TESLA MOTORS TO OPEN BETHESDA SERVICE CENTER

ELECTRIC CAR

FACILITY TO OPEN

IN

MARCH 2013

Another Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row Exclusive

High-end electric car manufacturer Tesla Motors has announced it will open a vehicle service center in Bethesda in March 2013.

The actual location has not yet been announced.

The facility will not be a dealership, but Tesla is opening one in Tysons Corner.  That location will not have a service center, and likely will direct owners to our Bethesda facility.  Tesla's Washington, D.C. location has sales and service on one site.

Where will the Tesla facility go?

You might say, "not Bethesda Row!"  But don't rule it out.  Tesla has a location at California's Santana Row development.  Don't forget:  there's a very conspicuously out-of-place auto repair shop on Elm Street, near Taylor Gourmet and Newton's Table.  Hmm...  Hmm indeed!

There are limited options, as only an industrial site or previously auto-contaminated property like a gas station are eligible.

Other than the Westbard industrial zone, or one of the two shuttered gas stations downtown (excluding Eastham's) Tesla's only real options other than Elm Street would be Montgomery Mall (which is unlikely to use the valuable Ourisman Ford site for more auto uses - but you never know!) or to join with EuroMotorcars as Lotus did.  Think about it.

Stay tuned!

ICEBREAKER TO OPEN STORE AT BETHESDA ROW!

HIGH-END, MERINO WOOL

PERFORMANCE WEAR

COMING MARCH 2013

Another Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row Exclusive

Big news at Bethesda Row!  New Zealand adventure apparel pioneer Icebreaker will open its first DC-area store at 4821 Bethesda Avenue, in March of 2013.

Icebreaker's NYC Meatpacking District store [Photo: Icebreaker]

Icebreaker will fit nicely with The North Face, as both companies are known for producing "expensive-but-worth-every-penny" products known for function, as much as fashion.

BAA!  Icebreaker is all about wool; New Zealand merino wool, to be precise.  According to Icebreaker, the irony of their products is that their source - merino sheep - are "one of the toughest animals in the world," yet the resulting wool is extremely comfortable to wear.

Merino wool is lightweight and cool in a single layer during summer, but in multiple layers is perfect for cold winters.  By nature and design, Icebreaker's all-natural material is non-itchy, anti-microbial and odor resistant.  Their wool is hand-picked from carefully selected producers, and humane treatment of the source animals is one of the company's ethical pillars.  Following the lead of their CEO, Jeremy Moon, Icebreaker also maintains sustainable land-use and environmental practices.

One interesting - and slightly humorous - example of this in practice, is the Baacode.  Get it?  Using the Baacode on your running outfit, underwear or socks, you can discover the sheep "station" where the wool came from.

All of these green and sensitive policies will surely appeal to Bethesda residents.  In fact, CEO Moon says "Bethesda Row shoppers (have) an eye for new and beautiful apparel."

The store will be referred to as a TouchLab.  Their Tactile Gallery will allow customers to feel the material, and find out more about its practical features in a wide range of athletic apparel.

Obviously, Icebreaker is new to many of us in this area.  But in speaking to a couple of one-time shoppers at Icebreakers' SoHo NYC location, outstanding customer service from employees is one of their trademarks.  They also have a weekly run club, just as lululemon has had at Bethesda Row in the past.

With Icebreaker joining the latter, City Sports, Lucy, and The North Face, Bethesda Row is now perhaps the premiere, one-stop shop for high-end athletic apparel in the DC area.

As befits our recent designation as the Richest Town in America!

Are you pumped up about Icebreaker coming to Bethesda Row?  Have you worn any of their products?