More of the facade has been added to the 17-story luxury apartment tower Gallery Bethesda, under construction between Del Ray and Auburn Avenues.
Check out these photos, including two shots that show just how close your balcony could be to the rooftop patio of next-door neighbor Tia Queta.
Hey! Pass those margaritas over here!
Hostess Cupcakes are now arriving back on shelves at local Giant and Safeway stores. Selection varies by chain and store, but I found these at the Arlington Road Safeway in downtown Bethesda.
Now let's test them out, and determine if these are indeed the same as the classic Hostess Cupcakes.
COMPANY ALSO ACQUIRES WESTWOOD TOWER APARTMENTS OUTRIGHT
Equity One, the development firm that "purchased" the Westwood Complex from Capital Properties via a risky mortgage arrangement last fall, has now exercised its purchase option on two of the included properties.
The Westbard Avenue bowling alley building - currently leased by Bowlmor Bethesda - now is owned outright by Florida-based Equity One. They also exercised their option to purchase the Westwood Tower apartment building, which is next door to the bowling alley.
What Equity One will do with the properties is unknown. Some believe they will wait for the next revision of the Westbard Sector Plan to be completed. I disagree. The new zoning code being rammed through by the Montgomery County Planning Board and County Council has a provision that could allow properties to be rezoned to the new developer-friendly zones, before master plan updates are completed. That maneuver was clearly worked out behind closed doors with developers, as it will greatly reduce public input in the development process. If the property is pre-upzoned, there is little legal justification to deny any plan that complies with the code.
But Equity One will now be under pressure to include a bowling alley in its future development on Westbard. There has been a bowling alley there for more than 35 years, and few are left in the county. Much like any redevelopment plan for the Apex Building in downtown Bethesda will have to include a cineplex to replace the Regal Cinemas, Equity One will have to supply a bowling alley, or they will not get much public support.
It would be helpful if Equity One were to meet with the communities surrounding Westbard to have a dialogue, before coming in with the old "here's the coloring book, but you can tell us what colors you want to use" scheme, where everything is already decided in advance. The biggest questions are: will the retail and restaurants be high quality, will services like pet stores and gas stations/auto repairs be retained, will the architecture of any new structures be unique to Westbard (great designs can go a long way in winning community support), and how much housing, if any, is appropriate in what is a neighborhood commercial services area, not a bustling regional destination? Westbard is not within walking distance of a Metro station, and 85-90% of residents use automobiles.
Surface parking is a must, and it does make a difference. Suburban areas are all about being in the outdoors, with green space and trees. An enclosed garage is beyond inappropriate for such an environment. People don't move to residential neighborhoods in Montgomery County to be surrounded and walled in by concrete.
Of course, the larger Westbard Sector Plan revision process will have to be just as open. After neglecting the area for decades, politicians and developers aren't going to be able to just come in and steamroll everybody, and take money out of the neighborhood. It's going to be a process. There is opposition to a cookie-cutter, urban town center being slapped up on Westbard Avenue. So developers would be wise to put ego aside and "get over it." Opening lines of communication now (and not simply with the Citizens Coordinating Committee on Friendship Heights, which has no legal authority to negotiate on behalf of neighborhoods most directly impacted by future development), and telling residents about what specific retail and restaurant amenities could be added, would be a far easier approach than just coming in with the demolition equipment and a bad attitude.
Speaking of Bowlmor Bethesda, check out the new multi-color stars they've attached to the exterior of the bowling alley/bar and grill.
Heavy equipment descended upon the former BP station on Old Georgetown Road yesterday. The station's gas pumps and canopy were demolished. A luxury apartment building will eventually occupy the site.
I went to McDonald's last night and found a new burger on the menu board - the Quarter Pounder BLT.
Join me as we test this limited-time menu item.
If you are familiar with Milae Cleaners on River Road in Bethesda, you know that the owners recognize the marketing benefits of electronic signs. One has been displaying messages to drivers stopped at the intersection with Little Falls Parkway for years.
Now that the family has expanded into the hospitality industry, it's no surprise that they would add such a sign to their store. Animated signs certainly are more effective than traditional ones.
Here is the sign that was installed yesterday, at the future House of Milae on St. Elmo Avenue in Bethesda.
The sign's main message right now is "Coming Soon" but also refers to a "Korean Express Lunch."
Your cupcake truck dreams may be about to come true, for the right price!
Fancy Cakes by Leslie is selling this cupcake truck contraption. You won't lack for attention tooling around downtown Bethesda in this.
I wouldn't suggest taking it on the Beltway, though.
Construction fencing has been removed from the building that will hold a rooftop restaurant (Roof) scheduled to open this fall. The Steven Karr-designed building is at the corner of Norfolk and Cordell Avenues. Other future tenants include Dunkin' Donuts, Baskin Robbins and Smashburger.
The Doubletree Bethesda hotel is hosting a Cuban-themed Havana Nights pool party at both its rooftop pool and ballroom on September 6, from 7 PM to 1 AM.
Tickets are on sale now, and must be purchased in advance. To go with the Cuban theme, Cuban adult beverages and a rooftop cigar bar will be available. Dress in white, and enter the Best Dressed Fedora contest.
When they say cabanas, my guess is they're talking about rooms rather than Wet Republic-style cabanas in Vegas.
PART I: FIRST EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS OF BETHESDA TESLA STORE
PART II:
Now that you've had a sneak preview of the soon-to-open Tesla Store at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda (click on Part I link above, if you missed it), you may be wondering, just what exactly can you do at a Tesla Store?
Using the Design Studio on the wall, you can create your ultimate, custom Model S, and see what it will look like.
The employee you see in the photo is there to answer all of your questions, but will not give you any sales pitch whatsoever. No cars are sold at these stores, so you can relax in a no-pressure environment.
As you can see, you can buy merchandise (but not the actual car), get inside a Tesla Model S electric car, and even surf the net on the car's dashboard.
Does the website on the screen look familiar?
You'll find that the Tesla is not your average Prius. And is priced accordingly.
Click to enlarge for detail:
Heading back to campus, and want your wardrobe and dorm room to both be in style?
Visit the shop at Bethesda Row that never goes out of style - The Pink Palm - this Wednesday evening, from 5-7 PM, for a special back-to-school event.
Dormify.com, which recently opened a kiosk at Bethesda Row, will be there and offer 20%-off orders of dorm room decor.
And, you'll save 10% on all full-price Lilly apparel, including their brand-new Fall Collection. A separate sale section will feature savings of up to 60%.
Food and refreshments will be provided by neighbor Bethesda Bagels, and there will be bonus gifts with Pink Palm purchases.
The Pink Palm is located on Bethesda Avenue at Bethesda Lane.
Three new additions to Federal Realty's Pike & Rose development on Rockville Pike will cover a broad range of cuisines.
M Street Kitchen and Stella Barra Pizzeria are not only owned by the same company, but are both from Southern California.
M Street Kitchen offers an eclectic mashup of American, Mexican and Asian dishes. Burgers, tacos, miso-glazed salmon, Evil Thai Princess salad and fresh sushi all share the same menu.
M Street's bar is just as diverse, pouring beer, wine, sake and a signature Sangria.
Stella Barra sounds like just a pizza place, but aspires to be upscale. Think Porchetta and Fennel pizzas, rather than sausage and pepperoni. Their Hollywood and Santa Monica locations not only serve "handcrafted" cocktails, but are known for their house-made desserts. Save room for the pot de creme or massive bacon-chocolate chip cookie.
You can get a video preview of Stella Barra by clicking here.
Want something healthier?
The Protein Bar is just what the doctor ordered.
Even the beverages can give you a protein boost at this establishment.
The Protein Bar, which has a Penn Quarter location in the District, is also highly accommodating of diners with food allergies (taking special precautions to prevent cross-contamination of allergens during food preparation, for example), or who seek vegetarian and gluten-free options.
You'll find juices, smoothies, salads and bowls heavy on meat, and a variety of dishes made with superfood quinoa.
Meanwhile, back at the Pike & Rose construction site:
The new Tesla Store at Westfield Montgomery Mall is just about to open. They've got that nifty sign up over the door. But are you impatient to see what's behind the wall?
In these exclusive photos, you can see that there's already a Tesla Model S inside.
Tesla is the one electric car manufacturer whose fortunes are rising at the moment. While the Tesla Store concept is inspired by the Apple Store, you can't actually buy a car there. It is strictly to generate consumer awareness, provide vast amounts of information on the vehicles, answer your questions, and to allow you to sit in the Model S. You can buy Tesla merchandise, however.
Barely 48 hours after being constructed, Bethesda's new "protected" crosswalk has already been damaged. Presumably, the center concrete island was struck by one or more vehicles (or The Incredible Hulk went out for a morning jog along Woodmont Avenue).
At least one barrel and a sign were knocked over. Fortunately, no people were injured.
EXCLUSIVE
A source tells me that The Cheesecake Factory will open a new location at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda.
The upscale-casual chain has an existing restaurant not far away, in White Flint Mall. However, White Flint Mall will be completely demolished within the next few years, leaving only anchor Lord & Taylor entact. Lord & Taylor has filed suit to stop the demolition; the first phase of demolition is already complete, including the former Bloomingdale's store.
Traffic has evaporated at the dying White Flint Mall, and this past weekend, the once-sizable crowds awaiting tables at Cheesecake Factory were nowhere to be found. Another large restaurant tenant at White Flint, Bertucci's, recently closed.
White Flint's loss is Westfield's gain. Once an also-ran in the dining category, Westfield Montgomery Mall is now getting perhaps the most popular restaurant in Montgomery County in The Cheesecake Factory. Another national chain, Bobby Flay's Bobby's Burger Palace, is already scheduled to open at Montgomery Mall in the near future.
While White Flint Mall owner Lerner gambles on Montgomery County's risky experiment to urbanize the suburbs, Westfield has instead doubled-down on the suburban indoor mall concept. The global mall operator has massively reinvested in Montgomery Mall, and is currently expanding its food court. A luxury movie theater is also under construction, and a new transit center will be added.
Two big questions:
Where will The Cheesecake Factory be located in Westfield Montgomery? Obviously, nothing is official at this time. One place to watch is the Old Navy wing of the mall. A number of stores recently relocated or closed, leaving a large space there. Nearby is Aroma Espresso Bar, with its new outdoor patio. Most importantly, there is a major outdoor mall entrance, which is what large restaurants like Cheesecake Factory want.
Second, how long will Cheesecake Factory stay open at White Flint? With the closure of Bertucci's, all bets that any large remaining restaurant would stay until demolition are off.
But it's fairly clear that the changes coming to White Flint have cost the neighborhood its top restaurant. So far, no restaurant coming to the "new" White Flint has the national name recognition or popularity of The Cheesecake Factory. It would seem extremely unlikely that a Cheesecake Factory would open in White Flint if there's one at Montgomery Mall.
This is another coup for Westfield, which is also getting a Norton snowboarding store and Tesla Store this year. Westfield's investment is putting Montgomery Mall in a more competitive position relative to regional draw Tysons Corner.
Quiznos has closed its Mid-Pike Plaza restaurant at 11802-D Rockville Pike. As you can see, the sign on the storefront is gone, and the windows are covered.
The latest move in the Westfield Montgomery Mall food court is the successful relocation of Mirch Masala Indian Grill. It is now open.
This game of musical chairs is necessary to accomodate a major expansion of the mall's food court and movie theater, currently underway.
