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Friendship Heights is an urban commercial and residential neighborhood in northwest Washington, D.C., and southern Montgomery County, Maryland. Though its borders are not clearly defined, Friendship Heights consists roughly of the neighborhoods and commercial areas around Wisconsin Avenue north of Fessenden Street NW and Tenleytown to Somerset Terrace and Willard Avenue in Maryland, and from River Road in the west to Reno Road and 41st Street in the east. Within Maryland west of Wisconsin Avenue is the Village of Friendship Heights, technically a special taxation district.
Friendship Heights | |
|---|---|
 Facing north on Wisconsin Avenue in Friendship Heights | |
 Map of Washington, D.C., with Friendship Heights highlighted in red | |
| Coordinates: 38°57′25″N 77°05′02″W / 38.957°N 77.083778°W | |
| Country | United States |
| District | Washington, D.C. |
| Ward | Ward 3 |
| Government | |
| • Councilmember | Matthew Frumin |
The portion in the District of Columbia lies in Ward 3, represented by ANCs 3E03 and 3E04. It is often considered to be part of Chevy Chase, D.C.; The most substantial commercial aspects are the shopping plazas near the intersection of Wisconsin and Western Avenues. Found here are many department stores, as well as numerous boutiques, day spas, a multiplex cinema and other services which cater to the residents as well as visitors to the area. The area also features a variety of moderate and discount chains.
The neighborhood also supports a number of offices, including the corporate headquarters of insurance giant GEICO (originally Government Employees Insurance Company) and the Ritz-Carlton hotel chain, and a concentration of broadcast media including the studios of WMAL-FM and WTOP-FM. As a result, heavy traffic is not uncommon.
The Friendship Heights Station on the Red Line of the Washington Metro system serves the area, and the station is also a major connecting depot for area bus services. Streetcar service, which once connected the neighborhood to Georgetown, was abandoned in 1960.
Since the late 1990s, development has accelerated in the neighborhood, notably the construction of Chase Tower on Willard Avenue, a new Chevy Chase Center replacing the older 1980s-era complex of the same name, and new condominiums on the site of the former Washington Women's Clinic.
Retail
editFor decades, a six-block stretch of Wisconsin Avenue in Friendship Heights and Chevy Chase has been the only place partially or wholly in Washington, D.C., with multiple traditional department stores, namely, Bloomingdale's, Saks Fifth Avenue, Lord & Taylor and Neiman Marcus.[1] The latter two closed in 2020, as did the indoor shopping center at the Chevy Chase Pavilion.[2] As of 2022, two department stores remain, both on the Maryland side: a freestanding Saks Fifth Avenue and a Bloomingdale's in a multiuse center that also includes a Whole Foods Market, boutiques, and residential and office space.
Along the D.C. stretch of Wisconsin Avenue are:
- Mazza Gallerie, home to Neiman Marcus from November 1977[3] until 2020;[2] T.J. Maxx and all other remaining tenants closed on December 24, 2022.[4] Tishman Speyer acquired the property in May 2021 for $52 million with plans to redevelop it into 350 apartments and 26,000 square feet (2,400 m2) of retail space.[5] As of March 2024, the mall is razed and a new building is being constructed for mixed-use development.
- Friendship Center, home to big-box discounters Marshalls and DSW
- Chevy Chase Metro Center, with big-box craft retailer Michaels
- Chevy Chase Pavilion, whose shopping center with anchors Cost Plus World Market and Old Navy, closed in 2020. As of 2024, an Embassy Suites hotel and office building remain.
On the Maryland stretch are:
- Wisconsin Place, home to Bloomingdale's, Whole Foods Market, other shops and restaurants
- The Collection at Chevy Chase, an upscale, outdoor shopping center that includes a Tiffany & Co. store.
- Saks Fifth Avenue, freestanding department store
-
Neiman Marcus at Mazza Gallerie, opened 1977, closed 2020 -
Mazza Gallerie: old building razed, new building under construction, March 2024 -
Chevy Chase Pavilion (right) and Neiman Marcus (left), 2008. -
Chevy Chase Pavilion (left) and Neiman Marcus (right), 2016 -
Chevy Chase Pavilion, empty retail and dining area, March 2024 -
The Shops at Wisconsin Place, March 2024 -
Saks Fifth Avenue -
The Collection at Chevy Chase, panorama of Wisconsin Avenue streetfront -
Lord & Taylor department store at opening in 1959 (closed 2020)
Education
editDistrict of Columbia Public Schools operates public schools. Friendship Heights is served by Janney Elementary School, Alice Deal Middle School, and Jackson-Reed High School.[6]
The Maryland side of Friendship Heights is served by Somerset Elementary School, Westland Middle School, and Bethesda Chevy Chase High School.
District of Columbia Public Library operates the Tenley-Friendship Library.[7] After seven years in an interim location, the library reopened in 2011 at the corner of Wisconsin Avenue and Albemarle Streets.[8]
See also
edit
External links
editReferences
edit- ^ "Friendship Heights Retail Action Strategy: Friendship Heights Strategic SWOT Analysis" (PDF). Office of Planning, District of Columbia Government. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
- ^ a b https://www.popville.com/2020/12/friendship-heights-is-looking-more-and-more-bare/
- ^ Pressler, Margaret Webb (February 26, 1998), "The 'De-Malling' of Mazza Gallerie", The Washington Post, retrieved 2022-07-12
- ^ Wells, Clara (2022-12-25). "Mazza Gallerie shopping center permanently closes". WTOP News. Retrieved 2022-12-26.
- ^ Sernovitz, Daniel J. (May 25, 2021). "Mazza Gallerie sold, to be redeveloped under new owner". American City Business Journals.
- ^ "D.C.'s new school boundaries for 2015 - Washington Post".
- ^ "Hours & Locations." District of Columbia Public Library. Retrieved on October 21, 2009.
- ^ "Hours & Locations." District of Columbia Public Library. Retrieved on October 21, 2009.