Author: ARLnow.com

Launched in January 2010, ARLnow.com is the place for the latest news, views and things to do around Arlington, Virginia. Started by a Pentagon City resident who has spent the past several years working in local TV news, ARLnow.com seeks to distinguish itself with original, enterprising, up-to-the-minute local coverage.

Open houses in Arlington this weekend

By ARLnow.com
1/2

It’s the last weekend in August, but before September arrives check out a few open houses across Arlington.

According to Homesnap, there are currently 599 homes for sale. The median list price is $715,000 with a median sales price of $730,000 and there have been 219 price changes.

Here’s a look at some of the open houses taking place in Arlington this weekend:

  • 4911 25th Street S.*
    3 BR/2 BA Single-family home
    Noteworthy: Cozy single-family home with room to expand
    Listed: $750,000
    Open: Saturday, 2-4 p.m. ( Alex Ordonez – NXT Shell, LLC)
  • 1221 N. Quinn Street #13*
    1 BR/1 BA Condo
    Noteworthy: Ready to move in 1 BD/1 BA condo
    Listed: $345,000
    Open: Sunday, 2-4 p.m. ( Alex Ordonez – NXT Shell, LLC)
  • 1 N. Fenwick Street
    6 BR/6.5 BA Single-family home
    Noteworthy: Two car detached garage, hardwood floors, walkout basement
    Listed: $2,249,000
    Open: Sunday, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. ( Brett McManaman – Washington Fine Properties, LLC)
  • 4129 16th Place N.
    4 BR/3 BA Single-family home
    Noteworthy: Gas fireplace, screened porch, patio
    Listed: $1,299,000
    Open: Saturday, 1-4 p.m. ( Anne Cronin – McEnearney Associates)
  • 2800 S. Ives Street
    4 BR/2.5 BA Single-family home
    Noteworthy: Renovated, wood burning fireplace, 2 brick patios
    Listed: $949,000
    Open: Sunday, 1-3 p.m. ( Kate Herzig – EXP Realty, LLC)
  • 913 N. Larrimore Street
    3 BR/1.5 BA Single-family home
    Noteworthy: All brick, finished rec room, private backyard
    Listed: $799,900
    Open: Sunday, 1-3 p.m. ( Mark Middendorf – Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc.)

See all Arlington open house listings here.

Want your open house to appear here? You can now submit sponsored listings.

* Denotes sponsored listing

APS students eligible for free ART bus rides starting next week

By ARLnow.com
An ART bus and driver (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

Middle and high school students at Arlington public schools will soon be able to ride Arlington Transit buses for free.

The new free ride program will begin next week, with the start of classes on Monday.

Students will need to obtain an iRide SmarTrip card to take advantage of the free rides, and a county press release notes that “due to supply chain issues, iRide cards are available on a first-come, first-served basis.”

Previously, students could ride ART for a discounted, $1 fare.

The full county press release is below.

Beginning this school year, middle and high school students from Arlington Public Schools (APS) will be able to ride free anytime on Arlington Transit (ART), the County’s bus transit system, with an iRide SmarTrip card.

Students with existing iRide cards will automatically receive the free transit access when classes begin on Mon., August 29, with no additional actions required.

APS students who don’t have an iRide card can obtain one for free by contacting their School Transportation Coordinator or by visiting one of Arlington’s Commuter Store locations with their student ID. Due to supply chain issues, iRide cards are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Students who cannot obtain a card in time for the start of the school year can anticipate new inventory in October.

The free rides on ART expand on Arlington Transit Bureau’s pilot program to provide transit service to APS students who have limited travel options to school. With this latest program, students can ride free anywhere, not just take trips to school and back home.

Previously, students could ride ART for $1 — half the regular fare — with a registered iRide card. The iRide card can also be used to pay fares on Metrobus, Metrorail and other regional transit systems, and provides valuable ridership data to the Transit Bureau for use in decision-making.

About ART Bus

Arlington Transit’s (ART) 16 routes operate within Arlington County to provide cross-County neighborhood routes as well as regional connections to Metrorail and Virginia Railway Express. Visit the ART website to find maps, schedules, and plan a trip.

Morning Poll: Where are you from, originally?

By ARLnow.com
Light streaks from cars on I-395 in Shirlington during a cloudy evening (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

A decade ago, we asked readers where they were from, originally.

The poll found that only 11% of readers were from Arlington and only 20% from elsewhere in the D.C. area. Combined, that’s less than the just over 35% who said they were originally from the “north.”

On a Friday in late August, we’re asking that question again, but with the regions more precisely defined. Let’s see if the number of Arlington and D.C. area natives is higher than last time.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Deer running down the road (Flickr pool photo by Dennis Dimick)

Farewell, Pia — It is our social media intern Pia Kramer’s last day. If you’ve been enjoying our revitalized Instagram presence this summer, you have Pia to thank. Good luck at grad school, Pia!

Plan for Red Lion Hotel Changing — “An Orr Partners-led venture wants to revive and expand plans to redevelop a hotel in Rosslyn. The Arlington County Board previously greenlighted two high-rises there, totaling 183,000 square feet. Having recently acquired another parcel adjacent to the site, Reston-based Orr now wants to build a 422,000-square-foot multifamily building instead.” [Washington Business Journal]

Taqueria el Poblano’s Last Weekend — “We have made the difficult decision to close our Columbia Pike location. Please come by ‘The Pike’ and join in on the fun for our last two nights and support the staff at the Taqueria Poblano’s Columbia Pike location this Friday, August 26th & Saturday, August 27th! The restaurant will be donating 50% of gross sales for these two days to our loyal and hard working staff!” [Facebook, ARLnow]

Activists Decry Amazon ‘Takeover’ — “A new report from Demos and For Us, Not Amazon (FUNA) – a coalition against an Amazon takeover in Northern Virginia – highlights how organizers are fighting for the rights of working people, immigrants and people of color as the multinational company prepares to open its new headquarters in Virginia next year.” [Press Release]

APS Families Accidentally Get EBT Cards — An Arlington Public Schools spokesman tells ARLnow that about 6,900 students accidentally received P-EBT cards that were not intended for them. The error was first pointed out by an ARLnow reader on Twitter. “The Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program is a federal program created in the spring of 2020 to supplement school meals that students missed,” notes a state website. [Twitter, Twitter]

Catholic Schools Back in Session — “Catholic schools in the diocese of Arlington [welcomed] students back Wednesday. Superintendent, Doctor Joseph Vorbach, spoke with us about the new school year.” [Fox 5]

Grant Ideas for Seniors — “Arlington Community Foundation is excited to premiere and host the Age Friendly Grant Catalog featuring 12 grant ideas of organizations and programs serving older adults (55+) in Arlington, with grants up to $10,000 each. The public is able to view and ‘shop’ these grants… and donate any amount toward needs that inspire them.” [Press Release]

The Toll of Traffic Crashes — “We spoke with three people who survived being hit by a vehicle and continue to live with the effects. We also spoke with people who have lost loved ones at the hands of a driver… Their stories highlight the potential toll of one careless moment — or one intentional bad action — from a driver. They all have similar pleas, too: for drivers to be more responsible and for cities to design roads that limit speeding and reckless driving.” [WAMU]

It’s Friday — Humid and partly cloudy throughout the day, with a slight chance of rain and storms. High of 88 and low of 73. Sunrise at 6:34 am and sunset at 7:50 pm. [Weather.gov]

Flickr pool photo by Dennis Dimick

JUST IN: Arlington and entire immediate D.C. area now at CDC’s “low” Covid level

By ARLnow.com
CDC Covid level map as of Aug. 25, 2022 (via CDC)

Arlington County and the rest of the immediate D.C. area is now in the CDC’s “low” Covid level.

The county was moved from “medium,” where it had been since April, to “low” this afternoon, after the number of weekly cases per 100,000 residents dipped below 200, to 195.

Arlington is currently seeing 6.3 weekly hospital admissions for Covid per 100,000 residents, per the CDC’s website. Just under 5% of staffed inpatient beds are in use by patients who are Covid positive.

Arlington’s Covid positivity rate has also been falling, from around 22% just over a week ago to 17.6% today, according to Virginia Dept. of Health data.

CDC Covid level for Arlington as of Aug. 25, 2022 (via CDC)

The District of Columbia, Alexandria, Fairfax County, Loudoun County, Prince William County, Montgomery County, Prince George’s County and Charles County are all also now in the CDC’s “low” Covid level.

Despite the good news, cases reported by health authorities are becoming a less reliable metric as of late due to the prevalence of at-home rapid testing.

Virginia Hospital Center ER chief Mike Silverman, in his weekly public Facebook post last week, cautioned against reading too much into case trends.

The number of reported positives that you find online is probably not the best statistic to follow anymore. Certainly, many and possibly a large percentage of people are diagnosing themselves with rapid tests and never getting counted in the total case count. Hospitals and testing centers continue to report their data. The number of patients who remain hospitalized with COVID has remained fairly constant at VHC. But over the last 4 weeks, we have seen a decrease in the amount of emergency department patients who required our COVID isolation status. The total number of cases being diagnosed in the ER in both the symptomatic and asymptomatic population remains fairly consistent. Over the pandemic, we’ve had months where our weekly case count would go down into the single digits. That has not been the case for the last several months. We have had a steady state of patients that we diagnose each week that is not too far below the total number that we saw during our first winter peak/surge in December 2020. Unfortunately, COVID is certainly going to be with us for quite some time.

UPDATED: Man arrested after attack at Arlington Central Library

By ARLnow.com
1/3

(Updated at 12:20 p.m.) A dispute among acquaintances led to an attack outside of and then inside Arlington Central Library, police say.

Police were dispatched to the library around 1:45 p.m. Thursday after receiving multiple calls about two people arguing or fighting. They arrived and found at least one person “covered in blood,” according to scanner traffic.

“At approximately 1:47 p.m., police were dispatched to the 1000 block of N. Quincy Street for the report of trouble unknown,” said Arlington County police spokeswoman Ashley Savage. “Upon arrival, it was determined two known male acquaintances became involved in a verbal dispute outside the library. The dispute escalated when the suspect struck the victim with an object and physically assaulted him.”

One tipster described the incident as a “really savage beating.”

“I was in the library at the time, he was thrown to the ground and punched multiple times for several minutes, bloodied face,” another tipster told ARLnow. “I am not aware of the reason for the attack… the victim kept asking ‘Why did he attack me? What did I do?'”

The second tipster noted that “there were several… eyewitnesses” and said that the attack “continued inside the library” after starting outside.

The man who was attacked was taken via ambulance to a local hospital for treatment.

“The victim was transported to an area hospital and is in stable condition,” said Savage. “The suspect was taken into custody by responding officers and charges are pending.”

The suspect was questioned by police and ultimately arrested near the intersection of Fairfax Drive and N. Pollard Street. A dog he had been walking was picked up by animal control officers.

In a crime report released Friday, police said the victim was struck with a stick outside and further assaulted by the suspect when he went inside the library to seek help.

MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2022-08250137, 1000 block of N. Quincy Street. At approximately 1:47 p.m. on August 25, police were dispatched to the report of trouble unknown. Upon arrival, it was determined two known male acquaintances became involved in a verbal dispute outside the library, during which the suspect allegedly struck the victim with a stick. The victim ran into the library for assistance and the suspect followed and physically assaulted him. Responding officers located the suspect at the intersection of N. Pollard Street and Fairfax Drive and took him into custody without incident. The victim was transported to an area hospital it stable condition. [The suspect], 35, of No Fixed Address was arrested and charged with Malicious Wounding. He was held without bond.

Jay Westcott contributed to this report

NEW: “Old School” Italian restaurant and wine bar coming to Ballston area

By ARLnow.com
1/3

The former Next Day Blinds will soon be serving caprese and wine.

The vacant storefront at 3865 Wilson Boulevard, across the from Gold’s Gym in the Ballston area, is becoming “Carbonara: Old School Italian & Wine Bar,” a 150-seat restaurant with 4,800 square feet of indoor and outdoor space.

The eatery — technically in Virginia Square — is currently expected to open next July.

Standout menu items included in a press release are a veritable tour of Italy: Carpaccio, Eggplant Parmigiana Stack, Tortellini Di Michael, Linguini Cardinale, Chicken Cacciatore, Vitello Alla Marsala, Cioppino, and Stuffed Cannoli.

The restaurant comes from a recognizable local name: Chef Mike Cordero.

Cordero owns and operates Bronson Bier Hall, Barley Mac, Bronx Pizza, Don Tito, and Taco Rock in Arlington, as well as other Northern Virginia establishments like Don Taco in Alexandria.

“I’m ecstatic to relive my early years of training as an Italian chef with Carbonara and work with my sons on this project,” said Cordero. “My new concept will offer delicious old school Italian cuisine with a twist where nothing is store bought and everything is made from scratch. Cooking fresh Italian food is in the Cordero blood.”

More from a press release, below.

Chef Mike Cordero is going back to where it all started for him. The Northern Virginia Restauranteur announced today that his Cordero Hospitality restaurant group, which include his sons Nick Cordero and Anthony Cordero, will open Carbonara: Old School Italian & Wine Bar in Ballston. Set to deliver in July 2023, the 4,800-square-foot indoor and outdoor restaurant will take over the corner retail space in the Ballston Gateway building at 3865 Wilson Boulevard, which formerly housed Next Day Blinds, and is located on the corner of Wilson Boulevard and North Pollard Streets. Cordero, represented by Chris Saa with Divaris Real Estate, Inc., signed a 20-year lease with landlord Cushman & Wakefield. Designer Yvette Irene will develop the interior design and Carlos Construction will conduct the buildout. Cordero will serve as executive chef.

Carbonara will offer a substantial menu featuring old-world Italian cuisine, focusing on the southern region of Italy, with all food made in-house and fresh homemade pasta prepared daily. Hearty Sicilian pizzas, classic Italian baked dishes like Eggplant Rollatini Parmigiana, zesty Italian sandwiches, decadent tiramisus and savory chicken, veal and seafood dishes top the bill- of-fare. A wide selection of wines from all regions of Italy, featuring a flavorful varietal from Tuscany, will nicely pair with each menu item. To better dispense and preserve each bottle, Carbonara will showcase a state-of-the-art cruvinet system, used widely by international sommeliers, that will extend the flavor and life of the vino served. A collection of specialty aperitivos and craft Italian cordials will adorn the Carbonara cocktail menu and include bellinis, puccinis, negronis and spritzes. […]

(more…)

Police: Courthouse parking confrontation leads to gun brandishing

By ARLnow.com

A man upset after being confronted about parking illegally in the Courthouse area allegedly drew a weapon, police say.

The incident happened around 6 p.m. yesterday (Wednesday) near the intersection of Clarendon Blvd and N. Troy Street, a couple of blocks downhill from the Courthouse Metro station.

“At approximately 6:11 p.m. on August 24, police were dispatched to the report of a brandishing,” said an Arlington County Police Department crime report. “The investigation determined the suspect was illegally parked when the victim approached on foot and confronted him. The suspect then exited his vehicle and allegedly retrieved a weapon, which was later determined to be an airsoft gun, from the trunk. The victim safely left the area and no injuries were reported.”

“Upon arrival, officers located the suspect and took him into custody without incident,” the crime report says.

Despite the gun ultimately being found to be a pellet gun, according to police, the suspect — a 28-year-old Fairfax man — was charged with brandishing. He was also charged with DUI and driving with a suspended license, and held without bond, per the crime report.

Morning Poll: What do you consider an ideal temperature range for outdoor exercise?

By ARLnow.com
A runner at Long Bridge Park (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

After a pretty nice couple of days, temperatures in the 90s are back — and sticking around for awhile.

That’s not great news if you’ve been waiting for cooler weather as fall approaches, so you can better enjoy your outdoor fitness routine.

The return of the heat has us wondering: what do you consider an ideal temperature for outdoor exercise — like running, biking, and tennis — or strenuous activities, like mowing the lawn?

Are you more a fan of sunny 75 degree afternoons, misty 45 degree mornings, or something else? Let us know in the poll and in the comments below.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Construction equipment around the former Americana Hotel in Crystal City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Move-In Day at Marymount — “This Thursday, about 310 new students will arrive on Move-In Day and be celebrated as new members of the Marymount University family, as an estimated 33 volunteers consisting of Marymount faculty, staff and current students will be on location to assist these first-year Saints.” [Press Release]

Road Projects Improving School Safety — “Roadway and pedestrian safety are a top concern during the back-to-school season, which is why Arlington County has several projects and initiatives that prioritize safer roads and crossings for students, parents, teachers, and school staff. Arlington’s Vision Zero transportation safety program has led to multiple projects in coordination with APS to increase pedestrian safety around schools since being adopted in May 2021.” [Arlington County]

APS Back-to-School Hotline — “Arlington school officials are encouraging parents to pick up the phone and reach out if they have questions that they can’t get answered. The Arlington Public Schools’ family-information line is operational at (703) 228-8000 as the start to school approaches.” [Sun Gazette]

Review Board Disagrees with Park Names — ” Until the Aug. 17 HALRB meeting, the stars appeared to be aligning for the names ‘Pen Place’ and ‘Met Park’ for the two future parks. But then opposition arrived… HALRB member Mark Turnbull termed Met Park an ‘undistinguished’ prospective moniker and said even lengthening it to Metropolitan Park to align with the overall development would leave a ‘fairly bland name.'” [Sun Gazette]

Affordable Housing Lagging in N. Va. — “While some areas of [Northern Virginia] are currently meeting housing targets,” including Arlington, “the region has an uphill battle to build new affordable housing units — particularly for people at the lowest incomes — at the pace they’re needed, and even sometimes to preserve existing ones.” [DCist]

It’s Thursday — Mostly cloudy throughout the day. High of 87 and low of 72. Sunrise at 6:33 am and sunset at 7:51 pm. [Weather.gov]

EXCLUSIVE: Scott Parker, Cowboy Cafe owners and manager partnering on Forest Inn replacement

By ARLnow.com
1/2

(Updated at 5:55 p.m.) The former Forest Inn space in Westover will be switching from Budweiser and burgers to margaritas and tacos.

The Forest Inn, one of Arlington’s last dive bars, closed in June after more than 40 years in business in the neighborhood. Its general manager told ARLnow that the landlord declined to renew the lease.

But the storefront at 5849 Washington Blvd will not be vacant for long.

Westover Taco, a new Mexican restaurant and bar, is planning to open next year in the relatively small restaurant space. It’s being helmed by Sarah White, a restaurant industry veteran who runs the Cowboy Cafe on Langston Blvd, which many lovingly consider a dive bar, as well as several local Lost Dog Cafe franchise locations.

We’re told White will co-own the business with five partners: Cowboy co-owners Jim Barnes, Mike Barnes, Mike Danner and Wes Clough, plus local serial entrepreneur Scott Parker.

(White was also a 2021 candidate for House of Delegates in Falls Church and part of Fairfax County.)

Westover Taco logo (courtesy Scott Parker)

Parker tells ARLnow that the plan for the dog-leg-shaped, 1,000+ square foot space is to “blow out the ceilings and really open up the space and give it a brighter vibe.” That might include roll-up windows in the back of the space, which looks out on a parking lot, to provide an open-air setting during nice weather.

“It’s definitely going to be an entire flip of the space,” Parker said. “Everything will be brand new.”

The concept for Westover Taco is simple: margaritas and tacos. While it will no longer be a dive bar, Parker hopes to attract a mix of Westover residents and other locals while establishing a solid base of regular customers.

“Everyone is welcome,” he said.

Parker noted that many of the half-dozen partners grew up near the Westover area and, given the small size of the restaurant and the number of co-owners, this is more a labor of love than a money-making opportunity for those involved. It’s also something that the partners are looking at in the long term.

“Most of the restaurants there are pretty busy, and many of them have been there for decades. So it’s a it’s a really strong, loyal market,” he said. “When you put something good there, it should do really well. So I do expect us to build a solid regular [customer] base pretty quickly. And I think the locals will love what we do.”

The partners have not yet taken possession of the space, Parker said, but the hope is to start work soon and open at some point in mid-2023.

Parker, who recently returned from a trip to Mexico City, posted photos from inside the cleared-out Forest Inn via an Instagram story on Aug. 1, as noted by ARLnow at the time.

Parker counts the Cowboy Cafe and Lost Dog co-owners as long-time friends and said they’ve been looking to partner on something local for awhile.

“We just always wanted to do a project together,” he said. “This is certainly something that borders on a passion project of sorts. None of us is going to get rich or take over the world having all these partners in one small restaurant, so it’s more of something that we just want to work as a team to put something special in a neighborhood that we think is really cool.”

Images of the closed Forest Inn posted on social media (via Scott Parker/Instagram)

As for his other business ventures, the prolific Parker told ARLnow that boxing gym Bash and pet daycare and boarding business Playful Pack are both on track to start franchising nationally in the near future. High-end barbershop Bearded Goat — currently in Ballston and Shirlington — is also eyeing an expansion to other cities, but that may take longer to play out, he said.

Asked about his ability to open so many local businesses, Parker credited his business partners for helping to make them a success while he focuses on the long-term path to growth.

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