First new signage installed at Kenwood Station in Bethesda (Photos)

Kenwood Station is wrapping up a major cosmetic renovation on River Road in Bethesda. The Whole Foods Market-anchored shopping center has a new roofline, canopy facade, and now, new signage. They are apparently starting with the corners of the building, which was once a Brunswick bowling alley, and almost became a Hechinger hardware store at one point. New signs are now lit over the storefronts of Ledo Pizza and Georgetown Bagelry; the rest, including Whole Foods, still have temporary banner signage.

Whole Foods/Kenwood Station renovations nearing completion (Photos)

It's a lot easier to get around at the Kenwood Station shopping center at 5241 River Road in Bethesda, now that all of the barrels, scaffolding, caution tape, etc., have been removed from outside the stores there. The remodeling of the exterior and roof at the Whole Foods Market-anchored center has been going on for a year. New signage for each business, lighting, and other finishing touches are all that remain for the project. It's now clear that the roofline is quite different from the previous design, especially at the corners.

Pickpocket strikes at Whole Foods in Bethesda

Montgomery County police were called to the Whole Foods Market at 5269 River Road in the Kenwood Station shopping center Thursday afternoon, after a pickpocket incident. At least one pocket was picked at the busy grocery store at 2:56 PM, according to crime data. Watch your wallet or purse; these have been snatched at an increased rate inside stores and restaurants over the last year in Bethesda and Chevy Chase.

Whole Foods/Kenwood Station renovations update (Photos)

The end results of the renovations at the Kenwood Station shopping center at 5241 River Road are going to have to be impressive to make the very lengthy and somewhat disruptive project seem worthwhile. I'm curious if the roofline turret design is changing; the shape is currently different from what they looked like previously. The center's parking lot ranks just behind Trader Joe's in frustration factor, but that's the result of its ongoing success and popularity, with anchor Whole Foods Market being the biggest draw. As Yogi Berra would say, exiting Whole Foods with white truffle oil and 365 Golden Chai Granola, "Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded." 

Kenwood Station construction update (Photos)

When Kenwood Station on River Road placed a banner alerting patrons that all stores are "open during construction" at the entrance earlier this year, many asked themselves, "What construction?" Now that project is well underway, as you can see in these photos. The "whole front" of Whole Foods has been ripped off above the entrance, and the entire canopy facade above all storefronts is getting an update. 

It's unclear yet if we'll encounter any further archaeological finds from the shopping center structure's past as a Brunswick bowling alley in the 1970s. During a previous renovation, workers tearing up the floor inside Whole Foods discovered the original Brunswick bowling lanes still intact underneath the boards.

Sarah's Handmade Ice Cream to open 2nd Bethesda location at Wildwood Shopping Center

Sarah's Handmade Ice Cream & Treats is expanding in Bethesda. The local business will open a second store at the Wildwood Shopping Center late this summer. Sarah's began with its existing store in the Kenwood Station shopping center on River Road, replacing Wow Cow. The Wildwood store will be located between what are now Le Pain Quotidien and Wildwood Family Cleaners.

Bethesda mother-daughter partners Sarah and Annie Park founded the business after Sarah retired in 2018. Her ice-cream-making hobby turned into a store when the Wow Cow space opened up, quickly filling the vacuum for frozen treats in the area around the Whole Foods-anchored shopping center.

Georgetown Bagelry reopens in Bethesda

Georgetown Bagelry reopened this morning at 5227 River Road, in the Kenwood Station shopping center in Bethesda. The store closed April 3 for a renovation, including installation of a new oven. That project ran into more snags than anticipated, and the closure lasted the rest of the month.

They will be open 6:00 AM to 2:00 PM daily, and are offering online ordering and pickup only at this time, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Whole Foods/Kenwood Station shopping center to get facelift

Kenwood Station, the shopping center home to the popular Whole Foods Market at 5227 River Road in Bethesda, is going to get an exterior makeover later this year. The property owner plans to spend $1 million updating the facade and appearance of the structure, which dates back to the 1980s.

Before its current configuration as a retail center, the building was home to a Brunswick bowling alley. At one point, local hardware chain Hechinger was interested in opening a new location there, but backed off under heavy blowback from nearby residents.

Alas, there's no indication the parking lot will get any updates. It shares the title of Most Frustrating Parking Facility in Bethesda with Trader Joe's - or at least the ones people talk about most often. I could give a pretty long list of others in Bethesda that are just as difficult to use. A one million dollar expenditure suggests the landowner has no immediate plans to redevelop, wisely awaiting the secretly-planned extension of the Purple Line to River Road.

Nighttime noise ahead for some Kenwood residents

Kenwood residents who live near the Kenwood Station shopping center at 5241 River Road may get a rude awakening next week. Cooling towers are scheduled to be installed at the Whole Foods Market grocery store there between 9:00 PM April 3 and 5:00 AM April 4, 2019.

The contractor performing the installation has requested a nighttime noise waiver from Montgomery County to allow the overnight work hours. Stock up on earplugs this week.

Wow Cow closes, Sarah's Handmade Ice Cream & Treats to take over

The Westbard area hasn't had a firing-on-all-cylinders ice cream store since the Westwood Shopping Center lost Baskin Robbins several decades ago. Perhaps Sarah's Handmade Ice Cream & Treats can fill the vacuum. The shop will be opening in the space vacated by Wow Cow at 5241 River Road, in the Kenwood Station (Whole Foods) shopping center. They are now hiring.

UPS STORE OPENS IN BETHESDA 20816 ZIP CODE WHILE USPS DAWDLES (PHOTOS)

The USPS has been talking for nearly a year about opening a new post office in the 20816 area of Bethesda. Such an opening is still at least a year away.

Meanwhile, UPS has leapfrogged Uncle Sam, and opened a UPS Store in 20816, at 5237 River Road.

The store replaces Anessi Salon in the Kenwood Station shopping center best known as the home of Whole Foods (or, for longtime residents, as once being a Brunswick bowling alley).

The new UPS Store has - yes - mailboxes, printing services, packing and shipping assistance, faxing and notary services...pretty much the things most people need on a regular basis.

For downtown Bethesda residents, if you weren't aware already, there is a UPS Store on Hampden Lane.