This week (May 8th), Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) contractors began resurfacing Parklawn Drive in North Bethesda. Crews will be working on weekdays from 9AM to 4PM, resurfacing all lanes of Parklawn Drive between Randolph Road and the CSX Rail bridge (just East of Nebel Street).
Montgomery County-based M. Luis Construction Co., Inc. is performing the work. Crews will be removing the top layer of asphalt and paving a new asphalt surface on top of the existing base course. Work is expected to wrap up in June, as long as the weather cooperates, according to the Montgomery County Department of Transportation.
“The Costco in Gaithersburg is the 7th circle of hell” is just one of many answers we received when we asked the question, “What is the worst parking lot in MoCo?” on social media. Everyone has had their share of terrible experiences in MoCo parking lots, and while there are more than 26 “bad” parking lots, we’ve narrowed down a list (in no particular order) of what we feel are the worst.
Gaithersburg Square
In the past year this shopping center has added a Marshalls, Five Below, &Pizza, and Claire’s, and is scheduled to open a Montgomery County Liquor store in the coming months. These new stores, in addition to a CVS, Panera, and a very busy Chipotle, have turned Gaithersburg Square into one of the busiest shopping centers in the county.
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!”
Costco (Gaithersburg)
This 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.
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.
Fallsgrove (Rockville)
The biggest issue is getting in and getting out. When those lines start to form and it seems like nobody knows who’s supposed to go? Oh man.
Every Trader Joe’s
Federal Plaza in Rockville has been one of the busiest parking lots for as long as I 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.
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. This year we’re not making the same mistake.
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..”
Flagship Center (Rockville)
Flagship is located on Rockville Pike across from the Montrose Crossing Shopping Center. With restaurants like Pho 75, Thai Cuisine, and China Bistro, there’s good reason parking is always tight.
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. Also a popular spot for giant SUVs backing up into spaces.
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.
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.
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. With the addition of Starbucks, and several more restaurants scheduled to open this year, expect it to only get worse.
Leisure World
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.
Lancaster Dutch Market/Outback Parking Lot (Germantown)
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.
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 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.
Olney Gardens (where CVS, Cava Mezze, and Cafe Rio are).
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.
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.
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.
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.
Megamart (Gaithersburg)
The international grocery store Megamart is one of the busiest grocery stores in the entire county. The shopping center also includes a 7-Eleven and Advanced Auto Parks. An honorable mention goes to Gaitherstowne Plaza (IHOP) right across the street on 355.
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 my two least favorite parking lots, but the Kentlands and Rockville/N. Bethesda isn’t far behind.
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.
As of Saturday afternoon, Sunday’s PIKEtoberfest event is still scheduled to take place, according to the Pike & Rose Instagram account. Per Pike & Rose:
“Grab your galoshes 🥾 Here we go 🍻
PIKEtoberfest is ON! Sunday from noon-4pm. Shop Makers Market🖼. Play games🏓. Enjoy kid-friendly activities 🎃. Meet the neighborhood merchants🖤. And, enjoy a beer from @owensordinary🍺! Parking is FREE for 2 hours 🚗. Leashed pups 🐾 are welcome!
Stop by the #pikeandrose tent to pick-up your free PIKEtoberfest stein and enter for a chance to win a neighborhood gift card.
✨For every stein distributed, @pikeandrose will make a $1 donation to @joseandresgroup @wckitchen to support #HurricaneIan clean-up and recovery efforts. While supplies last. One stein per person.”
Spend the day with family and friends at North Bethesda’s Premier Fall Festival, PIKEtoberfest. The Annual PIKEtoberfest community celebration returns and will be held Sunday, October 2, 12 – 4 p.m. at North Bethesda’s Pike & Rose. Additional details below:
• WHAT: PIKEtoberfest at North Bethesda’s Pike & Rose
• WHEN: Sunday, October 2, 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. From family-friendly festivals to seasonal events and weekly farmers’ markets, Pike & Rose always has something to ignite your senses. For more information visit www.pikeandrose.com or facebook.com/pikeandrose
Per Strathmore:
(NORTH BETHESDA, MD)- Founded in 1946 by Chester J. Petranek, The Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras of Strathmore (MCYO) are officially celebrating their 75th anniversary on Sunday, May 22 in the Music Center at Strathmore. All MCYO ensembles will perform in this special anniversary program. At 1PM students in Future Stars, Young Artists, Symphony, and Kamerata! will perform while the 7PM concert features presentations by Preparatory Strings, Chamber Strings, Chamber Ensemble, and Philharmonic.
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.
“We are extremely proud and honored to celebrate our 75th Anniversary with a day full of wonderful performances culminating with a world premiere of a brand-new multimedia orchestral suite In Aqua Sanitas, for orchestra, piano, poetry, water percussion, children’s choir, mezzo soprano, and audience participation performed by our Philharmonic,” said MCYO Music Director Kristofer Sanz. “Not only are our performances a culmination of the countless hours of hard work and dedication of our young musicians, but also a testament to the trust instilled in MCYO by our parents for the music education of their children, and the legacy that was set in place by past conductors and leaders of MCYO over the last 75 years. Even though this year has been difficult due to COVID restrictions and protocols, every single musician in the organization has risen to the occasion and made music with more dedication than ever before.”
During recent seasons, MCYO has collaborated (performances and musical exchanges) with many diverse groups including the Afghan National Youth Orchestra at the Kennedy Center; Tuned-In, a Baltimore inner-city wind program; Young Artists of America; NASA and the Sally Ride Foundation; Scotch College, Australia; Strathmore Children’s Chorus; the National Symphony Orchestra; Black Violin, and CityDance.
Strathmore is grateful to the following institutions and individuals who have contributed to MCYO this season: Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; Gerilee Bennett; Cathy Bernard and the Bernard Family Foundation; Harriett and Jerome Breslow; Bette Eberly-Hill and John Hill; Edward Grossman and Rochelle Stanfield; Olivia Warley Gutoff Memorial Scholarship Fund; Eunice Park-Lee and John Lee; The Silver Spring Chapter of The Links, Inc.; Peilin Tan-Aquino and Welman Aquino; Jim and Carol Trawick Foundation; Bernard Wills
For more information about MCYO visit – https://www.strathmore.org/community-education/mcyo/
The Nebel Street homeless facility will open on Monday, March 7th.
It has been described by county officials as a critical project that will provide temporary shelter for individuals experiencing homelessness and will provide associated services which are insufficient for the current population and future projections. DGS purchased the two-story building located at 11600 Nebel Street in North Bethesda to provide sleeping quarters, meals, and medical and case management services. This new facility will enable the County to implement its new emergency shelter policy for the unhoused population so that they have access to year-round shelter and a temporary place to spend their days until they are connected to permanent housing.
The County’s previous policy offered limited access to shelter from April to October. During hypothermia season, shelter bed capacity expanded but without support services or day-time operations. This new policy is a priority for Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich and will enable shelter residents to get the services and assistance they need in one facility. Although emergency shelter does not end homelessness, the expansion of year-round beds and the new facility ensures that people are not sleeping outside and are rapidly connected to housing resources.
“This shelter represents a major shift in County policy – we are now committed to housing those without shelter every month of the year. Before COVID-19, the County was only able to provide shelter during the winter months.” County Executive Marc Elrich said. “With this shelter, we will offer the homeless the dignity of a bed every night and place to be during the day. I am proud of our efforts to respect everyone in our County.”
Architectural and Construction Images courtesy of Montgomery County
Nebel Computer Lab.
Nebel Sleeping Area.
Nebel Dining Area.
Nebel 2nd floor Plan.
Nebel 1st floor Plan.
Neble 2nd floor Plan.
2nd Floor fixtures and partitions Installation.
2nd Floor fixtures and partitions Installation.
2nd Floor fixtures and partitions Installation.
Corner Guards in sleeping Area .
Epoxy Flooring in sleeping Area.
2nd Floor. South Sleeping Area.
2nd Floor – North Sleeping Area.
2nd Floor – Bathroom/Shower.
Laundry Room
Washington, D.C. mom takes home prize in Feb. 26 drawing
Per MD Lottery:
“Me and my son watch ‘(My) Lottery Dream Home’ all the time,” said a 44-year-old Washington, D.C. resident. “Now, we can get our very own Lottery dream home.” The key to making her dream come true was a $3 Powerball ticket, which won $2 million in the Feb. 26 drawing.
“Smudge,” which is a nickname she chose for publicity as a shoutout to her 11-year-old son, said she doesn’t often play Lottery games. However, watching the popular television show where a host takes Lottery winners on a search for their dream home piqued her interest in the game. Last Saturday, while her son was involved in his normal weekend activities in Maryland, “Smudge” decided to do a little shopping.
“I was having company later and I wanted to get a bottle of wine,” she said.
“Smudge” stopped at Rodman’s Discount Gourmet in Kensington for a few grocery items and the bottle of wine. While there, she spotted the store’s Lottery vending equipment and decided to purchase $20 worth of games. “Smudge” bought a $5 and a $10 scratch-off, a $2 Cash4Life ticket and a $2 Powerball quick-pick ticket. She added $1 to the Powerball ticket for the Power Play multiplier option before leaving to pick up her son and head home.
The office coordinator played the two scratch-offs first, which were not winners. She didn’t check the Cash4Life and Powerball tickets until the next day. Cash4Lifefailed to give her a win, either. However, as she checked her Powerball ticket, the astonished mom realized she was matching the winning numbers one by one.
“My brain just couldn’t process it, you know,” said “Smudge.” “I called my son so he could check the ticket again for me and his eyes got big as he said, ‘Mom, they’re the same!’ ”
The shocked woman then called her husband so he could examine the ticket and confirm the win. He, too, expressed disbelief. “Smudge” had matched four of the white balls and the Powerball number. Because she added the Power Play option to her ticket, the $1 million second-tier prize doubled to $2 million.
“It’s so crazy, I remember telling my son, ‘I want my Lottery dream home,’ ” she said, smiling. She will soon have one. In addition to buying a house, “Smudge” plans to save some of the fortune for her son’s college education.
“Smudge” isn’t the only winner. Rodman’s Discount Gourmet located at 5148 Nicholson Lane in Kensington will receive a $5,000 bonus from the Lottery for selling the $2 million winning ticket with Power Play.
Call Your Mother is ringing the dinner bell for the first time ever at its Pike & Rose location. “That’s right: Call Your Mother is doing dinner! You can now fulfill your dreams of having Call Your Mother for every meal of the day.”
Call Your Mother, the award-winning Jew-ish deli, opened at Pike & Rose back on September 20th. Located at 11807 Grand Park Ave. in North Bethesda, MD, the bagel shop and deli features homemade, signature bagels, creative sandwiches, coffee, and nostalgic pastries. Now, they’re adding dinner to their repertoire.
The Jew-ish deli is bringing back original Park View menu favorites like the Brisket & Pastrami Tacos (3 with cheddar cheese on CYM-made corn tortillas) and Pizza Bagels (tomato sauce, cheese, pesto and pepperoni on a plain bagel), in addition to NEW hot sandwiches on house-made rolls. The dinner menu at Pike & Rose stays true to the deli’s Jew-ish roots, offering fun, creative twists on the classics.
This menu will only be available at the Pike & Rose location (11807 Grand Park Ave, North Bethesda, MD 20852) from 4pm to 8pm daily.
Charles W. Woodward High School 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.
A look at construction at the returning Woodward High School on Old Georgetown Road by Hess Construction.
Previous article on the upcoming school here:https://t.co/7g1UlLraTB pic.twitter.com/FjfPxt4gE0
— The MoCoShow (MCS) (@TheMoCoShow) March 2, 2022
Lenscrafters will be opening two new MoCo locations in the coming months, with new locations coming to Pike & Rose and Rio. The eyewear retailer has posted signage at both locations indicating they are “coming soon.”
LensCrafters offers eye exams and sells prescription glasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses. “Customers can expect to find innovative technology, the newest styles, and unparalleled personalized service. They offer a wide range of prescription lenses for eyeglasses and sunglasses, perfectly tailored to your lifestyle.”
The Pike & Rose store will be located at 901 Rose Avenue, behind Melina. The Rio store will be located on Grand Corner Ave, next to Revive DMV and across from Target. A specific opening date has not yet been provided for either location.
It has been just under a year since Bark Social opened its gates in Pike & Rose, adjacent to Rose Park and next to Julii and Jinya. BizJournals reports that the “social club for dogs and their owners has raised another $2 million to fuel its growth in Greater Washington and other metro areas along the East Coast.” Per the report, it’s the latest of three funding rounds for the company, for a total of around $5.3 million. Bark Social will start with a new location in Baltimore (Canton) and plan on at least two more locations in D.C. and Philadelphia to be announced soon.
The existing venue consists of a 25,000 square foot dog park plus a 2,500 square foot climate controlled clubhouse as well as a bar/cafe and gift shop. The dog park is off-leash and monitored by trained professionals at all times and there is a separate area for small dogs as well.
Their outdoor area is spacious– it has ample, physically distanced seating for humans and lots of room for dogs to play around. They have a covered outdoor patio with heating, an uncovered area, an indoor clubhouse, and they also brought back the Pike & Rose beach on their premises due to popular request.
915 Meeting Street will be a 16-story, state-of-the-art, LEED Gold-targeted building featuring 9,600 square feet of ground floor retail, approximately 25,000-square-foot flexible floor plates and 700 dedicated parking spaces. The building, designed by Gensler, will incorporate a vibrant architectural design that includes numerous amenities, such as a rooftop conference center with collaborative common areas, WiredScore-targeted connectivity, a fitness center, and resource-efficient sustainable and wellness features.
Located in the Pike & Rose neighborhood of North Bethesda, 915 Meeting Street will sit within the transit-oriented, LEED Gold-certified neighborhood of Pike & Rose and its more than 400,000 square feet of retail, services, dining, and entertainment offerings. The new construction comes following the success of Pike & Rose’s 300,000 square feet of existing office product, which includes tenants such as Bank of America, JLL, Industrious, OneDigital and Federal Realty’s corporate headquarters.
915 Meeting Street broke ground in late 2021 and has made significant progress. The building is 40% pre-leased to Choice Hotels, who plans to relocate approximately 400 corporate employees from its current headquarters beginning in December of 2023. Bernie McCarthy, executive managing director, and Danny Sheridan, managing director at JLL represented Federal Realty, and Steve London, vice chairman at Savills represented Choice Hotels.
“It’s been gratifying to see Pike & Rose become an established neighborhood and the real estate of choice for multiple uses,” said Don Wood, chief executive officer for Federal Realty. “The continued demand for office at our mixed-use developments, coming from world-class companies like Splunk and NetApp at Santana, Partners Healthcare and PUMA at Assembly, and now Choice at Pike & Rose, validates our track record of delivering a high-quality product that capitalizes on the highly amenitized environments we have created.”
