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.

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Nov 27, 2023

By ARLnow.com

Good Monday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — Nov 27, 2023.

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Tuesday in Arlington, from our event calendar.

☀️ Tuesday’s forecast

Expect mostly sunny skies with temperatures reaching a high near 37 degrees. Northwest winds will increase from 6-11 mph to 13-18 mph in the afternoon, possibly gusting up to 29 mph. Tuesday night will be mostly clear, with lows around 21 degrees, and west winds between 8-16 mph, gusting up to 22 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.”
– Malcolm X

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.

Arlington ranks as No. 6 destination for millennials

By ARLnow.com
Rosslyn skyline, with Tysons in the background (Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf)

Millennials are still flocking to Arlington.

That’s according to new rankings from the website SmartAsset, which looked at where those ages 25-44 moved in 2022. (Yes, there are millennials who are now in their mid-40s.)

Arlington was No. 6 on the list of U.S. localities where millennials moved last year, as a percentage of the population.

“About 11.5% of Arlington’s residents are new millennials,” according to SmartAsset. “The [county] saw 26,699 millennials move in in 2022, and the median age across the city is 35.6 years.”

Ranking above Arlington were mostly tech-oriented cities: Cambridge, Massachusetts; Santa Clara, California; Seattle, Washington; Sunnyvale, California; and Denver, Colorado. Neighboring Alexandria and D.C. were No. 13 and 15 on the list, respectively.

Arlington, meanwhile, was No. 1 in at least one regard.

“Arlington, VA had the highest rate of millennials moving in from out of state at 5.2% of the total population,” SmartAsset wrote. “Studywide, Arlington placed 6th. Charleston, SC (45th); Washington, DC (15th); and Sandy Springs, GA (10th) similarly saw particularly high rates of millennial transplants from out of state.”

In 2017, another ranking website declared Arlington to be the “Best City for Millennials” on account of its nightlife, diversity, public schools, and being “good for families.”

Ranking of “Where Millennials Are Moving” in 2022 (via SmartAsset)

Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf

Portion of S. Glebe Road blocked due to crash with overturned vehicle

By ARLnow.com
1/2

(Updated at 10:10 p.m.) All lanes of S. Glebe Road were blocked between Walter Reed Drive and Columbia Pike this afternoon due to a crash.

Initial reports suggest that two vehicles collided near the intersection of Glebe and 15th Street S. around 1:45 p.m. One vehicle flipped on its side and at least one vehicle occupant was reported to be trapped and injured.

Numerous fire department and police vehicles were on scene as the person was extricated from their vehicle by firefighters and transported to a local hospital via ambulance.

Glebe Road was back open as of 3:15 p.m., according to Arlington County.

Traffic camera video of the crash posted Monday night by local public safety watcher Dave Statter shows some questionable driving decisions by a trio of drivers. One driver sideswipes the second — whose car overturned — while simultaneously trying to pass the third, who just turned onto the northbound lanes at the last second ahead of oncoming traffic.

Long-time local restaurant owner Essy Saedi has died

By ARLnow.com
Janet Saedi and Essy Carriage House owner Essy Saedi (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

The long-time former owner of Essy’s Carriage House has died.

Essy Saedi died on Thanksgiving, November 23, at the age of 76. He owned the beloved family-owned Cherrydale restaurant before its closing earlier this year. As he told ARLnow, Saedi was looking forward to traveling in his retirement.

“I’m excited… I get to go to Las Vegas more,” he said.

Saedi immigrated to the United States from Iran in the 1960s and helped open the restaurant Langston Blvd near the corner of N. Quincy Street and Cherry Hill Road in 1975. He took over as full owner a year later, renaming the eatery after himself — Essy’s Carriage House.

In nearly five decades, Saedi’s restaurant became a local staple, serving up steak, liver and comfort food to a loyal customer base. It had the “best crab cakes we’ve ever had. Anywhere,” according to one customer.

Even as he closed in on retirement, Saedi still did much of the prep work at the restaurant, including the sauce-making and meat-braising.

Essy’s Carriage House was known for its white-clothed tables and fresh-cut flowers on each table. Throughout its run, the restaurant served judges, military brass, lawmakers, lawyers, and, even “four-star generals,” according to Saedi. He primarily ran the restaurant with his wife, Janet Saedi, whom he married in the 1980s.

“It’s really been fundamentally the two of us running this place,” Janet told ARLnow in February. “But it’s been beautiful.”

But it was Essy who was the face of the restaurant and a big reason why customers kept coming back for close to five decades.

“I guess I’m just cute,” Essy said earlier this year.

He was known for “his warmth, his story telling, his mixed metaphors and his sometimes inappropriate sense of humor,” his obituary reads. Saedi could be seen on most nights at his restaurant running between tables, chatting with customers, and telling everyone what to order.

Essy had a “quirky sense of humor that some people adore… and there are people who don’t quite get it,” Janet said.

He embraced his quirkiness and was once named “the most colorful character in Arlington” by a local newspaper, notes his obituary. Saedi often called himself the “Luckiest Persian Alive.”

In the weeks before the restaurant was set to close, Essy was still busy at the restaurant and doing what he did best: sharing laughs with customers.

“They’ve become family and friends. We’ve done this for 50 years and we see [many] like once a week,” Essy said in February, taking a long pause. “Maybe I’ll pass them at the grocery store someday.”

Essy Saedi is survived by his wife Janet, daughters Lorena and Tonya, and sister Mehry. The family is planning a private burial and, in lieu of flowers, is asking for donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

UPDATED: More than 3,000 were without power due to large Arlington outage

By ARLnow.com
Power outage map as of 9:15 a.m. (via Dominion)

(Updated at 10:35 a.m.) More than 3,000 Arlington homes and businesses were in the dark this morning due to a large outage.

The outage appeared to be centered around the East Falls Church Metro station, affecting several northwestern Arlington neighborhoods including Westover.

In addition to the 3,042 Dominion customers reported to be without power in Arlington as of 9:15 a.m., another 1,700 were without power in Fairfax County, according to the power company.

So far there’s no word on what caused the outage.

As of 10:30 a.m. power appears to have been restored to all customers.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
A damp late November walk in the Ballston area (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Primary Day Off For Students — “Arlington School Board members on Nov. 30 will vote on a staff proposal to give students the day off on March 5. That’s the date scheduled for Virginia’s presidential-primary elections, meaning many schools potentially will be in use as polling places.” [Gazette Leader]

New Delegate Gears Up — “She won’t be a newcomer to Richmond, but Adele McClure will be the only new face in Arlington’s 2024 legislative delegation. McClure was unopposed in the new 2nd House District, and will join Patrick Hope (D-1st) and Alfonso Lopez (D-3rd) representing the voters of Arlington in the lower house of the legislature.” [Gazette Leader]

It’s Monday — Expect sunshine and a high of around 49 degrees, accompanied by a northwest wind of 8 to 17 mph, and gusts reaching up to 28 mph. For Monday night, the skies will be mostly clear, with temperatures dropping to approximately 27 degrees. The west wind will range between 8 and 11 mph. [Weather.gov]

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Nov 24, 2023

By ARLnow.com

Good Friday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — Nov 24, 2023.

Since it’s Friday, we’ve also compiled a list of the most-read articles of the week, below.

  1. JUST IN: Police investigating reported shooting along Langston Blvd (27434 views)
  2. Expect extra police on Arlington roads and Virginia highways this week (12929 views)
  3. Arlington County zeroes in on automated enforcement to tackle dangerous driving (7128 views)
  4. The ARLnow Shop is giving away some free shirts in Ballston starting… now (3271 views)
  5. Former Dunkin’ in Clarendon to become a Jersey Mike’s Subs shop (3207 views)
  6. Shirlington kicks off holiday season with tree lighting event next week (2867 views)
  7. Several Arlington Christmas tree markets to open Friday amid tree shortage (2356 views)
  8. Veteran and longtime Arlingtonian gets needed home repairs from volunteers (2075 views)
  9. Adoptable Pet of the Week: Neville (1999 views)
  10. Ballston Quarter to host charitable vending machines this holiday season (1904 views)

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Saturday in Arlington, from our event calendar.

  • No events today. Have one to promote? Submit it to the calendar.

☀️ Saturday’s forecast

The weather will be mostly sunny, reaching a high of around 43 degrees, with a light north wind at 6 mph, calming down in the afternoon. Tonight, expect increasing clouds and a low temperature of approximately 31 degrees, while the east wind at 5 mph subsides during the evening. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
– Nelson Mandela

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

We hope you have a great weekend, Arlington! Feel free to discuss the most-read stories of the week, the upcoming weekend events or anything else of local interest in the comments. 👋

ACPD investigating armed robbery near Ballston

By ARLnow.com
File photo

Arlington County police are investigating a bold, broad-daylight armed robbery near Ballston.

The robbery happened two days before Thanksgiving — around 3 p.m. Tuesday — on the 4600 block of Washington Blvd. Businesses on that block include the Sunoco gas station and market.

Police say a man went inside the business, brandished a gun, stole cash and then ran off. Responding officers were unable to locate him nearby.

More, below, from an ACPD crime report.

ROBBERY, 2023-11210134, 4600 block of Washington Boulevard. At approximately 3:11 p.m. on November 21, police were dispatched to the report of an armed robbery. Upon arrival, it was determined the male suspect entered the business, went behind the counter while brandishing a firearm and demanded cash. The suspect stole an undisclosed amount of cash before fleeing the scene on foot. Responding officers established a perimeter, broadcast a lookout and searched the area for the suspect yielding negative results. The suspect is described as a tall, thin-build male with a medium complexion, wearing a black jacket, hoodie, jeans and a black mask. The investigation is ongoing.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Leaf collection in Westover (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

New Pike Partnership Leader — “With its current head moving into elected office in January, the Columbia Pike Partnership has tapped a new executive director. Andrew Schneider, who previously led Arlington Thrive, on Nov. 21 was announced as the successor to Kim Klingler, who has headed the Columbia Pike organization since 2019.” [Gazette Leader]

Financial Issues for Rosslyn Building — “A mezzanine lender is moving to foreclose on 1812 N. Moore St., according to an offering and a legal notice, making the Nestle USA headquarters building in Arlington the most prominent example of the commercial real estate debt crisis in the region.” [Washington Business Journal]

Jobs Growth in Arlington — “The growth of jobs within Arlington on a year-over-year basis is outpacing the national rate, according to new national figures. With 180,300 people counted as part of the workforce within the county (no matter where they live) in June, the annualized growth rate of 3.3 percent was above the national rate of 2.4 percent for the same period, according to figures reported Nov. 21 by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.” [Gazette Leader]

‘Knights’ Feed Thousands for Thanksgiving — “Arlington Knights are once again busy in the kitchen this Thanksgiving for a feast that has grown through the years. For 37 years, the Arlington Council of the Knights of Columbus has been known for its huge community Thanksgiving dinners that provide meals to thousands of guests.” [WJLA]

Local ‘Kindness Activist’ Profiled — “Susan Thompson-Gaines didn’t set out to be a kindness activist. It all started shortly after she and her husband, David, moved into a yellow house on a busy Arlington street corner in January of 2000. The home with the big wraparound porch is at a stoplight near Thomas Jefferson Middle School… They began putting little projects outside their house, inviting community members to participate: a camera to take pictures that would later be displayed; a Thanksgiving board with sticky notes where people could share what they were thankful for.” [Arlington Magazine]

It’s Friday — Partly sunny today, with a high near 52. Northwest wind 6 to 8 mph. Tonight it will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 31. [Weather.gov]

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Nov 22, 2023

By ARLnow.com

Good Wednesday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — Nov 22, 2023.

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Thursday in Arlington, from our event calendar.

  • No events today. Have one to promote? Submit it to the calendar.

🌦️ Thursday’s forecast

Expect cloudy skies with occasional showers in the morning, followed by partial clearing in the afternoon. High temperatures will be around 76°F, with lows in the mid-50s overnight, and winds at 10 to 20 mph. The chance of precipitation is 60%, with rainfall amounts near a quarter of an inch. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.”
– Mother Teresa

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.

Arlington County facilities to close, trash collection delayed due for Thanksgiving

By ARLnow.com
Recycling collection in Arlington (photo courtesy Arlington County)

Thanksgiving is one of the few times of the year when Arlington’s hardworking waste collection crews take a weekday off.

Trash, recycling and organics bins will not be emptied as usual on Thursday. Instead, collection will be delayed a day and extended into Saturday.

Likewise, parking meters will not be enforced on Thanksgiving Day and on Black Friday, a county spokesman confirmed to ARLnow.

Arlington County schools, offices, libraries and community centers will also be closed Thursday and Friday, though the Long Bridge Aquatics and Fitness Center will be open Friday from 6 a.m.-2 p.m.

More on planned Thanksgiving closures, from a press release, below. Additional holiday closures can be found here.

  • Recycling/Trash/Organics Curbside Routes – No collection Thursday. Thursday routes run on Friday, Nov. 24; Friday routes run on Saturday, Nov. 25.
  • Leaf Collection – No first passes will be done on Thursday, Nov. 23. Vacuum trucks will resume leaf collection on Friday, Nov. 24.
  • Special Collections (Brush, Metal, E-waste) – No collection Thursday. Thursday routes run on Friday, Nov. 24; Friday routes run on Saturday, Nov. 25.
  • No Household Hazardous Material (HHM) facility drop-off appointments on Thursday.
  • HHM Facility is closed on Thursday, Nov. 23, and Saturday, Nov. 25.
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