Jewelry Exchange building demolished in Bethesda

The Jewelry Exchange is gone! A demolition crew has razed the building at 7747 Old Georgetown Road. This is the first of several structures to fall, as the corner with St. Elmo Avenue is prepared for construction of a new apartment tower. No word yet if any of the workers were lucky enough to find one of those "thousands of GIA diamonds" in the rubble...

Former Bethesda movie theater available for lease

A former Bethesda movie theater space-turned-gym is now on the market for lease. The K-B Theatres Georgetown Square Twin building at 10400 Old Georgetown Road has sat vacant for over two years, after New York Sports Club moved out. According to the Cinema Treasures website, some structural or architectural remnants of the theater remain inside the 14000-square-foot building, but not having been a member of the gym, I cannot confirm this. The KB chain opened this two-screen cinema on December 21, 1973. Another reminder of the golden age of neighborhood movie theaters, which crumbled to dust by the end of the 1980s. 

I used to think their demise was a real estate developer scheme, but it turned out that the biggest theater chains colluded with the major studios to make the profit splits so high for blockbusters, and the commitment of weeks to show them so long, that 1-and 2-screen cinemas like Georgetown Square couldn't remain financially viable and still obtain first-run movies. You had to have enough screens to A) show the movie a sufficient number of times per day to recoup enough money from ticket sales and snack bar concessions, and B) move the blockbuster into a smaller auditorium, if moviegoer interest in that flick began to wane prior to the 4-to-6 week commitment the studios demanded, and thereby have room for the next major release simultaneously.

The Cinema movie theater building cleared out in Friendship Heights (Photos)

The building that was long home to The Cinema at 5100 Wisconsin Avenue NW in Friendship Heights has been cleared out. Like some other shuttered movie theaters, it was eventually converted into a gym - Crunch Fitness, in this case. A one giant-for-the-time screen theater, it could seat 800 moviegoers. It was known for its 70mm projector from the 1980s onward, and for being a theater where you might turn your head during a Tom Clancy thriller to see a United States Senator or national security potentate pumping his fist during a particularly patriotic moment. You might have also spotted, or even been interviewed by, a TV personality from WTTG Fox 5, which used to be right across the street.

Beyond the high-profile clientele, the theater's architecture combined space-age utilitarianism with attention-grabbing Googie neon signage. Passing through the ownership of several chains since its opening in 1965, the Cinema's anodyne name functioned much like Bar in Ocean City: mention you were going to The Cinema, and everybody in Bethesda, Chevy Chase, and Northwest Washington knew exactly which theater you were referring to.

Among the highlights of the theater's four-decade operation was being one of only a couple dozen movie houses in the U.S. and Canada to show The Exorcist upon its opening date of December 26, 1973. You can imagine the hysteria of this exclusive engagement at The Cinema, with the Washington setting only topped by the outlandish spectacle delivered by the movie itself. Local newspaper reporters were all-too-eager to file colorful reports of Cinema patrons collapsing, vomiting, or simply fleeing the auditorium with what was left of their sanity intact. 

Later, beginning with the release of The Empire Strikes Back in 1980, The Cinema would draw cinephiles from far and wide to experience the adventures of Indiana Jones and Jack Ryan in 70mm grandeur. With the building now empty, isn't it time for one of our few remaining local billionaires to step in and restore the movie magic to 5100 Wisconsin Avenue NW? The Cinema was a true remnant of a golden age when there were neighborhood movie houses, ones we still remember from Damascus to Twinbrook to Spring Valley to Georgetown Square to - yes - Friendship Heights.

Tia Queta closing in Bethesda after 45 years

The recent wave of closures of some of Bethesda's longest-operating businesses continues. Tia Queta at 4839 Del Ray Avenue announced on Facebook yesterday that it will permanently close on January 31, 2026. The family-owned Mexican restaurant has been in business for 45 years. As the family also owns the property the restaurant stands on, the small lot could be valuable if assembled with the planned - but ridiculously-long-delayed - redevelopment of the Steamers site next door. The Tia Queta property was advertised as being for sale in August of 2024.

River Road segment dedicated to CJPVFD Fire Chief James P. Seavey, Sr.

The State of Maryland has dedicated a portion of River Road (Maryland Route 190) in honor of former Fire Chief James P. Seavey, Sr. Chief Seavey began his career as a volunteer with the Glen Echo Volunteer Fire Department in Bethesda at the age of 16. His 43 years of public service culminated in his 25 years as Fire Chief of the Cabin John Park Volunteer Fire Department, the longest term by a fire chief with the CJPVFD. When Seavey passed away from cancer in 2018, the disease was determined to be occupational, and his death was ruled to have been in the line-of-duty as a result. 

Seavey had been a champion for firefighter safety and occupational cancer prevention at the local, state, and national levels, and his efforts led to important policy changes. Maryland has dedicated the segment of River Road between Falls Road and the Washington, D.C. border in memory of Chief Seavey's extraordinary service to the community. The dedication was announced last summer, but this particular sign was just installed by the Maryland State Highway Administration by the Kenwood Golf & Country Club east of Goldsboro Road.

Nathan Landow, developer and philanthropist, dies at 93

The Bethesda business and civic communities lost a giant earlier this week, when real estate developer and philanthropist Nathan Landow passed away on December 30, 2025, at the age of 93. He leaves behind an outsize imprint on the Bethesda skyline. His contributions to the town include his namesake Landow Building office property, and several apartment and condominium towers. Landow went above and beyond design and regulatory requirements, bestowing buildings such as The Seasons, Crescent Plaza, and Fairmont Plaza with resort hotel-style balconies and design features. If you've been inside The Promenade at Pooks Hill, you know it's like being on a luxury ocean liner on land.

Other landmark properties developed by Landow outside of Montgomery County include The Colonnade and The Carlton Towers in Washington, D.C., and Prospect House in Arlington. He was responsible for 17 large-scale residential buildings in total over his career, beyond his commercial and office developments.

Landow's contributions extended outside of improving the architecture of the region. He was a prolific fundraiser and contributor to the Democratic Party at all levels, and even served as Chairman of the Maryland Democratic Party at one point. He was not only a key benefactor of the Mayo Clinic and Charles E. Smith Life Communities, but also made architectural additions to both of their campuses.

Services will be held on Sunday, January 4, at 12:30 p.m. at Washington Hebrew Congregation (3935 Macomb Street NW). Shiva will be observed at the home of Harolyn and Michael Cardozo on Sunday, January 4 at 7 p.m. and on Monday, January 5 at 7 p.m.

Memorial donations may be made to Landow House, c/o Charles E. Smith Life Communities, 6121 Montrose Road, Rockville, MD 20852, or online at www.smithlifecommunities.org/giving.

Hot Shoppes memorabilia at Marriott HQ in Bethesda - but no Hot Shoppes food! (Photos)

The current leadership of Marriott International may not recognize or appreciate the centrality of its former Hot Shoppes brand and iconic menu items to the company's identity, but it is keeping the faint spirit of them alive at its downtown Bethesda headquarters. A collection of Marriott memorabilia is on display in the publicly-accessible area on the ground floor, which also includes the MI Cafe, a coffee shop that is also open to the public. The display is light on famous Hot Shoppes menu items like the Mighty Mo burger, Orange Freeze beverage, and Teen Twist sandwich. But it features a number of Hot Shoppes (or, "Hot Shoppe," the early singular branding) items, including cups, plates, a list of locations, and even a Hot Shoppes annual report. 

There are also Marriott-branded items in the collection, such as "Do Not Disturb" door hangers from around the world, and a photograph of the original root beer stand that grew into a global hospitality giant. But the Hot Shoppes content remains underwhelming. MI Cafe is joined on the corporate campus by the Seventh State restaurant and Hip Flask rooftop bar in the hotel next door. Yet none of these three restaurants open to the public feature Hot Shoppes menu items, much less a fully-functional Hot Shoppes restaurant.

To update you on my Mighty Mo Quest: Since my last report in July 2023, the Mighty Mo burger is still not available at any of the three restaurants at the Bethesda headquarters. One inch of progress made is the addition of Mighty Mo sauce, which is served on the side with the Cheddar Burger at Seventh State. The Cheddar Burger is a fine hamburger, but it is nothing like a Mighty Mo in appearance, ingredients, or construction. 

Over at the Pooks Hill Marriott, another trademark burger, the eponymous Marriott Burger, is available, but no Mighty Mo. We continue to face the absurd situation of being able to order a Mighty Mo in Sri Lanka, but not in Marriott's corporate town of Bethesda. Perhaps Marriott is taking cues from McDonald's, which today only features special burgers overseas, but not in the country where the Golden Arches were born. Talk about America Last!

Limon's Gems & Jewels closing in Bethesda after 105 years in business

A number of longtime Bethesda businesses have closed since I began this blog in 2006, but Limon's Gems & Jewels might just be the oldest. Owners Cliff and Robbie Limon have announced their shop at 7909 Norfolk Avenue will likely close by Thanksgiving this month. Their great grandfather, Jacob Limon, founded the business in 1920. The family has been involved in the jewelry industry even longer, 125 years. They are going to cease accepting new work sometime this week, and they will remain available after the closure to ensure any outstanding orders or work are fulfilled.

Internal street signs installed at Westbard Square in Bethesda (Photos)

Street signs for internal roadways have been installed at the new Westbard Square development in Bethesda. Signs are now in place for Zenith Overlook - which runs from Westbard Avenue back to the rear parking garage driveway - and Topaz Lane, which runs parallel to Westbard and will be behind the "Canal House" building and future apartments. Neither name has any local significance. While most of the historic names in the Westbard sector plan area are more related to River Road than Westbard Avenue, there were possibilities such as "Posey," for the farm of Peter Posey that made up most of the area around the Westbard Square development, or "Tauber," for the late Dr. Laszlo Tauber who developed the original Westwood Shopping Center.

Renovations at historic Bethesda Community Store (Photos)

The Bethesda Community Store and Deli at 8804 Old Georgetown Road has been closed for nearly a decade. Plans to renovate the historic structure have been floating around nearly as long, but are finally moving forward. Those plans included a rear addition to the building, which was in poor condition. You can see the building now extends much further back than the original store. The parking lot had hosted food truck tenants in recent years - most recently Call Your Mother Deli, which is now opening a bricks-and-mortar location in downtown Bethesda. As had been the idea all along, the building renovations and addition are designed to make the property more appealing to a prospective future tenant. 

The original, one-room store was built in 1921, when a trolley line ran along today's Old Georgetown Road to Rockville. That line originally terminated at Bethesda Park, a 50-acre amusement park on the west side of Old Georgetown Road, between today's streets Greentree Road and Cedar Lane. By the time the store was built, Bethesda Park had long ago burned down, and streetcars were running all the way to Rockville. You can travel a large segment of the old trolley route today, on foot or via bicycle, using the Bethesda Trolley Trail.

Western Market property for sale in Bethesda

An iconic landmark on Western Avenue at the border of Maryland and Washington, D.C. has just hit the market for sale. The Western Market property at 4840-4842 Western Avenue could be yours for $1,375,000. That's relatively cheap, when you consider what new residential housing at a prime location like this would sell for - and that's what's likely to replace the market, as its exemption to operate a retail market here has expired.

The 8000-square-foot site is zoned R-60, for single-family detached housing. It is walking distance from the Friendship Heights Metro, the commercial areas of Friendship Heights and Spring Valley, and Fort Bayard Park. As always, check with Montgomery County and a good land use attorney to determine what is, and is not, possible here. Bethesda-based AMR Commercial, LLC is marketing the property, with brokers Sam Farnum and William Montrose.

Photos courtesy AMR Commercial, LLC

Pumphrey Funeral Home in Bethesda gets new signage (Photos)

The main signage in front of the Robert A. Pumphrey Funeral Home at 7557 Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Bethesda has been replaced. Gone is the large retro font, but the new signs make room for a notation of the family business' incredible run of operation since 1854. They also resemble tombstones in many ways, which is quite appropriate given the business at hand. Pumphrey's has shown a funereal sense of humor in the recent past, with its "CASKET" vanity-plated vehicle. Needless to say, the funeral home has been a landmark near the crossroads of Wisconsin and East-West Highway, even outlasting Hot Shoppes!