Metro Pike Center to get facelift in White Flint

Saul Centers is preparing to give a facelift to the Metro Pike Center at 11520 Rockville Pike in White Flint. The shopping center will receive a facade update in the coming months. Let's hope it is more retro than the replacement signage that was installed at the front of the property in the late 2010s. Lost were the totally 80s "Metro Pike Center" logo and background grid (see photo below), replaced by the most abominably-generic font and signage Max Headroom or Buckaroo Banzai could imagine in their nightmares (see photo at top). According to LoopNet, Metro Pike Center was constructed in 1990. White Flint is synonymous with the 80s, and that character should be retained to maintain the "sense of place" that Montgomery County planners give so much lip service to.

More signage installed at Lidl in Bethesda (Photos)

A number of additional exterior signs have been installed for the future Lidl grocery store at 7625 Old Georgetown Road at Bethesda Place. They include new logo signs on the curved facade at the corner of Old Georgetown and Woodmont Avenue, and above the parking garage entrance on Woodmont. One thing you will notice is how small they are. As Joe Jacoby once said, "Everything's so small!" 

The anti-business Montgomery County sign regulations strike again! Good Lord, let me get my binoculars out. If the taxes aren't high enough, and the profit margins slim enough, let's make it hard for anyone driving past to know your business is even there! Heckuva job, Brownie! Lidl is scheduled to open at 8:00 AM on July 30.

5ense of Thai "coming soon" to Westbard Square in Bethesda

"Coming soon" signage has been posted in the windows of 5ense of Thai's future space at 5314 Zenith Overlook at Westbard Square in Bethesda. The signage includes logos of various news outlets that have bestowed awards upon or otherwise-recognized its Northern Virginia locations in recent years, including USA Today. 5ense of Thai has missed its target Spring 2025 opening date, but the window coverings suggest construction may finally be getting underway on the interior fit-out of the restaurant.

Bethesda residents to protest Montgomery County Council's rushed upzoning bill Monday

Residents in the River Road and Massachusetts Avenue corridors of Bethesda will protest the effort by the Montgomery County Council to ram through a zoning text amendment (ZTA) to upzone their neighborhoods for multifamily housing tomorrow afternoon, Monday, July 7, 2025, from 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Jamestown Road. The ZTA is a "bill of goods" being disingenuously sold by County Councilmember Andrew Friedson as a solution to the high cost of housing, when in actuality, the higher-density it would allow will be market rate luxury housing sold at $1 million and upward. Part of the highly-controversial "Thrive 2050" scam the Council rammed through during the pandemic, the ZTA is branded as "More Housing N.O.W."

When residents from Bethesda, Wheaton, and other communities that will be damaged and bulldozed by the ZTA turned out in force at the first worksession on the proposal, Friedson took notice. He canceled the second scheduled worksession, and is now rushing the ZTA for a vote before the full Council while many are out of town for summer vacations. 

What the ZTA will do is to upzone neighborhoods currently zoned for single-family homes only, to allow the construction of multifamily homes. These would include duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes, and apartment buildings. Street parking and school classrooms would be overwhelmed by a massive influx of new vehicles and children. With all of the new multifamily housing selling at market rates, the ZTA is designed only to line the pockets of the developers who have contributed to the political campaigns of Friedson and other councilmembers, and will not lower the cost of housing whatsoever.

Green & Bean Boutique opening soon in Bethesda

Green & Bean Boutique is opening soon at 4600 East-West Highway in Bethesda. The "eco-luxe" gift shop will feature "a curated selection of sustainable, ethically-sourced" items from over 40 brands. Products include housewares, home and garden decor and accessories, jewelry, pantry and cocktail bar items, games and puzzles, bags, stationary and cards, and indie magazines. Green & Bean started as a pop-up in Annapolis, and is transitioning to a permanent store here in Bethesda.

New Balance opens at Bethesda Row

New Balance has opened at 7033 Arlington Road at Bethesda Row. The sporting goods retailer carries a variety of athletic footwear and apparel. You can also return items you have ordered directly from New Balance online at this store. Operating hours are 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM Saturdays, 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM Sundays, and 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM Monday through Friday.

BT's Bethesda now selling drinks to-go for Bethesda Streetery

BT's Bethesda at 4866 Cordell Avenue is now selling drinks to-go that you can take to the Bethesda Streetery on Norfolk Avenue. The Streetery is closed to automobile traffic for outdoor dining purposes on Friday nights during the summer. Summer Concerts, sponsored by the Bethesda Urban Partnership, begin at 6:00 PM Fridays at the corner of Norfolk and St. Elmo Avenue. The next act to perform will be TNT: Linwood Taylor & Michael Tash Band on July 11.

Hollister to return to Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

John Hollister, Jr. lives! Nearly a decade after Hollister closed at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. the California surfer-inspired apparel retailer is planning a triumphant return this fall. Word is that Hollister will move into one of the spaces just vacated by Foot Locker or Merlo Point. Part of the Abercrombie & Fitch empire, Hollister is one of those tenants every self-respecting American mall simply must have, like Cinnabon, Auntie Anne's, Sephora, Urban Outfitters, and - come to think of it - Abercrombie & Fitch. If not, is it really a mall?

Photo courtesy Hollister

Hallmark store at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda changes hands

The Hallmark Gold Crown store at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda is under new ownership. Previously known as "Banner's Hallmark," the greeting card, ornament, stationary and gift shop has been acquired by Norman's Hallmark. Norman's is the nation's largest independent owner of Hallmark Gold Crown stores. It will be interesting to see if the merchandise selection changes in the coming months.

Banner's is a local company, headquartered in Gaithersburg, while Norman's is based in Newtown, Pennsylvania. Banner's region has been Maryland, Virginia, and the Carolinas. Norman's has been focused in the Keystone State and New Jersey, but seems to be slowly expanding southward into Maryland. Norman's takes the prize for longevity; Banner's has been around since the 1970s, while Norman's was founded in 1939.

Foot Locker temporarily relocates at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Foot Locker has temporarily moved to a smaller space at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. Its previous spot on Level 1 has been cleared out. The new location is right outside of Macy's Home, next to AT&T on Level 2. However, the game of musical chairs is only beginning, as Foot Locker is expected to move into a larger space at the mall, along with a new Kids Foot Locker, later this year. They do need to light up that sign over the entrance, though! Super low energy.

Lidl opening July 30 in Bethesda

Achtung! Lidl's new downtown Bethesda store at 7625 Old Georgetown Road at Bethesda Place has finally been added to the German grocery chain's Grand Openings page. The grand opening is now scheduled for Wednesday, July 30, 2025 at 8:00 AM. What's in it for you? "Score free samples, Lidl swag and more," the company promises. "Come early—the first 100 customers in line will get Lidl gift cards ranging from $5-$100."

Depending on how fast shipping from the UK to America is, you could be wearing an official Lidl by Lidl jacket when standing in line that morning. A cross-promotion with the Oasis reunion tour, the coat will be available for 30 pounds at 10:00 AM British Standard Time on July 9. The jacket features "drink-cooling pockets, a bottle opener for a zipper, a ‘Lidl By Lidl’ badge and an accompanying tambourine." Croissants sold separately.

Jurassic World Rebirth specials at AMC Montgomery 16 cineplex in Bethesda

AMC Theatres continues to be the top cineplex chain to see blockbuster movies at. They've been on a roll since before the pandemic, when they offered cocktails and free collectibles for moviegoers screening Spider-Man: Far from Home in 2019. Starting today, July 2, 2025, the AMC Montgomery 16 theater at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda will enhance your Jurassic World Rebirth cinema experience with a free InGen ID badge and lanyard (while supplies last with ticket purchase), a dino-size Sriracha Bavarian Legend Pretzel, and a Menacing Mix cocktail made with tropical fruit, Kraken spiced rum and a "gold dusted dehydrated pineapple slice" garnish.

Landscapers cut back overgrowth at stalled-out development site in downtown Bethesda

Landscapers tackled overgrown shrubs, bushes, and other assorted vegetation at the historic building that once housed the iconic Sir Walter Raleigh Inn steakhouse at 8011 Woodmont Avenue in Bethesda yesterday. The lot is one of several vacant properties that were supposed to be redeveloped as the Artena Bethesda apartments many years ago. That project remains stalled after several false starts, leaving the abandoned commercial buildings on them to fall into decay, and to be invaded by vagrants. The result has been to create an eyesore for much of a block between the former surplus store at 8008 Wisconsin Avenue and the 8011 Woodmont apartment tower, as well as on the Woodmont side.

Bethesda construction update: Simona Cafe (Photos)

Here's a look at the progress at the latest location of Simona Cafe, at 4520 East-West Highway in downtown Bethesda. As you can see, the interior fit-out is close to complete, with tables and chairs now being moved into place. Kitchen and counter equipment are both visible, as is a logo blade sign on the building exterior. The local coffee shop chain has existing locations in Arlington and NoMa, but this is their largest store so far.

Bethesda Lidl update (Photos)

The new Lidl store at 7625 Old Georgetown Road at Bethesda Place still doesn't appear on the German grocery chain's "Grand Openings" page, and the shelves are still empty. But the recently-restarted work to complete the store's preparations for opening have continued apace over the last week. The most-noticeable addition is the first exterior signage, which is currently unlit. Another big step is the first shopping carts having been rolled into place inside the store's Old Georgetown vestibule, where a sign now labels the elevators to the parking garage. And another new sign promises fresh butter croissants for forty-nine cents.