Around Town

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Nov 8, 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 8, 2023.

📅 Upcoming events

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

☀️ Thursday’s forecast

Expect a mostly sunny day with a high around 77 degrees. Initially, there will be a south wind at 9-13 mph, transitioning to northwest in the afternoon, and wind gusts could reach up to 20 mph. As for Thursday night, it will be mostly cloudy with a low temperature near 49 degrees and prevailing northwest winds of 8-14 mph. Similar gusts as high as 20 mph might be experienced. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today. “
– Franklin D. Roosevelt

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

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

Upscale market and café Foxtrot coming to Ballston

By James Jarvis
Foxtrot “opening soon” sign in Ballston (staff photo by James Jarvis)

Upscale market and café Foxtrot plans to open a new location in Ballston.

“Opening soon” signs are up in the space previously occupied by the fast-casual chicken sandwich shop Farmbird, which closed in 2022.

Foxtrot — which advertises itself as a high-end corner store, market and café with a swift delivery service — has expanded into Virginia over the last two years with locations in Old Town Alexandria and Rosslyn.

The Ballston outpost would be the Chicago-based company’s third in Virginia and ninth location in the D.C. area. In all, the company operates 23 stores across the U.S.

Foxtrot did not respond to a request for more details before publication.

The boutique market joins a handful of other coffee shops, stores and restaurants that have announced openings in the Ballston neighborhood this year, including Greenheart Juice Shop, Panera Bread and Roggenart Bistro & Café.

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Nov 7, 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 7, 2023.

📅 Upcoming events

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

☀️ Wednesday’s forecast

Expect sunshine and a high around 61 with a north wind at 6 mph becoming light and variable. Wednesday night will be mostly cloudy with lows near 49, accompanied by a southeast wind around 6 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.”
– Steve Jobs

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

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

New Latin American restaurant hoping to open in Pentagon City next week

By James Jarvis
Latin American restaurant Maizal plans to open at Pentagon City mall November 2023 (staff photo by James Jarvis)

The Pentagon City mall is adding a dash of South American flavor to its dining options.

Maizal, situated on the mall’s exterior along S. Hayes Street adjacent to Macy’s, is gearing up to open next week, according to a company spokesperson.

The Pentagon City location will be the chain’s second outpost in Arlington. Maizal made its debut in Ballston Quarter’s food hall in 2019. Today, the chain also operates two locations in D.C. and opened a location in Reston yesterday (Monday).

Menu items include “green, grain or mixed bowls, assorted arepas, and specialty items such as south American hot dogs, empanadas, street corn, plantains, yucca, churros and cookie sandwiches,” per a press release.

Details regarding the new restaurant’s hours of operation have yet to be released, but other Maizal locations are open from 11 a.m. to 9 or 10 p.m., according to the company’s website.

Maizal joins a list of fast-casual eateries moving into the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, including Mezeh Mediterranean Grill. The restaurant, similar to Cava and Roti, announced its upcoming opening with a “Coming Soon” banner in August.

Adoptable Pet of the Week: Chico

By ARLnow.com
1/3

Say hello to one of the fluffiest cats, Chico!

This white cloud of fluff is currently in foster and up for adoption at the Animal Welfare League of Arlington.

Chico’s friends had this to say about him:

Meet the fluffy cloud named Chico!

He may be a bit shy at first, but give him time to show you just how special he is. Once he opens up, Chico wants to be the center of your world.

From getting pet and brushed, to the loving gazes into your eyes, this guy just wants to be pampered, and in return he’ll give his unconditional love. And true to pure-white fluffy cat behavior, he can be picky about his food. He’ll let you know if the stuff in his bowl isn’t up to his standards by giving you a stern look and loud meow.

  • Chico’s favorite things are napping, being pet, and playing with his mouse.
  • His special talent is floating silently through the house, just like a cloud.
  • His perfect day would involve ordering chicken tacos with his human on a clear blue-sky day so that he’s the only white cloud in your presence.

Important facts about Chico: He has not met children or dogs whilst in our care. Our team is happy to discuss these topics during your virtual appointment.

Is Chico the special fluffy companion you’ve been searching for? Read his entire profile to learn more and how to set up a virtual meet & greet!

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.

Middle Eastern restaurant and hookah lounge opens in Bluemont

By James Jarvis
1/3

A new Middle Eastern restaurant and hookah lounge has opened in Bluemont.

Ya Hala Bistro, located where Layalina Restaurant used to be at 5216 Wilson Blvd, hosted a soft opening last Saturday and is planning a grand opening in the coming weeks.

“We’re not 100% open yet. It’s just like a soft opening slowly, then when we figure out everything and everybody is trained, we can open in the next two or three weeks,” owner Mohamed Alkadi told ARLnow.

Although the official grand opening is scheduled for later this month, the bistro’s operating hours, 11-2 a.m. seven days a week, will remain the same.

The menu features a variety of savory Mediterranean dishes, including chicken shawarma and baba ghanoush, alongside craft cocktails and a “premium hookah experience,” per the restaurant’s website.

Ya Hala joins a number of other Middle Eastern restaurants and hookah lounges in Arlington, including Tarbouch Cafe in Lyon Village, Darna in Virginia Square and Eska on Columbia Pike.

Hat tip to James Tatum

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Nov 6, 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 6, 2023.

📅 Upcoming events

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

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

🌤️ Tuesday’s forecast

Expect partly sunny skies and a high near 75, accompanied by a southwest wind at around 10 mph. Meanwhile, Tuesday night will be mostly clear with a low around 47 and a north wind between 6 to 8 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

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

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

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

LA Fitness near Crystal City set to close for renovations and rebranding

By James Jarvis
LA Fitness at National Gateway is set to closed temporarily in December 2023 (staff photo by James Jarvis)

The LA Fitness location south of Crystal City is gearing up for a major makeover.

Located on 3550 S. Clark Street in the National Gateway complex near Potomac Yard, the gym announced via flyers last week that it will shut its doors on Friday, Dec. 1, at 2 p.m. and reemerge as “Club Studio Fitness.”

The renovation period is slated to last six months to a year, says club manager Dennis Balnikov, who also confirmed the temporary closure.

“They’re going to rebuild the whole gym,” Balnikov told ARLnow.

While the National Gateway LA Fitness undergoes its transformation, members can use any of the chain’s area locations, including the nearby S. Glebe Road spot in the Arlington Ridge Shopping Center.

With the new name will come new amenities and updated pricing, Balnikov said.

“There’s going to be new equipment, and for this Club Studio, there will be different prices for memberships,” he said.

Club Studio was launched earlier this year by LA Fitness parent company Fitness International as an upscale fitness and wellness concept featuring a range of classes, including yoga and pilates, coupled with “luxury amenities” such as cryotherapy and recovery chambers.

A location is planned in Tysons and in several major cities across the U.S.

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Nov 3, 2023

By ARLnow.com
Walking path in Lacey Woods Park on a sunny day (staff photo)

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 3, 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 apartment break-in and rape in Rosslyn (38280 views)
  2. The Italian Store in Westover discontinues meal deal for Swanson students after alleged egging of customers, employees (33102 views)
  3. Cyclists and runners can grab free lights and high-visibility vests this week (28990 views)
  4. Violent collision on Custis Trail sends two to hospital (17369 views)
  5. NOW: At least four hurt after pair of crashes close local intersections (14462 views)
  6. New seafood restaurant Ocean Shack plans to open next month (8190 views)
  7. Columbia Pike bids farewell to Papillon Cycles after nearly 50 years in Arlington (7337 views)
  8. Rappahannock Coffee to close this month as another café prepares to move in (6227 views)
  9. Arlington authorities warn of ‘currently circulating’ phone scam (5301 views)
  10. Park next to HQ2 to transform into winter wonderland and holiday market next month (4905 views)
  11. Snouts & Stouts indoor dog park and bar set to open next month in Green Valley (4634 views)
  12. Arlington man charged after alleged gunfire following delivery dispute (3895 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 sunny skies with a high of 64 degrees and calm winds shifting towards the northwest at around 5 mph in the afternoon. Saturday night will be mostly cloudy as the temperature drops to around 44 degrees, with south winds at 5 mph becoming calm in the evening. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.”
– Thomas Jefferson

🌅 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. 👋

Podcast: Michael Stiefvater on Arlington’s tech industry

By ARLnow.com
Michael Stiefvater and the Amazon HQ2 ribbon cutting (left: via Arlington Economic Development)

What’s next for tech in Arlington?

Michael Stiefvater, Director of Business Investment at Arlington Economic Development, sat down with ARLnow’s James Jarvis to discuss Arlington’s emerging tech industry over the last decade and the future outlook for the local tech scene.

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

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Nov 2, 2023

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 — Nov 2, 2023.

📅 Upcoming events

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

☀️ Friday’s forecast

Expect a sunny day with a high temperature of nearly 59 degrees accompanied by a south wind blowing at a rate of 5 to 8 mph. For Friday night, the forecast remains clear, with the low temperature dropping to around 39 degrees, and the south wind will continue blowing at about 7 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“It is never too late to be what you might have been.”
– George Eliot

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

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

View More Stories