Author: Samantha Moore

Signs Up for New Ramen Shop in Clarendon

By Samantha Moore
1/3

Signs are up for a new Japanese ramen noodle restaurant in Clarendon.

Hanabi Ramen will be “coming soon” to the former Amsterdam Falafel space at 3024 Wilson Blvd, next to the future G.O.A.T. Sports Bar.

An exact opening date for the restaurant has not been announced. In an earlier Facebook post, the owner and chef, Kenji, described Hanabi as “an authentic Japanese ramen and gyoza restaurant featuring Japanese chefs.”

“We are currently remodeling the venue to make your ramen and gyoza experience in an authentic Japanese ramen shop as great as possible,” the post says.

New Year’s Eve Parties In and Around Arlington

By Samantha Moore

Want to stay in Arlington (or, at least, within a stone’s throw of Arlington) but still go out for New Year’s Eve?

Good news: With just over a week and a half until New Year’s Eve, there are plenty of local options still available for New Year’s procrastinators. A list of NYE parties that you can walk back from, if necessary, is below.

2017 NYE Decades Sehkraft Brewing2017 NYE Decades Sehkraft Brewing
Sehkraft Brewing (925 N. Garfield St.)
Time: 9 p.m.-2 a.m.

Ring in the New Year in Clarendon with the cover band “Girls Night Out” and DJ Fusion as they play hit songs from the 80s, 90s and 2000s. Tickets start at $30 and include drink tickets, a VIP entrance and party favors.

"Don Tito" logo and partnersNew Years Eve at Don Tito!
Don Tito (3165 Wilson Blvd)
Time: 9 p.m.-2 a.m.

Clarendon’s “hottest tequila bar” will be hosting a New Year’s Eve bash. General Admission starts at $40 and includes three drink tickets, party favors and a VIP entry. Tables start at $350 with a bottle of champagne and 15 drink tickets.

Highline New Years EveHighline New Year’s Eve
Highline RxR (2010 Crystal Drive)
Time: 9 p.m.-1 a.m.

Celebrate the New Year in Crystal City at one of the D.C. area’s newest bars. There will be a huge dance floor, a photo-booth, selfie station, buffet, open bar, a “killer” DJ and more. Tickets start at $109.

Copperwood Tavern logoCopperwood Tavern New Year’s Eve Celebration
Copperwood Tavern (4021 Campbell Ave.)
Time: 4 p.m.-2 a.m.

Reserve a table at Copperwood Tavern in Shirlington for a prix fixe three course dinner, a champagne toast at midnight and other party favors to ring in the New Year. Tickets start at $55 and the doors open at 4 p.m.

New Year's Eve 2017 Maskquerade at A-TownNew Year’s Eve 2017 Maskquerade at A-Town
A-Town Bar & Grill (4100 Fairfax Dr.)
Time: 9 p.m.-2 a.m.

Join A-Town at their 5th-annual New Year’s bash. General admission starts at $35 with three drink tickets and VIP tables start at $300 with a bottle of champagne, 15 drink tickets and two appetizer samples. Ticket prices increase closer to the event.

Barley MacA Beautiful Bourbon NYE 2017
Barley Mac (1600 Wilson Blvd)
Time: 9 p.m.-2 a.m.

Rosslyn’s bourbon bar will be ringing in the New Year in style. Pricing starts at $45 includes three drink tickets for premium beverages, hors d’oeuvres, and a champagne toast at midnight. Drink tickets may be used for bourbons and whiskeys.

A Gatsby New Year's Eve at SequoiaA Gatsby New Year’s Eve at Sequoia (Georgetown Waterfront)
Sequoia Georgetown Waterfront (3000 K St. NW)
Time: 9 p.m.-12 a.m

Join Local Social and Project DC for a Great Gatsby New Year’s event at the Georgetown waterfront, overlooking beautiful Rosslyn. Tickets start at $155 and includes several open bars, a dinner buffet, a champagne toast and a heated outdoor patio.

Clarendon Ballroom 17th Annual New Years Eve GalaClarendon Ballroom 17th Annual New Year’s Eve Gala
Clarendon Ballroom (3185 Wilson Blvd)
Time: 8 p.m.-2 a.m.

Liquid A, DJ Lil Fos and Hurley will be performing at Clarendon Ballroom’s 17th Annual New Year’s Gala. There will be two levels of entertainment, dinner buffet, champagne, midnight balloon drop and four drink tickets will be included in your purchase.

6th Annual New Years Eve Casino Night6th Annual NYE Prohibition Casino Night
Hyatt Regency at Crystal City (2799 Jefferson Davis Hwy.)
Time: 8 p.m.-3 a.m.

Gold Boot Entertainment will be hosting their 6th annual New Year’s event at the Hyatt in Crystal City. There will be a surprise guest DJ, five levels of entertainment, various games & shows, 20 cash bars and much more. Semi-formal attire is required.

Cinema & Drafthouse New Years 2017New Year’s Eve at the Drafthouse with DJ G-Mills
Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse
Time: 7:30 p.m.-12:15 a.m.

Looking for a more low-key experience this year? For $15, the Drafthouse is hosting an ’80s-themed New Year’s party where you can enjoy the ball drop table-side on the huge screen, music by DJ Mills, and various party favors.

Northside Social New YearsNew Year’s Eve in The Wine Bar
Northside Social (3211 Wilson Blvd.)
Time: 8 p.m.-1:30 a.m.

Northside Social is ringing in the New Year with a wine and dinner celebration, featuring a sparkling wine line-up and Chef Matt Hill’s five course menu for a pairing. Dinner starts at 8:30 p.m. with a sparkling toast at midnight.

Clarendon Grill New Years Clarendon Grill New Year’s Eve Party
Clarendon Grill (1101 N. Highland St.)
Time: doors open at 8 p.m.

Celebrate the new year with My Hero Zero at Clarendon Grill. Tickets start at $45 and include the live performance, three drink tickets, a large food buffet, party favors and a champagne toast at midnight.

IOTA Open Mic night7th Annual New Year’s Eve Throw Down
IOTA Club & Cafe (2832 Wilson Blvd.)
Time: doors open all day

The IOTA Club will have a live show featuring The Beanstalk Library, Bobby Thompson and Revelator Hill to celebrate this New Years Eve. Doors will be open all day, the show starts at 9 p.m. and tickets are $20. Party favors are included.

The Legwarmers New Years EveThe Legwarmers New Year’s Eve Party
The State Theatre (222 N. Washington St.)
Time: doors open at 7 p.m.

The “ultimate 80s cover band” will be ringing in the New Year in Falls Church with some throwback jams, so don’t forget your 80s garb and get ready to dance. The show starts at 9:30 p.m. and tickets start at $50.

Tractor Trailer Brings Down Power Lines in Ballston, Driver Trapped

By Samantha Moore
1/10

A FedEx tractor trailer pulled down some low-hanging power lines in the Ballston area Thursday evening, trapping the driver in the cab of the truck.

The accident happened just before 3:30 p.m., near the intersection of 13th Street N. and N. Stuart Street.

The top of the truck clipped some power lines as it was driving down the street, pulling them down and draping them across the semi-trailer. The lines were reported to be sparking on the road immediately afterward.

Though the driver was not physically trapped, he remained in the cab of the truck for fear of electrocution.

Arlington County police and firefighters responded to the scene, closing down roads and sidewalks while they waited for Dominion to shut off the power.

The driver was still in the cab when an ARLnow photographer left the scene, around 4 p.m.

Dominion reports that seven customers in the neighborhood are without power. Their electricity is expected to be restored between 7-11 p.m., according to Dominion’s website.

Williamsburg Field Work Group Holding Another Meeting Tonight

By Samantha Moore
1/11

The Williamsburg Field Site Evaluation Workgroup, the citizen body charged with weighing in on the thorny issue of whether an athletic field near Williamsburg Middle School should have lights, is set to have its 21st meeting tonight (Wednesday).

The workgroup is preparing to write its draft report, which will be presented to county commissions next month and reviewed with the Arlington County Board in January before a final set of recommendations is presented to the Board in February.

Earlier this month the workgroup held an open house at which those on both sides — for and against lighting the artificial turf field — presented their case. ARLnow.com spoke to a number of people at the meeting.

“I’m for the fields,” said Chris Smith, a nearby resident. “I think it’s fantastic that we have the resources that we do in Arlington, and the utility of the turf fields is only expanded by having them lit at different times during the day. It gives us more time on the fields, particularly give the children more time on the fields, as the days get shorter, through the winter and I think that’s only a good thing.”

“I’m probably one of the four or five houses that are closest… whatever the effects could be I would probably feel them as much as anybody else,” Smith added. “But as a member of the local youth sports community and as a father of three children, two of whom are at Discovery [Elementary], I think it’s a better investment with the lights there.”

A number of supporters said their kids play soccer and having a lighted field closer to home — currently they must travel to Gunston Middle School or Long Bridge Part to play at night — would benefit far more residents than the lights would, potentially, negatively affect.

Opponents, however, said in their presentation that the area around the field is a “historically dark and quiet neighborhood” and lighting the field would be a slippery slope leading, perhaps, to turning “all of Arlington County into a big city with big-city traffic, noise and lights.”

“I live close to the field, my kids went to this school and we already lived through building Discovery school, the elementary school, which has been fine, actually,” said a lighting opponent who did not give her name. “But this will have games going at night, I don’t know how many nights a week, late at night. They already have games it seems, a lot, all day, all weekend. It seems like it’s just too much for the neighborhood and the lights will disturb everybody’s sleep and rest and just the peace and quiet of the neighborhood.”

“I just don’t think you have to play soccer 24/7,” the lighting opponent continued. “You know, enough is enough.”

County Board member Christian Dorsey attended the open house and said the lengthy community process — which started in September 2013 — is intended to give all residents plenty of opportunity to shape the county’s ultimate decision.

“We put together a workgroup because this is not an easy issue to decide or deliberate about,” Dorsey said. “The Board wanted to make sure we gave individuals from communities, affected communities who are also part of interest groups to really go deep into the issues so that they could give us all the perspectives that we needed to make a decision. So, this is kind of a — not the culmination — but it’s nearing the end of their work and this is really a useful way to take what they’ve learned and share it with the wider public.”

“We need to make an informed decision,” Dorsey concluded, “which is what I look forward to.”

Photos: Elaborate Halloween Decorations in Arlington

By Samantha Moore
1/20

If there’s one thing true about Arlington County, it’s that we have an abundance of hard working, creative residents.

That’s particularly on display at the end of October, as elaborate Halloween displays start popping up in front yards throughout the county.

Above are just a few of the Halloween decorations we found while walking and driving around Arlington earlier this week.

Total Wine Now Open in Ballston

By Samantha Moore
1/14

Total Wine and More opened in Ballston this morning, a day later than first anticipated.

An “occupancy permit issue” prevented the store from opening on Thursday, as scheduled.

About 15-20 customers were already perusing the aisles of wine, beer, food and accessories shortly after Total Wine opened the doors Friday morning.

Located at 800 N. Glebe Road, the store includes special features like a cigar humidor, a growler fill station, a classroom and meeting space and free Wifi.

The store’s hours are 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m.-8 p.m. on Sunday.