Ballston

Neighborhood Spotlight: Punch Bowl Social Brings Burgers, Brews and Board Games to Ballston

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

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!

We, The Pizza to Open Next Week

By ARLnow.com
1/3

It’s official: We, The Pizza says it will open its new Ballston location next week.

The restaurant at 4201 Wilson Blvd, in the Ballston Exchange complex, is expected to open on Wednesday, Oct. 30. In addition to the usual pizza selection, the restaurant will be introducing four flavors of gelato shakes, including Hazelnut Nutella and Stracciatella

The nearly 2,000 square foot space, which should draw a large lunchtime crowd from nearby offices, sits 50.

More from a press release:

We, The Pizza opens October 30th, 2019 at Jamestown’s Ballston Exchange by Nour Sharkas, the latest franchisee to expand a concept by The Sunnyside Restaurant Group. We, The Pizza offers 17 pies by the slice, 12 homemade sodas, chef-made wings and Italian gelato shakes.

Mr. Sharkas began his career by managing Good Stuff Eatery and later working in We, The Pizza in Crystal City, VA. “I am excited to bring this fantastic concept to a great area such as Ballston,” said Mr. Sharkas. “We wanted to create a dynamic space in this community for people to enjoy the great food we serve in a fun, hip, casual atmosphere. We’re also offering delivery at this location.”

We, The Pizza is introducing four flavors of gelato shakes: Hazelnut Nutella, Cherry Amaretto, Tiramisu and Stracciatella. In addition, there will be some new pies: Spicy Sicilian, eggplant, spicy salami, fresh tomato sauce; Margharita Burrata, Vegan Veg Sicilian, Ace & Wes Cowboy Pie, pepperoni and sausage and a Ultimate Cheese.

We, The Pizza’s fourth location is opening at 4201 Wilson Boulevard and occupying a 1,894-square foot space. Seating capacity is 50.

JUST IN: Woman Struck By Vehicle in Ballston

By ARLnow.com
1/6

(Updated at 6:50 p.m.) A woman was struck by a vehicle on N. Glebe Road in Ballston during the Wednesday evening rush hour.

The crash happened around 5 p.m., at the intersection of Glebe and 11th Street N.

Witnesses told ARLnow that the woman was struck by the driver of a pickup truck, who may have run a red light, though that account and other details could not be immediately confirmed.

The woman was conscious and breathing but bleeding from the head, according to scanner traffic. A Fairfax County ambulance crew that happened to be driving by was the first on scene to start rendering aid.

“The pedestrian, an adult female, was transported to an area hospital with injuries that are considered non-life threatening,” said Arlington County Police spokeswoman Ashley Savage.

Police tell ARLnow that the driver remained on scene and the investigation into the crash is continuing. So far there’s no word of any charges being filed.

Pet Care Business Opening in Ballston Quarter Next Year

By Kalina Newman
1/2

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.

Proposed Ballston Hotel To Include Locally-Run Bars, a Jacuzzi, and a Light Display

By Airey
1/7

Early plans for the new hotel being proposed in Ballston include locally-run bars, a rooftop jacuzzi, an artistic LED light display, and possibly an urban farm.

Vienna-based developer Schupp Companies is proposing to build the 10-story, 180-room hotel at the intersection of N. Randolph Street and 5th Road N. along with a two-story underground parking garage with space for 91 cars, as first reported by UrbanTurf.

The latest plans for the building at 501 N. Randolph Street call for a bar, restaurant, and a lounge area in the 12,829-square-foot ground floor area, according to copies of the documents ARLnow obtained by Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. The rooftop is also slated to have another bar with a jacuzzi surrounded with lounge chairs and plants, per the plans.

“The view lines are going to be spectacular,” said Ray Schupp, president and owner of Schupp Companies. “On the roof, a small local bar with good views would be really, really great.” 

“I think local entrepreneurs do the best job there,” he said of the rooftop establishment. “The rooftop will be for sure be a local entrepreneur. We’re looking at someone who really cares about what they’re doing. We’ll just lease the space for them.”

When asked, Schupp said he was also considering dedicating some rooftop space to the growing trend of urban farming, which would make the hotel one of the only buildings in Arlington to feature a rooftop farm. Schupp added a bee hive might be difficult, but growing herbs for the bars or restaurant could be “a great idea.”

The hotel will replace long-time Italian restaurant Tutto Bene which closed in 2014. It was originally slated to have 240 rooms.

Plans lay out several aesthetic plans for the exterior of the hotel, including “multi-colored light” display on a strip of windowless-wall visible from the recently renovated Ballston Quarter mall. Schupp told ARLnow that the design will be modeled after the displays mounted on the company’s Hyatt hotel development in Courthouse, but will be tailored to fit the “high-tech” image of Ballston.

The developer is aiming to paint the Ballston hotel’s a “soft but vibrant green similar to GMU’s Arlington campus building,” per the plans. But on the panels that face N. Randolph Street, the company is considering adding a metallic, shimmering coat to the paint.

“I think a shimmering look will be good as the sun sets,” said Schupp.

(more…)

New Poke Restaurant Coming to Ballston Quarter

By ARLnow.com

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.

UPDATED: Wilson Blvd Partially Closed in Ballston Due to Utility Work

By ARLnow.com
1/3

(Updated at 1:50 p.m.) Three out of four lanes of Wilson Blvd in Ballston were blocked by utility work Monday morning.

The work, at the intersection of Wilson and N. Randolph Street, near the mall, was to replace a blown electrical transformer in a utility vault that’s in the middle of the westbound lanes of Wilson. Crews from Dominion Energy were on scene, along with a large, mobile crane.

We’re told the transformer went out Sunday, knocking out power to an adjacent apartment building.

All westbound lanes of Wilson Blvd were blocked approaching Ballston Quarter mall, while only one eastbound lane was closed. The lane closures caused minor backups during this morning’s rush hour.

Residents in the area have been complaining for years about excessive noise caused by vehicles — particularly trucks — driving over the utility vaults.

“The plates have been there for years, but starting in October 2018, they began making absurdly loud noises whenever cars/buses/trucks drive over them,” one tipster said in July. “Dozens of complaints have been filed on the county’s ‘reporting tool’ website… The result of the noise is that local residents at Ava Ballston Square, Origin Ballston, and other apartments are disturbed through the day and awakened at night.”

Today’s work is not expected to alleviate the noise issue. A Dominion spokeswoman noted that the vault itself is maintained by the owner of the nearby building, not the utility company.

“The grates are not ours and the work has nothing to do with replacing them,” a Dominion spokeswoman told ARLnow. “The grates top our underground vaults containing our transformers that serve the buildings along the street… Normally, you will see our transformers sitting at ground level or up high on a utility pole. The developer wanted them underground.”

As of 1:30 p.m., all lanes had reportedly reopened.

World of Beer Appears to Be Coming to Ballston

By ARLnow.com
1/2

It appears that World of Beer will be opening a new location in Ballston.

The tavern chain, noted for its extensive craft and international beer selection, has filed initial permit applications to build a new location at 4300 Wilson Blvd, according to Arlington Economic Development.

Though no permits have been posted and no construction is evident yet, the most likely landing spot for World of Beer is that of the former Ted’s Montana Grill, which closed in 2015. The 6,600 square foot space also features an outdoor patio, near the intersection of Wilson Blvd and N. Glebe Road.

World of Beer previously had a location up the street, at 901 N. Glebe Road, but the restaurant that opened in 2012 later disassociated from the chain and rebranded as “Crafthouse.” The current nearest World of Beer is in Bethesda.

Activists Count 300 Vehicles Blocking Three Bike Lanes on One Day

By Airey
1/4

More than 300 instances of vehicles blocking bike lanes were recorded during yesterday’s data collection project in Rosslyn, Ballston and Crystal City.

A map of the violations from the D.C.-based ‘How’s My Driving?’ app indicates volunteers spotted 307 bike lane violations on sections of N. Lynn Street in Rosslyn, Fairfax Drive in Ballston, and Crystal Drive in Crystal City yesterday (Thursday).

“We knew the bike lanes monitored yesterday were a problem anecdotally, but now we have data to back up those claims that will hopefully help drive changes to enforcement practices and improve built infrastructure,” app co-creator Mark Sussman told ARLnow.

Most of the violations appear to have occurred along Crystal Drive.

Vehicles parked in bike lanes can force cyclists to swerve into traffic on the street, creating dangers for cyclists and drivers.

Arlington’s County Code prohibits people who “stop, stand or park a motor vehicle in a bicycle lane, nor shall any person drive a motor vehicle in a bicycle lane for a distance of more than one hundred (100) feet.”

Despite some targeted enforcement efforts, the county has long-struggled to consistently enforce the rule, and activists have increasingly pushed for more protected bike lanes to prevent the problem, while criticizing new transit plans for not prioritizing cyclists’ safety.

In the meantime, engineers have also tested new lane-protecting barriers, and ACPD has conducted enforcement “blitzes” as recently as July.

Sussman previously told ARLnow he’d like to expand his crowd reporting app to Arlington after the the D.C. service attracted thousands of submissions for cars blocking bike lanes.

A particularly popular part is a Twitter bot that fetches DMV data on how many fines the cars in question have racked up. But this feature won’t work for Arlington drivers until the county allows Sussman and his partner Daniel Schep access to the public databases.

Three years ago, Arlington Transportation Commission Chair Chris Slatt created a crowdsourced reporting tool — ParkingDirty.com — for bike lane blockages that relied on users monitoring traffic cameras. On one day, it found that a stretch of bike lane along Crystal Drive was blocked about 65% of the time.

‘Fall Women’s Market’ Coming to Ballston Quarter Tomorrow

By Kalina Newman

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.

“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

Local Cycling Safety App Planning An All-Volunteer Car Violation Tracking Event

By Airey

(Updated at 1:10 p.m.) The “How’s My Driving” cycling safety app is planning an event in Arlington tomorrow to collect data on bike lane violations.

App co-creator Mark Sussman told ARLnow that a team of about 40 people are gearing up to hit streets in Crystal City, Ballston, and Rosslyn on Thursday to count the number of times vehicles block bike lanes. The volunteers will track the bike lane violations on S. Crystal Drive, Fairfax Drive, and N. Lynn Street by reporting blockages through the app, which will share the data through a live dashboard.

“Crystal Drive and Lynn Street are just consistently blocked,” said Sussman. “The problem is that we don’t understand the size and the scope of the problem.”

Video recently posted to Twitter shows multiple stopped vehicles blocking the Crystal Drive bike lane. An Arlington County Police tweet from this summer showed a similar violation on Crystal Drive leading to a traffic ticket.

Sussman and his partner and co-creator Daniel Schep, a software engineer, are hoping data collected by volunteers tomorrow during the morning and evening rush hours and lunchtime can help fix that.

Currently, only app users in the District can report violations through the app and see how many other violations the driver has racked up on that vehicle — courtesy of a bot that fetches the DMV data. But Susan and Schep have been eyeing expansion into Arlington for months as the app gained popularity and people began reporting violations across the Potomac, too.

The pair say they’re hoping Thursday acts as a demonstration of what kind of real-time data officials could have access to if they contract with “How’s My Driving” in the future.

Volunteers are also out collecting bike lane blockage data today in Pittsburgh. Previously, people helped with a data collection day in D.C. which yielded 700 violations, and another one for bus lane blockages that tracked 300 violations.

“When you get that amount of data, patterns really start to emerge. You can use that data in aggregate both for enforcement purpose and transportation planning,” said Sussman.

However the app creator emphasized that these data collection days are not designed for enforcement purposes, and act as more of a proof of concept.

“No one is getting citations. No one is reporting to authorities,” said Sussman. “The data is only reported in aggregate in a presentation to the county. It would never be used to call out for specific vehicles.” 

“The overall effort is not to shame or expose particular violators,” he added. 

Photo by Sal Ferro

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