A duo of naturally inspired luxury apartment communities where a truly balanced lifestyle takes form. Start a carefree lease on life nestled among lush landscaping with an incomparable front yard at Strathmore Square. Relax in your sophisticated residence with European finishes, private terraces, entertainment-focused living spaces, and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the park. Close to Strathmore Music Center and Rock Creek Park , Rockville Pike and I-495/I-270, yet tucked away in a neighborhood to call your own, home to world-class arts and culture.
This is Ravel & Royale, where style, connectivity, and serenity meet at Strathmore Square
240.453.4579
YEARSOFSERVICE
Brightview’s award-winning communities engage residents while supporting their changing needs. Safety enhancements, wellness programs, and personal care services empower residents to live full, rewarding lives with confidence.
What will you do today? At Brightview, it’s entirely up to you! Pursue your creative passions, socialize at happy hour, enjoy an outing, rejuvenate in our salon, take in a concert, or simply relax in your apartment home. Whatever you want to do, you can do it with Brightview.
We have one question for you: Why not? Each day, residents explore new interests and embark on new adventures. Want to try a new cuisine? Take up a new hobby? Cross “zip-lining” off your list? Why not?
THE HOME ISSUE
56 At Home With the Experts
Inside the spaces of local professionals— a vintner’s wine cellar, a dealership owner’s garage, a spa owner’s retreat and more BY AMY
HALPERN
68 House Appropriations
Find inspiration in the snug room aesthetic BY CAROLYN WEBER
70 Rooms We Love
A Bethesda family’s game room— complete with Skee-Ball BY
WENDY A. JORDAN
74
Top Real Estate Producers
The agents and teams with the top total sales in the area
97 Home Sale Trends
A highlight page and trends on data from the past five years PAGE 68 Cozylightingfora readingnook
COVER PHOTO BY SKIP BROWN
FEATURES
116 Bethesda Interview
Marc Yamada on becoming police chief in the county he grew up in BY MIKE
UNGER
124 Extraordinary Teens
We’re celebrating these 10 teens doing amazing things in the community BY ROBIN L. FLANIGAN & AMY REININK
FROM LEFT: PHOTO BY BY BENJAMIN SKY BRANDT FOR THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY COUNCIL;
PHOTO BY JIMELL GREENE
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111Profiles:RealEstateAgents
136Showcase:Home
158Showcase:LuxuryCondos, Apartments&Townhomes
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Expertise like no other
At TTR Sotheby’s International Realty, our commitment has always been to curate an exceptional experience for our clients – one that is characterized by excellence, integrity, and professionalism. Whether you are buying your first home, relocating, or exploring real estate opportunities locally or abroad, our team of experts provides personalized advice and strategies backed by deep market knowledge and a global network.
From the bustling neighborhoods in The District to the country homes of Loudoun County, our reach covers a variety of different regions, and our team provides a wealth of expertise like no other.
Trusted Advisors, Outstanding Outcomes since 1968. Over $2 Billion in sales.
#1 Team in Maryland Brokerage with TTR Sotheby’s International Realty.
Led by Corey Burr, a 38-year real estate industry veteran. Contact us anytime to discuss your real estate needs. M +1 301 346 3345 | CBURR@TTRSIR.COM
Lauren Davis
M +1 202 549 8784 | LDAVIS@TTRSIR.COM
Lauren Davis is recognized as one of the top real estate agents in the Bethesda area, earning praise and respect from clients, colleagues and competitors alike. She grew up in Edgemoor and attended Bethesda - Chevy Chase High School and Denison University.
“I truly understand the value of owning a home in this area and love helping new neighbors find their place in the community.”
Dana Cruz
DANACRUZ.SOTHEBYSREALTY.COM
M +1 301 825 2382 | DCRUZ@TTRSIR.COM
With nearly 20 years in real estate, Dana Cruz blends expert negotiation, deep market knowledge, & a personalized approach to ensure every client’s buying or selling journey is smooth, strategic, & rewarding. Known for delivering top-tier results with integrity, Dana is passionate about helping clients navigate one of life’s biggest decisions with confidence.
Top Real Estate Producer – Bethesda Magazine (2022-2025)
Top 4% of Realtors in the area for 2024 – DC Metro Real Producers
Top Real Estate Agent – Modern Luxury DC Magazine (2024, 2021)
Top Agent – Washingtonian Magazine (2023, 2022)
M +1 202 536 7675 | WFASTOW@TTRSIR.COM
Licensed in DC, MD, and VA, Will is a 20-year real estate veteran and native Washingtonian. An expert in architecture and construction, he uses his wealth of knowledge to represent buyers, sellers, and developers across our region’s most desirable neighborhoods. Focused on a consultative and holistic approach to real estate, Will’s mantra is “always be bringing value” to every interaction. This approach has earned him the trust of his clients and contributed to over 225 million dollars in career sales with TTR Sotheby’s.
Russell Firestone
Russell has won multiple sales awards including being one of the Top 100 Individual Sotheby’s International Realty Agents in the world in 2024, #2 Individual Agent in Washington, DC for 2023 by Washington Business Journal, the award for the top individual TTR Sotheby’s agent in Washington, DC for 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017 for total sales volume, top team in 2018 and 2019 and top individual agent in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023. He has had multiple properties featured in the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and many other publications and websites.
Finnell Lee Homes
Powerful Reach, Extraordinary Results: This is the hallmark of Finnell Lee Homes, a top producing team in the Chevy Chase office of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty. Anne-Marie Finnell, Kelly Lee and their team of dynamic and dedicated professionals are committed to making the buying and selling process as smooth, enjoyable and profitable as possible. Finnell Lee Homes is licensed in DC, MD, and VA, and stands ready to help you with all of your real estate needs! M +1 202 329
Kelly Basheer Garrett
Kelly Basheer Garrett, MBA ranks among the top 1.5% of agents nationally, earning recognition as a Real Trends Verified Agent and a Top Producer in the D.C. Metro Area. With deep market insight, strategic expertise, and an unwavering commitment to her clients, she has successfully represented over $165 million in sales. Licensed in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, Kelly specializes in helping buyers and sellers at every stage—whether purchasing a first home, upgrading, downsizing, or relocating. With a background in real estate finance and a passion for the industry, she ensures a seamless experience tailored to each client’s needs.
Sintia Petrosian
M +1 301 395 8817 | SPETROSIAN@TTRSIR.COM
In her 24+ year career, Sintia Petrosian has built bridges for her clients both literally and figuratively. An accomplished real estate agent specializing in luxury properties, Sintia is redefining customer service in the real estate industry imbuing first-time buyers or the more seasoned homeowners with the knowledge and confidence required to make one of the most important financial investments of their lifetimes. She marries her wealth of experience with honesty, integrity, and trademark zeal making her one of the top-producing agents in the greater Washington, DC area. Representing buyers and sellers in DC, MD, VA, and NY.
Barbara Carnemark Nalls
M +1 240 602 9035 | BNALLS@TTRSIR.COM
An industry leader for over three decades, Barbara’s style is passionate, strategic, client oriented…and a bit of fun. Working across a variety of communities, styles, and price points, she brings deep experience, professional recognition, creative marketing, and strong local knowledge to every transaction. More than a tough negotiator, her goal is always to serve her clients interests and support their unique needs through a time of transition. Home. Let’s get there together.
Rob & Brent Group
ROBANDBRENTGROUP.COM
ROB SANDERS +1 202 744 6463
BRENT JACKSON +1 202 930 9230
The Rob & Brent Group is founded on the principles of exceptional customer service, superior market knowledge, and effective marketing. They are well known in the real estate community as reliable, trustworthy, and cooperative. Utilizing modern technology, expert marketing techniques, and sheer determination, this team has emerged as a preeminent real estate team in the DC Metropolitan residential market and has sold in excess of $1 billion dollars in real estate. Every home has a story - Let us tell yours.
Marco Stilli
M +1 202 255 1552 | MSTILLI@TTRSIR.COM
For over 21 years, Marco Stilli has built a reputation for being an agent who truly goes above and beyond for his clients. In true concierge style, Marco not only helps his clients find a home, but also assists in whatever way he can to make their move as smooth as possible from start to finish. Whether this involves helping his clients to find new furniture, locate service providers, find a new family doctor, schools, or even purchase a car—Marco goes the extra mile. A native of Italy, Marco’s international connections give his clients a competitive edge that is particularly valuable in a global hub such as the DMV.
The Robert & Tyler Team
ROBERTANDTYLER@TTRSIR.COM
ROBERT CRAWFORD +1 202 841 6170
TYLER JEFFREY +1 202 746 2319
ABBY SCHULTEN +1 203 293 3379
With over $1.2 billion in sales and 1,200+ transactions since 2008, The Robert and Tyler Team excels in the competitive Washington, DC market. Actively selling in DC, MD, and VA, they have an in-depth understanding of the area and strategically navigate each sub-market. The team’s unique mix of former HR VPs, advertising, and accounting execs brings unmatched business expertise to real estate. They offer exceptional counsel and push daily to elevate the standard of real estate.
KIRSTENWILLIAMS.SOTHEBYSREALTY.COM
M +1 202 657 2022 | KCWILLIAMS@TTRSIR.COM
Kirsten began her real estate career in the Washington metropolitan area in 1997 and quickly established herself as a top-producing sales associate, earning respect as a leader in the industry. In addition to her successful sales career, Kirsten serves as the Managing Broker of the TTR Sotheby’s International Realty Chevy Chase office, where she oversees a team of 50+ real estate professionals. Known for her professionalism and extensive knowledge of the local market, Kirsten is also deeply committed to understanding the unique needs and goals of each of her clients, earning her the trust and admiration of both clients and colleagues alike.
Kirsten Williams
Peeking Into the Homes of Pros
WHEN I’M DREAMING ABOUT RENOVATING MY KITCHEN OR CHANGING THE DECOR IN MY HOME, I sometimes wonder what someone with expertise would do—what would a stylist’s closet look like, or how would a chef design an ultimate home kitchen? (Maybe one day I’ll have a a chandelier in a well-organized closet and a huge island in my kitchen.) In this issue, writer Amy Halpern spoke with five professionals in different fields to see how they designed specific spaces at home, including the details they planned ahead of time, such as the white tabletop in a local winemaker’s home wine room to better evaluate a glass of vino, or the custom HVAC systems in a car dealer’s garage that protect his collection of vehicles. Get tips from the in-the-know locals on our tour of their spaces in “At Home With the Experts” (page 56).
This issue also features real estate professionals (“Top Real Estate Producers,” page 74), home sales trends (see our highlights charts and full data by ZIP code and by neighborhood starting on page 97), the “snug” room trend (“House Appropriations,” page 68) and a basement game room that I’m adding to my renovation wish list (“Rooms We Love,” page 70).
Through our 16th annual Extraordinary Teen Awards, we continue to shine a light on high school students who are doing amazing things, from an athlete at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Potomac who raised a record amount for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, to a junior at Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville who’s educating the community on recycling. Read about the 10 teens starting on page 124.
It’s been an exciting time at our company as we’ve rebranded our news site to Bethesda Today and redesigned our website. If you’re not already a subscriber to our daily newsletter, consider signing up to stay informed on everything from county government and education to restaurant openings and breaking news. Visit BethesdaMagazine.com/email to join.
I hope you enjoy this issue of Bethesda Magazine. Please get in touch at Kathleen.Neary@BethesdaMagazine.com with any feedback.
KATHLEEN NEARY EDITOR
CONTRIBUTOR SPOTLIGHT
BUZZ MCCLAIN ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA
BACKGROUND: Born at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, McClain is a longtime journalist, covering everything from music for The Washington Post to movies for Playboy magazine. McClain also handles communications for the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University.
IN THIS ISSUE: McClain interviewed Bruce Case for “What I Know” (page 192).
FAVORITE MOCO HANGOUT: “Two places: Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds on game day for our Major League Rugby franchise, Old Glory DC. And you cannot go wrong at Hank Dietle’s Tavern in Rockville on any given happy hour or evening, seven nights a week.”
WHAT HE DOES FOR FUN: “Saturdays you can find me in the middle of a local rugby match with a whistle in my hand,” he says. “I’m a senior referee in the Potomac Society of Rugby Football Referees.”
CONTRIBUTOR SPOTLIGHT
ALICE MOLLON LISBON, PORTUGAL
BACKGROUND: “I’m a freelance illustrator, creating bright and bold conceptual work for all sorts of clients and industries. I’m from France originally, but my family moved to the U.K. when I was 4, and I lived there until 2022,” she says. “At the moment I’m living a slightly nomadic lifestyle around Europe.”
IN THIS ISSUE: Mollon created the illustration for “Top Real Estate Producers” (page 74).
FUN FACT: “I went to the same dance school as Orlando Bloom, though not at the same time.”
WHAT SHE DOES FOR FUN: “I love all things creative or artsy; wandering around antique and vintage markets, traveling and discovering new places, long slow runs by the sea, and cooking for friends and family.”
BETHESDA MAGAZINE EDITORIAL
EDITOR
Kathleen Neary
MANAGING EDITOR
Amy Orndorff
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Jillian Lynch
ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR
Olivia Sadka
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Diana Ramírez
RESTAURANT CRITIC
David Hagedorn
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Louis Peck, Carole Sugarman
COPY EDITORS
Elisabeth Herschbach, Steve Wilder
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Caralee Adams, Jennifer Barger, Rachel Pomerance Berl, Stephanie Siegel Burke, Christine Koubek Flynn, Dana Gerber, Amy Halpern, Dawn Klavon, Nevin Martell, Buzz McClain, Jacqueline Mendelsohn, Kristen Schott, Renee Sklarew, Mike Unger, Carolyn Weber
PHOTOGRAPHERS & ILLUSTRATORS
Skip Brown, Dena Cooper, Jimell Greene, Lisa Helfert, Hannale Lahti, Deb Lindsey, Lindsey Max, Brendan McCabe, Jason Schneider, Scott Suchman, Louis Tinsley, Joseph Tran, Michael Ventura
BETHESDA TODAY EDITORIAL
EDITOR
Julie Rasicot
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Amy Orndorff
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Ginny Bixby
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IN MEMORIAM
CHAIRMAN Angelo R. Martinelli (1927–2018) VICE PRESIDENT Ralph A. Martinelli (1962–2019)
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Jennifer Parker Porter, MD, FACS, is the owner and medical director of Chevy Chase Facial Plastic Surgery. She is a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon with over 26 years of experience creating balanced and natural results. A “Best of Bethesda” winner multiple times, Dr. Porter works to enhance her patients’ natural beauty. “It’s important that my patients still look like themselves,” Dr. Porter says of the subtle changes that make a big impact.
Joining Dr. Porter is Wilmina Landford, MD, (above left) who specializes in breast and body surgery, and Meghan Fay (above right), a nurse practitioner focusing on skin care and nonsurgical treatments such laser, skin tightening, and injectables.
(left to right) Wilmina Landford, MD, Jennifer Parker Porter, MD, FACS, and Meghan Fay, NP
Coming up at
Arturo O’Farrill & Afro Latin Orchestra
Featuring Hamilton de Holanda Sat, March 1
Academy of St. Martin in the Fields with Bruce Liu
Thu, March 6
RAIN—
A Tribute to The Beatles
Thu, March 13
The Naghash Ensemble
Fri, March 21
Sona Jobarteh
Tue, March 25
Il Volo 2025 World Tour
Wed, March 26—limited tickets!
Lila Downs
Thu, March 27
The Sound of (Black) Music
Sun, March 30
All tickets just $20 in honor of 20 years of the Music Center!
Boney James: Slow Burn Tour
Wed, April 2
The Bernard/Ebb Songwriting Awards
Thu, April 3
Watch the finalists perform live and the winners announced Deepest gratitude to Cathy Bernard and family for making this program possible.
The Tallest Man on Earth
Tue, April 8
Itzhak Perlman: “In the Fiddler’s House”
Thu, April 10—limited tickets!
Miho
Hazama & m_unit
Sun, April 13
Youssou Ndour
Tue, April 29
From top: Lila Downs by Chino Lemus, The Tallest Man on Earth, Itzhak Perlman by Todd Rosenberg, Sona Jobarteh, Il Volo by Antonio Agostinelli
30
Wonderland Books opens in Bethesda.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT
38
Get ready for a St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
THINGS WE LOVE RIGHT NOW 5
1
HYPER FUN AT HYPER KIDZ
When the weather outside is frightful—or maybe just drizzly—Hyper Kidz is a beach. The sand-and-surf themed indoor playground opened in December in Rockville, making it the first franchise in the county and seventh in the country. The 16,000-square-foot area is divided into spaces for toddlers, smaller kids (ages 2 to 7) and bigger kids (4 feet and taller). The main attraction is the bigger kids zone (parents are allowed in—watch your head), which is three stories of tubes to traverse, foam-stuffed obstacles to climb and slides to glide down. A shallow ball pit was popular on a recent visit, and an interactive screen offers kids a chance to throw balls at targets that aren’t their siblings. Day passes are for unlimited play and vary from $10.99 to $19.99 depending on the kid’s age and day of the week; Wednesdays are the best deal at $10.99 for kids of all ages. Two adults per family get in free and there is ample seating, plenty of outlets and a softly lighted lactation room.
For kid-free time with your partner or close friend, check out Fallen Oak Distilling in Olney, a ground-to-glass, small-batch distillery that bottles and serves bourbon, rye, vodka and gin on the Lone Oak Farm Brewing Co. campus. The distillery, which opened in November, is an adults-only space for age 21 and older with plenty of spots to sip on cocktails and munch on small bites: a sleek tasting room, a heated porch, a private dining space and a spacious speakeasy hidden behind a bookcase entrance. Enjoy classic cocktails such as the Smoked Maple Old Fashioned or try the Apple Pie Martini. If you want to sit in the speakeasy, make sure to book a reservation.
Don’t be alarmed if you see a sloth in downtown Bethesda. That’s just a piece of art by Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School student Nico Borrelli, one of 15 local artists chosen to have their work featured on a signal box in the area. The Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District along with Montgomery County and the Bethesda Urban Partnership invited artists from the Washington, D.C., area to submit works to be considered for the 15 different signal boxes, which are each wrapped in a vinyl print of the works that were selected. The floral installation pictured above is a work by Rockville artist Liliane Blom. The project was a way to feature downtown Bethesda as an art destination and highlight artists who work in a variety of media, organizers say.
A NEW CHAPTER
Wonderland Books, the much-anticipated independent bookstore, opened in downtown Bethesda in December. The renovated 2,000-square-foot space features a curated selection of books. Bright lighting punctuates a large fiction section, along with shelves of home and garden, current affairs, young adult, children’s and poetry books with bindings as colorful as tropical birds in an aviary. The owners, Gayle Weiswasser, 55, of Chevy Chase, and Amy Joyce (pictured above), 50, who lives in Upper Northwest D.C., are in the same book club. That’s where Weiswasser, a former practicing lawyer and current host of “The Readerly Report” podcast, started tossing around the idea of opening a bookstore. It wasn’t long before Joyce, who worked at The Washington Post for 28 years and started its parenting section, got on board. When it comes to the titles on the shelves, the owners say they control the narrative—while also listening to feedback from their customers. “We answer to nobody,” Weiswasser says in describing how their store differs from bigger retailers. “We answer to each other,” Joyce and Weiswasser say in unison.
CHECK OUT THESE SEEDS
The first seed library in Montgomery County has opened at the Rockville Makerspace, located near the Rockville Science Center. It is “a totally free collection of seeds available for people to donate seeds they don’t need or take seeds home to use,” says Evan Keto, manager of Rockville Makerspace. The seed library opened in the spring of 2024 with just a few seed packets—including pumpkin, cantaloupe and cilantro—from Keto’s personal collection and donations that were stored in a small shoebox. As of February, it is home to about 70 varieties, ranging from fruits and vegetables to wildflowers, herbs, trees and shrubs. Tomato seeds are the most popular, Keto says. The seed library, which operates as a nonprofit under the Rockville Science Center, joins more than 500 similar programs worldwide, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Tired of dating apps and trying to meet someone organically, Joan Vassos took an unconventional path to find love: She went on a reality television show.
The 62-year-old widow from Rockville met 24 eligible men on The Golden Bachelorette, which aired last fall on ABC. The finale ended with Vassos getting engaged to Chock Chapple, 61, an insurance executive from Wichita, Kansas.
“Meeting people at this age is surprisingly a lot more fun than you would ever imagine,” says Vassos, a mother of four and grandmother of three.
Vassos, who is on a leave of absence from her alumni relations job at the Landon School in Bethesda, still has her Rockville home and Chapple has his in Kansas, but the two are searching for an apartment in New York City.
This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and length.
JoanVassosin
Januaryather Rockvillehome
1 How was the experience different from what you expected? I saw for many seasons the people [on The Bachelor/The Bachelorette] would develop feelings for more than one person. I thought there’s no way you can really do that. You can. It was very, very unexpected. You form really quick bonds with them because you’re talking about really big life events like ‘How did you get here?’ Usually it was a death or a divorce.
2 How long did filming take? What was that experience like? From the middle of June to August [in 2024, seven weeks of taping]. You don’t have your phone. You are pretty isolated. You’re doing this really on your own, which kind of helps. You don’t have a lot of outside influence. You spend a lot of time processing.
3 Did you have set criteria or just go with your gut? I didn’t have set criteria, but I did have a picture in my mind. I wanted somebody who melded into my family. I have two sons and two sons-in-law over at my house all the time. We always grill and they sit outside together, they smoke a cigar and drink a beer. I pictured if the person I picked could be out there with those guys I love.
4 What are some local places you hope Chock will love? He actually loves Maryland already. We have a deli right around the corner from me, Brooklyn’s Deli, and he’s already a regular.
[Glenwood’s, formerly Stanford Grill]—I want to bring him over there. I also really want to bring him to Glenstone in Potomac. He hasn’t seen Annapolis yet. We are dying to get down to the beach, probably Ocean City—it’s where I grew up going.
5 What’s it like being back in public with him now that you’re so recognizable? It’s fun. For so long, people have said, ‘Are you guys real?’ Yeah, we’re real. So having him with me kind of validates that. I feel like the more we’re out there, they recognize we really are real. I think I have Maryland now convinced.
6 What’s your thinking on a private versus a public wedding? Originally I thought we’ve done everything so publicly, it’ll be really nice just to have family and friends. But the more I think about it, it’s pretty crappy to bring everybody along and then not let them see the real finale. The real finale is, ‘Did it really work?’ And I want to show that it did. So I feel like the right thing to do would maybe be a televised wedding, but it just kind of depends on the logistics.
7 What are your favorite reality shows to watch these days? I’m a Bachelor watcher, obviously. I can’t wait to watch somebody else doing this journey. I love The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives
People Watching
BY CARALEE ADAMS
Bethesda’s Lexa Gandolfo says she often would leave her kids’ double stroller in her Chevy Suburban, piling groceries on top and creating a mess. Determined to find a better way to make use of the space, the mother of three sketched out a trunk organizer with shelving. Her patented invention, the Pakka Cargo Caddie, was eventually licensed to Lippert, a manufacturer headquartered in Indiana. It hit the market in November and is available on Amazon and other online retailers, and is slated to hit shelves at Strosniders Hardware in Bethesda in March. “It’s been the absolute hardest thing I’ve ever done,” says Gandolfo, 49, who has a background in web-based software development. “It was a real thrill for a big-time company to say, ‘That was a really good idea, Lexa, and we want to put skin in the game, spend a ton of money and develop it.’ ... Inventing is ... a perfect marriage of my creative side and business side.”
Scott Nash has a new home in Friendship Heights for 40 of his beloved pinball machines. In September, the 59-year-old CEO of Mom’s Organic Market opened Vük Pinball on the lower level of the Chevy Chase Pavilion (5335 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.), where most games cost 50 cents or less to play. “The games are kind of nomadic,” having previously been at establishments in Bethesda and College Park, Nash says. “This is the biggest of the three [locations] and has been the most successful, I think because it’s a mall arcade open from 7 [a.m.] to 11 [p.m.].” Vük attracts competitive players for tournaments, as well as curiosity seekers and families, he says. The enterprise is more of a hobby than a moneymaking venture, says Nash, who lives in Bethesda and shows up at least once a week to vacuum the floors, empty the quarters out of the machines—and play a game or two. “It’s more than just the game,” Nash says. “I love the people ... the pinball community.”
In February, 24-year-old Brian Myers’ book Hidden History of Montgomery County, Maryland was released by History Press, an imprint of Arcadia Publishing. The 2023 University of Maryland graduate, who grew up in Gaithersburg, interviewed local historians and residents, and pored over newspaper articles and documents in archives to uncover littleknown stories about the county. From early explorers in the 1600s, to conservationist Rachel Carson, to the history of the now-closed Fourth Presbyterian School in Potomac, which Myers attended, the book includes 33 chapters with snapshots of life in Montgomery County. “It’s a dream come true,” says Myers, a longtime reader of history books by Arcadia, of publishing the book. “I’m really excited to share this local history with fellow Montgomery Countians.”
Kahlil Greene, who grew up in Germantown, was one of many with ties to Montgomery County who made the 2025 Forbes “30 Under 30” list for North America. He was featured in the social media category. In June, he also received a Peabody Award for a six-part, micro-documentary series, The Hidden History of Racism in New York City. “I call myself an educational entertainer focused on sharing history lessons that are commonly left out of school curriculums across platforms and across media,” says Greene, 24, a graduate of Poolesville High School and Yale University who now lives in Boston. Known as the “Gen Z Historian,” he creates content almost daily, writing scripts for his videos that appear on Instagram and TikTok.
Richard Kahlenberg’s new book, Class Matters: The Fight to Get Beyond Race Preferences, Reduce Inequality, and Build Real Diversity at America’s Colleges (PublicAffairs, March 2025), makes the case for fixing class bias in college admissions, which he says is stacked for the privileged. “The research is clear that race matters in American society, but class matters more,” says the 61-year-old Rockville author who works at the Progressive Policy Institute in D.C. Kahlenberg argues that since the biggest obstacle to opportunity is economic disadvantage, colleges should move away from legacy admissions and increase community college transfers and financial aid. Although it’s too early to gauge the impact of the 2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision that ended racial preferences at colleges and universities, Kahlenberg says he’s pleased a number of universities have adopted policies that have boosted economically disadvantaged students of all races. “The good news is that universities care about racial diversity,” he says. “Now they will use class to achieve both economic and racial diversity.”
As a law student in 1996, Lauren Francis-Sharma worked at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s amnesty hearings in South Africa. The Kensington author drew on that formative experience in crafting her third novel, Casualties of Truth (Atlantic Monthly Press, February 2025). The plot jumps between 1996 and 2018 following the life of a woman in Washington, D.C., who was confronted by someone she met at the hearings, in which painful human rights abuses were made public. “The challenge was trying to tell this story so it was just enough that people would get how horrible it was, but not enough that people would want to turn away,” says Francis-Sharma, 52, who returned to Johannesburg in 2024 to freshen up details for the book.
“The most important part of the amnesty hearings really was about the suppression of stories. Finally, they were unearthed. Building community through stories—that’s what I do. ... I hope people take this idea of listening to other people’s stories and learning from these stories.”
Rockville’s Pam Ballard says opening Knits ’N Purls in Gaithersburg was her “second act” after retiring from a career at Alcoa. She says her knitting and crochet store at 816 Muddy Branch Road is a labor of love for the community. Beyond selling yarn, it offers a range of classes and hosts social nights. On Wednesday and Thursday evenings from 7-9 p.m., people drop in (for free) with their projects and Ballard provides refreshments. “It’s a social gathering place for people to come and really enjoy each other’s company in person,” Ballard says.
READING LIST
These were the best-selling books at Loyalty Bookstores at its Silver Spring and D.C. locations from Sept. 1 through Dec. 31.
Fiction
1 Parable of the Sower Octavia E. Butler
2 James Percival Everett
3 Twenty-Four Seconds from Now: A Love Story
Jason Reynolds
4 Church Girl Naima Simone
5 Guilt and Ginataan Mia P. Manansala
6 House of Frank Kay Synclaire
7 Model Home Rivers Solomon
8 Only for the Week Natasha Bishop
9 A Reason to See You Again Jami Attenberg
10 Martyr! Kaveh Akbar
Nonfiction
1 Liberating Abortion: Claiming Our History, Sharing Our Stories, and Building the Reproductive Future
We Deserve Renee Bracey Sherman and Regina Mahone
2 How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning With the History of Slavery Across America Clint Smith
3 The Message Ta-Nehisi Coates
4 Magical/Realism: Essays on Music, Memory, Fantasy, and Borders
Vanessa Angélica Villarreal
5 The Mango Tree: A Memoir of Fruit, Florida, and Felony Annabelle Tometich
6 The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World
Robin Wall Kimmerer
7 Gather Me: A Memoir in Praise of the Books That Saved Me Glory Edim
8 Loving Corrections Adrienne Maree Brown
9 What If We Get It Right? Visions of Climate Futures Ayana Elizabeth Johnson
10 All About Love: New Visions bell hooks
MARCH/APRIL
COMMUNITY EVENTS
March
8, April 4,
May 22
Acoustics and Ales
Live music and local beer come together in this series of free outdoor happy hours hosted by Montgomery Parks. Each features a different musical group at a different county park, with beverages for purchase from area breweries and food for sale from local vendors. Hit up North Four Corners Local Park in Silver Spring for Barleyjuice and its Irish music in March, Elm Street Urban Park in Chevy Chase for dueling pianos in April, and Flower Avenue Urban Park in Silver Spring for Trio Caliente, a flamenco ensemble, in May. montgomeryparks.org/ event-team/acoustics-ales
March 15
St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Wear something green and stake out a spot along Rio Boulevard and Grand Corner Avenue to see Celtic dancers, bagpipers, equestrians, fire trucks and other community groups march through Rio in Gaithersburg’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. www.gaithersburgmd. gov/recreation/special-events/st-patrick-sday-parade
March 29
UpCounty TradFest
This festival at BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown celebrates folk music and dance. Featured performances require the purchase of a ticket. They include a square dance with caller Janine Smith and Appalachian music group Devil in the Mill and a double-bill concert showcasing acoustic roots music ensemble Charm City Junction along with Jocelyn Pettit and Ellen Gira, a fiddle and cello duo that mixes contemporary and traditional folk music with vocal harmonies and step dancing. There will also be an artisans market selling handmade items, plus free student performances of Celtic, bluegrass and Irish music. blackrockcenter.org/upcounty-tradfest
FROM TOP: COURTESY MONTGOMERY PARKS, M-NCPPC; PHOTO BY DANIEL MARTINEZ, CITY OF GAITHERSBURG
Marking Autism Acceptance Month, this free event in Wheaton Regional Park features such family-oriented and sensory-friendly activities as story times, arts and crafts, and exercise demos. Learn about autism resources in the county from various agency representatives. Attendees are welcome to bring picnics. montgomeryparks.org/events/shine-brightertogether
COMEDY/ VARIETY
March 8
Wizard of Oz on Ice Dorothy and her crew follow the yellow brick road, this time on ice skates, at the Montgomery College Cultural Arts Center in Silver Spring. The show features familiar Oz inhabitants such as the Wicked Witch of the West, Glinda the Good Witch and the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion performing choreography on
a stage covered with synthetic ice. mcblogs. montgomerycollege.edu/cac
March 13-15
Mike Burton
The comedian has been trusted to warm up the audiences for such TV shows as Rachael Ray and The View. He’ll stop by Give a Hoot Comedy Club inside La Mexicana restaurant in Gaithersburg for a three-night run. Proceeds from his shows benefit Friends of the Library, Montgomery County. giveahootcomedy.com
March 26-29
Sprung! Comedy Festival
The stand-up production company Improbable Comedy brings seven different shows to the Silver Spring Black Box Theatre over four nights for this festival that also includes classes for aspiring comedians. See shows created around different themes and groups, including science, law enforcement, moms and immigrants. Storytelling 101 and stand-up basics are two of the classes offered during the day on March 29. improbablecomedy.com/sprung
PLAY IN A DAY: BY THE NUMBERS
It’s a race against the clock for six Washington, D.C.-area theater companies competing in Play in a Day, an event in which the teams have 24 hours to write, stage and perform an original play. It starts March 7, with a kickoff meeting from 7 to 8 p.m. held by the Bethesda Urban Partnership, which produces the event. Groups receive one prop and one line of dialogue they must incorporate into their play. After that, writers head home to create their original scripts, due by 8 a.m. Saturday. Each team reports to a rehearsal space where they practice throughout the day. The curtain rises at 8 p.m. on March 8 at Imagination Stage in Bethesda. Total performance time is about 75 minutes, with three teams performing their 10- to 12-minute plays before intermission and the rest after. It’s followed by a Q&A session at which audience members can ask participants about their creative experience. Tickets are $20 and available at bethesda.org
17
6
Years the Bethesda Urban Partnership has produced Play in a Day
Number of teams competing. This year, groups from Montgomery County include Adventure TheatreMTC, Flying V, Imagination Stage and Olney Theatre. Each team has one writer, one director as well as actors.
30
Number of actors participating
3 1
Awards given for Best Writing, Best Direction and Best Acting Ensemble
Overall director. Former Adventure Theatre-MTC Artistic Director Michael Bobbitt, now executive director of the Mass Cultural Council in Massachusetts, returns to the area to direct the overall production.
– Stephanie Siegel Burke
MUSIC
March 13
RAIN—A Tribute to the Beatles
It’s been more than 50 years since the Fab Four broke up, and for those who never saw the Beatles play live, this concert at The Music Center at Strathmore in North Bethesda might be the next best thing. Expect musicians in costume resembling John, Paul, George and Ringo, songs from each of the Beatles’ eras and psychedelic visuals. strathmore.org
April 25
Flo
You could think of this British R&B girl group as a Destiny’s Child or TLC for Gen Z. And while those groups and others like them are major influences for Flo, the trio has an updated, fresh sound that’s all its own. Catch the group’s concert at The Fillmore Silver Spring. fillmoresilverspring.com
WaterCourtatthePavilions
ART
March 20
Pavilions at Glenstone Reopen
After undergoing renovations for nearly a year, Glenstone museum’s main exhibition space fully reopens with the reinstallation of many visitor-favorite artworks as well as a slate of new solo artist exhibits. Among them, “The Child Room,” by Jenny Holzer features drawing, painting and LED signs. Another by Alex Da Corte incorporates neon sculpture and video of popular characters and symbols in surprising situations. The
Potomac museum, which presents modern and contemporary art, will also continue to feature work by Brice Marden, On Kawara, Robert Gober and others. Free tickets are available on the museum’s website starting March 1. glenstone.org
THEATER
March 26-April 27
Sleepova
This play centering on four Black British teenage girls makes its U.S. premiere at Olney Theatre Center’s Mulitz-Gudelsky Theatre Lab. Slumber parties are the backdrop for childhood friends Elle, Shan, Funmi and Rey to share their dreams and challenges, including illness, sexuality, family and religion. According to the theater’s website, this show would be rated PG-13 if it were a movie. olneytheatre.org
April 2-27
Bad Books
In this world premiere play at Bethesda’s Round House Theatre, a mother gets into a heated debate with a town librarian over appropriate reading material for her teenage son. Unintended consequences ensue. The show, which is staged in the round, is part of the National Capital New Play Festival. roundhousetheatre.org
April 25-May 25
Charlotte’s Web
A kind and wise spider spins a special web to save her pig friend in this play based on the classic book by E.B. White at Adventure Theatre-MTC in Glen Echo, recommended for age 3 and older. adventuretheatre-mtc.org
FILM
April 25-27
Gaithersburg Film Festival
Promoting its designation as one of the country’s most diverse cities, Gaithersburg launches its inaugural film festival to showcase a variety of cultures, identities and perspectives. Each day will feature screenings of short and feature-length films as well as discussions with filmmakers at the Arts Barn. gaithersburgmd.gov/recreation/performing-arts/ film-screenings/gaithersburg-film-festival —Stephanie Siegel Burke
Tails of the Iditarod
A veterinarian from Gaithersburg cares for the four-legged athletes in ‘The
Last Great Race’
BY JULIE RASICOT
Veterinarian Lee Morgan knew he’d have to deliver the bad news.
He’d have to tell veteran musher Richie Diehl that some of his sled dogs could not continue to run in the 2020 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race across the Alaskan wilderness. Morgan and other volunteer veterinarians at a checkpoint about 260 miles from the finish line of the nearly 1,000mile race had noticed that some of Diehl’s dogs had started coughing.
While the dogs seemed fine otherwise, the veterinarians agreed that Diehl couldn’t take the risk of something serious developing during the 85 grueling miles to the next checkpoint staffed with veterinarians.
“We didn’t know exactly what was wrong with them, but our decision was unanimous. The dogs couldn’t carry on,” Morgan, who lives in Gaithersburg, wrote in his book Four Thousand Paws: Caring for the Dogs of the Iditarod (Liveright, February 2024), which recounts his experiences while volunteering at the storied annual race.
Even though Diehl was a serious contender to win, he accepted the news and dropped out. “I don’t want to lose any dogs,” he told Morgan. The vets later learned that the dogs had inhaled a fungus on straw bedding; all would eventually be fine.
“For Diehl, dropping out of the race had been brutal, but it was the right thing to do,” Morgan wrote in his book. “In this race, as in any elite race, this choice can mean life or death. But these are the choices we’re called to make.”
So go the days of the 60 or so volunteer veterinarians who are selected to care
for the roughly 1,000 sled dogs that race in teams over about two weeks in March, according to Morgan’s account of his experiences since he began volunteering in 2012.
Morgan, who runs a veterinary hospital in Georgetown, would learn over the years that trusting his instincts when treating the dogs—plus learning how to survive the harsh Arctic conditions of bone-numbing cold and ever-changing weather—were the keys to success during what’s known as “The Last Great Race.”
Many advances, including in the care of the dogs, have occurred since the Iditarod was first organized in 1973 to honor the role of sled dog teams in Alaskan culture as the main source of transportation before airplanes took over. The Iditarod is Alaska’s best known sporting event, although the state hosts other sled dog races during the winter. Still, the Iditarod has its
d etractors, with animal rights activists long claiming it is harmful for sled dogs and calling for an end to the race. Three dogs died during the 2024 race, according to the Associated Press. The deaths were the first to occur in five years.
Morgan pushed back against the criticism when discussing his book in a midJanuary interview. “That was kind of one of the reasons I wanted to write it, because there’s so much effort that goes into trying to protect the dogs,” he says.
The veterinarians examine the dogs as teams stop at 26 checkpoints along the race route, looking for conditions that can lead to injury or even death, he says. The vets have the final word on whether a dog can continue or must be dropped from the race. Dogs that are dropped are flown back to Anchorage to wait out the race.
In his experience, Morgan says, mushers accept a vet’s decision about their dogs because, like Diehl, they don’t want to see the animals harmed.
He recalls a musher who was once within 50 miles of finishing the race when he dropped out. “I remember asking him the next year, like, ‘You were so close, why did you drop off?’ He says, ‘Well, my dogs weren’t really having fun anymore, so I
PHOTOS COURTESY LEE MORGAN
stopped.’ I think there’s that attitude. And I think the [veterinarians] who have lost dogs of mushers, it’s been devastating.”
Morgan says anyone who’s heard the excited yipping of the teams can see that the Alaskan huskies are born to run. “When you look at the dogs, you see how much they enjoy what they’re doing,” he says.
Treating the sled dogs—and the animals he sees in his clinic—epitomizes why Morgan became a vet, he says. He loves animals, but there’s more to it than that.
Training to become a veterinarian is almost like earning “a Ph.D. in comparative physiology,” he says. “And I love the problem-solving that goes into it. You’re working with a patient that cannot tell you where it hurts.”
Morgan has run his Georgetown clinic with his wife, Kris, for 23 years. As he recounts his race experiences, it is clear that serving as a veterinarian for the Iditarod and for other sled dog races satisfies his desire for adventure.
“For me, it was great—staying outside in these tents, and you’re flying in with a bush plane,” Morgan says of his Iditarod experiences. “It’s all very adventurous, you know, very cool, so I really enjoyed that.”
His experiences over the years haven’t always provided such pleasant memories. A stove fire in a tent at one checkpoint, for example, led to an explosion that everyone, luckily, survived. A harrowing bush plane ride to another checkpoint was interrupted by a mountain downdraft that left Morgan shaken.
“It’s kind of a scary feeling because you’re pulling back on the stick and you’re still sinking, and then we kind of fly out of it, and all of a sudden this storm … came up really quickly,” Morgan recalls. “I just remember the pilot just having a hard time controlling [the plane] and, you know, just sweating, and I’m trying to help him.”
Morgan’s passion for animals and adventure has led to other unusual experiences. Among them were caring for
dolphins as part of a U.S. Navy program and the five months in 2008 that he cared for several dozen poison dart frogs in an exhibit at the National Geographic Museum in Washington, D.C. He agreed to help even though he had treated just one frog in his career, knowing he could draw on his years of experience.
“You can use that nucleus of knowledge now and then to specialize in whatever creature you want because you understand the basics,” he says.
With the launch of his book behind him, Morgan decided to skip this year’s Iditarod and go instead to work at a sled dog race in Sweden. But he figures he’ll be back to serve in Alaska because, as he says in his book, “the lure of the Iditarod is irresistible.”
“I know I’ll return,” he wrote, “to provide care, to be captivated by the beauty of the Arctic, to marvel at these mushers and their dogs as they pit themselves against other teams and against the challenge that is Alaska’s Iditarod, to endure.”
Storytelling for the Senses
Please do touch! Students share their love of reading with neurodivergent children.
BY DAVID MONTGOMERY
“Marco and Mateo had been looking forward to the state fair all summer,” Eva Veizis begins reading to about a dozen expectant children on a Saturday morning in September at the Germantown Library. “Finally, one breezy night in July, it arrived!”
As Eva narrates the fictional boys’ adventure, she pauses often to allow the other story time volunteers to share props with the children that relate to the tale and are meant to be touched, sniffed and heard. The items include a board of colorful sequins representing the bright lights of the fair, a roller coaster made of ribbon, a plastic Ferris wheel with a button to play carnival music, and a funnel cake and cotton candy made of plush fabric.
“They change color!” Fabrizio Carranza, then 5, says as he rubs his hands over the shimmering sequins. “I’m going to change them back,” he says, ruffling them again to restore their rainbow colors. A little while later, he buries his face in the fuzzy funnel cake.
This 30-minute multisensory storytelling for children in pre-K through early elementary school is being conducted by Readability, a student-led nonprofit that develops programming for neurodivergent children who may process information more reliably with the help of all their senses. The sessions are usually capped at about 12 youngsters.
Eva, 18, a senior at Rockville’s Thomas S. Wootton High
School, is secretary of the organization, which was founded at the beginning of the 2023 school year by Sophia Campbell. Sophia, now a 17-year-old junior at Winston Churchill High School in Potomac, says she has never forgotten how, in elementary school, she saw some special needs students being excluded or teased by other kids. She later began looking for ways she could volunteer to help by drawing on her passion for creative writing. “I was just thinking about how can we instill a love for reading in young children and particularly children who might not be able to necessarily enjoy the kinds of books that are out there,” Sophia says. She didn’t find any existing programs to join, but she learned from online research that “neurodivergent children benefit most from sensory integration into activities. I thought about how this could be applied to storytelling. And essentially that’s how the idea of Readability came around.”
The group now has chapters at four high schools in the county, including Quince Orchard in Gaithersburg and Richard Montgomery in Rockville, as well as one at St. John’s College High School in D.C. In addition, students working independently in Howard County, Maryland, and Leesburg, Virginia, have started chapters and volunteer at local events, while others in New York City, and the states of Texas, California and Washington have formed
chapters and contribute stories, research and advocacy to the effort, according to Sophia. Her mother, Maria Demetriou, helped register the nonprofit. In addition to programs through the Montgomery County Public Libraries (MCPL), Readability has held events in collaboration with the National Children’s Museum and Turning the Page in Washington, Imagination Stage in Bethesda, and Montgomery Parks.
“I actually heard about Readability through Instagram … and I was like, whoa, this is such a cool organization,” says Nilaya Mijangos, 17, a senior at Richard Montgomery. She and Kaveesha Punchi, 17, a junior, started a chapter at their school and say more than 30 students signed up during a club fair this past September. More than 150 joined the chapter at St. John’s College High School in D.C., says Joanna Lizas, 15, a sophomore and vice president of Readability.
Parents say they are grateful for this programming. “It’s really hard to go to regular story time,” says Germantown resident Samantha Singley, who attended the Germantown Library program with her 3-year-old twin boys. “There’s too many people, they get overwhelmed and have a meltdown. We never get through one.” But this time “they actually were engaged. … It was very accepting. No one gave me dirty looks because my kids are not sitting still.”
Anna Alderete, the mother of Fabrizio, the boy who took such pleasure in the sequins and the funnel cake, says her son’s brain processes visual information in such a way that his vision is impaired. “When he touches, he has a better sense of how the real world looks,” she says, noting how he used his hands to explore the ribbon track of the roller coaster prop. “When he saw the roller coaster, he has no idea how it looks from far away. But now tracing the structure with his finger makes a connection in his brain.”
The teens brainstorm story concepts and write texts with titles such as Henry the Frightened Ghost and Farmer George’s Fall Harvest . They make about a dozen props per story, sometimes with the help
of components they order online. To pay for materials, they hold bake sales and use funds from a $1,500 grant from Giant Food, Sophia says. School chapters can hold their own events while also contributing volunteers to events organized by Readability leaders.
Maranda Schoppert, MCPL early literacy and children’s program manager, says the libraries have offered multisensory storytelling in the past, and she invited Readability to present programs in five libraries this past fall. “From what I’ve seen so far, they’re a great group, and I’m hoping we can continue the collaboration with them,” Schoppert says.
Last spring at a county special education fair, Shanna Sorrells, senior manager of access and inclusion at Imagination Stage, was checking out services available locally. “I stumbled across their organization and I was like, oh, this is cool.” For each of its productions, Imagination Stage offers a sensory-inclusive performance. Sorrells started inviting Readability to set up in the lobby with props—created by the student volunteers to go with each show—for audience members to experience before and after sensory-inclusive performances. They did Miss Nelson Is Missing! in June and Petite Rouge: A Cajun Red Riding Hood in January.
On a Sunday morning in late September, Sophia and 17-year-old Noor Frisby, Readability’s co-president, along with other students, volunteered at a table set with items associated with Imagination Stage’s Winnie the Pooh. Children flocked to spoon the gooey “honey” (made from clear school glue, contact lens solution and gold glitter), touch the sticky paper, rub Eeyore’s tail and Owl’s feathers, and stamp images of Pooh and Piglet.
“It’s another sensory way to access the show, so you can see it, you can hear it, and then you can also feel it,” Sorrells says.
Noor, a senior at Churchill, adds, “Hearing a story is a lot different than touching and smelling the props. ... We want to slow the story down so that they can understand it as much as possible.”
Imagination Stage
IMAGINATION STAGE IS THE DMV’S LEADER IN POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE ARTS
Register Now for Spring Classes and Summer Camps!
CULTURE WATCH
SPRING CLASSES & SUMMER CAMPS
They provide quality, year-round education in acting, musical theatre, dance, and filmmaking in an inclusive and welcoming environment.
Now on Stage: Mother Goose
Through innovative puppets, props, and original music, eight classic Mother Goose rhymes come gently and tunefully to life.
Akhmedova Ballet Academy
PREMIER BALLET SCHOOL IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY
Akhmedova Ballet Academy (ABA) has provided world-class Vaganova ballet training since 2011, equipping its dancers to join the ranks of professional companies. ABA’s exceptional faculty foster a nurturing environment where students thrive as both dancers and individuals. No matter what educational or career path students choose, their training instills in them the work-ethic, communication and collaborative skills necessary for successful leaders and citizens, committed to community, diversity and values-driven pursuits.
Training under Jacqueline Akhmedova’s artistic direction, and her professional faculty’s careful guidance, students develop the necessary skills to fully discover and realize their greatest individual potential.
Invest in Excellence:
Summer Intensives: June 23 - August 1, Professional Training Program (8-19), Studio Company-Apprentice Program (18-23)
For admission and to audition: Contact@AkhmedovaBallet.org akhmedovaballet.org
Tel: 301-593-6262
Facebook: AkhmedovaBalletAcademy
Instagram: AkhmedovaBallet
National Philharmonic
STAND THE STORM
NATIONAL PHILHARMONIC & THE WASHINGTON CHORUS
SATURDAY, MARCH 15 AT 7:30 PM • STRATHMORE
SHOSTAKOVICH SYMPHONY NO. 5
NATIONAL PHILHARMONIC
SATURDAY, APRIL 5 AT 7:30 PM • STRATHMORE
NatPhil and The Washington Chorus reunite for Stand the Storm, March 15 at 7:30 PM at Strathmore. This program, conducted by Eugene Rogers, features works by composers Nkeiru Okoye, Leonard Bernstein, John Legend, Common, and Rollo Dilworth. On April 5, NatPhil closes its 40th Anniversary Season at Strathmore with Shostakovich Symphony No. 5, conducted by Naima Burrs and featuring works by Ethel Smyth and Margaret Bonds. Tickets start at $29. All Kids. All Free. All the Time. nationalphilharmonic.org | 301-493-9283
CULTURE WATCH
Maryland Youth Ballet
SUMMER DANCE
JUNE - AUGUST 2025
Train at one of the nation’s finest schools of classical ballet! Summer classes, workshops, camps, and intensives for beginner, intermediate, and advanced dancers ages 2-16. Classical and contemporary ballet, modern and jazz, performance opportunities, and more. Audition required for new students ages 8+. MYB’s Summer Festival student’s will get the opportunity to perform in Cinderella at Wolf Trap’s Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods. info@marylandyouthballet.org www.marylandyouthballet.org | 301-608-2232
Countryside Artisans
ARTIST STUDIO AND GALLERY TOURS 2025
APRIL 25-27, OCTOBER 3-5 & DECEMBER 5-7
STUDIOS AND GALLERIES OPEN DAILY, 10AM –5PM.
Artist studios open year round by appointment.
Download the tour map and travel Maryland’s countryside to 17 unique artisan destinations. Visit a local winery, brewery and tea room. Over 40 artists represented. Meet the local artists where they work. Shop one of a kind works of art. Free event www.countrysideartisans.com
DISCOVER LOCAL ARTISTS
Adventure Theatre MTC
DRAGONS LOVE TACOS
SATURDAYS & SUNDAYS AT 11AM AND 2PM THROUGH MARCH 30
Dragons love tacos, but if they accidentally eat spicy salsa…watch out! Tickets $25 each adventuretheatre-mtc.org | 301-634-2270
Docs In Progress
COMMUNITY STORIES FILM FESTIVAL 25
MARCH 14-16, 2025
Local Films by Local Filmmakers
A celebration of independent documentary filmmaking. For three days filmmakers, film lovers, and community members gather for screenings, live Q&As, and conversations in Silver Spring. Join them and be inspired. Tickets available via their website. docsinprogress.org | 301-789-2797
Star-studded Spots
Around town with ‘The Real Housewives of Potomac’
The cast of Bravo’s hit reality TV show The Real Housewives of Potomac is known for indulgent lifestyles, over-the-top fashion, cutting one-liners— and the occasional squabble. Since the series’ 2016 debut, viewers nationwide have traveled first class with the ladies of Potomac (and its environs) throughout Montgomery County, vicariously enjoying the finest restaurants, shopping and experiences that the area has to offer.
Fortunately, you don’t need to be a Bravolebrity to enjoy the in-town A-list treatment. Anyone can experience housewife life at these local establishments that made cameos during the Potomac housewives’ nine seasons as county ambassadors.
The Potomac housewives wrapped their most recent season (Season 9) in February, but you can always see the ladies frequenting your favorite local spots by streaming past seasons on Peacock.
DINER DRAMA
In the Season 9 premiere, Karen Huger, the self-appointed “grande dame of Potomac,” took fellow housewife Gizelle Bryant for breakfast at Tally Ho, the casual Potomac restaurant that Huger has frequented for more than a decade. According to Tally Ho manager Andreas Vellios, whose family has been in business since 1968, Huger orders takeout from the local institution at least twice a week, often opting for omelets or soups, though her go-to order is “the Karen special”: French toast, scrambled eggs and bacon. The episode featured
the two housewives in matching denim tops enjoying Huger’s signature breakfast alongside Tally Ho’s doughnuts as they discussed Huger’s ongoing legal issues (she was found guilty of driving under the influence this past December) and the other ladies’ whereabouts since the previous season wrapped. According to Vellios, who made a cameo as the ladies’ server, the Bravo coverage brought Tally Ho a surge of new diners, some of whom now order the Karen special. 9923 Falls Road, Potomac, tallyhorestaurant.com
RETAIL THERAPY
In Season 8, Robyn Dixon, Mia Thornton and Nneka Ihim, stopped by Gaithersburg’s Clover boutique for a shopping spree ahead of a cast trip to the Dominican Republic. “They were really down-toearth … though they all look like models and are 6 feet tall in heels,” says Clover owner Jenn O’Brien, who described the in-store shoot as largely unscripted as the Bravo cameras captured the three women organically enjoying some retail therapy. They perused Clover’s racks of designer clothes, bags and accessories while gossiping about the other housewives and the upcoming vacation. The scene ended with O’Brien chatting with the housewives as she rang up a haul that included a jean jacket, a blazer and some lingerie. “I have major stage fright, but they were so nice,” O’Brien says of the Bravo experience that brought the boutique a wave of new customers, including the housewives, who first came to the store for the shoot, but have since become repeat customers.
502 Main St., Gaithersburg, shopclover.com
SEAFOOD FAVE
Silver Spring’s All Set Restaurant & Bar has seen its share of screen time during the Potomac housewives’ reign: In Season 2, Bryant chose the seasonal contemporary restaurant for a second date; in Season 7, beauty queen-turned-singer Candiace Dillard Bassett, her husband, Chris, and Dixon dissected accusations of
his inappropriate behavior on All Set’s patio; and in Season 9, Bryant and political commentator Wendy Osefo forged a path forward over a meal in the main dining room after many seasons of conflict. Despite the tense topics, the housewives have always kept their cool at All Set, according to managing partner Jennifer Meltzer: “As much as you want that table-flipping scene to happen, it hasn’t.” Instead, the heat stayed in the kitchen as Meltzer says the housewives have enjoyed some of All Set’s most popular menu items on camera, including oysters on the half shell, New England clam chowder and Maine lobster rolls served with lemon butter and chives. 8630 Fenton St., Plaza 5, Silver Spring, allsetrestaurant.com
CUBAN COCKTAILS
Colada Shop is another of the housewives’ favorite haunts. In Season 7, Thornton and her husband, Gordon, chose the Potomac location of the Cuban-themed restaurant chain as the backdrop for the series introduction of her best friend, Jacqueline Blake, an HR consultant who becomes a Housewives’ regular. The episode spotlights Colada Shop’s mojito and signature Cuban sandwich as well as the trio’s server, who was “thrilled about the experience,” according to Colada Shop founder and CEO Daniella Senior. “It’s not every day you get to serve food and drinks on a Bravo set.” In Season 8, Dixon, who hosts the “Reasonably Shady” podcast with Bryant, brings new housewife Ihim to the Potomac Colada Shop’s patio to discuss Ihim’s welcome— or lack thereof—to the group over cocktails (a Chinola spritz for Dixon; a margarita for Ihim). “It was so fun to see Colada Shop on screen,” Senior says. “I think what delighted me most was how vibrant and welcoming the space looked.” 7993 Tuckerman Lane (Cabin John Village), Potomac, coladashop.com
GALA THEATRICS
ALSO SCENE HERE
Need more A-list inspiration? Other Montgomery County haunts that have been featured on The Readl Housewives of Potomac include:
BETHESDA
• Bethesda Salt Cave, 4709 Montgomery Lane, bethesdasaltcave.com
• Soulfull Cafe, 50 Monroe Place, thesoulfullcafe.com
SILVER SPRING
• AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center, 8633 Colesville Road, afisilver.afi.com
• Miss Toya’s Creole House, 923 Ellsworth Drive, misstoyascreolehouse.com
Housewife Katie Rost attended Imagination Stage classes as a child, and her mother served on its board, so the children’s theater company in Bethesda was a natural choice for Rost’s charitable efforts in Seasons 1 and 2. Though the other housewives doubted the model-turned-philanthropist’s fundraising capabilities, a Casino Royale-themed gala is showcased in Season 2, featuring several scenes with Imagination Stage founder Bonnie Fogel as well as a performance from cast members of the theater’s Looking for Roberto Clemente production. “I thought the whole experience was great fun, but I’m not sure we came across that well,” Fogel says, referring to the catty comments of a few evening gown-clad housewives who were at odds with Rost. “They were expecting [Broadway legend Bob] Fosse and didn’t want to see [the performance] as anything other than awful.” Despite the heckling, Fogel says the actors “were thrilled to be on camera,” and Imagination Stage enjoyed the Bravo publicity as well as the gala’s proceeds.
4908 Auburn Ave., Bethesda, imaginationstage.org
SUGAR RUSH
According to Henry’s Sweet Retreat owner Patty Craver, Bryant and her daughters (who are now in college) used to pay weekly visits to the Bethesda candy shop for a sweet treat after music lessons next door at Bach to Rock Bethesda. “Gizelle is very, very nice and always very engaging. And she loves fudge,” Craver says of the clothing designer who still pops into the sweet shop for the occasional sugar rush. Bryant and the other housewives have filmed four times at Henry’s to the delight of store employees and patrons. “Everyone gets excited when the housewives come to film, and we always have people standing at the door watching,” Craver says. Most recently, in Season 7, Bryant brought her three daughters to Henry’s for a heart-to-heart about her upcoming surgery over cups of black raspberry and toffee chocolate chip ice cream and bags of gummy candy. 4823 St. Elmo Ave., Bethesda, henryssweetretreat.com
Ava Marvastian is a top-producing real estate agent with Long & Foster, earning recognition as a top producer in 2023 and 2024. As a Montgomery County native for over 10 years, she brings nearly a decade of experience in architecture, construction, and property sales. Holding a master’s degree in architecture allows her to help buyers envision renovation potential and assist sellers in showcasing their homes through exceptional staging. Fluent in Farsi and English, she serves a diverse clientele in the competitive Washington, D.C. market. Outside of real estate, she enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending quality time with her husband.
Get to know me more . . .
Favorite restaurant: Mon Ami Gabi Favorite coffee shop: Le Pain Quotidien
Currently watching: Emily in Paris Recently visited city: Paris
BEN FAZELI
m 202.253.2269 | o 240.497.1700 Ben.Fazeli@LNF.com | www.BenFazeli.com
A graduate of a boarding school in Geneva, Switzerland and further earning a masters degree in international law at American University, Ben has a deep-rooted appreciation for many cultures and enjoys the diversity of Washington, D.C.‘s international market. Ben spent over 20 years in the banking industry, where he managed multiple departments and over 70 employees. This experience awarded him a discipline that he now brings to his real estate business for over 15 years at the award-winning One Bethesda o ce.
His trademark wit brings levity to even the most stressful contract negotiations. “In any business, you need to be passionate, a great listener, and always maintain your sense of humor.” His numerous satis ed clients can attest to his exceptional service as noted below.
“
“Ben understood our needs. His knowledge of the market, grasp of property values, and what constitutes a good investment have always been spot on. His relaxed demeanor makes the entire real estate process fun, yet his professional integrity never waivers. His expertise in the eld is commendable, his patience is outstanding, and his honesty is reassuring.”
Each home purchase or sale tells a unique story. I am honored to be a part of my clients’ stories, and to help them achieve the best possible outcome, with minimum stress — leave that part to me!
Inevitably, as the story unfolds, we deal with the unexpected. That’s where who you work with really matters. In my former career as a lawyer, it was all about the wins. In residential real estate, it’s all about win-wins: negotiating the best possible outcome and ensuring my clients’ happiness!
“Susan was a great help, and I’d highly recommend her as a Realtor®, and would use her again. I appreciated her organization and market insight most of all, and she was very enjoyable to work with.”
“Susan Verner is the consummate professional — bright, insightful, experienced and patient, and a great negotiator…Throughout, Susan was the best professional and personal advisor we could have asked for.”
“Susan is incredibly knowledgeable about the market and is a very hard worker for her clients.”
SHARON GROSS
Sharon consistently ranks as a top-producing agent in Long & Foster’s Potomac Village Office. Her success as a Realtor® for the past two decades comes as a result of her attention to detail and respect for the serious nature of helping her clients buy and sell their largest assets. Sharon is known for providing outstanding customer service and embracing the highest ethical standards in the industry. For all those reasons, she has earned the prestigious Hall of Fame status in Long & Foster’s Chairman’s Club and is a member of the Gold Team.
Sharon, who grew up in Montgomery County, developed a fascination with Real Estate at an early age as she watched her mother’s distinguished 40-year career as a Realtor® thrive. After earning an undergraduate business degree in Real Estate and Urban Development from American University, Sharon worked as a successful New York City retail executive. Managing a $40 million business as a buyer for Lord & Taylor, she was consistently ranked as one of the company’s top ten sales performers. She applies the same strong analytical skills and work ethic to her real estate business!
2025 TOP PRODUCER
ALEXA GOULDING
301.675.2241 | o 240.497.1700 Alexa@LNF.com | www.AlexaGoulding.com
Alexa moved to Maryland 34 years ago, and considers building a thriving real estate business from scratch one of her greatest joys and accomplishments.
Born and raised in Budapest, Hungary, she was educated on both sides of the Ocean. She arrived here knowing only one person, her husband Dave, and has become one of the top Realtors® at Long & Foster with a long list of happy clients, friends, and much-appreciated awards. Alexa loves the small town feel of Kensington, where she lives and raised Gregory and Grace, now young adults.
“It has been a wonderful journey, helping so many of my clients, friends and neighbors realize their real estate dreams. I love being a part of not only assisting them but building a community as well!”
This is Alexa’s 22nd year in real estate, but the referrals and awards never get old. If you need any help, just “ASK ALEXA”!
DEBBIE MALOY
m 202.271.0458 | o 301.299.6000 | Debbie.Maloy@LNF.com longandfoster.com/DebbieMaloy • Licensed DC•MD•VA
Debbie has been successfully buying and selling homes for clients since 2014. She specializes in the DMV luxury markets where she’s lived and worked for over 35 years. Her expertise delivers exceptional results. You’ll enjoy an easy and stress-free transaction every time. Give Debbie a call today!
ETHEL SKENDERIS
Ethel Skenderis is a compassionate, enthusiastic Realtor® with over 30 years of experience. Born in Washington, DC, and a Maryland resident for 40+ years, she is deeply knowledgeable about the local market. Ethel’s integrity, expertise, and dedication ensure VIP service and positive results. Caring for her clients is her passion— trust Ethel to prioritize your needs and exceed expectations.
Zelda Heller | Jamie Coley | Leigh Reed
m 202.669.1331 | o 240.497.1700 hellercoleyreed@gmail.com
HELLER COLEY REED
The Cheval – 4960 Fairmont Ave, PH-4, Bethesda, MD 20814
Welcome to your “dream come true” luxury corner penthouse at the prestigious Cheval, in downtown Bethesda, o ering breathtaking vistas from every room! Three bedroom, 2.5 bath, 2,530 square feet plus balcony and separate private rooftop terrace. Stunning open oor plan that ows e ortlessly from the foyer entry to the living room, dining room and kitchen with island and high end appliances. The knockout primary bedroom suite and primary bath are separate from the other 2 bedrooms with ensuite baths. Two garage parking spaces and EV charger. Don’t miss out on this spectacular opportunity! O ered at $2,795,000.
2025 TOP PRODUCER TEAM
LYDIA CHOPIVSKY BENSON
c 202.365.3222 | o 240.497.1700 Lydia@LydiaBenson.com | LydiaBenson.com
Lydia Benson is an award-winning Associate Broker (GRI) and Realtor® with Long & Foster, recipient of Bethesda Magazine’s Best of Bethesda and Washingtonian’s Best of Washingtonian numerous times, and the 2024 recipient of the Greater Capital Area Association of Realtors® Gold Award. Known for her honesty, confidentiality, and tireless work ethic, Lydia creates an unparalleled real estate experience by leveraging her decades of local knowledge and her genuine commitment to her clients.
Specialization: Luxury Properties, First-Time Homebuyers, Investment Properties. Licensed in DC | MD | VA.
BY AMY HALPERN
BROWN
AT HOME EXPERTS
Peek inside a restaurateur’s kitchen, a stylist’s closet and more
PHOTOS BY SKIP
“Most of my clients don’t have closets of this size,” style expert Naina Singla admits— almost apologetically—about her own clothes closet in Bethesda, which boasts a chandelier, ottoman and full-length mirror. “The goal for all my clients is [that] no matter what size their closet is … it looks like a boutique when [they] walk in, so it feels really inviting.”
A STYLIST’S CLOSET
Singla—who has become a voice of minimalist chic in publications including Vogue and InStyle, and whose guidance on fashion trends and “capsule collections” has made her a regular on morning lifestyle shows in the D.C. area—says a much smaller space than her own is all a stylish woman needs to dress well every day. Even a metal coatrack will work, she says; that’s what she uses when she’s putting together clients’ wardrobes in her home office.
“Most women wear 20% of their wardrobe 80% of the time,” she says, meaning much of their storage space is filled with items they hardly, if ever, wear.
For her closet, Singla, 49, chose a baroque-style chandelier shortly after moving into her house 11 years ago. The following year, she worked with designer Joanna Abizaid of Virginia-based Cline Rose Designs to select the muted damask wallpaper and the small mirrors she installed above the top shelves to bring a sense of openness to the windowless space. All of the closet’s shelving came with the house.
from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. In 2010, while working as a medical science liaison for a dermatological product line, she started a fashion and lifestyle blog on the side. Two years later, she was invited to appear on what was then WJLA-TV’s Let’s Talk Live morning show and did a segment on accessorizing your wardrobe for the holidays.
Women in the D.C. area began reaching out to her for help in organizing their closets and streamlining their wardrobes. She expanded her blog into a website offering styling services, and soon was working full time, guiding busy women on how to dress simply and elegantly with fewer but better pieces.
Singla organizes all of her clothing in her closet by category, and from lightest to darkest. “So blazers go light to dark … sleeveless tops, and then short sleeves, long sleeves, all light to dark,” she says. “When you do that, you can kind of really understand what you have.”
Singla organizes all of her clothing by category, and from lightest to darkest.
If she were doing it today, the married mother of two daughters would choose decor that better reflects the minimalistic style she’s known for now, she says. One easy fix she made recently: replacing the darker, more flamboyant ottoman she originally selected with a Pottery Barn ottoman covered in subtle, neutral fabric.
“Styles evolve. … What I did in my closet in 2015 is just not representative of who I am today,” just as “what you wore 10 years ago is not … necessarily what you want to be wearing today,” she says.
Singla was born in Canada, grew up mostly in North Carolina and earned a doctorate in pharmacy
The strategy keeps her from buying too much of the same thing, Singla says as she scans her wardrobe, which leans heavily toward blazers, lightweight tops and jeans—her favorite go-to ensemble. “Like, I can look here and say, ‘Oh, maybe if I’m going to buy something, maybe … not another black tank or white tank,’ ” she says.
Singla keeps two woven baskets from Amazon on her closet floor: one for items that need to be drycleaned, and the other for things that require a quick “editing,” meaning they’ll be donated or discarded.
She hangs her jeans and slacks using pants hangers that clip at the waist, instead of folding them over a hanger or tucking them into a drawer, and she drapes her cardigans and sweaters over velvet hangers so she can see them at a glance. As for her handbags—admittedly one of her weaknesses—Singla displays as many as she can at eye level. She keeps all of her shoes on display, too. She tells clients to keep their handbags and shoes visible, instead of reserving their best things for special occasions. “Use your pieces,” she says. “Every day is a special day.”
When Riccardo Pietrobono and his wife, Marissa, designed their custom-built home in Bethesda five years ago, he had two requests for the kitchen: a gas cooktop that heats to high temperatures, and a supersize island for entertaining. After the kitchen was completed, he added a personal touch: a wooden sign that reads in Italian: Mangia e Statti Zitto. “Eat and shut up.”
“I have a passion for cooking,” says Pietrobono, 46, co-owner of Olazzo and Alatri Bros., restaurants in downtown Bethesda, and Gringos & Mariachis, which has locations in downtown Bethesda and Park Potomac. “It was important to have a nice range … because I’m used to working in the restaurant with, like, 30,000 [British thermal units (Btu) per burner],” he says, and “we entertain in the kitchen, so I wanted a big island.”
When cooking at home, Pietrobono still follows recipes from his mother and grandmother.
The end result: a sleek white kitchen with a Carrara quartz-topped island that measures 50-by-120 inches with a custom-made wood base painted in Benjamin Moore Pike’s Peak Gray, and a Wolf 30-inch Dual Fuel Range featuring four dual-stacked, sealed burners that allow for a quick switch from high to low heat. One of the burners comes with 20,000 Btu—which is on the high end of residential applications, according to industry experts—but perfect for searing steaks, which Pietrobono prepares in a cast-iron skillet on the cooktop.
Potomac-based Spring Valley Builders was the contractor that constructed the couple’s house in 2020, and Stephen Schultze, the company’s owner, helped with the kitchen design and layout. Features include a Kohler farmhouse sink and a Delta pot filler.
Pietrobono didn’t set out to be a restaurateur; he majored in marketing at the University of
Maryland, College Park. While on summer break one year, Pietrobono was bussing tables at a family friend’s new restaurant in California. His older brother Roberto was working there as a waiter. Shortly after Riccardo got back to Maryland, Roberto—who was still in California— suggested opening a restaurant of their own in Bethesda. Riccardo agreed, and it was only then that he took up cooking. He flew back to the friend’s California restaurant to learn the ropes and honed his skills at another friend’s restaurants in Bethesda and Silver Spring.
In 2002, when Olazzo opened, Riccardo cooked the food and Roberto pulled double duty as host and server.
When cooking at home, Riccardo, a first-generation Italian American, still follows recipes learned from his mother and grandmother, both of whom came to the U.S. with his grandfather in 1960 from a small town in central Italy.
Pietrobono puts his own spin on all his recipes, he says, and writes the modifications in a small notebook he keeps on the counter in his kitchen, where his GE Monogram stainless steel refrigerator is covered with pictures drawn by his daughter, Everly, 5, and son, Riccardo Jr., 16 months, whom everyone calls Rocco.
Pietrobono’s mother, whose Silver Spring home had served as the family gathering spot, died shortly before his son was born. Now the role of host has mostly become his. He starts his meals by offering guests a glass of wine from the custom walnut-stained wine rack in the kitchen. When the weather’s nice, he likes to open the sliding doors that lead from the kitchen to the patio so everyone can go in and out.
Though he and his brother have spent more than 20 years feeding a large food-loving clientele, Pietrobono still doesn’t consider himself a chef—he sees himself as a self-taught cook who prepares dishes he grew up with. “I was a fat kid,” he says. “I grew up eating a lot of pasta.”
with turning them into wine enthusiasts—and winemakers. “He’s been a collector of wine for 50 years and he’s partial to French wines … so although I grew up on a working farm, [I] grew up on a working farm that drank French wine,” Butz says.
Until January, Butz’s personal wine assortment was stored in his childhood home in Darnestown, where his brother Jeremy now lives. That old farmhouse sits next to the winery’s tasting room, which was built in 2020. It’s less than 3 miles from Butz’s Poolesville home.
In the basement of the old house is a storage room where his mother used to keep the fruits and vegetables that she canned each year, much of it from produce grown on the family farm, which still operates today. For years, Butz’s personal wine was kept on the storage room floor, which was naturally cool and humid. “The wine doesn’t care” where it is stored, so long as the temperature and humidity levels are right, he says.
One of Butz’s favorite bottles will likely never be opened: a 1966 Bordeaux his parents bought more than 50 years ago.
His bottles’ new home is a modern 11-by-18-foot, fully insulated and plaster-surrounded wine room with a barrel-vaulted stucco ceiling, a wall made of Maryland fieldstone that matches the home’s exterior, a dual-paned tempered glass-and-iron door, and a compressor that maintains a constant temperature of 55 degrees Fahrenheit and a humidity level of about 50%, both of which, Butz says, are optimal for long-term wine storage. His friend and neighbor, Mike Carrick of Seneca Services in Poolesville, served as the contractor.
Butz and his wife spent about a year researching every detail of their new space, including the vintage pine racking they bought on Facebook Marketplace, and the marble-topped table with metal shelving and base from Crate & Barrel. Cathy says they were looking specifically for a white tabletop because that’s the best color for studying a wine’s hue and color intensity.
The lighting was also selected with the bottles in mind. The halo-style LED fixtures the couple installed overhead have two switches—one turns on a warmer, more pleasant shade of light that mimics daytime; the other emits a brighter, whiter light that’s better for analyzing wine.
inemaker Robert Butz and his wife, Cathy, have lived in their stately Poolesville farmhouse, surrounded by vineyards, for nearly two decades. Only in the past few months has their personal wine collection been at home with them.
Butz, 56, is one of six owners and founders of Windridge Vineyards, an estate winery with a tasting room, outdoor pavilion and production facility in Darnestown. His three brothers, along with his aunt and uncle, are his business partners, but he credits his uncle
The couple’s cache includes a smattering of bottles from Windridge’s own estate vineyards, starting with its first vintage in 2017. There are hundreds more from across the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, California, the Pacific Northwest and most of Europe. The stash also includes two double magnums from the Bordeaux region of France, with vintages from 1999 and 2002, the years their daughters were born.
One of Butz’s favorite bottles will likely never be opened: a 1966 Bordeaux his parents bought more than 50 years ago from Addy Bassin’s MacArthur Beverages in Washington, D.C., for $2.25. The bottle is nestled in its original wood box, with the price stamp still affixed. “It’s been stored well, but honestly, when wine gets that old, it’s so hit or miss”—it’s better off as a memento, he says.
“It’s fun to have people over and, you know, pull out a bottle from someplace famous, and then a bottle from someplace local and talk about that,” he says. “Honestly, there is more and more … local wine that is absolutely world class. … I like being part of that.”
Most evenings after dinner, Nhan Fitzpatrick makes a beeline for her home sauna, then swigs a glass of filtered water with lemon and a pinch of Celtic salt (for the electrolytes, she says) and scurries to the private retreat she created in the side yard of her Silver Spring house. With its outdoor shower, koi pond, string-lighted pergola, and white stationary bike that she bought on Amazon, the space is all she needs to recharge.
“I find that vacations [are] very exhausting,” says Fitzpatrick, 43, the owner of Little Oasis Spa in North Bethesda. She used to head to exotic climes to decompress but found that all the packing and unpacking—and the travel itself—only left her more tired.
Since discovering that she could bring home her favorite parts of travel, Fitzpatrick has vacationed less—and relaxed more. “The element that I like the most is the outside shower and being connected with nature,” she says. “When you’re near the water and there’s fresh air, and when you look up and there’s flowers and greens ahead of you, you feel like you’re somewhere else.”
“The water [from the shower] is hot, and there’s no chlorine there,” she says. When it rains, “you can smell [the ions from the rain] in the air, and it charges the body.”
Fitzpatrick’s shower was the finishing touch to a project started more than 20 years ago, shortly after she and her husband moved into their white brick and stucco center-hall colonial. Right away, they added the koi pond and some of the landscaping. “My husband managed everything, using a few contractor friends to put everything together,” she says.
Fitzpatrick says her quest for wellness began in her early 20s. She’d become disillusioned with the treatments medical science offered for acne and other health problems she encountered when she was young. She spent hours each week at the public library researching safer and more effective alternatives.
“You feel like you’re somewhere else,” Fitzpatrick says of her outdoor shower.
Built in 2023, her outdoor shower is 4 feet square and framed in a combination of pressure-treated and vinyl-wrapped wood. It’s fitted with a modern-style showerhead that has an extra filter to remove chemicals from the water. The floor is covered with mosaic tiles that range in hue from sky to royal blue, with hints of turquoise—inspired by a trip to Vieques, Puerto Rico, that she and her husband enjoyed shortly before the shower was built.
The color palette also reminds her of the waters of Aruba and of Auckland and Queenstown, New Zealand—other places she’s been that served as inspiration, she says.
The shower is accessed from the side door of her house via a slate pathway that’s hidden from the street by trees, plantings and a high white picket fence. “Everyone laughed at me when I said I was going to [build] it,” Fitzpatrick says “They [were] like, ‘Oh, that’s only at the beach and vacation.’ ”
Married and the mother of two, Fitzpatrick says her favorite time of year in her private outdoor sanctum is during a light summer rain, when the crape myrtles are in bloom and the small yard is covered in leafy plants and flowers.
In 2006, after finding products and remedies that worked for her, she left a career in real estate to become an esthetician, with a focus on preservative-free organic products and treatments without harmful side effects. She opened her spa seven years ago, with estheticians trained in her philosophy and custom-blended product line.
While her spa offers specialized treatments such as stem cell therapy and stabilized oxygen, Fitzpatrick says anyone can have a spa day at home by filtering their tap water, adding the scent of natural botanicals—her entire home smells of the proprietary mix of Egyptian eucalyptus and French lavender that she gets blended for her spa—investing in exfoliants and lotions made of organic ingredients, and putting aside time each day for their own well-being.
That’s what she tries to do for herself. “I want to give [my clients, husband and children] 100%, even 200%,” she says. “But I can’t do it if I’m depleted.”
DEALERSHIP OWNER’S GARAGE
“I
wanted something a little more unique than the standard red barn,”
Alex Witkin says of his slate bluesided, silver-roofed barn in Poolesville that, inside, is a car aficionado’s dream.
A self-described car geek, Witkin, 39, is the owner of Performance Auto Gallery, which sells specialty vehicles and manages clients’ private collections. He founded the business in 2014, and its Rockville showroom serves as its headquarters.
At his 10,000-square-foot home barn, perched on nearly 50 acres of family property, Witkin keeps his personal trove of high
performance, low mileage Subarus, as well as several other classic cars and trucks he tinkers with and collects—and even a handful of vintage automobiles he stores for long-standing clients. He also keeps a couple of ATVs in the barn that he and his 9-year-old son like to drive around the property. “My wife is fine with it as long as he wears his helmet,” Witkin says.
The barn, which Witkin added to the property in 2020, was pre-engineered by Minnesota-based Lester Building Systems and installed by Rasche Brothers, a general contractor based in Taneytown, Maryland. It has insulated slab concrete flooring, an insulated roof and insulated walls, and three 5-ton commercial HVAC units that run through custom round ducting that’s visible across the ceiling. Witkin says he chose round ducting for aesthetic reasons, though HVAC experts say it moves air faster and more efficiently than rectangular or square ducting.
Witkin also added a large commercial-grade dehumidifier to keep the barn’s humidity steady regardless of the season. Cars don’t like to be too hot, too cold, too damp or too dry, he says. “It’s kind of like storing wine or a cigar if the goal is to preserve [them].”
Witkin estimates that the 10,000-squarefoot barn could hold as many as 75 cars and trucks.
At last count, in early January, he had 40 vehicles stored there, including more than a dozen of his Subarus. He estimates that the barn could hold as many as 75 cars and trucks, but “the most I’ve ever had in it at a given time was 50,” he says.
Witkin keeps what he considers his masterpiece up front so visitors see it as they enter: a red 2002 Subaru Impreza WRX he bought in high school, retrofitted over the years into a high-performance racing car, and entered in competitions around the country just for fun. He says he’d never sell it.
“Any show we ever brought it to we would win,” he says, adding that it has “been on the cover of four magazines,” including two international publications. “Not a whole lot of people know … about these early Subarus,” he says. “2002 was the first year that Subaru decided to bring them from Japan to the United States.”
One of his favorite things about the barn is that he has the space and tools he needs to give an old car new life, including the shell of a 1997 Subaru Impreza that he plans to upgrade with a bunch of new components. “There’s a lot of satisfaction in seeing progress and, maybe, as cliche as it sounds, building something and doing it yourself,” Witkin says. “For me, being able to put in the headphones and just sort of focus on the punch list and say, ‘OK … we’re just pulling brake lines out today and focusing on that’ … I really find it kind of peaceful.”
Amy Halpern has worked in print and television news and as the associate producer of an Emmy Award-winning documentary. She lives in Potomac.
A snug room, the British term for a cozy den-like space that’s a refuge for reading, relaxing or a quiet drink for two, might be just what you need this year BY
CAROLYN WEBER
3 1 ROOM FOR RELAXATION
1 Appealing Ambience
A deep, saturated paint color creates a soothing atmosphere in a small room. Benjamin Moore’s Color of the Year for 2025, a soft plum with brown undertones called Cinnamon Slate (211340), is like an inviting hug. $56.99 per gallon for Benjamin Moore’s ben line in eggshell at Strosniders Hardware, 6930 Arlington Road, Bethesda, 301-654-5688, acehardware.com
2 Barefoot Base
Outfitting a room with soft textures adds to the retreat vibe and anchors the design. It can be traditional or contemporary, like the Modern Wave Shag Rug, which provides a pop of color and pattern in the season’s hottest olive tone. The wool and cotton blend rug is available in four sizes, and also comes in a camel color. $399 to $1,099 at West Elm, 951 Rose Ave., #104 (Pike & Rose), North Bethesda, 301-230-7630, westelm.com
3 Glow Up
Ambient lighting gives a warm glow to a snug room, and sconces are a great solution when square footage is limited. The Hulton two-light, 17½-inch wall sconce in antique brass from Visual Comfort & Co. provides an instant upgrade. $649 at Ferguson Bath, Kitchen, & Lighting Gallery, 800 E. Gude Drive, Suite A, Rockville, 301-424-1393, fergusonshowrooms.com
COURTESY PHOTOS
4 On the Record
A quiet area, away from loud conversations and big screens, is the perfect spot for a turntable. Enjoy vintage records on a modern system with the Sony stereo turntable model PSLX310BT, which features Bluetooth connectivity and syncs to your wireless speakers and noise-canceling headphones. $249.99 at Best Buy, 1200 Rockville Pike, Rockville, 301-984-1479, bestbuy.com
5 Luxe Lounger
6 Shelf Life
Comfortable seating is a must, and scale is key in a small space. This might be the spot for an elegant curvy sofa upholstered in velvet. The Amira sofa, covered in Quincy Cinnamon fabric, features a channel-tufted back and is available in three sizes, including a compact 78-inch-long version. $2,999 to $5,499 at Arhaus, 7101 Democracy Blvd. (Westfield Montgomery mall), Bethesda, 301-230-2973, arhaus.com
Make the most of a diminutive den by using vertical space. Store favorite books, a vinyl collection, family photos and collectibles on the Siena bookcase. Each unit is 84 inches tall and 34 inches wide, has three adjustable shelves, a bottom drawer and is available in ebonized ash or walnut (shown). $1,499 each at Crate & Barrel, 4820 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, D.C., 202-3646100, crateandbarrel.com
High Score Fun
Neon and games attract family and friends to a Bethesda basement
BY WENDY A. JORDAN
For the Goldsteen family of five, which includes three teenage daughters, the bespoke neon sign on their basement wall is like a beacon: “This must be the place.”
“We wanted a more sophisticated room,” mother Kimberly Goldsteen says of the transformation that took the Bethesda basement from kid-friendly art room and all-purpose space to a game-centric zone where family and friends could gather. Kristin Harrison of Georgia & Hunt Design House (formerly Bungalow 10 Interiors) in McLean, Virginia, designed and managed the makeover, which was completed in May 2023. “I wanted an edgy, fun look,” Goldsteen says, “and Kristin brought it together well.”
Harrison removed the art room wall to
create a single open space roughly 35-by20 feet. One side is a game area; the other has a television (not pictured) and comfy sectional Notch couch from Crate & Barrel with Iron-color velvet fabric. The existing sink area became a snack bar niche with a mini-fridge below and an electronic dartboard mounted in a custom cabinet above. Flanking the niche are two Skee-Ball machines.
“My husband and I love playing SkeeBall,” Goldsteen says. “When we had kids, we introduced them to it, and always played it at boardwalk arcades on the beach.”
Brite Lite New Neon of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, crafted the sign that hangs above a lighted 12-foot-by-20-inch shuffleboard table custom made by Hudson
Shuffleboards of Santa Ana, California. The table fits neatly against the long wall to allow circulation space. The doors of the dartboard cabinet match the table.
A mural that fills the shuffleboard wall and dartboard wall is from Phillip Jeffries of Fairfield, New Jersey. Its “Bloom” pattern comes with large or small flowers in assorted colors; Harrison says she chose large flowers “to make the wall feel expansive.” Goldsteen opted for gray and black because “the fun neon sign pops the most off of that.” The gray-tone Mohawk carpet completes the neutral background.
“We all use the room. We have family game nights here, watch movies, relax. The girls bring friends here. It’s a fun place to be,” Goldsteen says.
PHOTO
2025
TOP REAL ESTATE PRODUCERS
ILLUSTRATIONS BY ALICE MOLLON
HERE ARE THE TOP REAL ESTATE PRODUCERS
BASED ON SALES IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY AND UPPER NW D.C. (ZIP CODES 20015 AND 20016).
Our list includes 225 agents with sales of at least $8.5 million from Nov. 1, 2023, through Oct. 31, 2024, and 90 teams that sold at least $17 million from Nov. 1, 2023, through Oct. 31, 2024, in our coverage area, as reported by local brokerages. Top-tier agents and teams are noted with asterisks—agents made at least $16 million and teams made an average of $8.5 million per licensed team member.
TAMARA KUCIK TEAM
MELISSA BERNSTEIN
SAM LIN
JACK WANG
JENNIFER CHOW DANIEL LLERENA
MARILYN EMERY
MOLLY BRANSON
JAMI RANKIN
ADRIANA RUAN
The Cosmos Group
COSMOSRE.COM
240.876.4670 | daniel@cosmosre.com
Adriana Ruan
MD & DC
202.617.0839 | ADRIANA.RUAN@RLAHRE.COM
With over nine years of experience in the dynamic world of real estate, Adriana has mastered the art of creating successful transactions and building lasting client relationships. Her approach is rooted in clear communication, education, transparency, and an unwavering dedication to her clients. Adriana’s goal is to provide a seamless and stress-free experience, ensuring every buyer and seller feels confident and at ease throughout the home buying or selling process. Having spent her formative years relocating. Adriana understands firsthand the transformative power of finding the right home and neighborhood. She draws on her personal experiences to help clients navigate every detail of their most significant investment with care and precision.
Adriana has called the DC area home since 1996. After a career in international development, she followed her passion for real estate and has never looked back. Her deep knowledge of the Maryland and DC markets, combined with her boundless energy and love for all things home, makes her the ideal partner to help you find your perfect match.
DMV
The Cosmos Group, led by Daniel Llerena, is a premier real estate team serving Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Inspired by Daniel’s philosophy of “reaching for the stars,” the team is driven by a passion for excellence, innovation, and achieving the extraordinary. Guided by Daniel’s wealth of experience, spanning over a decade in banking, mortgages, and real estate, The Cosmos Group offers unparalleled expertise in navigating complex transactions. The team’s commitment to excellence extends beyond buying and selling. They provide a one-stop shop for clients, offering services such as staging, renovations, marketing, and project management. With a focus on quality, reliability, and seamless communication, The Cosmos Group ensures every client experience is efficient, personalized, and rewarding. Their mission is not only to help clients achieve their real estate goals but to build lasting relationships that reflect their dedication to going above and beyond.
At The Cosmos Group, the sky is never the limit, it’s just the beginning.
The Prigal Brothers and Associates of RLAH @properties bring you over 60 years of combined real estate experience. Together they have been ranked in the Top 100 Agents in Washingtonian Magazine and were recently awarded the Top 1.5% of all Agents and Teams Nationwide by Real Trends!
Larry, Richard, Steven and Jeff were all raised in the DMV and returned to raise their families in the area. The team is active in professional networking groups including Professional Networking Alliance and Capital Connections.
2025 TOP REAL ESTATE PRODUCERS
* TOP-TIER PRODUCER—AGENT WITH AT LEAST $16 MILLION IN SALES, OR TEAM WITH AVERAGE SALES OF AT LEAST $8.5 MILLION PER LICENSED TEAM MEMBER
THE AGENCY DC TEAM
Team Nurit & Alex*
BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES PENFED REALTY TEAM
The Mike Aubrey Group
CENTURY 21 NEW MILLENNIUM
AGENT
Tanya Cunningham
Stephen Gabauer* TEAM
KC Real Estate Group
Yue He Homes
CENTURY 21 REDWOOD REALTY
AGENT
Jeffrey Ganz*
Judy Martin
Jeannie Nguyen TEAM
Fed City Team
CENTURY 21—WASHINGTON, D.C.
AGENT
Darnell Eaton
COLDWELL BANKER REALTY—BETHESDA
AGENT
Marlene Aisenberg
Hope Cullen
Elizabeth Cummings
Rowena De Leon*
Brad Griffin
Heidi Hawkins
Jeannie Kim*
Pam Powers
Marjorie Dick Stuart*
COLDWELL BANKER REALTY—POTOMAC/ ROCKVILLE
AGENT
Jill Aharon
Ajay Kapur
TEAM
The Sandoval Group
COMPASS—BETHESDA
AGENT
Kelly Bohi
Kate Bohlender
Annabel Burch-Murton*
Susan Jaquet
Traudel Lange
Cheryl Leahy*
Michael Matese*
Denise McGowan
Sondra Mulheron*
Amanda Provost*
Kyle Richards*
Pam Ryan-Brye
Stacey Styslinger
Kathy Whalen
Shiva Zargham TEAM
The Allison Collection*
Galanti Group*
Green Littlepage Group
The Group
The Halem Group*
Maury Home Team
TurnKey
COMPASS—CHEVY CHASE
AGENT
Casey Aboulafia*
Christy Bakaly*
Katie Bocock
Erich Cabe*
Susan Cahill-Tully
Lindsay Clark
Eva Davis*
Carmen Fontecilla*
Shari Gronvall*
Gitika Kaul*
Jennifer Knoll
Jason Koitz
Cheryl Kurss
Lindsay Lucas
Nancy Mannino
Meredith Margolis*
Lavina Ramchandani
Dominique Rychlik
Michael Seay Jr.
Michael Shapiro
Sam Solovey
Laura Steuart
Susan Van Nostrand
Mary Lynn White
TEAM
Brito Associates
Cara Pearlman Group*
CityScape Group
Dana Rice Group*
Donovan Wye & Mandle
The Dudley Group
Ferris Levin Collaborative
Maya&Kate Team of Compass
Rebecca Weiner Group
Shorb Fafoglia Group
The Synergy Group
Taylor Agostino Group
Team Koki
Trent & Co
Wydler Brothers
COMPASS—GEORGETOWN
AGENT
Lee Arrowood
Sarah Hake
The office with the most individual agents on our Top Producers list is Compass—Chevy Chase, with 24 AGENTS listed. Compass— Chevy Chase also has the most teams on our list with 15 TEAMS.
COMPASS—LOGAN CIRCLE
AGENT
David Abrams
Shelley Gold
Katri Hunter
TEAM
District Property Group
Jenn Smira Team
Mollaan Babbington Group
COMPASS—MCLEAN
AGENT
Toby Lim
Ashton Vessali
COMPASS—POTOMAC
AGENT
David Abramson
Teresa Burton*
Nathan Driggers
Jennifer Eckel*
Caryn Gardiner
Kevin Grolig
Christine Koons-Byrne
Wendy Lord
Megan Meekin*
Nicole Powell*
Miguel Saba
Maureen Weaver*
TEAM
The Bowers Group
Carrie Mann Group*
Jeweler Burton Group*
Keystone Property Advisors
CORCORAN MCENEARNEY—KENSINGTON
AGENT
Mark Hudson
CORCORAN MCENEARNEY—MCLEAN
AGENT
Ann McClure
CORCORAN MCENEARNEY— WASHINGTON, D.C./SPRING VALLEY
AGENT
Nora Burke
TEAM
The Stokes Group*
DOUGLAS ELLIMAN REAL ESTATE
AGENT
Daniel Kotz
EXP REALTY
AGENT
Mulugeta Dessie*
Jason Jutila D’Ann Melnick
TEAM
The Karen Rollings Team
The Sold By Lily Team*
GREYSTONE REALTY
TEAM
The Balow Band Olinger Group*
KELLER WILLIAMS CAPITAL PROPERTIES— BETHESDA/CHEVY CHASE
AGENT
Dana Scanlon
Jennifer Vo
KELLER WILLIAMS CAPITAL PROPERTIES— ROCKVILLE
AGENT
Doug Lunenfeld
LONG & FOSTER—CHEVY CHASE CIRCLE
AGENT
Kimberly Cestari*
Phil Sturm
Karen Thibeau
TEAM
Ron Sitrin Team
LONG & FOSTER—GAITHERSBURG
TEAM
The Roman Group
LONG & FOSTER—GREATER SILVER SPRING
AGENT
Endeg Abebe
LONG & FOSTER—NORTH POTOMAC/ROCKVILLE
AGENT
Kellie Plucinski
Franco Saladino
LONG & FOSTER—ONE BETHESDA
AGENT
Lily Cole
Gary Ditto
Anjelika Dmitrieva
Joe Faraji
Ben Fazeli
Alexa Goulding
Todd Harris
Ava Marvastian
Meaghan Miller
Helen Trybus
Juan Umanzor
TEAM
The Banner Team*
Dart Homes
The Elaine Koch Group
The Estridge Group
Heller Coley Reed Team
Jane Fairweather Team
Murtagh Properties
Sky Group
LONG & FOSTER—PARK POTOMAC
AGENT
Susan Verner
TEAM
Michelle Yu Team*
Robyn Porter Homes
LONG & FOSTER—POTOMAC VILLAGE
AGENT
Sharon Gross
Krystyna Kazerouni
Gail Lee
Debbie Maloy
Ethel Skenderis
LONG & FOSTER—ROCKVILLE CENTRE
AGENT
Jim Beckley
Molly Carter
David Dabbondanza
Tim Horst*
Joe Huff
George Papakostas*
BANNER TEAM
Consistently ranked among the topproducing, award-winning teams, including Best of Bethesda Best Real Estate Team for 2025, The Banner Team is renowned for its expertise in luxury real estate. With an unwavering commitment to their clients, they provide the experience, the market knowledge and the industry resources to ensure exceptional results.
Recognized locally and nationally, the Banner Team strives to find the best opportunities and outcomes for their clients; whether they are buying, selling or building a custom home. With their customer-focused and community-minded approach, they are honored to be working with a second generation of clients who are looking for guidance, contract and negotiating expertise and the best real estate service in the metro-DC area.
Left to Right: Mary Bunch, Jody Aucamp, Michelle Teichberg, Steve Schuck, Pat Karta, Ilene Gordon, Makenzie Powell, Wendy Banner, Greg Schuck, Julia Fortin, Gail Gordon, Ashley Vonada, Mireille Pioppo, Emily Moritt
2025 TOP REAL ESTATE PRODUCERS
* TOP-TIER PRODUCER—AGENT WITH AT LEAST $16 MILLION IN SALES, OR TEAM WITH AVERAGE SALES OF AT LEAST $8.5 MILLION PER LICENSED TEAM MEMBER
Thomas Powers*
Corey Savelson
Nazir Ullah
TEAM
Capital Crest Group
Eric Stewart Group*
The Llewellyn Group*
The Scott Team.
The Steve Kelley Team*
LONG & FOSTER—SILVER SPRING TEAM
Pirovic Team*
Savercool Team*
LPT REALTY—POTOMAC
AGENT
Omar Flores
NORTHGATE REALTY—BETHESDA
AGENT
Angela Goldstein
PREMIER PROPERTIES
AGENT
Carl Becker*
RE/MAX REALTY CENTRE
AGENT
Eunice Chu
Ellen Coleman*
Jill Coleman*
Jami Dennis
Caroline Doong
Rich Fox
Ellie Hitt*
Lynn Holland
Deborah Kaya
Lauren McBain
Adam Murphy
Orla O’Callaghan
Mario Padilla
Vicki Reyes
Seema Rodriguez
Andy Rubin
Brandy Saballos
Lavina Samtani
Joe Shaver
Adam Virkus
David Wagner*
Jeff Wheatley
TEAM
The Dinh Team
The Kolick Group*
Susan Ellis Home Team*
RE/MAX REALTY SERVICES
AGENT
Michael Altobelli
Lorraine Gottlieb
Alex Goumilevski*
Jeremy Lichtenstein*
Brian Lumpkin*
Frances McGlaughlin
Miguel Ruiz
Ken Venkatesh
John Williams Jr. TEAM
Alex Stefan Group*
Andy Werner & Associates
The Butterfield Group*
Goodman Group
Ross | Residential*
Rudden | Bobruska Team
RE/MAX TOWN CENTER
AGENT
Donna Pfeiffer
TEAM
Sabelhaus Team
REDFIN—ROCKVILLE
AGENT
Russell Chandler
Janette Coffee*
Emily Cottone*
Delilah Dane
Charles Gilroy*
Lisa Greaves*
Eric Hovanky*
Mandy Kaur*
Bryan Kerrigan*
Antonia Ketabchi*
Matthew Klokel
Claudia MacDonald
Long Ngo*
Kris Paolini*
Phil Reding
Lupe Rohrer*
Agne Salgado
Jamie Smart
Kiki Tesfaye
RLAH @PROPERTIES
AGENT
Melissa Bernstein*
Molly Branson
Jennifer Chow
Marilyn Emery
Andrew Essreg
Joe Himali
Mandy Hursen
Sam Lin
Daniel Llerena
Jami Rankin
Adriana Ruan
Jack Wang
TEAM
The team with the largest average sales volume per licensed member is Heider, of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty—Downtown Washington, D.C., with $23,538,733.**
The Prigal Brothers & Associates
Tamara Kucik Team
RORY S. COAKLEY REALTY
AGENT
Michael P. Rose
STUART & MAURY
AGENT
Robert Jenets*
Scott Matejik
Matthew Maury*
TTR SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY— BETHESDA
AGENT
Dana Cruz
Barbara Nalls*
Sintia Petrosian
Charles Wilson
TEAM
Capital to Coast Homes
Carolyn Homes Team*
Ehrens & Norman Group
Lauren Davis Team*
TTR SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY— CHEVY CHASE
AGENT
Katherine Buckley
William Fastow*
Christine Basso Fitzgerald
Kelly Basheer Garrett
Gerry Gretschel
Katherine Herndon Martin
Monica Molloy
Kirsten Williams*
**Based on sales in Montgomery County and Upper NW D.C. (ZIP codes 20015 and 20016). Our list includes agents with sales of at least $8.5 million from Nov. 1, 2023, through Oct. 31, 2024, and teams that sold at least $17 million from Nov. 1, 2023, through Oct. 31, 2024, in our coverage area, as reported by local brokerages.
TTR SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY— DOWNTOWN WASHINGTON, D.C.
AGENT
Jim Bell
Chris Burns
TEAM Heider*
Premier Partners
The Rob & Brent Group
Thrive
TTR SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY— GEORGETOWN
AGENT
Russell Firestone*
Michael Rankin*
Marco Stilli
Jonathan Taylor
TEAM
The Burr Group
Finnell Lee Homes
Jeff Wilson Team
The Robert & Tyler Team
WASHINGTON FINE PROPERTIES
AGENT
Boucie Addison
Jaci Appel*
Kira Epstein Begal*
Liza Tanner Boyd
Alyssa Crilley*
Jennifer Gregorski
Ellen Hatoum
Diann Heine
Daryl Judy
Anne Killeen*
Kay McGrath King*
Lori Leasure*
Delia McCormick
Jordan Rich
Liz Lavette Shorb*
Lisa Stransky*
Jennifer Wellde
Margot Wilson*
TEAM
Anne & Nate*
The Hatfield Weir Gale Team
HRL Partners*
The Itteilag Team*
The Meg & Alison Team*
The NTB Group
The Roth Team*
The Schuman Team*
WEICHERT REALTORS—GERMANTOWN
AGENT
Nader Bagheri*
Jack Kort
$4,204.78
The median monthly mortgage payment in Montgomery County.***
***Data, courtesy of Bright MLS as of Dec. 30, 2024, is the estimated monthly payment for the medianprice home (from Jan. 1, 2024, to Dec. 30, 2024), at the current interest rate, and includes assumptions about down payment, property taxes and insurance.
GITIKA KAUL
Kaul Home Group was born out of a desire to create something unique—something authentic that offered an unmatched level of service across all price points, ensuring the highest level of integrity and professionalism while also remaining approachable.
105%
LIST PRICE TO SALES PRICE RATIO
$200M+
LIFETIME SALES
6 TELEVISION EMMYS WON 1.5%
TOP AGENT NATIONWIDE REALTRENDS
WENDY LORD
Wendy Lord is an experienced and dedicated real estate agent who is committed to providing a positive buying or selling experience for each of her clients. With a background in commercial lending and asset management, she brings over 30 years of expertise to her role as a Seniors Real Estate Specialist. Wendy strives to provide the best personalized service to each and every one of her clients along their real estate journey, whether it is buying, selling, or both. Her personalized marketing plan is tailored to each home, including social media, print ads, and a strong referral network to streamline the process. She collaborates with a range of partners, including financial experts, title companies, renovation/repair contractors, downsizing and organizing professionals, and estate sales specialists. As a long-term resident of Maryland, Wendy is actively involved in the community, serving on the Board of the Fox Hills West Citizens Association. In her leisure time, she enjoys tennis, golf, skiing, and taking walks with her neighbors, embracing her neighborhood where she and her son reside.
KELLY BOHI
KELLY.BOHI@COMPASS.COM
Since 2002, Kelly has been a trusted guide for buyers and sellers navigating the dynamic real estate landscape across DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Renowned for her keen eye for detail and exceptional communication, she leads her clients with confidence through every stage of the process, ensuring a seamless and stress-free experience. Whether working with first-time homebuyers, seasoned investors, or those seeking to downsize, Kelly crafts a personalized approach tailored to each client’s unique goals. Her commitment extends beyond the transaction - she remains a reliable resource, connecting clients with trusted professionals and offering continued support long after the sale. Highly regarded by peers and clients alike, Kelly is dedicated to taking every real estate journey to new heights, delivering unparalleled results at every turn!
THE ALLISON COLLECTION
By harnessing a distinct blend of marketing prowess, local expertise, persistence, and just the right touch of humor, Brittany and Peter Allison create unforgettable experiences for each client they serve. The Allisons’ success in selling approximately $300M in real estate is a result from their keen negotiation and consulting skills, proving indispensable in advocating for their clients. Their tenacity and passion for guiding people through the biggest milestones of their lives make The Allisons both exemplary agents and lifelong friends.
S&P HOMES
Since 2003, S&P Homes has guided clients to real estate success, backed by a combined 40 years of experience and over $325 million in sales. Our expertise in sales, marketing, interior design, and technology empowers clients to navigate the competitive market with confidence. Having lived in the DMV area for most of our lives, we offer invaluable local insights. With a 100% fivestar review rate and 95% of our business coming from referrals, we are committed to providing a seamless real estate experience.
Vince Sbarra, Sondra Mulheron, Pam Schiattareggia, Cathy Johnson
THE HALEM GROUP
Margie and her team’s extensive knowledge of the market, deep rooted relationships throughout the industry and access to off market properties have made them a valuable asset to their clientele. One of the many things that Margie prides herself on is the level of attention & service she and her team provides to their clients.
For over thirty years, the Halem Group has consistently been ranked among the Top Realtors ...... as well as the Top 1% of Agents Nationwide ... The Halem Group is ranked in the Top 100 out of approximately 22,000 Realtors in the DC Metro market for 2024!
SUSAN CAHILL-TULLY
Susan Cahill-Tully is a highly regarded real estate advisor whose business thrives on referrals from satisfied clients and trusted friends. With a commitment to excellence, she approaches every transaction—whether guiding first-time buyers or handling high-end sales—with precision and care. Licensed in Maryland, DC, and Virginia, Susan pairs deep market expertise with sharp negotiation skills to deliver outstanding results. Known for her ability to simplify complex transactions while minimizing stress, she has earned a reputation as a trusted advocate.
Before real estate, Susan spent over 25 years as a neonatal and shock trauma nurse, developing unmatched problem-solving abilities, a calm demeanor, and the skill to manage high-stakes situations—traits that seamlessly translate into her real estate practice. As a top-producing agent, she is focused on securing the best financial outcomes for her clients while fostering lasting relationships. With trust, professionalism, and care at her core, Susan is the advisor you can rely on.If you’re looking for a dedicated real estate professional, reach out to Susan today.
Ashley Townsend, Harrison Halem, Courtney Halem, Margie Halem, Benjamin Pate, Shannon Irlander, Lori Silverman, Matt Gloger and Elizabeth Meltzer.
Not pictured: Danielle Mannix, Kristen Wendel
DEIRDRE LOFFT
As a former police officer in the area, I’ve handled tricky situations and tense negotiations. I bring a tough but wholehearted approach to every deal, and I love working with clients to help turn their vision into reality. I even have a team of contractors ready to prep or renovate any home for sale. Here’s what my clients say about me:
“Living 3,000 miles away, I had to rely on Deirdre’s vision, her contractors, her oversight, and judgment. Thank God I trusted her. She even sold my parents car for me because I lived too far way to conduct the sale. Who does that? Deirdre!” — C. Benson
“She is bright, articulate, organized, street smart, professional and very competitive. She asked me what my goal was, and I told her to sell it for the neighborhood record, and that’s exactly what she did!” — D. Harbison
“We are a dual military family, and we have had our share of moves. Deirdre is by far the best agent that we’ve had the pleasure of working with.” — T. Pierson
“Deirdre has the ideal personality for that work, warm, funny, caring, serious but not overly serious. She made the entire process very easy.” — J.Keilson
TERESA BURTON DENISE MCGOWAN
What’s your outlook for the 2025 Bethesda Real Estate Market?
One of things Trent and I both love about real estate, there’s always a market to leverage — whether we are in a Buyers’ or Sellers’ Market you can always find an area to add value in real estate. For 2025, here’s our top projections:
For everyone - A shift in the Administration always brings a stronger real estate market overall – the fall election season was slow, that’s always the case here in the DMV, the aftermath to this is a strong spring. We saw it first hand within the 1st few weeks in January, properties that were on the market through fall all of the sudden had 3 offers and got over asking price! We anticipate this spring to be one of the strongest with new people having to move to the area.
For Sellers - Prices are at an all time high – even if you purchased in height of Covid craziness, you are still selling with comps at the highest they have ever been. Many neighborhoods have seen spikes from $300-700k on resale prices to what you would have seen in prior years. Don’t be afraid to explore your “dream” scenario. If you are in need of more space, this is the perfect time to explore how to bridge your dream home easily.
For Buyers – Some prices are too inflated and need negotiation. Piggybacking the all-time-high sales prices, this inflated reality gives Buyers an advantage if things have been sitting for over 30 days. It’s worth talking it through with a seasoned agent that can give good advice on what price is feasible and more realistic.
DANA RICE GROUP
Looking
For over two decades, Cara has been guiding clients through the vibrant and dynamic real estate market in Washington, DC, and its highly soughtafter suburbs. From first-time buyers embarking on their homeownership journey to seasoned sellers of distinguished estates, Cara’s dedication to her clients remains unwavering. Cara combines a consultative approach with unparalleled expertise and genuine empathy, ensuring every transaction is seamless and tailored to her clients’ unique needs.
1.5%
TOP AGENT NATIONWIDE REALTRENDS
CARA PEARLMAN PAM RYAN-BRYE
$550M+ TOTAL SALES
202.276.6902 | O. 301.304.8444
Why do you love what you do?
I love helping my buyers and sellers throughout every step of a transaction, and making their dreams a reality. I love looking at property and helping clients imagine the life they might one day build there. Most of all, I love forming enduring relationships with my clients, and meeting them at every real estate milestone.
What’s your biggest differentiator?
I have over 30 years of industry experience and a background in interior design, both of which I leverage for my clients’ benefit to maximize results. I’ve called the DC area home since the 1970’s, and I look forward to every opportunity to help others find their place here just as I’ve found mine.
MIGUEL SABA
Since 2019, Miguel has distinguished himself among the 64,000 agents in the DMV with his expertise, market knowledge, and relentless drive. His results-driven approach has earned him Top Agent recognition in multiple publications. More than just selling homes, Miguel’s high-impact sales and marketing strategies create opportunities, customized to each client’s unique needs. He ensures a seamless, successful experience from start to finish—because exceeding expectations isn’t an exception for Miguel, it’s the rule.
$19M
VOLUME SOLD IN 2024 200+
CLIENTS SERVED $10K+
RAISED FOR LOCAL CHARITIES IN 2024
MICHAEL SEAY HOMES
Thank You for Your Trust and Support!
We are deeply grateful to our clients, friends, and family for your referrals and continued confidence in us. As native Washingtonians from a family business spanning generations, we offer a level of care and expertise that goes beyond the traditional real estate experience.
As problem solvers and dedicated advocates, we are committed to understanding your needs and providing honest guidance in today’s competitive market. Whether you’re selling, searching for your dream home, or striving to get an offer accepted, we’re here to help—every step of the way.
Reach out today—we’d be honored to assist you!
There is no substitute when selling and buying mid-century modern homes. Michael--with more than $200 million in career sales--has a true passion for mid-century modern design.
For the past 17 years, he has dedicated his real estate efforts to specifically connecting buyers and sellers who have a similar passion for modern architecture, art and furniture.
Licensed in Maryland, D.C. and Virginia, Michael and his website (moderncapitadc.com) are well recognized for specializing in homes designed by noted modernists such as Charles M. Goodman, Thomas Wright, Chloethiel Woodard Smith, Harold Esten, Deigert & Yerkes and Keys, Lethbridge & Condon, among others.
MICHAEL SHAPIRO LINDSAY LUCAS
When it comes to real estate, Lindsay Lucas—a reputable DMV Realtor—will always find a way to deliver the best results for her clients. Whether you’re a first-time buyer or a seasoned seller, Lindsay leverages a full-service, strategic system that puts your interests first. As a lifelong resident of the DC area, Lindsay offers extensive insight into its many vibrant neighborhoods—from the bustling streets of Downtown DC, to the DMV suburbs, where she calls home. She loves helping others find their next home, just as she loves being there for clients as they navigate such a transformative life milestone. Get in touch with Lindsay today to discover the real estate solution that’s right for you.
SHIVA ZARGHAM
Your Happiness, Your Home, My Mission
Real Estate is about more than transactions - it’s about your stories, milestones, and the places where life happens. I’m committed to serving you with care, creativity, data, and connection, always striving to support your goals. From defining your vision to negotiating with tenacity, I work tirelessly to ensure to deliver results. Nothing makes me happier than seeing my clients happy in the end. Buying and selling a home is a major life moment, and I’m honored to be part of it.
My Clients Say It Best
“Shiva is the best realtor I’ve ever worked with. After buying and selling many homes, I trusted her with my last three transactions—and I’d never work with anyone else. She’s responsive, organized, and always one step ahead. Her attention to detail, market expertise, and solution-driven approach set her apart. It’s hard to find anyone who works harder or more successfully to get the job done!”
“Shiva sold our house in Bethesda and she was wonderful in every step of the whole process. Of all the real estate agents I have worked with over the years (and they have been many good ones) Shiva is by far the best. She is honest, kind, very knowledgeable and smart. Working with her is a real pleasure. On top of that, she gets the job done and gets it done very well.”
“Shiva Zargham is a superb realtor - with a great mind for numbers and a great eye for style. She knows the Washington metropolitan area inside and out. She was very attentive to all the requirements in our housing search and we were able to quickly find and buy the property we were looking for.”
HOME SALE HIGHLIGHTS
A snapshot of last year’s housing market in 17 local ZIP codes
Data provided by Bright MLS and MarketStats by ShowingTime+. Statistics generated on Jan. 15, 2025. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
HOME SALE TRENDS
HOW
MUCH ARE
HOUSING PRICES RISING?
in 17 ZIP codes
Are more homes being sold? Where are homes selling the fastest? The following chart helps answer these questions with data on the number of sales, the average sale price and the average number of days on the market for detached homes in 17 ZIP codes from our coverage area from 2020 through 2024. The subdivisions included had at least five total sales during the last five years and at least one sale in the past year. The ZIP code totals column figures may be greater than the sum of the figures listed next to each subdivision because they include homes sold in subdivisions that did not fit the criteria to be on this list. Real estate agents might enter sales into the Bright MLS database retroactively. As a result, some of the historical data may have been updated from what has been reported in previous years. Some numbers have been rounded.
Number of Homes Sold
Subdivision
GLEN ECHO 20812
BETHESDA 20814
Alta
Average Sale Price
Average Days on Market
Alta Vista Gardens 34645$1,458,300$1,246,701$1,509,060$1,325,000$1,351,20075115532
Battery Park 713765$1,807,714$1,502,538$1,761,429$1,540,000$2,560,60047177135
Yorktown Village 03111NA$1,218,333$910,000$1,900,000$1,612,000NA2702 20816 TOTAL 186207180141141$1,376,164$1,447,731$1,513,560$1,581,226$1,662,0902012101612
BETHESDA 20817
Al Marah 59034$1,163,600$1,424,000NA$1,690,667$1,707,50098NA1315
Alta Vista 44353$1,013,750$1,101,250$976,667$1,206,100$1,911,667557938
Alta Vista Terrace 8111094$1,270,500$1,434,095$1,430,415$1,562,111$1,768,925118202414
Wyngate 2124362120$1,107,690$1,035,583$1,207,045$1,320,197$1,477,950149121634 20817 TOTAL 433514410354334$1,292,049$1,423,082$1,587,030$1,663,118$1,733,4673419182224
CABIN JOHN 20818
Cabin John 37122$945,667$1,250,714$1,830,000$1,182,500$2,253,5008213254
Cabin John Gardens 23223$505,000$1,107,717$512,500$644,176$852,0507951485
Cabin John Park 6111118$992,833$1,504,855$1,434,373$835,000$2,187,813283312129 20818 TOTAL 122315 6 15$887,833$1,333,546$1,351,940$973,059$1,904,4772929111218
Woodside Park 2424162020$876,083$948,493$1,073,844$1,087,139$984,195924231614 20910 TOTAL 195256186134143$703,866$776,256$835,912$872,875$875,5302216161517
Hawthorne 811743$1,485,313$1,488,797$1,491,286$1,376,250$1,500,000647152218 20015 TOTAL 155178146112136$1,287,907$1,472,496$1,538,511$1,600,217$1,747,0121610111116
Chevy Chase 1010557$1,337,500$1,869,703$1,316,600$1,848,600$1,439,00091262423 Cleveland Park 1619161417$2,137,063$2,895,158$3,389,063$2,162,071$3,081,3532326182223 Friendship Heights 40431$1,348,707NA$1,338,750$1,245,000$3,000,00010NA21983
Kent 4537272925$1,866,071$2,385,509$2,911,426$2,405,103$2,416,0204824282126
North Cleveland Park 44374$1,701,000$1,372,500$2,748,333$1,878,071$1,462,75012152157 Palisades 2730261416$1,779,426$1,668,934$2,042,143$2,111,500$2,607,2114620142320 Spring Valley 4449333332$2,048,728$2,199,877$2,660,759$3,040,096$2,847,3752810242122 Tenleytown 33231$1,271,667$1,850,000$1,919,500$1,370,333$1,000,00020627310 Wakefield 103736$1,496,600$1,523,667$1,718,714$1,664,167$1,759,167146133255
Wesley Heights 1421111612$1,803,750$3,075,510$4,154,091$3,600,844$4,077,500185853967 20016 TOTAL 247260202181186$1,714,483$2,041,008$2,310,887$2,347,818$2,334,3682716202225
ABOUT BRIGHT MLS
The Bright MLS real estate service area spans 40,000 square miles throughout the mid-Atlantic region, including Delaware, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and parts of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. As a leading Multiple Listing Service (MLS), Bright serves approximately 85,000 real estate professionals who in turn serve more than 20 million consumers. For more information, visit brightmlshomes.com.
ABOUT SHOWINGTIME+
ShowingTime+ is a software suite that helps agents, brokers and MLSs streamline their businesses and deliver elevated experiences to their customers. The ShowingTime+ software suite includes ShowingTime, dotloop, Bridge Interactive and two new services coming soon—Listing Media Services and Listing Showcase.
Ehrens & Norman Group
TTR SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY
Ehrens & Norman Group, a powerhouse team with more than $500 million in sales, blends Sotheby's global reach with hyperlocal expertise to deliver exceptional results. Known for a client-first approach, expert negotiation and deep market knowledge, they've been named Top Producers by Washingtonian, Bethesda Magazine and Modern Luxury DC for their seamless, strategic and successful transactions.
4809 Bethesda Ave. Bethesda, MD 20814
301-516-1212
ehrensandnorman@ttrsir.com
IG: @ehrens_norman_group
YT: @ehrensnormangroup
EhrensAndNorman.com
Q W hy should potential clients choose Ehrens & Norman Group?
A W hen you choose Ehrens & Norman Group, you’re not just hiring one agent— you’re gaining a team of three seasoned top performers who collaborate to provide unmatched guidance, support and advocacy at every stage of your real estate journey. Two-thirds of our team grew up in Montgomery County, giving us a deep understanding of the region’s neighborhoods, market trends and opportunities. Our strong local roots are paired with a curated network of trusted vendors, ensuring every aspect of your experience is seamless and efficient. Whether it’s expert negotiation, strategic marketing, or impeccable staging, we bring diverse skills to the table, tailoring our approach to meet your unique goals. We’re here to help you navigate the process with confidence, care and a shared commitment to your success.
Q How would your clients describe you?
A O ur clients describe us as highly dedicated, approachable and deeply invested in their success. We pride ourselves on building trust and strong relationships by always putting our clients’ best interests first. They value our proactive communication, accessibility and unwavering focus on achieving the best outcomes. This trust and dedication have earned us a loyal base of repeat clients and referrals. Whether you’re buying your first home or selling your forever home, we’re here to ensure every detail is managed with care and expertise.
Q W hat is your most frequently asked question?
A T he most common question we hear is, “When is the best time to buy or sell?” The truth is, the market in our region is robust year-round and success lies in preparation. No matter the season, we help our clients develop strategies that allow them to buy or sell confidently. It’s never too early to start planning.
Q W hat's an example of something in your professional life that you're particularly proud of?
A I n the past year, I’ve been featured in both T.V. and print media. A luxury property that I sold was chosen by What's Up Annapolis for a two-page Home and Garden spread. I was also named as a Maryland real estate expert on the PBS show “If You Lived Here.”
Q How would your clients describe you?
A I t’s in black and white in my Google reviews! The most frequent comments are about my expertise, professionalism, client centered approach, trustworthiness and reliability. Clients also appreciate my ability to solve problems and negotiate well, resulting in a low stress real estate transaction. This is all done with a personal touch going far beyond what is expected.
Q W hat advice would you offer for someone just starting out in your profession?
A Focus on building relationships and trust rather than just closing deals. Leverage technology, analyze market trends and master negotiation skills early. You’ll encounter emotionally charged situations like divorce and probate: learning to balance empathy and professionalism is necessary and also very rewarding.
Q W hat should your clients know about you?
A I g enuinely care about their success. Every decision I make is focused on what’s best for them, and I treat every transaction as if it were my own. Additionally, I have diverse expertise—spanning traditional sales, investment strategies, negotiation and creative financing—that sets me apart. I’m not just a Realtor; I’m a strategist who resolves challenges and delivers tailored solutions for every client.
HILARY
TONY
J. LEWIS
Rudden Bobruska Team
GARY RUDDEN, LISA RUDDEN, NICK BOBRUSKA, COLE BUTTERFIELD
Honors & Awards:
RE/MAX Diamond & Platinum, 20182024; Bethesda Magazine Top Producer, 2019-2024; Best Washingtonian, 20182024; Real Trends America’s Best Real Estate Professionals, 2019-2024; Top 100 D.C. Metro Real Producers, 2019-2024
RE/MAX Realty Services
4825 Bethesda Ave., #200 Bethesda, MD 20814
Office: 240-403-0399
Direct: 301-351-2247
garyjrudden@remax.net RuddenBobruskaTeam.com
Q W hat’s most important for people to know about your team?
A W e’re a highly successful, topproducing team with years of experience in the Washington, D.C. metro area’s ever-changing real estate market. Our expertise and services go well beyond what the average Realtor or real estate team can offer. We’re technically savvy and strategically showcase our listings on all major social media platforms and websites to maximize exposure. We fully prepare our listings for the market with home staging services ranging from interior design to “extreme makeovers” that include large-scale repairs and renovations. While most Realtors must seek outside help for renovation and construction, we’re uniquely able to offer these services through our in-house licensed and bonded Maryland home improvement services team.
Q W hat other advantages can you offer your clients?
A B uyers can get advice on repairs, upgrades and costs from our construction expert. Our vast network allows us to premarket homes for sellers and discover homes for buyers before they even hit the market. All our team members are knowledgeable, experienced and committed to providing the highest level of service. We work in all price ranges and are truly a full-service, one-stop shop for clients. “This team is pure magic as they held my hand and sold my house of many years in 72 hours,” said one of our recent sellers. We strive for this magic every day.
The Lee Ann Wilkinson Group
NO. 1 TEAM NATIONWIDE, BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES | PENFED REALTY
Lee Ann Wilkinson, CEO, Associate Broker 16698 Kings Highway, Suite A | Lewes, DE 19958 O: 302-645-6664 | C: 302-542-7125 LeeAnn@LeeAnnGroup.com | LeeAnnGroup.com
Q W hy is it important to have an agent representing you in today’s market?
A P urchasing a home is typically the biggest financial decision of a lifetime and can be very complex. You need someone advocating for you every step of the way— something web platforms can’t offer. Just as you wouldn’t navigate a courtroom without legal counsel, it’s wise to have a skilled Realtor by your side when buying or selling property.
Q W hat’s the secret to your success in selling your clients’ homes?
A H ard work, tenacity and an excellent team! We’re a one-stop shop and do everything in-house—including our exceptional listing photos, videos and marketing campaigns. Our agents and staff handle every listing strategically and with attention to detail. And I’m available to clients seven days a week.
David Wagner
3300 Olney Sandy Spring Road Olney, MD 20832
301-221-7342 | 301-774-5900
david@wagnerhomegroup.com WagnerHomeGroup.com
Q W hat brings you the most satisfaction in your work?
A B uilding lasting relationships with clients as well as other agents. For me, numbers aren't the heart of real estate; it's about developing meaningful connections, understanding buyers' and sellers' unique needs and goals, and understanding how each decision impacts their lives. My clients are not transactions; they become part of my extended family. I've built my business on referrals, which is a testament to the trusting relationships I've cultivated with both clients and colleagues.
Q W hat is your best tip for people looking to sell?
A R emember, first impressions are everything, and you only get one shot. So, don't rush your home onto the market before it's ready. And listen to the market; don't overreach or overprice.
D’Ann Melnick, Broker/Realtor
EXP REALTY
1050 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 500
Washington, D.C. 20036 | 301-900-5065
hello@lifeinmoco.com | LifeInMoCo.com
Q W hat makes your client experience unique?
A With more than 20 years of experience and a high volume of successful transactions, I bring extensive knowledge of the real estate process to every client. But what truly sets me apart is that when people choose to work with me, they get me. I handle every inquiry, ensuring quick responses and never passing clients off to inexperienced team members. My background with a major production home builder also gives unique insight into construction and home inspections, allowing me to help buyers know exactly what to look for when touring homes.
Q W hat do you love most about what you do?
A I l ove helping people achieve their real estate dreams. As a problem solver and strong negotiator, I enjoy tackling challenges and delivering results that exceed my clients' expectations.
Ellie Hitt
RE/MAX REALTY CENTRE
A MONTGOMERY COUNTY TOP 5 AGENT, RATEMYAGENT.COM
3300 Olney Sandy Spring Road, Suite 200 Olney, MD 20832
A T hey describe me as a go-getter, as tenacious and passionate. I’m relentless in ensuring that I produce results beyond expectations. I give my clients my all and am completely transparent. They know that I will always tell them what they need to hear—not necessarily what they want to hear.
Q W hat brings you the most satisfaction in your work?
A Wo rking every day in an industry that I love is highly rewarding. The relationships I’ve built have led to a steady stream of referrals, repeat business and multi-generational, lifelong connections. Maintaining a healthy work-life balance also brings me satisfaction. I make it a priority to spend quality time with the people I love, especially my son, James.
Bethesda Interview
A CONVERSATION WITH MARC YAMADA
The Montgomery County police chief on how technology is changing policing, his hopes for the force, and the best Italian restaurant for date night
BY MIKE UNGER
MARC YAMADA is a Montgomery County lifer. He grew up in Wheaton, where he met his wife, Kathy, in junior high school. The couple raised their four children in Olney, where they still live. Professionally, the Montgomery County Department of Police is the only home he’s known. In July, after more than three decades on the force, he became its 18th chief.
It’s been a methodical ascent for Yamada, 61, who joined the department after college so, he says, he wouldn’t have to spend his career behind a desk. Though he sits behind one now, he doesn’t complain; he says he feels privileged to lead the roughly 1,300 sworn officers and 650 support personnel in the department.
“I wanted to help the community that I grew up in, and I thought I would be out doing things as opposed to in an office somewhere,” he says from his office in January, when Bethesda Magazine spoke with him via Zoom. “Looking back on it, I can’t imagine doing anything else for 37 years.”
Yamada, the first Asian American to serve as chief (his father’s parents were Japanese), was an assistant chief before County Executive Marc Elrich tapped him for the top job. Yamada has held numerous leadership positions during his career with the department, including overseeing the Field Services Bureau and serving as the District Four commander and as captain for the Community Engagement Division.
In nominating Yamada, Elrich said he “has been a steadfast advocate for modernizing our police force, fostering community trust, and ensuring that our officers have the resources and training they need. His vision for the future of policing is rooted in accountability and a deep respect for the diverse communities we serve.” He was unanimously confirmed by the county council.
Yamada took over at a time of change in the department. Staffing shortages and recruiting challenges are a constant issue. Technology, such as the use of drones, which he has championed, continues to alter the ways officers can fight crime. While the numbers are encouraging—overall crime fell by 7% in the county last year, including a 43% drop in carjackings and a decline in homicides from 29 in 2023 to 19 in 2024, according to county data—Yamada knows the work is never done.
“I don’t have any visions of living anywhere else,” says Yamada, whose children and three grandchildren all live in the area. “I’ve never had any desire to leave, and now to be in charge of public safety for the same place that I was born and raised is just an honor.”
The interview has been lightly edited for clarity and length.
What was your relationship with the police when you were growing up in Wheaton?
You know, I don’t think I had any interaction with the police department. We would hang out in the parking lot of the McDonald’s in Glenmont after a game or a school event, and if the police came, they didn’t even have to talk to us. We would just acknowledge the fact that they were there and go someplace else. It was sort of unspoken.
There just seemed to be, from our side, respect. And that is missing now. Over the years, I’ve seen it devolve to the point where we have 10-, 11-, 12-year-old kids, and an officer will drive through a parking lot in the same circumstances and kids will flip us off and tell us, ‘Make us leave,’ almost in a challenging way.
To me, it demonstrates a lack of respect. It’s disappointing to see that in our young
kids because I would have never thought of doing that, nor would any of my friends when I was growing up. So how do we go about changing that? To me, that responsibility to dictate to your kids who they should be and how they should act definitely starts at home.
From a police standpoint, I would love to have officers reach out to kids at a young age. We try to be in our high schools. We have a good relationship with [Montgomery County Public Schools], so we have a presence in schools. But over the course of the last four years, it’s lessened. That’s what society dictated to us. We recognize people had concerns about police being in schools, and what our main purpose was, but to us it was always about establishing and building relationships, communicating with kids. We had a lot of successes doing that at our high schools. We didn’t get a chance to do it much in our elementary or middle schools, and I think that’s where we were missing that relationship piece with our young people. But parents were very reluctant at middle and elementary school ages to have police associate with their kids for a variety of reasons.
Why did you become a police officer?
I was attending Frostburg State University, and I had decided on a career in business. I was attending a job fair up in Frederick and I looked over and there were two Montgomery County police officers, Norman Washington and Ora Lee Murray, both of whom are retired now. They were at a recruiting table, and I said to myself, ‘I’m from Montgomery County, I’ll go over and talk to them.’ I wasn’t sure sitting behind a desk was my calling, and
I had a sense of wanting to help the community that I grew up in. I just followed that path. Here I am 37 years later.
You worked as a plainclothes officer for many years. What drew you to that?
I thought about SWAT. I was an athlete in college, so I thought I could probably do SWAT. But undercover work sort of drew me. The narcotics side, drugs, things like that—I just found it really interesting. I got into our Special Investigations Division. I worked as a narcotics officer. I came back as a supervisor there.
That was really my true calling, I think. I found myself doing things that I never would have imagined having a chance to do outside of being in a movie.
Describe your relationship now with the police union.
It’s not something that you can just start once you get to whatever rank it might be. It’s something that you have to build on throughout your career, and I’ve embraced that. I’ve always had a good relationship with our union members. Once I made lieutenant, that continued with [former union leaders] Walt Bader, with Torrie Cooke, and now with Lee Holland.
Lee and Torrie reached out to me very early on in my career as an executive and said, ‘Hey, we really like the way you do things, the way you communicate.’ I just sort of built on that from there. The communication is tremendous. The support they give me is unprecedented. It’s something that my predecessors, I don’t think really had or were able to enjoy. And that’s carried through to the relationship with the council and the county executive. It’s sort of all blended together and it’s been great. If I didn’t have that or if I didn’t enjoy that type of relationship, I probably wouldn’t last very long as the chief.
How would you characterize morale in the department right now?
It’s been an uphill battle since the pandemic hit, and then with George Floyd and some other national events that were not favorable to law enforcement. Those
The Grandview?
•
•
•
Marc Yamada was interviewed by the Montgomery County Council in June as County Executive Marc Elrich’s pick for police chief. He was later unanimously voted in by the council.
ABOUT
From: Wheaton
Lives in: Olney
Age: 61
College: Bachelor’s degree in business management/marketing from Frostburg State University
things have carried over. Officers are one of the only ones that the only acceptable level of performance is perfection. Meaning, I can do 1,000 things right, but if I make one mistake—if I’m not nice, if I’m not courteous, if I forget to do something one time—it’s automatically a blemish on my personnel record. It’s a reprimand. It’s something negative. And that is extremely stressful. It’s worn on officers.
I’m not perfect. I’m going to make mistakes. So are our officers. But there’s no wiggle room in some people’s eyes. And that’s unfortunate. It’s something that we have to try to get out from under. That standard of perfection is impossible. So my promise is to try to do the very best we can. And when we make mistakes, we’ll own it and try not to repeat those mistakes. But I cannot promise that we won’t make mistakes. And that’s the message that I pass on to my officers. I will support them. I will stand behind them. I will stand alongside them. I will stand with them as long as we don’t do things that are egregious and unforgivable. As long as we’re able to improve from whatever mistake it is we make, I’m good with that. And I think they know that.
So how does the department support its officers from a mental health standpoint? Obviously, as you say, it’s an incredibly stressful job.
Mental health is an absolute priority for me. It’s something that I’ve recognized for years. Law enforcement has long said mental health is an issue, but I don’t know that we have taken the steps to improve, to provide resources to officers, to provide assistance and care in the ways that we should. So one of the things that I did before I even became the chief was establish a relationship with Harbor of Grace, which specializes in mental well-being for first responders. We also have dedicated space at our academy to be used as a wellness area for officers.
I’ve asked our Public Safety Training Academy to focus efforts on mental wellbeing, not just from a mental standpoint, but from a financial standpoint to give incoming recruits and the officers who are already with us education and financial literacy. How to make good decisions with their retirement or health care, things like that. There’s still a lot ahead, but it’s definitely a priority for me, something that I plan to continue to work on.
Occupation: Chief of the Montgomery County Department of Police
Family: Wife, Kathy; four children, ages 19 to 31; three grandchildren
What do
you do to relieve or alleviate your own stress?
When I was a lieutenant, a captain, a commander, district commander, the assistant chief, I would send out emails to folks that work with me and for me. The title was ‘Checking in.’ It was just one or two lines: ‘Hey, just checking in with everybody seeing that you’re OK. Please reach out if you need anything.’ Sometimes it was around a holiday, sometimes it was just for no reason. In return, officers are now doing the same thing for me and for the assistant chiefs. Not everybody asks me how I’m doing or if I’m OK. But now I do get officers walking through the door of the chief’s office and saying, ‘Hey, just making sure everything’s good. Do you need anything?’ And that’s very comforting. It makes me realize what I’ve been doing is probably well received. I reached out to my senior executive assistant not too long before the holidays
PHOTO BY BENJAMIN SKY BRANDT FOR THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY COUNCIL
and said, ‘No more meetings for the next two weeks.’ I’ve had the county executive and others say to me, ‘What do you need, Marc?’ And I go, ‘Well, I need time to run the police department.’ I need to make sure I’m taking care of myself and everybody else. So I have to designate time, set it aside. Unfortunately, I can’t unplug totally like I really want to. The big hindrance to me is this phone that I have in my hand. It goes off all the time. And I answer it. My emails go off all the time. Even when I’m on vacation. Last year I took three days of vacation. I need to make sure I take a little bit more time than that so I can spend time with my kids.
Let’s talk about the size of the force. You’re facing the impending loss of 100 officers this year and, as of January, there was a vacancy rate of about 13%. Are you comfortable with the overall size of the force?
No. If you look at agencies of similar demographic communities nationwide, it’s usually around two officers per 1,000, and we’re at half of that. Here in Montgomery County, we have some brilliant, outstanding folks, both sworn and non-sworn. P.G. County was above 100 homicides this year. D.C. [had 187]. Violent crime is literally 100 yards away depending on where you are in Montgomery County. Our violent crimes are down, and that’s due to the work that the men and women of this agency do. And we do it with far less than what you might see on a national average. It’s going to bite us at some point. We’re going to see increases. We might see further staffing losses.
My message to the council, to the community groups that I talk with, is you all play a role in us maintaining our staffing levels and not creating an environment where officers would lean toward retirement or lean toward going to work somewhere else as opposed to Montgomery County. You all play a huge role in our ability to maintain staffing and ultimately keep the public safe.
What about the diversity of the force? Are you happy with it? And why is that important, if you do consider it important? It’s absolutely important to me. It’s a priority. We don’t have enough women. We don’t have enough minorities, whether it’s
Maryland’s Tenant Right of First Refusal Provision
The Tenant Right of First Refusal Provision to the Renters’ Rights and Stabilization Act gives tenants the exclusive opportunity to buy their rental property before the landlord can sell it on the open market. The goal is to help tenants secure their homes, offering a route to potential homeownership and preventing sudden displacements.
This new law specifically applies to rental properties with 1, 2, or 3 units.
What Will the New Law Mean for Landlords?
- Notice requirements: Landlords must provide tenants with a formal written notice prior to selling their property, disclosing all terms of the sale received by a third party or notifying the tenants of the landlord’s intent to sell the property and granting a 30-day exclusive time period for tenants to make an offer to purchase the property.
- Tenant Offers and Deadlines: Within thirty (30) says of the date on the required notice from the landlord, a tenant may deliver to the landlord a written offer to purchase the property. If the tenant either replies and declines to make an offer or fails to respond within thirty (30) days, the exclusive negotiation period is terminated. If a tenant submits an offer that contains the same or more favorable terms than proposed by the landlord in the notice, then the landlord is required by law to accept the offer. If the tenant’s offer contains material terms less favorable to the landlord than those proposed in the offer, then the landlord must deliver a counteroffer within five (5) days of receipt of the tenant’s offer. After receiving a counteroffer from the landlord, the tenant has five (5) days to either accept or reject the counteroffer. If the tenant rejects the counteroffer or fails to respond to the counteroffer within five (5) days, then the exclusive negotiation period is terminated, and the landlord may sell the property to a third party. If the property owner receives an offer from a third party for an amount at least 10% lower than the lowest price proposed to the tenant in the offer notice or any counteroffer, the landlord must notify the tenant and give the tenant an opportunity to match the offer.
- Avoid Evicting Tenants for Sales: The law prohibits evicting tenants simply to facilitate a sale, which could impact the speed of transactions.
Exemptions to the Law
There are certain exemptions under the new law, such as property transfers to family members, court-ordered sales, or transfers to government entities. Landlords are encouraged to consult with a real estate attorney to determine if any exemptions apply to their property.
To read more about this new law go to www.steinsperling.com/tenant.
ANDREW SCHWARTZ Principal Real Estate & Business Law
Black, Hispanic, Asian. You name the race other than white, and I would like to see our numbers increase.
How do we do that? A lot of it centers on our ability to recruit. And we are exploring ways to have our department better reflect the demographics of the communities that we serve. So I need more women. I need more minorities. Even internally, I need more women executives. I need more minority supervisors and executives. We’re looking at new ways to do our promotional processes. There’s nothing that’s off the table right now, and it’s definitely something we’re looking at.
The county recently had its first conviction using evidence from a drone. How does the department use drones and why are you such a proponent of them? It was something that we explored when I was the assistant chief in field services. We sent some folks out to California—Chula Vista and Beverly Hills, to name a few— where agencies were sort of pioneering the use of drones. They do it a little bit differently than we’re doing it right now. We’re drone-as-first-responders, so we respond to calls for service with our drone program. We’re not flying around patrolling the streets without a call for service attached to it. That’s what they do out on the West Coast, and that meets their community wants and needs. That’s not something that we are doing here.
So we took the good, the bad and the ugly, and we came back here, we refined it, and then we spent six or eight months speaking with the county council, speaking with all the community groups about what this program is or was going to be, and then, more importantly, what it was not going to be. It is not surveillance. It’s not Big Brother. It’s not facial recognition. It’s not any of those things. It’s de-escalation.
It’s utilizing the drone to gather information more efficiently, more effectively, in a much quicker way, and getting that back to officers, which allows them to do what everyone else wants them to do, and that’s to make the best decision possible when responding to a call for service. It’s been a huge success. I’d love to expand it to all six of our districts. Right now it’s a matter of funding and personnel. Everybody that I take to put into our drone program comes off the road, so we have to balance everything out as we move forward.
How important do you consider body cam footage to be?
It’s hugely important. It’s something that has definitely told the story that we expected it to tell—that our officers here in Montgomery County do exactly what we want them to do and how we want them to do it. It has emphasized that our officers abide by constitutional policing, that they do everything that they’re trained to do and nothing outside.
If we do identify an issue in the use of force, there are mandatory reviews. It goes up the supervisory chain; it starts with a sergeant, then the lieutenant, then the captain or the director, then ultimately the assistant chief, and if need be, me. So there are multiple layers of review. We can identify problems. We can identify training issues that we need to go back and revisit with officers.
So it’s hugely beneficial. The officers definitely like it because more often than not, 99 times out of 100, it shows that the officer did exactly what they were supposed to do. And if you were to file a complaint, we can go back and look and say here’s the proof on video that we did not call you a name or we did not smack you in the face or something like that.
Some violent crimes like homicides and carjackings decreased in 2024. To what do you attribute that?
I might be biased here, but it’s due to the great work of our officers out there. Our crime analysts ... play a big role of identifying areas that we need to focus on and problem issues within the community. We now have the use of our real-time information center, our camera program, and all those things provide information back to the officers on the street, to our detectives, and allow them to address the crime before it happens.
Some of it is we’re a bit lucky. Other times it’s great work. Other times it’s the technology that we leverage. But it comes down to ultimately the work of the officers on the street, whether it’s the detectives or the patrol officers answering the calls. And we get a lot of support from our community as far as reporting crime, being part of a neighborhood watch or now participating in our camera programs and things like that. So it’s a group effort.
At the same time, crimes like shoplifting have increased. What can you do to turn that trend around?
We’ve seen a big increase in that. People will go in groups with a bag and basically clean off a shelf, put it in the bag, and run out of the store. We have a really good working relationship with John McCarthy in the state’s attorney’s office, so when we bring these cases to court, we’re able to see them through and prosecute them appropriately. But a lot of times, stores have an individual policy. It might not be you as the manager, but it’s the corporate policy coming down saying, ‘Hey, if somebody gets caught, all we want is the property back. That’s it.’ They look at the officers and they’re like, ‘We’re not looking to come to court. We don’t want to prosecute anybody.’ That presents problems sometimes. If there are no consequences to someone’s actions, what do they do? They just come back the next day or go to another store. So it’s taken some education with our retail establishments, and we’ve had really good successes with Federal Realty down at Pike & Rose making sure that we follow through with prosecution, that there are consequences. And we’ve seen some positive results, but others are bigger, larger corporate entities, and sometimes they’re
just not interested in the prosecution piece of the problem.
You’ve spent basically your whole life living in Montgomery County. Why is it such a special place for you?
I loved Wheaton when I was growing up. I like the people. I love the school system. It’s where I met my wife. My wife and I went to the same junior high school and high school together. We started dating right after I graduated, and I’ve been with her now almost 40 years. We’ve raised all four of our kids here. My second oldest son now resides in Washington, D.C., but he’s the only one that is not still here in the county. And I have three grandkids. They’re all here.
I’ve lived in two places: Wheaton and Olney. It’s changed from Georgia Avenue being two lanes to three on each side. Physically, the stores and the way the apartments are all set up, it’s changed greatly. But the people here have basically remained the same. We’re more diverse now, which is a good thing. It’s a wonderful place to live.
What are some of your favorite spots in the county?
Growing up, I hung out in two places, either Lake Needwood or [Triadelphia Reservoir]. I loved to fish. And then I played golf, starting when I was 10, at all the local golf courses. RedGate, which is no longer there, but Northwest, Needwood, they’re still around.
I don’t venture too far away from Olney a lot of times. I hang out at the Olney Grille or Sol Azteca, GrillMarx. We found Biscotti, which is on Redland and Muncaster. That’s an awesome Italian joint, really small. My wife and I like real quiet and quaint, which tells you that I’m getting old.
Speaking of which, why don’t you have any social media?
I don’t know. I don’t have a lot of time for it. My kids are on it constantly. But I listen to the news, and when I’m in my car, it’s WTOP. The social media thing just never caught on with me, I guess. I still get The Washington Post delivered to my house. I read it on my front porch. I’m old school.
Mike Unger is a writer and editor who grew up in Montgomery County and lives in Baltimore.
David B. Hurwitz
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TEENSEXTRAORDINARY
From the soccer field to the science lab, these 10 teens are doing big things in our community
BY ROBIN L. FLANIGAN & AMY REININK
Oscar José Machado Morón
OUR 2025 SELECTION COMMITTEE
FOR THE EXTRAORDINARY TEEN AWARDS:
Khali Northington Kenyatte, director of programs, Crittenton Services of Greater Washington
Nate Roberts, dual enrollment manager, early college, Montgomery College
Northwest High School
Oscar José Machado Morón’s grandmother signed him up to study at a music conservatory in his native Venezuela when he was 4 years old.
After a year of music education and theory, students were released “like chickens in a coop” to run around the conservatory and choose an instrument, Oscar recalls. The rooms with pianos, violins and clarinets were “packed to the brim [with students], so I had to go downstairs, where I heard someone playing the bassoon. I liked it. The rest is history, I guess.”
A 17-year-old junior at Northwest High School in Germantown, where he lives, Oscar came to the U.S. with his family when he was 8 to escape dangerous political and social conditions. Soon after, his mother enrolled him in the prestigious DC Youth Orchestra Program, where his leadership and technical expertise flourished.
The early days were rough, however. He could play music and keep the beat, but he didn’t speak English yet, so he couldn’t understand his teacher’s directions.
“It took a lot of mental commitment and a lot of practice,” he says.
Now Oscar performs as the principal bassoonist for the DC Youth Orchestra and its Young Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra. Since 2022, he also has worked with highly respected musicians and mentors through the Washington Musical Pathways Initiative, a talent development program for young musicians who identify as Black, indigenous, or a person of color and want to pursue college-level musical studies and professional careers.
Washington Musical Pathways Initiative Artistic Director Jamila Hanner describes Oscar as a humble and resilient emerging leader who uses music to express himself.
“I see his relationship with the bassoon like a friend and companion, growing together each day and each week, working together to not only tell their own story, but make connections with others in a meaningful way,” Hanner says.
While Oscar is considering studying chemical engineering in college, he knows he will continue playing the bassoon. He may even give lessons.
“It keeps me going,” he says. “I always make a joke that the bassoon is the other sibling I never got. I know it’s going to stick with me.”
—Robin L. Flanigan
Kosette Koons-Perdikis
St. Andrew’s Episcopal School
When Kosette Koons-Perdikis co-led a fundraising team for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) in 2023, she was disappointed with the group’s initial performance, having raised just a few thousand dollars in the first three weeks.
The Chevy Chase resident had been nominated by her older sister and selected to run as a candidate in LLS’s Student Visionaries of the Year campaign, a seven-week fundraising challenge held annually that her sister had done in the past. Kosette, who believed the team could do more, sprang into action. She recruited new team members, forged partnerships with local businesses and sent more than 5,000 emails to potential donors over the seven weeks. Kosette says she felt a personal connection to the cause because her mother had fought thyroid cancer when Kosette was 5.
Kosette led her team to raise more than $450,000, the third most of any team in the country, according to LLS. She also broke the all-time Washington, D.C.-area individual fundraising record with $287,000, according to LLS.
“When I’m passionate about something, I tackle it head-on,” says Kosette, now a 17-year-old senior at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Potomac. “I can be a little stubborn at times, but it helps when I need to get things done. My parents call it my ‘beast mode.’ ”
Kosette also brings passion to her academics. She carries a 4.8 GPA, and William Ferriby, who taught Kosette chemistry in 10th grade, says she’s an “academic superstar” who would read and prepare for lab sessions so she could immediately start her experiments at school.
“What I really appreciated was the degree to which she helped a lot of other students in class,” Ferriby says. “If another student had a question, she was often already there helping them.”
Kosette is also a leader on her school’s lacrosse and soccer teams. Her soccer skills earned her a place in the 12th Annual High School All-American Game and she will continue her soccer career at Duke University in the fall.
Her success hasn’t come without roadblocks. She suffered a nearly career-ending ankle injury in November 2023, leading to surgery and a six-month recovery.
Kosette plans to participate in Duke’s Collegiate Athlete Premedical Experience and hopes to attend medical school.
—Amy Reinink
Dina Mabrouk
Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School
Dina Mabrouk came with her family to the U.S. from Egypt in 2012, when she was in kindergarten. She knew no English and still felt out of place after learning the language, unable to understand references to pop culture.
Now an 18-year-old senior at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School (B-CC) in Bethesda, Dina is a student ambassador, at times using her native Arabic to help newly arriving immigrants feel more comfortable. “Because of my experience, I really wanted to help other people assimilate faster,” says Dina, who lives in Silver Spring.
Surprised by how little other students at B-CC knew about Islam and to break stereotypes shared on social media, Dina co-founded the school’s Muslim Student Association at the beginning of her sophomore year. “I like being able to educate people and let them know that what you think is not always actually the case,” she says.
Dina participates in B-CC’s Lazarus Leadership Fellows Program, which uses community service projects to teach teens leadership skills. Partnering with the Bethesda-based organization Meaningful Futures, she says she devoted 215 hours to creating and running Achieving Art for All, a summer art camp for children with autism that took place in 2024. Her younger brother has the disorder.
Bruce Adams, founder of the Lazarus program and former B-CC parent, says Dina stands out from the 400 fellows selected over the past 28 years. “We live in such divided and difficult times,” he says. “We need people who see problems and figure out how to solve them. … People who can listen but also lead. People who inspire others and get stuff done. We need more Dinas.”
While volunteering with the campers in the summer of 2024, Dina received an education of her own. “I learned you have to be willing to adapt as a leader, and you have to expect that things will go wrong,” she says. “I’m really glad I was able to step outside of my comfort zone to make something truly extraordinary happen for these kids.”
Dina says that in addition to her high school studies, she works at Georgetown Cupcake in Bethesda and takes three classes a week at Montgomery College.
“I should always keep on evolving, keep on growing,” says Dina, who plans to pursue an accounting degree. “I’m not a one and done.”
—R.L.F.
Ava Bell
Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School
Georgetown Visitation math and science teacher Michal Kolpak recalls with awe Ava Bell’s performance in his honors precalculus class in fall 2023, when she was a junior lass, which he describes as one of the Washington, D.C., school’s most difficult , challenges students to use a proof he provides to solve complex math problems.
“Ava was the only person who would religiously correct her own work,” Kolpak says. “She understood that the process was to do the work, make mistakes and improve. Right away, it was clear that she possessed a rare sort of intellectual maturity.”
Ava, now a senior, brings that same determination and confidence to every school activity she participates in, from the Spanish Honor Society to cross-country and indoor track. She credits her upbringing—her mother immigrated to the United States from Jamaica—and her desire to create inclusive spaces for women and people of color as motivations.
“My mom reminds me to be grateful for everything I have,” says Ava, 18, of Gaithersburg. “I remember learning that she didn’t always have enough food growing up, and that really stuck with me, to be grateful for every meal.”
Ava leads her school’s Building, Engineering, Design & Architecture Club, and as a junior co-led the club to a first prize at the ACE (Architecture, Construction, Engineering) Mentor Program of the Greater Washington Metropolitan Area’s presentation night. The group designed an Olympic Stadium to replace RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. Ava says the club chose that project because it would be “a good representation of how diverse groups can unite together and play sports.”
“When I joined the club my freshman year, I realized I had a passion for experimenting and creating, and there was something about doing it in an all-women environment that felt really empowering to me,” Ava says, referring to Visitation’s all-girls student body
Ava says she has worked to create a similarly empowering environment for other girls, especially Black girls, through the school’s Black Women’s Society. There, she shares her Jamaican heritage and has helped plan the club’s annual Black History Month assembly each year during her time at Visitation.
Ava plans to attend Cornell University in the fall and hopes to become a doctor.
—A.R.
Erfan Nabizada
Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School
Erfan Nabizada was just 15 when he fled his home city of Kabul, Afghanistan, during the withdrawal of U.S. troops in 2021. He made the harrowing escape to the United States along with his uncle and older brother. Erfan’s four sisters and his father remained in Afghanistan.
During the first year after his arrival, Erfan spoke on a panel about climate change with former Vice President Al Gore, created a virtual school for girls in Afghanistan via Zoom, and became an integral part of the Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School community, where he is now a senior.
“When I met him at 15, he had experienced more successes and struggles and setbacks than most adults experience in a lifetime,” says David Lopilato, faculty adviser for The Amplifier, the county’s student-run magazine. Erfan is currently a writer for the magazine and has also served as editor-in-chief. “Not all of his projects meet a finish line, but every time he has a setback, he figures out some other way of making a difference.”
Erfan, now 18, lives in Chevy Chase with his uncle and older brother. He says his activism started early. As a preteen in Kabul, he aimed to improve his environment by planting trees, and he printed and distributed flyers that pushed for peace.
Even on Erfan’s journey to Maryland, which involved stops in Qatar, Germany and New Mexico, he says he tried to be helpful, translating for and supporting those less fortunate than him. “I have always had a feeling of responsibility for others, and I’ve brought that with me over here,” Erfan says. “Even a little action can change a lot.”
Erfan works as an associate for Link Strategic Partners, a Washington, D.C., consulting firm, which enables him to contribute to his household income. He began as an intern in 2023, and now works there 15 hours per week after school. He also coordinates with lawyers and other officials to obtain green cards for his family members who remain overseas.
Erfan hopes to attend college locally and wants to continue his social justice work.
—A.R.
PHOTOS BY JIMELL GREENE
Charles MJ
McLean School
MJ Charles grew up with music as the heartbeat of his family.
His father, from Trinidad and Tobago, and his mother, from the Dominican Republic, would sing and dance to the sounds of salsa and merengue in the family’s music room. His grandparents bought him a toy piano when he was 3, and his parents say he amazed them by tapping out melodies instead of just pounding on the keys.
By 7, he was performing songs on his keyboard at church.
In 2023, MJ won best piano soloist at the Festivals of Music competition in Virginia Beach, where his jazz band also finished in first place. That same year, he was a soloist at a summer program at the Berklee College of Music in Boston.
“He’s frankly one of the most talented musicians I have ever come across firsthand,” says Isador “Izzy” Miller, MJ’s piano teacher. “His ears are incredible. He can hear a Chopin piano piece or even a big band piece and play it right back.”
MJ, of Potomac, is an 18-year-old senior at McLean School in Potomac. He says music is now not only a passion but also a way to cope with ADHD and dyslexia.
“It’s a healthy way of letting my emotions out,” MJ says.
Living with ADHD hasn’t always been easy, he says, but he now views the unique wiring of his brain as a strength.
“When I’m really focused on learning a new song, I’m able to dig into it on a deeper level than most people because I focus only on that,” MJ says.
Music also fosters social connection for MJ, who began volunteering at The Village at Rockville after his grandfather who lived there passed away. Arts and crafts and games of balloon tennis quickly morphed into piano performances. MJ says he bonded with a Spanish-speaking woman who was receiving care for dementia, and connected with her by learning to play the salsa music she remembered from her youth.
“Moments like these illustrate MJ’s empathy and commitment to bringing happiness to others, especially those who may feel isolated,” says Natalie Stapert, assistant head of the upper school at McLean.
MJ is also the co-founder of his school’s rock climbing team and the leader of its People of Color Club. He hopes to pursue architectural engineering in college.
—A.R.
PHOTO BY JIMELL GREENE
Kenneth Shue
Richard Montgomery High School
As an eighth grader, Kenneth Shue asked his parents a simple question: Why can’t we recycle plastic bags?
He learned that plastic bags and plastic films can contaminate other recyclables and must be processed at a separate facility. The answer spurred Kenneth’s ongoing passion for sustainability. He’s now a 17-yearold junior at Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville and in the International Baccalaureate program.
Kenneth, who lives in Potomac, co-founded the Growing & Giving Club, part of the Chinese American Parent Association of Montgomery County, in 2020. He pitched a countywide “Be a Zero Hero” program to the Growing & Giving Club, and the program launched in 2023. The initiative, which aims to educate the public about properly recycling plastic bags and films, began with a dozen or so bins in local Chinese-language schools. Kenneth began visiting schools during events and celebrations, and designed educational material in English, Chinese and Spanish as the program expanded.
“We wanted to lessen friction as much as possible to make it as easy as possible to recycle these items,” Kenneth says.
The program now boasts more than 50 volunteers, has established 19 recycling sites and has collected 2,000 pounds of plastic film waste, which is brought to either the Shady Grove Transfer Station or stores that are in partnership with NexTrex, which provides material for Trex, a composite decking company. Be a Zero Hero is active in 34 Montgomery County public schools, and Kenneth hopes to reach 80. He applied to the Clean Water Montgomery Grant Program and was awarded $38,750 in April 2024.
Most of the money has been used to print promotional material and rent out venues for events, says Kenneth, whose scientific interests aren’t limited to sustainability. He has worked with a professor at West Virginia University to write a paper about the application of artificial intelligence in emergency rooms, and also leads his school’s biology club, which participates in the annual USA Biology Olympiad.
Julie Yang, president of the Montgomery County Board of Education, says it was about two years ago when she started noticing Kenneth and his group at various community events, from school Earth Day gatherings to church meetings. She says she was struck by the calm and introspective young man’s motivation to spread the word about his project.
After they got to know each other, Kenneth approached Yang for advice on what he could do better, and how he could do more. He also presented information about the club to the board of education on multiple occasions.
“He is so motivated, has so much conviction for this cause, and is so knowledgeable,” Yang says. “But he transfers his knowledge in a way that others can receive it.”
Kenneth hopes to continue pursuing environmental work in college and beyond.
—A.R.
Chopra Megan
Sidwell Friends School
Megan Chopra remembers being stuck at home in Potomac at the height of the pandemic, reading one book after another.
From one of them, Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, she learned about the country’s broken criminal justice system, particularly for people who come from marginalized or impoverished backgrounds.
“It sparked something in me that led to more books and more research and eventually inspired my passion,” says Megan, a 17-year-old senior at Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C. That passion has led to a flurry of far-reaching projects.
For Yale University’s Challenging Racism in the Law Project, Megan helped conduct research at the National Archives on racial targeting. Through mentorship by a University of Virginia School of Law professor, she also helped compile and analyze qualitative data on efforts around the country that support people recently released from prison to reintegrate successfully into the community.
Megan also created a website and blog, criminaljusticereform.space, to spread awareness on issues about structural shortcomings in the criminal justice system and developed a two-week course aimed at helping previously incarcerated individuals learn and develop essential workforce skills.
“Since a very young age, Megan has been a self-motivated, hardworking and compassionate kid,” says her mother, Monica Chopra, adding that in seventh grade, Megan taught weekly virtual English classes to a group of underprivileged kids in India. “She brings an unwavering determination to everything she does.”
In addition to dreaming of a career in reforming the justice system as a lawyer for disadvantaged defendants, Megan, long interested in sports, also is considering a career in sports management. In July 2024 she self-published Redefining the Field: The Triumphs and Tribulations of Women in Sports. The book, available on Amazon, consists of interviews with trailblazing women in sports management, coaching, business, social justice and journalism. Megan is donating all proceeds to the Women’s Sports Foundation.
At Sidwell, Megan gives tours and sits on panels for prospective students and families as a member of the Student Ambassador Leadership Team, is editor-in-chief of InLight Magazine and co-president of the Girls Who Start club to help build successful female entrepreneurs.
“We can all at least make a small impact,” Megan says. “I’ve seen that throughout my work, and it inspires me to never give up.”
—R.L.F.
Wilkins Noah
Maret School
In fifth grade, Noah Wilkins couldn’t decide between learning the trumpet or the saxophone in band class, so he flipped a coin.
That coin toss began a relationship with the saxophone that Noah, now an 18-year-old who lives in Upper Northwest D.C., has used to express himself through classical and jazz music.
“A lot of people have this idea that it’s a very rigid form of music, but there are a lot of liberties you can take with it,” he says of classical music.
Noah is a senior at Maret School in D.C. Since his sophomore year, he has led Maret’s upper school jazz combo, jazz band, and classical wind ensemble.
At Levine Music’s Northwest D.C. campus, Noah has earned a place over the past five years in some of the school’s most selective merit-based programs. Logan Massey, the senior director of music education there, describes Noah as “kind, compassionate and engaging,” and says he “expresses gratitude for the contributions of others around him while working hard to ensure that he delivers on his own promises.”
In his freshman year, Noah was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. To increase awareness for the disease, he organized and hosted a 90-minute benefit concert and reception at Levine Music that raised more than $5,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, now called Breakthrough T1D.
“It was really nice to use music to advocate for something I deal with every day,” he says.
Noah’s desire to make a difference goes beyond music, and he serves as the upper school’s student body president.
Noah remembers being behind his peers when it came to reading and writing when he began attending Maret School in first grade, but mentorship from an upper-level student helped him get on track. That experience led to Noah creating and co-leading the Tadpoles and Frogs mentorship club (the school’s athletic teams are known as the Fighting Frogs) during his junior year. The club has 65 members, with 25 students currently paired with lower school students and classrooms.
Through his mentoring of a third grader, Noah realized that learning goes both ways.
“Working with him, I was able to teach myself that it’s not about working just to be better or to catch up to everyone else,” Noah says, “but it’s really just working to be proud of yourself and be the best version you can be.”
—R.L.F.
Stanley Hsu
Stanley Hsu trains competitively six days a week with dreams of Olympic gold. The 16-year-old’s athletic pursuit? Table tennis, which has been an Olympic sport since 1988.
Stanley, who lives in North Potomac, is the highest ranked under17 member of the USA Table Tennis National Team, which he has been a junior member of since July 2021 and is ranked sixth in the under-19 category.
A junior at Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, Stanley has won medals at the International Table Tennis Federation’s (ITTF’s) Pan American Youth Championships, on the pro circuit at World Table Tennis events, and at the U.S. National Table Tennis Championships— and finished just shy of a medal in the quarterfinals of the 2023 ITTF World Youth Championships in Slovenia.
“When you play a match, all your energy is spent on movements you’ve spent thousands of hours practicing at home,” Stanley says. “Everything else falls away. You don’t hear the crowd. The adrenaline takes over and you just keep as calm as you can.”
As of January, Stanley has a USA Table Tennis rating higher than 2,500—putting him in the top 1.5% of all table tennis players in the U.S.—but he has a reputation for being humble.
“A lot of athletes at his level have an arrogance or ‘win at all costs’ kind of mentality,” says Vikash Sahu, one of Stanley’s teachers in Montgomery Blair’s Science, Mathematics, and Com puter Science Magnet Program. “At his school club he is always willing to play with newcomers and beginner-level players, and is encouraging to them.”
That’s the Table Tennis Club—which Stanley founded in 2023 as a sophomore.
Stanley has needed physical therapy to deal with injuries to his right wrist, right shoulder and right knee, and works with a personal trainer twice a week so his body can generate enough power and speed to stay in peak shape for competitions.
Stanley’s competitive edge extends beyond the table tennis court. He has been a statewide winner and national finalist in Future Business Leaders of America competitions, and he also builds neural networks and machine learning classifiers—both algorithms involved in artificial intelligence—in his spare time.
Stanley doesn’t believe in luck, which is why he spends so much time with a paddle in his hand, and keeps his accomplishments in perspective.
“Before a tournament, I go through this pep talk,” he says. “I tell myself, ‘This doesn’t matter that much in the grand scheme of things.’ At the end of the day, it’s just a sport.”
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Pinehurst Design Build completed an interior renovation of a mid-Victorian home in Georgetown, originally built in 1868. The team’s primary goal was to preserve historical features while adapting the space for contemporary living. The renovation included a complete kitchen remodel, the installation of a spiral staircase, updated bathrooms, a new butler’s pantry and a redesigned arched opening between the foyer and dining room.
To incorporate more space in the kitchen, we removed the masonry fireplace and installed a structural beam to support the fireplace above on the second floor. The kitchen design features blackened stainless-steel countertops and backsplash that contrast beautifully with the traditional elements, fostering a dynamic yet balanced aesthetic. Adjacent to the kitchen, the butler's pantry boasts custom brass countertops and an integrated sink.
The modified foyer opening, with custom-made plaster millwork, honors the home's original character while providing a focal point ideal for the owner’s artwork.
Bethesda Custom Closets
240-481-2331| BethesdaClosets.com
BIO
With over 20 years of experience, Bethesda Closets offers discerning clients a fully custom experience. Family owned and operated by a husband-and-wife team, Bethesda Closets’ design experts listen to your needs to create the organized space of your dreams. Friendly and reliable carpenters will impress you with their attention to detail.
OUR WORK
Specializing in closets, pantries, garages and home offices, as well as Hunter Douglas window coverings, Bethesda Closets has something for everyone. From basic reach-ins to over-the-top luxury, designers will provide a complimentary estimate in the comfort of your home. Carefully considering your needs, a 3D design rendering will be created to visualize your new space.
Offering a turnkey experience, Bethesda Closets will remove your existing closets, patch and paint the walls and provide a seamless installation process
Visit the North Bethesda showroom where you can select from the extensive array of colors, doors, hardware, discrete lockable storage and many other special features to fit any budget. A full display of Hunter Douglas window coverings, including options for motorization, is also available.
At Bethesda Closets, excellent customer service is a founding principle, which is reflected in our five-star Google reviews. Visit our website for photos and more information.
Stephanie and David Vordick and their Kitchen Tune-Up team quickly revitalize kitchens with beautiful, cost-effective transformations, offering cabinet refacing, painting, restoring, or replacing with minimal disruption compared to traditional remodels. With a commitment to respect, trust and open communication, Kitchen Tune-Up redefines how effortless and enjoyable kitchen updates can be.
OUR WORK
Our client’s kitchen was functional and good quality, but they wanted a stylish new look. Refacing their cabinets (keeping their cabinet boxes and installing new doors and drawer fronts) in this gorgeous oak renewed this kitchen’s life and completely transformed the space. The custom hood, quartz counters and backsplash, new lighting and reimagined butler’s pantry completed the stunning makeover. This project took two weeks, but most Kitchen Tune-Up updates are completed in five days or less. Refacing projects can save half the cost of replacing cabinets, leaving more money for updating appliances and counters. Refacing projects may include adding new cabinets (like enlarging an island or converting a desk area), but fewer layout and structural changes keep costs down. Kitchen Tune-Up also offers professional cabinet painting and a one-day refresh for wood-stained cabinets. All our cabinet services can be combined with new counters and backsplashes for a complete transformation.
BOWA
Metro D.C. Area | 7900 Westpark Dr., Suite A180 McLean, VA 22102 | 703-272-5962 | BOWA.com
BIO
BOWA, an award-winning design-build firm, specializes in luxury renovations ranging from single-room upgrades to whole-home remodels. With more than 80 percent of projects from referrals and returning clients, BOWA is a trusted name serving clients throughout the Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia region for more than 35 years.
OUR WORK
BOWA’s commitment to exceptional craftsmanship, white-glove and worry-free client experience, and our ability to deliver on even the most ambitious designs set us apart. We take immense pride in every project, standing behind our craftsmanship and ensuring the highest standards of work at every stage of the design-build process.
We partner with industry-leading suppliers to source top-quality materials, finishes and appliances, and our team of expert craftsmen bring an attention to detail and technical expertise that ensures every aspect of a project is executed with precision, regardless of complexity.
Our approach isn’t just about remodeling—it’s about creating timeless, personalized spaces that meet the unique needs of every client. We go beyond traditional remodeling by developing deep relationships with our clients, truly understanding their needs, desires and lifestyle requirements to craft the spaces they will cherish for a lifetime.
Welcome to Maplewood Park Place, Bethesda’s only resident-owned retirement community. In our quaint, suburban neighborhood, you’ll enjoy fine dining, modern amenities, opportunities to make meaningful connections through a host of activities, and a full continuum of high-quality care, should you need it. We call it living that’s just right.
OUR WORK
Personalize Your Place in Three Easy Steps
At Maplewood Park Place, exceptional senior living starts by customizing one of our elegantly crafted apartment homes. We’ll begin renovations soon after closing.
1. Select your dream apartment from 19 different floor plans.
2. Meet with our in-house renovation coordinator, general contractor and interior designers to make your dream come to life. The team provides an array of decor selections and oversees everything to ensure the project is executed to perfection.
3. Move into your beautifully renovated dream home. Enjoy retirement living that’s just right!
“One of the great things about Maplewood is the freedom to redo your space. Unlike entry-fee communities, where you don’t own your home, here—as a resident/owner—you can renovate and redecorate any way you like. And you gain the value of home appreciation and your investment in improvements.”
—Maplewood Resident
James McDonald Associate Architects, PC
10135 Colvin Run Road, Suite 200 | Great Falls, VA 22066 703-757-0036 | JamesMcDonaldArchitects.com
BIO
James McDonald Associate Architects (JMAA) specializes in creating custom homes and remodels that reflect each client's unique vision and lifestyle. With an emphasis on collaboration, functionality and timeless design, the firm's personalized approach has fostered a loyal client base, delivering homes that remain both beautiful and livable for years to come.
OUR WORK
Our firm specializes in designing homes to meet our clients’ specific needs and wants. From jewel box cottages to grand estates, we pride ourselves in providing excellent designs to meet our clients’ lifestyle. Our design talent and construction know-how allow us to design homes to meet any design style or direction.
This modern custom home, slated to start construction later this year, includes a strong mix of exterior materials, color and spaces filled with light. Creating spaces that flow between rooms with specific memory points gives JMAA the opportunity to have fun with the design no matter the size of the house. This home has simple massing forms, with recessed openings of glass to express the shadow lines and massing. The front is a relatively simple controlled form, while the back opens up with clear story windows and glass window walls to the private rear yard.
Chase Builders is a premier home builder, with more than two decades of industry excellence. Our skilled professionals create customized, luxury homes, ensuring perfection from concept to completion. Committed to quality, innovation and exceptional service, trust Chase Builders for your dream home investment.
OUR WORK
Nestled in the prestigious Edgemoor neighborhood of Bethesda, this magnificent five-bedroom home epitomizes modern luxury and timeless elegance. Spanning three finished levels, the residence features a spacious family room, a breathtaking dining room complete with a walk-in wine cellar and a chef’s dream kitchen with an adjoining catering kitchen and fold-up pass-through window.
Step outside to an entertainer’s paradise, featuring a generous porch with a cozy fireplace, a custom designed grilling haven, an expansive flagstone patio and a serene in-ground pool. Every detail has been meticulously crafted to ensure unparalleled sophistication.
At the heart of our design philosophy is you—the homeowner. We pride ourselves on delivering exceptional craftsmanship, from intricate tilework to designer lighting and premium finishes. This home is not just a residence; it’s a sanctuary where cherished memories are made.
Elevate your lifestyle with luxury living by Chase Builders Inc.
A.B.E. Networks, founded in 1991, is the Washington, D.C. area’s leading provider of residential and commercial technology design and integration. With more than 30 years of experience, we specialize in seamlessly blending smart home solutions, audiovisual systems, lighting control, security, motorized window treatments and automation with exceptional design and functionality.
OUR WORK
Since our founding, we’ve specialized in delivering state-of-the-art technology solutions tailored to fit the unique needs of both residential and commercial clients. Our design-driven approach ensures that technology enhances, rather than disrupts, the aesthetic and functionality of each space. We collaborate closely with architects, interior designers and builders to integrate sophisticated systems such as smart home automation, audiovisual installations, lighting and shading control, security cameras and dedicated home theaters, all while maintaining a seamless connection to the design vision. Our expert team ensures every installation is intuitive, user-friendly and built to evolve with emerging technologies. We believe in building lasting relationships with our clients, providing ongoing support to ensure systems continue to perform flawlessly. From design through implementation and into continuing care, we’re committed to delivering personalized solutions.
Tri Pointe Homes
Sarah Echelberger | Steven Buterbaugh-Santiago
New Home Specialists | 240-241-7809
DCMetro@TriPointeHomes.com
BIO
At Tri Pointe Homes, we believe people and places should grow together. Our passion for innovation drives leading-edge design, creating better living environments and vibrant lifestyles. With a focus on thriving communities and style-forward homes, we invite you to discover lifechanging design at Northpark.
OUR WORK
Nothing feels more urban than loft living. And now, North Bethesda’s newest neighborhood of luxe lofts is selling at Northpark Lofts. Designed to surprise and inspire, these two-level homes feature living spaces that redefine what it means to live above and beyond, offering you the freedom to enjoy lowmaintenance condo ownership without worrying about exterior upkeep.
Located just one block from Pike & Rose, Northpark Lofts places you at the heart of Bethesda’s most vibrant community. Here, a creative mix of boutiques, restaurants, events and conveniences come together to inspire face-to-face connections and elevate daily living. With Metro access just four blocks away, your world is always within reach.
Move into the energy of this coveted neighborhood today, where unique attracts unique. With homes ready for immediate move-in, Northpark Lofts can’t help but stand out, even among the greatness of this very place.
A.B.E. Networks
A.B.E. Networks specializes in custom residential and commercial technology design and integration, offering smart home solutions, audiovisual systems, lighting control, security, and automation. With over 30 years of expertise, we deliver seamless, designdriven solutions that enhance both function and aesthetics.
Since 2005, Amicus has created fresh spaces— fresh designs, fresh air and water and a fresh take on what our buildings can do for us. Working with your contractor or ours, our products and expertise can help you create a wonderful space that looks fantastic and feels great.
301-571-8590 | 4080A Howard Ave. | Kensington, MD 20895 AmicusGreen.com
Cabin John Builders
Cabin John Builders, an acclaimed custom home builder, excels in luxurious renovations, expansions and bespoke new homes. Discover the ease and delight of your major construction projects with our dedicated, expert team in the Washington, D.C. area.
Celebrating over 20 years in business, Aidan Design specializes in residential kitchen and bathroom design in the Washington metro area. Understanding clients' needs is first and foremost. Thoughtful and creative design is paired with close attention to detail and exceptional customer service.
BOWA is a trusted, awardwinning design-build firm specializing in luxury renovations ranging from single-room upgrades to whole-home remodels. Our commitment to exceptional craftsmanship and a worry-free client experience mean you can rest easy and enjoy your remodeling experience.
7900 Westpark Drive, Suite A180 | McLean, VA 22102 703-734-9050 | BOWA.com
Chase Builders
Chase Builders is a premier home builder, with more than two decades of industry excellence. Our skilled professionals create customized, luxury homes, ensuring perfection from concept to completion. Committed to quality, innovation and exceptional service, trust Chase Builders for your dream home investment. Contact us today!
An award-winning Architecture firm, designing custom & speculative homes to promote a timeless, intuitive living experience. Our goal is to cherish client's expectations and design a living space that is both inspiring and functional. Contact us for consultation about your project.
202-860-7050 | ElieBenArch.com
Glickman Design Build
With over four decades of experience, Glickman Design Build specializes in wholehouse renovations, interior and accessible design, aging-in-place remodels, and additions. We deliver tailored, high-end solutions that blend style, comfort, and practicality.
Managed Homes specializes in luxury home concierge, renovations, and handyman services. From routine maintenance and repairs to remodeling, smart home upgrades, and emergency services, we provide expert contractor coordination and personalized care, ensuring efficiency, quality, and peace of mind for homeowners.
12250 Wilkins Ave, Suite B | Rockville, MD 20852 301-798-6045 | ManagedHomes.com
Kevin Gilday leads a team of seasoned architects, interior designers, and master craftsmen dedicated to delivering a transformational home renovation experience to every client. Our collaborative design process will help you give the home you love the love it deserves!
James McDonald Associate Architects bring their design excellence to the small additions and remodel’s as well as to the larger custom homes we design for our clients. It is about creating a space that fulfills our clients lifestyle and wishes. We work throughout the Maryland, D.C. and Virginia area.
10135 Colvin Run Road | Great Falls, VA 22066 703-757-0036 | James@jamesmcdonaldarchitects.com JamesMcDonaldArchitects.com
Natelli Homes, LLC
Natelli Homes, LLC. Offering personalized and trusted design and building services for custom homes and renovations for nearly four decades. The quality brand known throughout the Washington, D.C. market now serves Bethany, Rehoboth and the Delaware beaches.
301-938-5933 | NatelliHomes.com
Pinehurst Design Build
At Pinehurst Design Build, experience and trust are the bedrock of our company. Our mission is to help clients reimagine their homes and provide a seamless remodeling experience, resulting in a new, harmonious space you love coming home to.
Renovation specialists with a fresh take on home aesthetics and a soulful, creative approach to how home improvement is experienced. The STRUCTURE team has a reputation for high quality, highly customized projects that shine with undeniable style. This boutique renovation and home building firm provides the keys to a well-loved home.
4810 Creek Shore Drive | North Bethesda, MD 20852 240-994-1520 | info@structurecustomhomes.com StructureCustomHomes.com
Tyler Whitmore Interiors
Tyler Whitmore Interiors, located in Kensington, MD, is a unique boutique specializing in refurbished, up-cycled, and reimagined furniture. Each piece is thoughtfully curated, blending sustainability with style to create one-of-a-kind designs that transform any space with character, charm and timeless elegance.
We are the premier custom homebuilder in the area with our integrated, full- service team. With over 40 years of experience and vast portfolio of well-built homes, our happy clients have made us Best of Bethesda every year since its inception. Our expertise is unmatched in the industry and we are proud to be our client’s “Builder for Life”.
301-913-5995 | SandySpringBuilders.com
Studio Z Design Concepts, LLC
Solely dedicated to the practice of Residential Architecture, our firm prides itself on solving a client’s needs and managing their expectations. Striking, functional, and market appropriate are compliments we have received from homeowners and colleagues when referencing our work.
Wilets Architecture creates custom residential and community buildings, crafting inspired spaces for people who live, work, and play within. Our architectural vision, construction knowledge, and collaborative process propel projects from concept to completion, improving lives and adding value to communities.
While the menu is part Italian and part Persian at Italiamo Kitchen, a counterservice restaurant that opened in Derwood in December, its bestseller is the solo item that’s a fusion of Mexican and Persian fare: a tahdig taco. “Once you taste it, you’re going to love it,” I overhear co-owner Matt Mahjoub telling a diner, referring to the dish that lured me there in the first place, thanks to Instagram. He’s right, I thought, as I devoured mine, a shell of crisp flour tortilla on the outside and crunchy rice on the inside stuffed with succulent grilled chicken and a lemony cucumber, tomato and onion salad. Tahdig is the browned,
crunchy layer of rice at the bottom of the pan of Persian saffron-infused rice (sometimes bread or potatoes form the bottom layer). The tahdig taco ($10) is also available with Persian spiced ground beef (koobideh) or salmon. Slather any version with the cucumber, yogurt and jalapeno chutney served on the side.
Mahjoub, 46, is a Bethesda resident who was born in London and lived in Iran from ages 4 to 12, when his family moved to Montgomery County. Mahjoub went to Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda and was in the U.S. Army Reserve for eight years. He fell into the
PHOTOS BY BRENDAN MCCABE
restaurant business in 2010, helping a friend who had a kabob joint in Tysons Corner, Virginia. They partnered on a venture in Rockville in 2012; when the friend dropped out of the partnership eight months in, Mahjoub changed the name to Matt’s House of Kabob. That spot, and two other locations, closed by 2018. A Gaithersburg location he opened in 2019 didn’t make it through the pandemic. He partnered on Italiamo Kitchen with Raffie Kehyaian, the contractor who built out the space, which seats 26. They recently acquired the space next door, which will double the restaurant’s size to 3,000 square feet and add an additional 60 seats. They expect the expansion and the approval of a beer and wine license to occur in early spring.
Mahjoub borrowed the tahdig taco idea from a food truck he visited in Los Angeles; that inspired the idea of offering two cui-
sines at Italiamo Kitchen. “It was originally going to be just Italian food, but I’m known for Persian food, so I do both,” Mahjoub says. Persian dishes—kashkebademjoon (eggplant dip with caramelized onions, $8), kabobs ($14 to $28) and terrific ghormeh sabzi (a fenugreek-laced beef, herb and kidney bean stew, $15)—coexist with Italian meatballs in marinara sauce ($12), penne alla vodka ($20), pizzas ($10 to $14 for 10-inch; $15 to $21 for 16-inch) and eggplant parm sandwiches ($14).
Economics figured into the dual cuisine idea, too. “The profit from pasta and pizza is 35%, but only 9 or 10% from kabobs,” Mahjoub says. “Plus, how often do people eat kabobs? Pizza and pasta, they eat all the time.”
New York City-based Teso Life Asian Department Store opened its first Maryland location in Rockville in November. The store, in The Shops at Congressional Village shopping center, is a wonderland of things I didn’t need but had to have. The shelves are full of mostly Asian, especially Japanese, goods, including housewares, beauty products, toys, stationery, school supplies and frozen and packaged food items, heavy on snacks and candy.
Here are 10 tasty items that captivated me at Teso Life:
Akai Bohshi brand Kukkia sandwich cookies ($7.99 for a 12-pack of four flavors) from Japan: a thin cookie on one side, a thin wafer on the other, sandwiching four cream fillings: milk chocolate, strawberry, dark chocolate and green tea.
Masako Morishita, the James Beard Award-winning chef from Perry’s restaurant in D.C., tipped me off to Calbee-brand snacks from China, especially seaweed and salt potato chips ($2.69) and umami seaweed potato sticks ($2.29).
Buldak-brand chicken-flavor microwave topokki ($5.49) from South Korea. Chewy Korean rice cakes come in a microwaveable bowl with an ultra-spicy sauce packet. Mix with water, microwave for 2½ minutes and, voilà, a delicious afternoon treat.
Kracie-brand Popin’Cookin’ DIY nobake candy food kits for kids ($5.99) from Japan. Follow clear instructions to mix different colored fruit-flavored powders with water to make gels that go into the plastic molds to form components to assemble into various familiar foods. One kit makes a sushi assortment with faux tuna, salmon roe, Japanese omelet, rice, nori and soy sauce; another makes two cheeseburgers with fries, ketchup and cola. “So cute and so fun,” the label promises—and delivers. Adults will enjoy these as much as the young children they’re meant for.
Kasugai-brand (Japan) muscat gummy candies ($2.99), individually wrapped, that truly taste like muscat grapes.
Meiji-brand Chocorooms ($5.79) from Japan, adorable cookies that look like mushrooms, with animal-cracker-like stems and caps made with layers of milk and dark chocolate. “Yum Fun. For everyone!” the label says, correctly. They are irresistible.
Otafuku-brand frozen seafood (shrimp and squid) okonomiyaki ($5.79), the delicious savory Japanese cabbage pancake, which can be microwaved or pan-fried. Comes with Japanese barbecue sauce, bonito flakes and green seaweed powder.
Maeda-en-brand (a U.S. company with Japanese roots founded in 1984) roasted black sesame (kurogama) ice cream ($4.99).
Japanese Lay’s potato chips in sleeves, like Pringle’s, in various flavors, such as Spanish ham, finger licking braised pork, cucumber, tomato, seaweed, and scallion pancake ($2.99 to $3.99).
Orange-brand (Japan) individually packaged frozen slices of multilayered crepe cake filled with vanilla cream ($3.79).
Childhood favorites inspire the fare at Elena James, the recently opened American bistro in Chevy Chase from the owners of Opal and Nina May
BY DAVID HAGEDORN • PHOTOS BY DEB LINDSEY
Makesure you get the salad isn’t often the first suggestion I make when asked what to order at a new restaurant. But in the case of Elena James, which opened in Chevy Chase Lake in November, it’s advice I could easily say twice. The wedge stack is a stunner—two thick disks of iceberg lettuce layered with house-smoked bacon bits, fried onion crunchies and cherry tomatoes, all slathered with creamy blue cheese dressing; a Laguiole steak knife in the center of the tower holds it together like a giant toothpick. The Gabagool—a chopped Italian salad of gem and romaine lettuce, capicola (“gabagool” is an American slang mutation of this cured meat), prosciutto, mortadella, provolone, cherry tomatoes, sliced green olives and avocadoes tossed in an oregano-spiked vinaigrette—brings to mind the antipasto salad I loved at Minutello’s, the go-to Italian restaurant of my Pittsburgh youth.
Bringing to mind is what chef and co-owner Colin McClimans is going for at Elena James, offering diners the kind of foods they may know from their childhoods, or riffs on them, a strategy that pays off, for the most part. “We’re trying to move away from the fine-dining expectations and price points that Nina May and Opal have,” says McClimans, referring to the two more upscale Washington, D.C., restaurants he owns with Danilo Simic. “They became special occasion places,
FAVORITE DISHES: Wedge salad; Gabagool chopped Italian salad; pork meatballs with red sauce; fried duck wings with honey glaze; bucatini cacio e pepe; rainbow trout with caper brown butter; banana split; Coffee Delight cocktail
PRICES: Starters, $14 to $19; Entrees, including pizza and pasta: $18 to $33; Desserts: $11 to $12
LIBATIONS: Elena James’ beverage list includes 10 craft cocktails ($14 to $16), including a vodka spritz with mint, Aperol and grapefruit soda; an applewoodsmoked Negroni; and a margarita made with orange habanero liqueur. The wine list’s 26 bottles are mostly from California, Oregon and France—three sparkling ($60 to $180), 10 white ($50 to $140) and 13 red ($35 to $123). Sixteen wines by the glass ($11 to $19) and eight beers ($5 to $8) are also available.
When a broker mentioned the Chevy Chase Lake mixed-use development being built to the partners in 2019, McClimans, a born and raised Chevy Chase, D.C., resident, laughed at the idea. “There aren’t any lakes in Chevy Chase that I know of,” he remembers saying, and he didn’t see the potential for a restaurant to thrive there. But after the economic struggles he and Simic, who lives in Fairfax, Virginia, experienced during the COVID pandemic, he had a change of heart. “Opening a place with multiple revenue streams—breakfast, grab-and-go, coffee, a cafe, a restaurant—made sense. Also, the area between Chevy Chase and Kensington is underserved, and we are glad to be part of the retail revival here,” McClimans says. Like Nina May, Elena James’ name combines names of the owners’ children.
The 5,000-square-foot space, designed by D.C.-based Grupo-7, has two entrances, one for the quick service space, the other for the restaurant’s two dining rooms, which seat 106, including 13 at the bar, plus 20 seats outside. The furnishings are mid-century modern with a West Elm vibe—terrazzo flooring, curved harvest gold pleather banquettes, wallpaper with green and gold palm fronds and Calder-esque globe pendant chandeliers. An open kitchen outfitted in white subway tiles and stainless kitchen doors with porthole windows hint at diner decor. The counter-service cafe offers coffee drinks, salads, sandwiches, pizza and breakfast items from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. Seating is available at a five-seat counter or in the adjacent dining room of the restaurant.
Starters at Elena James reflect McClimans’ strategy of referencing familiar American dishes. Ubiquitous Buffalo chicken wings are out; tender, tasty, finger-licking duck wings seasoned with Old Bay barbecue rub are in. McClimans braises the wings in duck fat and deep-fries them, then glazes with Mike’s Hot Honey and tops with chopped peanuts for crunch. Gochujang (Korean red pepper paste) aioli ups the heat.
Buffalo makes an appearance, but as Buffalo shrimp, four canape-size bites in which a shrimp tossed in hot sauce sits
upon a small, deep-fried saltine and a dollop of ranch dressing. Thin slices of pickled celery and radishes serve as garnishes. The clever morsels remind me—in a good way—of something my mother might have served at a cocktail party in the 1970s. Chicken Caesar salad’s remake is an amusing nod to a classic dish. Gem lettuce leaves, each spread with shredded poached chicken bound with Caesar dressing, are served in stacks. The leaves, to be eaten like nachos, are topped with grated Parmesan and toasted breadcrumbs standing in for croutons. McClimans’ tender beef-and-pork meatballs in marinara sauce are more bythe-book, as are forgettable mozzarella sticks.
Entrees are less playful than the appetizers. Roasted lemon and thyme chicken with roasted fingerling potatoes and gravy is akin to what one might make at home. Pan-roasted rainbow trout, moist and delicate, is nicely boosted with brown butter and caper sauce. The fish fillet rests on a swath of creamy onion puree and is topped with fried capers and al dente Romanesco cauliflower sauteed with golden raisins for a touch of sweetness. The dish succeeds in its restraint. Hamburger fans will be happy with Elena James’ patty melt on Texas toast with Gruyere cheese, onions, mayo and pickles. I’m always drawn to pork schnitzel on a menu but prefer it pan-fried in oil and butter rather than deep-fried, like at Elena James. Mine is overcooked and dry, unredeemed by the mushroom Marsala wine sauce that accompanies it.
Elena James’ menu also features pizzas and pastas. It’s not the best pizza I’ve had and not the worst, so I don’t consider the restaurant a destination for that treat. Still, the white pizza with mushroom truffle cream sauce, sauteed enoki, shiitake and oyster mushrooms, and pecorino cheese is a good option to order as a snack for the table at the beginning of a meal, better than the two (not complimentary) bread offerings: lackluster, pale dinner rolls and fluffy breadsticks topped with grated Parm.
Pastas are made in-house. I’m a fan of the bucatini cacio e pepe, the strands dressed only in an emulsion of pasta water, olive oil, pecorino and Romano cheeses and cracked black pep-
per. Lasagna made with a meat sauce of braised short rib and layered with whipped ricotta cheese, pesto and Parmesan tastes fine, but the noodles are overcooked and therefore stodgy. But is this the place I’m heading to for great Italian food? Probably not.
There are three desserts on Elena James’ menu: a seasonal pie; a brownie and blondie combo with vanilla ice cream and two warm sauces (chocolate and caramel); and a terrific banana split with ice cream (vanilla, chocolate and strawberry) from The Charmery, the ice cream shop next door. The vodka-based Coffee Delight cocktail, flavored with espresso, cinnamon, coconut milk, orange and vanilla, is a lovely dessert stand-in.
I understand Elena James’ mission to appeal to a wide range of diners, especially families with small children, but I wish McClimans would rely on the talent and cooking refinements that attract us to Nina May and Opal rather than on gimmicks to dress up nostalgic food or offering dishes we easily find elsewhere. I get the wink, wink of Buffalo shrimp, but a punchline only works once, and a great wedge salad isn’t enough of a draw. Notwithstanding the desire to be all things to all people, I suspect diners would appreciate McClimans taking us down a new path; we’ve been down memory lane before.
JLB Partners is a national developer and builder of luxury multi-family and m ixed-use assets. Founded in 2007, JLB focuses on creating assets that provide elegant living with resort-style amenities. We take pride in our dedication to delivering projects that are characterized by luxury, quality and professionalism.
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Cecil perfectly balances quiet residential charm with upscale downtown living, offering an elevated lifestyle in the heart of Bethesda. Every detail has been carefully crafted, from elegant finishes like quartz countertops and custom cabinetry to modern, high-end amenities such as a state-ofthe-art fitness center, resort-style pool and pet-friendly spaces. Spacious interiors blend comfort and sophistication, creating an inspiring and serene home. Nestled between old Bethesda and Bethesda Row, Cecil provides seamless access to boutique shopping, world-class dining and cultural experiences. With excellent commuter options and a vibrant local community, life at Cecil is as convenient as it is luxurious. Whether you’re enjoying a peaceful retreat in your thoughtfully designed living space or exploring the dynamic surroundings, Cecil offers a home that perfectly balances tranquility, style, and connectivity. Experience a life well-crafted, where every detail is designed to make you feel inspired and at home.
COURTESY PHOTOS
Luxury Condos, Apartments and Townhomes
Tri Pointe Homes
Sarah Echelberger | Steven Buterbaugh-Santiago | New Home Specialists 240-241-7809 | DCMetro@TriPointeHomes.com
BIO
At Tri Pointe Homes, we believe people and places should grow together. Our passion for innovation drives leading-edge design, creating better living environments and vibrant lifestyles. With a focus on thriving communities and style-forward homes, we invite you to discover life-changing design at Northpark.
OUR WORK
Across from the vibrant rhythm of iconic Pike & Rose, a new legend is rising in North Bethesda. Northpark Towns, is where luxury and lifestyle converge in one effortless move. This exclusive townhome community offers immediate move-in opportunities, allowing you to take in every moment of Bethesda’s most coveted address without delay.
Here, more truly is more. Personalize your home with dramatic options like private elevators, additional bedrooms and baths, and covered outdoor living spaces that blend sophistication and comfort. Choose from three unique designs and curate your own personal style with an exceptional palette of finishes that bring your vision to life.
Set against the dynamic backdrop of Pike & Rose, your new home offers endless opportunities to hit pause or play, whether savoring creative culinary experiences, boutique shopping, or simply enjoying the views from your bright and airy perspective right at home. Discover the ultimate mix of panache and purpose at Northpark Towns, where every detail raises the bar.
Welcome to The Camille – Where timeless details meet modern design, and curated amenities suit contemporary lifestyles. Each apartment home is a thoughtfully designed personal sanctuary. Centrally located near downtown Bethesda, the community is surrounded by urban sophistication and neighborhood charm, offering the best of Bethesda living.
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This boutique community boasts picture perfect views from the rooftop Sky Lounge, along with onsite conveniences including co-working spaces, pet spa, fully equipped fitness center, electric vehicle charging stations and personalized concierge services.
The Camille offers a new standard of luxury in the heart of Bethesda. The studio, one-, and two-bedroom homes feature sleek stainless-steel appliances, European flat panel two-toned cabinets and designer finishes.
The central location is perfect for a short walk to the Bethesda Metro Station, Bethesda Row and Woodmont Triangle, and convenient to Washington D.C., Georgetown and I-495.
The Camille was developed as a joint venture partnership between Simpson Housing LLLP and Woodfield Development. Simpson is a fully integrated real estate firm, primarily focusing on multifamily property management. For 21 consecutive years, Simpson has received the “A List” Award for Excellence in Customer Service. The Camille achieved Emerald status National Green Building Standard Certification.
Make
SHOPPING, TRAVEL, WELLNESS AND MORE 164
Rockville’s Trilobite Glassworks fuses art with science.
LET IT RAIN
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EAU LA LA Clean Reserve “Rain” eau de parfum, $110 at Sephora, 7101 Democracy Blvd., (Westfield Montgomery mall), Bethesda, 301-365-9590, sephora.com
Rockville’s Jane Hartman has made a business of selling glass pieces inspired by everything from microbiology to paleontology
BY DAWN KLAVON
Nothing is off-limits to Jane Hartman, a scientist with multiple degrees and a stylized art business who creates glass renderings of E. coli bacteria, trilobites and more.
“I once made a tapeworm Christmas tree ornament,” the Rockville resident says. “Tapeworms are gross, but if you make it pretty colors, people say, ‘Oh, what’s that?’ ”
Through Trilobite Glassworks, her part-time business, Hartman, 67, designs fused and stained glass items that are both eye-catching and scientifically accurate. Her company’s name is a nod to her master’s degree in paleontology, in honor of the extinct creature called the trilobite. Whether it’s a tiny plate featuring the bacteria that causes gonorrhea, glass earrings displaying Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, or a norovirus fused-glass refrigerator magnet, the widowed mother of three adult children finesses the glass to bring Mother Nature’s beauty to life.
“She clearly has this amazing intersection of art and science that she does so well,” says customer Krista Wigginton, a professor of civil and environmental en-
gineering at the University of Michigan. “She understands the science, but she also makes beautiful art.”
For the past seven years, Wigginton has commissioned decorative plates from Hartman as a gift for each of her students when they defend their doctoral thesis. Glass renderings of viruses and doublestranded DNA genomes memorialize the students’ efforts.
“We reach out to her when we have a defense coming up, and she’ll ask for two or three papers from the student to get an idea of the topic,” Wigginton says. “What’s clear is that she knows the science.”
In addition to her master’s degree in paleontology from the University of Wyoming, Hartman holds a bachelor’s degree in geology from the University of Michi-
gan. After college, she married, started a family, and created glassware as a hobby.
Hartman works out of a studio in the basement of her home, which contains soldering irons, two kilns, hundreds of sheets of glass, and about 100 jars of colorful crushed glass. When she started marketing her products in the early 2000s, Hartman crafted more traditional glass pieces, such as stained glass windows and suncatchers, in hopes of attracting a broader audience. When she named her business Trilobite Glassworks, it garnered questions from science fans asking if she created trilobites. In 2009, she bowed to the demand she saw for specialized scientific artwork. Hartman started taking commissions, as science-focused customers saw her talent.
“That’s where I started doing really geeky, really neat stuff because scientists wanted art that depicted what they were researching,” she says. Now she has a constant waiting list.
Hartman’s art is available on her Etsy website, Trilobite Glassworks, and through trilobiteglassworks.weebly.com. Science lovers are drawn to her unique wares in the form of earrings, necklaces, dishes, paperweights or refrigerator magnets. She researches, designs and creates nearly 30 commissions a year, she says, in addition to offering smaller products.
Anne Estes teaches microbiology at Towson University and has been scooping up Hartman’s scientific masterpieces for years. In her classroom, Estes proudly dons necklaces with glass resembling E. coli, cyanobacteria and a bacterial stomach infection called Helicobacter pylori.
“It was my reward for the first five or six times I taught my microbiology class; at the end of every semester, I allowed myself to buy one piece of Jane’s work,” Estes says. “People will go, ‘Oh, what a neat piece of glass.’ I’ll say, ‘It’s beautiful, but it’s really C. diff, which can kill you.’ ”
Catherine Linnen, from the University of Kentucky’s biology department, commissions bespoke glass pieces for her Ph.D. candidates.
“Every piece Jane has done for me has been really special and unique and beautiful,” she says. “The students and postdocs have absolutely loved them, and now it’s a known tradition.”
Hartman concedes that her uncommon art is an acquired taste. “Non-scientists sometimes are like, ‘Wow, that’s really cool, but you’re weird, Jane,’ ” she says. “That’s funny and that’s OK—I take it as a compliment.”
Traveler’s Notebook
Three ways to savor spring, from city sights to scenic byways
The Royal Sonesta hotels have been known for their curated collections of commissioned art for several decades, and a thought-provoking collection is on display at The Royal Sonesta Washington, DC Capitol Hill, which opened in September 2023. Swoops of gold-colored metal— inspired by Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s collar—hanging behind the front desk, light fixtures in the lobby invoking cherry blossom branches, and a piece of word art inspired by Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech are just a few of the pieces that reflect D.C. icons. Explore the hotel’s common spaces for much more.
the building was taken down to the studs and transformed into a 274-room hotel. The standard guest rooms are significantly larger than most of the city’s hotel rooms, ranging from about 400 to 550 square feet. (There are even larger suites.) Each room includes a pillow-top mattress (or two), 65-inch high-definition TV, bathroom with rainfall shower, robe and slippers, mini-fridge, L’or coffee and espresso maker, and handheld garment steamer. Cheerful elements, such as a hair dryer bag with the words “have a good hair day” and a pillow depicting The Knight of Capitol Hill— the hotel’s dapper beaver mascot—also grace each room. (The Knight’s large-
scale image hangs in the lobby, too.)
Walk the rooftop terrace alongside pollinator-friendly plantings for beautiful city views. Off the lobby, Bistro du Jou r, a Parisian-themed eatery from Knead Hospitality + Design, serves traditional French fare, from croque madame and salade nicoise to steak frites. The National Postal Museum is a short stroll down the street. Hotel rates begin at $275. Valet parking is available.
The Royal Sonesta Washington, DC Capitol Hill, 20 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, D.C., 202-888-1850, sonesta.com/ royal-sonesta/dc/washington/royalsonesta-washington-dc-capitol-hill
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Maryland Scenic Byways program. The Maryland Office of Tourism offers maps with estimated drive times, photos, videos and other highlights of each of the state’s 18 scenic byways. Six have earned National Scenic Byways or All-American Road designations. The Horses & Hounds route traverses the state’s “Hunt Country,” named for its fox hunts and steeplechase races. Fans of horse racing’s Triple Crown take note: This relaxing drive passes farms and countryside famous for producing thoroughbreds that raced on major American tracks.
For water-oriented explorations, fish, paddle and bike along scenic trails once navigated by Native Americans on the Cape to Cape route, which travels from the Atlantic Ocean to the Chincoteague, Sinepuxent and Assawoman bays. The 193-mile Mountain Maryland route offers hiking, fishing and boating options to explore western Maryland countryside, forests, rambling rivers and Deep Creek Lake, the state’s largest freshwater lake. Or discover the roots of American religious history along the Religious Freedom byway in southern Maryland.
Keep an eye on the Maryland Office of Tourism Facebook and Instagram pages for a variety of themed posts and suggestions beginning April 5—National Read a Road Map Day.
visitmaryland.org/scenic-byways
TheHistoricInn atOakdenein Staunton,Virginia
Stroll About Staunton
The Historic Inn at Oakdene, an 1893 Queen Anne mansion in Staunton, Virginia’s historic Gospel Hill neighborhood, opened in 2024. This stunning eightsuite property has a rooftop owl finial that is lighted at night, plus landscaped grounds and patios to enjoy an evening fire. Built for Edward Echols, former lieutenant governor of Virginia (1892-1902), Oakdene is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Be Still Getaways group manages the inn, which can feel like a classy Airbnb with no innkeeper on-site and check-in happening via a code sent to you that day. The elegant space
boasts a pool table, glassed-in sunroom with an indoor porch swing, and living room complete with complimentary coffee and tea, cookies, popcorn, muffins, and ice cream treats in a mini-fridge.
The Commonwealth Suite on the second floor (once the home’s primary bedroom) has a king bed, separate living room with a comfortable queen sleeper sofa, rain showerhead, and covered porch with sofa and chair seating that overlooks the backyard’s sloping gardens. Book the Echols Suite for its claw-foot tub, plus an all-weather sunroom with mountain views. All suites feature luxury linens, a microwave, refrigera-
Apooltableawaits gueststotheinn.
Theinn’sQueen AnneSuite,featuring afour-posterbed
tor and Keurig coffee maker.
The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, the American Shakespeare Center’s Blackfriars Playhouse, wine bars, restaurants and coffee shops are all within a few blocks’ stroll. The Historic Berkeley Place, which has a U-shaped wraparound porch and similarly elegant rooms, is a sister property that opened in 2023. Oakdene rates begin at $189 per night.
The Historic Inn at Oakdene, 605 E. Beverley St., Staunton, Virginia, 434-218-2553, oakdeneinn.com
PHOTOS BY JILL FERRELL
MOUNTAIN STATE of MIND
Tiny Thomas, West Virginia, is an ideal launchpad for all kinds of outdoor fun—with or without kids
BY SUSAN ANSPACH
Visitors take in canyon views at Blackwater Falls State Park in Davis, West Virginia, a short drive from Thomas, West Virginia.
Don’t blink—or you might pass right through historic Thomas, West Virginia, without even realizing it.
A sequestered row of multistory buildings with expansive glass shopfronts dates back to the community’s coal mining heyday, but boutiques, eateries and art galleries along that strip have put the town (population just north of 600) back on the map. Since the early 2000s, various homespun businesses have joined pillar music venue the Purple Fiddle in making this tiny Tucker County hamlet a true mountain arts town.
The three-hour drive from Bethesda to Thomas is a getaway unto itself. Head west and the traffic snarls of the Capital Beltway slowly give way to scenic views as you gain altitude. The journey invites a similarly elevated state of mind, whether your itinerary upon arrival includes an actionpacked thrill ride on roiling river rapids or a quiet trek through otherworldly terrain. (You can safely expect the town, with its Allegheny elevation of just over 3,000 feet, to be about 10 degrees cooler than home,
so pack accordingly.) Seated on the North Fork of the Blackwater River with nature providing a spectacular backdrop, Thomas offers proximity to an abundance of outdoor adventures, from mountain biking, hiking, tubing and river rafting to rock climbing the imposing Seneca Rocks in neighboring Pendleton County.
My husband and I visited most recently with our three kids in tow—ages 6, 8 and 10—and were delighted to discover that Thomas is ready to receive families. On sunny days, follow the trail of bubbles floating in the breeze to Ranger Jane’s, a Front Street toy store whose owners relish not just in their inventory of screen-free games, but also in recommending fun excursions for parents and kids.
We had a time pulling our youngest away from that enchanting shop, but he was soon mesmerized by the billowing mist from the nearby and quite dramatic Blackwater Falls. A short, well-maintained path leads to multiple overlooks. When the falls are gushing after a heavy rainfall, you can choose just how wet you want to get and position yourself accordingly.
Our children were met with open arms everywhere we went about town, including the aforementioned Purple Fiddle, which sets a tone that is adamantly kid-friendly (look for a banjo-wielding Kermit the Frog perched over the stage). Business hours are for “all ages ALL the time,” and visiting bands and musicians must agree to a strictly enforced pro-family booking policy.
We popped in for what turned out to be a pre-show sound check for Jeremy Short
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and his Appalachian Space Funk band, but our kids were perfectly happy to get the party started early. (As far as they are concerned, any music, plus an open floor, is an invitation to dance.) Acoustic, bluegrass and Americana acts are the venue’s bread and butter—fans will recognize names such as The Avett Brothers, Greensky Bluegrass and Sierra Ferrell—though the range of genres has expanded with the club’s growing reputation for great music. Tucked inside a converted general store with capacity for about 150, the Purple Fiddle celebrates its building’s 100-year history with the original counters, shelves, ceiling and storefront still intact.
Summer is high season in Tucker County, but even then, there’s plenty of room to breathe and it’s easy to escape the masses. A riverfront trail with historic markers invites visitors to connect with visible rem-
nants of the town’s past, such as the crumbling remains of the beehive coke ovens that operated along the 1.5-mile stretch between Thomas and neighboring Davis during the region’s coal-mining heyday.
For the remainder of our stay, we chose outings that could accommodate a range of ages, including horseback riding, a petting zoo and gemstone mining. Our 10-yearold was ready to test his mettle hiking the strenuous Seneca Rocks, while our younger two were content collecting pebbles along the landmark formation’s lower trail.
Should your explorations require a guide or equipment, the town’s small businesses are happy to dole out expertise, gear and a healthy dose of infectious enthusiasm.
Susan Anspach lives in Vienna, Virginia, where she raises her kids and teaches music to many additional raucous young children.
If You Go
WHERE TO STAY
Stay overnight in Thomas at Dandy Flats (dandyflats.com), a pair of uniquely renovated small apartments in a historic building smack in the middle of town. Featuring 10-foot ceilings, rain showerheads and original woodwork, the sister flats are central to the town’s immediate offerings. Their exterior fuchsia staircase is easy to spot. Book on their website instead of Airbnb to save some cash.
Five minutes farther afield in Davis, The Billy Motel & Bar ( thebillymotel.com ) is prized for its mod furnishings. A groovy midcentury-style lounge serves clever cocktails with a complimentary first round for motel guests. Try the pepper root margarita with housemade beet grenadine. Open for dinner Wednesday through Saturday, the motel’s Ish Kitchen parlays locally sourced ingredients into globally inspired dishes ranging from Irish slowroasted pork with glazed carrots to a Japanese tofu noodle bowl with pickled vegetables.
For more rustic accommodations, camping at one of the well-kept tent and trailer sites at Blackwater Falls State Park (wvstateparks.com/park/ blackwater-falls-state-park) is an option from April through October. Park cabins are available to rent year-round. Select from “classic” or “vacation” styles, depending on your feelings about AC.
WHERE TO EAT
Don’t dream of passing through Thomas without stopping at renowned TipTop Coffee ( @tiptopcoffeeco on Instagram), which offers a menu’s worth of antidotes to the midafternoon slump, including a standout nitro cold brew, plus funky mushroom wallpaper in the restroom. Locals come for the coffee and stay for the rotating selection of baked goods, bagel sandwiches and smoothies. The chamomile-lavender chocolate bars and a vast selection of canned beers from West Virginia craft breweries are also tip-top.
Nearby Mountain State Brewery (mountainstate brewing.com) has what you need in the way of draft hops, flatbread pizza (from a simple Margherita to a pepper ring-topped “Fire on the Mountain”) and the official state food of West Virginia: pepperoni rolls. The homey, come-as-you-are taproom boasts a roaring fireplace in the colder months, and sliding doors that open to picnic tables and sunny skies when weather permits. Mason-jar drinking glasses and sawhorse bar stools supply a stamp of rusticity that’s one part practicality, two parts charm.
While the Purple Fiddle (purplefiddle.com) needs no introduction as a live music venue—bluegrass and
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grass and mountain music acts book months in advance for a coveted weekend evening slot—the kitchen’s deli-style menu is nothing to snub. The food here is prepared simply, and well. Try the Mon treal grilled cheese on rye.
WHERE TO SHOP
Thomas’ intimate downtown has plenty of art to admire and acquire. Browse Santangelo santangelo on Instagram) for locally made paint ings, ceramics and tongue-in-cheek prints—to say nothing of the gallery’s jaw-dropping ceiling mural and cozy book nook. Nearby Nellie Rose textiles.com) is the place for handmade, Japaneseinspired clothing made from boiled wool, raw silk and organic cotton. Art house Bloom (thosewhobloom. com) prides itself on affordable art prints by Appalachian artists.
At home goods shop Ella and Co. ( ellaand company.co ), the thoughtfully curated merch includes antiques and new furnishings infused with nostalgia—think blown glass, hand-dipped taper candles and rustic flower arrangements tied with velvet ribbon. Thomasyard (@thomasyardwv) peddles fresh flowers, local crafts, snacks, honey, jam and wine.
WHERE TO PLAY
Situated at the northern end of the Monongahela National Forest, Thomas is a perfect home base for all kinds of outdoor excursions. Blackwater Falls State Park is a must, especially after a soaking rain. (The so-called “black” water actually runs
amber, owing to the tannic acid from fallen hemlock and red spruce tree needles.) Drive to the main overlook to access the park’s 57-foot namesake waterfall via a short walk that’s doable even for very young visitors. Then explore the surrounding trails—particularly in early spring before the
Clockwise from top left: Pillar music venue the Purple Fiddle; Canaan Lodge; Bloom in Thomas sells prints by Appalachian artists. PHOTOS
forest’s leaf canopy fills in and obscures the views. Those casting for a fishing excursion will find the park’s Pendleton Lake and Blackwater River stocked with trout in the spring. Anglers 15 and older can snag a required license at wvhunt.com
For a more action-packed outing, try whitewater rafting in nearby St. George, where Blackwater Outdoor Adventures (blackwateroutdooradventures. com) provides guided trips and rents gear, including wet suits and splash jackets for chilly days, for participants age 7 and older. Or, book a horseback ride 20 minutes south of Thomas with cashonly Mountain Trail Rides (mountaintrailrides.com) and saddle up for a guided jaunt through the forests and meadows of Canaan Valley State Park and Resort ( wvstateparks.com/park/canaan-valleyresort-state-park). Note that anything more than a brief spin on a pony requires an age minimum of 6. A popular ski destination in winter, Canaan Valley enjoys a bit of an offseason in spring. That’s when travelers have much of the well-maintained 18-mile trail system—which includes portions of the Allegheny Trail, West Virginia’s longest footpath— to themselves. Summer brings clay shooting (for participants age 12 and older) and mountain-biking with rentals from the park’s rec center. A ski lift that runs in the warmer months offers sweeping, bird’seye views of the wilderness, with a good chance of spotting black bears and hang gliders.
Seneca Rocks, a popular rock-climbing spot about 40 minutes from Thomas, is known for its foreboding, 900-foot wall of quartzite. Book a guided excursion with Seneca Rocks Mountain Guides (senecarocks. com). Not quite ready for outdoor ropes and rappelling with that kind of vertical? The outfitter also offers no-age-minimum packages that invite newbies to tackle the indoor training facility and camp at its creekside campgrounds, including use of an outdoor kitchen. For non-climbers, a 1.3-mile hiking trail that starts behind the Seneca Rocks Discovery Center offers breathtaking valley views as a reward— but keep in mind that this two-hour trek is strenuous and not suitable for little ones.
Yet another worthwhile nature excursion is Dolly Sods Wilderness, located about an hour from Thomas and accessed only by a dirt road. Dolly Sods is an expanse of terrain resembling that of Eastern Canada, with 47 miles of trails and fields of wild blueberries that you can pick starting in midsummer. On summer weekends, stop at Eagleview Lavender Farm in Maysville (facebook.com/eagleviewlavenderfarm) to pick your own bundle of fragrant stems. The farm’s owner decided to follow her dream of growing lavender at age 72.
MATCHMAKER,Matchmaker
PHOTOS BY JESSICA NAZAROVA
A Bethesda couple celebrated their second chance at love with family, a dessert reception and several nods to the groom’s love of PEZ dispensers
BY DANA GERBER
THE COUPLE: Kim Scardino, 55, grew up in Villanova, Pennsylvania. She is a lawyer at a tech company. Chris Ryan, 58, grew up in the Friendship Heights neighborhood of Washington, D.C., and in Bethesda and graduated from Georgetown Preparatory School in North Bethesda. He is the general counsel for Pansophic Learning, an education company. They live in Bethesda.
HOW THEY MET: Both divorced, Kim and Chris matched on the dating app The League in June 2022, going on a first date to Lia’s restaurant in Chevy Chase for brunch. “We totally hit it off. The date was, like, two and a half hours,” Kim recalls. But after their second date, Kim—who had started
a side hustle as a matchmaker and dating coach during the pandemic—got cold feet. “I sent him a text the next day and said, ‘You know, you’re great, but it’s just not going to work,’ ” she says. But 10 days later, she reached out again—this time, to offer him feedback as a dating coach as he pursued other relationships, suggesting he play up his accomplishments more during dates. “At the end of the call, he was like, ‘Can I get a reboot with you?’ ” Kim says. “My gut was like, ‘You need to give this guy a chance.’ ” She took her own advice, and less than a year later, they were engaged. Chris says, “I think it goes to show, even though she’s a certified dating coach, you can’t coach yourself in anything.”
THE PROPOSAL: “I knew we would get engaged, but I didn’t know when,” says Kim, who had told Chris she wanted the proposal to be unexpected. On Valentine’s Day in 2023, the couple celebrated at home, exchanging gifts and sitting by the fireplace. “Chris was like, ‘Well, there’s one more thing,’ and then he brought the ring out,” says Kim, who had not, in fact, seen the proposal coming. “She wanted to be surprised,” Chris says, “so I had to deliver.”
THE CEREMONY: The couple tied the knot Sept. 30, 2023, in a 24-guest, familyonly ceremony in a private room at Cafe
Milano in Washington, D.C. They chose the venue for its intimate vibe, and as a tribute to their shared Italian heritage. Chris’ daughter, Claire, then 13, walked with him down the aisle, and an electric violinist played “Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles as Kim walked down the aisle with her daughter, Olivia, then 19. Chris’ brother and Kim’s sister officiated the wedding together. “It just was like everything in life that you want,” the bride says.
And there was more merrymaking once it came time to say “I do.” Kim’s sister Meredith had arranged a surprise for Chris, who’s an avid collector of PEZ dispensers. “ ‘It’s time to add two more to the collection,’ ” Kim recalls her sister saying before she debuted two 3D-printed PEZ dispensers embossed with their names. The containers, which usually hold candy, were specially designed to hold the couple’s rings. The groom, for his part, was stunned: “I was looking at it going, ‘Wha- wha- what?’ ”
THE FOOD: Dinner was served at Cafe Milano, where guests had their choice of salad or burrata to start, cacio e pepe or rigatoni with a white veal ragu for a first course, and a branzino fillet or New York strip steak for the second course. Passed hors d’oeuvres came with napkins bearing a mash-up of the couple’s last names: the Rydinos. “Some people thought that was our new last name,” Kim says jokingly.
THE DRESS: “I knew I didn’t want to wear white because it was a second marriage,” Kim says. She went to an evening gown trunk show at Carine’s Bridal Atelier in Washington, D.C., and picked out a cerulean Verdavainne gown with beaded embroidery on the bodice. “I just fell in love with that blue,” she says. To top it off, the dress company sent some extra material from the dress to make Chris’ tie, “so we matched,” says the groom.
THE RECEPTION: After the ceremony and dinner, guests boarded a bus to the
newlyweds’ friends’ house in Arlington for a dessert reception with about 100 guests, who cheered them inside with a streamer-filled welcome. Near the entrance was a globe for guests to sign with gold Sharpies, and the dessert tables were festooned with bouquets of orange dahlias, Playa Blanca roses and eucalyptus. On display too—of course— was a selection of couple-themed PEZ dispensers: Jim and Pam from The Office, Marge and Homer Simpson from The Simpsons and a classic bride-andgroom pair.
In the living room and underneath a tent outside, bars with a bevy of signature drinks awaited guests. Beverages included “Rydino” limoncello (homemade by the groom); a bourbon concoction called Marco’s Paper Plane; Claire’s Shirley Temple, named after Chris’ daughter; and Olivia’s margarita seltzer, in honor of Kim’s daughter. For dessert, a decadent array of mini treats, such as cappuccino tartlets, lemon olive oil cakes and chocolate-covered macaroons accompanied a three-tier almond wedding cake. The party favors were PEZ dispenser-shaped cookies, frosted to look like the newlyweds. The pair danced to Van Morrison’s “Someone Like You” before spending the rest of the night making their rounds with friends and family.
THE HONEYMOON: In keeping with their unofficial wedding theme, the pair jetted off to Italy for their honeymoon shortly after the wedding. They spent 10 days exploring the areas their families are from: Sicily and Northern Italy. “We’ve always had this Italian bond, which is really fun,” says the bride.
VENDORS: Cake, Fluffy Thoughts Cakes; ceremony music, Tiffany Rose Shanta of Bialek’s Music; dessert caterer, Relish Catering; dress, Carine’s Bridal Atelier; event planner, Teresa Antonucci of Rex & Regina Events; florist, Helen Olivia Flowers; hair, Laurent Chauvet of Salon ILO; linens and tent, Select Event Group; makeup, Jordan Lewis of JKW Beauty; PEZ cookies, Sugar LLC; photographer, Jessica Nazarova Photography; transportation, MJ Valet; venue, Cafe Milano.
8 things local nutrition experts do when feeding their kids
BY NATASHA TYNES
“Ew.”
“What’s that?”
“I don’t eat onions.”
“Why is there green stuff on the chicken?”
If you are a parent, chances are you’ve heard variations of these statements when trying to get your kids to eat just one more bite of the nutritious meal you lovingly prepared. When it comes to feeding kids, even the pros face challenges. Despite their expertise, nutrition experts and child psychologists deal with picky eaters, busy schedules and family dynamics like the rest of us.
In separate interviews, we spoke with local experts who also happen to be mothers—Rockville psychologist Rachel Singer, 41; North Bethesda personal chef Dara Lyubinsky, 41; and Bethesda holistic nutritionist Jen Silverman, 42—to understand how they navigate mealtime at home. From fostering a positive relationship with food to finding creative ways to expand kids’ palates, here are the strategies they swear by.
1. Model the behavior you want to see. Singer, a licensed psychologist and clinical director at Rebecca
Resnik and Associates in Rockville, has extensive experience counseling families with picky eaters, particularly those with anxious or neurodivergent children. She is also the parent of two elementary school-age children and knows firsthand the importance of setting an example. “We say all the time, ‘Don’t yuck someone else’s yum,’ ” she says. “It teaches kindness and shows that food can be a joyful experience.”
Even small food celebrations can make a difference. “I do a happy dance when my older child asks, ‘Can we try a new food today?’ ”
Lyubinsky, the owner of Nourish Culinary, a personal chef who works with more than 40 families weekly, echoes that sentiment. “Kids learn by example,” says Lyubinsky, who has three children, ages 10, 7 and 3. “If you’re enjoying your meal, trying new foods and showing enthusiasm, kids are more likely to follow suit.”
Silverman, a nutritionist who has three children, ages 10, 8 and 5, agrees. “As a parent and a nutritionist, I have to walk the talk. Kids watch everything we do. If I’m eating junk food all the time, how can I expect them to make healthy choices? It’s about being consistent and setting a good example.”
2. Involve kids in the process.
Singer uses grocery store trips as opportunities to explore new foods. “We take the kids to pick out fruits and veggies they’ve never had before. Then we go home, do a taste test, a food contest or a rank-order debate. It makes them excited to explore.”
Lyubinsky agrees that engagement leads to better results. “When kids feel part of the process—whether helping to pick ingredients or watching the chef prepare meals— they’re more likely to try something new.”
Silverman says she tries “to involve them when I can, like, even if it’s once or twice a week. I let them choose their snacks and stuff because, again, [it kind of gives them] some control over something they feel like they’ve contributed.”
3. Have a backup option, but don’t short-order cook.
“Have at least one item on the table that your child will eat, but don’t exhaust yourself by making two separate meals,” Singer says. “For example, yogurt and berries can be a backup option they prepare themselves.”
Silverman echoes that approach. “I don’t make separate meals, but I always make sure there’s something on the plate they’ll eat. If they refuse, I offer alternatives like cucumber spears or garbanzo beans.”
Lyubinsky, whose team works directly in clients’ homes to prepare customized meals, stresses the importance of consistency. “It’s about shifting expectations. Your child might just eat rice one night, and that’s OK. But don’t throw in chicken nuggets just to avoid conflict. They’ll eventually eat when they’re hungry.”
4. Expose kids to new foods gradually. Introducing new foods doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Singer suggests pairing new foods with familiar items. “When my son was younger, he only wanted to eat noodles with butter and Parmesan. I tried to introduce other things, but that was his safe food, and I just let it be while continuing to offer new options.”
Lyubinsky’s chefs use creative combinations to make new foods more appealing. “If a family’s child loves steak, we might pair it with something new, like creamed spinach or kale. It’s about bridging the gap
Singer notes that kids are naturally “supertasters,” with more sensitive taste buds than adults. “It can take 11 or more exposures before a child accepts a new food. Keep offering it—it’s a slow process.”
5. Avoid pressure and punishment.
“If you make a child sit at the table until they finish their broccoli, you’re turning mealtime into a power struggle,” Singer explains. “When kids feel forced, they’re more likely to resist, even when they’re older.”
Singer recommends reframing mealtime as an opportunity for connection. “Ask about the best part of their day or play a game like ‘What’s your rose and thorn today?’ [to share the best and worst parts of their day]. When mealtime becomes about family rather than food, everyone enjoys it more.”
Silverman says, “It’s about finding a balance. I’m strict about certain things like food dyes, but I also allow some flexibility to avoid creating unhealthy relationships with food. I explain to
“SOMETIMES WE’LL MIX ZUCCHINI INTO A MUFFIN BATTER OR ADD FLAXSEED TO PANCAKES, BUT WE ALWAYS TELL THE KIDS WHAT’S IN IT. FOOD TRANSPARENCY IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS VARIETY.”
–NORTH BETHESDA PERSONAL
CHEF
DARA LYUBINSKY
my kids that these dyes can affect their behavior and health. It’s not just about saying no; it’s about educating them on why certain foods are better choices.”
6. Normalize all foods.
Singer cites research suggesting that restriction can lead to overeating. “If you tell a child they can never have [a certain] food, it becomes all they want. It’s better to make dessert a small, natural part of the meal so it’s no longer special or secretive.”
Lyubinsky adds, “Sometimes we’ll mix zucchini into a muffin batter or add flaxseed to pancakes, but we always tell the kids what’s in it. Food transparency is just as important as variety.”
7. Planning reduces stress.
“Think ahead on Sunday,” Lyubinsky says. “Prep some meals in advance, or double a recipe to have leftovers. It saves time and takes the stress out of weeknight dinners,” adding that some nights they just order pizza and salad.
“The important thing is to avoid burnout,” Lyubinsky adds.
Silverman says she tries “to keep meals simple and convenient. Using rotisserie chicken or precooked pasta can be a lifesaver on busy days.”
8. Be flexible and realistic.
“There are no absolutes. Some meals are hits, and some are misses,” Lyubinsky says. “It’s about staying consistent and not giving up.”
Singer encourages parents to focus on long-term patterns rather than daily battles. “Look at what your kids eat over a week or month, not just one day. That perspective can ease your worries.”
Silverman advises parents to keep their eyes on the health benefits. “Yes, healthier options can be more expensive, but it’s an investment in your health. It’s better to spend money on good food now than on medical bills later.”
Oneida
Summer Camps
CAMP TYPE GENDER AGES LOCATION WEBSITE & PHONE
Adventure Theatre
Watch your child take the stage with their friends in a two-week, full day, in-person camp that culminates in a delightful ensemble musical.
Barrie School
On-site swimming, canoeing, sports, archery, arts, nature, outdoor living skills, STEM, karate, science, theatrics, music and leadership training.
Bethesda Country Day School
Campers enjoy hands-on activities, from science and nature exploration to creative and performing arts, sports, and games. We offer a perfect blend of exciting indoor and outdoor adventures. Special guests and oncampus events bring an extra layer of fun.
Bullis Summer Programs
Campers can choose from a wide variety of options including day camp, athletic camps, leadership training (CIT program), and unique specialty camps such as Aviation, Wilderness & Adventure, Theater Performance camp, Fencing, STEM-based programs, and many more!
Camp Tall Timbers
Voted Best of Bethesda 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020 & 2021, finalist in 2024. ACA accredited. Variety of sessions offered & activities. Specialties: aquatics, equestrian, sports programs, challenge & great outdoors, archery, arts and more.
ESF Camps
ESF Camps at The Academy of The Holy Cross include Traditional Day, Multi-Sport, and STEAM Camps from June 16 – August 8, 2025. Extended Day Program (7:30am –6:00pm) and optional lunch available. Multi-week, sibling, and refer-a-friend discounts!
Geneva Day School
Nine weekly themes, special visits, recreation, intergenerational summer friendships
Montgomery County Recreation
Specialties include art, dance, leadership, music, performing arts, sports, STEAM, therapeutic recreation and more.
Our camp offers a perfect blend of coding, creativity, and fun! Students create games and animations using Scratch. Robotics, Python and JavaScript are available for advanced students. Kids will thrive with expert guidance, outdoor adventures, games, and even ukulele lessons
Bethesda, MD bethesdacountrydayschool. com 877-959-3747
l
DayCoed3.5-16
Potomac, MD summer-programs.bullis.org 301-983-5741 l l
OvernightCoed7-16
High View, WV camptalltimbers.com 301-874-0111 lll
DayCoed3.5-15
Kensington, MD esfcamps.com/bethesda 301-493-2525 l
DayCoed2-6
Potomac, MD genevadayschool.org 301-340-7704 ll
DayCoed3.5-18
Day Camp with full day and half day options available
Coed5-13
Located throughout Montgomery County mocorec.com/camp 240-777-6840
Three camp locations: Bethesda, MD, Gaithersburg, MD and Silver Spring, MD pandaprogrammer.com 443-267-2632
Essential information on Summer Camps 12
St. John’s College High School
St. John’s offers a variety of summer camp opportunities. In addition to our 15 sports camps, we will be offering a middle school theatre camp for the first time! Sports choices include baseball, softball, basketball, field hockey, football, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, sport performance, track, volleyball, and wrestling. Sign up today!
The St. James Make 2025 their BEST SUMMER EVER—and save 20% with our early bird offer! Our award-winning camps offer nonstop fun, including Adventure, STEAM, and Ultimate Sports Camps, plus over 12 Specialty Sports Camps like basketball, swimming, soccer, and more. Enroll now— spots fill fast!
Valley Mill Camp
Valley Mill Camp offers a diverse range of activities: rock climbing, kayaking, canoeing, paddle-boarding, swimming, gymnastics, pioneering skills, arts and crafts, archery, basketball, and soccer for ages 4-14. Additionally, Valley Mill offers advanced kayaking and canoeing as well as an Adventure Camp for children ages 10-14.
Day
Day Camps & Chelsea FC Overnight Camp
Coed, girls, and boys (camp specific) 6-18 (camp specific)
Coed4-16
Washington, DC stjohnschs.org/athletics/ summer-camps 202-363-2316
Main campus is located in Springfield, VA, plus some locations around the DMV thestjamescamps.com/ summer-camps 703-239-6846 l
DayCoed4-14
Darnestown, MD valleymill.com 301-948-0220 l
Summer Musical Theatre Camp
Rising Grades 1-6 | Mon-Fri | 9am-4pm | Glen Echo
2025 Summer Sessions:
Session 1: June 23-July 3, 2025
Session 2: July 7-18, 2025
Session 3: July 21-August 1, 2025
Session 4: August 4-15, 2025
Session 5: August 18-22, 2025
The Book That Made a Big Difference
Bruce Case, 56, is president and CEO of Case Architects & Remodelers, the Bethesda-based home improvement firm founded in 1961 by his father, Fred (the namesake for the handyman division of the company), who passed away in December. The company has six locations, with about 170 employees, Bruce says, and some 800 renovation projects on the books each year—ranging from two-hour repair jobs to $1.5 million overhauls. But making the company bigger isn’t necessarily the goal. Here’s what Bruce learned when another builder gave him a meaningful book.
About five years ago, John Murphy, a fellow remodeler from the St. Paul, [Minnesota], area came to visit and happened to talk to me about a book he had read that affected him. It was Think Big, Act Small [by Jason Jennings].
What I got from that is … you can be humble—you know it’s not all about how big the business is and things like that. It’s about quality and the balance of life and those kinds of things, and it really hit a chord for me because there are people in the business world who are thinking big and acting big. Sometimes they get the most attention, but that’s just not who I aspire to be.
It’s the ability to work with employees to create a culture. It’s more than just about sales and being big, big, big. It dawned on me gradually, and it’s something I’ve thought back to frequently when I make decisions.
How we treat our employees is key. Then COVID comes— how do you treat your employees, especially in a business like ours, where we’re in people’s homes? Some people would slash and burn and
make pretty tough cuts, and we didn’t. We wanted to stay humble, focus on what we do, focus on the team, focus on the culture. And then through COVID, we grew—a lot.
Now we’re back to pre-COVID levels [of staffing and revenue] and some people said, ‘Oh, that’s too bad,’ but my view is that it’s nature, it’s the way the world works. Businesses get bigger, they get smaller, but I don’t—and I hope my team doesn’t—have ego or pride attached to just the size of our business. It’s about the quality and the culture.
Thinking about a book like this helped me realize it’s not just the size, the sales, the revenue and ‘bigger is better.’ I’ve given that book to a few people over the years. I could probably give it to more, to be honest.
