Ok, this isn't the official name of a specific place, but we felt it was appropriate. There are trendy neighborhoods close by in Bethesda and even within Rockville. Walkable, master-planned communities are all the rage as evidenced by Bethesda, Rockville Town Center, Reston Town Center, the new North Bethesda area, and the upcoming White Flint development. But underneath it all is decades of history. Many neighborhoods are lined with cookie-cutter brick homes from the 1950's. And Rockville has always been a place to come for shopping. Not trendy boutiques, but furniture, mattresses, and car dealerships. It is the land of strip malls
lining congested Rockville Pike.
As we have lived here we have discovered many wonderful businesses in a run-down strip mall or based out of an old warehouse. So for this 30th our idea was to experience this not-so-pretty, authentic Rockville. For dinner, we went to a Vietnamese restaurant named Pho Hoa recommended by a friend. We tried to browse an adjacent thrift store called Nami, but apparently they are closed on Mondays. Also, there is a nearby art store called Huckleberry Fine Art in an old warehouse that has wonderful originals and limited edition prints by artists like Rob Gonsalves. Finally we headed across the street to another strip mall and tried the Blu Water Day Spa for pedicures and manicures. It is very inconspicuous but receives top awards and reviews from the Washingtonian magazine.
