Author: Matt Blitz

This month, go on a Clarendon treasure hunt to learn about female STEM pioneers

By Matt Blitz
Rosie Riveters’ Women History Hunt 2022 (photo courtesy of Rosie Riveters)

This month, go on a treasure hunt through Clarendon to discover women’s history.

The local non-profit Rosie Riveters is hosting its second annual Women’s History Hunt, a GPS-enabled treasure hunt designed to teach kids about famed female pioneers in the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and math).

The event is in honor of March being Women’s History Month.

Needing only a GPS-enabled phone or device to download the map, this free family geocaching activity will send students (and parents) around Clarendon in search of puzzle pieces containing clues, information, and fun facts about pioneering women.

The treasure hunt began March 11 and will continue until April 3. Participants have until April 9 to submit photos of their completed puzzle to win prizes.

“Geocaching is a modern-day treasure hunt, and it’s just a lot of fun for kids to use tech to find secret boxes right in the middle of the neighborhoods where we work and play,” Katherine Rieder, a spokesperson for Rosie Riveters, tells ARLnow. “We also think treasure hunting is an apt metaphor for women’s history, particularly the history of women in STEM. The stories are there, but women’s achievements in STEM are often buried beneath those of men, minimized, hidden, and even misappropriated.”

While Rieder wants to keep it a surprise about exactly which historical figures participants will learn about, she did note that it will be women from a diverse range of backgrounds and time periods.

Arlington-based Rosie Riveters, which is named after the World War II-era cultural icon, was founded in 2015 with the mission to equip and encourage young girls to become interested in STEM activities. Ultimately, as the website notes, the hope is to close the gender gap in those fields.

It’s so far gotten more than 5,700 girls in both Arlington and Fairfax counties to participate in interactive STEM programs, the majority of which at no cost.

The treasure hunt hits a number of different spots in Clarendon, including the newly-rebranded The Crossing Clarendon retail center and local parks.

“Our clues are hidden in silver metal boxes that are branded with Rosie Riveters’ logo,” reads the instructions. “Some are hidden under and in-between other objects/natural features, but you should not have to venture too far from the designated location to find the box.”

Each box contains a piece to a puzzle. When assembled, participants are asked to send a photo to [email protected] of the completed puzzle. Everyone who sends a photo of a correct puzzle wins a prize, including build-your-own harmonica STEM kit, kinetic butterflies STEM kit, and Women in STEM notecards.

Last year the online geocaching map had about 1,250 unique views, Reider said, adding that she thinks more families will be participating this year.

“We’ve taken technology and combined it with women’s history,” said Reider. “To share, elevate, and celebrate these stories in a way that gets kids excited and engaged.”

New bike share station likely coming to Virginia Hospital Center expansion

By Matt Blitz
A long row of Capital Bikeshare bicycles in Rosslyn (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

A new bike share station is potentially coming to Virginia Hospital Center, perhaps as soon as this summer.

At the County Board meeting on Saturday, members will vote on an agreement to install a Capital Bikeshare station at 1800 N. Edison Street in the Halls Hill neighborhood, where construction is currently ongoing to expand Virginia Hospital Center.

The agreement between the county and the hospital will grant permission to Arlington to install, operate, and maintain the station for at least a decade. It also asks VHC to pay $35,000 for the station’s installation and $17,300 annually for operational and maintenance costs.

The station could be installed by this summer if the agreement passes, a county spokesperson tells ARLnow. Since it’s listed as a consent item on Saturday’s agenda, it can be reasonably assumed the agreement will be approved.

The idea for a Bikeshare station at that location was first proposed to the neighborhood civic association way back in 2016, according to the Board report. At the time, the association’s members had no issue with the proposal.

Capital Bikeshare stations are owned by D.C. area localities and operated in partnership with the CaBi program, which is now a part of Lyft.

“Capital Bikeshare is a popular bike-sharing system in the Metropolitan D.C. Region,” reads the Board report. “Recognizing this trend, Arlington County Commuter Services has partnered with MetroBike in the continued development of a network of strategically-placed bike-sharing stations in various locations around the county. This bike-sharing partnership promotes the ideals of ‘car-free’ transportation, a healthy lifestyle and environmental stewardship.”

In recent years, more and more bike share stations have popped up around Arlington. There are now currently 104 Capital Bikeshare stations in operation in the county, a spokesperson says.

Construction is coming along on the 245,000 square-foot outpatient facility and parking garage adjacent to Virginia Hospital Center’s existing campus. It is expected to be completed in late 2023.

Rosslyn CVS to close after more than two decades inside of 1100 Wilson Blvd

By Matt Blitz
1/2

The CVS inside of 1100 Wilson Blvd in Rosslyn is closing next month after more than twenty years in that location, the company confirms.

The store is located in the lobby of the same building as local TV station WJLA (ABC 7), near the busy intersection with N. Lynn Street. It has been there since December 1999, according to the company.

“We’ve made the difficult decision to close our pharmacy at 1100 Wilson Blvd. in Rosslyn, VA on April 15,” a CVS spokesperson said in a statement to ARLnow. “All prescriptions will be transferred to the nearby CVS Pharmacy at 1788 N. Pierce St. in Arlington, which is just three blocks away, to ensure that patients continue to have uninterrupted access to service. All employees are being offered comparable roles at other CVS locations nearby.”

The exact reason for this particular closure wasn’t directly addressed in the statement, with the spokesperson noting that “maintaining access to pharmacy services in underserved communities is an important factor we consider when making store closure decisions.”

The company also cited population shifts, a store’s density, local market dynamics, and the proximity of other CVS stores as reasons.

The remaining CVS in Rosslyn on Pierce Street is relatively new, having opened in the last few years. While just a few blocks away from the closing store, it’s something of a journey, given the steep hill one has to walk up from N. Lynn Street.

All told, there are 15 other Arlington CVS locations.

Sitting at 31 stories, 1100 Wilson Blvd is one half of a pair of twin towers and a well-known Rosslyn skyline landmark. Besides being the long-time home of WJLA, it’s also home to cybersecurity company Shift5, pasta house Sfoglina, a satellite location for the University of Virginia’s business school, and Raytheon.

TTT in Clarendon temporarily closed amid another rebranding

By Matt Blitz
1/4

TTT in Clarendon is rebranding, again, and offering all-you-can-eat Mexican fare starting next month, moving away from a more pandemic-friendly grab and go style.

The tacos, tortas, and tequila-focused (hence, “TTT”) eatery at 2900 Wilson Blvd closed earlier this month in order to become Buena Vida Restaurant & Lounge starting in April. It will offer an “unlimited tasting menu,” in much similar fashion as its sister restaurant Ambar across the street.

This switch is a bit of a reversal of sorts from summer of 2020, when the restaurant first switched concepts from TTT and Buena Vida (on separate floors) to just TTT — to become more pandemic-friendly.

In 2019,  TTT and Buena Vida opened on Wilson Blvd in Clarendon. With both owned by restaurateur Ivan Iricanin, who also owns Ambar, TTT occupied the ground floor while Buena Vida had the second floor and the rooftop bar. The intention was for TTT to offer a more casual experience with its assortment of tacos and tequila, while Buena Vida was to be more upscale.

Then, the pandemic hit and a casual, grab and go style eatery became a more viable option. Plus, as an employee told ARLnow, patrons were often confused with the branding. So, in August 2020, the entire complex became known simply as TTT.

But now, the entire operation is moving back to being known as Buena Vida, along with some other changes.

“We are optimistic that spring is going to be a season of revival for the dining scene, and now is the time to bring Buena Vida back to life,” Iricanin said in the press release. “Street Guys Hospitality pivoted this restaurant, letting the first-floor concept of Mexican-inspired street food, TTT, take over the reins during the pandemic to be a fast casual, grab-and-go option as it is what our patrons needed from us at this location. As we see increasingly repeat customers visiting the restaurant and requesting a more adventurous dining experience, it is time to bring our unlimited tasting menu here and revive Buena Vida.”

That means all-you-can-eat traditional Mexican dishes like tacos, ceviches, and carnitas, but also entrees that are reflection of Buena Vida’s “new culinary direction” including chicharrón prensado (pressed pork belly), tortilla aztec (described as a Mexican lasagna), and house-made mole de olla.

Disappointedly, to some, alcoholic drinks cannot be “bottomless” due to Virginia alcohol laws.

The decor and design are also being altered, though the layout, the kitchen, restrooms, dining room, and bar area will remain pretty much the same as in previous iterations.

There will be “new jungle-like foliage throughout the three levels,” notes the release, with the rooftop lounge being reworked to hold 124 seats.

Sticking with the jungle theme, “guests ascending the stairs will feel like they are climbing a tree in the jungle of Tulum as they absorb the twining and cascading greenery surrounded by dark, moody colors.”

With the re-worked rooftop, Buena Vida is also being marketed as a place for “late night fun.”

There was previously a TTT in Silver Spring, but that location shuttered in November due to the pandemic and media company Discovery shutting down its headquarters nearby.

Arlington Chorale to finally perform a show that was canceled in March 2020

By Matt Blitz
1/3

Arlington Chorale is presenting “Through Troubled Times” this weekend, a performance that was originally slated for two years ago prior to Covid-related shutdowns.

On Saturday (March 19) at Westover Baptist Church, the 56-year-old local chorus group will be finally performing a show that was initially scheduled for March 14, 2020. The show was canceled two days before it was set to happen due to the increasing number of Covid cases in the county.

“These works are the last pieces we rehearsed together before everything shut down in 2020 — we had to cancel the concert two days before,” Arlington Chorale’s artistic director Ingrid Lestrud tells ARLnow. “I think we all have memories of rehearsing this music in pre-pandemic times before masks and social distancing.”

“Through Troubled Times” features “dark dramatic moments and soaring beautiful melodies,” according to a press release, and will be highlighted by a performance of a two-century-old work that holds a “message of finding hope in turbulent times strongly [that] resonates with audiences today.”

In addition, Arlington Public Schools student Ava Yi, 13, will conduct the chorus in a performance of Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus.” She won a virtual auction last spring that helped raise money for the group.

“Our shared human experiences over the last two years during the pandemic certainly adds a new perspective to this repertoire,” Arlington Chorale board president and soprano Ellen Keating said in a statement.

This will be only the group’s second concert back in front of a live audience since pausing performances two years ago.

The 60-member local, nonprofit chorus was first established in 1966. It’s a mixed-voice group, meaning both women and men sing together. Over the years, it has performed at a number of significant regional events including the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in 2018 at Nationals Park.

Lestrud says the last two years have made rehearsing and keeping members difficult, but this year’s auditions renewed her optimism.

“I was blown away by all the audition requests I received! Most of our new members are in their 20s, and our singers range in age from 19-84,” she says. “It’s truly an intergenerational group that values inclusivity and diversity.”

With almost half of the 60-member group new and shows upcoming in May and June, Lestrud is confident the chorus’s future is bright.

“Most of the singers sang in choirs throughout high school and college, and they’re looking for a group where they can sing high quality choral music and be challenged to create something beautiful together,” she says. “Many of our members have recently moved to the area, and they joined the Arlington Chorale in order to meet people and become a part of our community.”

A new lunch bowl eatery set to serve in Crystal City

By Matt Blitz
1/4

Grab a fork because a new lunch bowl eatery is coming to Crystal City.

Crystal Bowl is opening on the ground floor of 2800 Crystal Drive, signs announce on the eatery’s exterior. It’s set to serve lunch bowls, sandwiches, breakfast, coffee, smoothies, and bubble tea, according to signs on the window.

It remains unclear when it is expected to open, though. The website just notes “coming soon” and a call to the posted phone number went unanswered. Looking inside, however, it appears that interior construction is mostly complete.

2800 Crystal Drive is a ten-story office building, home to several businesses including a dental practice and a government contractor.

“Taco temple” Banditos aiming to open in Pentagon City next month

By Matt Blitz
1/2

“Taco temple” Banditos Bar & Kitchen appears to be preparing to open in Pentagon City next month.

A new black and pink banner declaring an “April 2022” opening for the Baltimore-based Mexican eatery was spotted hanging over the exterior of 1301 S. Joyce Street at Westpost.

We reported about a year ago that Banditos was coming to Westpost, the Pentagon City shopping center formerly known as Pentagon Row.

ARLnow has reached out to both Banditos and Federal Realty Investment Trust (FRIT), which owns the development, for more details about the plans.

The self-described “taco temple” is moving into the 3,000 square foot space plus outdoor seating that was previously occupied by Thaiphoon, which closed in November after more than a decade at the spot.

Company owner Sean White told ARLnow last year that the size, design, and layout of the Arlington location will be roughly the same as the other Banditos restaurants in Maryland. This is the eatery’s first location in Virginia, but is opening a Fairfax eatery later this year, according to its website.

White also noted that Amazon’s continued expansion into Arlington, a few blocks from Westpost in Pentagon City, made the county a particularly good fit for Banditos’ own expansion.

The brunch, lunch, and dinner menu includes more than 20 different types of tacos, burritos, quesadillas, street corn, more than 40 different brands of tequila, and mezcal.

Hat tip to CartChaos22202

“Bootlegger’s Guide to the Parks” walking tours aim to distill Arlington Prohibition history

By Matt Blitz
1/2

A new series of county-sponsored walking tours will distill the history of Arlington’s bootleggers, rum runners, and whiskey raids during Prohibition.

The “Bootlegger’s Guide to the Parks” trains its focus on the era of Prohibition, a 13-year period when the manufacturing and sale of alcohol was illegal in the U.S. The walking tours begin at a county park before ending at a local brewery, bar, or distillery.

The first tour, which will meet up at Penrose Park, is scheduled for Friday, March 25. Another is scheduled in April, at Rocky Run Park, while a tour in May will meet at Benjamin Banneker Park. Registration opens on Wednesday (March 16) for all three.

In the public’s mind, Prohibition has always conjured images of gangsters and criminal activity, making it a historical period ripe for movies and other popular entertainment. John McNair, a county park historian who is leading the tours, says that while we may associate the exploits that came with Prohibition with large metropolitan cities, Arlington had its fair share of dealings with illegal alcohol activity.

“We might consider these images of, say, Chicago or New York, but Prohibition was very real and very much on the table for people in Arlington County as well,” he says.

Even prior to Prohibition, several Arlington neighborhoods, like near the Key Bridge in Rosslyn, had earned reputations for attracting District residents who wanted to engage in vice. The reputation was well-earned, says McNair, with Arlington becoming a favorite place to grab a drink and play cards for many in the region.

While he doesn’t want to spoil too much about what the tours will cover, McNair says the March 25 event will focus upon the famed Thanksgiving whiskey raid of 1921.

On that day, federal agents joined up with police from across Virginia to raid four illegal distilling sites in Arlington.

“It took the eternity of the day. And at the end of which, they set state records for highest yield of [confiscated] whiskey products in Virginia,” says McNair. “While it made massive headlines at the time, the record would not stand for very long.”

Beyond the scandalous stories, McNair says the hope is that the programs bring in new audiences who want to learn about local history, parks, and public places. Telling stories about Prohibition in Arlington also opens up a window into what life was like here a century ago, during a very important time in America’s development.

“There were issues of suffrage, civil rights, the growing industry of war production that all became factors in how Prohibition plays out in Arlington,” McNair says.

Spots are limited on the walking tours and are open only to those 21 and over, due to a planned visit to a local bar. After all, how would be a Prohibition walking tour be complete without its own “raid” of a serving establishment?

Local officials warn of impacts from upcoming, months-long Yellow Line shutdown

By Matt Blitz
Yellow Line Metro bridge over the Potomac (Flickr pool photo by John Sonderman)

Local officials are concerned that major work on the Yellow Line, starting in September, will cause significant problems — and are asking Metro to come up with solutions.

Last week, WMATA announced that the Yellow Line tunnel and bridge crossing the Potomac will shut down starting September 10 for up to eight months due to much-needed rehab work.

Additionally, for six weeks, rail service south of National Airport will also be shut down to continue work on the new Potomac Yard station.

The shutdown announcements were not unexpected. About a year ago Metro said its plan was to fast track the work, warning that the bridge was “beyond its useful life.” In October, Metro said riders should expect the shutdown to happen by fall 2022. At the time, though, timelines and the duration of the shutdown wasn’t entirely clear.

Now, we know that Metro is expecting seven to eight months of severely-reduced service. The Yellow Line won’t return to full operations until at least April or May 2023.

While Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) concedes that the work is very necessary, he’s concerned the long shutdown will cause major delays and disruptions for local commuters, as he wrote in a statement last week.

Announcements of the upcoming completion and opening of the Potomac Yard station and the Silver Line Extension are both good news for the region, and will bring substantial benefits to Northern Virginia.

The construction work needed to finish the Potomac Yard station and the closure of the Yellow Line tunnel over the Potomac for safety maintenance will result in major commute disruptions for many of my constituents beginning in September. I am especially concerned for those who commute through the Huntington and Eisenhower Ave. stations, and increased bus service from WMATA and its regional partners will be key to minimizing the impacts on these riders. I urge WMATA to maximize Blue Line service to the extent possible to help compensate for increased traffic as Yellow Line riders shift their commutes during this work.

Capital projects and infrastructure maintenance are important to provide safe, reliable service to the region, but especially given the recent disruptions from the pandemic and 7000 series car issues, it is vital that WMATA do everything possible to look out for riders affected by this work.

Christian Dorsey, County Board Vice-Chair and former WMATA board member, said in a statement to ARLnow that he’s asking WMATA for solutions, in particular requesting the agency to work with Arlington Transit to provide bus alternatives to train service.

WMATA’s closure of the Yellow Line between Pentagon and L’Enfant Plaza stations in September reflects both valuable and necessary investments in our transportation infrastructure and a tremendous disruption to transit riders. The shutdown will come at a most unfortunate time as our region attempts to return to our pre pandemic normal. WMATA must increase Blue Line service to the greatest extent possible, but even then, the capacity limitations of the Rosslyn crossing mean that the transit experience to the Pentagon, our National Landing activity centers, and to National Airport will be degraded. To mitigate these impacts, we need WMATA to provide sufficient increases in bus service crossing the Potomac and to work with transit providers like Arlington Transit (ART) to offer comparable alternatives to the vital service the Yellow Line provides.

Both Metro and Arlington Transit tell ARLnow that they are working together to “develop travel alternatives,” but specific plans will not be announced until the Yellow Line construction plans are finalized.

More information isn’t expected until “early summer,” according to Arlington Department of Environmental Services spokeswoman Claudia Pors.

In 2021, an average of more than 10,000 riders used one of the four Arlington Yellow Line stations (Reagan National Airport, Crystal City, Pentagon City, and Pentagon) on a daily basis, according to Metro statistics.

Arlington’s neighbor Alexandria is also preparing for the shutdowns, particularly as it relates to the new Potomac Yard station on the Yellow Line. Service is supposed to start in the fall, but Metro’s announcement noted that work to connect the tracks to the rest of the rail system will take until the end of October.

Blossom bike maps help you catch full bloom without leaving Arlington

By Matt Blitz
1/6

Blossoms are beginning to bloom in Arlington and the temperature is expected to climb above 60 this afternoon. Sounds like a good time for a bike ride.

Luckily, local bike boosters have made some handy maps for seeing the blossoms on two wheels.

The cherry blossom bike maps from BikeArlington are aimed at helping residents catch full bloom without leaving the county and fighting crowds across the Potomac.

BikeArlington, the county-sponsored bike education program, has released long and short bike routes to assist cyclists in finding blossoms across the county.

Cherry blossom season is one of the most-anticipated times of the year in the D.C. area with the delicate, pink flowers attracting locals and tourists alike. Peak bloom is expected to happen between March 23 and 25 this year, according to the National Park Service, though this weekend’s cold and (likely) snowy weather could change that.

BikeArlington’s long bike route covers a 17 mile loop estimated to take under two hours and hits seven locations. Those stops include checking out trees at the Shirlington Branch Library, Ballston’s Welburn Square, Quincy Park in Virginia Square, and Cherrydale.

“Bike along the streets between Route 29, N. Quincy St, and I-66,” reads the map. “There’s a reason this neighborhood is named Cherrydale!”

Screenshot of BikeArlington’s long cherry blossom bike map

The short route covers 2.5 miles and is estimated to take under 20 minutes, without stopping. It takes riders through Arlington National Cemetery, Gravelly Point, and to the Navy-Merchant Marine Memorial.

“Stop and sit at benches that overlook the cherry blossom trees on the other side of the river,” the map reads.

While the Tidal Basin blossoms in D.C. are the “official” trees that were gifted by the Japanese government, there are plenty of blooms to behold in Arlington. At Arlington National Cemetery, there are more than 400 cherry trees. Just last year, dozens of new cherry blossom trees were planted in National Landing.

A number of cherry blossom-related events will be happening over the next month in Arlington, including a kite festival at Virginia Highlands Park, a petal porch parade, and public art installations.

A combo chicken and steak halal restaurant is coming to Crystal City

By Matt Blitz
1/3

A halal restaurant franchise is opening a new concept in Crystal City potentially by the end of this year.

The company, PPOVA LLC, has leased a 2,400 square foot space at 2323 S. Eads Street to launch a combination restaurant featuring chicken concept Peri-Peri Original and beef-focused Kallisto Steakhouse, as first reported by the Washington Business Journal in the fall. Both concepts will be halal and were originally launched in the United Kingdom.

This is part of an effort to bring those restaurant concepts to the U.S., particularly Northern Virginia, representatives of leasing agent Rappaport told ARLnow.

A building permit was applied for at the beginning of the month, county records note, and demolition and construction is currently underway. The hope that the business will open by the end of the year, Rappaport representatives said.

PPOVA LLC also owns food court concept Spice Village in Herndon, where both of these concepts are already serving.

This will be Kallisto Steakhouse’s first location other than Herndon and the seventh Peri-Peri Original in the region. The closest current Peri-Peri Original location is in Alexandria, in the same shopping center as Wegmans.

The appeal of this location in the Crystal City area is obvious to their clients, the leasing brokers said. With already established residential and office density, and Amazon’s HQ2 workforce continuing to grow in the area, this is an investment in the future, the leasing reps said.

“[They] are planting a flag today, so when the transition really comes, they’ll be well-established in the neighborhood,” said Rappaport’s Christian Kingston.

Plus, the availability of surface parking is an attractive feature of the space. With the increase in demand for food take-out and delivery options, the restaurant owners wanted a brick and mortar location that had accessible parking.

Serving halal food is also something the new tenant prides itself on, Kingston noted, believing that the neighborhood is lacking sufficient options in that respect.

The combo restaurant is opening only a few doors down from Crystal City stalwart 24-hour Kabob Palace, which serves halal food as well, and next to Shawarma Gyros Xpress.

Rappaport is also looking to lease the space on the other side of Shawarma Gyros Xpress, noting that it remains available for a new tenant.

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