Dog vs. grass saga continues at Bethesda apartment tower

It's been a dog-eat-dog world for the grassy mounds that make up the green space on the promenade at the 8001 Woodmont apartment tower in Bethesda since the building opened. While many expected these grassy hills to be a park-like leisure space for adults and children, once residents started moving in, they quickly became a public restroom for neighborhood dogs, whose owners haven't always collected their canines' deposits. Along with the disgusting reality that the germs in the dog waste don't magically evaporate from the grass even if the solid material is picked up, the lush carpeted lawns became much less inviting to have your kids crawling around on, much less a spot for picnics or outdoor movie screenings.

By the fall of 2022, the building had posted signs begging people to keep their dogs off of the grassy mounds. More recently, fencing was finally put up around the mounds, giving the space a less than pleasant Little Falls Parkway Road Diet Bollards aesthetic. Now, however, all of the verdant grass has been torn out. In its place are scattered tufts of a less-luxurious grass species, and a lot of brown dirt. This has left the promenade temporarily competing with that weird spot at Westbard Square for the Roughest Public Space in Bethesda title.

For those keeping score, the dogs are currently winning.

Pure Green opens in Bethesda

Pure Green is now open at 7906 Wisconsin Avenue, in the 8001 Woodmont apartment tower in downtown Bethesda. The artisan juice bar serves fresh juices, cold-pressed shots, smoothies, and acai and pitaya bowls. It also offers catering services. This is Pure Green's fourth Maryland location, joining Baltimore, Columbia, and Ellicott City.

Pure Green close to opening in Bethesda (Photos)

Pure Green appears very close to opening at 7906 Wisconsin Avenue in the 8001 Woodmont apartment building's ground floor in downtown Bethesda. The smoothie and juice bar's interior fit-out is complete. Furnishing and seating is being loaded in and set up. This will be Pure Green's fourth Maryland location, and it looks like it could open any day now.

Trader Joe's adds wayfinding signage for parking in Bethesda

Combining the words "Trader Joe's" and "parking" could require a trigger warning for some Bethesda and Chevy Chase grocery shoppers. But here we're talking about the other Trader Joe's in downtown Bethesda, at 7900 Wisconsin Avenue. They've just installed a large, red sign to indicate where customers can park underground in the 8001 Woodmont apartment tower the store is located in. It has the Trader Joe's logo, and an old-time 1920s hand pointing to the garage entryway. Right this way, old sport!

The things you see on a Woodmont Avenue sidewalk after a snowstorm (Photos)

A number of odd sightings were made on Woodmont Avenue Saturday, after the overnight snowstorm, between Fairmont and Cordell Avenues. Water pouring onto the sidewalk from a drain in a wall at the 8001 Woodmont apartment building had frozen into a waterfall of ice, and was cordoned off by a pair of JBG SMITH cones for safety purposes. 

Amazon packages had been left on the front step of the vacant former Sir Walter Raleigh restaurant building at 8011 Woodmont. And some of the building's street numbers - the 0 and a 1 - have been pried off. 

Finally, the vacant properties along Woodmont - including 8011 - that are now owned by the developer of the stalled Artena Bethesda project were again forcing their way into the news. The clear sidewalk of the southern portion of the block gave way to a narrow, one-person pathway in front of the Artena lots. That's not wide enough to meet ADA standards, much less for two able-bodied people to pass each other without someone stepping onto the ice and slush.

Signage installed at Pure Green in Bethesda

Permanent signage is up at Pure Green at 7900 Wisconsin Avenue, in the 8001 Woodmont apartment building in downtown Bethesda. The artisan juice bar will serve juices, cold-pressed shots, smoothies, and acai and pitaya bowls. It will also offer catering services. Pure Green has three existing locations in Maryland, in Baltimore, Columbia, and Ellicott City.

Pure Green Juice Bar opening in Bethesda

Pure Green Juice Bar is coming soon to downtown Bethesda. It will be located at 7900 Wisconsin Avenue, in the ground floor of the 8001 Woodmont apartment building. Pure Green serves juices, cold-pressed shots, smoothies, and acai and pitaya bowls. "Our juice shop is a bright and welcoming oasis, where the aromas of fresh fruits and vegetables greet you as you walk in," the chain said in a message promoting the future location. "Conveniently located in the heart of Bethesda, we’re your go-to spot whether you’re on your way to work, finishing up a workout, or just exploring the local area."

Orangetheory Fitness Bethesda is fit for the Super Bowl (Photos)

Orangetheory Fitness Bethesda at 7955 Woodmont Avenue is ready for Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday, February 11, 2024. Their lobby is decorated with a pigskin tablecloth, honeycomb paper footballs and an inflatable goalpost. A cardboard running back thunders across a tabletop toward the end zone. Of course, barring a shocking incident of another sort, this Sunday's game will be remembered as the Taylor Swift Super Bowl. Sure enough, the disembodied cardboard heads of Travis Kelce, Taylor Swift and a cat grace the window of the gym. 

Firefighters respond to report of smoke at 8001 Woodmont apartments in Bethesda (Video + Photos)

Smoke in the parking garage of the 8001 Woodmont apartments in downtown Bethesda drew a large response from Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service personnel, temporarily closing down Woodmont Avenue in the vicinity of St. Elmo Avenue shortly after 9:00 PM tonight. Firefighters eventually cleared the scene, but no further information about the incident has been released by MCFRS as of this writing, including whether there was a fire at all. It's also unclear why a ladder was extended to an upper floor of the building at one point.

A witness reported that a few minutes before the fire response began, a man in a small cleaning vehicle was working on the ramp of the garage. He reportedly drove the vehicle away after firefighters arrived at the scene. Was this a "dustbuster" truck that may have stirred up clouds in the garage that resembled smoke? 

Glass broken at several adjacent Bethesda buildings (Photos)

Glass was smashed intentionally at two vacant Bethesda storefronts since Saturday night, and the front entrance glass doors are shattered at the adjacent 8001 Woodmont apartment tower. It is not yet known if the 8001 Woodmont damage is related, but it also occurred during the same timeframe since Saturday night. A glass door was destroyed in a similar way at the vacant 8000 Barber Shop at 8002 Wisconsin Avenue, and objects were thrown through windows at the vacant Saphire Cafe. The latter buildings are awaiting demolition for the Artena Bethesda development. Vandalism and vagrancy has been an ongoing issue at those properties for several years, as well as at the adjacent 8008 Wisconsin development site next door.

It is not yet confirmed if the police, fire and rescue and WSSC water utility response to the vacant carpet store between the Saphire Cafe and barber shop this morning is related to the vandalism, as the damage at 8001 Woodmont and Saphire Cafe was already visible on Sunday evening. However, a K-9 unit was brought in this morning, suggesting police suspected someone might be inside the carpet store.

Paint Nail Bar Bethesda update

Paint Nail Bar, the new nail salon in the 8001 Woodmont apartment building in Bethesda, now anticipates opening before the end of summer. In addition to standard nail services, the salon will offer nail art and accessories such as jewelry. Pain Nail Bar will also be able to serve 5 oz. of beer or wine to customers of legal drinking age, using the special liquor license designated for salons that was introduced in 2015. Operating hours will be 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM Tuesday and Wednesday, 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM Thursdays, 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM Friday and Saturday, 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Sundays, and closed on Mondays. Paint Nail Bar's website can be found here.

What will set Paint Nail Bar apart from most nail salons is the fume and odor-free environment, nail care products chosen to avoid toxic ingredients, and a heightened focus on cleanliness. All implements will be sterilized in a hospital-grade autoclave after use, and remain in a sealed envelope until your appointment begins. Files and buffers will only be used once and discarded, and LED lamps will be used for gel manicures instead of UV. Instead of whirlpool pedicure thrones that harbor bacteria in their systems, ceramic pedicure basins will be employed, and cleaned after each use. 

Bethesda Trader Joe's opening delayed this morning at 7900 Wisconsin Avenue

Trader Joe's wasn't able to open on time this morning at 7900 Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Bethesda. Their refrigeration system is down, according to a sign posted in the window. "We will open as soon as possible! Thank you for your patience!" it says.

Paint Nail Bar signs lease at 8001 Woodmont in Bethesda

The last available ground floor retail space has been filled at the 8001 Woodmont apartment tower in Bethesda. Paint Nail Bar has signed a lease for the vacant storefront. Construction is about to begin inside the space, as you can see below. Paint Nail Bar joins anchor tenant Trader Joe's, Orangetheory Fitness, and Dryy dry cleaners at the JBG Smith property.

Paint Nail Bar was founded in 2014 by Mark and Michele Schlossberg. What sets it apart from many nail salons is the fume and odor-free environment, nail care products chosen to avoid toxic ingredients, and a heightened focus on cleanliness. All implements are sterilized in a hospital-grade autoclave after use, and remain in a sealed envelope until your appointment begins. Files and buffers are only used once and discarded, and LED lamps are used for gel manicures instead of UV. Instead of whirlpool pedicure thrones that harbor bacteria in their systems, ceramic pedicure basins are employed and cleaned after each use. 

Orangetheory Bethesda gears up for reopening after flood

Orangetheory Bethesda is aiming to reopen on Thursday, February 16, 2023. The fitness studio at 7955 Woodmont Avenue had to suddenly close on January 25, after a pipe burst and flooded the facility. It has taken over two weeks to remediate the damage, tear up the floors, and receive and install temporary flooring until the permanent floor can be laid down. Orangetheory has attempted to accomodate members at its Park Potomac and Rockville studios during the closure, and has asked those who could not attend those locations to contact the studio manager "to discuss options specific to your membership."