Thursday, March 14, 2013
The Friendship Heights Transportation Management District Advisory Committee is working with transportation officials to increase the duration of the walk signals across Wisconsin Avenue near medical buildings.
How long do you think "walk" signals at crosswalks should last? Should it depend on the demographics of the neighborhood? The Friendship Heights Transportation Management District Advisory Committee is working with transportation officials to increase the length of time that a walk signal lasts for signalized crosswalks on Wisconsin Avenue near medical buildings. The committee is hoping to get the signals to reflect a 3.5-feet-per-second pedestrian crossing rate rather than a rate of 4 feet per second. The slower crossing rate would be beneficial to many of Friendship Heights' residents, many of whom are senior citizens—it's a "naturally occurring retirement community," Ken Hartman, director of the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services …
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Many attendees of the Land Use/Transportation Committee of the Western Montgomery County Citizens Advisory Board meeting on Monday night agreed that more bus service is needed between these neighboring urban centers.
What's the quickest way to get from Friendship Heights to Bethesda? If you're taking public transportation, you could take Metrorail or the bus—but the bus will take a bit of time, even though the neighborhoods are close and have a direct highway—Maryland state Route 355—connecting them. At a meeting of the Land Use/Transportation Committee of the Western Montgomery County Citizens Advisory Board on Monday night, Phil McLaughlin, manager of operations and planning for the county's Ride On bus service, said that it's a 15-minute trip from Bethesda to Friendship Heights on the No. 34 bus, and that the bus runs every 15 minutes every day. But many attendees at the committee meeting shook their heads, saying that the buses only run about every…
Monday, March 11, 2013
County residents voice suggestions to county parks department staff about upgrades planned for the Willard Avenue Neighborhood Park.
A recent community meeting at the Friendship Heights Village Center left many Chevy Chase-area residents pleased that a dilapidated playground finally would be renovated. Montgomery County Department of Parks staff explained at the meeting on Thursday, Feb. 28, that new enhancements to the Willard Avenue Neighborhood Park—at the intersection of Willard Avenue and River Road—likely would be finished by the summer. With the park celebrating its 24th anniversary this year, residents agreed that the renovations were a long time in coming. "I can’t tell you how delighted I am that you all are moving forward," Friendship Heights Village resident David Cohen said. But after viewing the site plans for the park, residents’ concerns surfaced …
Thursday, February 28, 2013
The Tex-Mex restaurant will open in a Friendship Heights storefront that has been vacant for nearly two years.
Mi Cocina is slated to open later this spring in the former M Cafe space (5471-5481 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase, MD), restaurant spokesperson Sue List told Patch. Mi Cocina is owned by the privately held M Crowd Restaurant group, which has restaurants in Dallas/Fort Worth, the Houston area, Tulsa and Atlanta, according to Mi Cocina's website. Mi Cocina's menu includes standard Tex-Mex fare (fajitas, enchiladas, tacos), as well as house specials. M Cafe, its sister restaurant Famoso and Piazza Sempione, the luxury women’s apparel store that shared the space with the restaurants, shuttered quite suddenly on April 19, 2011, Patch reported. The space has been vacant in the upscale shopping center The Collection at Chevy Chase for nearly two …
The neighborhood park is set to get an upgrade.
The Willard Avenue Neighborhood Park is set to get an upgrade, Patch reported earlier this week. Currently, the park is looking a little tired, although it's still frequented by people walking on the trail that passes through it (see attached video). Montgomery Parks, which scheduled a community meeting about the park for Thursday, Feb. 28, at 7 p.m. at the Friendship Heights Village Center, is asking residents for input on how the park could be improved. What would you like to see in the park? How could it be improved? Should it feature playground structures for children, fitness structures for adults, or both? Tell us in the comments.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Grab some free grub from the Pepe food truck today.
Pepe, the popular food truck by celebrity chef and Bethesda resident Jose Andres, will be making a stop for lunch in Friendship Heights on Wednesday. Even better, the mobile eatery will serve free sandwiches to the first 100 people who stop by. Sandwich flavors du jour include shredded beef, eggplant, fried chicken, Spanish pulled-pork and a club. The food truck, which serves up “flautas,” or Spanish sandwiches, has been feeding hungry Washington, DC, residents since March 2012. The truck made its debut in Montgomery County last October. Prices range from $8 to $14. Chicken noodle soup will also be on the menu. Wednesday, Pepe will be serving up the free sandwiches in partnership with Equinox gym. The truck, along with Equinox reps, will …
Monday, February 25, 2013
Park department staff will discuss renovations to the Willard Avenue Neighborhood Park at a community meeting on Thursday night.
The Willard Avenue Neighborhood Park is set to get an upgrade, and Montgomery Parks staff are asking residents for their input. On Thursday, Feb. 28, the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission and Montgomery Parks will hold a community meeting to discuss proposed renovations and upgrades to the playground at the park. The meeting takes place from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Friendship Heights Village Center. The proposed enhancements include a new playground, improved visibility into the park from River Road and new exercise equipment along the trail, according to a public notice from the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission and Montgomery Parks. "Local park playgrounds are typically 3,500 to 5,000 square feet in …
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Lunchbox will be the third eatery in the Chevy Chase Pavilion with a menu by celebrity chef Bryan Voltaggio.
The newly-renovated Chevy Chase Pavilion is set to get a third eatery with a menu by celebrity chef Bryan Voltaggio, who will open a second location of Lunchbox—a popular sandwich shop in Frederick, MD—in the Friendship Heights shopping center later this year, Washingtonian reported. "Lunchbox takes the fresh, seasonal ingredients ... and transforms them into gourmet sandwiches, salads, soups and desserts," the restaurant's website states. The Frederick location is a "casual dining venue [that] seats 30 people comfortably for lunch only," and restaurant patrons may dine in or carry out. Menu options include grilled cheese, pastrami and meatloaf sandwiches, a variety of salads and soups, cookies and brownies. Lunchbox will join Voltaggio's …
PoPville reported that the shuttered Friendship Heights coffee and tea shop could become Le Pain Quotidien.
The former storefront of Tynan Coffee and Tea in Friendship Heights could become home to a branch of Le Pain Quotidien, Prince of Petworth reported on PoPville, citing "a good source." Tynan Coffee and Tea recently closed, Chevy Chase Patch reported. Its storefront anchored the southern arm of the plaza at The Shops at Wisconsin Place. Next door is the former storefront for Adolfo Dominguez, a clothing boutique. Patch readers made several great suggestions as to what might work well in the empty space. Suggestions included a mid-price-range restaurant, a craft beer or cocktail bar and an ice cream parlor. What would you like to see in the old Tynan space in Friendship Heights? Tell us in the comments.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
A woman was followed by a man in a minivan and on foot in Chevy Chase, police said.
Chevy Chase Village police and Montgomery County police issued an alert Wednesday about several incidents involving men approaching young girls and women in Chevy Chase and Silver Spring neighborhoods. The latest incident happened near Kirkside Drive and Grove Street in Chevy Chase at 7 p.m. Tuesday, when a young woman said a man followed her in a minivan, shone a flashlight on her and then began walking quickly toward her. Hours before, in nearby Friendship Heights, police said a man driving a maroon SUV approached a 13-year-old girl. On Friday, a man made “inappropriate comments,” to a group of girls playing outside in Silver Spring, police said. Chevy Chase Village Police are working to find the suspects, and have notified Montgomery …
Laura L Thornton
5:27 pm on Thursday, March 14, 2013
That is a great idea, Milton! Folks wanting to cross to get to doctor's appointments are more likely to be crossing during the day anyway, rather than before or after standard work hours. more ›