Bethesda Row Barnes and Noble set to close its doors at the end of 2017

In the latest round of retail closings, Bethesda Row's largest retail space, Barnes and Nobles book sellers will be closing their doors at the end of 2017. The Bookstore hosted one of the largest book sellers and music collections that was under one roof in Bethesda. Every week new retail stores continue to close. JC Penneys, Nordstroms, Bebe, Even the Bethesda landmark Tastee Diner is possibly being sold to make way for The new Marriott Corporate headquarters which will be build upon the lot that the Diner now occupies.

As for Barnes and Nobles "The closing represents the end of an era for the bookstore, which has anchored a key corner of the mixed-use retail center for two decades and has served as a popular community gathering space. The store opened in 1997 as a main component of the first phase of the Bethesda Row development that has since transformed the southern portion of downtown Bethesda into a regional shopping and dining destination. Over the years, the store has hosted top-name authors and programs and activities for kids and families." There are no other bookstores in Bethesda, they have all gone out to Frederick or area out west where the rent is much cheaper and space is more plentiful.

This wasn't just an area bookstore, it was a very fabulous hang out with a great coffee shop and place to sit and read and talk to your friends. It will possibly be replaced by yet another luxury high rise that are now sprouted across the Bethesda landscape and with few parking spots to accommodate the many residents who occupy the apartments, condominiums and general shopping areas that are becoming more challenging to find especially during the winter Christmas rush.

There are plenty of buses and even a free shuttle that takes people from end to end in Bethesda. Bethesda also has one of the busiest metro stations thanks in part to the increasing demand for housing in Bethesda, but parking appears to be the forgotten stepping stone that brings in the shoppers and the tourists and the travelers who would have to find alternative means to transport themselves to downtown Bethesda without any convenient parking.

However, living in Bethesda is a great luxury these days, everything is in walking distance and one can find everything a few blocks from their apartment if they live in the neighborhood. As retail possibly becomes more volatile, one can simply start ordering their items online and having them delivered to their doorstep.

Perhaps the era of the car is past. In Bethesda, one may take the metro to Union Station and hop the train to New York City, or Philadelphia or Boston. One may also take the metro to Ronald Reagan airport and even Dulles once the Purple line is completed. Washington D.C. has some of the worst Traffic on the east Coast. California is known for its sprawling traffic jams and our Washington D.C. traffic jams are getting worse. Hopefully, we can endure the endless growth and traffic that are coming to Bethesda in an awful hurry.