NEW BETHESDA MOVIE THEATERS TAKE THEIR BATTLE UNDERGROUND (PHOTOS)

ArcLight Cinemas and iPic Theaters are doing battle daily in the northern part of Bethesda, at Westfield Montgomery Mall and Pike & Rose, respectively. Both are state-of-the-art theaters (although ArcLight features double the number of screens) commanding a higher ticket price than the cineplexes of old. But they are also squaring off underneath the streets of downtown Bethesda for the wealthier demographic there, with dueling ads in the Bethesda Metro station tunnel.

BETHESDA CONSTRUCTION UPDATE: PIKE & ROSE, INCLUDING GAP (PHOTOS)

Some of the exterior wraps are off at Gap on Grand Park Avenue, in Federal Realty's new Pike & Rose development in White Flint.

Meanwhile, two other tenants have opened this past weekend at the property. iPic Theaters opened Friday, without extending any preview invitation to this blogger, and thereby reaching less total audience. Doesn't seem too smart, given the extensive outreach competitors ArcLight Cinemas and Landmark Bethesda Row Cinema have engaged in prior to opening. The majority of iPic's PR seems to be focused on legacy media like broadcast TV, print newspapers, FM radio and glossy magazines - which probably would strike those who get most of their news via smartphone these days as a bit behind the times. iPic does have a couple of cool promotional spectacles going on at the actual property, though. One was a man on stilts walking around Pike & Rose, and the other was a projection of the Hollywood sign on a blank construction barrier wall.

Women's apparel boutique Francesca's opened Saturday.

With these openings, parking was jammed in the garage off of Grand Park Avenue Saturday. Room to maneuver along the drive aisles inside the garage proved to be quite tight, now that more people are visiting. Parking is indeed free for 2 hours, and no validation is necessary for that. Longer validations for free parking are available from tenants like Del Frisco's Grille and iPic. If confronted with a similar squeeze in the garage, your best bet is to skip Grand Park Avenue, and head to the garage entrance west of it along Old Georgetown Road, just past Del Frisco's Grille's patio.

Stilt walker near
Del Frisco's Grille

AMP sign is lit

"Goodnight from Hollywood"

CITY PERCH RESTAURANT TO OPEN AT PIKE & ROSE OVER iPic THEATERS

Big restaurant news from Federal Realty's Pike & Rose development - City Perch will be a new restaurant opening there in November, above the iPic Theaters cineplex. The restaurant will feature an outdoor Infinity Terrace, which overlooks a public square below.

Locally-sourced ingredients, and a combination of traditional entrees and small plates will bring Chef Matt Baker's New American cuisine expertise to pre- and post-theater diners. Fresh seafood will also be highlighted on the menu. Baker is currently chef de cuisine at Occidental Grill in the District, but will be heading north to helm City Perch after his last day on Tuesday.

iPic Theaters' mixologist and sommelier, Adam Seger, is whipping up a cocktail list for City Perch, and promises bottled cocktails (including a refreshing Bethesda Punch with Rare Tea Cellar Magnolia Oolong) for moviegoers to enjoy in their theater seat. Already potentially on the list are Seger's El Corazon (tequila + passionfruit, pomegranate and blood orange juices), Brandy Alexander (with local cream and housemade Creme de Cacao), and a Grasshopper (local cream, Creme de Cacao and Creme de Menthe).

 The iPic Theaters itself is shooting for a November opening, as well.

City Perch

11830 Grand Park Avenue

WALKING THE STREETS OF PIKE & ROSE, PART III (PHOTOS)

Let's take another stroll around Federal Realty's Pike & Rose development, currently under construction at the intersection of Rockville Pike and the Montrose Parkway (hence the name), and see what new details and easter eggs we can find.

This column molding features
a stylized rose (bottom) and
a vertical "Old George," a
reference to property boundary
Old Georgetown Road

Future tenants are now
getting some publicity
with Pike & Rose-logo
banners on their future
storefronts

Another tenant that will
have stores at this development,
and Federal Realty sister property,
Bethesda Row

Seasons Olive Oil &
Vinegar Taproom has
its own logo sign

Gap, on the other hand,
is just slumming it
when it comes to signs

The future iPic Theaters, one
of the development's activity hubs

Sculpture and signage at
the PerSei apartments

PR FRESH LOOK STORE COMING TO PIKE & ROSE

If stylish, upscale hair salons are a must for today's luxury mixed-use communities, Pike & Rose has found one in PR Fresh Look. A concept by salon chain PR at Partners, with a flagship store in Tysons Corner, the PR Fresh Look store will offer blowouts and hairstyles tailored to the individual customer. Potential clients will be able to read bios of each stylist online, and those stylists will also be able to teach them tips and tricks for pulling off salon styles at home.

PR Fresh Look will be located by Del Frisco's Grille on Grand Park Avenue, the same block that will hold the iPic Theaters cineplex.

The salon will open this November.

PR Fresh Look salon will be
located at left on
Grand Park Avenue

SNEAK PEEK - WALKING THE FUTURE STREETS OF PIKE & ROSE (PHOTOS)

Are you ready to go inside Pike & Rose, the future Federal Realty development on the former site of Mid-Pike Plaza? Street signs have been erected, design touches are popping up all over, and even the future iPic Theatres is starting to look like its future self. There's even a facade tribute to a classic Washington, D.C. company.

Meanwhile, things seem to be on-track at the PerSei luxury apartments, where a last-minute management swap had some future tenants concerned. The new management is still providing the incentives promised by the former management, including membership at Sport & Health, and a Container Store $500 gift card, according to a source. First floor residents reportedly moved in as scheduled last Friday, and upper floors in the coming weeks, which is typical for a new building.

Corby Baking Co. was founded
in Washington, D.C. in 1890, and
was eventually acquired by
Continental Baking Company;
an interesting exterior tribute
to a local legend

Turn onto Persei Place

Note the finishing decorative touches on
the facade between the windows,
and at the bottom

Lens flare along Old Georgetown Road

Grand Park Avenue ahead

These decorative markers are popping
up all over the streets of Pike & Rose.
They feature the names of tenants
in the future development

Welcome to the PerSei apartments

Pike & Rose ampersand
door handles

Future iPic Theatres cineplex (R) and
Tanzy restaurant (L)

Pad site

PerSei apartments

Intersection of Grand Park Avenue
and Persei Place

Demolition of Bally's and the
remaining remnants of
Mid-Pike Plaza

iPic THEATER TANZY RESTAURANT AT PIKE AND ROSE HIRING CHEF, GENERAL MANAGER

Tanzy, the gourmet restaurant in the future iPic Theater at Pike and Rose in White Flint (a.k.a. North Bethesda or Rockville, depending on your opinion), is hiring an executive chef and general manager ahead of its expected November opening. The luxury theater will immediately square off with Westfield Montgomery Mall's ArcLight Cinemas and new restaurants and dining terrace, also opening this fall. With 2 upscale theaters with restaurants about 10 minutes apart, it will be interesting to see the pricing, given the immediate competition. ArcLight will have double the screens of iPic (16 vs. 8) and more dining options, while iPic offers some additional perks like recliners, pillows and blankets.

Image courtesy of iPic Theaters
All rights reserved

FIRST LOOK AT iPic THEATER AT PIKE AND ROSE (PHOTOS)

The future iPic movie theater at Pike and Rose in White Flint has mostly been discussed for its upscale pricing, dining options, and reserved seating. But here are the first renderings of what the cineplex will actually look like on Grand Park Avenue in North Bethesda. Those of you who get a chill from the AC at movies will enjoy the preview photo of the trademark iPic blankets. Overall, there are some design similarities to the newly-renovated Landmark Bethesda Row Cinema. Let's take a tour:

Have you bought your Star Wars: Episode VII
tickets yet?

Does the curved screen suspended above
this corridor look familiar?

Not your typical snack bar

Premium ticket holders get iPic pillows
and blankets. In case you're wondering, they are
replaced with fresh ones at each screening

Images: iPic Theaters, All Rights Reserved.