Bethesda Metro station closed today; free shuttles to Friendship Heights, Medical Center

The Bethesda Metro station is closed today, Sunday, November 16, 2025. Red Line trains will bypass the station platform. Free Metrobus shuttles are operating between Friendship Heights and Medical Center during the shutdown. The closure was demanded by the Maryland Department of Transportation for work related to the future Purple Line light rail, the opening of which was just postponed yet another year to 2028. However, transit agency WMATA decided to make lemonade out of Maryland's sour lemons, by using the downtime to complete open joint elimination, replace 175 rail fasteners, address track defects, and replace any defective rail sections at the station.

New Metro pylon installed at Bethesda Metro station (Photos)

Transit agency WMATA has begun installing new Metro pylons at the Bethesda Metro station. This one is on Woodmont Avenue. The primary change is the use of a colored circle to designate the Metro line(s) that operate through each station. Letters - in this case, "RD" for Red Line (not Robert Dyer) - have been placed inside the circle for riders who are color blind. I have posted a photo of the classic stripe design below for comparison purposes. The new design is - like most changes WMATA has made over the last decade - a step down in aesthetics, though not as glaring as the operating room-esque lighting that has wrecked the dramatic original lighting effect inside stations. Surprised and relieved they didn't drop the classic brown for lemon yellow, at this point. Nuts!

Old design, for comparison

Strong-arm robbery in downtown Bethesda

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a strong-arm robbery in downtown Bethesda early Tuesday evening, June 10, 2025. The robbery was reported in the 7400 block of Wisconsin Avenue at 6:11 PM. It was reported on the street at the Bethesda Metro Center. 

EagleBank logo attached to new HQ at Bethesda Metro Center

Bethesda-based EagleBank is scheduled to consolidate its two Montgomery County offices into a single headquarters at 7500 Old Georgetown Road later this year. The bank's logo has just been applied to the top of the recently renovated office tower at the Bethesda Metro Center. Formerly known as "The Clark Building" under previous owner Clark Construction, the building is now owned by In-Rel Properties, which invested greatly in upgrades to make it more competitive in a challenging office market.

“We are excited to establish a new headquarters that strengthens our connection to the community we proudly serve,” EagleBank President and CEO Susan Riel said in a statement. “This move is more than just a relocation – it is an investment in our commitment to Maryland. As we continue to grow, our Relationships First approach will empower our teams to work together in ways that directly benefit our customers and neighbors. Our new space will be the foundation for the collaborative, community-centered growth that defines EagleBank’s future.”

“Our state-of-the-art building at 7500 Old Georgetown Road provides the ideal environment for our tenants to achieve their strategic goals in a space designed to foster collaboration,” In-Rel Properties Principal Jackson Siegal said. “We are delighted to welcome EagleBank as it continues investing in the local community, driving growth in the very market it serves.”

First look: Pisco y Nazca Ceviche Gastrobar in Bethesda (Photos)

Pisco y Nazca Ceviche Gastrobar at 7401 Woodmont Avenue in the 2 Bethesda Metro Center office tower has blown past some previous opening dates, but now looks as if it might open any day now. The interior fit-out, just one of the major property upgrades made recently here by landlord The Chevy Chase Land Company, is complete. It looks like the interior design was worth the wait, but there is also outdoor seating, as the warmer temperatures of spring approach. Speaking of outdoors, the restaurant's exterior signage was installed yesterday, and was already lit after dark.

This ground floor corner was most recently home to Cesco Osteria, but is most likely remembered for its time as McCormick & Schmick's. Pisco y Nazca could find itself busy at several times of day, with its bowls and unique sushi rolls for lunch, its 4:00 - 7:00 PM Hora Loca, and a wide variety of authentic Peruvian entrees for dinner. Sushi? It's not that much of a stretch for a cuisine known for its deft and creative use of raw seafood. Stay tuned for an opening date!

2 Bethesda Metro Center

Why are Homeland Security police outside of this Bethesda hotel?

A number of readers have asked about the heavy security presence outside of the Hyatt Regency Bethesda hotel at 7400 Wisconsin Avenue in recent days. In particular, people have taken note of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security protective police vehicles, and Montgomery County police cruisers. A Red Cross vehicle was seen there, as well, and there is a Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service ambulance on-site. This is in relation to the recent and tragic collision of an American Airlines regional passenger jet and a military helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

During one of the briefings after the incident, it was announced that the Hyatt would be used as a staging area for families of the victims who were aboard the American Airlines flight. This is still an ongoing effort and ordeal for all involved. But residents can be reassured that there is no reason for concern related to the vehicles and personnel.

More signs of Dunkin' Donuts at Bethesda Metro and Chevy Chase Lake

Local Dunkin' Donuts franchisee Luis Group Management is busy near the the first two stops of the future Purple Line. New signs have been installed at the Bethesda Metro Center store, which recently underwent a remodeling. The new signage reflects the brand's recent shortening of the name to just "Dunkin'." 

Meanwhile, construction on a completely new Dunkin' Donuts is nearing completion over at the Giant gas station at 8500 Connecticut Avenue at Chevy Chase Lake. You can see how easy it will be for residents of the new Crescent at Chevy Chase apartments right behind there, at 3929 Landmark Court, to grab a donut and coffee on their way to the Purple Line station in the morning.

Dunkin' Donuts reopens at Bethesda Metro Center

Dunkin' Donuts has reopened at the Bethesda Metro Center. The store temporarily closed for renovations earlier this month. It appeared to have permanently closed at that time, as there was no message to customers posted, the windows were covered with paper, and Dunkin' Donuts removed the location from its national website. The Bethesda Metro Center store has now reappeared on the website's "Find Your Nearest Dunkin' Location" page.

Gateway Newsstand space available for lease at Bethesda Metro Center

The vacant space previously home to Gateway Newsstand (or "Newstand," as the sign spells it) in the Bethesda Metro Center bus bays area is now being marketed for lease. Despite the name, and the sound logic of a newsstand located at a subway station, the business was more of a coffee bar and convenience store than a newsstand. The space continues to be a great location if you have a product or service of interest to morning and evening commuters. 

I would like to see a real newsstand here. But just as the opening of new fast food restaurants in Bethesda has apparently been banned by Montgomery County government, so too has the opening or operation of any place where you can purchase print editions of major newspapers from cities around the United States or the world. This is less surprising when you learn that the vandalism-style paint around the rim of the plaza at the Metro Center is what passes for "art" in our time. We are a civilization in decline.