Ballston

Ballston-Based Startup Turns Memorable Sports Moments into Merchandise

By Vernon Miles

Sponsored by Monday Properties and written by ARLnow.com, Startup Monday is a weekly column that profiles Arlington-based startups and their founders, plus other local technology happenings. The Ground Floor, Monday’s office space for young companies in Rosslyn, is now open. The Metro-accessible space features a 5,000-square-foot common area that includes a kitchen, lounge area, collaborative meeting spaces, and a stage for formal presentations.

In a shocking playoff game, Toronto Raptors star Kawhi Leonard won the series against the 76ers with a buzzer-beating three-point shot.

The tense moment of the ball bouncing precariously around the rim of the basket kept viewers glued to their screens and sharing the moment across social media.

Within moments, Ballston-based company BreakingT was turning it into a t-shirt.

BreakingT turns popular sports moments into authorized fan paraphernalia produced with a rapid turnaround, cofounder and CEO Alex Welsh said.

“The sports fan apparel market is a massive market,” Welsh said. “You can look it up, it’s between $25-$30 billion globally. It’s a global industry. We have found with our data-driven, real-time approach that there’s absolutely a demand.”

The company recently celebrated its five-year anniversary and Welsh has ambitions to keep growing. The company raised $400,000 in angel investments in 2017 and hired its first full-time employee. Now, Welsh said his goal is to raise $2 million to expand licensing and marketing.

“One of our biggest corporate objectives is to make our service and company indispensable,” Welsh said. “We have deals now with 30 pro sports teams. They see the value in what we do — the social value in these big moments.”

Beyond just tracking trending sports moments on social media, the company also has a revenue-sharing agreement with SB Nation — a blogging network owned by D.C.-based Vox Media — where team blogs promote those viral moments and BreakingT’s associated paraphernalia.

Welsh said the NBA playoffs have been a big focus lately. The group has a license from the NBA Players Association that allows them to make official merchandise.

“We’re looking for the very specific moments in these games and what the fans are talking about,” Welsh said. “When he shot the ball at the buzzard, the basketball bounced four times on the rim before it went in. Everybody was holding their breath. It was a massive moment for Toronto fans.”

Welsh said the company’s proximity to D.C. let it build a relationship with the Washington Nationals, which Welsh credits for helping to put BreakingT on the map. From there, the company was able to expand into partnerships in other locations and sports, like a partnership with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Welsh said one of his favorite sports moments captured on BreakingT apparel was when a team leaned into being called a “bunch of jerks.”

“A sports broadcaster called the [Carolina] Hurricanes players a bunch of jerks because they started doing choreographed celebrations on the ice,” Welsh said. “It was breaking with the tradition of hockey, but fans loved it. Our social data monitors were going off about this moment. The team leaned into that, and that’s been one of our biggest hits of all time. We sold over 20,000 units of that one shirt.”

Photo via Facebook

Ballston Quarterfest Offers ‘Taste of Arlington’ This Weekend

By Vernon Miles

Ballston Quarterfest — a new Ballston-centric music, drinks and food festival replacing Taste of Arlington — is being held weekend.

The festival is scheduled to run from 12-6 p.m. this coming Saturday (May 18) and Sunday (May 19). Admission to the festival is free, but tickets are required for the restaurant crawl or street pub.

Free live music from local performers is planned at a stage next to the street pub for both days.

Other activities around the festival include a “Kids Zone” on Saturday, with face painting and balloon artist, and the Arlington Art Truck, with an interactive art display on Sunday.

The event will take place mainly along Wilson Blvd — like Taste of Arlington — but will be more focused around the new Ballston Quarter mall and Ballston businesses, whereas “Taste” featured restaurants from around the county.

Like Taste of Arlington, the event will come with a series of road closures. Per Arlington County Police:

  • Wilson Blvd will be closed between N. Randolph Street and Glebe Road in both directions the entire weekend (use Fairfax Drive as an alternate route)
  • N. Taylor Street will be closed at Wilson Blvd
  • N. Stuart Street, from 9th Street N. to Wilson Blvd, will be closed
  • 7th Street N., between Glebe Road and Wilson Blvd, will be closed

Temporary “no parking” signs are also planned throughout the area, and illegally parked vehicles could be ticketed or towed. Police encourage attendees to use the Metro or other means to get to the festival.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

VHC Land Swap Ready to Move Forward — “Nearly six months after a divided Arlington County Board approved a major expansion of Virginia Hospital Center, board members are set to take the next step.” [InsideNova]

Ballston IHOP Reopens — “Good news IHOP fans: the Ballston location is back open and serving customers. Here’s why it closed.” [Twitter]

DEA Finds Temporary Digs — “The Drug Enforcement Administration has found temporary space in Crystal City for its employees while its… headquarters in adjacent Pentagon City gets a major makeover. Representatives for the DEA recently applied to Arlington County for interior alteration permits to renovate three floors at 2200 Crystal Drive.” [Washington Business Journal]

Road Closures for Ballston 5K Race — “The 2019 Girls on the Run 5K Race will be held in the Ballston-Virginia Square area on Sunday, May 19, 2019. The Arlington County Police Department will implement the following road closures from approximately 8:15 AM to 10:15 AM to accommodate the event.” [Arlington County]

Carlee Defines the ‘Arlington Way’ — “‘In its most positive framing’ [the Arlington Way] means ‘engaging with the public on issues of importance or concern (not always the same) in an effort to reach community consensus or… a shared understanding and an opportunity for everyone to be heard,’ [former County Manager Ron Carlee] writes. ‘In its negative framing’ the phrase has been ‘derided as a way to talk everything to death so that ideas are killed or that people are so worn-down that by the end, they do not care what happens as long as it is just over.'” [Falls Church News-Press]

Photo courtesy @klk_photography11/Instagram

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

Party On the Paseo At Ballston Exchange

Revelers headed to Ballston Quarterfest on May 18 are invited to take part in the “Party on the Paseo” at Ballston Exchange!

Located directly across the street from the mall (4121 and 4201 Wilson Blvd.), the festivities begin at noon and continue until 6 p.m.

For those participating in the food crawl (tickets available here) the “Party on the Paseo” features free and tasty samples from Shake Shack, an assortment of offerings from “clean eating,” enviro-conscious DIRT, hot slices from We The Pizza, and iced coffee and mini croissants from Philz. A custom “donut wall” will also be present, featuring offerings from Dunkin’ Donuts.

After the snacks, chill out in a private cabana, snap a selfie or two at the photobooths, or challenge your friends to a game of Giant Jenga or cornhole.

Formerly home to the National Science Foundation, Ballston Exchange is home to the popular co-working space Industrious with additional spaces leased for Booz Allen Hamilton, Core Power Yoga and more.

The buildings at Ballston Exchange are bringing renewed vitality to the greater Ballston community with an innovative hyper-connected and collaborative workplace environment. The common spaces at Ballston Exchange, including the recently opened Atrium, are designed to foster a sense of community among tenants, metro commuters, office workers and the neighborhood.

Information about Ballston Exchange, the newly renovated and repurposed office complex that anchors Wilson Boulevard, can be found here.

Keep up with the latest from Ballston Exchange on Instagram and Facebook.

Why Ballston Needed A Coworking Space Specifically Designed For Tech Companies

By ARLnow.com Sponsor
TechSpace Ballston

With the rise of coworking spaces appearing in Ballston and many other markets, companies have a lot to think about when selecting a coworking space.

As with any major decisions, there are important factors to think about including the atmosphere, office design and layout, and technical capabilities. While there are many trendy options in our market, there is only one that is designed with tech companies in mind — TechSpace Ballston.

TechSpace caters to the needs of growing tech companies in many ways including our robust technology platform, phone services, scalable private office suites and overall community atmosphere.

Creating an identity that resonates with technology companies is incredibly important to us, and members see it and experience it by just being in our halls — from the sleek, minimalist design of our space to the tech-oriented events, you are in a coworking space like no other.

Speaking of events, we host a variety of them! We highly encourage the Ballston community to join our bi-monthly Kublr meetups (next one on May 15 at 6 p.m.) where Arkadii Ocheretnoi, a Lead Platform Developer at Kublr who will be discussing “Stable, Predictable etcd Storage with Kubernetes.”

Please RSVP to attend. We look forward to showing you TechSpace Ballston!

Feel free to contact us at 703-650-7700 or reach out to our site manager, Julie Manning.  

CorePower Yoga to Open New Studio in Ballston Exchange

By Airey
1/3

CorePower Yoga may be opening its third Arlington location soon in Ballston.

Black wrapping paper behind the new Ballston Exchange studio’s front doors reads “Coming Soon.” The announcement comes a month after the county approved a building permit for the new studio.

“The Ballston studio is set to open late this summer,” a company spokeswoman told ARLnow, adding that she was unable to share more details.

Construction crews could be seen today (Monday) working between the metal framing inside the space. The construction will include  “non-structural partitions” and hanging new doors, according to the building permit.

The studio is located at 4201 Wilson Blvd and joins CorePower Yoga’s Pentagon City studio, which opened in 2016, and the company’s Courthouse location, which opened in 2015.

The Denver-based CorePower Yoga specializes in “high intensity” classes offered in heated rooms designed to make participants sweat, according to its website.

CorePower Yoga is the latest addition to Ballston Exchange, which also recently welcomed health-food eatery Dirt and the Bearded Goat Barber Shop.

Hat tip to Craig W.

New Luxury Apartment Tower in Ballston Aims at 2020 Opening

By Vernon Miles
1/7

Construction is coming along on the J Sol Apartments in Ballston, but the project is still a long way from completion.

According to an employee at the Jefferson Apartment Group, the company developing the project, the project’s expected completion date is 18 months away.

The project at 4000 Fairfax Drive is planned to be a 22-story luxury complex with 330 units. Plans include a swimming pool and sundeck on the roof of the project.

Street retail — totaling 8,260 square feet — is also planned for the project along an outdoor plaza, but no tenants have been announced.

The apartment building broke ground in December 2017, replacing CarPool, a popular local bar that closed in April 2017.

Crime Report: Drunk Driver Resisted Arrest, Spit on Officer

By ARLnow.com

A 20-year-old Alexandria man is facing a litany of charges after police say he resisted arrest while driving drunk.

The wild incident happened in Ballston this past Sunday night.

More from this week’s Arlington County Police Department crime report:

ASSAULT ON LAW ENFORCEMENT, 2019-05050200, 1100 block of N. Vernon Street. At approximately 10:26 p.m. on May 5, police were dispatched to the report of a dispute inside a vehicle. Upon arrival, officers located the vehicle and made contact with the allegedly intoxicated driver. The driver was uncooperative and refused to comply with the officer’s commands to stop the vehicle. Once the vehicle was eventually turned off, the driver exited and actively resisted officers’ attempts to place him in handcuffs. A brief struggle ensued, and, with the assistance of additional arriving officer, the suspect was successfully taken into custody. During a search of the suspect’s person, he was found to be in possession of a knife and an open container of alcohol was located in the vehicle. While at an area hospital being treated for minor injuries and the execution of a search warrant, he allegedly spit on an officer. The passenger of the vehicle sustained minor injuries that did not require medical treatment and the officer sustained minor injuries, which were treated at an area hospital. William Salgado, 20, of Alexandria, Va., was arrested and charged with Assault & Battery on Law Enforcement, Obstruction of Justice, Carrying a Concealed Weapon, Attempted Person Under 21 Driving After Illegally Consuming Alcohol and Attempted Drinking While Driving/Open Container. He was held on no bond.

The rest of the crime report is below, after the jump.

(more…)

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

By Airey
1/3

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.

BREAKING: One Seriously Injured After Kitchen Flash Fire at Ballston Restaurant

By ARLnow.com
1/4

(Updated at 2:15 p.m.) A man suffered serious burn injuries after a flash fire erupted in the kitchen of a popular Ballston restaurant during Tuesday’s lunchtime rush.

Three others were being treated for potential injuries after the flare-up at Dirt restaurant, which recently opened at 4121 Wilson Blvd.

The incident happened around 12:15 p.m. While the restaurant was bustling with a lunchtime crowd, the kitchen suddenly and unexpectedly was engulfed by a large fireball. Staff and customers ran out of the restaurant, which was quickly evacuated.

One worker who had been in the kitchen during the flare-up ran out, screaming in pain from burns. Passersby and an Arlington County Fire Department ambulance crew, apparently on their lunch break, quickly jumped into action and began comforting and treating the man as he writhed on the ground.

He was transported via ambulance to the burn center at Medstar hospital in D.C. with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, according to ACFD.

Firefighters extinguished the remaining flames in the kitchen and treated the injured, two of whom were being transported to Virginia Hospital Center with minor burns, according to scanner traffic. Occupational safety investigators were dispatched to the scene to investigate.

Later Tuesday afternoon ACFD spokesman Capt. Ben O’Bryant told ARLnow that the fire was caused by an aerosol can of cooking oil that ignited after being placed next to a stove.

Among those inside the restaurant at the time of the incident was an ARLnow editor, who was paying for an order at the front counter — which is adjacent to the kitchen — when the fireball erupted. While the editor felt the intense heat of the fire and had ash in his eye, he was otherwise uninjured.

View More Stories