With the women’s labor force participation rate reaching 57.7% in August, the highest it has been since February 2020, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2023’s Best & Worst Cities for Women, with nearby Columbia, MD (Howard County) being rated as the “Best Fity for Women” in the entire country.
To identify the most women-friendly cities, WalletHub compared 182 cities across 15 key metrics. The data set ranges from the median earnings for female workers to the quality of women’s hospitals to suicide rates for women:
| Best Cities for Women | Worst Cities for Women |
| 1. Columbia, MD | 173. New Orleans, LA |
| 2. South Burlington, VT | 174. Mobile, AL |
| 3. Irvine, CA | 175. Laredo, TX |
| 4. Fremont, CA | 176. Charleston, WV |
| 5. Santa Clarita, CA | 177. Augusta, GA |
| 6. Seattle, WA | 178. Shreveport, LA |
| 7. Gilbert, AZ | 179. Huntington, WV |
| 8. Overland Park, KS | 180. Brownsville, TX |
| 9. Yonkers, NY | 181. Gulfport, MS |
| 10. Pearl City, HI | 182. Jackson, MS |
Best vs. Worst
- Columbia, Maryland, has the highest median earnings for female workers (adjusted for cost of living), $51,526, which is 2.8 times higher than in Santa Ana, California, the city with the lowest at $18,351.
- Pearl City, Hawaii, has the lowest share of women living in poverty, 4.10 percent, which is eight times lower than in Huntington, West Virginia, the city with the highest at 32.90 percent.
- Anchorage, Alaska, has the highest share of women-owned businesses, 26.44 percent, which is 3.9 higher than in Charleston, West Virginia, the city with the lowest at 6.78 percent.
- South Burlington, Vermont, has the lowest female uninsured rate, 1.80 percent, which is 16.5 times lower than in Brownsville, Texas, the city with the highest at 29.70 percent.
- Portland, Maine has the lowest unemployment rate for women, 2.04 percent, which is 6.6 times lower than in Detroit, the city with the highest at 13.51 percent.
To view the full report and your city’s rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/best-and-worst-cities-for-women/127627
Torchy’s Tacos is coming to 12266 Rockville Pike in Federal Plaza, taking over part of the space that was recently home to Chuy’s and previously home to Ruby Tuesday (photos below). Kura Revolving Sushi Bar will be taking over the other part of the space.
Torchy’s Tacos, featuring “the most unique tacos, coveted queso and refreshing margaritas in the game, and the rotating Taco of the Month,” will open its first location in the DMV in 2024. The 3,961 square-foot restaurant will be located at 12266 Rockville Pike. With more than 115 locations across 14 states, Torchy’s Tacos serves tacos, sides, and drinks from scratch, made-to-order.
“We welcome Torchy’s Tacos and Kura Revolving Sushi Bar as they expand into Maryland,” said Ralph Ours, Director of Leasing, Mid-Atlantic Region at Federal. “These two new, innovative dining additions further cement Federal Plaza as a popular shopping and dining destination for the Rockville and greater Montgomery County community.”
Torchy’s Tacos and Kura Revolving Sushi Bar will join recently opened or soon to open Federal Plaza merchants:
- DMV Iron Gym, a world class facility that offers hand-selected, state of the art gym equipment from the 1960’s up to the latest technology, recently opened.
- Mimi’s Handmade Ice Cream, opening soon, will feature 42 flavors of ice cream, from mango, sweet Thai basil, matcha and more, as well as classic favorites like vanilla and chocolate. Mimi’s opened its first location in 2021 at Federal Realty’s Westpost (formerly Pentagon Row) in Arlington.
About Torchy’s Tacos:
The Torchy’s Tacos story began 17 years ago in Austin, Texas, when Mike Rypka bought a food trailer and a vibrant red Vespa. The CEO and founder of Torchy’s Tacos built a menu out of experimental tacos that were coined by fans as “Damn Good.” Today, Torchy’s Tacos has over 115 locations across 14 states and counting that are committed to serving only the highest quality ingredients and scratch, made-to-order. By living the Damn Good mantra, Torchy’s Tacos is always innovating to deliver the most unique tacos, coveted queso and refreshing margaritas in the game, including the rotating Taco of the Month, an untraditional taco offering that keeps taco junkies coming back for more. Visit www.TorchysTacos.com. Follow on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok
https://www.instagram.com/p/CxqAKDZu9MY/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Per Pike & Rose: Spend the day with family and friends at North Bethesda’s premier fall festival– PIKEtoberfest. Get into the fall groove Oktoberfest-style with live music and entertainment throughout the day. Grab a pint of local and craft brews at Owen’s Ordinary beer garden and enjoy a bountiful harvest of eats and treats from the neighborhood’s retail and restaurant partners. Discover artisanal hand-crafted goods at the pop-up Makers Market, play against your friends in exciting games, and get creative with kid’s activities. The event is free to attend and dogs are welcome!
WHAT: PIKEtoberfest at North Bethesda’s Pike & Rose
WHEN: Sunday, October 1, from 12:00 – 4:00 p.m.
DETAILS: In true Oktoberfest spirit, Owen’s Ordinary will host a beer garden serving local and craft beers. Taking center stage, a live band and DJ will be performing all afternoon. Shop a great collection of hand-made and craft goods in the newly added open-air Maker’s Market, featuring the area’s best artisan vendors. Plus, many more fun games, kids’ activities, and experiences from the neighborhood’s retail and restaurant partners.
WHERE: North Bethesda’s Pike & Rose
11870 Grand Park Ave
North Bethesda, MD 20852
MORE: Admission is FREE. Parking is available on-site. Alternative transportation is encouraged. Pike & Rose is one block from the North Bethesda Metro Station. Dog friendly!Click here for more information on getting to Pike & Rose. RSVP to be automatically entered for a chance to win a $100 gift card for Pike & Rose. Prize Pick-up will take place on October 1 at PIKEtoberfest! Register here.
Kura Revolving Sushi is coming to 12266 Rockville Pike in Federal Plaza, taking over part of the space that was recently home to Chuy’s and previously home to Ruby Tuesday (photos below). Torchy’s Tacos will be taking over the other part of the space.
Kura Revolving Sushi Bar is the “ultimate eater-tainment” dining experience serving up authentic Japanese cuisine through an engaging conveyor belt system packed with prizes, drink delivery robots and more. The dining experience features a revolving sushi bar that snakes through the dining area with a wide variety of sushi plates for patrons to select from as they circulate and an express belt positioned above the main belt that delivers orders tableside placed via the ordering tablet from the 140+ menu inclusive of sushi, udon, ramen, hot and cold sides, and desserts. Guests can also look forward to receiving fun prizes for every 15 sushi plates and soft beverages delivered by Kur-B the KuraBot.
The 3,325 square-foot restaurant will be the first Kura Revolving Sushi Bar location in Maryland and the second in the DMV. The restaurant will be located at 12266 Rockville Pike and is projected to open in summer 2024, timing subject to change.
Torchy’s Tacos and Kura Revolving Sushi Bar will join recently opened or soon to open Federal Plaza merchants:
- DMV Iron Gym, a world class facility that offers hand-selected, state of the art gym equipment from the 1960’s up to the latest technology, recently opened.
- Mimi’s Handmade Ice Cream, opening soon, will feature 42 flavors of ice cream, from mango, sweet Thai basil, matcha and more, as well as classic favorites like vanilla and chocolate. Mimi’s opened its first location in 2021 at Federal Realty’s Westpost (formerly Pentagon Row) in Arlington.
Kura Sushi USA, Inc. is a leading technology-enabled Japanese restaurant concept with over 50 locations in 15 states and Washington D.C. that offers guests a distinctive dining experience built on authentic Japanese cuisine and an engaging revolving sushi service model. Kura Sushi USA, Inc. was established in 2008 as a subsidiary of Kura Sushi, Inc., a Japan-based revolving sushi chain with more than 600 restaurants internationally and more than 45 years of brand history. For more information and to find a nearby location, please visit https://kurasushi.com and follow on Facebook @kurasushiusa, Instagram @kurasushi_usa, Twitter @kurasushi_usa and TikTok @kurasushiusa.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CxqAKDZu9MY/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a call for a collision involving three vehicles at approximately 6am at W. Diamond Ave and Bureau Dr. at the NIST entrance on Tuesday morning.
According to MCFRS Chief Spokesperson Pete Piringer, three patients were evaluated. All three sustained non-life threatening injuries. Some lanes were blocked due to the crash with residual delays. The crash is under investigation.
W Diamond Ave & Bureau Dr at entrance to NIST. Collision, 3 cars involved, @MCFRS_EMIHS evaluating 3 patients with NLTI. Some lanes blocked. pic.twitter.com/ZXR7BfXMNz
— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) September 26, 2023
Update: All lanes are now open.
Montgomery County Police tweeted the following at 7:21am on Tuesday, September 26: “A traffic collision has East Village Ave. closed between Heritage Farm Dr. and Plum Creek Dr. Expect significant delays. Drivers are advised to seek an alternate route.”
According to Chief Spokesperson for Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services Pete Piringer, the
collision involved a pedestrian and EMS is evaluating one teenaged patient. We will provide an update if additional information becomes available. Featured image courtesy of Google Maps.
Last month we let you know that Adam Greenberg, owner of Potomac Pizza, acquired Hunter’s Bar and Grill at 10123 River Rd in the Potomac Village Shopping Center. The restaurant opened as the Hunter’s Inn in 1978 and rebranded to Hunter’s Bar & Grill in 2014. Hunter’s Bar and Grill was closed today (Monday, September 25th) and will be closed again on Tuesday, September 26th as the new owners make kitchen modifications. The restaurant will reopen on Wednesday, September 27th.
Greenberg’s team plans to maintain a majority of Hunter’s menu offerings and will add their own twist by improving current recipes and experimenting with new items based on customer feedback. Additional information can be found in the initial announcement of the acquisition available here.
Earlier this year, IKEA announced plans to open new format IKEA stores in Fairfax, Virginia, and Gaithersburg, Maryland, in fall 2023. Signage is now up at the Gaithersburg location located at 101 Boardwalk Place Ste 102- the former home of Charming Charlie (photos below). This new customer meeting point, called a Plan & order point with Pick-up, will include home furnishing inspiration and personalized interior design planning, with the addition of an IKEA Pick-up point, allowing customers to pick up their purchases made online or purchased at either Plan & order point location. Purchases made at IKEA Fairfax and Gaithersburg can also be arranged to be conveniently transported to a customer’s home or to another convenient point of delivery.
“We’re excited to offer a new IKEA experience to our DC metro area customers with convenience in mind. Whether you’re looking for inspiration, need help from an IKEA design specialist or simply want to pick up a piece of furniture that you purchased online, the IKEA Fairfax and Gaithersburg Plan & order point with Pick-up are even more accessible and meet our customers where they are and how they like to shop,” said Javier Quiñones, CEO & Chief Sustainability Officer, IKEA U.S.
IKEA Fairfax and Gaithersburg join the recently announced IKEA Arlington Plan & order point in addition to the large-format IKEA stores in Woodbridge, VA, and College Park, MD. IKEA Fairfax will be located in Fairfax Corner at 4206 Fairfax Corner Avenue West in 4,458 square feet of leased space. It is accessible by car via I-66, Route 50, Route 29 and the Fairfax County Parkway or the Fairfax Connector bus. IKEA Gaithersburg will be located in Rio Lakefront at 101 Boardwalk Place in 8,882 square feet of leased space.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to open three new IKEA locations – IKEA Arlington, Fairfax and Gaithersburg – in the DMV this year. While the Plan & order point and Plan & order point with Pick-up are different from our traditional IKEA stores, we hope they better meet the needs of our local customers and provide an IKEA that’s not only more accessible, but also affordable and sustainable,” said Carmen Spinola, Market Area Manager, IKEA U.S.
In addition to opening new Plan & order points and Pick-up locations in city centers, IKEA U.S. has made significant investments to enhance its e-commerce experience and service offerings, including new IKEA Family benefits, IKEA Business Network loyalty program, lower priced shipping and delivery, Click & collect, and TaskRabbit assembly services.
Per Rio: Rio Lakefront welcomes IKEA Gaithersburg, opening later this year, at 101 Boardwalk Place Boardwalk Place. The new store, called a Plan & Order Point with Pick-Up, will have all of the features of the IKEA Plan & Order Point, including home furnishing inspiration and personalized interior design planning, with the addition of an IKEA pick-up point, allowing customers to pick up their purchases made online or purchased at either Plan & Order Point location. Purchases made at IKEA College Park can also be arranged to be conveniently transported to a customer’s home or to another convenient point of delivery. 
Hangry Joe’s is now open in the Montgomery Village Shopping Center. The Nashville-style hot chicken restaurant is located adjacent to the Starbuck’s at 19290 Montgomery Village Ave. Hangry Joe’s in know for its hot chicken sandwiches, known as the “Chicken Sando”, and allows guests to choose the spice level of the fried chicken (Plain<Mild<Medium<Hot<Angry Hot). The menu also consists of chicken fingers, chicken & waffles, wraps, nuggets, loaded fries, and salads. Sides include cider slaw, waffle fries, and fried okra.
Hangry Joe’s has additional Montgomery County locations in Wheaton (2533 Ennals Ave) and Rockville (718-B Rockville Pike and 10050 Darnestown Rd.)
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxmZ-dQr1uT/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
