The Silver Spring Penguin

Where some see grit and grime, Philip Forde sees dollar signs. The entrepreneur is banking the success of his Georgia Avenue clothing store on future development. At the same time, he hopes to contribute to the area’s commercial revitalization.

The wide display windows at Pieces boutique stretch around the corner of Georgia and Silver Spring avenues. Behind the glass, alabaster mannequins in billowing blouses lure passersby into the shop like sirens.

“It starts the shopping experience before you enter the store,” Pieces owner Philip Forde tells The Penguin. “Hopefully, what we have here will start a nice trend.”

Forde could have opened his boutique in Adams Morgan, where foot traffic is almost guaranteed. Instead, he chose a former flower shop along an underdeveloped stretch of Georgia Avenue.

“I saw a lot of opportunity for a retail business here in Montgomery County,” Forde says. “We stand a better chance of succeeding here.”

Forde attributes his optimism to Silver Spring’s development plans. He believes new residents and office workers would infuse Georgia Avenue retailers with wads of their disposable income.

“With all the development that’s going on, we’re going to do well here,” Forde says, smiling confidently.

While the sight of construction cranes means dollar signs to Forde, he also recognizes the neighborhood’s historic character. Each draped dressing booth bears a framed photo, circa 1917, of the building Pieces now occupies.

The two-story structure has changed little over 90 years, except for the removal of its hitching posts. A few of the photos also show the neighboring firehouse — soon to become a pub.

Georgia Avenue, however, has definitely changed. Barely a dirt path in 1917, the now busy boulevard carries the traffic to sustain retail businesses, says Forde.

“I’d love to have a nice strip of shops here,” he wishes aloud.

Photo by Jennifer Deseo for The Silver Spring Penguin.