Reply to Why is Friendship Heights so empty and lame?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=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. [/quote]

So true. When Bethesda lost B&N, it stopped being a destination, a neighborhood to linger in and grab a coffee or lunch. Instead, it became nothing more than yet another place to do a couple of errands.

Friendship is much worse. The Maryland side is OK - Hunter's Hound has been a pretty good addition. Saks is Saks. Most of the commercial space is occupied.

But the DC side is bleak. The entire space from Western all the way through Tenley has changed dramatically over the past five or six years. You need to keep your head on a swivel. It doesn't feel safe. The Verizon Store was hit a little while ago - armed robbery including of customers. So much commercial space is empty. It feels very derelict. The new food hall and the eventual completion of the redevelopment of Mazza should hopefully change things. But in the meantime, Friendship has similar issues to the rest of DC - out of control crime, particularly by youth, is the main one. Combine that with WFH, and people don't see much of a reason to cross the line into DC. It's quite stark when you take Wisconsin and cross Western. There's absolutely no reason to spend any time in the area between the DC/MD line and say the Cathedral. It gets better after that once you get to Glover.  [/quote]

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