Downtown Bethesda: Where did it all go wrong?

[Anonymous]

The rent has become so expensive that the independent restaurants can't afford to be there, and so we are stuck with miserable chain restaurants

[Anonymous]

Buildings were dirt cheap in Bethesda prior to 2002. Rents were cheaper up to early 2021 where you could lock in a cheap pandemic lease.

Small business are now in 2023 where rents are sky high, borrowing commercial property expensive and real estate expensive

I don’t understand long term business who don’t lock in long term leases or buy building

For instance M&M Indian style pizza in Bethesda was in this tiny round building for years and years. Was a shoebox size building. Yet he was forced to move as rent shot up to even smaller worse location. Why?

In Manhattan NYC all the long term 50 plus year restaurants either own building or locked in 30 year leases with good timing.

Like after 9/11, during financial crisis, during hurrricane Sandy or height of Covid you lock in a new 30 year lease

New restaurants who can’t buy or lock in long term leases at low rent can’t survive.

[Anonymous]

For instance M&M Indian style pizza in Bethesda was in this tiny round building for years and years. Was a shoebox size building. Yet he was forced to move as rent shot up to even smaller worse location. Why?

I think that building is part of the much larger office complex next door, so he wouldn’t be able to buy it.

[Anonymous]

Once they took out Barnes and noble I’ve avoided it. You can eat there, but then what? I’m not a shopper, though would buy books. Big mistake.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Once they took out Barnes and noble I’ve avoided it. You can eat there, but then what? I’m not a shopper, though would buy books. Big mistake.

Agree - nothing better than browsing a book store

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Once they took out Barnes and noble I’ve avoided it. You can eat there, but then what? I’m not a shopper, though would buy books. Big mistake.

Agree - nothing better than browsing a book store

People who browsing the book store don’t pay for them. They left the books everywhere and/or damaged. How could Barns and Noble afford to keep it open?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Frederick is a much older city. Bethesda never had a high concentration of rowhouses like Frederick it Capitol Hill. It’s a suburban core not a historic city.

This. We stayed in a friend’s house for three weeks while our house was being renovated and I was surprisingly really underwhelmed. Thought I would
enjoy it and found it to be just okay.

[Anonymous]

So what did Frederick do differently? Is it the taxes? the liquor code? both? I agree that Frederick is cute, but I wouldn't want to live up there...

[Anonymous]

Bethesda: Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So what did Frederick do differently? Is it the taxes? the liquor code? both? I agree that Frederick is cute, but I wouldn't want to live up there...

Frederick is tiny.

[Anonymous]

If the rent is really high you can’t support fun, independent shops and restaurants. They don’t make enough to stay open. The rent in Bethesda is really high. The whole area has been pushing for decades to be ever more affluent and ever more exclusively affluent. That’s what happened. But it’s not like there are no restaurants or stores. There are! They just have to make $x/sq ft and that’s why it’s pottery barn kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bethesda: Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded.

Who are there to make Bethesda too crowded? Ghosts?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bethesda: Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bethesda: Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded.

+1

Don't know what you're talking about. Had dinner there on Friday with some friends, and plenty of people around enjoying themselves.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like old town Alexandria.