Third Space for Kids opens in Bethesda

Third Space for Kids has opened at 7801 Norfolk Avenue in downtown Bethesda, above Veterans Park. What is it? A community hub for families with children centered around play and activities. "Inspired by the idea of a 'third space,' a place beyond home and school, Third Space for Kids offers a warm, casual environment where children ages toddler through elementary school can engage with each other," their website says. "We have an infant room for your convenience. Third Space for Kids includes an activities area, a reading room, and a climbing playroom for inclement weather." 

The facility can also host parties. Hours of operation are 10:00 AM-5:00 PM on Thursdays, 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM on Fridays, 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM on Saturdays, and 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM on Sundays. Third Space for Kids says "Friday and Saturday extended hours are meant to give families a place to bring dinner and enjoy a game night together. It’s a fun, kid-friendly option for weekend evenings!"

Toastique opening in Friendship Heights

Toastique is coming soon to the Friendship Heights area of Chevy Chase. It will be opening at 5310 Western Avenue at The Shops at Wisconsin Place. Toastique is a fast-casual, health-conscious all-day cafe chain. Not surprisingly, their signature menu item is their Gourmet Toast with toppings like Avocado Smash, Spicy Crab, Tuscan Tuna, and PB Crunch. Also on the menu are healthy bowls, fresh juices, iced collagen lattes, smoothies, wellness shots, waffles, and sweet baked goods.

The local chain was founded by Brianna Keefe. She opened the first Toastique in Southwest Washington, D.C. Today, there are locations in 25 states. Besides being healthy, the menu items are consciously designed to be photogenic for social media. Construction on Toastique is expected to begin by summer.

Collars & Co. to open flagship store at Bethesda Row

Collars & Co., the innovative menswear company whose investors include Mark Cuban, is opening its first flagship store very soon at 7126 Bethesda Lane at Bethesda Row. It will replace its original Montgomery County location, a successful pop-up shop in Rockville, the company announced in a press release yesterday. But as a 2000-square-foot flagship store, the Bethesda location will provide a fuller brand experience than has been possible at the label's initial bricks-and-mortar outposts. 

The company is best known for its patent-pending Dress Collar Polo shirts. A "buttery-soft" polo with a true English spread collar, the shirt was designed to provide a replacement for stuffier dress shirts worn under sweaters and jackets in the stifling heat of New York City summers. They are also simpler to clean and maintain than the typical expensive dress shirt. Of course, you can also find button-down shirts at Collars & Co., as well as trousers, shorts, outerwear, sweaters, blazers, and shoes.

Collars & Co. generated buzz at its Rockville pop-up by including an actual Porsche and an Instagram-ready private jet interior replica backdrop for selfies in the store. Expect such flourishes on a larger scale at the new Bethesda flagship location. "Opening our flagship store in Bethesda is a defining moment for Collars & Co. and a true homecoming for our brand," founder & CEO Justin Baer said in a statement yesterday. "As we continue to expand our retail footprint in the DC-region, we’re excited to create spaces where longtime customers and new shoppers can fully experience Collars & Co."

Sprouts Farmers Market opening in White Flint

Sprouts Farmers Market, a rapidly-expanding organic grocery store chain, is expanding to White Flint. The supermarket has leased a space at 5296 Randolph Road at Loehmann's Plaza. This will be the third Montgomery County location for Sprouts. The first is already open in Burtonsville, and the second will be in the development that is replacing the beloved Lakeforest Mall in Gaithersburg. Construction on the White Flint store is anticipated to begin this summer.

2 EB lanes of Bradley Boulevard reopen in Bethesda after water main break

A crew from water utility WSSC worked throughout the night into today to repair a major water main break on Bradley Boulevard near Arlington Road and the CVS Pharmacy in downtown Bethesda. Two eastbound lanes of Bradley are now open again to traffic. A resurfacing crew is now repairing and paving the remaining lanes that were damaged by the rupture yesterday. The water main was a 20-inch diameter pipe. WSSC did not specify the year it was installed. Three adjacent businesses lost water service. WSSC expects all lanes of Bradley to be accessible by the end of the day.

New sign installed at Westbard Square in Bethesda

A new sign has been installed in an interesting location at Westbard Square in Bethesda. It's actually a little ways down the street from the new mixed-use development on Westbard Avenue. The spot is a grassy area along the side yard fence of a single-family home on nearby Ridgefield Road. It's an area that used to be Westbard Avenue before the road was realigned to curve toward River Road. And it's an area that isn't exactly aesthetically pleasing at the moment, with the decision to not bury the utility lines, poor grass coverage, ugly utility boxes at ground level, and recent tree plantings that haven't had much time to grow yet. 

Alo offering early access Thursday night ahead of Friday opening in Bethesda

If you just can't wait for the grand opening of Alo at 7236 Woodmont Avenue at Bethesda Row this Friday, they have a solution for you. The yoga and wellness apparel boutique will be hosting an early access shopping event this Thursday evening, May 21, 2026, from 5:00 to 8:00 PM. Can't make it Thursday? The shop will be holding a grand opening celebration from opening day Friday through this coming Sunday.

Intruder tries to smash way into Bethesda apartment lobby

An intruder trespassing inside an entrance vestibule attempted to smash an interior glass door that provides entry for tenants of 8200 Wisconsin to the apartment tower's lobby this past weekend. Yesterday, the interior lobby door could be seen papered over inside the Woodmont Avenue entrance to the building, and broken glass had been cleaned up. This comes after residents of the building have already expressed concern over the reduction of staffing at the lobby desk to only four hours per day. Some residents have reported security failures and trespassing by previous intruders, which were made possible by the lack of 24-hour desk coverage.

One recent event was an example of an apparent new trend of vagrants and homeless people "couch surfing" during the night in residential lobbies, including at least once at 8200. The individuals either sneak in, are assisted with entry by an unwitting resident, or possibly invited in by a bleeding heart tenant to crash for the night on lobby furniture. This is not only illegal trespassing or burglary in most cases, but a security risk to residents. Montgomery County police have not commented publicly on this weekend's incident at 8200, so the motive or intention behind the attempt to break in is unknown at this time.

The incidents I have heard from readers have all taken place at buildings in the Woodmont Triangle, where Montgomery County of course sustains several homeless facilities. As in White Flint and Derwood, some of these individuals have untreated psychiatric conditions and/or criminal records, and harass, beg, or assault people going about their business, as well as stealing from, robbing, or vandalizing local businesses. They have repeatedly broken into vacant buildings in that vicinity. 

Now a growing trend is this couch surfing at residential buildings. This not only often provides access to mail rooms with packages in or off of lobbies, but in at least one case at a different building, residents reported a trespasser in the lobby then taking elevators to residential floors upstairs with unclear intentions.

Two assaults in downtown Bethesda Saturday

Two assaults were reported in downtown Bethesda yesterday, May 16, 2026. The first took place in an alleyway in the 4700 block of Elm Street at 1:02 AM Saturday. Last night, a 2nd-degree assault was reported in the 5000 block of Hampden Lane at 8:54 PM. That is a short block that is closed to traffic where it runs alongside the Connie Morella Bethesda Library.