Assault at Rockville Town Square

Rockville City police responded to a report of a 2nd-degree assault at Rockville Town Square Monday night, November 6, 2023. The assault was reported in the unit block of Maryland Avenue at 6:16 PM.

Police seek man they say damaged computers at Rockville Library

Rockville City police are seeking the public's help in identifying and locating a suspect accused of damaging computers in the Rockville Memorial Library at 21 Maryland Avenue at Rockville Town Square on Wednesday, October 25, 2023. Police allege the adult male suspect damaged two computers at the library around 4:10 PM that afternoon. They describe the suspect as a Black male who does not have a right arm, and was wearing short dreadlocks, a red knit hat, and a gray blanket. If you have any information about this incident or suspect, call Rockville City police at 240-314-8900.

Police arrest 2 after assault at Rockville Town Square

Rockville City police responded to a report of a 2nd-degree assault at Rockville Town Square early Sunday morning, October 22, 2023. The assault was reported in the 100 block of Gibbs Street at 2:40 AM Sunday. Officers arrested a male and a female suspect at the scene.

Sushi Damo closes in Rockville

The hits just keep on coming at Rockville Town Square. Sushi Damo has permanently closed at 36-G Maryland Avenue. The well-reviewed restaurant was in business for 16 years, a relative eternity in Montgomery County's business-unfriendly climate, where restaurants often operate on razor-thin profit margins. Now it's the latest victim of this struggling Town Center property, and the moribund Montgomery County economy. Sushi Damo left the following farewell message inside the front door of the shuttered restaurant:

Ice rink construction begins at Rockville Town Square (Photos)

One of the annual harbingers of the holiday season is the commencement of construction on the seasonal ice rink at Rockville Town Square. That work is now underway in the town square. To give you an idea of when opening day might be for skating this year, last year the rink opened on November 4. Lessons are offered, and reservations will be available.

Police called after assault at Rockville bar

Rockville City police responded to a report of an assault at a bar in the Rockville Town Center early yesterday morning, October 7, 2023. The assault was reported at an establishment in the 100 block of Gibbs Street at 12:00 AM Saturday. That is at Rockville Town Square.

Do you recognize this alleged armed robber of Dawson's Market in Rockville?

Montgomery County police are seeking the public's help in identifying and locating a suspect in yesterday's armed robbery of Dawson's Market at Rockville Town Square. The suspect entered the grocery store around 10:40 AM Monday, October 2, 2023. He allegedly attempted to shoplift food from the store, but was intercepted by an employee, who asked him to leave the premises. The suspect complied and left the store. Around 11:09 AM, the suspect returned to the store, allegedly brandishing a knife, took food and fled on foot. Detectives have released surveillance video from the store.

Police describe the suspect as a Black male, 27 to 37-years-old, 5'10" tall, and weighing approximately 225-250 pounds. He was wearing an orange baseball cap, black hooded sweatshirt, red t-shirt, black pants, white and gray sneakers, blue surgical mask and red and black gloves.  

Anyone with information regarding this suspect or this crime is asked to visit the Crime Solvers of Montgomery County, MD website at www.crimesolversmcmd.org and click on the “www.p3tips.com” link at the top of the page or call 1-866-411-8477. A reward of up to $10,000 is being offered for information that leads to the arrest of the suspect. Tipsters may remain anonymous. 

Taiwan Bubble Tea Festival Saturday, September 23 in Rockville

The Taiwan Bubble Tea Festival will be held tomorrow, Saturday, September 23, 2023 from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM at Rockville Town Square. A tropical storm is expected to generate heavy rain Saturday, but the festival organizers have stated the event will be held rain or shine, so carry an umbrella. There will be live music, dance performances, games, arts and crafts, and food vendors. Of course, there will also be bubble tea, and a chance to win a round trip flight from New York City to Taipei. For a full event schedule, see the official event website.

Rockville Science Center maker space opening at Rockville Town Square

The Rockville Science Center is opening a maker space in one of the vacant storefronts at Rockville Town Square. This is at 33-F Maryland Avenue, next to MaLa Canteen. They already have a maker space in the Rockville Memorial Library up the street, and their main storefront at 36-C Maryland Avenue, in the same development. This space will be for all ages.

Montgomery County Council President Evan Glass to host Pride Month events in June

Montgomery County Council President Evan Glass (D - At-Large) will once again host or appear at a series of Pride Month events in June. This will be the fifth year Glass will perform this leadership role. The events will include Rockville Pride, an annual event hosted by the City of Rockville at Rockville Town Square, which will be held on Saturday, June 24, 2023 this year. 

June 11 will be Takoma Park Pride Day. Bethesda's Big Train baseball club will also hold a Pride Night on June 17. Pride in the Plaza will take place at Veterans Plaza in downtown Silver Spring on June 25. Events will kick off with the raising of the Pride Flag at the Montgomery County Executive Building on June 1. 

“I’m excited to host Montgomery County’s fifth annual LGBTQ+ Pride month events,” Glass said in a statement. “This is a time for celebration, reflection and unity. Today, the rights of LGBTQ+ Americans are under relentless attack. Members of the LGBTQ+ community — especially people of color and trans people — continue to face discrimination and efforts to undermine their human rights. As we continue our struggle for greater civil rights and liberties, Pride Month is a time to not only reflect on our progress but to focus on the work ahead.”

Assault at Rockville Town Square

Rockville City police were called to Rockville Town Square after an assault was reported there early Friday evening, May 12, 2023. The assault was reported on Maryland Avenue at 6:08 PM.

Paris Baguette opens in Rockville

Paris Baguette has opened at 101-A Gibbs Street at Rockville Town Square. Rockville Mayor Bridget Donnell Newton, City Councilmember Monique Ashton, representatives from Rockville Economic Development, Inc. (REDI), and employees participated in a ribbon cutting outside the bakery. Paris Baguette is a chain founded in South Korea, and you will find some Asian treats alongside classic French pastries. It has opened 3 new U.S. locations this week alone, including the Rockville store.

Photo courtesy REDI

HalfSmoke closes at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

HalfSmoke has closed at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. Its kiosk in the Dining Terrace food court has been totally cleared out, and signage removed. How this didn't work is a mystery, as they had a short but great menu. This venture opening and closing in the time since a long-delayed Rockville Town Square location of HalfSmoke was first announced does not bode well for that larger restaurant coming to fruition. No construction activity has been observed at the Rockville HalfSmoke space since "coming soon" signage was installed over the windows in November 2020(!!).

Paris Baguette "coming soon" to Rockville Town Square

Paris Baguette has posted "coming soon" signage at its future space at 101-A Gibbs Street at Rockville Town Square. The "neighborhood bakery cafe" chain sells a variety of breads, cakes, sandwiches, salads, coffee and tea. They'll go head-to-head with Fresh Baguette, located a few blocks north at 804 Hungerford Drive. When it opens, look for Paris Baguette next to El Mercat Bar de Tapas.

St. Patrick's Day event at Finnegan's Wake in Rockville today

Keep the celebration of St. Patrick's Day going all weekend at Rockville Town Square. Irish pub Finnegan's Wake at 100 Gibbs Street will be hosting a special event today, March 18, 2023. Start with a St. Patrick's brunch at 10:00 AM. Then enjoy live music, face painting and a balloon twister from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM.

Police respond to disorderly conduct at Rockville Town Square

Rockville City police were called to Rockville Town Square Thursday night to respond to an incident of disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace. Officers were called to the 100 block of Gibbs Street at 11:38 PM on Thursday, March 9, 2023. Some residents of the apartments upstairs at the development have complained on social media of the frequency of such incidents during the night and early morning on Gibbs Street.

Another assault at Rockville Town Square

Rockville City police responded to a report of a 2nd-degree assault at Rockville Town Square on Friday afternoon, March 3, 2023. The assault was reported in the unit block of Maryland Avenue, between Beall Avenue and E. Middle Lane, at 2:15 PM. It follows a February 25 aggravated assault at the Town Square, and a middle-of-the-night brawl two days later on Gibbs Street.

Police respond to fight at Rockville Town Square

Twenty-four hours after an aggravated assault was reported at Rockville Town Square, police were back at the property after a fight broke out on Gibbs Street around 2:00 AM Sunday morning, February 27, 2023. Twitter user @Trellis_DMV captured video footage of officers at the scene. "This is a sample of the nightly BS that goes on around 2am that the police make zero efforts to respond to in spite of nightly noise complaints," he tweeted.

Photo courtesy @Trellis_DMV via Twitter

Aggravated assault at Rockville Town Square

Rockville City police responded to a report of an aggravated assault at Rockville Town Square early yesterday morning, February 25, 2023. The assault was reported in a parking area on the Gibbs Street/N. Washington Street side of the development at 2:42 AM Saturday morning.

HalfSmoke at Rockville Town Square - is this happening? (Photos)

One of the great mysteries of our times - at least since September 2020 - has been, "When is HalfSmoke opening at Rockville Town Square?" There have been no official answers, and it's been impossible to know what is going on inside the space at 36-A Maryland Avenue, as the windows have been tightly covered for most of this time. Little activity has been seen at the space, and the lights inside are usually off. But they were suddenly on this week, and a small area of one of the window coverings apparently came loose, and we are getting our first look inside since 2020.

The good news is that the lights are on. The bad news is that HalfSmoke won't be opening anytime soon, from what you can see here. The worst news at the moment is that the rear wall with the diamond shapes, the blue right interior wall, and the black texture on the front of the bar...those are not newly installed, but are left over from previous tenant Pandora Seafood House & Bar, as you can verify in my photos from the opening of that restaurant. In the center of the floor, which appears to still be Pandora's old flooring, is a pallet stacked with Sheetrock.

In the time since this location of HalfSmoke was announced, the chain's owners have opened two eateries at Westfield Montgomery Mall, including a HalfSmoke kiosk in the Dining Terrace food court. That revived questions about what in the world is going on at the Rockville location, which have since died down again. Is it time to start getting excited about HalfSmoke at Rockville Town Square again? Stay tuned!