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Fat Tuesday Events Within Walking Distance of the Parade

By ARLnow.com

If you’re heading to the Clarendon Mardi Gras/St. Patrick’s Day parade tonight, you might also be considering heading out to the bars afterward. Here are a few places where you can find some festive Fat Tuesday fun within walking distance of the parade.

Ragtime (1345 North Courthouse Road) — Ragtime is holding its 10th annual Mardi Gras party tonight. The restaurant is serving a special Cajun menu all day, Hurricanes and Cyclones are on special, and the Le Bon Temps Krew will be playing New Orleans jazz music from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. And yes, there will be beads.

Iota Club & Cafe (2832 Wilson Blvd) — Iota is hosting a parade viewing party on its front porch. After the parade, local southern acoustic rock outfit Brother Shamus will take the stage. Admission is $5 after the parade, free before.

Bayou Bakery (1515 North Courthouse Road) — The Louisiana-themed eatery in Courthouse is decked out in purple, gold and green for the holiday. Tonight the restaurant will be holding a “Bayou Gras” celebration with $7 plates including Chicken and Andouille Gumbo, Shrimp and Sausage Jambalaya, Crab Boil “Peppa Weenies” and Muff-a-Lottas. Abita is on tap at Bayou Bakery, but last we checked they were sold out of homemade King Cakes.

Screwtop Wine Bar (1025 North Fillmore Street) — For those looking for a more low-key atmosphere before or after the parade, Screwtop will be serving $7 Mardi Gras mimosas throughout the evening.

Four Courts/Ri-Ra/Kitty O’Shea’s — These Irish pubs along Wilson Boulevard won’t be holding any pre-St. Patrick’s Day specials or entertainment to coincide with the parade. However, each says they will be offering their normal Tuesday specials, which means beer as low as $2.50.

Metro Board Considering Earlier Closing Time on Weekends

By ARLnow.com

As reported last Friday, Metro officials have suggested that one option for plugging the agency’s $72 million budget gap would be to end service at midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.

The idea, which was floated and roundly criticized last year, would only save $5 million per year and would have to be combined with other cuts. This midnight cut-off was not included in Metro General Manager Richard Sarles’ proposed budget — he advocates higher subsidy payments from local governments — but board members are at least investigating the possibility of ending service earlier than the current 3:00 a.m. on weekends.

Arlington County Board Vice-Chair and new Metro board member Mary Hynes says the Metro board asked questions about the feasibility of ending service at least an hour or two earlier.

Hynes tells ARLnow.com: “All of us wanted to see — if you did it until 2:00, what was that dollar savings? Go hour by hour and tell us not only how much money it saved, but how many riders might be affected.”

She suggested the board is looking at bus service options should Metro decide to reduce rail service at night.

“If we did this, can we fill in with other service?” she asked rhetorically.

Hynes said board members also asked about whether closing certain under-utilized stations at night (like stations near the ends of Metro lines) could potentially save money. Hynes acknowledged, however, that a reduction in late night could have negative implications for Arlington’s nightlife.

“I worry about it for Clarendon, absolutely,” she said. “Clarendon works because of Metro, there’s no question about it. So it’s really important to Arlington that we figure this out in the right way.”

Supporters of reducing late night service say that the extra hours of downtime could give crews more time to perform maintenance work. Critics question whether such a move would result in higher rates of drunk driving in the area, and whether the move could hurt certain sectors of the local economy.

Flickr pool photo by Mattron

Crime Report: Girls Gone Wild Edition

By ARLnow.com

Two young women came to Clarendon this weekend looking to have a good time at one of our local watering holes. They both chose a bar on the 3100 block of Wilson Boulevard, the long block that includes Spider Kelly’s and Clarendon Ballroom. And, according to this week’s Arlington County crime report, they both left the bar with police in tow.

ASSAULT AND BATTERY-ARREST 02/05/1, 3100 block of Wilson Boulevard. On February 5 at 12:45 am, an intoxicated woman assaulted several people inside a bar. Brittany Doyle, 22, of Stafford, was charged with Assault and Battery and Drunk in Public. She was held until sober.

ASSAULT AND BATTERY-ARREST 02/06/11, 3100 block of Wilson Boulevard. On February 6 at 1 am, a woman punched another female inside a bar. Mindy Carreon, 21, of Fairfax, was charged with Assault and Battery and released on a summons.

The rest of the crime report, after the jump.

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Clarendon-Courthouse Power Outage Blamed on Substation

By ARLnow.com

Much of Clarendon and Courthouse was in the dark Saturday night, at the peak of dinner and drinking time.

The 76-minute power outage forced restaurants like Fireworks in Courthouse to close for the night, while it drove business to other establishments where the lights stayed on, like Adams Corner and Spider Kelly’s.

Dominion spokesperson Le-Ha Anderson said 9,500 customers were affected by the outage, which occurred when a piece of equipment failed at the company’s substation at 3245 Wilson Boulevard.

One Twitter user reported: “I was at Northside [Social] when the transformer blew right behind the building. Big flash + bang, lots of smoke in the street.”

“Crews swiftly replaced it and we had all customers restored quickly,” Anderson said.

Is Kitty O’Shea’s Being Forced Out?

By ARLnow.com

A new restaurant called “Wilson Tavern” is coming to 2403 Wilson Boulevard in Courthouse, according to a state liquor license application filed earlier this week.

That’s news to Danny McFadden, owner of Kitty O’Shea’s, which is the current occupant of 2403 Wilson Boulevard.

“That’s the first I’ve heard of it,” a befuddled McFadden said when reached by phone this afternoon. McFadden said his lease is up in 2015 and he has no plans to leave. The pub was named D.C.’s Best Irish Bar last year by the Washington City Paper.

The application for Wilson Tavern was filed by a company called 2403 Wilson Blvd LLC. According to the Virginia State Corporation Commission, the registered agent for the company is Raymond Schupp, the building’s landlord. Schupp’s development company lists the building in its list of commercial properties.

So far, Schupp has not responded to requests for comment. McFadden says he’s worried that Kitty O’Shea’s may be getting the boot.

“I’ve gone through crap [with the landlord] for three years,” he said. “He’s got a track record of rolling over small guys.”

“I’ve got to call my attorney,” McFadden said, before ending the brief conversation.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Area Bars Ring In New Year’s With Ringing Cash Registers — Initial reports from the field suggest Arlington bars and restaurants did big business on New Year’s Eve. In particular, two Irish bars brought in plenty of green. Ireland’s Four Courts in Courthouse was crowded, he hear. Another tipster tells us that the cavernous Columbia Pike watering hole P. Brennan’s — which charged a $5 cover for an evening that included a champagne toast and live music — was so busy that it apparently ran out of glasses. Said our Pike partier: “Congrats to them… higher cover next year?”

HGTV Couple Moves to South Arlington — A recent episode of HGTV’s House Hunters featured a couple who ended up moving from a condo in the District to a house in the Shirlington Crest development, reports Shirlington Village Blog.

Arlington Man Arrested in N.C. Over Hair Gel Purchase — A 23-year-old Arlington man has been arrested in Burlington, N.C. and accused of trying to buy goods with counterfeit $100 bills. The man bought hair gel and conditioner at one store and was attempting to buy hand lotion at another store when he was arrested, police said. A local newspaper that reported the arrest listed an Arlington address for the man that, as far as we can tell, does not exist. More from the Greensboro News-Record.

Flickr pool photo by Mark C. White

Crime Report: Fighting in Public Edition

By ARLnow.com

Arlington’s malls, bars and restaurants could have been mistaken for the set of the Jerry Springer Show over the past week, with five separate cases of violence or attempted violence.

ASSAULT AND BATTERY-ARREST 12/16/10, 1000 block of S. Hayes Street. On December 16 at 3:30 am, a male employee of a department store assaulted a female employee. Brian Austin, 18, of Washington D.C., was charged with Assault and Battery. He was held on a $2,500 bond.

ASSAULT AND BATTERY-ARREST 12/19/10, 3100 block of Wilson Boulevard. On December 19 at 2 am, a man fought with others inside a bar. The suspect knocked a woman to the ground during the struggle. Sean McCliggott, 24, of McLean, was charged with Assault and Battery. He was held on a $5,000 bond.

ASSAULT AND BATTERY 12/19/10, 1100 block of S. Hayes Street. On December 19 at 4:25 pm, two women argued in a mall bathroom, and one slapped the other. The suspect is described as an African American female with a light complexion, 5’4″, and 115 lbs. She was wearing a pink sweater and jeans.

ASSAULT BY MOB 12/19/10, 2000 block of Wilson Boulevard. On December 19 at 1:30 am, several males assaulted another male outside a restaurant. The suspects were white males in their late 20’s to early 30’s.

ATTEMPTED MALICIOUS WOUNDING 12/18/10, 1100 block of N. Highland Street. On December 18 at 12:45 am, a man lunged at a bouncer with a knife when he would not the let the suspect in a restaurant for free. The suspect is described as a white male with blonde or red hair, 5’9″ and 200 lbs. He was wearing a brown plaid shirt and jeans.

The rest of the Arlington County crime report, after the jump.

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Top 10 Arlington New Year’s Eve Events

By Michael Misfeldt

Haven’t made your New Year’s Eve plans yet?  Forget heading into the District and waiting two hours in the cold trying to find a cab to bring you back home. Here are ten (potentially) walkable events right here in Arlington.

1. Clarendon Ballroom

The annual New Year’s Eve Gala at Clarendon Ballroom (3185 Wilson Blvd) features a large dinner buffet, four drink tickets, a champagne toast, midnight balloon drop and more.

Entertainment comes from high-energy cover band Liquid A, with DJ Image spinning party music on the lower level all night.

Tickets started at $65 and will rise in $10 increments as the date gets closer. Held from 8:00 p.m. until 2:00 a.m.

2. Arlington Cinema Drafthouse

If you like watching the ball drop in Time’s Square but you don’t actually want to go to NYC, this is the next best thing. Arlington Cinema Drafthouse (2903 Columbia Pike) will be showing New Year’s celebrations in NYC and around the world live on the big screen. The 80’s themed party includes a DJ, entertainment and party favors. Admission is $14.

Food and drink must be purchased separately from the table-side wait staff. This event sold out last year.

3. Caribbean Breeze

If you want to ring in the New Year Caribbean style then the Caribbean Breeze (4100 Fairfax Dr) is the place to be. Bring in the New Year dancing to Latin beats, eating island food or just hanging out with some friends.

9PM to 3AM, $25 per person (party only) before Dec. 25th. $69 Dinner/Dance VIP Package before Dec. 25th. For more info call Padrino at 703-402-2608 or 703-812-7997.

4. Dance Factory

If you really like to dance then the Dance Factory (954 N. Monroe St) is the place to be. Join them for an elegant evening of ballroom, Latin, and swing dancing as they waltz into 2011. Singles and couples welcome, open to all. Door prizes, party favors, and much more.

$19 if paid by December 29th, $24 at the door. Held from 9:00 p.m. until 12:30 a.m. Call 703-528-9770 for more info.

5. The Clarendon Grill

C-Grill (1101 N. Highland St.) is throwing a New Years Eve party featuring the ever-popular cover band Gonzo’s Nose and DJ 2 NUTZ, who will be spinning during band breaks. Tickets start at $45 and come three drink tickets, a champagne toast and party favors. For those who like the outdoors, the Grill’s patio will be open and heated. Event will be held from 8:00 p.m. until 2:00 a.m.

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“Critical Mass” of Bars and Restaurants Keeping Residents in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Watch out D.C., Arlington may be stealing away visitors.

It was just a few short years ago that Arlingtonians had to make lame excuses for why their D.C. friends should trek into the county. In 2006, one DCist writer (and Arlington resident) bemoaned “Arlington’s low bar diversity and mediocre dining choices” while trying to make the case that the Wilson Boulevard Taco Bell was a potential selling point.

Now?

“We’ve created a critical mass… we’ve passed some kind of tipping point, where Arlington is kind of a cool place to go,” said Terry Holzheimer, Director of Arlington Economic Development. He said that thanks to new dining and drinking options, Clarendon, Courthouse, Ballston Crystal City and Shirlington have all become destinations that can compete with District.

“If you look back a few years, there wasn’t much happening in Arlington,” Holzheimer said. “People have options now, they don’t have to get on the Metro, they don’t have to try to get downtown and not be able to find a parking spot in Penn Quarter or Adams Morgan.”

Indeed, anecdotal evidence of crowded bars and a long streak of new restaurant openings would seem to suggest that the dining and entertainment industry is doing quite well in Arlington, especially in Clarendon. And a poll we conducted earlier this month backs up the notion that residents are staying here rather than heading into D.C.

More than 75 percent of the 665 people who responded to the poll said “I don’t go out in the District as much as I used to.” Some cited steep parking rates in D.C. and the difficulty of taking Metro at night, but others said that new options in Arlington mean they don’t have to go to the District to have a good time.

Holzheimer says locals aren’t the only ones taking advantage of Arlington’s restaurants and nightlife.

“The demand is coming from throughout Northern Virginia, not just Arlington,” he said. “I think it draws from as far away as Reston and Herndon.”

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Morning Poll: Spending Less Time in the District?

By ARLnow.com

Over the past few years Arlington has experienced an amazing boom of new bars and restaurants (like the future BGR The Burger Joint in Clarendon, pictured).

But what exactly is fueling the expansion? The openings have far outpaced Arlington’s population growth. From a purely economic standpoint, there can only be a few explanations for how so many new bars and restaurants can open and stay in business.

One theory is that we’re spending more and more money going out to restaurants and bars. With so many new options, perhaps residents feel more compelled to go out when they would have otherwise stayed in.

Anther theory is that we’re spending less at older bars and restaurants. There have been a few restaurant closings lately but, then again, there have been many more openings than closings.

Yet another theory is that the new eateries and night spots are bringing more people into Arlington — either from the District, Fairfax County or elsewhere.

But the theory that’s perhaps most intriguing is that with all the new places to go out to, Arlingtonians are feeling less and less compelled to head into the District for dinner and entertainment. To attempt to prove or disprove that theory, we’ve devised the following poll.


Halloween Events Around Arlington This Weekend

By ARLnow.com

Is Halloween more fun for adults or kids?

That question is up for debate — but what’s for certain is that there are plenty of Halloween-related events happening around Arlington this weekend.

Kids will be able to enjoy the Falloween family festival from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Market Common Clarendon on Saturday.  A YMCA haunted house for kids 11 and up is being held at the Madison Community Center from 7:00 to 11:00 p.m. And on Sunday, a children’s parade and pumpkin carving contest will be held at Lyon Park Community Center from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m.

With Halloween falling on a Sunday this year, most Halloween-related events for adults will be happening on Saturday.

P. Brennan’s (2910 Columbia Pike) is holding its first annual Halloween costume party starting at 9:00 p.m. Gonzo’s Nose will be playing a Halloween party and costume contest at Clarendon Grill (1101 N. Highland Street) starting at 10:00 p.m. And The Front Page (4201 Wilson Blvd) will also be throwing a Halloween party and costume contest, featuring performances by Kicking Norma and DJ Pat Premiere.

Also happening this weekend, but not Halloween-related: The Arlington Kiwanis 39th Annual Oyster and Barbeque Fest, which will be attended by most if not all of the local candidates for public office. That’s being held from 5:00 to 8:00 Saturday night at, of all places, the American Service Center garage (601 North Randolph Street).

See our events calendar for more details on each event.

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