FH was a destination for teens in the 80’s with the disc shop in mazza gallery and the movie theater and McDonald’s and for the older crowd at the pleasant pheasant, houlihans and the car wash, needless markup, saks etc. the rodeo drive part by Tiffany’s never caught on because dc already has that. Across the street where. Chevy Chase pavilion never really made sense to me because it’s essentially another mall across the street from a mall. Apparently it doesn’t make sense to a lot of people.

Anonymous wrote:


I wish they had landmarked mazza. I can't believe it was razed and none of that amazing marble surfacing was preserved. The carbon cost of all this development (razing and rebuilding massive new structures) is shocking. We are not as environmental as we'd like to think.


This. The developer of “Upton Place” at 4000 Wisconsin razed all the but the basement of this large structure instead of stripping it to its concrete and steel skeleton. Probably thousands of dump trucks of debris went to landfills, not to mention all of the carbon emissions. Awful for the environment.

It is very difficult to repurpose 70s and 80s office buildings. Many of those buildings were constructed of post-tension concrete slabs, which makes it expensive and difficult to create the piping penetrations needed to create kitchens and baths. Those buildings often have 8' ceilings, which is also not currently marketable. And the column spacing in those buildings results in unit layouts which are long and dark. All of those issues were present at 4000 Wisconsin. Developers do not go to the expense of massive demolition unless it is the only way to create a marketable project.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think a movie theater like ipic would do well. There’s really no movie theater in that area

There used to be a really nice theater in Mazda but it did nothing to support retail in the area.

The whole mall was just poorly designed, a relic of when enclosed malls like that were all the rage. Problem for Mazza was, it was far too small to host the kind of variety such malls need to survive (see Westfield Montgomery or Tysons, both still thriving). The three biggest traffic drivers were a McDonald's and a TJ Maxx, both of which could be accessed from the outside without walking past the other stores, and the upper-level movie theater that was accessed in part by an elevator.

I remember FH in the 80's and 90's being where we went to go to Blockbuster, ACE Hardware, Giant and Woddies (later Hechts). The CC Center was much different back then and parking was plentiful. Where Polo is and the rest of those business are on WI ave used to be parking spaces. There was a ton of parking back then. The parking lot at Woddies was huge and alot of people would also park in that small lot across from the building that houses WMAL That building used to have a crown books on the first floor and got alot of traffic. FH really wasnt a night life spot back then. I guess they had Tilas and Chadwicks. But you kind of had to head up WI ave towards Tenley before you hit bars like Roundtable, El Tam and The Dancing Crab. Bethesda used to be a more bar oriented area back then. Seem to remember Nantucket's Landing being the big hang out in Bethesda. FH can be a viable place for night life and shopping, but they need to figure out a good way to balance it.

We use to call Mazza the "Mausoleum" It was a huge hang out in the 80's for alot of different high schools. The McDonald's was a big draw, so was the Arnold's Disk Shop and the ice cream store (Swensons I think? They had the huge waffle cones with a ton of toppings). I think there was an FAO Schwartz there as well. Movie theater was not there until later. Back then, the Jennifer 1&2 were right next door by Herman's and the Booyemonger and a few blocks up was KB Cinema which had all the block busters. Across Wisconsin ave back then was a fenced in abandoned lot, a Nobody Beats the Wiz and I think an auto parts store. Its been so long I cant remember all of it. I agree, Mazza needed to go.

The best way to move Friendship Heights forward is for the DC government to spend less time focusing on more density and more time focusing on more deterrence -- of crime. Foot patrols, deterrence, prosecution and punishment of criminals will help DC's commercial areas, whether they be more retail destinations or neighborhood-focused commercial strips.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone know if the bus depot is indeed replacing the Lord and Taylor? I know it was in discussion. Still holding out hope that it could be something better...

There's a landmark application pending for the Lord & Taylor site. L&T will be redeveloped, but design review will ensure that it does not become a bus depot.

What makes you think that it will pass through to become a landmark?

It is a mediocre example of suburban department store design, totally cookie cutter with no other redeeming architectural value.

I wish they had landmarked mazza. I can't believe it was razed and none of that amazing marble surfacing was preserved. The carbon cost of all this development (razing and rebuilding massive new structures) is shocking. We are not as environmental as we'd like to think.

Mazza embodied the worst of 1980's architecture. Landmarking it would have been even more of a crock than Lord and Taylor.

1970s but yeah. My dad told me the tenants were the ones who paid for all the renovations over the years to add glass to the marble to make it look less like a fancy prison. I grew up a mile away and have been going there since I could ride my bike to the Disc Shop for 45s but do not romanticize it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone know if the bus depot is indeed replacing the Lord and Taylor? I know it was in discussion. Still holding out hope that it could be something better...

There's a landmark application pending for the Lord & Taylor site. L&T will be redeveloped, but design review will ensure that it does not become a bus depot.

What makes you think that it will pass through to become a landmark?

It is a mediocre example of suburban department store design, totally cookie cutter with no other redeeming architectural value.

I wish they had landmarked mazza. I can't believe it was razed and none of that amazing marble surfacing was preserved. The carbon cost of all this development (razing and rebuilding massive new structures) is shocking. We are not as environmental as we'd like to think.

Mazza embodied the worst of 1980's architecture. Landmarking it would have been even more of a crock than Lord and Taylor.

Anonymous wrote:I think a movie theater like ipic would do well. There’s really no movie theater in that area

There used to be a really nice theater in Mazda but it did nothing to support retail in the area.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone know if the bus depot is indeed replacing the Lord and Taylor? I know it was in discussion. Still holding out hope that it could be something better...

There's a landmark application pending for the Lord & Taylor site. L&T will be redeveloped, but design review will ensure that it does not become a bus depot.

It’s definitely becoming the new location for WMATA buses. The landmark review is not going to change that.

friendship heights had its hey day probably 25 years ago when Mazda gallery was the “fancy” mall. Since then DC revitalized dozens of other neighborhoods that created new competition for FH and other Wisconsin, Connecticut avenue and Georgetown commercial areas. Navy Yard, the wharf, NoMa, Union Market etc. FH kept fighting against any new development or density and now it’s just another worn out looking neighborhood.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone know if the bus depot is indeed replacing the Lord and Taylor? I know it was in discussion. Still holding out hope that it could be something better...

There's a landmark application pending for the Lord & Taylor site. L&T will be redeveloped, but design review will ensure that it does not become a bus depot.

What makes you think that it will pass through to become a landmark?

It is a mediocre example of suburban department store design, totally cookie cutter with no other redeeming architectural value.

I wish they had landmarked mazza. I can't believe it was razed and none of that amazing marble surfacing was preserved. The carbon cost of all this development (razing and rebuilding massive new structures) is shocking. We are not as environmental as we'd like to think.

This. The developer of “Upton Place” at 4000 Wisconsin razed all the but the basement of this large structure instead of stripping it to its concrete and steel skeleton. Probably thousands of dump trucks of debris went to landfills, not to mention all of the carbon emissions. Awful for the environment.

Modern construction is essentially disposable. Modern concrete and steel will not stand the test of time. Rust and spalling get them all sooner then later. If you want buildings to last, copy the buildings that have lasted. Make them simple reusable shapes, out of versatile material and then make them beautiful so people will actually care about them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It was dying before Covid. Expensive stores, no parking.

?? There was plenty of parking!

+1 Everyone wants a walkable area but also to be able to park on the street for free right in front of the store they’re going to. FH was great - you could park once, at Mazza or CCP or L&T, and then walk all over to tons of different shops.

Anonymous wrote:The interesting thing is that one of the nicest parts of the Friendship Heights commercial strip (on the Maryland side, as it turns out) is the east side of Wisconsin from Clydes up to Tiffany's. It relates well to pedestrians, without feeling canyon-like, and feels very walkable on both Wisconsin as well as the east side, where mostly underground parking sits beneath a terraced plaza. It offers a very attractive experience like Bethesda Row and Georgetown, without feeling "big box" like other parts of FH, Columbia Heights, etc.

I like it too.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone know if the bus depot is indeed replacing the Lord and Taylor? I know it was in discussion. Still holding out hope that it could be something better...

There's a landmark application pending for the Lord & Taylor site. L&T will be redeveloped, but design review will ensure that it does not become a bus depot.

What makes you think that it will pass through to become a landmark?

It is a mediocre example of suburban department store design, totally cookie cutter with no other redeeming architectural value.

I wish they had landmarked mazza. I can't believe it was razed and none of that amazing marble surfacing was preserved. The carbon cost of all this development (razing and rebuilding massive new structures) is shocking. We are not as environmental as we'd like to think.

This. The developer of “Upton Place” at 4000 Wisconsin razed all the but the basement of this large structure instead of stripping it to its concrete and steel skeleton. Probably thousands of dump trucks of debris went to landfills, not to mention all of the carbon emissions. Awful for the environment.