Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Units were called to the scene of a kitchen fire at Summer House Santa Monica on the 11800 block of Grand Park Avenue in the Pike & Rose development at approximately 4:30pm on Sunday afternoon, according to MCFRS PIO Pete Piringer.

The initial report was of a fire in the kitchen of the commercial restaurant that is located beneath the Perseus apartment complex in Pike & Rose. Multiple units arrived to find a fire in the area of a drive and the wall behind the stove in the kitchen of the restaurant.


Last week we let you know that final paving was underway today at Westbound Randolph Road in Rockville/N. Bethesda. The road officially reopened a few days ago.

Westbound Randolph Road has been closed since August 30th of last summer. The closure was needed for underground electrical work as part of Pepco’s new White Flint Substation. Traffic heading westbound on Randolph Road has been diverted to Parklawn Drive and then directed to Rockville Pike (MD-355).


Federal Realty is submitting applications for approval of a Preliminary Plan of Subdivision and Sketch Plan, for consideration by the Montgomery County Planning Board, for the property located at 1776 E. Jefferson Street, North Bethesda, Maryland (many consider the area Rockville). The Property is currently known as Federal Plaza West, which includes approximately 135,446 square feet of retail, including a Planet Fitness gym and other retailers located in a two/three story structure constructed along the Property’s shared property line with Lot 1. A Panera Bread pad site and associated surface parking is located in the southwest quadrant of the Property, according to project plans.

Per the project plans,  Federal Realty is proposing to transform this underutilized site into a thriving mixed-use development containing up to 500 units, up to a total of 108,965 square feet of retail uses (103,965 square feet of existing to be retained, and up to 5,000 square feet new), a half-acre public open space, and street-scape improvements. The orientation of the development along East Jefferson Street, combined with the implementation of the road diet (discussed within), will begin to transform this suburban-styled area of North Bethesda into a more urbanized, walkable community in furtherance of the County’s goals.


The Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection has explained the vibrant green color of a creek located behind Commonwealth Drive in North Bethesda (in the area of Old Georgetown Rd and Nicholson Ln). Photos below by Instagram user @rachelwulfe.

It appears that dye testing was performed yesterday, which is what turned the creek green. The dye used is a non-toxic marking agent that turns water a vibrant green color. The color can be visually alarming, and folks often report this as antifreeze dumped into the water. This is the same stuff the use to dye rivers green for St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago and other cities. Most antifreeze these days is orange.”


Final paving is underway today at Westbound Randolph Road in Rockville/N. Bethesda. Wesbound Randolph Road has been closed since August 30th of last summer. The closure was needed for underground electrical work as part of Pepco’s new White Flint Substation. Traffic heading westbound on Randolph Road has been diverted to Parklawn Drive and then directed to Rockville Pike (MD-355). The Road is expected to open soon.

Final paving underway today on Westbound Randolph Road. Westbound Randolph has been closed at Parklawn Drive for ~9 months. Crews have been installing underground infrastructure for @PepcoConnect’s new White Flint substation on Nebel Street. #MDTraffic @TheMoCoShow @WTOPTraffic pic.twitter.com/lLsz3Mu7Y8


Highly regarded regionally and nationally as one of the country’s most outstanding youth orchestra programs, The MCYO is the oldest and most established youth orchestra program in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. In MCYO, students experience a seamless connection between the artistic and the educational experience. Since 2005, MCYO has been a resident partner in the Music Center at Strathmore.

Under the direction of Artistic Director Jonathan Carney and Music Director Kristofer Sanz, MCYO offers three full orchestras: a chamber ensemble, two string orchestras, small ensembles and chamber groups to nearly 500 talented musicians in grades 2-12.


A few months ago, a mysterious boat was seen in Pike & Rose being lifted by crane into Canopy. Hello Betty confirmed that this boat will be part of their restaurant’s decor. The restaurant opened last month inside of Canopy by Hilton in Pike & Rose, replacing the Canopy Central Cafe– the restaurant that was there previously. Now, it’s 40-foot boat bar is also open for business.

🛥️ Our 40-foot deadrise boat bar is NOW OPEN! 🛥️


Evoluxxy, a women’s clothing store that originally opened in Pike & Rose in February 2020, will be having its grand reopening at its new location in Pike & Rose on Saturday, May 28th. Evoluxxy took over the old Fransesca’s location in Pike & Rose, opening just weeks before all of the Covid-19 closures. The clothing store has moved down the street and will be located at 11804 Grand Park Ave going forward.

During it’s Grand Opening celebration, Evoluxxy will give away a store gift card via raffle every morning, a $1,000 Louis Vuitton gift card, and one raffle ticket with every purchase over $200.


MCPS has released a “flyover” of what Charles W. Woodward High School will look like upon its completion (video available below). The school originally opened in 1966. Two decades later, in 1987, its students were merged into Walter Johnson High School. Woodward and Walter Johnson High Schools had the same diminished enrollment levels, but MCPS decided to preserve Walter Johnson given the schools larger capacity.

After a brief period as a holding school while Springbrook High was being renovated, the building was used to house Tilden Middle School while that school’s facility began a major renovation project. Tilden relocated to its new building during the summer of 2020.


WMATA has asked LCOR to do the following improvements on Parcel B in the grassy area between Harris Teeter and Rockville Pike. Per Amy Ginsburg of Friends of White Flint, the following has been requested:

In 28 months, when this project is completed, Parcel B will be used as a public green for events, such as outdoor fitness classes, outdoor concerts, and other fun community gatherings. Last December, Metro approved a name change for the metro station. It will be renamed “North Bethesda” Metro Station in the near future.


Two Montgomery County restaurants (the only ones on the list) took the #1 and #2 spots in the latest Eater DC list, for the second month in a row. The “15 Hottest New Restaurants Around D.C.” points diners toward the 15 most intriguing or otherwise buzzworthy new restaurants in the D.C. area. Last month two Montgomery County restaurants topped the list, EKO House (Rockville) and Planta (Bethesda). This month, EKO House remains ranked #1 on the list and Hello Betty (Pike & Rose) joins the list at #2. Below you’ll see the description for each:

EKO House (150 Gibbs St Rockville)


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