Around Town

New vape shop wafts in to prominent Wilson Blvd storefront in Courthouse

By Matt Blitz
1/3

(Updated at 12:30 p.m.) A new vape shop is set to open in the coming months in a prominent Courthouse storefront on Wilson Blvd.

“Tobacco Vape Cigars” is moving into the former home of SuperStar Tickets at 2305 Wilson Blvd, the very visible building at the corner of Wilson Blvd and N. Wayne Street.

Where there once was SuperStar Tickets’ name in black, there’s now a new white, red, and yellow declaring the business set to waft in soon. The shop is in the midst of a build-out and isn’t open yet, building owner Omar Sider told ARLnow, but it is expected to start selling in the coming months.

SuperStar Ticket hasn’t shuttered but simply no longer needs a prominent, large storefront due to employees now working remotely, Sider told ARLnow. He owns SuperStar Tickets as well as the building. He said the business is doing quite well, with some live events setting attendance records.

“Live events are bigger than ever,” Sider said. “Covid’s silver lining… is that it gave us a reset button to restructure.”

With no reason to work out of the building, leasing out the space provided a chance for cash flow. There was other interest in the building but the vape shop was able to move in immediately, Sider noted.

The shop owners own “60 or 70” other businesses across the country. The lease is for three years, though the business owners initially wanted a longer commitment.

“We will see how it goes. They are paying what we are asking,” Sider said. “And they were pretty adamant.”

Sider was born in Arlington and currently lives in the Woodmont neighborhood. He’s owned the building since 2010 and put it back on the market in 2017, though he never ended up selling it.

Sider understands why some would want a business besides a vape shop in that prominent storefront but, he says, the building sat unused essentially for the last three years.

“It has to have some cash flow,” Sider said. “At least for now, it will be [a vape shop], but maybe in a couple of years, we will think about building it out for something different in the community.”

News

Suspect in stolen ambulance chase had a recent Arlington arrest

By ARLnow.com
Stolen ambulance chase in Pentagon City (photo via Dave Statter/YouTube)

(Updated on 8/16/23) The man accused of damaging upwards of 20 vehicles after stealing two trucks and an Arlington County ambulance over the weekend was previously arrested in Arlington in May.

Darell Caldwell, a 30-year-old Maryland man, is facing both federal and local charges in the wild Saturday afternoon incident, in which he led police on a winding chase of the stolen ambulance across parts of Arlington and into D.C. before his arrest, according to Virginia State Police.

New video from local public safety watcher Dave Statter gives an extended look at the chase.

Traffic camera video posted by Statter also shows how the series of crashes started: with the stolen truck sideswiping a vehicle in the Rosslyn tunnel along I-66. Prior to that, a truck was reported stolen from a construction site in the City of Falls Church.

https://twitter.com/RVANOVA01/status/1691146095764582423?s=20

Caldwell has a criminal record in Arlington, Fairfax County, D.C. and Prince George’s County, according to court records. He was out on bond from a recent Arlington case but became a fugitive after not showing up to a July court hearing, records show. The bond, for a drug possession charge, was approved by a magistrate judge.

“At no point before trial was the Commonwealth in a position to argue for or against Mr. Caldwell’s release,” Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti noted to ARLnow.

He was due in court after an incident just before midnight on May 25 along N. Glebe Road, a few blocks north of Ballston. According to Arlington County police, Caldwell was tried to run from police after he was seen walking in the middle of Glebe Road.

From ACPD:

NARCOTICS VIOLATION, 2023-05250307, N. Glebe Road and 14th Street N. At approximately 11:43 p.m. on May 25, 2023, a patrol officer observed two intoxicated males walking in lanes of traffic on N. Glebe Road and detained them. While conducting the investigation, Suspect One attempted to run from the scene while Suspect Two resisted arrest. With the assistance of an additional arriving officer, both suspects were taken into custody. Suspect One was transported to an area hospital for medical evaluation and during a search of his property, officers recovered narcotics. Darell Caldwell, 30, of Brandywine, MD was arrested and charged with Drunk in Public, Disorderly Conduct, and Possession of Controlled Substance I/ II. Suspect Two was evaluated by medics on scene and, during the course of the investigation, officers determined he was in possession of two concealed knives. Anthony Jeffers, 38, of Arlington, VA was arrested and charged with Drunk in Public, Disorderly Conduct, and Possession and Concealing a Weapon by a Convicted Felon (x2).

The advanced life support ambulance Caldwell is accused of stealing and crashing into a dozen or so vehicles on I-395 and in Southwest D.C., meanwhile, is set to be repaired. The Arlington County Fire Department will utilize a spare unit until the ambulance, dubbed Medic 110, is back in service.

“The damage is repairable and depending on parts availability, should only take one to two months,” fire department spokesman Capt. Nate Hiner tells ARLnow. “We do have a reserve medic unit to use, as we have five spare ambulances in our fleet.”

Stolen ambulance damaged in chase (photo via Virginia State Police/Facebook)
Sponsored

Just Reduced Properties in Arlington: October 15, 2025

By Sponsor

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Please note: While Arlington Realty, Inc. provides this information for the community, it may not be the listing company of these homes.

As of October 13, there are 210 detached homes, 54 townhouses and 244 condos for sale throughout Arlington County. In total, 44 homes experienced a price reduction in the past week, including:

6223 Langston Boulevard

Please note that this is solely a selection of Just Reduced properties available in Arlington County. For a complete list of properties within your target budget and specifications, contact Arlington Realty, Inc.

Events

Where to enjoy a three-course meal for Summer Restaurant Week in Arlington

By Hallie LeTendre
1/3

Get your stomachs — and wallets — ready for Summer Restaurant Week, which is coming to Arlington in two weeks.

From Monday, Aug. 28 to Sunday, Sept. 3, eateries around Arlington will be dishing out three-course lunches, brunches and dinners for prices that only come around twice a year. Brunches and lunches will cost $25 and dinners either $40 or $55.

“This bi-annual event invites diners to experience Washington’s top restaurants at an affordable price point,” a press release said.

Here is what some participating local spots have on the menu:

  • Ambar Clarendon, a small-plates restaurant celebrating Balkan cuisine, will serve lunches and dinners with spreads, charcuterie, flatbreads and slow-roasted meats and dessert.
  • Clarendon Mexican restaurant Buena Vida will offer a lunch and dinner menu.
  • Pentagon City barbeque joint Epic Smokehouse will have breakfast, lunch and dinner options.
  • Shirlington Italian restaurant Osteria da Nino will have a dinner menu featuring pizzas, pastas and more.
  • The Crystal City location of a global steakhouse chain, Morton’s Steakhouse, will have a dinner menu.
  • Potomac Social Tavern, an American restaurant in Crystal City, is offering guests a dinner menu.
  • The award-winning Ruthie’s All-Day, an Arlington Heights standby for Southern fare, will offer lunch and dinner menus this year.
  • For its dinner menu, WHINO in Ballston Quarter will serve modern small-plate dishes fusing American and international flavors and ingredients.

Other local participants include Bar Ivy in Clarendon, Cheesetique in Shirlington, Circa in Clarendon, La Cote d’Or Cafe in East Falls Church, Lyon Hall in Clarendon, Matchbox in Pentagon City, McCormick & Schmick’s in Crystal City, Rustico in Ballston, SER in Ballston, Sfoglina in Rosslyn, Spice Kraft in Clarendon, Liberty Tavern in Clarendon, The Melting Pot in Ballston, Salt Line in Ballston, and a number of restaurants inside National Airport.

Many restaurants will pair their courses with wine or a cocktail.

The event is happening across the D.C. area. A rewards program gives guests the option to access discounted meals and the chance to win gift cards to participating restaurants.

Announcement

Thinking of Downsizing? Join Our Free Online Workshop!

By Long & Foster

Cody Chance and Dick Nathan of Long & Foster are hosting an online workshop on the topic of “down-sizing” Wednesday, December 9 from 5-6:30 p.m. Every great endeavor begins with a great plan.

This workshop will give you the tools to design your plan. We have created a workbook with an extensive planning guide to enable you to design a personalized written plan for your move, and more than twenty pages of resources specific to Northern Virginia to help you along the way!

Go to Thinking of Downsizing? Join Our Free Online Workshop! Read more
News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Eagle perched on a utility pole in Arlington View (photo courtesy Sean Hackbarth)

Pentagon City TSA Site Proposal — “Two apartment towers would go on the site’s western half, along South Hayes Street. The site’s southeastern corner, at the intersection of 12th Street South and South Fern Street, would become home to either an office or another apartment tower. The site’s northeastern corner, along South Fern Street, would become home to either a condo tower or a hotel.” [Washington Business Journal]

Road Closures for County Fair — “The Arlington County Fair will take place from August 16 – 20, 2023, at Thomas Jefferson Community Center located at 3501 2nd Street S. The Arlington County Police Department will conduct the following road closure to accommodate the event: 2nd Street S., between S. Jackson Street and S. Irving Street, will be closed from 8:00 AM on August 16 until 11:00 PM on August 20.” [Arlington County]

Survey About Arlington Traffic — “Another reader said they believe Arlington’s efforts to improve traffic flow over the past few years have paid off. ‘There are still a few places with ‘blind’ intersections — mostly due to heavy vegetation at the corners — but, in general, I feel safer driving in Arlington than I did five years ago,’ the reader said.” [Patch]

Teen Team Near Top in Tourneys — “In a four-week stretch, the Arlington Senior Babe Ruth age 15 All-Stars finished first, second and third in postseason Babe Ruth baseball tournaments, compiling a 9-4 overall record with two shutouts in those competitions. Arlington won the District 4 tourney with a 2-0 record, finished third in the state event in Williamsburg with a 3-2 mark, then concluded play with a runner-up in the seven-team Southeast Region tournament at 4-2.” [Gazette Leader]

YIMBYs Reflect on Missing Middle Fight — “They workshopped public comments, helping residents hone in on what they wanted to say. They worked to make testifying easier day-of by monitoring the speaker list and contacting people when it was almost their turn at the mic… Hogan, Green and other advocates believe the unity of the coalition was what ultimately led to its success. In March, the Arlington County Board passed a version of the policy — with some compromises — unanimously, making Arlington one of the first localities in the country to end single-family zoning.” [DCist]

WaPo Editorial: Keep RCV — “But after ranked-choice tabulation, one winner supported the [Missing Middle] plan and the other opposed it. This choice was more representative of how the community felt than the one voters would have faced if the county had used the traditional first-past-the-post system… Arlington should continue experimenting with ranked-choice voting despite complaints from a small number of people.” [Washington Post]

It’s Monday — There is a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm, with otherwise partly sunny skies and a high near 89°F. Calm winds will shift to a southern direction at 5-8 mph. Monday night sees a 60% chance of precipitation, with intermittent showers and thunderstorms, mostly cloudy skies, and a low around 73°F. Southeast winds at 6-10 mph will become southwest after midnight. Rainfall amounts may range from a tenth to a quarter of an inch, with higher amounts in thunderstorms. [Weather.gov]

Announcement

Peek Behind the Curtain of New Play Development

(This Community Post was written by Prologue Theatre and underwritten by Embracing Arlington Arts.)  

Prologue Theatre is offering the community a unique opportunity for a glimpse into the workshop process with its virtual program FOREWORD: A New Works Series. Each play in the series receives a two-week intensive virtual workshop, a critical part of new play development, during which playwrights are paired with a director, actors and stage manager whose artistic talents help enhance the work.

Go to Peek Behind the Curtain of New Play Development Read more
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