Ballston

Special Early Bird Pricing When You Join VIDA Ballston This Month

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

The wait is almost over. VIDA Fitness is set to open its doors to their first ever Virginia location, and we can’t wait to welcome you.

Arlington has been voted America’s fittest city by The American Fitness Index, and VIDA is excited to join the ranks of the countries most dedicated enthusiasts. Our newest club, opening this March, promises to deliver all of the exceptional amenities & equipment that members have come to expect from our existing five D.C. locations.

VIDA Ballston will feature expansive weight room floors, state-of-the-art cardio equipment, hundreds of group fitness offerings, personal training, luxury locker rooms, and steam rooms & saunas. VIDA will also be opening alongside SweatBox, D.C.’s newest studio workout craze. This class combines both strength & cardio training, and is sure to provide you with an incredible fitness experience that is guaranteed to challenge your entire body in one hour. Also opening will be Aura spa, a premiere day spa offering massages, facials, waxes and other pampering services for an ultimate day of relaxation.

VIDA is offering special early bird pricing when you join our Ballston location through the end of the month, that will no longer be available upon opening.

Be sure to act fast to take advantage of this incredible fitness opportunity, and let us show you what exceptional results VIDA can help you achieve in an already extraordinary city.

Asian Sandwich Chain Appears to Be Coming to Ballston

By ARLnow.com

Lee’s Sandwiches, which bills itself as the “World’s Largest Bánh Mì Chain,” may be coming to Ballston, according to permit filings.

The business is still in the process of applying for permits at 801 N. Quincy Street, where a Subway sandwich shop closed last summer. The windows of the space are covered in paper and no sign of construction activity can be seen yet.

Lee’s Sandwiches serves Asian sandwiches including its flagship Bánh Mì, and is also noted for its fresh-baked baguettes and Vietnamese iced coffee. The chain opened its first East Coast store at 3037 Annandale Road in Falls Church in 2016.

“Founded in 1983 in San Jose, California, Lee’s Sandwiches is a quick-serve restaurant chain specializing in Bánh Mì, Vietnamese sandwiches and other Euro-Asian food products,” a press release said at the time. “From its beginnings as a food truck, Lee’s Sandwiches is now the largest Bánh Mì chain with over 60 locations in Arizona, California, Las Vegas (Nevada), Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Virginia, and Taiwan.”

Join ARLnow to Celebrate Our 10th Anniversary

By ARLnow.com

On Jan. 29, 2010, ARLnow.com launched with an inauspicious post that basically no one except the family and friends of the site’s owner read. It was followed by a post about 2-4 inches of snow in the forecast.

Ten years later, despite major challenges in the local news biz, this site is still around. A quarter million people read it each month. We have a dedicated, full-time team; a newly-formed alumni group; a long list of fantastic advertising clients (thank you for supporting local journalism!); and an office in a Ballston high-rise complete with a mini fridge stocked with Diet Coke and a granola bar drawer.

Yes, we’ve come a long way in the past 10 years. And we’re looking forward to the next 10.

To celebrate, ARLnow is pleased to invite everyone who lives or works in Arlington, or just is a fan of the site, to join us at Bronson Bierhall (4100 Fairfax Drive) on Wednesday, Jan. 29 from 5-7 p.m. for a free happy hour event.

We’ll have local beer flights and a special Arlington cocktail available for purchase, local movers and shakers, and the entire ARLnow team on hand. Meet your neighbors, local notables, and maybe even an ARLnow commenter or two. Also: we’ll have 10th Anniversary cups for the first 100 people to arrive.

Please RSVP via Facebook so we can better estimate a guest count. See you there!

JUST IN: Uber Driver Arrested After Pedestrian Struck at Advanced Towing Lot

By ARLnow.com
1/8

(Updated at 8:25 a.m.) The driver of a car with Uber branding is in police custody after an incident at the Advanced Towing lot in Ballston.

Witnesses tell ARLnow that around 3 p.m. a man was trying to prevent the Uber vehicle from leaving the tow lot at 4000 5th Road N. when the driver gunned it, striking the man, another vehicle and a utility pole.

When a reporter arrived on scene, the alleged driver was being taken into custody by police a short distance away from the lot. The striking vehicle — a silver Kia with a cross on the hood — could be seen parked on 5th Road N. with a damaged front bumper and the passenger side of its front windshield shattered.

According to scanner traffic, the victim was bleeding from the face after being struck and was being transported to Virginia Hospital Center via ambulance. His injuries were described as non-life-threatening.

A towing company employee told ARLnow that the victim was Advanced Towing owner John O’Neill.

“All this over 135 bucks,” the employee said.

Police said Monday evening that a Fairfax man had been arrested and is facing multiple charges.

“At approximately 3:11 p.m. on January 13, police were dispatched to the report of a crash with injuries in the 4000 block of 5th Road N.,” said Arlington County Police spokeswoman Ashley Savage. “Upon arrival, it was determined that the suspect attempted to exit a tow lot as the employee was closing the gate. The suspect allegedly accelerated, struck the employee, a dumpster and light pole before fleeing the scene.”

“An officer located the suspect and took him into custody without incident,” Savage continued. “The employee was transported to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Gigssa Bekele Bengessa, 27, of Fairfax, VA was arrested and charged with Malicious Wounding, Destruction of Property and Defrauding a Garage Keeper. He was held on no bond. ”

Advanced Towing gained national notoriety in 2015 after video emerged of an ESPN reporter, whose car was towed, berating an Advanced employee. The company, which tows cars that are considered to be trespassing on private lots and then charges the vehicle’s owner a fee, faces frequent accusations of “predatory” towing.

Photos and reporting by Vernon Miles

Quick-Service Lebanese Eatery LEBTAV Opens in Ballston

By Vernon Miles
1/7

A quick-service variant of the local Lebanese Taverna franchise, called LEBTAV, is now open in Ballston.

The new restaurant is at the corner of Wilson Blvd and N. Quincy Street in what was once Taylor Gourmet.

LEBTAV doesn’t have all the same full-service items as the two other Lebanese Taverna locations in Arlington, in Westover (5900 Washington Blvd) and Pentagon Row (1101 S. Joyce Street). The location offers sandwiches, like shawarma and falafel, and rice bowls for around $10.

The hours are not posted online, but other LEBTAV locations are open from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. The new option will be a homegrown addition to the increasingly crowded Ballston lunch scene, which includes a CAVA restaurant down the street that has similar offerings and is frequently packed.

Other LEBTAV locations include Rockville, Silver Spring, and Farragut Square.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Rail Project Will Include New Pedestrian Bridge — “As part of the Long Bridge project, a stand-alone bike and pedestrian bridge would be built upstream from the new rail bridge, allowing people to walk or bike across the Potomac River between the D.C. waterfront and Crystal City in Arlington. Virginia officials said the state plans to build that pedestrian and bike bridge.” [Washington Post]

Weekend Propane Leak in Ballston — Per the Arlington County Fire Department: “FD and Haz-Mat units are on scene in the 4000 blk of Fairfax Dr investigating a report of a large propane [tank] leaking… Crews located a large propane tank leaking at a building under construction. The leak has been controlled and units are remaining on scene to [perform] air monitoring.” [Twitter]

ACPD Increasing Bike Lane Enforcement — “The county… says that Arlington police are stepping up their enforcement of bike lane violations. Cycling advocate Gillian Burgess says that she has seen evidence of more police presence, though she believes that the problem will ultimately be solved by better street design, not enforcement.” [WAMU]

Rosslyn Startup Gets Big Investment — “Arlington-based Advantia Health, a growing national provider of women’s healthcare, announced a $45 million investment by BlueMountain Capital Management, LLC (BlueMountain), a subsidiary of Assured Guaranty Ltd. This funding comes after a year of rapid growth.” [Advantia Health via Potomac Tech Wire]

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Changes to Stalled Ballston Development — “An Arlington homebuilder is reviving plans to redevelop a church in Ballston with a new proposal for a mix of townhomes and condos on the site… The site is currently home to the Portico Church, but the developer [BCN Homes] could someday replace it with 10 townhomes and 98 condo units.” [Washington Business Journal]

Beloved Former County Official Dies — “Ann Bisson, a long-time resident and former Deputy Commissioner of the Revenue for Arlington County, passed away peacefully on January 7, 2020… In addition to her work in the Commissioner’s office, Ann was very active in the community.” [Dignity Memorial]

History of Royal Visits to Arlington — “If Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ever decided to make their home in the DC area, they’d be in good company. Many members of the royal family have made their way to Arlington over the years.” [Arlington Public Library, Twitter]

Bill Proposes Funding for Local Cemeteries — “Three Arlington cemeteries would receive state funding under a program designed to preserve burial places of African-American Virginians. Del. Rip Sullivan (D-Fairfax-Arlington) has patroned legislation to add the three graveyards – at Calloway, Lomax and Mount Salvation churches – to the more than two dozen statewide that already receive support from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources.” [InsideNova]

Learn More About IUDs at Capital Women’s Care Division 67

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

Did you know? IUDs are considered one of the most effective forms of birth control by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG).

At Capital Women’s Care Division 67 we have a collaborative practice featuring three Obstetrician-Gynecologists (OB-GYNs) and a Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) all trained to insert IUDs.

We love to talk to our patients about their reproductive goals, when or if they want to start a family, grow their family or help with their period symptoms. One of the tools to help during this journey is an IUD. IUD stands for intrauterine device, or a small device placed inside your uterus to help prevent pregnancy or help with period symptoms.

There are many different types of IUDs. There’s a non hormonal one, ParaGard and hormonal types Mirena, Lilleta and Kyleena. The ParaGard IUD has no hormones, it is made up of copper which repels sperm making and is an effective form of contraception. This IUD is preferred by patients who generally have no symptoms with their periods and want a non hormonal form of contraception.

The Mirena, Lilleta and Kyleena have one hormone, progesterone. This is different from regular birth control pills that tend to have estrogen and progesterone. In addition to preventing pregnancies, hormonal IUDs can lighten your periods and reduce cramps and pain associated with your period. IUDs are great for patients who are looking for a long term effective reversible form of contraception that they don’t have to take every day.

Our providers offer top of the line care for all your obstetrical and gynecological needs. We would love to answer questions about IUDs as well as all your gynecologic questions. Helping our patients find the right form of contraception is very rewarding and we look forward to working with you!

Please call to make an appointment today at 571-970-6050 or schedule a visit quickly and easily online: www.capitalwomenscareobgyn67.com.com.

ACPD Investigating Vehicle Break-ins at Ballston Mall Garage

By ARLnow.com

Someone broke into about 19 vehicles in the county-owned parking garage next to Ballston Quarter mall early Friday morning.

The break-ins were reported around 1 a.m. Police say windows were smashed and items of value were stolen.

Police did not provide additional details about the investigation.

More from an Arlington County Police crime report:

LARCENY FROM AUTO (series), 2020-01030014, 4200 block of Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 1:01 a.m., police were dispatched to the report of a larceny. Upon arrival, it was determined that an unknown suspect(s) smashed the windows to approximately 19 vehicles and stole items of value. The investigation is ongoing.

Neighborhood Spotlight: The Hottest Highrises 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.

Would you go for a swim  in a pool 250 feet in the air?

If you lived in one of these buildings, you could do that whenever you want!

Today, Donna Chong of the Keri Shull Team gives you a tour of four of the hottest condo buildings in the Ballston neighborhood. This area has some of the coolest highrises in the entire city, with tons of amazing amenities to make your dream home the best that it can be.

No matter what you are looking for in a luxury condo building, you are sure to find somewhere that is perfect for you in Ballston — or another of Arlington’s awesome neighborhoods!

Are you (or anyone you know) planning to move to Ballston, or any of the other unique neighborhoods in D.C., Maryland, or Virginia? Well, if you want to find out how we can help you find AND WIN the home of your dreams, contact The Keri Shull Team today!

Do you know anyone looking to buy or sell a home in the DMV? We’d love for you to introduce us! Click here to contact us today.

Kabob Restaurant, Optometrist Coming to New Ballston Development

By ARLnow.com
1/4

Construction is starting to wrap up at “The Waycroft,” a new apartment-and-retail development at the corner of N. Glebe Road and Wilson Blvd.

The development is notably set to include a nearly 500-unit apartment building, private-entrance townhomes, a rooftop pool and fitness center, a new 41,000 square foot Target store and a new Silver Diner, but there are a handful of other retail tenants that are also on the way.

Enterprise Rent-a-Car and Visual Health Optometry recently filed construction permits for retail spaces at the development. Visual Health has an existing location nearby, at 3012 Wilson Blvd in Clarendon.

Also signed to fill the new retail spaces, according to a leasing plan, are a 2,200 square foot Grill Kabob restaurant and Mint Nail Salon. The former will be located along Wilson Blvd, next to the future Silver Diner. Additional storefronts on either end of the development are still listed as available.

As of mid-2019, construction the apartment building was expected to wrap up in the first three months of 2020. The storefronts will likely take longer to build out.

While Target and Silver Diner are expected to be major draws, small retailers and restaurants have often struggled on the western side of Glebe Road, which is separated by six busy lanes from most of Ballston.

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