Popular apparel store Express had temporarily moved to an interim location on the first level at Montgomery Mall while its redesigned space was being constructed.
Now it has reopened in that gleaming new space on the upper level, and includes a separate Express Men shop, and The Denim Lab.
Bruce Variety has reopened in Bethesda at its new location, 8011 Woodmont Avenue.
A friendly employee was welcoming each customer entering the store yesterday. There is convenient parking alongside the store, and you can park for free on weekends, according to the posted sign.
Much of the familiar Bruce Variety products are back in stock, including thread, craft supplies and, yes, Mad Libs books.
The store has more open space, and brighter lighting than the old location, even though the cramped aisles and dim lighting were part of the original's charm. Overall, it is much easier to get around this store during more crowded times than the old one.
Enjoy a virtual tour of the new store below. It is also a virtual online catalog, as you can click to zoom in on each photo to see all of the individual products.
The Captain 20 Dick Dyszel pirate stole the show. Now that's classic Bethesda for you.
Bruce Variety has announced it will reopen in a new Bethesda location in March 2013. The new store will be at 8011 Woodmont Avenue, as I reported exclusively here days ago. The owners have now confirmed that my 2 sources for the then-unannounced real estate decision were correct.
8011 Woodmont Avenue is the former home of Creative Parties, LTD, which recently relocated to the Landow Building nearby.
The store, a home-like structure left from an earlier Bethesda era, will be revamped to fit the needs of Bruce Variety. While it appears smaller than Bruce's original location, there is actually a bit more room than is obvious from the street.
There is an on-site, surface parking lot, including disabled parking, next to the new building.
The location is not as ideal as the Bradley Shopping Center, and lacks the same number of parking spaces. But the move has to please residents of nearby buildings like Triangle Towers, Fairmont Plaza and The Palisades, who 3 weeks ago, could never have imagined they would be neighbors to the legendary Bruce Variety.
Bruce Variety to the Woodmont Triangle in Old Town Bethesda - it's official!
