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

[Anonymous]

Everyone on this board wants to be told they're living in the most desirable place and so when they get jealous they post stuff about other places being bad.

Then other people who also don't live there and want validation in their choice yell crime. Even when someone says crime is actually less than other places those same folks go full Trump and just insist that it's crime.

Then someone who lives there comes on to say it's actually amazing.

Then someone else will say LOL.

Then the debate will move to be about 10 other areas someone just wants to use as an excuse to validate their choice.

Malls are dead everywhere. Brick and mortar continues to suffer. Bethesda is fine. Like every single place in this country it could use more pedestrian infrastructure that inevitably someone would then use to rail about a lack of parking.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

NYE is just not a prime holiday for downtown Bethesda. The private schools are closed until 1/6 and even though MoCo opened back up on 1/2...tons of people still took off the entire week.

I went to Bethesda on Friday 12/20 and the place was jam-packed.

Montgomery Mall is a different story...Covid definitely hurt it, but it actually has a surprising number of new stores these days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Everyone on this board wants to be told they're living in the most desirable place and so when they get jealous they post stuff about other places being bad.

Then other people who also don't live there and want validation in their choice yell crime. Even when someone says crime is actually less than other places those same folks go full Trump and just insist that it's crime.

Then someone who lives there comes on to say it's actually amazing.

Then someone else will say LOL.

Then the debate will move to be about 10 other areas someone just wants to use as an excuse to validate their choice.

Malls are dead everywhere. Brick and mortar continues to suffer. Bethesda is fine. Like every single place in this country it could use more pedestrian infrastructure that inevitably someone would then use to rail about a lack of parking.

On point post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

OP here. LOL … I wish I was in the stage of my life where I want my nightlife to be an extension of my college days! Funny, even in those days I was never one to “go out at all hours”.
No, I’m a boring professional with a family who grew up in Montgomery County and still live here. I’m asking about Bethesda and Montgomery Mall, etc. because I have noticed a decline in even this more affluent area of Montgomery County (where modest houses cost 2M+) and wondering if others have a better feel for what’s going on.
I’m not looking for a nightlife filled with bars, but the last two times we had dinner in Bethesda it felt desolate by 8 or 9. I mean there was literally no one besides us on some main streets (including the main intersection where Anthropologie is located) It wasn’t alway like this.
And then while holiday shopping this past month to find so many stores permanently closed made me almost scared… why are retailers moving out of Montgomery County’s only major mall (besides Wheaton Plaza)? Why is Bethesda a once vibrant area and still filled with its share of restaurants desolate by 8 or 9?
Home prices in this area continues to rise, so I assume people still want to live here, but is something happening in this area, in our county, that is causing this decline?
If you live here would you move here again or perhaps more telling, would recommend your adult children move here and raise their children here?

Your memory is false. It was like that when you were there in the 90's and 80's and 2000's. Crime was worse in the 80's/90's.

You have a different perspective and your opinion is biased and wrong.

It's like going to your family home and being like I don't remember it being so small.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is almost no crime.

The reason is the people are boring. Fun people want to be in dc.

Actually the fun people are now in Arlington.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is almost no crime.

The reason is the people are boring. Fun people want to be in dc.

Actually the fun people are now in Arlington.

Judging by the inferiority complex of the Arlington people who post on here, this seems doubtful.

[Anonymous]

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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wrote on a previous thread that I was disappointed in how Bethesda has turned out vs. when I moved away in 2008.

I was there for the days leading up to NYE 2023 and the NYE itself. With my family staying in a hotel near the Metro.

The metro complex and streetscape at night feels closed down, dark, uninviting. As do the office buildings. There was a person panhandling outside the Trader Joe's. Wouldn't surprise me in Chicago, but not what I'd expect to see in Bethesda.

The highlight was seeing a play at the local theater. The Tastee Diner was an oasis of cheer and a good dinner at a cheap price. The Chinese restaurant we ate at was very mediocre. I like bargain ethnic food but couldn't find believable good reviews of anywhere close by. It was the best we could do. The hotel we stayed at had a couple weddings but otherwise seemed pretty empty/not cheerfully bustling. There wasn't a First Night celebration as far as I could tell.

The streetscape along Rockville Pike is kind of a jumble of establishments - it just looks asymmetrical somehow. I also noticed that you could still see the remains of the Claire Dratch sign on the old store - I think it looks bad when old signage lingers. It suggests the buildings aren't rentable/aren't being maintained. In my little town, they've managed to keep buildings pretty low along the main 2 streets. And many have been fully renovated. I think that helps aesthetically. Bethesda is much richer and has more costly real estate so I don't know why it should look worse.

Basically, the town seemed a bit more overgrown without positive benefits. I saw on this site the slogan "communities not canyons" and that actually resonated with me.

I'm not a night owl, a drinker, or a young person. It just seemed to me that things weren't quite right. Maybe it was still the aftereffect of Covid.

Where do you live now? It would help understand the context of your observations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is almost no crime.

The reason is the people are boring. Fun people want to be in dc.

Actually the fun people are now in Arlington.

Judging by the inferiority complex of the Arlington people who post on here, this seems doubtful.

Fun people are not posting on here

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They need a new downtown Bethesda planning committee and get all developers off the committee. They need artists/ performers/ culture - not more bland buildings and shops.

Even the tree lights look devoid of imagination - tightly wrapped around tree trunks:like robotic springs -/ Iin Alexandria they are whimsically draped loosely around the branches to much better affect.

The office shops and apartment buildings are generic and need colorful murals/ graffiti paintings on walls that face public spaces.

They should partner with Smithsonian folk festival and Glen Echo Park to host interesting satellite cultural events and diverse musicians in Bethesda.

We need cool shops such as book stores, music stores, board game stores, costume stores, thrift stores, fair trade gift shops. and idiosyncratic hobby stores. They should give discounts to such store owners to encourage interesting stores to come back.

Better planning and valuing more cultural and artistic ambience could help Bethesda to better reflect the human wealth in the area.

If not they will listen …

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Everyone on this board wants to be told they're living in the most desirable place and so when they get jealous they post stuff about other places being bad.

Then other people who also don't live there and want validation in their choice yell crime. Even when someone says crime is actually less than other places those same folks go full Trump and just insist that it's crime.

Then someone who lives there comes on to say it's actually amazing.

Then someone else will say LOL.

Then the debate will move to be about 10 other areas someone just wants to use as an excuse to validate their choice.

Malls are dead everywhere. Brick and mortar continues to suffer. Bethesda is fine. Like every single place in this country it could use more pedestrian infrastructure that inevitably someone would then use to rail about a lack of parking.

I agree about malls declining everywhere and Montgomery Mall is doing surprisingly well despite uptick in robberies and assaults there.

I disagree about Bethesda being fine apart from lack of pedestrian infrastructure - although that would help. It needs big doses of creativity and culture and to bring back more interesting stores. Too bad they are building more apartments near Bethesda Row Landmark - that could have been green space for concerts and community get together.s. So little color and not enough trees. The art festivals are great but many of the artists are from out of area and very expensive. Maybe Bethesda could collab with glen echo park to host more local artists/ puppet shows/ bands and dances. Round House theater and Invagination Stage are awesome.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone on this board wants to be told they're living in the most desirable place and so when they get jealous they post stuff about other places being bad.

Then other people who also don't live there and want validation in their choice yell crime. Even when someone says crime is actually less than other places those same folks go full Trump and just insist that it's crime.

Then someone who lives there comes on to say it's actually amazing.

Then someone else will say LOL.

Then the debate will move to be about 10 other areas someone just wants to use as an excuse to validate their choice.

Malls are dead everywhere. Brick and mortar continues to suffer. Bethesda is fine. Like every single place in this country it could use more pedestrian infrastructure that inevitably someone would then use to rail about a lack of parking.

I agree about malls declining everywhere and Montgomery Mall is doing surprisingly well despite uptick in robberies and assaults there.

I disagree about Bethesda being fine apart from lack of pedestrian infrastructure - although that would help. It needs big doses of creativity and culture and to bring back more interesting stores. Too bad they are building more apartments near Bethesda Row Landmark - that could have been green space for concerts and community get together.s. So little color and not enough trees. The art festivals are great but many of the artists are from out of area and very expensive. Maybe Bethesda could collab with glen echo park to host more local artists/ puppet shows/ bands and dances. Round House theater and Invagination Stage are awesome.

Oh I mean I absolutely don't want to live in Bethesda. But it's not like a hell hole or an abandoned strip mall. It's a rather generic wealthy suburb but that's what most of these boards want. They just want to prove the superiority of their wealthy generic suburb.

I think there's real opportunities, although apartments are not inherently bad. But people who have lots of money and crave a lot more arts and culture move to Georgetown or maybe Kalorama and people with just lots of money move to Takoma Park.

Most major cities don't have the huge suburbs around them that DC does. It's hard to be a small town and host major international business headquarters. So it's kind of chosen the path of wealthy enclave rather than rich small town suburb.

[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

Bethesda has gone downhill because of MOCO crime. Unfortunately, Tysons might go downhill soon from crime soon because of all the low income housing units the county has approved (but are not yet completed). Fairfax literally approved a 516 unit 100% low-income apartment building in Tyson's recently, so good luck with that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Crime

The crime problem is in NoVa. Crimegrades:

Arlington County: C- (https://crimegrade.org/safest-places-in-arlington-county-va/)

Fairfax County: B (https://crimegrade.org/safest-places-in-fairfax-county-va/)

Montgomery County: A+ (https://crimegrade.org/safest-places-in-montgomery-county-md/)

The methodology of that site reports any area with low (or zero) population as high crime. So their aggregate city or county ratings are bogus.

Look at the CIA campus as an easy example. Possibly it is the safest place in the DMV - for the people who work there. The only crime or arrests there are people who do not work there trying to enter - but it has zero residents so it shows up red.