Cool article about our friends to the west....

from the Gazette...

Area north of Bethesda struggles with name, identity

Many names are given to the community, but nothing is official

If a lost motorist ended up on Rockville Pike south of Randolph Road but north of Strathmore Avenue, and, pulling over, asked a local where he was, the answer would depend entirely upon the opinion of his helper.

Sometimes pegged as the up-and-coming "North Bethesda," sometimes with the kinetic potential of "White Flint," sometimes the traditional Rockville, the portion of Montgomery County is as unnamed as it is underdeveloped. But people have to call it something, and everyone has a different idea about what that should be.

Barnaby Zall, founder of the nonprofit Friends of White Flint, an organization that provides resources and information about the White Flint sector plan, supports the handle given to the area's Red Line Metro stop. As he sees it, right now White Flint is not a destination moniker because "there's no ‘there' there," but the major development slated to occur in the area over the next 30 years demands an independent name to set it apart.

"One of the reasons people don't like White Flint is because they say there's nothing here, there's just a mall," Zall said. "But in a few years there will be and we need to be in a position to identify ourselves."

Mike Paukstitus, senior vice president of real estate at the Washington Real Estate Investment trust, said the company decided to name its future project on Nebel and Randolph roads White Flint Gateway to play off the proximity of the future residential towers to the Metro.

"We viewed ourselves as at the very pinnacle [of the sector]," Paukstitus said. "In the nomenclature now of the community people are thinking of this as the White Flint Sector Plan. White Flint is the station."

But other developers are running with the "North Bethesda" tag for projects. JBG recently put the roof on its development, North Bethesda Market, which is a residential high-rise on Rockville Pike with a Whole Foods and other services below. Mike Smith, of LCOR development, said the company decided to use North Bethesda Center as the name for its residential and retail project on Rockville Pike at Marinelli Road, partly due to feedback it received five years ago from citizens' associations.

"There's an opportunity to rebrand the neighborhood and make a distinction between Rockville, Bethesda, the nomenclature of those two communities," Smith said. He said White Flint has the danger of only being associated with the White Flint Mall and the Metro station.

Mail in the area falls within the Postal Service designation as Rockville, and some diehards on Web forums argue that calling the area "North Bethesda" is just a way to sound more affluent by riding the coattails of the neighbor to the south.

Zall said there "is something to be said for that, that they want to leverage off the wealthier name."

Resident Per Korowski said when he puts his address into Web programs, it is automatically identified as unincorporated Rockville. His apartment complex, one block from the White Flint Metro, prefers North Bethesda, however.

"I must say that North Bethesda sounds a bit classier and can probably produce about $50 more in rent per month," Korowski wrote in an e-mail, "but also that Rockville sounds so 50's to me, so Smallville, so that sometimes I might feel a tinge of embarrassment but then who am I to know about these things."

Korowski noted that the name of a place can be a major issue. He lived for a long time in Caracas, Venezuela and still has a home there, and said there is now a movement to change the name to "La Cuna de Bolívar y Reina del Guaraira Repano." Korowski warned against "the dangers of too much creativity."

"Why not South Rockville?" Korowski wondered. "Or is it that North Bethesda sounds even better than Bethesda and that all those Central Bethesdians are now complaining?"

Dan Hoffman, vice president of the Randolph Civic Association, joked that his is a "divided family;" his wife writes their address as North Bethesda, he uses Rockville.

"We've actually had a decent amount of conversation about this as an association," said Hoffman, who plans to take a straw poll at the next civic association meeting.

He said as the White Flint Sector Plan has developed, one result has been a consensus that "we identify with the emerging area."

"We're divided, but we're viewing it in a very positive light. We're not divided as in we're fighting with each other," Hoffman said. "It's been a great, engaging discussion as to who we are as a neighborhood."

Area blog, "Just up the Pike" takes on Wheaton

To me, Wheaton is just a place with a metro stop, although I occasionally go to the Giant, Target, and Baja Fresh and cut through the mall on my way home from the metro on a hot day.

Because of the mall and many car-oriented plazas in Wheaton, I think trying to get more pedestrian traffic in the "downtown Wheaton" area is kinda pointless.


(Original article here.)

An open letter to anyone in Wheaton . . .

. .who has ever said "We don't ever want to be 'fake' like Silver Spring."

Hey, Wheaton? Could you come over here a second? Thanks.

Now please shut up.

As someone who grew up in Downtown Silver Spring before it was Downtown Silver Spring, I understand your pain. I remember walking down streets lined with empty and abandoned buildings and discovering the many ways that different cultures combine bread and meat into various ethnic dishes. (Is it taco, a gyro, or a pita? So many options!) And, yes, I even remember going to Westfield Wheaton before it was Westfield Wheaton, when its tenants included a knife shop and a branch library.

But I don't have any patience for this "I don't want to be like Silver Spring it is so fake" crap, especially because y'all are no Columbia Heights yourselves. Save it, please. I don't see the crowds flooding into Wheaton every Friday night to walk around holding a skateboard and grimacing at people. I don't hear about people paying $3,000 a month for a two-bedroom apartment in Wheaton. I hear about public drunkenness and an awesome movie theatre that closed after two months.

Yes, Wheaton is different from Silver Spring. I appreciate that. Yes, Wheaton has lots of small businesses. That's great. I love El Pollo Rico, as well as Full Key, Paul Kee, Max's, the place where the punk club Phantasmagoria used to be (so scary as a little kid), Chuck Levin's (my little brother bought his guitar there and complained the area looked "sketchy"), De Lounge (still haven't gone yet) and DeJaBel Cafe. (I have also heard good things about Marchone's.) And I agree that they're threatened by the ever-lingering spectre of Gentrification, which is sure taking its sweet time. Those townhouses on top of the Metro sold for like $600,000 a couple years back, but their residents are probably spending their time and money at Pier 1 Imports in Silver Spring. (Sorry.)

Remember, Wheaton, you have a mall with "over 200 stores", almost all of which (except for that "Foreign Flix" place) are chain stores. Most every phase of my teenage reinventions took place in Wheaton as I flitted from PacSun to Hollister to Express. I defy you to find that many chains in Silver Spring's entire central business district.

No one is saying that Wheaton has to install a fountain with a colorful mosaic and a plastic turf field and change the name of Ennalls Avenue to Ellsworth Drive. At least, I'm not. But you'll never be anything if you keep going on about what you don't want. I want to hear what Wheaton wants to be. Take that and give it to your elected officials/your citizens advisory board/local developers and tell them "We want X, Y and Z or we will bring you down like Circuit City." Hey, it worked with the Trader Joe's in Burnt Mills. If a group of committed people write enough letters, anything is possible. And now I can have Two-Buck Chuck whenever I want.

So don't fret, Wheaton. No one's calling you Silver Spring North (or Bethesda North East) yet. If you're still feeling cranky later, come along by and I'll give you some tips on how to "brand" yourself so you DON'T become all "fake." Because as I always say, the buildings might be fake, but the people look real to me.

Love,
Dan Reed

Rabid kitten found in Wheaton! Run for your lives!

Apparently a crazed rabid kitty is running around Wheaton near Veirs Mill Road, and health officials fear the kitten may have had siblings that also carry the disease.

Can you imagine a pack of wild rabid kitties?

So if you see some crazy kitties, don't give them a saucer of milk.

Kensington announcements:

have some labor to share?

The Kensington Labor Day Festivities could use a little help. Volunteers are needed for the parade to direct participants, help with the line-ups and man the street closures. The festival is also in need of people to direct revelers and provide information. The activities run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sept. 5th.

To help, contact Sherrill at 301-385-2864 or Kelly-Connor at 301-537-7027.

Are you a mom with too much free time?

The Kensington Park chapter of the MOMS Club, a national support group for mothers who primarily stay home with their children, invites mothers to attend the monthly meeting at 10:15 a.m. at Aug. 26 at the Kensington Park Library, 4201 Knowles Ave. in Kensington. At this meeting, a Funfit� instructor from Funfit Family Fitness Center in Rockville will provide a demonstration class including songs, short stories, and movement for all children in attendance.

The MOMS club is open to moms whose children are zoned to attend Garrett Park Elementary School and Kensington Parkwood Elementary School. The group's activities include trips to parks, lunch and coffee get-togethers, playgroups and more. More information is available at www.kensingtonparkmoms.com or you may email kpmomsclub@yahoo.com.

Mr. Drummand brings Arnold and Willis to town...

From the Gazette:

In 1960, only 10 of the people living in Kensington's town boundaries weren't white. In the 2000 census that number had jumped by 175.

It may seem still a small total, but for a town of about 1,800 people, the increase represents a great leap in diversity that residents say they see everywhere and which is likely to continue in the upcoming 2010 census. The changes are even more dramatic outside town boundaries in the Kensington ZIP Code, but the nearly 10 percent shift in the town's demographics are an indication that the face of Kensington is changing.

Jose Ayala said he has "absolutely" seen the area diversify since moving to Kensington's Parkwood neighborhood from Ecuador 30 years ago. When he first moved to the area, Ayala was one of few Latinos.

"We have a large community, Latin community, which when I first came it was not that big like it is now," Ayala said.

Kensington's central location near Rockville, Bethesda and Washington, D.C., probably contributes to young families moving there, Ayala said, which is increasing the diversity of the residents. He said he has had to double the amount of candy he buys for trick-or-treaters at Halloween in the past four to five years, and is glad the area is becoming more diverse.

"I think it's good because we learn to live with each other," Ayala said. "We learn about their culture, the different traditions, it's interesting."

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Kensington's changes are in line with the national trend, which projects that minorities, which now make up about one-third of the country's population, will actually become the majority by 2042. By 2023, more than half of all children will be minorities.

Froilan Orille, who moved to the United States from the Philippines 19 years ago, said like many Filipinos, he chose to move to Kensington four years ago because it reminded him of home.

"I think a lot of Filipinos like the way the houses are set up, it's traditional and I know that's what caught my eye," Orille said.

Orille has since moved to Silver Spring, but still spends much of his time in Kensington at the Filipino specialty store he owns, Kuba sa Kensington, which caters to the large population of his Filipino brethren in the area. The store is a slice of home for Kensington's large Filipino community, selling Patismansi, a fish sauce with lemon, coconut milk, pickled bananas and other hard-to-find items.

Ninety percent of his customers are Filipino, Orille guessed, but his wife Brenda said curiosity seekers also poke around the store.

"Sometimes I see people like the Indians, the Koreans, they live in the neighborhood and have Filipino friends, and come in looking for something their friend had," Brenda said. "Now we see them every week."

Marjorie Stewart, 67, has lived most of her life in the historically black Kensington neighborhood KenGar, which she said has become more diverse along with the rest of Kensington. Her family has been in KenGar so long, Stewart's grandmother Carrie Davis began what would become the neighborhood's Baptist church from her living room. Stewart remembers when the streets were unpaved and her children attended a blacks-only school—the same one she had gone to as a girl.

Now, Stewart said, KenGar has changed so much she describes it not as a black neighborhood, but as "an international neighborhood."

"In our neighborhood there's all kinds of people, I went around just to see how many different kinds of people there are. Everybody's different now," Stewart said.

"I just think now it's just a great improvement, it really is, and most of the neighbors seem to be pretty nice. We're the minority now," she said of long-time KenGar families. "They're the majority."

She said the changes in KenGar are evidenced in the Methodist church there, which has a much more diverse congregation than it once did.

"It was just a black church," she said. "Now it's integrated, which is fine, with Spanish, Africans, Indians. I think it's OK because this is really how God wanted it to be. He wanted us to come together."

Gone Fishington!

The title of this post was a typo, but I left it to show you how clever I am to combine the words fishing and kensington.

KoK is on a brief sumnmer vacation, with limited internet access, but will resume soon!

Close Enough: Chevy Chase View

Occasionally I'll publish articles about non-Kensington stuff, and call it "Close Enough." Get it? I'm witty like that.

I sometimes joke about the smallness of Kensington. But it seems to have a nice history, about 1000 or so residents in the town itself, and thousands of other residents just outside the historic town boundary. There are schools and parks, and a nice town center.

But what the heck is up with a town of Chevy Chase View? It's like 10 square blocks of about 100 homes, and zero businesses?! It seems to operate more like a homeowners association than a town. Who decided such a tiny neighborhood should be it's own town- as of 1993?? Were they swept up in some sort of "Bill Clinton is president!" frenzy? There are bigger apartment complexes nearby! Check out the silly town map here. It has every house on it! Their website also states that they want to benefit CCV's various neighborhoods and ensure prosperity. "Various neighborhoods?" So one end of the block is in a different neighborhood than the other end? Color me confused. (Just don't color me sepia.)

One really odd thing they have on the CCV website is their "covenant." It's pretty funny, so I'll print it below. I hope who ever posted it was being tongue-in-check when they wrote, "Residents should check their deeds to determine whether these covenants, or others, apply."

The last one just begs for a Sarah Palin joke- but I'll refrain.

As stated in the Introduction, certain Covenants were placed against the land when the original subdivision of Chevy Chase View was laid out and recorded. They were not and are not regulations or ordinances adopted by the Council of Chevy Chase View. On the contrary, they are in the nature of private contracts, enforceable where permitted by law, only at the instance of an interested property owner in a private suit. The Covenants, which may vary from deed to deed, are as follows:

		That all houses shall be built and used for residence purposes only, except stables, carriage houses, garages or sheds which may be necessary for use in connection with such residences; and that no trade business, manufacture or sales, or nuisance of any kind shall be carried on or permitted in said subdivision.
		That no house shall be erected in said subdivision at less than $5,000.00 present value, and no house shall be built within 35 feet of the front line of any lot.
		That no stable, carriage house, garage or shed shall be erected within 50 feet of the front line of any lot.
		That all outbuildings of any kind or character shall be built in the rear of the premises.
		That no building of any kind or character shall be built within 5 feet of the side line of any lot in the subdivision.
		That no pigs, hogs or cows shall be permitted to be kept upon any lot in the subdivision.

"Oh no you didn't!"

Just got this from the TOKe email listserv.

It was brought to our attention today that Park and Planning has a work crew in Kensington Cabin Park. It is our understanding that the Park is being made ADA compliant. The Town was not informed that work was to be done. The Mayor has contacted our Montgomery County Councilmember Valerie Ervin to insure that we get proper storm drain and pervious pavement. We will keep you updated.

Now, I have no idea where Kensington Cabin Park is, but apparently it's within the tiny town of Kensington, not in "unincorporated" Kensington, where most people in Kensington actually live.

Back off MoCo, don't mess with K-town! And we demand perviosity in our pavement!!

Farmer's Market... part deux!

I found a great list of vendors at the market in 2009. Be sure to check them out. The tiny bite sized plums are amazing, by the way! This list doesn't include the 'juice guy' who makes fresh squeezed orange juice. Quite yummy!

Kensington Farmer’s Market Vendors

* All Things Olive – award winning California extra
virgin, savory citrus flavored and herb infused olive
oils and wine vinegars.

* Clan Stewart Farm - offers lamb, beef, pork, no nitrate
bacon, assorted pork and goat sausages. The
seventh generation family farm in Pennsylvania
practices sustainable agriculture and raises its animals
naturally and humanely on pasture, without the use of
hormones or prophylactic antibiotics.

* Falcon Ridge Orchard – apples, Asian pears, cherries,
peaches, seedless grapes, blackberries, blueberries and
red raspberries from a family-owned orchard in the
rolling hills of northern Carroll County.

* Farmhouse Flowers & Plants – cut flowers, bouquets,
annual, perennial and herb plants.

* Great Harvest Bread Co. – whole grain, stone ground
breads, muffins, scones and cookies.

* Kim Kaplan – heirloom and native plants.

* Krishon Chocolate –hand made artisanal chocolates
and more

Mystic Water Soap –handmade soaps and scented body
care products using infused oils, goat’s milk, herbs, sea salt
and colored clays from around the world.

* Pataki Plants – assorted perennials, quilted place mats
and more.

* Rabbit Hill Farm –a wide range of produce and fruit.

* Richards Farm – family farm offers a variety of
vegetables and melons picked the day before.

* Salt River Lobster – lobster, shrimp, fish, shellfish,
smoked products.

* Sub*Urban Trading Co. – baked goods including scones
and turnovers.

Kensington Farmer's Market

I've loved getting up early and going to the local farmer's market with the family, but since I'm a morning person, I've always missed the band that plays from 10-11am. On July 11 we decided to wait to go until almost 10 so we could check out the band. Well, by 10am the market was mostly sold out- impressive!

I did get some "award winning" photos of the crowd though.

Impressive, huh? Eat my dust all you other photo contest entrants!

Hey we're famous....or at least our pretentious town sign is!

Check it out here.

Personally, I don't think our town is pretentious at all. Well, maybe our sign is a bit uppity, and needs to be taken down a few pegs. Just don't pull a Jebediah Springfield on us, and chop off its head!

Breaking the Law!

Here are two pictures that break pretty much every rule that "the man" has set up for the town photo contest.

I like breaking rules- that's how I roll.











Let's see what's wrong with these:

Black and white!
Sepia!
Taken in 2008!
Taken outside of SECTOR K!!
Worst of all- taken in the District of Columbia!!!

Sector people ONLY, and NO SEPIA, Got it?!?

Below is the information about the Kensington photo contest. I found this on the town website, which is at tok.md.gov. I'm not a fan of "toking" at all, but I do find it funny that TOK is our town's website name! Only SECTOR residents may apply, so all you ganstas in Weaton, or soccer moms in The 'Thes are outta luck. Get your own damn photo contest, losers! The SECTOR rules!

The thing I do most in TOK is pic up my dog's ...um... detritis. But I don't think anyone wants to see pictures of that. Last week at the farmer's market I saw DOZENS of people taking photos of well.... not much at all. But now I know why. Those folks wanna win the big prize like a screaming college kid wants to win the 10 grand on Plinko!

Good luck to everyone!


From TOK website:

Show off what you like best about Kensington in pictures as part of the 2009 Day in the Life of Kensington photo contest. The contest, co-sponsored by the Montgomery County Planning Department and the Town of Kensington, will highlight original amateur photographs taken in Kensington and environs between June 15, 2009 and September 15, 2009. A panel of judges will select winners and award first, second and third place. Only residents in Sector Plan area may enter. Go to: kensingtonphotocontest.org

OFFICIAL LAUNCH DATE IS JUNE 15th Here are some details:
1. Entries might illustrate some of the following:
Town life * Historic sites * Events * Neighborhoods Buildings * Public spaces

2. Each participant must not submit more than five photos and is eligible to win only one prize.

3. Entries may be color prints or high-resolution digital images, 4” x 6” or 5” x 7”. Images should not be digitally enhanced or contain artistic features such as watermarks, Borders and digital filters. Also not eligible are: Panoramic photos, black and white, sepia tone, and duotone images.

4. Professional photographers (who make more than 50 percent of their annual salary through photography or have been widely published) are not eligible.

Deadline is September 15, 2009. Winners will be announced in October.

Kensington Sector Plan

When I move to a new area, I do my best to read up on what's going on there. When I moved to Kensington, I found out that the town is working on the new Kensington and vicinity "Sector Plan." I had no idea what this was, but it sounded something straight out of Star Trek! Upon further reading, it's basically an updated version of a 1978 plan for the town. (Why do the late 70's seem to keep appearing on this blog?)

The new plan, still in draft form, looks at the following:

• land uses
• zones
• design
• transportation
• the environment
• community facilities such as schools, libraries, police and fire stations

The county has a pretty cool website designated to this project. Click here to check it out. On the site you can also read the full version of the plan, which is pretty interesting if you're a development, planning, and transit geek like yours truly.

I'd love to see a map of the changes in the town between 1978 and 2009- not much seems like it was built in the 1980 or 1990s, and the downtown core near the MARC station is perfect for some walkable mixed-use development. Please, no more car-focused strip malls!

From what I've seen so far, it seems like the Maryland-National Capitol Park and Planning Commission (someone please re-name this!) is an incredible community resource that has been very helpful in spearheading this process.

If I ever write a Star Trek episode, I will be sure to have Kirk say "Scotty, beam us down to the Kensington Sector!"

Damn Canadians with their free health care and 70's TV shows!

So it's been about 2 weeks since I've moved from Snarksville USA- (Washington, DC) to Kensington, a cute small town with an all-American feel. But, unfortunately, they don't sell snark at the local farmer's market!

In order to feel my need for hyper-local news and gossip, and snarky commenters, (are you here yet monkeyerotica?) I looked for some local blogs- but alas, there seemed to be many blogs in MoCo, but far too many seem to be about parenting and lacrosse practice. I saw a couple blogs from Besthesda, Silver Spring, Rockville, and at least one from- close but not quite- Weaton, but alas, there was nothing from my own lovely Kensington.

So I've created this blog for myself, and perhaps for anyone else who might be interested in hyperlocal happenings. Yes that's the second use of the term "hyperlocal" and there may be more to come, since it's clever, and I just heard it first used a few weeks ago- on this lovel blog.

This name of this blog was inspiried by one of the more famous DC Bloggers. But who knew that King of Kensington was also a very popular 70's canadian TV show? So this premiere post will end with some very meaningless information about the King Of Kensington, old school style, with bell bottoms and tuques, eh? Check it out here!

Since the name "KingofKensington" was already taken on Blogger, (damn Canadians!) this blog is officially named THE King of Kensington. Please don't be overwhelmed by this information.