Around Town

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Jan 29, 2024

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.

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Burger Billy’s Joint to bring fast service and contactless food lockers to Cherrydale

By Madisson Weyrich
Burger Billy’s Joint (via @alysonphoto/X)

A new burger restaurant with a novel take on contactless service is coming to Cherrydale.

A sign for Burger Billy’s Joint has been installed above a ground floor retail space at the condo building at 3800 Langston Blvd.

This post is exclusively for ARLNow Press Club members. Not a member? Join here.

Members can sign in here.

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Jan 26, 2024

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 — Jan 26, 2024.

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

  1. BREAKING: Police charge fmr. W-L girls basketball coach with sex crimes involving players (21271 views)
  2. Liquor store robbery leads to chase and arrests on I-395 (19796 views)
  3. Falls Church has twice as many restaurants as Arlington on new Washingtonian ‘100 Very Best’ list (15142 views)
  4. Mister Days appears to be returning to Clarendon (13091 views)
  5. An ‘old-school American butcher’ serving locally sourced meat is coming to Falls Church this month (12952 views)
  6. BREAKING: Former swim club board president pleads guilty to sexually exploiting children (12860 views)
  7. Astro Beer Hall to revamp basement following successful Shirlington launch and ‘overwhelming’ community support (8649 views)
  8. Video: Driver slams into building on Columbia Pike (7495 views)
  9. Jos A. Bank is second retail store to close in Clarendon in two months (5029 views)
  10. BREAKING: Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey to retire at the end of year (4455 views)
  11. Long Bridge Park aquatics center pool to close early until summer for needed repairs (4090 views)

📅 Upcoming events

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

Here are the events planned for Sunday:

🌧️ Saturday’s forecast

Rain is expected mostly after 5pm alongside increasing clouds and a high temperature near 56 degrees, with a northwest wind of 5 to 8 mph and a 30% chance of precipitation. On Saturday night, rain will be more prevalent after 8pm, with a low temperature around 44 degrees, and an east wind of 5 to 10 mph. There is a 100% chance of precipitation and new rainfall amounts may range between half to three quarters of an inch. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“In the end, we only regret the chances we didn’t take.”
– Lewis Carroll

🌅 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. 👋

Smallest and largest homes sold in Arlington (December 2023)

By ARLnow.com

Here in Arlington, real estate is a spectator sport. Let’s take a look at some of the smallest and largest homes sold last month (December 2023).

Largest homes sold

  1. 2503 16th St N — Lyon Village — $3,700,000 (7 beds | 7.5 baths | 7,700 sq. ft.)
  2. 3162 N Pollard St — Bellevue Forest — $2,674,200 (6 beds | 8 baths | 6,463 sq. ft.)
  3. 3914 17th St N — Cherrydale — $2,332,845 (6 beds | 6.5 baths | 6,255 sq. ft.)

Smallest homes sold*

  1. 1781 N Pierce St — Rosslyn — $1,750,000 (2 beds | 2 baths | 2,022 sq. ft.)
  2. 2352 N Vermont St — Donaldson Run — $990,000 (3 beds | 2.5 baths | 2,076 sq. ft.)
  3. 1401 N Oak St Unit 904 — Rosslyn — $2,200,000 (3 beds | 2.5 baths | 2,154 sq. ft.)

*Minimum home value of $200,000 set to exclude certain land sales, retirement condos, properties with expiring ground leases, etc.

Halal barbecue shop in Ballston blends Maryland and Pakistani flavors into a Chesapeake ‘Bay-B-Q’ style

By Madisson Weyrich
1/4

Arlington’s first halal barbecue restaurant is up and running in Ballston.

Hal & Al’s BBQ in Quarter Market, the food hall in Ballston Quarter, opened in December. It is best known at this point for its beef brisket, though it also serves beef ribs and turkey sausage and sides such as chili and mac and cheese.

All of the meats follow Islamic food preparation laws — meaning customers will not find pork on the menu.

Owner Mohsin Rehman was born and raised in Baltimore and his parents immigrated to the U.S. from Pakistan. Rehman incorporates his upbringing in his dishes by merging Baltimore and Pakistani flavors to create Hal & Al’s popular brisket.

“Deep down, I have my love for Old Bay,” Rehman said. “So we use kind of a hybrid of Pakistani spices and Maryland crab seasoning mixed together to create our brisket. It creates this kind of ‘Bay-B-Q’ vibe, a Chesapeake Bay barbecue vibe.”

Rehman believes it’s important to highlight flavors from different regions as part of the varied Northern Virginia food scene.

“We live in a world — such a diverse world with such a diverse palette — and just black pepper and salt really keeps you from showcasing what you could do with brisket,” Rehman said. “You’re not going to go to a fancy restaurant where they’re like, ‘We only use black pepper.’ They’re going to use a multitude of spices from all over the world. I try staying to my roots.”

Rehman started his venture into the culinary world in college where he was lovingly titled the “Italian grandmother” by his friends due to his love of cooking.

“I get a lot of joy from feeding people,” he said. “I’ve always really gotten a lot of pleasure from seeing people nourished and happy from what I put my time into. The nice thing about barbecue is it’s a very family-oriented community, it sparks a lot of memories for folks.”

In 2010, Rehman started a food blog and, he says, was the only halal food blogger who traveled nationwide as part of his writing. He was inspired to open Hal & Al’s BBQ in Quarter Market (4328 Wilson Blvd) after noticing a lack of halal barbecue spots on the East Coast.

“I found halal Italian places, halal Chinese spots, but not once did I find a halal barbecue place,” he said. “When I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do, what theme I wanted to go with for the restaurant, there’s nothing more quintessential to being American than barbecue. But there’s also nothing more quintessential to being human than barbecue.”

Rehman’s big goal? To put his “Bay-B-Q” spin on the map.

“You have Texas barbecue, you have Kansas City barbecue, there’s Memphis barbecue, you go to Carolina and they have that vinegar barbecue, and you go down to Alabama and they have the Alabama white sauce barbecue,” he said.

“I’m hoping 20 years from now we’re going to have Bay-B-Q, which is going to be barbecue using Chesapeake Bay seasonings or Old Bay,” Rehman continued. “And it’ll be barbecue all based here in the DMV, up and down the mid-Atlantic.”

Warby Parker store to open in Pentagon City mall

By James Jarvis
Warby Parker storefront cover on first floor of Pentagon City mall (staff photo by James Jarvis)

A new location of the popular eyewear purveyor Warby Parker is coming to Pentagon City mall.

A storefront cover displaying the message “Nice to see you (soon)” greets visitors as they enter through the main entrance of Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, on the first floor of S. Hayes Street.

The New York City-based company — which started as an online-only retailer, known for its prescription eyewear, contacts and sunglasses — says on its website that it expects to open this year. The mall’s website notes the store is “coming soon.”

The introduction of Warby Parker would augment the mall’s existing selection of eyewear stores, which already includes Sunglass Hut and LensCrafters.

A spokesperson for the mall declined to comment on the timing of the store’s opening.

This will be Warby Parker’s inaugural Arlington location and its ninth in Virginia, per the company’s website. Warby Parker currently operates 251 brick-and-mortar locations throughout the U.S. and five in Canada.

Hat tip to @CartChaos22202

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Jan 25, 2024

By ARLnow.com

Good Thursday 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 — Jan 25, 2024.

📅 Upcoming events

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

🌦️ Friday’s forecast

Showers are possible until 1pm, with a 30% chance of precipitation and a brief period of drizzle before 7am. Cloud cover will decrease throughout the day, leading to mostly sunny conditions and a high temperature near 68°F. A west wind will blow at 6-9 mph. For Friday night, expect mostly cloudy skies and a low around 45°F, accompanied by a northwest wind of around 7 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet.”
– Bob Marley

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

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

Public art studio, complete with velociraptor sculpture, opens at Amazon HQ2

By Daniel Egitto
1/3

An art studio featuring free classes and a light-up scrapyard velociraptor opened its doors yesterday (Wednesday) in Pentagon City.

Catherine Anchin, executive director of the Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington (MoCA), cut the ribbon for the new Innovation Studio + Store alongside several local officials at Amazon’s second headquarters. The project, a collaboration between Amazon and MoCA, seeks to take a fresh approach to connecting the public with contemporary art.

“It’s really about innovation and helping people to understand contemporary art a little bit better, and get excited about being creative,” Anchin said.

The studio at 525 14th Street S. will rotate through artists-in-residence every six weeks. The first of these creatives, Arlington artist Adam Henry, plans to take an active role in the neighborhood by sketching people and partnering with local restaurants and businesses — in addition to showing off his raptor.

“Our secret is, we make things we like and try to make them, like, really ‘wow,’” Henry said.

The creator soon plans to host the studio’s first class, which will be a vision board workshop. He will also start work on cardboard sculptures with the help of his 17-year-old son and apprentice, who is also named Adam Henry.

Patrick Phillippi, head of community engagement at Amazon HQ2, said the studio is part of Amazon’s broader focus on “being a good partner to this neighborhood.”

The tech giant has already bankrolled $14 million in renovations to Metropolitan Park, adjacent to HQ2. That park hosted the debut of a new farmer’s market when the first phase of the massive office complex opened in June.

New locations of local businesses, such as Conte’s Bike Shop and Good Company Doughnuts, have also opened in ground floor retail spaces since then.

Phillippi said he wants to further the mission of MoCA — formerly known as the Arlington Arts Center — which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. He spoke warmly of his experiences at the Virginia Square museum, which rebranded in 2022, during the ribbon cutting.

“You really just get an immediate sense that art is accessible, that art is open to everybody,” Phillippi said. “And this studio is such a great expansion of that. It is a privilege for Amazon to have you guys here.”

Guests at Wednesday’s grand opening included business leaders, who praised the project from both an arts and a business perspective.

Tracy Sayegh Gabriel, who leads the National Landing Business Improvement District, said she believes the project will serve as “a true cultural anchor” that serves the area’s needs.

“We’ve had a lot of business openings in the last year or so, but our community has really been craving more arts and cultural offerings and programming,” she said. “We’re so thrilled to, with MoCA, have a museum presence in our neighborhood.”

Kate Bates, president and CEO of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, is eager to see how the studio contributes to the area’s sense of community.

“The culture is a huge, important part of what makes Arlington a great place for our businesses to locate in, and those of us who live here as well,” she said. “Congratulations to MoCA. We look forward to 50 more wonderful years and then some.”

Adoptable Pet of the Week: Rocky

By ARLnow.com
1/2

Say hello to Rocky!

This little guy is the newest Adoptable Pet of the Week and is currently in foster through the Animal Welfare League of Arlington.

His friends had this to say:

This little fluff-nugget is Rocky! Weighing just 9lbs, Rocky may be small but he’s packed with personality — he loves stuffed toys, long walks, making new dog friends, and above all, snuggling up with his people.

He can be nervous about new people, but it doesn’t take long for him to warm up and hop into your lap. Once you’re friends, you’re friends for life — Rocky will want to be close to you as often as he can!

And we always give in to his requests for cuddles, especially since he’s been through a rough few months.

When Rocky came to AWLA, we noticed he had a significant heart murmur, so he was sent to a cardiologist who diagnosed him with a condition called congenital pulmonic stenosis (a narrowing of the heart valve). This is a life-threatening condition and very unusual for his age.

Thankfully, we were able to take Rocky to the Virginia Tech College of Veterinary Medicine for surgery and it went very well! The veterinary team at VT has given him a very good prognosis! Rocky will need daily medication and a three-month check-up with a cardiologist (AWLA will assist with the cost of this appointment).

Our team will go over the details of this information when you meet Rocky and answer any questions you may have.

Rocky must be the perfect companion for you, right? Learn more about Rocky by reading his entire profile!

Want your pet to be considered for the Arlington Pet of the Week? Email [email protected] with 2-3 paragraphs about your pet and at least 3-4 horizontally-oriented photos.

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Jan 24, 2024

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 — Jan 24, 2024.

📅 Upcoming events

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

🌧️ Thursday’s forecast

Expect rain and fog with a high near 61 and a southwest wind of 5-8 mph, accompanied by an 80% chance of precipitation and new amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch. Thursday night, rain is likely, as well as potential thunderstorms after 4am, with a low around 55, the same wind conditions, and a 70% chance of precipitation – new rainfall amounts similar to earlier, but potentially higher in thunderstorms. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“In the long run, the sharpest weapon of all is a kind and gentle spirit.”
– Anne Frank

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

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

Falls Church has twice as many restaurants as Arlington on new Washingtonian ‘100 Very Best’ list

By ARLnow.com
1/5

Falls Church may be pint sized compared to Arlington, but the Little City next door has the county beat handily in a new list of the region’s best restaurants.

Three Arlington restaurants appear in Washingtonian’s just-released 100 Very Best Restaurants list. Twice as many Falls Church restaurants appear in the same pages.

That’s despite solid Northern Virginia representation on the “Very Best” list.

“Some of the year’s coolest spots — Joon in Tysons, Ellie Bird in Falls Church, Kirby Club in Fairfax — debuted in the Virginia suburbs,” the magazine noted in its introduction. In all, 21 Virginia eateries were listed.

Those in Arlington are:

  1. Cafe Colline
  2. Ruthie’s All Day
  3. Padaek (which recently opened in Arlington and has another location in Seven Corners)

The six in Falls Church are:

  1. Ellie Bird
  2. La Tingeria (formerly an Arlington food truck)
  3. Nue
  4. Pho Ga Vang
  5. Rice Paper
  6. Thompson Italian
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