Ballston Quarter

ART To Build Bus Sculpture from Canned Foods in Ballston

By Airey

(Updated on 05/17/19) A new bus will arrive tomorrow in Ballston, but the only place it’s going is to the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC).

Arlington Transit (ART) is organizing a “food drive” for AFAC by building a 10’x10′ bus sculpture from canned food to celebrate the transit agency’s 20th anniversary, per a press release. ART will then donate the food to AFAC after disassembling the sculpture.

ART staff and volunteers will start building tomorrow at 1 p.m. inside Ballston Quarter mall, nearly the newly-opened, health food-focused True Food Kitchen.

The construction is part of AFAC’s annual slew of “Canstruction” food drives. In the past, architecture groups have built elaborate sculptures from thousands of dollars worth of canned goods at the Dulles and Reagan National airports as part of a national movement of donation-by-can-sculpture.

In 2016, the American Institute of Architects Northern Virginia Chapter built a lighthouse out of soup and bean cans in the Ballston mall for one of the building competitions.

Image via Twitter

True Food Kitchen Now Open at Ballston Quarter

True Food Kitchen is an award-winning, health-driven restaurant & seasonal bar rooted in the philosophy that delicious dining and conscious nutrition can go hand in hand without sacrificing flavor, creativity or indulgence.

The flavor-forward menu rotates seasonally to showcase the freshest, in-season produce and nutrient-dense ingredients, and caters to preferences of all kinds with a variety of gluten-friendly, vegan and vegetarian options.

Enjoy lunch, dinner, cocktails and weekend brunch at its new location in Arlington.

For more information, visit TrueFoodKitchen.com/Arlington.

Women’s Fashion Boutique Scout & Molly’s to Open in Ballston Next Month

By Airey
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Ballston Quarter will soon welcome a new clothing retailer, store owners say.

Women’s fashion boutique Scout & Molly’s is set to host a ribbon-cutting for a new Arlington location on Wednesday, June 5, according to a press release about the opening. On Saturday, June 8, the store is scheduled to host a grand opening.

The North Carolina-based company sells clothing and shoes from mid-to-high-end brands including French Connection and Spanx.

“On Wednesday evening from 5-7 p.m., guests can enter for a chance to win a raffle prize and enjoy a free gift with purchase,” the press release noted. “During Saturday’s Grand Opening Celebration from noon-6 p.m., everyone will have the chance to select a surprise egg, with a discount or special gift waiting inside.”

Grand opening attendees will have a shot at snagging $15 gift cards, which store owners said will go to the first 50 customers on June 8.

“Women of all ages and styles will feel like they’re browsing in their best friend’s closet, with a wide array of options for unique gifts, an outfit for a special occasion, or just seasonal fashion inspiration,” said Betsy Abraham, who co-owns the Ballston shop with her mother Jane.

The pair opened their first Scout & Molly’s franchise in Reston two years ago.

Mall owner Forest City announced last April that Scout & Molly’s would open in the newly-renovated Ballston Quarter, along with four other new retailers.

‘All About Burger’ Now Open in Ballston Quarter

By Vernon Miles
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D.C.-based burger joint All About Burger is now open in Ballston Quarter (671 N. Glebe Road).

The restaurant — owned by a pair of former partners in the Z-Burger restaurant chain — offers its eponymous hand-formed burgers alongside chicken sandwiches, hot dogs and more for under $10. The standard chocolate/vanilla/strawberry milkshakes are available for $4.99 with a wide variety of “premium milkshakes” available for $5.99.

Staff at All About Burger said the restaurant will be open from 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. every day.

The new eatery joins a spate of newly-opened restaurants in the renovated Ballston Quarter mall, including True Food Kitchen, which is set to open next Wednesday.

True Food Kitchen Plans Grand Opening Next Week

By Vernon Miles
1/4

(Updated 12 p.m.) True Food Kitchen — a health-food chain — is planning to open its new Ballston Quarter location next Wednesday (May 8) at 11 a.m.

The restaurant has a seasonal menu that includes a variety of vegan and vegetarian choices, like tofu bowls and cheese-less pizzas, in addition to a selection of burgers, sandwiches and entrees with and without meat.

The Arlington restaurant will have an opening dining area, an outdoor patio, and two private dining rooms for special occasions. A bar at the location includes fresh-pressed fruit and vegetable juices, seasonal cocktails, local beer and wine, according to the restaurant website.

The restaurant is also currently hiring staff, including bartenders, servers, and a butcher.

If you want to try True Food before then, the next closest location is the Mosaic District (2910 District Ave.) in Fairfax County.

Muse Paintbar Plans July Opening in Ballston Quarter

By Vernon Miles

The growing “paint and sip industry” is making its way to Arlington with a new Muse Paintbar location in Ballston Quarter.

The art-studio-slash-bar first showed up in county permits last fall. A spokesperson for Muse Paintbar confirmed that the bar is planning to open in July, though no more specific date has been chosen and construction at the location hasn’t begun.

Muse Paintbar is planned to open on the mall’s first floor at 4238 Wilson Blvd.

The chain was founded in 2012, offering public events and private parties focused around learning how to paint while sipping on a variety of wine, craft beer and food. (Just be careful which cup you sip out of.)

If you cannot wait for the Ballston location to open, there are also Muse Paintbar locations at the Mosaic District (2920 District Avenue) and National Harbor (122 Waterfront Street).

Muse Paintbar joins a series of other restaurants and businesses opening recently in Ballston Quarter, including another bar — Ballston Service Station — in the Quarter Market food hall.

Photo courtesy Muse Paintbar

County Board Approves Large Outdoor Screens in Ballston

By Airey

The Arlington County Board amended zoning regulations last night to allow Ballston Quarter to install large electronic displays outside the entrance to the mall.

The Board’s vote approved developer Forest City’s request for two screens on the Ballston Quarter mall exterior near the outdoor seating area. The vote also amended county zoning ordinances to allow “an increase in the maximum sign height of up to 55 feet for large media screens” in areas around shopping malls.

“Large media screens are an appropriate tool for use by urban regional shopping centers to create a vibrant sense of place, to enhance outdoor community gathering spaces, and to stimulate economic competitiveness,” a staff report to the Board read.

The new rules would only allow screens to be placed as high as 55 feet if they are located within a shopping mall within a quarter-mile of a Metro or major bus station.

Forest City has been planning to install two strips of LED screens: one mid-way up the building wall facing Wilson Blvd and another strip on the wall 49.5 up feet from the ground. But the request was denied because current zoning regulations forbid screens installed higher than 40 feet.

The Board postponed its consideration of the request for months to make time for changing the zoning rule, before moving forward in March.

“The applicant intends to use the screen for family-friendly presentations, the display of public art, charitable events and entertainment, and/or educational opportunities,” one of the staff reports to the Board notes.

Forest City is still required to get a use permit for the screens, so it’s likely at least a few months before the screens will be installed and turned on.

Construction on the revamped former Ballston Common Mall has largely wrapped up and nearly a dozen new eateries have opened or are in the process of opening in the mall and its Quarter Market food hall.

Screenshot via county documents.

Rock the Block at Quarterfest on May 18 and 19

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Quarterfest presented by Dittmar is coming to Ballston on May 18 and 19.

From 12-6 p.m. each day, this festival continues Ballston’s tradition of giving back, as a charitable event of BallstonGives, and invites visitors to sip, sample, shop and savor the best that Ballston has to offer!

Located on Wilson Boulevard near the Ballston/MU metro station, and directly in front of the newly redeveloped Ballston Quarter — an entertainment and dining destination, the festival will feature a Quarterfest Crawl on Saturday, Curbside Kitchen‘s Food Truck Alley on Sunday, street pub all weekend serving up craft brews, wine and specialty cocktails, and a free concert.

New to the neighborhood, the Quarterfest Crawl will allow festival-goers to explore the neighborhood, sampling “tastes” at each participating venue with purchase of a Quarterfest Crawl wristband.

Food crawl venues include established Ballston favorites such as SER and Mussel Bar, and neighborhood newcomers DIRT, True Food Kitchen, Punch Bowl Social and more. Additionally, the Crawl wristband entitles visitors to exclusive retail discounts and giveaways of experiential activities at Cookology and 5 Wits, plus two free drink tickets to use at the street pub.

The festival and concert are free and open to the public, but festival-goers will need a wristband and drink tickets to savor the food and drink experience at Quarterfest. Tickets and wristbands are now on sale at “early bird” pricing until May 1.

You can find out more about Quarterfest Crawl locations and what will be coming to Ballston May 18 and 19 at https://www.quarterfestballston.org/.

Ballston Quarter Market Launches Next Round of Openings Tomorrow

By Vernon Miles
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Two new restaurants are planning soft openings Thursday in Ballston Quarter’s new food hall, Quarter Market, with another planning a grand opening happy hour celebration.

Local Oyster, a Baltimore-based seafood joint, is planning to launch tomorrow with a limited menu. The full menu for the eatery includes beer as well as seafood like lobsters, scallops, crab legs, and — of course — oysters.

Next door, sushi and dumpling restaurant Roll’d — helmed by Sushi Taro’s Chef Nobu Yamazaki — is also tentatively planning a launch with a limited menu.

Meanwhile, the food hall’s main bar, Ballston Service Station, has been serving drinks for a couple weeks now, but the bar’s staff said a grand opening is planned tomorrow around 4 p.m.

The new openings coincide with the “Ballston Quarter Celebration” at the mall. From 11 a.m.-2 p.m., the first 100 guests to check in at the Ballston Quarter tent will receive a voucher for a complimentary lunch at any vendor in the market.

A family-friendly happy hour is planned for 5-7 p.m. with live music, a caricature and face painter, and food and drink specials.

Other restaurants currently open in Quarter Market include Copa Kitchen and Bar, Hot Lola’s, Ice Cream Jubilee, Mi & Yu Noodle Bar, Rice Crook, Sloppy Mama’s BBQ, and Turu’s by Timber Pizza Co.

Scaffolding Accident Closes Ballston Mall Front Entrance

By ARLnow.com
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The front entrance to Ballston Quarter mall and its Quarter Market food hall is closed after a cable broke on a piece of scaffolding.

A large fire department response to the Wednesday afternoon incident temporarily blocked Wilson Blvd in front of the mall, but the road has since reopened.

Two workers who were on the equipment at the time of the accident were able to climb to safety with the help of firefighters. No injuries were reported.

Police have roped off the entrance until the scaffolding can be secured.

Neighborhood Spotlight: Work Out While Your Kids Play at Onelife Fitness in Ballston

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

This content was written and sponsored by The Keri Shull Team, Arlington’s top producing residential real estate team.

Many gyms have moved in the direction of group exercise studios, while other gyms bristle with free weights and machines.

Onelife Fitness in Ballston Quarter brings all these types of training together in one place — from yoga and meditation to the power rack. In this video, Libby Bish from the Keri Shull Team takes us inside the newly-renovated Onelife Fitness.

Onelife for Cardio and Weight Training

Libby toured Onelife’s Ballston location with elite personal trainer William Sorrentino.

Onelife’s cardio space has no sign-up sheets or waiting lists. You’ll find plenty of stationary bikes, ellipticals, freestanding bikes, stretching mats and an area for abdominal and core exercises. The cardio space overlooks Ballston Quarter, so it’s awash in natural light.

The free weight area has 4 Olympic lifting racks (soon to be 5) and a power rack. All are equipped with weight lifting dumbbells. Free weights are also available in this central area of the gym.

Onelife also has nearly 30 yards of indoor turf space for explosive performance training: running, jumping, ballistic training and more.

Onelife’s Training Programs and Events

All trainers at Onelife are equipped to address the average person’s fitness goals. Sorrentino had this to say about his training approach:

“I use a strength and conditioning model to address my clients’ strength needs. Conditioning-wise, I try to bring everyone through some type of athletic platform: Running, twisting, throwing, jumping, doing things that challenge you athletically so you can feel better doing things that you already do every day.”

Onelife’s calendar is packed with daily classes, including:

  • Weights classes to build strength
  • Cycling classes
  • Full-body “Hard Drive” conditioning workout classes
  • Zumba
  • High-Intensity Interval Training
  • Ballet-inspired “Barre One” classes
  • Yoga and Pilates-inspired classes to build flexibility and balance

Onelife’s multiple yoga offerings include Slow Flow, Vinyasa and Hatha yoga. See their current class schedule for availability.

Onelife also offers a Kids’ Club area where kids can get some active play while parents get their workout in. Well, that leaves us with one less excuse not to get more exercise.

Thank you for reading. If you’d like us to spotlight your business, or if you know of a great business you’d like to see featured, let us know in the comments!

As always, if you know anyone looking to buy or sell a home in the DMV, contact us today!

Read the full article here.

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