Around Town

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Nov 15, 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 15, 2023.

📅 Upcoming events

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

☀️ Thursday’s forecast

Expect sunshine and a high around 68, with light variable winds becoming southerly at 6 mph during the morning. Thursday night will be mostly clear, featuring a low of about 46 and a steady south wind at 6 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
– Maya Angelou

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

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

Odd plaque near the Madison Community Center no longer includes antiquated Civil War reference

By Jo DeVoe
1/2

A curious plaque outside a private development in the Old Glebe neighborhood underwent some copy-editing in recent years.

The plaque is attached to a large stone on the corner of N. Richmond and Stafford streets, near where Fort Ethan Allen once stood. It marks the entrance to a development across the street from the Madison Community Center and Fort Ethan Allen Park, built by former developer and prominent philanthropist Preston Caruthers, who died earlier this year.

For years, it sported the following inscription, complete with a cheeky but outdated reference to the Civil War.

FORT ETHAN ALLEN CHAIN BRIDGE GULF BRANCH SANCTUARY FOR WILDLIFE AND NOT SO WILDLIFE HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AS …

THE SANCTUARY

… HISTORICAL SITE OF CIVIL WAR FORT ETHAN ALLEN WHICH COMMANDED ALL THE APPROACHES SOUTH OF PIMMIT RUN TO CHAIN BRIDGE DURING THE WAR OF NORTHERN AGGRESSION (1861-1865)

Coined by segregationists during the Jim Crow era, “The War of Northern Aggression” is decidedly not the preferred nomenclature for modern Arlington sensibilities.

Finally, in 2020 — a year that saw significant upheaval locally amid a national racial reckoning after the murder of George Floyd — “The Sanctuary” got a new plaque.

Preston’s son, Stephen Caruthers, says the homeowners association spent $5,000 to change the sign and leave out the ‘War of Northern Aggression’ reference. One resident, who has since moved away, was “the primary mover and shaker responsible for suggesting that be changed.”

“It was agreed upon by the members here and that’s the entire story,” Caruthers said.

“When my dad wrote that, some of it was tongue-in-cheek,” he continued. “If you read the entire description, he made light of the fact that ‘the Sanctuary’ is for the wildlife and the not-so-wildlife, referring to the residents who live there.”

Still, the younger Caruthers acknowledged that many people were upset by the term, which he says he understands.

Resident John Belz says the plaque aggravated him the first time he saw it and whenever he would think about it afterward. It was his wife who noticed the plaque had changed when she was volunteering as a greeter during early voting this year.

“I’m glad they changed it,” he wrote.

“I recognize that Virginia was part of the Confederacy, but it surprised (shocked?) me that more than 100 years later, someone in this area would refer to the rebellion as ‘The War of Northern Aggression,'” Belz continued. “And plant a sign, which refers to the Union fort that was there, within yards of the place.”

Stephen emphasized that his father, who died at the start of 2023, has a more enduring legacy than this plaque as “Mr. Arlington.”

Preston Caruthers was a prolific donor who contributed land to Arlington County and made financial contributions to the Virginia Hospital Center Foundation, Marymount University, Shenandoah University, and the David M. Brown Planetarium, among other institutions.

“My dad was very involved in many things here in Arlington,” his son Stephen said. “He had a very full life, he loved Arlington, and was always trying to do things to help Arlington.”

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Nov 14, 2023

By ARLnow.com

Good Tuesday 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 14, 2023.

📅 Upcoming events

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

🌤️ Wednesday’s forecast

Expect partly sunny skies with a high around 57 degrees and calm winds shifting to the south at 5 to 8 mph in the morning. Wednesday night will be partly cloudy with a low of approximately 38 degrees, accompanied by south winds at 5 to 7 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“The more that you read, the more things you will know, the more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
– Dr. Seuss

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

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

Podcast: Va. elections analyst Sam Shirazi on the Democratic upset at the ballot box last week

By Jo DeVoe
ARLnow’s Jo DeVoe and Va. elections analyst Sam Shirazi on the latest ARLnow Podcast

Last week’s election may have had few surprises locally but it shook up the Virginia State Senate and House of Delegates.

Virginia elections analyst Sam Shirazi caught up with ARLnow’s Jo DeVoe to talk about how Democrats won majorities in both legislative chambers and why Arlingtonians should look outside the county’s deep blue bubble and pay attention to state politics.

Listen below or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or TuneIn.

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Nov 13, 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 13, 2023.

📅 Upcoming events

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

☀️ Tuesday’s forecast

Expect sunny skies with a high close to 58 degrees and a northwest wind at 10-13 mph, gusting up to 22 mph. Tuesday night will be mostly clear, with temperatures dropping to around 35 degrees. A north wind of around 6 mph will turn calm after midnight. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Courage is grace under pressure. “
– Ernest Hemingway

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

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

Cheesetique in Shirlington will become a new Italian restaurant next month

By James Jarvis
1/2

Cheesetique in Shirlington is set to reinvent itself as an Italian-inspired restaurant and market.

Situated at 4024 Campbell Avenue, the wine and cheese bar’s official last day will be next Wednesday, Nov. 22, according to the company’s Instagram page.

The new restaurant, Corso Italian, is scheduled to start serving dinner in early December, per a press release. Despite the name change, the venue will remain under the stewardship of Cheesetique’s current owner, Jill Erber. Prominent local chef Cathal Armstrong, who is behind Mattie and Eddie’s in Pentagon City, will oversee the restaurant’s menu.

“Italian food is broadly appealing and incredibly diverse, and The Village at Shirlington is the perfect location for Corso Italian,” Erber said in a press release.

“The Shirlington crowd is worldly and hip but unpretentious. They want to eat out multiple times a week,” Erber added. “On Monday, it’s a glass of Barolo and a seasonal, house-made pasta. Over the weekend, they want to celebrate with a Negroni, plate-filling bone-in veal parmesan, indulgent cannoli cheesecake, and after-dinner Amaro.”

The Shirlington location of Cheesetique, which first opened its doors in 2011 at 4056 Campbell Avenue before relocating down the street, is the only branch undergoing the transformation. The original Cheesetique in Del Ray, which opened in 2004, will remain unchanged.

Armstrong — who also was the owner and chef of Restaurant Eve, a fine-dining spot in Old Town Alexandria that closed in 2015 — will oversee the culinary direction of Corso Italian. He met Erber more than two decades ago.

The duo say they started the restaurant because of their shared history and passion for Italian specialty cheeses, per the release.

Corso Italian’s menu includes a range of Italian-American classics, such as chicken Vesuvio with red chili and sage, and carbonara with handmade pasta and housemade guanciale.

Having started his culinary career in an Italian kitchen in Dublin, Armstrong said the experience of crafting new Italian dishes “feels like coming home.”

“The canvas we have here is incredibly inspiring. I love waking up in the middle of the night needing to write down menu ideas,” he said.

In addition to an all-Italian wine list, the restaurant will offer a cocktail menu with negronis, spritzes and a bar dedicated to bitter Italian aperitifs and digestifs known as amaro. A gourmet retail market at the front of the restaurant will sell fresh pastas and sauces as well as Italian cheeses, salumi and wine.

Santa Claus is coming to town this week

By ARLnow.com
Santa Claus (Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash)

Santa Claus is returning to Arlington later this week.

The Fashion Centre at Pentagon City is kicking off its photos with Santa this coming Friday, according to the mall’s website. Reservations are available starting at 11 a.m.

As in previous years, the Pentagon City mall is also hosting a Caring Santa event, for children with special needs, as well as a Pet Night. Those are taking place the morning and evening, respectively, of Sunday, Dec. 3.

Santa’s arrival in Arlington one week before Thanksgiving may be early, but it’s got nothing on Tysons. Our Fairfax County neighbors had Ol’ Saint Nick walk the red carpet at Tysons Corner Center this past Thursday morning, Nov. 9.

Arlington’s other major mall, meanwhile, is starting Santa photos on Friday, Dec. 1. Reservations for photos with the jolly one at Ballston Quarter mall also start at 11 a.m. that day.

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

Amazon-owned health clinic One Medical makes debut in Rosslyn

By James Jarvis
1/3

Amazon’s One Medical recently opened a new healthcare clinic in Rosslyn, offering more than just the usual medical services.

Like a regular primary care doctor’s office, patients can seek treatment for a range of medical issues, from common illnesses to routine health check-ups.

The membership-based service offers other benefits such as 24/7 virtual care, same-day appointments and minimal wait times, for an annual fee of $199. Last week Amazon announced that Prime members could get One Medical membership for $9/mo or $99/year.

Located at 1771 N. Pierce Street, at the base of the Cortland Apartments and a stone’s throw from the upscale market and café Foxtrot, this clinic marks One Medical’s first foray into Arlington.

It joins similar full-service clinics in the area, including in Tysons and the Mosaic District.

Amazon, which completed the first phase of its second headquarters in Pentagon City this summer, acquired One Medical in February.

This was a significant shift for the company, which unsuccessfully tried to start its own telemedicine and primary care provider.

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Nov 10, 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 10, 2023.

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

  1. Alleged pickleball masturbator nabbed after Columbia Pike peeping incident (21926 views)
  2. DEVELOPING: Another Democratic sweep looks likely in Arlington as election results roll in (11068 views)
  3. UPDATED: Arlington office building housing Israeli defense firm vandalized (10162 views)
  4. Cava Mezze’s 12-year run in Clarendon appears to have come to an end (9612 views)
  5. GMU celebrates “topping out” of major expansion on Virginia Square campus (5336 views)
  6. Upscale market and café Foxtrot coming to Ballston (4600 views)
  7. Changes to Chain Bridge intersection set for Arlington County Board vote (4006 views)
  8. New Latin American restaurant hoping to open in Pentagon City next week (3803 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

Expect mostly cloudy skies with a high of 64°F and a low of 45°F, accompanied by a 10% chance of precipitation later in the evening. Winds picking up from the west at 10-15 mph and humidity levels around 62% will contribute to the cool but comfortable conditions throughout the day. Be sure to grab a light jacket before heading out, as temperatures are expected to drop as the sun sets. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Happiness resides not in possessions, and not in gold, the feeling of happiness dwells in the soul.”
– Democritus

🌅 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. 👋

Most and least expensive condos sold in Arlington (October 2023)

By ARLnow.com

Here in Arlington, real estate is a spectator sport. Let’s take a look at some of the most and least expensive condos sold last month (October 2023).

Most expensive condos sold

  1. 1401 N Oak St Unit 907 — Rosslyn — $1,800,000 (2 beds | 2.5 baths | 1,694 sq. ft.)
  2. 900 N Stafford St Unit 2625 — Ballston — $1,050,000 (2 beds | 2.5 baths | 1,974 sq. ft.)
  3. 1411 Key Blvd Unit 303 — Rosslyn — $862,500 (2 beds | 2 baths | 1,135 sq. ft.)
  4. 1881 N Nash St Unit 705 — Rosslyn — $780,000 (1 beds | 1.5 baths | 1,322 sq. ft.)
  5. 1781 N Pierce St Unit 2502 — Rosslyn — $2,200,000 (2 beds | 2 baths | 1,690 sq. ft.)

Least expensive condos sold*

  1. 824 S Arlington Mill Dr Unit 1302 — Arlington Mill — $235,000 (1 beds | 1 baths | 592 sq. ft.)
  2. 3404 25th St S Unit 44 — Green Valley — $240,000 (2 beds | 1 baths | 861 sq. ft.)
  3. 2055 N Woodstock St Unit 201 — Waverly Hills — $207,999 (1 beds | 1 baths | 583 sq. ft.)

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

Cava Mezze’s 12-year run in Clarendon appears to have come to an end

By James Jarvis
A “For Lease” sign sits in the window of Cava Mezze in November 2023 (staff photo by James Jarvis)

Cava Mezze has quietly shuttered in Clarendon, with a “For Lease” sign recently placed out front.

This comes after the restaurant — the upscale original version of the popular, publicly traded Mediterranean chain — changed its status to “closed” on the company’s website last month. Google, however, still lists it as “temporarily closed.”

During a visit to the eatery at 2940 Clarendon Blvd on Oct. 4, ARLnow observed minor construction and scattered materials inside. A manager, seen turning away puzzled would-be customers, said the closure was due to renovations but offered no details on when the restaurant might reopen.

Now, the “For Lease” sign sits in the window of the restaurant, which first opened in 2011, strongly suggesting that the closure is permanent.

Neither the company nor the property manager CBRE responded to ARLnow’s request for comment before publication.

Both Cava Mezze locations in Rockville and Olney, Maryland, are still open, as are the two fast-casual Cava locations in Rosslyn and Ballston.

View More Stories