Police called after assault at community center in Rockville

Rockville City police responded to a report of a 2nd-degree assault at a community center in the Montrose neighborhood late Friday night, August 12, 2022. The assault was reported at a facility in the 1600 block of Martha Terrace at 11:11 PM. The Rollins Congressional Club is on that block.

Greek Aroma Mediterranean Grill to open at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Greek Aroma Mediterranean Grill is expanding from Frederick to Montgomery County. Their new location will be in the Dining Terrace food court at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. All meats served at Greek Aroma are halal. They will compete with Cava and Grill Kabob in the food court at the mall.

Logo courtesy Greek Aroma

Toys R Us at Macy's opens at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda (Photos)

The Toys R Us at Macy's era is upon us at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. Does it live up to the hype? Not entirely yet. Perhaps they are still getting organized here, but will otherwise have difficulty competing with the new FYE Alex Baby & Toys, which is delivering something closer to the Toys R Us experience in the Old Navy wing of the mall.

As I mentioned when the plan for the holiday pop-up shops was announced, one of the fundamental problems is that the Toys R Us experience can't be duplicated in a small format. Toys R Us was essentially a big-box store, a cavernous warehouse with aisle after aisle of toys. Even Target and Walmart can't match that with their toy sections. At the same time, the TV and movie-licensed products most popular at Toys R Us don't exactly fit the image of a Macy's department store, where you'd expect high end German teddy bears as a toy display.

The vibe right now is somewhere between Big Lots and Ross. Shelves are less than full in spots, and the displays could be more neatly presented in some cases, as you can see in the photos here. There isn't much that screams, "Toys R Us," besides the Geoffrey stand-ups. The overall aesthetic is going to require a bit more attention and juice before Black Friday to create a holiday atmosphere.

I'm beginning to wonder if the pop-up idea is simply an effort to prop up the value of the Toys R Us trademark by the new owners, to be able to resell or repurpose it down the road. The plan has gotten a lot of media attention for the brand name. But what does that brand name stand for? This is a nice and convenient way to pick up holiday gifts while doing your usual shopping at Macy's, but it is definitely not reproducing the Toys R Us experience for people who have actually been inside a real Toys R Us.

Assault in Rockville parking garage

Rockville City police responded to a report of a 2nd-degree assault inside a parking garage in the Rockville Town Center area Thursday night, August 11, 2022. The assault was reported inside a garage in the unit block of Helen Heneghan Way at 10:30 PM Thursday.

Kids2Teen Bedrooms store closing in Rockville (Photos)

You might save a few bucks on back-to-school bedroom makeovers at Kids2Teen Bedrooms at 1052 Rockville Pike, in the Edmonston Crossing shopping center. Unfortunately, it is because the store is closing. A closing sale is now underway. The sale includes mattresses, platform beds, futons, sofa convertibles, and Murphy cabinets. Everything must go!!

Rock Grove shopping center gets new sign, art installation in Rockville (Photos)

A permanent tenant sign has been erected at the new Rock Grove shopping center at 16220 Frederick Road in Rockville. It lists the Comfort Inn hotel, interestingly, along with shopping center tenants Minerva Indian Cuisine, Dunkin' Donuts/Baskin Robbins, Luxury Nails and Atlas Pharmacy. Strangely, Qdoba Mexican Eats is not yet on the sign. The property also includes an office building.

Also new at the property is an art installation. It features a tree and soaring eagle, surrounded at the base by real landscaping. 

Lotus of Washington DC auto dealership opens in Rockville

Lotus of Washington DC, a new dealership selling the British luxury performance vehicles, has taken over the former Rockmont Chevrolet property under the giant American flag at 15301 N. Frederick Road in Rockville. The brand hasn't had a stand-alone dealership of its own in Montgomery County since a Bethesda location closed in 2016. Lotus of Washington DC is carrying the Evora, Emira, Evija and Eletre models. The showroom is open Monday through Friday, from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM.