall; including Ann Taylor, Banana Republic and Talbots.
Is there a reason for Bethesda being so empty at night/evening? And retailers leaving one of the only major malls left in Montgomery County?

I agree that downtown Bethesda is becoming more and more soulless especially at night. When Barnes and noble had its 3 floor book store it was such a hangout place. There used to be small ethnic restaurants and activities such as fire me up for painting ceramics as gifts. Now it is just endless high end bland stores on that side of Bethesda(except for Bethesda Row theater which has some none generic mainstream movies the other side of Bethesda on Norfolk has more character and more interesting restaurants.

We went to Alexandria for new years and it was so much more lively. Bethesda needs something like the Torpedo Factory. Too bad it is so far from the river.

The downtown Bethesda planning people definitely need fresh ideas and to encourage more interesting activities, shops and restaurants. They have some cool art festivals though - maybe they could connect with the Smithsonian and off to host some of the national folk festival groups or encourage graffiti artists to paint the buildings with approved colorful art that celebrates the diversity of MC.

All the wealth and education of Bethesda is not apparent in downtown area.

Absolutely agree with you. After seeing Alexandria for the new years fireworks, Bethesda feels boring, bland and lacking culture in comparison.

[Anonymous]

There used to be some nightlife in Bethesda with union jacks and Blackfin and Tommy joes in the old location. Times gone by.

[Anonymous]

I haven’t gone to Bethesda at night in a long time.

I don’t go now because:

-Parking: I don’t like squeezing my car into a tight space in a crowded garage where I have to worry about car jackings.

-Disjointed: It’s always been disjointed with some shopping and restaurants near Tastee and then another clump of stores and restaurants near Barnes and Noble (or where it used to be at least).

We went shopping a few times at Monkey Mall. However, I found the shopping process tedious and without enough benches to rest inside Macy’s.

Also, I grew up there so have BTDT. In some ways, it’s always the same place no matter the decade. That can be comforting but also boring.