Despite a Tornado Watch and a forecast calling for severe weather, dozens of Arlingtonians descended on Ballston Quarter to trick-or-treat in the shopping center on Halloween.
ARLnow was there and some costumed characters posed for our cameras.
Popular costumes included classics such as superhero characters, Disney princesses, and animals. Many paid homage to our recent World Series champions and several families, impressively, came in fully coordinated costumes.
Bash Boxing’s second Arlington location is now open at Ballston Quarter, after some delay.
First word of the boxing-focused workout studio’s newest location at 700 N. Randolph Street was reported last August. The studio, which has room for up to 44 people, had its grand opening celebration over the weekend.
“We’re thrilled to open our second location. It’s been busy all weekend, and we’re just getting started,” said co-owner Scott Parker, who also manages several Arlington restaurants.
The studio splits its workouts between boxing on a water-filled training bag and high-intensity interval training, generally lasting 45 minutes.
Bash opened its first studio in Rosslyn last January at 1550 Wilson Blvd, replacing the former Cafe Asia.
Bash Ballston joins a slew of new businesses joining Ballston Quarter in the coming months, including a new poke restaurant and a pet care business.
This content was written and sponsored by The Keri Shull Team, Arlington’s top producing residential real estate team.
For this Neighborhood Spotlight, we’re joining Sean Sneed of The Keri Shull Team as he gives us the rundown on Punch Bowl Social, a hot new spot for food, drinks and games in Arlington.
Originally founded in Denver, Colorado, Punch Bowl Social has expanded to include many locations across the country, each with its own unique theme in decor and menu. The Arlington location — which sits in the Ballston Quarter alongside some of our previous spotlights — is designed with a circus in mind.
Brett Ramsdell, the general manager of Arlington’s Punch Bowl Social, shed some light on this design choice. The team became fascinated by the “Great Elephant Escape” — an event that saw 4 elephants escaping from a traveling exhibit in 1906, in the area that is now known as Arlington. Though the elephants were eventually rounded up after several days, some managed to travel dozens of miles from their enclosures.
This circus theme is a perfect fit for the whimsical atmosphere inside Punch Bowl Social. With its bright lights and vast collection of games, Punch Bowl Social is a bastion of pure fun. Customers can pay to play table tennis, sing karaoke, or even go bowling inside the arcade, all while sipping on a signature cocktail.
For the retro-inclined, Punch Bowl Social also offers a traditional arcade experience of cabinet-mounted video games.
What’s more, Punch Bowl Social is also equipped with a full collection of classic and modern board games, all of which customers can play for free at their tables.
Punch Bowl Social doesn’t skimp on fun when it comes to food and drinks, either. Customers can enjoy any of the three signature punches — or the Punch of the Day — in a shareable bowl, true to the arcade’s name. For food, Ramsdell recommends the Knockoff Burger, a two-patty sandwich that’s designed to mimic an iconic fast food meal.
Don’t feel like drinking punch? That’s okay! Punch Bowl Social also boasts an enormous menu of wines, beers and mixed drinks, all made with the freshest possible ingredients. And if you’re worried about missing work tomorrow, don’t fret — the drink menu features an impressive collection of non-alcoholic beverages, made with the same craftsmanship as the stiffer stuff.
With so many options for artisan food, delicious cocktails and games for all ages, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better place to unwind after work than Punch Bowl Social.
Are you interested in living in Ballston, or any other of the unique neighborhoods in the D.C. Metro area? Contact The Keri Shull Team today to learn about how we can help you find your dream home — for a price you’ll love!
A “reimagined pet care” business is eying a 2020 opening in Ballston Quarter.
Heart + Paw will offer veterinary care, a grooming spa, and a pet day care, according to the Ballston Quarter website. Its interior will be an “elevated space designed using the latest research on low stress environments.”
Heart + Paw is headquartered in Philadelphia, and Ballston Quarter will be its first D.C. area location. The company has “ambitious national growth plans with an initial focus on the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.”
The business will be located on the second floor of the mall. A wrap along the outside of the storefront advertised an “early 2020” opening and a special discount to those who book services before the store’s grand opening.
Heart + Paw applied for a construction permit in August, per county records.
Ballston is set to get not one but — now — two new poke restaurants.
Details are scant but a restaurant called Go Poke has filed permit applications to open at Ballston Quarter mall (4238 Wilson Blvd).
“We can confirm ‘Go Poke’ will be opening in 2020 at Ballston Quarter in Quarter Market,” a spokeswoman for the mall said. It’s unclear where exactly in the food hall it will be located.
Go Poke looks to be the county’s fourth dedicated poke restaurant, offering its spin on the Hawaiian raw fish dish. Existing poke spots include Poké it Up in the Pentagon City mall food court, Poke Bar in Rosslyn and — soon — another Poké it Up in Ballston, at 4401 Fairfax Drive.
Other restaurants in Arlington offer poke bowls among a broader selection of food options.
A weekend-long market featuring exclusively women-owned local businesses is coming to Ballston Quarter this weekend.
The market will run on Saturday, October 19 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday, October 20 from 11 a.m.-5 p.m., at the M2 level of Ballston Quarter (4238 Wilson Blvd).
“We are excited to welcome and support all these amazing women-owned local businesses this weekend and showcase Ballston Quarter’s own women-owned businesses such as Scout & Molly’s, Gossip Boutique, Steadfast Supply, Cookology and more,” said Cristian Becker, Marketing Director for Ballston Quarter.
For the event, Ballston Quarter has partnered with the Awesome Women Entrepreneurs, a community for local female business owners. Its Arlington chapter features more than 175 women entrepreneurs.
The Ballston Quarter website currently lists the following businesses as expected exhibitors.
- Raquel Neumann: Tububble Children’s Bath Bubbles
- Melany Carlos: House of Colour Personal Style Consultant
- Laura Fogarty: Damsel in Defense
- DeDee Cai: Business and Life Coach
- Fashion at Ms. Tee
- Through the Lens Images
- Jennifer Mulchandani: Stella and Dot
- Scout & Indiana
- Oak Lane Soapworks
- Sweet Bee Studio
- Linn Woloshin Designs
- Article22
- Emily Rarity Ceramics
- Lucuma Boutique
- Blue Art
- Royal Essence Beauty Spa
- YesYou Wellbeing Coaching
- Summi Henna
- Gossip Boutique
- Scout & Molly’s at Ballston Quarter
- Cookology
“I am proud to be a part of the Arlington community as well as the amazing community of female entrepreneurs in the DMV area, so participating in events that strengthen these communities is close to my heart,” said Scout & Indiana owner Emily Steigler.
Photo via ballstonquarter.com
(Updated at 5:30 p.m.) On Thursday, a new music, food, and drinks festival will take over a street in Ballston.
Hosted by the Ballston BID, the Ballston Street Bash and Mega Market is scheduled to run from 3-8 p.m. at Welburn Square, along N. Stuart Street. It will include live music, a beer and wine pavillion, and the regularly-scheduled Thursday farmers market.
Admission is free, while drink tickets are $5.
The festival incorporates the weekly Ballston FreshFarm Market, which includes vendors selling fresh produce and food stands from DMV Empanadas and Timber Pizza Company.
A concert is planned, with performances from several local bands, including White Ford Bronco and Jumpin’ Jupiter.
Additional activities include a free VIDA Fitness SweatBox Class at 6 p.m., with pre-registration required.
Photo provided by Ballston BID
Purse Snatching Outside of Whole Foods Saturday — “The male suspect approached the victims near their vehicle and attempted to engage them in conversation before entering their vehicle. One victim confronted the suspect, who then threatened them, before attempting to steal a purse from the vehicle and flee. With the assistance of two bystanders, the suspect was stopped and the purse was recovered. The suspect was subsequently chased away from the area prior to police arrival.” [Arlington County, Twitter]
Arlington Man Dies in Route 7 Crash — “A 92-year-old man has died as a result of injuries from a crash that occurred around 3:30 p.m. on Sept. 24 in the 5600 block of Leesburg Pike. Donald Buzzell, 92, of Arlington, was operating a 1997 Mercury Marquis eastbound on Leesburg Pike when his vehicle hit two cars that were stopped in front of him, in traffic. The crash contributed to an additional three vehicles being hit.” [Fairfax County Police]
‘Pumpkin Patch’ Event in Ballston This Weekend — “Celebrate fall with a Pop-Up Pumpkin Patch at Ballston Quarter featuring live music, specialty drinks, crafts and of course, pumpkins! All pumpkins will be sold for $5 (cash only), with all proceeds going to Arlington Food Assistance Center. ” [Ballston Quarter]
N. Va. Atop State in Tourism — “Virginia’s tourism industry generated a record $26 billion in tourist spending in 2018 — and 40% of that, or $10.3 billion, was spent in Northern Virginia… Arlington County, Fairfax County and Loudoun County rank as the top three counties in Virginia for individual tourism spending.” [WTOP]
Winter Hours for Arlington National — Starting today, October 1, Arlington National Cemetery will close at 5 p.m. as part of its winter hours, which are in effect until the end of March. The Arlington Cemetery Metro station, meanwhile, will close at 7 p.m. during that time. [Twitter, Twitter]
ALXnow Launches Today — Our new Alexandria local news site, ALXnow, launches today at 8 a.m. Want to keep up with everything happening from Old Town to Potomac Yard to the West End? Follow ALXnow on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and sign up for our daily newsletter.
Completion of the Ballston Quarter pedestrian bridge over Wilson Blvd could be delayed by another three months.
The Arlington County Board is set to discuss extending the completion deadline of the under-construction bridge from September 1 to December 1 at its meeting tomorrow (Saturday). The delay is at the request of the mall’s owner, which is building the bridge as a condition of Ballston Quarter’s recent renovations.
The company cited “difficulties associated with the complexity, constructibility issues of the design, field modifications, and the current status of construction” as reasons for the extension, according to as staff report to the Board.
This will be the second time the bridge project has been delayed. Originally, the walkway was scheduled to open last fall so it would be ready for the first shops to open at Ballston Quarter. Then the deadline was pushed to September of this year.
A spokeswoman for mall operator Brookfield Properties told ARLnow they are “on track for a November opening” for the bridge, pointing interested locals to a blog with periodic bridge construction updates.
It’s been more than two years since the original Wilson Blvd bridge was torn down. Once the new walkway is completed, it will link the mall to the Ballston Metro station.
(Updated at 12:40 p.m.) Arlington County Police say there was no shooting last night in Ballston, just a panic caused by a single juvenile male.
In a press release Sunday morning, ACPD said the boy walked into a movie theater playing IT Chapter 2 at Ballston Quarter mall and shouted about a shooter. There was no mass shooting, just a mass panic and a mass exodus from the mall as dozens of police and emergency responders swarmed the area.
“As word of the incident spread, patrons from all areas of the Ballston Quarter began to self-evacuate,” police said. “One individual suffered a minor injury while self-evacuating from the building and was transported by medics to an area hospital for treatment.”
Police searched the theater and the mall well into the night, encountering some patrons who had locked themselves into back rooms or even freezers. They did not find evidence of any violence.
Mall customers and employees were left standing outside the cordoned-off block around the mall, with personal property still inside the building and cars parked in the closed parking garage, which did not reopen until after midnight.
UPDATE: Police are opening the garage. Citizens can access their vehicles. Those who left property in the food hall area of the Quarter can retrieve it now outside True Food Kitchen.
— ArlingtonCountyPD (@ArlingtonVaPD) September 15, 2019
Police say items left inside businesses should be retrieved from those businesses, while property left inside the Quarter Market food hall can now be claimed by calling the police non-emergency line at 703-558-2222.
More from the ACPD press release:
The Arlington County Police Department completed a thorough investigation and determined that no shooting occurred at the Ballston Quarter on the evening of September 14, 2019.
At approximately 8:38 p.m., police were dispatched to multiple emergency calls reporting a possible shooter inside the movie theater at the Ballston Quarter located at 4238 Wilson Boulevard. Upon police arrival, the theater was placed under shelter in place status while a systematic search of the entire Ballston Quarter was initiated. The search concluded with negative results and no evidence of a shooting or any victims of a shooting were located.
The preliminary investigation suggests that an unknown juvenile male entered a theater playing the movie ‘IT Chapter Two’ and shouted that there was a shooter, causing patrons to run from the theater yelling for people to call 9-1-1. As word of the incident spread, patrons from all areas of the Ballston Quarter began to self-evacuate. One individual suffered a minor injury while self-evacuating from the building and was transported by medics to an area hospital for treatment.
Patrons who left personal property inside of Ballston Quarter businesses during the incident should claim their property through the individual businesses. Those who left property in the public food hall area of the Ballston Quarter should call the Emergency Communications Center at 703-558-2222 to facilitate retrieval of their items at the Police Department, located at 1425 North Courthouse Road.
This remains an active investigation. Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).
(Updated at 12:30 p.m.) Arlington County Police responded en masse to an incident at the Ballston Quarter mall Saturday night.
In a 8:50 p.m. emergency alert, Arlington County described the incident as a “possible shooting.” Initial reports suggest a panic at the Regal Cinemas movie theater after a group of teens started shouting about an active shooter.
No evidence of a shooting was found, though police continued to search the theater throughout the night.
On Sunday morning, police said one juvenile male shouted about a shooter during a movie, leading to the panic. No shooting actually occurred, police confirmed.
The panic prompted people to flee and hide, though many sheltered in place in the theaters. In the Quarter Market food hall, below the mall, police responded to a report of people who had locked themselves in freezers. Some neighboring businesses including the Shake Shack across the street locked their doors while customers sought shelter.
One person suffered a minor injury as the mall was evacuated, police said.
Speaking to reporters, a group of Yorktown High School students who were watching IT Chapter 2 in the theater said the screen suddenly went blank and officers entered the theater, saying they were investigating a possible active shooter. Video shows the students and other patrons walking out of the theater with their hands above their head, at the direction of police.
“It was scarier than the actual movie,” one teen said.
Another video, taken from across the street from the mall shortly after the initial report of a shooter, shows people running from the mall as sirens blared.
The panic spread as police responded to at least two other reports of armed suspects along the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor.
Around 9:15 p.m., numerous officers responded to the Uncle Julio’s restaurant in Ballston for an unconfirmed report of either a man with a gun or an active shooting. Scanner traffic later suggested that it was actually an angry customer, not a shooting.
Earlier, police also responded to the Clarendon Trader Joe’s for a report of a man with a gun and body armor. A suspect was detained but later released after an investigation determined he was legally open carrying a gun, a police spokeswoman said.
The U.S. Park Police Eagle 1 helicopter could be seen flying overhead Ballston during the incident, assisting with the search for any possible suspects, but was later cleared to return to D.C. Park Police, Metro Transit Police, Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority Police, the Federal Protective Service and Falls Church Police were among the law enforcement agencies that responded to the initial shooting reports with ACPD.
Roads around the mall are blocked by police. Officers have cleared crowds of pedestrians from outside the front of the mall, though many — including large groups of mall employees — were still standing along Wilson Blvd on either side of the mall more than an hour after the first 911 call.
There is no timetable for the mall, its parking garage and the roads around the mall reopening, Arlington County Police spokeswoman Ashley Savage told ARLnow shortly after 10 p.m., noting that officers were still conducting a “thorough” search of the building.
UPDATE: The preliminary search of the theater has completed. All individuals sheltering in place have been evacuated. Police remain on scene investigating and a police helicopter is assisting. No evidence of a shooting has been located.
— ArlingtonCountyPD (@ArlingtonVaPD) September 15, 2019
UPDATE: Police continue to conduct a search of the Ballston Quarter building. One individual suffered a minor injury while self evacuating the building and was transported to an area hospital. No other injuries reported.
— ArlingtonCountyPD (@ArlingtonVaPD) September 15, 2019
Report of active shooter at #Ballston Quarter in #Arlington. Regal Cinema workers seen running away from theater. Police swarming scene. pic.twitter.com/v8mKWDw09E
— Jason Surbey (@JasonSurbey) September 15, 2019
Following #BreakingNews in Arlington. Police Responding to Possible Shooting at Ballston Common Mall https://t.co/6608thcfgx pic.twitter.com/FbKlRpwaBK
— Darcy Spencer (@darcyspencer) September 15, 2019
INCIDENT: Possible Shooting
LOCATION:4238 Wilson Bl – Ballston Common Mall
IMPACT: Police are on the scene of a possible shooting inside of the mall. Avoid the area.— Arlington Alert (@arlingtonalert) September 15, 2019
Thank you @ArlingtonVaPD for working hard tonight as you always do to ensure the safety of our community.
— Rep. Don Beyer (@RepDonBeyer) September 15, 2019
Video (top) courtesy Gibson L. Video (below) courtesy Naki Mendoza. Screenshot via @JasonSurbey/Twitter.
