Sophia Bethesda installs outdoor seating, Paris Baguette "coming soon" in ground level

Paris Baguette Bakery Cafe has posted "coming soon" signage at its future home in the ground floor of the Sophia Bethesda apartment tower at 4924 St. Elmo Avenue in downtown Bethesda. Ahead of the French bakery and cafe's arrival, seating has been installed on the remodeled paseo that the new development shares with the apartment tower next door, the Ellis Bethesda. Sophia's penthouse units recently opened for tours, and the earliest residents in the building have given the property overwhelmingly-positive reviews on Google.

“We’re excited to welcome residents to Sophia and invite the larger community to celebrate these lovely new apartments and penthouses,” John Segreti, Principal and Executive Vice President at developer Duball, LLC said in a statement. “We put a lot of attention to detail and designed this community to be inviting, not only to residents, but to everyone in Bethesda. We’ve achieved that with a gorgeous community that is unparalleled in this area, which has been reflected in the fact that many of our largest floorplans have already been leased.”

Paris Baguette "coming soon"

In-unit features at Sophia include quartz countertops, tile backsplashes, stainless steel appliances and kitchen islands, spacious closets, and in-unit washers and dryers. Bathrooms offer tiled bathtubs and showers and marble vanities. The penthouses additionally provide 10-foot ceilings, top-of-the-line- appliances, built-in wine fridges, marble countertops, upgraded washers and dryers, ample natural light, and indoor/outdoor living with multiple balconies, patios and terraces. 

Construction starting inside Paris Baguette

On the rooftop deck 23 stories above Bethesda, residents find a skyline pool and spa with water feature. Heading inside on the roof, an interior sky lounge contains a bar, fireplace, and a billiards and game area. The building's fitness center has a strength training room and a yoga studio with space for HIIT. Additional building amenities include meeting and co-working spaces, a demonstration kitchen, an Uber lounge, a solarium and a pet grooming spa. For virtual tours, or to schedule a real-life tour, see the Sophia Bethesda website.

Majority of Maryland residents have considered leaving the state, poll finds

The University of Maryland Baltimore County continues to drop new results from its recent poll of Maryland residents, and the hits just keep on coming for the state's struggling and inept elected officials. Yesterday's release showed that a majority of the residents polled have considered moving out of Maryland to another state within the past year. A full 53% said, yes, they have considered leaving Maryland in the next few years.

Montgomery County has seen a flight of the rich to lower-tax jurisdictions in the region this century, and those expats have taken millions of dollars in tax revenue with them. There were no longer enough high-end shoppers to sustain the stretch of Wisconsin Avenue in Friendship Heights that was once touted as "Montgomery County's Rodeo Drive," leaving behind rows of empty storefronts. Maryland experienced a similar exodus after passing its "Millionaires' Tax" in 2012, only to find that 1000 millionaires had fled the state just two years later.

54% who were interviewed by UMBC said Maryland is a "poor or fair" place to start a business. That's not surprising, given that 67% of respondents also agreed that the state's economy is moribund. 

Maryland not only has gained a terrible reputation as an anti-business state internationally, but is increasingly seen by aging residents as a terrible place to retire, as well. The largest group of respondents, 37%, said Maryland is a "poor" state to retire in. 64% concluded that Maryland is a "poor or fair" retirement destination. Again, not very surprising, as increasing numbers of retirees leave Maryland behind for Delaware or Florida.

Almost half of those polled said Maryland is a "poor or fair" state to seek a K-12 education in. That's quite a drop from two decades ago, when Maryland's schools were seen as among the best in the nation. Only 11% believe Maryland is an "excellent" place to find a job. Well, you can't blame them: most of the jobs that give Montgomery County and Maryland low unemployment rates are actually located in Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C.

Bethesda's newest CVS Pharmacy sets closing date

Earlier this month, I reported that the newest CVS Pharmacy in downtown Bethesda would close in March, but the corporate office had not yet announced a closing date. Customers having prescriptions filled at the 7235 Wisconsin Avenue store this week report that they have been informed this location will permanently close on March 19, 2025. The store opened in the former Riggs/PNC Bank building in December 2022. It recently closed temporarily due to a water main break in January.

67% of residents agree Maryland economy is moribund

Last decade, this website was a lonely voice in the media landscape warning that the economies of Montgomery County and Maryland were moribund. Since 2018, powerful voices such as the editorial board of The Washington Post, two-time County Executive candidate David Blair, and even Maryland Governor Wes Moore have reached the same conclusion. Now, an overwhelming majority of Maryland residents are also saying the state's economy has stagnated. 67% of residents polled by the University of Maryland Baltimore County declared Maryland's economy as "poor" or "fair." Results of the poll were released Tuesday by UMBC.

49% of residents told pollsters that Maryland is "on the wrong track." 62% are concerned about the amount of taxes Maryland residents pay. That's not a major shock, as Maryland is one of the states with the highest tax burden in America, and Montgomery County has the highest tax and fee burden of any jurisdiction in the Washington, D.C. area. 77% of residents want lawmakers to focus on crime, but would probably be surprised to learn that the only crime bills likely to pass in the current session of the state legislature will loosen up on criminals, instead of cracking down.

Downtown Bethesda cafe for sale

A downtown Bethesda cafe is being marketed for sale as a turnkey business opportunity. From the photos and description, it appears to be the French Press coffee shop at 4918 St. Elmo Avenue, in the ground floor of the recently-renamed Ellis Bethesda apartment tower. The online sale listing touts a gross sales projection of $450,000 this year, with an asking price of $220,000. A plan by the owner to move out-of-state is given as the reason for the sale, but the purchaser will receive 2 free weeks of training before that happens.

"The Green" public space under construction at Westbard Square in Bethesda (Photos)

Here's a pleasant construction update from the new Westbard Square development in Bethesda: The town square public space is now under construction, before ground has even been broken for the future apartment building directly adjacent to it. Delivery of "The Green" is anticipated for "early 2025." As of Tuesday, a permanent "Westbard Square" sign, an event stage, and even stringed lighting are now in place. The stage backs up to the Westbard Avenue end of the town square, and is backed by a staggered-step wall that employs the familiar quarry stone seen in construction around Bethesda for over 100 years. It also features a canopy not shown in the earlier pre-construction renderings.

Le Bustiere "coming soon" to Bethesda

Le Bustiere is opening a downtown Bethesda location. The European-inspired lingerie boutique has an existing location at 1744 Columbia Road NW in Washington, D.C. Their Bethesda shop will be at 7809 Woodmont Avenue, next to Reddz Trading. Le Bustiere offers bra fittings with certified experts, lingerie, swimwear, and bridal undergarments in many styles - and from many designers - not available elsewhere in the D.C. area.

Fourth robbery of 2025 reported at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

A streak of robberies at Westfield Montgomery Mall at the beginning of 2025 has now extended to four. The latest incident was a strong-arm robbery that was reported at 8:05 PM last Friday night, February 21. Just five minutes earlier, Montgomery County police had received a report of a 2nd-degree assault at the mall. That was the first assault reported at the property in 2025. 

Police had taken a more-visible role in security at the mall two weekends prior, following the robberies on January 26 and 27, and February 4. Eleven assaults were reported at the mall last year, five in 2023, and twelve in 2022. Montgomery County police announced the opening of a resource room at the popular retail center in 2022. The mall's ownership replaced the leadership team for the property last November.

Montgomery County Council seeks new $20K+ demolition tax on teardowns for new homes

Housing prices are out-of-this-world in Montgomery County, but leave it to the radical Montgomery County Council to raise them even further. Councilmembers Kristin Mink (D - District 5) and Will Jawando (D - At-Large) are sponsoring a bill that would impose a "demolition tax" when a home is torn down, or even partially-demolished. The new excise tax would begin at $20,000, and then rise in future years, as the tax will be linked to the Consumer Price Index as of July 1 each year. As anyone who understands basic economics knows, the $20,000+ amount will be fully passed on to the homebuyer purchasing the new house, or the homeowner investing in the new home or renovation. It's shocking the Council would deliberately impose a massive increase in home prices like this.

In true Communist fashion, the money the Council steals from struggling homebuyers via the new tax will be shifted into the Montgomery County Housing Production Fund to finance "affordable" housing projects. Comrade, er, Councilmember Evan Glass (D - At Large) proposed a similar demolition tax in 2019, but it failed to pass that year. A public hearing on Bill 5-25 has been tentatively scheduled for March 18, 2025 at 1:30 PM at the County Council Office Building at 100 Maryland Avenue in Rockville.

Max's Best Ice Cream opening in Bethesda

Max's Best Ice Cream is coming to downtown Bethesda. The ownership of the Woodmont Crescent building had been angling for a restaurant to fill the former Blue House space at 7770 Norfolk Avenue, and they've finally reeled in an ice cream parlor with a prominent name. Max's Best Ice Cream was also the name of a popular ice cream shop in Glover Park in Northwest Washington, D.C. for 20 years, until it was forced out of its storefront by rent increases in 2013. Its fans included then-President Barack Obama, James Baker, and Andre Agassi.

Wine and spirits tastings at Westbard Square in Bethesda this week

Oak Barrel & Vine at 5390 Westbard Avenue at the new Westbard Square development in Bethesda has several wine and spirits tastings scheduled for this final week of February 2025. The tasting schedule is as follows: 

2/27: White Haven Sauvignon Blanc - Wine Tasting | 4–6pm

2/28: Fallen Oaks Spirits - Spirits Tasting | 4–7pm

2/28: Wisher Vodka - Spirits Tasting | 4–7pm

Moore administration fast-tracking Baltimore Red Line despite Maryland budget crisis

Maryland Governor Wes Moore (D) and other elected officials are openly and actively pushing tax and fee increases, as well as new taxes and fees, through the General Assembly in Annapolis at the moment. Their justification for hitting already-overtaxed taxpayers in the wallet is that, well, the state is broke and has no money. Someone forgot to tell the Maryland Transit Administration, which is promoting the $7.2 billion Baltimore Red Line light rail boondoggle as if it is fully funded in a newsletter emailed out late last week.

"We've set ambitious goals for 2025," the project's director declares in the opening sentence, even as the state is at this very moment facing a nearly $3 billion shortfall. "Aerial survey mapping" is underway, and soil "field surface investigations" are scheduled to begin "soon." Meanwhile, a $457 million cut to developmental disabilities programs is under consideration, as are the elimination of itemized tax deductions, the addition of a new tax that would raise the cost of "sugary drink" 12-packs by several dollars, and the creation of a 75-cent fee on all Amazon retail and DoorDash/Uber Eats-style food deliveries.

The similar Purple Line light rail project in Montgomery and Prince George's counties has been a fiscal disaster. It is about a decade behind schedule, and has been mismanaged from the beginning. The potential ridership for it remains an open question, and any shortfall in its budget once service begins will be filled by taking money from other transit priorities. Red Line advocates - largely real estate developers, and radical war-on-cars extremists still terrified that I-70 might one day connect to downtown Baltimore like it was supposed to - have subsisted on champagne wishes and caviar dreams for 15 years. Pour another glass, and LARP along with the MTA on a project that redefines pie-in-the-sky, by and by.

CHIKO closes at Bethesda Row

CHIKO has closed at 7280 Woodmont Avenue at Bethesda Row. The menu and operating hours have been removed from the exterior of the fast-casual Asian fusion restaurant. It looks like the interior has been partially cleared out, as well. Signage remains in place above the storefront.

CHIKO opened at Bethesda Row in January of 2021. The chain's locations in Washington, D.C., Sterling, Shirlington, and Encinitas, California remain open for business.

Virginia's air-sea-land logistics advantages over Maryland to expand even further

A new interview with Eric Jehu, Vice President of Logistics for the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP), for a Business Facilities magazine podcast sheds more light on that state's overwhelming infrastructure advantages over Maryland, and provides a preview of the Old Dominion's near-term plans to expand that edge even further. The magazine named Virginia as its 2024 State of the Year, following CNBC’s declaration of the Commonwealth as "America’s Top State for Business 2024." According to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics' latest report on ports published last month, the Port of Virginia ranks 9th in total tonnage of all American ports; the Port of Baltimore ranks 16th. Among ports handling over 1000 TEUs (a standard cargo container size) per year, the Port of Virginia ranks 6th, while the Port of Baltimore is 15th.

Why does the Port of Virginia enjoy such greater volumes of cargo? Its shipping channel is "the deepest and widest on the coast, to accommodate the largest of the largest container vessels that are operating in the marketplace today, and as well as [the container ships of] the future," Jehu says. The port's cranes are capable of reaching "all the way across those very wide ships, so that, again, the productivity is faster than any other port on the coast. We're the only place where you can actually bring those large ships in and out efficiently. It's two-way traffic, so you don't have to stop all of the traffic to let one big ship come in."

Jehu considers the Port of Virginia's performance after the collapse of Maryland's Key Bridge last year to have been a tremendous opportunity to woo truckers and shippers from Baltimore to Norfolk. He says Virginia's port was able to demonstrate that it works faster and more efficiently during an emergency than Baltimore and other ports do under normal conditions. "So, out of every tragedy there's opportunity right? There's a silver lining, however the saying goes. And each time an event like that takes place, it shines a light on Virginia's ability to adapt. So, the Key Bridge collapsing was a human tragedy and maritime disruption for our friends in Baltimore. [But] operationally [when traffic was diverted from Baltimore to Norfolk], there was virtually no impact" on service at Norfolk.

The interview also covers Virginia' ongoing projects to expand highway capacity to-and-from the Port of Virginia through the Hampton Roads area. This includes the latest project, widening the current four-lane segments along nearly ten miles of the I-64 corridor in Norfolk and Hampton, with new twin tunnels across the harbor. It will be the largest highway project in the history of the state, and follows the construction of many other highways, as well as Express Lanes from Fredericksburg to Washington, D.C.

But the Old Dominion isn't resting on its laurels. Dulles International Airport has already helped lure many major corporate headquarters to the state. Northern Virginia cities enjoy direct access to the airport, which is the only one in the region that meets the needs of international businesspeople in terms of departure frequency, and in the number of international business destinations. Maryland leaders have - intentionally - failed to construct a new Potomac River crossing to the Dulles area that was planned decades ago. Now Virginia is actively going to expand its Dulles advantage.

A study ordered by the state found that Dulles is an "underused asset," that has the potential to steal cargo traffic from the current leading airports for air cargo in New York, Chicago, and Atlanta. Jehu notes that such new cargo service would attract more pharmaceutical companies to Virginia, as many of their products require swift air transport around the globe. Montgomery County could take advantage of that new cargo capacity, but only if it constructs the new Potomac River crossing that would extend I-370 to Dulles. Without that bridge, Virginia will continue to rapidly close in on Maryland's rapidly shrinking advantage in the biotech field, which has been the one bright spot in Montgomery County and Maryland's otherwise-moribund economies this century.

One other logistics and infrastructure jewel in Virginia's crown not mentioned by Jehu is the new addition of commercial passenger flights out of Manassas Regional Airport expected later this year. Meanwhile, all the talk around Montgomery County's Airpark is about wanting to curtail air traffic there, rather than expanding it. Heckuva job, Brownie!

Bainbridge name dropped from apartment properties in Montgomery County

The Bainbridge name is gone, as is the fancy-font signage above the lobby entrance at 4918 St. Elmo Avenue in downtown Bethesda. Now the apartment tower that opened a decade ago will be called "Ellis Bethesda." And in Rockville, the Bainbridge Shady Grove at 15955 Frederick Road is now "The Reed." "Ellis" has no obvious connection to Bethesda; "The Reed" is likely commemorating the historic Reed Brothers Dodge dealership, for which there are already two tributes on-site: Dodge Hemi engine piston-inspired street lamps, and a public art installation. No explanation has been given for the change of branding. 

Armed robbery in Bethesda residential neighborhood

Montgomery County police responded to a report of an armed robbery in a residential area of Bethesda Tuesday afternoon, February 18, 2025. The robbery was reported in the 9900 block of Broad Street at 2:00 PM Tuesday. That is in the Alta Vista Gardens neighborhood. No further information is available at this time.

FP Movement opens at Bethesda Row (Photos)

FP Movement opened yesterday at 7228 Woodmont Avenue at Bethesda Row. The women's activewear boutique fills the space formerly occupied by Terrain Cafe. Like the cafe, FP Movement is part of the URBN conglomerate - hence its occupation of the same larger space as Anthropologie & Co., another URBN brand, on this high-profile corner at Bethesda Row. 

FP Movement is a spin-off line of URBN's first brand that launched the whole enterprise in 1970, Free People. It is competing in the same space as Fabletics, Vuori, and Lululemon. Like those brands, it has its celebrity admirers and endorsers, who include actress Inanna Sarkis, Australia's favorite American tennis player Danielle Collins, and Hailey Bieber.

Just this week, The New York Post named FP Movement the best activewear label for "everyday wear," as it is an ideal brand to balance style and practicality. If you are looking for the "most comfortable" in the Post's opinion, well, Vuori is also at Bethesda Row, as is "best workout clothes for women overall" winner Lululemon. Operating hours for FP Movement are 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM Monday through Saturday, and 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Sundays.