Downtown Bethesda: Where did it all go wrong?

[Anonymous]

We live in a Bethesda neighborhood, just near the DC line. We love the neighborhood, community pool, schools, etc.

But downtown Bethesda really is a disaster. Very few good restaurants, most of the independent shops have closed, and there is generally not much going on. It feels like a cultural vacuum.

We were in Frederick, MD last week and it is the total opposite. It is vibrant, with independent stores, excellent bars and restaurants, diversity. We loved it.

So my question is how did Bethesda end up like it is now? Was it ever anything lie Frederick? Did it have rowhouses that were demolished?

Where and when did it all go wrong?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We live in a Bethesda neighborhood, just near the DC line. We love the neighborhood, community pool, schools, etc.

But downtown Bethesda really is a disaster. Very few good restaurants, most of the independent shops have closed, and there is generally not much going on. It feels like a cultural vacuum.

We were in Frederick, MD last week and it is the total opposite. It is vibrant, with independent stores, excellent bars and restaurants, diversity. We loved it.

So my question is how did Bethesda end up like it is now? Was it ever anything lie Frederick? Did it have rowhouses that were demolished?

Where and when did it all go wrong?

Rent prices are absurd. Squeezes out Mom & Pop and unique for national/chain.
That said, there are many good restaurants on the Woodmont side.
By not much going on, I’m assuming you don’t mean literally, because it’s been pretty active - especially since things have re-opened and the Streeterys are still in place.

[Anonymous]

Capitalism

[Anonymous]

The commercial rents are really high in Bethesda. It’s hard to make it as an independent store or business in that environment.

[Anonymous]

I grew up here and have noticed the same thing. Bethesda was exciting with lots of cute places and now, like 10-15 years later, it seems so dull. I would never go to Bethesda just to go there anymore.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

Bethesda is for overpriced gelato and walking around with old White people - Bethesda native

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in a Bethesda neighborhood, just near the DC line. We love the neighborhood, community pool, schools, etc.

But downtown Bethesda really is a disaster. Very few good restaurants, most of the independent shops have closed, and there is generally not much going on. It feels like a cultural vacuum.

We were in Frederick, MD last week and it is the total opposite. It is vibrant, with independent stores, excellent bars and restaurants, diversity. We loved it.

So my question is how did Bethesda end up like it is now? Was it ever anything lie Frederick? Did it have rowhouses that were demolished?

Where and when did it all go wrong?

Rent prices are absurd. Squeezes out Mom & Pop and unique for national/chain.
That said, there are many good restaurants on the Woodmont side.
By not much going on, I’m assuming you don’t mean literally, because it’s been pretty active - especially since things have re-opened and the Streeterys are still in place.

OP here. I do agree that there are some decent restaurants in the Woodmont area.

I get that things are open but the whole downtown area just feels sterile and boring compared to Frederick.

[Anonymous]

Bethesda and MoCo need to take after the Mainline in PA, and towns like West Chester that have actual main streets with shops/restaurants etc, and towns where you can travel to by train. We have the metro that allows people to travel to each town.

MoCo and local govts just love taxing businesses to death, and local/county govt has inordinate amounts of red tape that discourage new businesses from forming. Then factor in insane rental costs, and all you get are crappy chains and subpar food from establishments that have big investor groups backing them. You never get the organically grown, family run places that have their own recipes they're using for home cooking tasting food or that provide very unique flavors. The only places that can survive are the places that serve $35 plates of food.

But yea...travel to West Chester, Media, Rosemont, Wayne, Villanova,......the Mainline in PA is a role model for how the area should strive to be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The commercial rents are really high in Bethesda. It’s hard to make it as an independent store or business in that environment.

Not to mention the most restrictive liquor laws outside of dry counties, for very different reasons. Somewhere along the line, MoCo seized control of liquor sales to the point that restaurants can only sell liquor sold by MoCo-owned stores, and consumers have to go to those stores to buy. MoCo jacks up the prices, offers poor selection at horrible prices, keeps the profits, and leaves restaurants out in the cold. It’s a horrific combination of greedy capitalist commercial real-estate owners and socialist liquor licensors. Why would anyone do business here?

[Anonymous]

I live in a SFH in the downtown. I love Bethesda because it's walkable and I have my favorite Indian restaurant there (plus one homey Japanese restaurant and a French bakery I like), but I agree that rents are too high for the kind of stores you're pining for. It's a shame, because with a little incentivce and live music, Bethesda could go from meh to wonderful!

[Anonymous]

The architecture is horrible. No sense of planning. Too expensive. Too many people with too little taste.

[Anonymous]

The “streeterys” are a joke. Who wants to eat in the middle of the street next to orange construction barriers? I think Bethesda appeals to old people and tweens but no one in between.

[Anonymous]

Well, there are some old family run places but sadly most of them aren’t particularly good and it’s sort of amazing they survive. It’s hard to get into the restaurant business anywhere now.
But I agree that it seems like largely a missed opportunity. I like Jenny’s. Bethesda Bagel does a roaring neighborhood business. There’s a few places that have a following—corner slice, the sushi places, etc. I sort of miss Lebanese taverna. And I miss the Barnes and noble (or any destination bookstore like that). I’m just not shopping in those clothing stores there. I think part of it is that is is weirdly laid out. I’ve lived here a decade and just happened to discover that there’s a Vace.

Incidentally, I tried at 11 am yesterday (Saturday) to get a reservation for dinner and according to Open Table, the only restaurant with space was Benihana. So it’s apparently like Yogi Berra said — it’s so crowded nobody goes there anymore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live in a SFH in the downtown. I love Bethesda because it's walkable and I have my favorite Indian restaurant there (plus one homey Japanese restaurant and a French bakery I like), but I agree that rents are too high for the kind of stores you're pining for. It's a shame, because with a little incentivce and live music, Bethesda could go from meh to wonderful!

OP here, please share the names of your favorite restaurants, we want to support these places, especially if independent.