Kenwood Cherry Blossoms 2026 (Photos + Video)

Here's a look at the famous cherry blossoms in the Kenwood neighborhood of Chevy Chase for the year 2026. Why drive and walk for miles downtown when you can see the same thing here for free close to home? You can drive through, or walk through, but don't think about parking on the street! There might be a lemonade stand if the Montgomery County Council hasn't shut it down before you get there. The Capital Crescent Trail passes right through the neighborhood, a relatively easy walk from downtown Bethesda or points south of River Road into Georgetown.

Bethesda church for sale, a potential redevelopment target

A church property in the elite 20816 zip code of Bethesda could become the next cookie cutter townhome or - even more controversial - apartment development. Washington Baptist Church at 5144 Massachusetts Avenue has just listed its property as available for sale. The asking price for the 2.15-acre plot is $14,995,000. While a Montessori school tenant and cell service antenna leases can provide short term revenue to the purchaser, the online sale listing notes the redevelopment potential of the site, which is in the exclusive Westmoreland Hills neighborhood. 

One must wonder if this planned sale was a driving force behind including Massachusetts Avenue in the zoning text amendment rammed through last year by the Montgomery County Council. According to the ZTA map, this property is eligible for multifamily housing.

Such redevelopment would be contentious, but the Montgomery County Council and Planning Board have established a rock-solid track record in recent years of steamrolling over resident opposition, ignoring civic associations who don't sell their membership out to the Council, and paying zero price at the ballot box for doing so. "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" 

Rosetta Bakery opens in Bethesda (Photos)

Rosetta is now open at 4901-A Fairmont Avenue in downtown Bethesda. The Italian bakery "brings the authentic flavors of Milan to Bethesda with fresh pastries, signature focaccia, rich espresso, and all the sweet moments Rosetta is known for," the Miami-based chain said in a statement announcing the opening. Rosetta is named for the bread used in its signature sandwich menu item. See a preview of the menu boards below. The Bethesda location has established a partnership with the Best Buddies organization.

Silk Route restaurant aiming for May opening in Bethesda

A few more details have come to light regarding the future downtown Bethesda restaurant Silk Route. You may recall it is moving into the building that was recently sold and vacated by Tia Queta at 4839 Del Ray Avenue. According to Silk Route's liquor license application, the owner hopes to open before the end of May 2026. The menu will feature a fusion of Persian and Mediterranean cuisine. Operating hours will be 4:00 PM to 11:00 PM seven days a week. The owner was previously a co-owner of the former Pour Vino N Hops in Rockville.

A glimpse of The Velvet Room in Bethesda

The long waiting game for The Velvet Room at 8020 Norfolk Avenue in Bethesda continues. But a new image of the future speakeasy has been posted inside the entrance, as seen above. Originally expected to open in February 2025, the establishment has remained unrealized for more than a year since. Let's hope this is a sign of things moving forward at last.

Assault at Whole Foods in Friendship Heights

Montgomery County police responded to a report of an aggravated assault at Whole Foods Market at 4420 Willard Avenue in Friendship Heights Thursday morning, March 26, 2026. The assault was reported at the supermarket at 9:47 AM Thursday, continuing the troubling trend of violent crimes being committed during daylight hours in Montgomery County. It appears to have been related to a shoplifting incident at the store, another persistent crime trend in the County.

Matchbox closes at Bethesda Row

Matchbox has closed its Bethesda location at 7278 Woodmont Avenue in downtown Bethesda. A note in the window states the restaurant has "moved" to Rockville and Silver Spring. Of course, this is false, as the chain has had both locations for many years. Signage has been stripped from the exterior. Matchbox will be replaced by Prato, an Italian restaurant.

Maryland silica factory closing, production relocating to South Carolina

There goes another one. Evonik Corporation will close its Maryland factory in Havre de Grace, and relocate its production of silica to South Carolina. The closure will eliminate 34 jobs, according to a filing the chemical firm submitted to the state on Wednesday. While the company explains its strategic move with buzzphrases like "economies of scale," there are several obvious reasons why the grass appears much greener in the Palmetto State if you are running a business enterprise.

Industrial electricity rates in South Carolina are 22% less than in Maryland. This is largely due to the forced closure of eight power plants by Maryland elected officials, who have also mandated the purchase of ever-increasing amounts of "clean power," such as solar or wind. In addition, the state has socked energy utility customers with an EmPOWER Maryland fee, that funds a Marxist program that subsidizes the purchase of energy efficient equipment by lower income customers. The end result is that Maryland now imports the majority of its electricity from out-of-state, naturally at greater cost than it had been provided from those shuttered in-state plants. Not to mention that Maryland ratepayers are now receiving record-high monthly power bills.

Maryland's corporate tax rate is 8.25%. South Carolina's is 5%. Doh!

Last year, Maryland Governor Wes Moore and the Democratic-controlled legislature established a 3% tech tax. By comparison, IT consulting, custom coding, and systems design are not taxed in South Carolina.

Finally, Maryland’s average annual pay for chemical engineers is approximately $121,012 to $140,708. In Charleston, the average is roughly $93,975 to $128,000, according to Indeed.com.

Heckuva job, Brownie!

Maryland Governor candidate Ed Hale blasts Wes Moore's floundering Key Bridge rebuild

"I heard a noise, it's that close to me," Maryland Governor candidate Ed Hale recalled of the collapse of the Key Bridge in Baltimore two years ago today. The Republican businessman and Charm City resident's home was within earshot of the catastrophe that unfolded on March 26, 2024. Two years later, progress on the construction of a replacement bridge has stalled as the cost of the project ballooned fivefold under the administration of Governor Wes Moore (D). Running afoul of federal funding guidelines, and Moore's relentless personal attacks on President Donald Trump, have led to the possibility that former president Joe Biden's vow to pick up 100% of the tab is now in serious jeopardy. Hale scheduled a press conference within sight of the bridge yesterday to excoriate Moore for the lack of progress, 24 hours ahead of the predictable Moore media blitz.

"It's a bridge that I've used pretty much all of my life," Hale told reporters Wednesday. "I'm from around here. This is my house right here," he added, gesturing toward his home. The neighborhood around the former bridge connection "is hurting, because it takes forever to go from here to over there," Hale said.

Hale argued the floundering rebuild is "emblematic of a governor that's really not paying attention to this whatsoever. He'll smile and say that he is, but he's not. And what you see is anger on both sides of the bridge, all around [Anne Arundel and Baltimore] County and just, the citizens here are extremely upset and don't like the idea that we're not getting this done. There's no end in sight for this thing to be done."

"We are a ship without a rudder," Hale charged of Moore's leadership of the state, saying the current governor's attention is largely consumed by his quest for the presidency in 2029. He announced that in lieu of a workable solution from the Moore administration, "I have a plan."

"I'm going to have the bureaucrats involved, the engineers, and the construction companies involved in this whole process, and see what they can do," Hale said. "And if they don't have a reasonable explanation, they're not going to last long in my administration." He suggested the state turn to Maryland-based firms that do similar work around the world to rebuild the bridge, saying he knows they are qualified because he has hired many of them for his own projects. "I've talked to a bunch of people, and they're standing by, ready to do it."

Hale cited the outflow of residents and wealth from Maryland to other states in recent years. Voters are "now telling me, 'If you don't win, we're moving,'" Hale recounted. A recent poll found that over 60% of Maryland residents are either in the process of leaving the state, or are considering a move. "We can't continue to have this happen," Hale said.

"We don't have economic development. We don't have job creation. We are the worst in the nation for job creation," Hale explained, noting that as a private sector businessman, he has created tens of thousands of jobs. By "every metric you can think of, we're failing," Hale said. "I don't intend to fail. I intend to make things better. Help is on the way."

New Citibank branch opens in Bethesda

The second of two new Citibank branches has opened in downtown Bethesda. This one is located at 8101 Wisconsin Avenue, formerly a TD Bank branch. Citibank has retained the drive-thru from the previous tenant. An existing branch at 8001 Wisconsin has closed. The other new branch is located at 4760 Bethesda Avenue, in the Flats at Bethesda Avenue apartments.

GEICO moves into The Wilson in Bethesda (Photos)

Montgomery County hasn't attracted a single new major corporate headquarters in over 25 years, but there's a new corporate logo on the downtown Bethesda skyline. As usual, it is a rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic situation, with GEICO moving "up the Pike" from Friendship Heights to The Wilson, the Class A office tower at 7272 Wisconsin Avenue. It's great news for the property's landlord, but not so much for County revenue, as the insurance firm has downsized considerably from a campus of its own to a mere office.

Adding to the revenue hit is the moribund Montgomery County economy, amid which there is zippo demand for office space. No major corporations want to move here, so rather than welcome a giant new corporate tenant to the GEICO campus site at 5260 Western Avenue, the property will be redeveloped as all-residential. Developer EYA has proposed constructing 520 units in the form of apartments, condominiums, and townhomes. The Bethesda-based firm has extensive experience in constructing exactly this type of development on large sites throughout the Washington, D.C. region. 

Again, good news for wealthy people who want to live at the Friendship Heights Metro station. Not so good news for County revenue coffers, as we've seen that new housing generates more costs in services and infrastructure than it does in tax revenue. Ergo our structural County budget deficit, which was created and has persisted amid massive residential housing development countywide this century.

Montgomery County elected officials have known for years that GEICO would be vacating this prime property. Yet, even with a massive head start and time to develop a strategy, they were incapable of luring a domestic or international firm to the site. We have a County Council that cannot hit major league pitching when it comes to economic development, trying to compete with very smart leaders across the Potomac. Even now that Virginia has elected a Marxist governor, our own Marxist County Council is too wedded to their Communist ideals to take advantage of the four year break. Instead, MoCo continues to spin its wheels, while solidifying its collapse into a mere bedroom community for the booming job centers elsewhere in our region. Heckuva job, Brownie!