David Blair picks up the "Triangle Towers endorsement" in Bethesda (Photos)

Triangle Towers will be "Better with Blair," a campaign sign for Democratic Montgomery County Executive candidate David Blair suggests outside of the Bethesda apartment building at 4853 Cordell Avenue. The sign is planted in the grass on the well-manicured park plaza in front of the main entrance. This endorsement is most likely coming from the building's management company, Southern Management, which is very politically active in the region. Apparently, they are doing a good job here, as the tenant ratings for Triangle Towers are high across all major review sites.

Woodmont Cleaners relocating in downtown Bethesda

Woodmont Cleaners is relocating in downtown Bethesda, but only by a few blocks. It will be moving from its current location in the Lionsgate condos to 4849 Cordell Avenue, in the ground floor of the Triangle Towers apartment building. This was once home to Big Planet Comics. Woodmont Cleaners will reopen in the new location tomorrow, February 14, 2022 (they're not changing their name to Cordell Cleaners, but the "Woodmont" name still works, as they are moving into the heart of the Woodmont Triangle).

Christmas decorations at The Palisades, Triangle Towers in Bethesda (Photos)

The Palisades and Triangle Towers on Cordell Avenue have set up their annual Christmas decoration displays. Let's take a look.

Christmas lights return to Triangle Towers/The Palisades in Bethesda (Video + photos)

The Christmas lights and animated snowflakes are back on Cordell Avenue, at the Triangle Towers and Palisades apartment buildings. There are even a couple of nutcrackers guarding the doors. We may need them year-round once the Purple Line is built.

Mystery underground work at Triangle Towers in Bethesda (Photos)

Parts of the grounds outside of the Triangle Towers apartment building in Bethesda's Woodmont Triangle neighborhood were fenced off yesterday, and dug up. No signs were posted to indicate what the work is for. Pipes are visible in the excavated areas.

Christmas in downtown Bethesda (Video+photos)

Triangle Towers and the Palisades are generating their share of Christmas spirit in the Woodmont Triangle neighborhood of downtown Bethesda. The usual light displays are back in front of the Palisades, and animated snowflakes are projected onto the wall of neighbor Triangle Towers.

WSSC FAILED TO NOTIFY BETHESDA BUILDINGS ABOUT NIGHTTIME WORK NOISE (PHOTOS)

Montgomery County's point man on noise says the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission failed to properly notify residents near St. Elmo Avenue of nighttime work that has kept many tossing and turning this week. Steve Martin, Environmental Compliance Supervisor for the county's Department of Environmental Protection, said in a letter to the Triangle Towers Apartments on Cordell Avenue that the WSSC admitted to him they did not provide the notifications. 

Martin informed the utility that there were 3 residential buildings within the 300' notification range that should have been notified in advance of the noisy work: Triangle Towers, the Bainbridge Bethesda apartments, and the Fairmont Plaza condominiums. I personally have heard from several residents in each of those buildings, as well as one resident of The Palisades, all of whom have complained of the noise over the last several nights.

And the work is not finished. According to a copy of the memo obtained by Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row, WSSC's contractor will be back on-site tonight, and on the evenings of September 2 and 3, 2014. The work involves a sewer line replacement, mandated by federal regulations on aging and failing sewer lines, according to Martin.

What can you do about the noise? Martin advises sleepless residents to contact Brandon Stewart, the WSSC Customer Care Representative for Bethesda, by email.

Martin says that, as a state entity, the WSSC is exempt from the county's noise ordinance - and that they did not advise him of the work in advance, either. He said he has informed the Bethesda Urban Partnership, Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center, and the 2nd District station of the Montgomery County Police about the noise issue.

Here are some photos from their work last night:

TRIANGLE TOWERS RESIDENTS: PRACTICE WAVING TO FUTURE NEIGHBORS IN THAT 70s BUILDING (PHOTOS)

Residents of the Triangle Towers apartments in Bethesda can start practicing their wave. That 70s Building (a.k.a. The Gallery at Bethesda) is almost as tall as Triangle Towers, and growing by the day. Soon those living on the north side of Triangle Towers will open their sashes to find... their new neighbors at That 70s Building opening their sashes across the street.

MINI U.S. POST OFFICE OPEN AT NEWS EXPRESS IN BETHESDA

Tired of the long walks and lack of parking at the new Bethesda post office at 6900 Wisconsin Avenue?

If you live in the Woodmont Triangle area of Bethesda, there may be a better solution for you.

News Express, a convenience store that also doubles as a domestic and international newsstand, has opened a miniature U.S. Post Office inside the store.

Located in the ground floor of Triangle Towers apartments on Cordell Avenue, the postal section can meet most of your basic mailing needs, as well as stamp purchases.  You can also grab a beverage and foreign newspaper while there.

Of course, if you live in Triangle Towers, this is a great amenity. Residents of The Palisades, Fairmont Plaza, and - this winter - That 70s Building (a.k.a. The Gallery at Bethesda) will also find this handy.

ASSAULT AT TRIANGLE TOWERS IN BETHESDA - BETHESDA CRIME UPDATE

An assault was reported to police at the Triangle Towers apartments in downtown Bethesda Saturday, according to crime data.

No further details were available at the moment.

Another individual was assaulted at Montgomery County Public Parking Garage 40, at 4935 St. Elmo Avenue on Friday, March 22.

A third assault took place at BlackFinn on Fairmont Avenue a day earlier.

NEWS EXPRESS OPENS IN BETHESDA; CONVENIENCE STORE TO ADD POST OFFICE, WESTERN UNION SERVICES NEXT WEEK

Bethesda's newest convenience store, News Express - in the ground floor of Triangle Towers - opened yesterday.

The Cordell Avenue shop and newsstand will put its U.S. Mail and Western Union services into operation next week, the owner said last evening.

Those services, as well as the newsstand aspect of News Express, set it apart from what would otherwise be a standard convenience store.  Since Sheetz and Wawa are apparently barred from opening in Montgomery County, independent stores like News Express are the only competition 7-Eleven has to contend with in Bethesda.

Among lottery offerings, News Express has TV screens dedicated to Keno and simulated horse racing, as well as a table where players can sit.

The opening is a boon for Triangle Towers residents in particular, as well as for those in other nearby apartments and condos.

NEWS EXPRESS, FUTURE BETHESDA CONVENIENCE STORE, MAKING STEADY PROGRESS (PHOTOS)

Bethesda's newest convenience store, News Express, is moving closer to opening in the ground floor of Triangle Towers, on Cordell Avenue.

Where rubble was strewn a few months ago, the typical appointments of a convenience store are now popping up:  Moneygrams, phone cards, energy drink refrigerators, copying machine, and newspaper/magazine racks.

News Express will be a newsstand, as well as a convenience store.

CONSTRUCTION UPDATE ON THAT 70s BUILDING (PHOTOS)

Despite having begun construction more recently, Donohoe's That 70s Building is further towards completion than the Bainbridge Bethesda.

That 70s Building (a.k.a. The Gallery at Bethesda) will be located between Del Ray and Auburn Avenues.  As you can see in these photos, foundation work there is ahead of that which you saw in my Bainbridge update last week.

One other comparison of the projects raises a safety question: Why is the Miller and Long crane at the 70s Building site unlit, while the Bainbridge crane has red warning lights at night?

Does the proximity of the lit WHFS radio tower atop Triangle Towers exempt the 70s Building crane from safety lighting?  There is legitimate cause for concern.  Suburban Hospital and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center both draw heavy helicopter traffic, and are close by.

Should a helicopter not see the crane, the resulting crash could topple the crane.  Chopper and crane could both conceivably crash into the Palisades and Triangle Towers apartment buildings.  Catastrophe would be an understatement in such a disaster.

So, should that thing be lit at night? Or is the situation by the book?

I've read 62 pages of FAA structure lighting regulations, and there was no clear answer either way.

NEWS EXPRESS POSTS SIGN IN WINDOW (PHOTO)

CONVENIENCE STORE

AND NEWSSTAND

COMING SOON

Another Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row Exclusive

As I reported a few months ago, News Express is returning to downtown Bethesda.  The convenience store and newsstand will be in the ground floor of the Triangle Towers apartment building on Cordell Avenue.

Yesterday, a sign was placed into the window.  Which just says what regular readers here already knew.  Duh.

Great news (pun intended) for Triangle Towers residents, who can find coffee, ice cream, newspapers, potentially postal services, and maybe just a respite from all the construction noise behind their building, where That 70s Building (a.k.a. The Gallery at Bethesda) is currently being erected.

NEWS EXPRESS TO REOPEN IN BETHESDA - WITH A POST OFFICE?

A favorite Bethesda convenience store will soon be back in business.

News Express, formerly at 7700 Old Georgetown Road, is reopening in the Triangle Towers building on Cordell Avenue.

The new store will offer a wide variety of newspapers and magazines, convenience store food and beverages, and - if it successfully obtains a liquor license - beer and wine.

The $64000 question about News Express is, will it retain the official USPS Post Office the old location had?

That post office didn't attract so much attention when Bethesda had two convenient, downtown postal facilities.  But now that authorities foolishly allowed a rush closure of both, a new post office on Cordell Avenue could be a highly-lucrative prospect for the store's owner.  While this location would not fill the vacuum for automobile-dependent customers, nor for those relying upon drive-up mail drops, it would provide a walking-distance post office for downtown residents.

Let's hope there's a post office in there.  You'd think the USPS would be pretty keen on helping to make it happen, as it would get them off the hook for a "walkable" downtown location.   (It would also be accessible via the Bethesda Circulator).  So - hint, hint USPS and Chris Van Hollen - make it happen.

At the least, even if there isn't a post office inside, Triangle Towers residents will still be thrilled to have this convenient convenience store, beer and wine outlet, and newsstand all in one.  And only an elevator ride away!

NEW 

BIG PLANET COMICS 

STOREFRONT IN 

TRIANGLE TOWERS 

LIGHTS UP THE NIGHT 

Another Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row Exclusive!!! 

Big Planet Comics has moved into its new downtown Bethesda location, in Triangle Towers on Cordell Avenue.  Adding color and light to the new storefront are these awesome Batman and Superman logo signs in the window.

The Superman logo remains the best of all superheroes.  This is one of the better Batman logos, although I'm still partial to the Batman Forever version.