Jewelry store broken into at Bethesda Row

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a burglary at a jewelry store at Bethesda Row Sunday morning, May 12, 2024. The burglary was reported at a store in the 7100 block of Bethesda Lane at 5:09 AM. Officers arriving at the scene found evidence of forced entry at the business. Pampillonia Jewelers is located on that block. 

Bethesda Lane "improved lighting for selfies" update (Photos)

Installation of new lighting on Bethesda Lane continues at Bethesda Row. The new overhead fixtures resemble dozens of supersize ring lights, the lighting used by many video creators on YouTube, TikTok and other platforms. This reflects the promise by property owner Federal Realty that the update would provide "improved lighting for selfies." Down below, repairs are being made to part of the pedestrian street's surface.

Better selfies coming soon to Bethesda Row

Bethesda Lane may soon have a new look after dark. Bethesda Row property owner Federal Realty is installing new lighting along the pedestrian street. Signs posted around the work areas promise "improved lighting for selfies" when the job is finished. Bethesda Lane is one of the top selfie locations in Montgomery County for locals and tourists alike.

Hawkers to open at Bethesda Row

Mysterious lucky cat window screens appeared on the front of what used to be Redwood on Bethesda Lane this weekend. They fill the windows of a newly-divided space that is about 4000 SF in size, compared to the much-larger Redwood. I can now report that the future tenant is Hawkers Scratch-Asian Street Fare, a chain with a number of east coast locations. This will be their first in the Mid-Atlantic area.

Hawkers was launched in 2011 in Orlando as a "high energy" casual restaurant serving high-quality cocktails and recipes for street cart favorites from across Asia. They are essentially going to offer the now-trendy Asian food hall experience under one owner and menu.

The Hawkers menu features small plates like Singapore's national dish Chilli Crab, Korean twice-fried wings, Malaysian Roti Canai, Filipino-style Chicka-rones, and Siu Yoke, which is a crispy pork belly with hoisin dipping sauce. They also serve five kinds of noodle soups. four salads, five rice entrees, and a large noodle dish menu.

Desserts range from a "royal pairing" of creme brulee and mangosteen compote to sticky rice. Beverages include Asian coffees and teas, sodas, and a decent-size list of cocktails, sake and Japanese whisky, including 1 oz. whisky flights for sampling.

This sounds like a nice addition to Bethesda Row, and fortunately not just more retail on a pedestrian street that's lost some energy since Redwood shuttered. With Poke Dojo also coming to Bethesda Lane, Asian flavors are getting a major boost at the Federal Realty property. Construction on the interior has not yet begun. Stay tuned for an opening date.

Repairs on Bethesda Lane (Photos)

Bethesda Lane at Bethesda Row may be a pedestrian-only street, but it's still a street. As such, it needs repairs, as seen outside of Redwood last night.

There's a WHAT on Bethesda Lane? (Photos)

A Tesla pop-up has returned to Bethesda Row, featuring perhaps the most appropriate Tesla vehicle for Bethesda, the Tesla Model X SUV. But it's what's attached to the back of the Model X that's attracting the most attention on Bethesda Lane - a vintage Airstream trailer.

The juxtaposition is perhaps softened by the fact that the Airstream's lines were futuristic and ahead of their time, maybe even more than the Tesla's. Perhaps Tesla is wise to the fact that the hipsters of Bethesda are very wealthy hipsters.

Bethesda Row outdoor movie Tuesday night: Raiders of the Lost Ark

Toll Brothers City Living is sponsoring an outdoor movie tomorrow night, August 23, 2016, at Bethesda Row. Raiders of the Lost Ark will begin screening at approximately 8:00 PM in front of Redwood at 7121 Bethesda Lane, which is co-sponsoring the event.

Seating will be limited, so bring a chair if you want to ensure a seat.

Toll Brothers is building the Hampden Row luxury condos, currently under construction at the corner of Hampden Lane and Arlington Road. They have a second downtown project moving forward at 8008 Wisconsin Avenue.

Expansion begins at Luke's Lobster at Bethesda Row (Photos)

Luke's Lobster, as I reported in late May, is expanding its Bethesda Lane restaurant space to add more customer seating indoors. The expansion, which will bring the space out to Elm Street, where an M&T Bank ATM used to be, will also increase the popular lobster roll eatery's visibility to pedestrian and automobile traffic along that busy road.

That construction project is now underway, but they are still open during the expansion.

Sabun Home opens at Bethesda Row (Photos)

Sabun Home, a bed, bath and accessories boutique, has opened at 7123 Bethesda Lane at Bethesda Row. Handpicked items from the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts include towels and robes, and soaps, candles and pillows. Sabun moved from its original location in Georgetown, and is located by the entrance to the Upstairs at Bethesda Row apartments on Bethesda Lane.

Tesla on display on Bethesda Lane (Photos)

You can regularly spot Tesla electric vehicles on the streets of downtown Bethesda. But yesterday, there was one on a street usually closed to vehicles, Bethesda Lane. Curious shoppers and diners were lured by the exotic car of the future, and checked out the high-tech dashboard. Tesla has a store at Westfield Montgomery Mall.

Sabun Home posts Coming Soon sign at Bethesda Row (Photos)

Sabun Home has posted a Coming Soon sign at its future space on Bethesda Lane, by the entrance to Upstairs at Bethesda Row. A bed, bath and home accessories boutique, Sabun is moving to Bethesda from Georgetown.

Sabun Home coming to Bethesda Row, Kate Spade to replace Petra (Photos)

You may recall that, last year, Federal Realty created a new retail space by the entrance to the Upstairs at Bethesda Row luxury apartments on Bethesda Lane. In early December, the For Lease sign was removed. Now, I've confirmed the space has been leased by Sabun Home, a bed, bath and home accessories boutique.

Sabun Home opened its first store at 1631 Wisconsin Avenue NW in Georgetown in 2013. That flagship location has a design studio. Their new Bethesda Lane space is decidedly smaller.

What separates Sabun Home from Bed, Bath & Beyond, or even Sabun Home's future Bethesda Avenue neighbor, Pottery Barn?

Sabun Home's owners handpick every item sold, which are imported from the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean coasts. Products range from towels and bathrobes to soaps, candles and pillows. 

You can get started planning your shopping list by checking out the Sabun Home website.

In other Bethesda Row news, it's been about 8 months since Federal Realty announced Kate Spade New York was opening a boutique at Bethesda Row.

Now it's finally closer to happening. Kate Spade will be located in the current Petra space by Barnes & Noble on Bethesda Avenue.

OUTDOOR MOVIES RETURN TO BETHESDA ROW IN AUGUST 2014!

After a year off, Movies Under the Stars returns to Bethesda Lane every Tuesday at dusk, beginning August 19 and ending September 30. Stay tuned for the line-up of films! Redwood will again be hosting the outdoor movies at Bethesda Row, which likely means more creative cocktail and menu tie-ins with the movies being shown.

TACO THERAPY LUNCH POP-UP AT REDWOOD IN BETHESDA (PHOTO)

You could win a taco lunch for 10 at Redwood on Bethesda Lane next week. Just stop in during lunch hours (11:30-2:30) between Monday, April 7 and Friday, April 11, order one of the tacos on the menu below, and fill out the contest entry form.

With the April 7 launch of Taco Therapy at Redwood, and the opening of Gringos & Mariachis on Cordell Avenue recently, upscale tacos are trending in downtown Bethesda. At Redwood, premium taco fillings like Filet Mignon, pork belly, rotisserie chicken and daily fresh seafood make the $4 cost not bad for lunch. You can also go gluten-free with their corn tortilla option.

The taco pop-up menu will be available in the bar.

Here's the taco menu (click to enlarge for detail):

Redwood Restaurant and Bar

7121 Bethesda Lane

301.656.5515

BETHESDA ROW ADDS ELECTRONIC BILLBOARD ON BETHESDA LANE (PHOTOS)

The ads usually found around Bethesda Row are ones for the development itself, and its stores, restaurants and events. Now you'll find ads for just about anything on Bethesda Lane, after the installation of an electronic billboard screen. Imagination Stage, Sandy Spring Builders, and Supertooth Dental Group are among the first advertisers. The monitor itself looks like a giant iPhone.