Everyone has had their share of terrible experiences in MoCo parking lots, and while there are more than 25 “bad” parking lots, we’ve narrowed down a list (in no particular order) of what may be the worst based on our experiences and comments left by readers throughout the years.

Costco (Gaithersburg)
The original “Worst Parking Lots in MoCo” article was inspired by Fox 5’s Jim Lokay when he tweeted “What is the most lawless frontier in the DC region and why is it the parking lot at the Gaithersburg Costco?”  The Gaithersburg location has the strangest layout and most people don’t use the underground portion of the lot.
Reader comment: “The Costco in Gaithersburg is the 7th circle of hell”

Woodmoor Shopping Center (Silver Spring)
One of the oldest shopping centers in MoCo can also be one of the most problematic. Though you can park in the back (it also gets full), we all hope for the best and try to make it into that front triangle parking lot. This shopping center features a Chipotle, CVS, and Starbucks.

Rio AMC (Gaithersburg)
Everyone’s favorite garage at Rio, most people prefer to try to find a spot at the very bottom of the lot so they can walk out by Guapo’s.  Click here to see our “Where to Park (and where not to park) at Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg” guide. 

Norbeck Center (Rockville)
This center has several incredibly popular restaurants (Full On & Big Greek Café) and only a handful of parking spots. Full On has even devoted of a portion of their website (www.fulloncraft.com/parking/) to helping guests with the parking situation. “While there are only a few spots in front of Full On, the lot in front of White’s Hardware Store is public space. 46 spots are open to the public at all times. Follow the sidewalk that runs parallel to Norbeck Rd which takes you directly to our door!”
Reader comment: “Omg I was just at the norbeck parking lot for big Greek yesterday and I wanted to end it all. It is by far the most complicated parking lot. You HAVE to know how to drive to park there “

Chick-Fil-A (Germantown)
The traffic for this Chick-Fil-A’s drive thru on Century Blvd is so bad that it often times closes all lanes of the parking lot. This center also has a Carrabba’s, Panera, Taco Bell, Walgreen’s, and the Germantown Transit Center.
Reader comment: “Definitely Chick Filet and the Dutch Market in Germantown. I’d put them on a regional and national list, too! “

Wheaton Park
With H-Mart, the Dollar Store, and AutoZone all next to each other, it’s no surprise that this parking lot is one of the worst in the area. The lot is also known for its very narrow lanes.

Every Trader Joe’s
Federal Plaza in Rockville has been one of the busiest parking lots for as long as we can remember. Trader Joe’s doesn’t help. The same goes for every other Trader Joe’s location in the county. Some say they do it on purpose so that they can increase the amount of customers during their off-peak hours.

Fallsgrove (Rockville)
The biggest issue is getting in and getting out. When those lines start to form it seems like nobody knows who’s supposed to go? This shopping center includes Bethesda Bagels, Mama Lucia’s, Poyoteca, Safeway, and Starbuck’s. Fallsgrove is also across the street from Shady Grove Hospital.
Reader comment: “Fallsgrove is the worst. Funnel everyone in thru one spot and no one knows who goes first.”

Shady Grove Home Depot (Gaithersburg)
“Leaving Home Depot Gaithersburg #2550 off this list is a major oversight” was just one of the dozens of comments we received about the Home Depot at 15740 Shady Grove Rd when we posted the 2021 list.

Costco (Wheaton Plaza)
The Costco at Wheaton Mall opened in 2013 and the parking lot has been packed ever since. In addition to the normal craziness of a Costco lot there’s the added bonus of a shopping mall.

Gaithersburg Commuter Bus Stop/Park & Ride 
Several readers mentioned the Park & Ride stop that’s located on West Diamond Ave in Gaithersburg, with one writing, “will take you a good 20 minutes to get out of the lot during rush hour.”

Olney Gardens
Olney Village Center and Fair Hill are also bad, but Olney Gardens is narrower and we think it squeaks out the victory of the Olney parking lots because if that. This shopping center includes Cava Mezze, Cafe Rio, and CVS.

Flagship Shopping Center (Rockville)
Flagship is located on Rockville Pike across from the Great Wall Supermarket.  With restaurants like Pho 75, Thai Cuisine, and China Bistro, there’s good reason parking is always tight.

Gaithersburg Square
The revitalized shopping center now features Chipotle, Claire’s, CVS, Five Below, Marhsalls, Oak Barrel & Vine (Montgomery County Liquor), Panera, and &Pizza and is one of the busies in the county. Click here to see a list of businesses that are coming soon to the center.  
Reader comment: “I agree 100% with Gaithersburg Square where Marshall’s is located as the worst. In a minute they will have to re-do that circle. It’s a complete mess trying to get around that.”

Montgomery Village Center 
What was once considered a “dead” shopping center, this parking lot has seen a huge increase in traffic ever since Aldi opened up next to Big Lots in 2020. In the past year we’ve seen Hangry Joe’s, Kobe Japan, and Starbucks also open. Baskin Robbins and a laundromat are expected to open by the end of the year.

Leisure World (Silver Spring)
The closer to Giant you get, the better your chances of a bad experience. We try to park far away and get our steps in when we head to the Leisure World shopping center.

Germantown Square
You have to just park up by Dairy Queen and walk, but we always have high hopes and look for something better when we get there. Lots of spaces, but tends to get pretty full when you want to be there. The Lancaster Dutch Market and Outback Steakhouse are the main attractions in this center.

Cabin John Village (Potomac)
The addition of the fast-casuals on the one side allows traffic to hit you from every angle. Construction didn’t help things recently either. Never a fun time when it’s busy. This massive shopping center includes Colony Pizza, CVS, Dunkin, Giant, and Gregorio’s Italian Restaurant.

Firstfield Shopping Center (Gaithersburg)
The Starbucks drive-thru in this center is so busy that the line of cars often extends outside of the parking lot and on to the main road. The center also includes Einstein Bagels, Roaming Rooster, and Jimmy John’s.

Manhattan Pizza/Upcounty Beer & Wine (Clarksburg)
A very tight spot that makes it almost impossible to get in and out of. We suggest parking on the opposite end near the Subway. On a side note, definitely try the gelato at Manhattan!

Germantown Plaza 
Whether it’s the people double parking to run into Little Caesars for pizza, or trying to find a place to park in the back alley for Planet Fitness, both sides of this shopping center are a mess.

Aspen Hill Shopping Center
There’s a lot going on so it could take a long time to get from one end to the other. Heading to McDonald’s? That’ll make it even worse. The shopping center include Chipotle, Giant, Panera, and Wingstop.

Lowe’s Parking lot (Kentlands)
The four way stop in the Kentlands is pretty bad, but it’s not a parking lot, so we’re gonna go with Lowe’s here. There can be 11 cars parked yet somehow 378 people are walking to and from the parking lot at all times. Shake Shack has also recently been added to area.

Wildwood Shopping Center (Bethesda)
The truck is to park in the back, but those can fill up too, and let’s be honest…we always think we’ll find something in the front. These short parking columns are the stuff nightmares are made of.

Every Whole Foods
Just like Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods seem to bring out the worst in people in the parking lots. Silver Spring and River Rd. are our two least favorite parking lots, but the Kentlands and Rockville/N. Bethesda isn’t far behind.

Featured image courtesy of Google Maps. 

 

With over 34,000 Americans having died from gun violence this year and the country having experienced 24 billion-dollar climate disasters, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2023’s Safest States in America, with Maryland coming in Ranked 17th. The state’s lowest ranking comes in the “Personal and Residential Safety” category (27th) with the highest ranking coming in the “Workplace Safety” category (17th). In order to determine the most secure states, WalletHub compared the 50 states across 52 key metrics. The data set ranges from assaults per capita to the total loss amount from climate disasters per capita to the unemployment rate.

Safest States in America	Least Safe States in America
1. Vermont	41. Missouri
2. Maine	42. Montana
3. New Hampshire	43. Colorado
4. Utah	44. Oklahoma
5. Massachusetts	45. Alabama
6. Connecticut	46. Florida
7. Hawaii	47. Texas
8. Minnesota	48. Arkansas
9. Rhode Island	49. Mississippi
10. Wyoming	50. Louisiana

Key Stats

• Maryland is ranked 22nd in “Financial Safety” and 21st in “Road Safety.”

 

• Rhode Island has the fewest murders and non-negligent manslaughters per 100,000 residents, 1.46, which is 11 times fewer than in Louisiana, the most at 16.12.
• Idaho has the fewest thefts per 1,000 residents, 9.35, which is 3.7 times fewer than in Washington, the most at 34.43.
• New Jersey has the most law-enforcement employees per 100,000 residents, 541, which is 2.8 times more than in Washington, the fewest at 196.
• Delaware has the lowest share of high school students who were bullied online, 9.70 percent, which is 2.2 times lower than in New Hampshire, the highest at 21.80 percent.

To view the full report and your state rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/safest-states-to-live-in/4566

Over 50 Himalayan cats and kittens have been found in the Wheaton area, most of them near the Sligo Creek Trail or in Wheaton Regional Park since late August (some were also found in nearby neighborhoods). Citizens have been engaged in an active effort to search for these cats and kittens and report sightings. Yesterday, the Montgomery County Cat Coalition (MC C³) stated that more cats are still on the loose and continue to be found:

“Wheaton area residents, we need your help in locating any more of the dumped Himalayan cats that are still outdoors. Though many have been rescued, some of them are still out there and these cats continue to be found. Email [email protected], if you see one of these cats. We are grateful to Dr. Hannah Levy and her staff at Cozy Cats Vet: A Cat Practice for the initial exams and treatments.

Our MC C³ volunteers have been out nearly every day looking for additional cats in locations where they have been reported or locations from which others have already been rescued. We depend on the public reporting any new sightings.”

There is still no word on who released the cats in the area or why, with efforts concentrated on ensuring their safety. McPaw.org handled the adoptions for the Himalayan cats that were found.

 

Police responded to a home invasion robbery on Sunday, October 22 in Rockville. According to MCPD, “At approximately 4:30 p.m., Rockville City Police and Montgomery County Police officers responded to the 200 block of Elizabeth Ave. in Rockville for the report of a home invasion robbery that just occurred.

 The preliminary investigation has revealed that an adult male victim was approached by two armed suspects at his home. The suspects entered the home and then left the scene in a vehicle. One suspect has been taken into custody. Officers are still looking for the other suspect.  The victim was not injured. This is still an active and ongoing investigation. More information will be released as it becomes available.”

According to public safety reporter Cordell Pugh, the suspect was taken into custody after a brief pursuit. Featured image courtesy of Google Maps.

ROCKVILLE ARMED HOME INVASION, PURSUIT, & ARREST: ~4:30PM Sunday, @RockvilleCityPD spotted a vehicle fleeing a home invasion that had just occurred within the City. After a brief pursuit, 1 armed suspect was taken into custody. RCPD and Montgomery County Police investigating…

— Cordell (@CordellTraffic) October 22, 2023

Maryland Student Hockey League – Montgomery Hockey Conference Varsity scoresfor Friday 10/20/2023 powered by www.MocoAI.com

Upper Montgomery	1
DC Stars	3

 

Winston Churchill Varsity 2	2
Rockville/Magruder	11

 

Winston Churchill Varsity 1	6
Walt Whitman	2

 

Walter Johnson	11
Sherwood	1

 

Blair	3
NWQO	9

 

Thursday 10/19/23 Score

 

Wootton	3
Richard Montgomery	1

 

In his weekly message to the community, Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich commented on the “Local Impact from Hamas-Israel War”. The excerpt can be seen below:

“Over the past two weeks, I have had many conversations with members of the Jewish and Muslim communities and others with connections to the Middle East. While our diverse communities fear for the safety of their family and friends abroad, they also fear for themselves and their loved ones at home here in Montgomery County. They are worrying about what could occur here in their neighborhoods, synagogues and mosques. The recent murder of a 6-year-old in Chicago, as well as a rise in harassment and hateful rhetoric, has heightened concerns.

As a local government with significant Jewish and Muslim communities, we are committed to listening and engaging with our residents who are concerned and feeling attacked and vulnerable. People in our community are deeply impacted and suffering because of what is happening in Israel and Palestine. There are County employees who are Jewish and Muslim who have lost loved ones, and we have neighbors who are afraid to walk down the streets here in our community. We are determined that Montgomery County will remain a safe place for all.

I appreciate the County Council for supporting my supplemental request that I sent over last week, adding an additional $100,000 to the Nonprofit and Faith Communities Security Grant program for communities fearing for their safety and well-being. Montgomery County also has the Partnership Fund for Victims of Hate/Violence in our Office of Human Rights. It has been part of our community since 1987 to help provide partial compensation for property damage and help victims of racial, ethnic or religious based attacks. Individuals and private institutions may be eligible to receive financial assistance from the fund to repair or replace property if it has been damaged because of their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or disability. Groups must apply for the assistance soon after through the Office of Human Rights. For more information on the Partnership Fund, visit montgomerycountymd.gov/humanrights.

Civilian deaths are horrifying, regardless of where they occur. The emotional impact on people from the deaths of loved ones who were simply trying to live their lives and harming no one is hard to accept. We will not tolerate acts of hate by anyone. I hope all of us can grieve as we need to, but that we can also restrain ourselves from lashing out at our neighbors and friends. What has happened abroad should not change how we interact with people here.

We need our schools to double down on anti-bullying resources for Muslim and Jewish students. Schools should be a safe place for students and should help students to process the hurt and rage they are feeling. We need to support our children who are struggling to make sense of this.

I recommend subscribing to our Faith Community Advisory Group newsletter, which updates the community on matters related to organized religious groups and community partners with ties to those groups. The latest newsletter had good information about County, State, Federal and nonprofit resources to help support communities during these challenging times. You can visit faithmcmd.org to sign up for newsletters or find resources that can help through tough times.”

In his weekly message to the community, Montgomery county Executive Marc Elrich shared his thoughts on the Montgomery County Police Officer who was recently indicted for his involvement in the January 6th insurrection at the U.S. Capitol:

“I am very disappointed and quite frankly angry to learn that a suspended Montgomery County Police Department officer, Justin Lee, was indicted this week by the Department of Justice (DOJ) for participating in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

At this moment, I have more questions than answers. As I understand from our police department, we had no previous knowledge about his activities. Throughout his interview, background, training and brief time as a sworn officer, we were not made aware that Federal investigators suspected his involvement in the insurrection. Lee was sworn in as a new officer in January of 2022.

When MCPD was made aware in July that Lee was being investigated by the DOJ, Chief Jones immediately and rightfully removed his police powers. Now that he has been indicted, Lee is currently suspended without pay pending termination.

On Jan. 6, the men and women of our police department responded bravely to assist law enforcement at the Capitol. To this day, we still have MCPD officers out on leave from injuries sustained on Jan. 6. It is shameful that Mr. Lee concealed his actions during the riot and attempted to work on the same side as officers that he allegedly attacked that day.

Moving forward, our police department is reviewing its background and polygraph procedures to ensure that the process and questions weed out anyone with insurrectionist ideology. An officer’s trustworthiness is their most important asset, both with the community and their fellow officers. It is evident that Lee failed the standard of trust we expect from MCPD officers.”

PacSun will close its only Montgomery County location by Thursday, October 26th, according to a store representative we spoke with this afternoon. We were told there are currently sales going on, but that inventory is going quick. The store has been in Montgomery Mall since the 90s, located on the lower level near Old Navy. PacSun still has a nearby location in Tysons Corner.

Per the store, “PacSun is dedicated to delivering an exclusive collection of the most relevant brands and styles to an inspired community. Founded in 1980 as Pacific Sunwear the PacSun brand has evolved well beyond beach wear. Today PacSun is a leading life style brand offering an exclusive collection of the most relevant brands and styles to a community of inspired youth. Built on youth culture and curated in Los Angeles. In our fleet of over 350 stores and PacSun.com you will find brands such as Vans, Kendall and Kylie, Brandy Melville, Adidas, and Fear of God Essentials, in addition to our PacSun brand. We are dedicated to be leaders in delivering high quality product, relevant retail experiences and unique digital content. As an organization we are inspired and led by the diversity of our customers and associates. We are committed to our responsibility in using our platform to drive change and take action on the issues important to our community. PacCares, was launched in 2020 which allows us to partner with charitable organizations that focus on mental health, female empowerment, and social injustice.”

Initially founded by Jack Hopkins and Tom Moore in 1980, its roots can be traced back to a small surf shop in Seal Beach, California. PacSun built its business selling merchandise from established surf brands but later expanded to include skate and street wear labels. The company offers products for both men and women that include: jeans, tees, tanks, polos, knits, flannels, hoodies, boardshorts, bikinis, shorts, pants, dresses, rompers, skirts, sweaters, jackets, snow apparel, shoes, sandals and accessories. The company went public on March 15, 1993 and at its height had over 1,300 stores in all 50 states. PacSun opened a second chain of stores called d.e.m.o., in 2000. The last of these stores closed in 2008.

Stock Photo of PacSun used as featured photo.

Montgomery County Police responded to a shooting early this morning in Clarksburg. According to police, “On Sunday, October 22, 2023, at approximately 1:59 a.m., MCP officers responded to the 12800 block of Clarks Crossing Drive in Clarksburg for the report of shots fired. 

The preliminary investigation has revealed that the suspect(s) arrived at the location in an unknown vehicle, fired rounds, and left the scene. A home was struck by gunfire. The home was occupied but no one reported any injuries.  This is an active and ongoing investigation.  

We will provide an update if additional information becomes availabe.  Featured image courtesy of Google Maps.

Early Sunday Morning: Shots Fired in Clarksburg: ~1:50AM Sunday on Clarks Crossing Drive, South of Clarksburg Square Road (Clarksburg/Montgomery County, MD). Multiple shots fired, at least 2 nearby occupied homes struck. Parked cars reportedly struck as well. @TheMoCoShow

— Cordell (@CordellTraffic) October 22, 2023