Rangoni Firenze Shoes to make short move in Friendship Heights

Rangoni Firenze Shoes will soon be relocating its store in the Friendship Heights area of Chevy Chase. It will be moving one block down MD 355 to the Highland House apartment building at 5480 Wisconsin Avenue (a.k.a. The Highlands of Chevy Chase). Rangoni Firenze has followed the example of Brooks Brothers, which moved diagonally across the street to The Collection at Chevy Chase. The current Rangoni Firenze Shoes location is at 5518 Wisconsin, in the Courtyard by Marriott hotel.

Renovations at Highland House in Friendship Heights

It looks like some renovations are underway at Highland House in the Friendship Heights area of Chevy Chase. The main Wisconsin Avenue entrance is papered over and closed. A number of Montgomery County construction permits are posted for work. Highland House has also become known as The Highlands of Chevy Chase in recent years.

Highland House gets canopy refresh, branding updates in Friendship Heights (Photos)

The Highland House apartments, located at 5480 Wisconsin Avenue in the Friendship Heights area of Chevy Chase, have an updated canopy over the lobby entrance, which also adjusts the branding for the property. Gone is the name "Highland House." In its place is, "The Highlands of Chevy Chase." 

Added to the canopy is an additional distinction of "East Residences," more formally distinguishing this building from sister tower Highland House West. You'll also notice that the canopy itself has a sharper look, with smooth borders all around that dispense with the vertical lines of the old version (see the older photos beneath this article for comparison). The curved roofline now fades into the background a bit.

The makeover is a bit schizophrenic, however. While the name Highland House has ostensibly been dropped, a fancy new "HH" logo gets center stage positioning on the front of the canopy. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Highland House is dead; long live Highland House!

EagleBank moving in Chevy Chase (Photos)

Just a few days after the exclusive Louis Vuitton boutique exited the Collection at Chevy Chase development, I notice that Bethesda-based EagleBank says it is planning to move its Chevy Chase branch to the Highland House at 5480 Wisconsin Avenue. The only existing EagleBank branch in Chevy Chase is at 15 Wisconsin Circle, in the Collection at Chevy Chase.

No official moving date has been given yet, but the signs at the new space say "we're moving." As you can see, there's a way to go on the interior buildout at the new location.

SMOKING STOVEPOT EVACUATES RESIDENTS OF HIGHLAND HOUSE IN CHEVY CHASE (PHOTOS)

A resident of Highland House in Friendship Heights apparently left a pot on the stove too long this evening, which resulted in a fire department response and tenant evacuation. Montgomery County firefighters determined there was no actual fire, just smoke. Any high-rise fire call requires a sizable response for obvious reasons, which required shutting down all southbound lanes of Wisconsin Avenue in front of the apartment building. Lanes were also closed by the Courtyard by Marriott hotel and Chevy Chase Building. South Park Avenue was closed at Wisconsin.

Residents wait in the lobby