Signage installed at Nesfield Performance in Bethesda

The permanent sign has been installed above the future storefront of Nesfield Performance at 7832-7834 Wisconsin Avenue, in the ground floor of the Fairmont Plaza condominium in Bethesda. Nesfield Performance is a fitness, physical therapy, massage, and movement therapy business currently operating in Chevy Chase. The new Bethesda facility is expected to open before the end of summer. While the windows are covered, social media posts by Nesfield Performance have shown that extensive construction work has been ongoing inside all summer, so it should be just a matter of time before an opening date is announced.

8200 Wisconsin Avenue apartments in Bethesda rebranded as "8200W"

8200 Wisconsin Avenue, a landmark apartment tower on downtown Bethesda's "main street," has gotten a branding makeover. While the iconic "8200" numerals over the entrance remain the same for now, new logos posted at the building and on the internet have added a "W" to read "8200W." The new branding is also utilized on an updated website for the property. Of course, among longtime residents, just saying "8200" is enough that people know which building you are talking about. It's hard to think of another local building with that kind of street-number-only name recognition within a certain geographical area. The closest in my mind would be 5530 and 5454 Wisconsin in Friendship Heights, particularly if you are in the healthcare field as a professional or patient.

Framarini's opens in Bethesda

Framarini's is now open at 4931 Cordell Avenue in the Brown Building in downtown Bethesda.  "Framarini's is a modern yet traditional barbershop catering to men of all ages," the barbershop says in promotional materials. "We offer high-quality haircuts, beard trims, shaves, and grooming services in a welcoming and stylish environment. Our goal is to create a go-to grooming experience that builds customer loyalty and community engagement. Where we cut above the rest." 

You can see that the interior is more upscale than your typical barbershop. Operating hours for Framarini's are 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM Tuesday through Friday, and 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM Saturdays. The shop is closed on Sundays and Mondays.

Tasty Grills now open in Bethesda

Tasty Grills & Catering is now officially open at 7816 Old Georgetown Road in downtown Bethesda. It turns out the date portion of the sign posted last week was indeed correct, as opposed to the countdown portion. Tasty Grills has already earned a 5-star rating on Google reviews in only 48 hours of business. The restaurant brings Afghan flavors back to Bethesda that have been missed since the closure of Faryab Afghan Cuisine.

Rooftop lighting activated at Hampden House in Bethesda (Photos)

The new Hampden House apartment tower at 4700 Hampden Lane - like its next-door neighbor at 7272 Wisconsin Avenue - stands out in architectural design among the many "base-podium" buildings constructed since the Bethesda Downtown sector plan was passed in 2017. One of the features many have been waiting to see is the rooftop lighting of the building. That has now been activated, and was lit last night. Is this all there is, or is there more lighting yet to be lit up there? Let's hope so, so the fine architectural lines up there can fully pop at night, like they're supposed to. But it's a great start, and better than the nothing we are used to getting these days.

I suppose beggars can't be choosers, as many other buildings with distinctive rooflines like this in recent years have either been forced to entirely shut off their accent lighting, or have chosen not to install it from the beginning. The Darcy in Bethesda, and the Cambria Suites hotel in Rockville Town Center come to mind. Two things we need more of on the skylines of Montgomery County's urban areas: corporate headquarters logos, and lights, lights, and more lights! Imagine New York City's high-rises blacked out at night. Nuts!

Assault at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a 2nd-degree assault at Westfield Montgomery Mall Thursday afternoon, August 14, 2025. The assault was reported at the mall at 4:12 PM Thursday. This is the seventh assault police have responded to at the property this year. It had been a relatively quiet summer at the mall up until August 6, when the last assault took place during a shoplifting incident at a clothing store. There were 11 assaults reported at the popular retail center in 2024, 5 in 2023, and 12 in 2022, putting this year's numbers in line with last year's so far.

Claire's closing at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

It's a sad day in the piercing industry. Claire's is closing at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. A closing sale is underway at the piercing and jewelry boutique. We can't blame the Montgomery County Council or their moribund County economy for this departure. Claire's has filed for bankruptcy, could wind up closing over 1000 locations nationwide. The company hopes to save itself via a sale of 800 other stores to a potential buyer, but if one can't be found, this could be the end of the line. Are they celebrating over at Piercing Pagoda?

WSSC finally addresses water main break at Old Georgetown Rd. & Woodmont Ave. in Bethesda

A water main break in the intersection of Old Georgetown Road and Woodmont Avenue was finally tackled by a crew from the WSSC water utility last night. The leak was now being measured in weeks rather than hours or days, and had caused persistent pooling of water in the intersection. WSSC repaired a significant water main break only a couple of blocks away on Wisconsin Avenue last week, where the roadway was in such bad shape that the utility had to resurface the street in the affected area.

Indigo Octopus opens at Bethesda Row

Indigo Octopus has opened at 7126 Bethesda Lane at Bethesda Row. It's really a move south, as the beach lifestyle apparel boutique's Wildwood Shopping Center location has closed. For those still wanting the full beach shopping experience, their Fenwick Island store at 101 Coastal Highway remains open for business from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM seven days a week. Operating hours at the Bethesda Row boutique are 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM Monday through Saturday, and 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Sundays. Indigo Octopus carries women's dresses, denim, tops, jewelry, swimwear, shoes and accessories from labels like Anine Bing, Free City, Byredo, Frankies, Spell, and Mother.

Simona Cafe opens in Bethesda

Simona Cafe has opened at 4520 East-West Highway in downtown Bethesda. They are initially in a soft-opening mode, so hours and days of operation will temporarily be limited. The restaurant will be open today, August 14, 2025, and tomorrow from 7:00 AM to 2:00 PM. It will then be closed on Saturday and Sunday, August 16 and 17. They will reopen next Monday through Friday, August 18 to 22, again from 7:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Regular hours, and the addition of beer and wine, will be announced in the near future.

Rheinmetall chooses Virginia over Maryland for U.S. corporate HQ

Montgomery County and Maryland are experiencing another total humiliation on the economic development front. While both have failed to attract a major new corporate headquarters this century, Fairfax County and Virginia have just beaten them once again in the high-stakes contest for yet another major defense firm HQ. This time it is Rheinmetall, the German defense giant that is experiencing off-the-charts boom times, as it is arguably the biggest winner in Germany's push to rearm and create Europe's largest and strongest military. It is also one of the companies producing the most equipment for Ukraine in its war with Russia. Rheinmetall has just leased 10,000-square feet at Metro Place II at 2600 Park Tower Drive in Merrifield in Fairfax County, where it will not only locate its U.S. hub, but also one of its U.S. subsidiaries, American Rheinmetall Munitions, Inc.

Beyond the lighter tax and regulation burden of Northern Virginia, a look at the 2600 Park Tower Drive site itself tells much of the tale of Montgomery County's loss. Metro Place II sits directly beside the highway interchange of the Capital Beltway and Interstate 66, along both of which Virginia has invested enormously in tolled Express Lanes. The Dunn Loring-Merrifield Metro station is directly across the street from the new Rheinmetall HQ. Just south of the site are US 29 and US 50, as well as the enormously-successful Mosaic District with its retail, restaurants, and movie theater. 

A short drive southeast of the new Rheinmetall HQ in Fairfax is perhaps Montgomery County's biggest and most-humiliating economic development loss to Northern Virginia of this century, the Northrop Grumman headquarters. And zooming out on the map, we find one of the biggest factors that brought both defense firms to Fairfax County: direct access to Dulles International Airport. It's the only airport in the region to boast the variety of essential global business destinations - and the frequency of direct flights to them - demanded by international business executives.

One can only shake one's head, and wonder what could have been, had Montgomery County and Maryland had smarter and more-competent leadership this century. Imagine if we had built the new Potomac River crossing, to give all of our increasingly-empty office parks in the I-270 corridor the same kind of direct access to Dulles that Virginia has. Imagine if we had built the Rockville Freeway through North Bethesda, White Flint, Aspen Hill, and Layhill, connecting I-270 with MD 355 and the InterCounty Connector, and passing directly by the many Executive Boulevard area office parks and Pike & Rose. Imagine if we had made our tax and fee burden more competitive with our rivals in the region, and our leaders had used the time they spend opining on national politics on attracting business to our county and state.

Virginia doesn't have to imagine. It's where economic development dreams regularly come true, thanks to the humiliatingly-weak and bumbling efforts on our side of the river. Montgomery County? It's where business goes to die - or flee to nearby jurisdictions before it does.

"We are proud to welcome Rheinmetall to Merrifield in Fairfax County," Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeffrey C. McKay said in a statement. "Our community is a place where groundbreaking innovation, national security, and global collaboration intersect, and this investment represents a powerful statement about the future of defense and technology in our region. Rheinmetall brings a bold vision and cutting-edge capabilities that align with our community’s commitment to supporting mission-driven industries and advancing solutions that keep our nation secure. We are deeply honored that Rheinmetall has chosen Fairfax County as the hub for their continued growth, as this investment will not only strengthen the strategic national security partnerships that are so vital to global progress, but also the resiliency of our local and regional economies."

"Rheinmetall’s decision to establish significant presence in the Merrifield area of Fairfax County reinforces our position as a premier destination for global defense leaders seeking proximity to federal partners, a deep bench of tech talent, and a collaborative business environment," Fairfax County Economic Development Authority President and CEO Victor Hoskins said. "The opening of our new Washington, D.C., region office spaces underscores our rapid growth and committed investment in Rheinmetall’s U.S. operations," American Rheinmetall Defense CEO Stephen Hedger added.

Auto thieves prowling River Road/Massachusetts Ave. corridor in Bethesda again

Auto theft activity is picking up again along one of the criminals' favorite corridors in Montgomery County, River Road and Massachusetts Avenue near the Washington, D.C. line. A vehicle was stolen from a home in the 5300 block of Allandale Road in Green Acres on the evening of July 28, 2025. Montgomery County police say that the vehicle had been left unlocked, and with the keys inside. Fortunately, detectives were able to locate and recover the vehicle the next day.

Thieves returned the very next evening to steal a second vehicle in the 5200 block of Worthington Drive in the Westgate neighborhood off Massachusetts. That vehicle has not yet been recovered. 

Remember to lock your vehicle, and remove all visible objects from the interior. Park in a garage or well-lit area if possible, and do not leave keys or key fobs in the glove compartment or ignition.

Tasty Grills opening this week in Bethesda

Tasty Grills & Catering will open this week at 7816 Old Georgetown Road in downtown Bethesda. The Afghan restaurant posted signage in the window Monday that is somewhat contradictory. It states that the restaurant will open in "2 days" (which would technically be August 13, when this was posted August 11), but then prints "August 15" directly underneath that, so we are going to have to play it by ear. You can check out their menu in advance here. It is mostly Afghan cuisine, but there are "American fried chicken" and "New York style" cheesecake on there, as well.

Paris Baguette Bakery Cafe opens in Bethesda (Photos)

Paris Baguette Bakery Cafe is now open at 4925 Fairmont Avenue, in the ground floor of the Sophia Bethesda apartment tower. Operating hours will be 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM, seven days a week. Here is a photo tour of the bakery, showing many of the menu items you can choose from. Paris Baguette is a South Korean-based French bakery chain.