Monday, February 01, 2016

The Parva building now for lease in Bethesda (Photos)

The two-story building at 7904 Woodmont Avenue has had its highs (South Beach Restaurant & Bar and, most recently, The Parva) and lows over the years. Now it's someone else's turn to try. New landlord White Star has just put the building up for lease.

There's a lot of potential here for either an upscale nightclub, or a two-level restaurant that can bring in solid revenue by hosting large events upstairs, like Tragara/4935 Bar & Kitchen. I would prefer the former, as Bethesda is in pretty desperate need of more nightspots, after the failure of Montgomery County Councilmember Hans Riemer's disastrous Nighttime Economy Initiative. The Parva was the seventh nightclub to close since Riemer took office in 2010.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Another crappy restaurant on the way.

Anonymous said...

Robert Dyer at the nighclub: http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/snl/images/7/7b/Roxbury_guys.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20120920202249

Anonymous said...

The New York City Yacht Club has a fantastic clubhouse in midtown Manhattan. Sure, it is far away from the water, but a good yacht club is just as much about socializing as it is about sailing.

I would love to see the Annapolis Yacht club take over this space and put a tasteful facade on the building. Given the fire at the main clubhouse, now is the time more than ever to bring a little bit of nautical class to Bethesda. The club already has a strong membership base in this area.

Anonymous said...

@6:48am I think the Bethesda Yacht Club used to be 2 blocks down the road from Parva, where that hotel is. It was indeed the hottest pick-up spot in town for the over-40 divorced crowd. You could even buy Viagra from the men's room attendant!

Anonymous said...

I think that site has had about 10 different restaurants in the past 20 years.

Anonymous said...

@7:06 There was a bar called the Bethesda Yacht Club, but it was never a yacht club to my knowledge. I have no record of them ever having participated in a sanctioned regatta and they certainly were not picky about their membership.

In fact, I think they let anyone in the door! Comparing that place to a legitimate yacht club is like comparing Safeway apples to craft-grown Seville Oranges.

Anonymous said...

Fairmont Plaza residents will hate you for suggesting a nightclub should go there. :)

#parvacam

Anonymous said...

@ 7:52 AM - you just did. Slow day for you? LOL

Anonymous said...

7:52AM. Hateful. Karma. All you own in this life is your personality and character.
Love is love.

Wrol said...

What did 7:52 say before it got presumably deleted?

Anonymous said...

I can't believe we didn't continue the Yacht Club discussion! My yacht is docked on Rock Creek. Anyone who joins my crew gets paper pirate hats.

Anonymous said...

11:39 AM - Just think, in just a few more years, only NoVA will be stuck with a government-run system.

George Hayduke said...

The Parva, their staff and patrons sucked at life. There were minimal issues with South Beach or any of the other tenants, just those losers associated with Parva. It'd be great if a place could take over like the Birch & Barley/Churchkey concept in DC, that's been a successful, classy two level restaurant/bar.

Anonymous said...

Agree with George, just not as harshly. Parva didn't have good food. No comment on the patrons because there weren't any when I was there. I agree a hipster beer concept bar would be a great fit for this space. Especially since they don't blast music and bass that would upset the neighbors across the street again. The biggest hold up for that would be the DLC.

Anonymous said...

No decent places will come to MoCo it seems. DLC is part of it but can't be all of it. Rent is too high for the small guys I guess. Really stinks but DC food scene has exploded in the last half a dozen years or more. That's where to go eat and enjoy interesting cocktails.

Anonymous said...

@ 5:00 AM, 7:22 AM - expect your comments to be deleted, since they mention the DLC. Any and all mention of the DLC has been banned since our elected MoCo executive endorsed privatization of the DLC yesterday.

Anonymous said...

Just an unresearched brainstorm, but what about a fusing a small club with an art gallery? It's a concept that *could* be executed with upscale class and increase income under one roof?