Clarendon

Revamped Clarendon Ballroom is back open, after a management 180

By Matt Blitz
1/7

(Updated 2:40 p.m.) The Clarendon Ballroom is back — but it never really left.

The local nightlife staple at 3185 Wilson Blvd opened its doors again earlier this month with a new interior, a renovated rooftop, and a pizza take-out window.

There’s a new 30-foot video wall, elevated VIP tables, and a renovated rooftop with redone floors and cabanas. The pizza take-out window, dubbed “Disco Pizza,” sells by the slice.

In a bit of a change of initial plans, new owner Michael Darby — of real estate development and Real Housewives fame — has decided to once more hand over management and operations of the space to Mike and Christal Bramson of B Social Hospitality, the couple behind B Live, the Lot, and other Clarendon area establishments.

For the better part of the last two years, the Bramsons have run themed “pop-up” bars in the space as part of a short-term lease. While that particular lease has ended, the three have come to a new agreement for the couple to run the iconic venue for Darby.

“Michael Darby decided to reopen as Clarendon Ballroom and assumed the lease himself. In conversations between Darby and the Bramsons, it was determined that Mike and Christal Bramson of B Social Hospitality (also, behind B Live, Coco B’s, the Lot, Rebel Taco, Alias, and Pamplona) would be the best fit to handle the management and operations… based on their success and experience in the industry,” a spokesperson for B Social Hospitality told ARLnow via email.

This means no more rotating themes, but a commitment to a “Studio 54 all year vibe” says a press release.

On Jan. 1, 2020, Clarendon Ballroom closed — permanently, it was assumed — with the Washington Post dubbing it an “end of an era.” But a year later, Darby purchased the building at 3185 Wilson Blvd that housed the large, long-time venue. Then, he and the Bramsons signed a 21-month lease that was intended to be a temporary solution while Darby figured out what to do next.

“It’s a great way of holding the real estate until the pandemic issues are over,” Darby said at the time to the Washington Business Journal. “We’ll, during that time, take it to market and find the right user for it.”

As it turns out, the right arrangement was right there all along.

Darby applied for a building permit in March 2022 with the intent of renovating the space and running it himself, as ARLnow first reported. It was revealed to ARLnow a few months later that Darby was essentially bringing back Clarendon Ballroom after a two-and-a-half-year hiatus.

“Clarendon has really come of age. You’ve got all the great restaurants and bars,” Darby said to ARLnow. “And now with what we are doing with the Ballroom, that tops it off.”

He said the reason he was taking over the space himself was that he never got another offer that he liked. But that has changed somewhat, with Darby agreeing to a similar arrangement he had with the Bramsons initially back in December 2020.

Darby’s star turn on Bravo’s reality TV series with wife Ashley has seen a series of ups and downs, from the launch and then closure of their Clarendon restaurant Oz to his separation from Ashley earlier this year. It’s unclear whether Michael Darby or “CB” will make an appearance on the show in its upcoming season.

ACPD: Man arrested in Pentagon City after fleeing from police three times

By ARLnow.com
Police car speeding to a call at night (staff photo)

A driver who fled from police early Saturday morning in Crystal City then returned, successfully fled again, and returned and tried to flee a third time, police say.

The third time was the charm for officers.

Police say the unusual sequence ended with a foot chase and the arrest of a 19-year-old Springfield, Virginia man near the Pentagon City mall. It followed a vehicle pursuit that originally ended when the suspect crossed the bridge into D.C., but was re-initiated after he inexplicably returned, according to police.

The man is now facing numerous felony charges, including drug possession, three counts of eluding, and attempted malicious wounding of a law enforcement officer for allegedly ramming a police cruiser with his vehicle during the first half of the car chase.

More from an Arlington County Police Department crime report:

ATTEMPTED MALICIOUS WOUNDING OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, 2022-08200075, 20th Street S. and Richmond Highway. At approximately 3:54 a.m. on August 20, a patrol officer observed a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed and attempted a traffic stop in the 2400 block of S. Eads Street. The driver disregarded the officer’s emergency equipment and fled from the stop. At approximately 8:00 a.m., officers observed the vehicle traveling in the area of 20th Street S. and Richmond Highway and attempted a second traffic stop. The driver accelerated, struck a police cruiser with his vehicle, and fled onto Richmond Highway. A vehicle pursuit was initiated and subsequently terminated in Washington D.C. due to the driver’s erratic behavior. Shortly afterwards, officers observed the vehicle reenter the County and reinitiated the pursuit. The driver exited the vehicle in the 800 block of Army Navy Drive and attempted to flee the scene on foot. Following a foot pursuit, officers took the suspect into custody. A search of the suspect incident to arrest yielded suspected narcotics. Adrian Molina, 19, of Springfield, VA was arrested and charged with Attempted Malicious Wounding of a Law Enforcement Officer, Felony Hit and Run, Felony Eluding (x3), Possession of a Schedule I/II Narcotic, Obstruction of Justice and Driving without a License.

Another alleged assault on police happened early this morning in Clarendon. Police say a drunk man started “became disorderly and uncooperative” along the 3100 block of Clarendon Blvd, near some of the neighborhood’s bars, after officers tried to “have him secure a safe ride home.”

From the crime report:

At approximately 1:35 a.m. on August 22, police were dispatched to the report of an intoxicated individual. Upon arrival, officers made contact with the male suspect and attempted to have him secure a safe ride home. The suspect ignored the officer’s instructions and became disorderly and uncooperative. As officers attempted to take the suspect into custody, he actively resisted arrest and a physical struggle ensued. With the assistance of additional officers, the suspect was successfully detained. While being walked to a transport vehicle, the suspect assaulted the arresting officer.

A 27-year-old D.C. man “was arrested and charged with Assault and Battery of a Law Enforcement Officer, Public Intoxication and Obstruction of Justice,” ACPD said. “He was held without bond.”

On Sunday afternoon, meanwhile, police arrested a 40-year-old South Carolina man in a Pentagon City parking lot near the mall, after a woman said she saw him in a car exposing himself.

The man has an extensive history of indecent exposure arrests, according to various news reports.

From ACPD’s crime report:

INDECENT EXPOSURE, 2022-08210124, 800 block of Army Navy Drive. At approximately 3:23 p.m. on August 21, police were dispatched to the report of an indecent exposure that had just occurred. Upon arrival, the victim stated she was going to exit her parked vehicle when she observed the unknown male suspect allegedly exposing himself in the car parked next to hers. The suspect was located on scene and taken into custody without incident. Berrino McClary, 40, of Kingstree, SC, was arrested and charged with Indecent Exposure. He was held without bond.

The newest lash and brow studio in Clarendon is hoping to start plucking next month

By Matt Blitz
Deka Lash in Clarendon (photo courtesy of Deka Lash)

Clarendon’s newest lash and brow studio is hoping to open next month.

A mid-September opening is likely for Deka Lash at 1041 N. Highland Street, a company spokesperson told ARLnow. It’s moving into a space that was formerly home to Cherry Blow Dry Bar, which closed almost exactly a year ago.

Deka Lash ownership had initially hoped to start plucking in July but permitting moved slower than expected.

The studio is set to provide a number of eye-raising services including lash lifts, lash fanning, lash extensions, eyebrow sculpting, lash fanning, eyebrow threading, and eyebrow lamination.

The latter is a “hugely popular service these days since Hollywood stars started promoting it,” a company rep said back in May.

This will be the fifth Deka Lash location in Northern Virginia, including one in Fairfax’s Mosaic District. The owners chose Clarendon as the site for their next studio because of its vibrancy.

“​​The owners chose Clarendon because, as Arlington residents, they know what a vibrant, fun, and active part of NOVA it is,” the spokesperson wrote in an email. “You get the city experience without having to drive into DC. Clarendon has everything; bars, shops, restaurants, gyms, and now a studio of the largest international lash franchise in the world.”

There are more than 120 Deka Lash locations across the United States and Canada. A number of them are franchises, including the Clarendon studio.

This is owned by retired Army officer Charles Cox and his wife, as well as former Arlington school teacher Christina Cox. They also own the Mosaic District location which “is consistently one of the top performing studios in the entire franchise,” per the spokesperson.

“As they approached retirement from their traditional jobs, they wanted to try something completely different. Realizing they were behind on the massage, wax, and nail trend, they were excited to be among the original group of franchisees to join Entrepreneur Magazine’s Top New and Trendiest franchises in beauty,” wrote the spokesperson.

A grand opening celebration with discounted services is being planned and will be announced at a later date.

In recent months, Clarendon has had several high-profile business openings (and reopenings). Clarendon Ballroom announced its return last month; B Live moved into Whitlow’s old haunts (which is coming back, but in D.C.); a gun store opened in a former cafe space; and a medical weed dispensary will be opening in the neighborhood soon.

Morning Poll: Clarendon gun store now open

By ARLnow.com
1/3

Gun store Nova Armory is now open in Clarendon, after moving from its previous Lyon Park location.

The store at 2607 Wilson Blvd opened on the same day that ARLnow reported on the move, according to a Facebook post.

So far, the storefront is not marked from the outside, though there is a sign on the door instructing delivery drivers not to leave boxes outside. Opposition to Nova Armory’s opening in Clarendon was more muted than its original opening in Lyon Park, which was subject to community meetings, a letter from local lawmakers and a lawsuit (filed by Nova Armory against its critics).

The store’s actual time in business has seen considerably less drama, save for several burglaries and large crowds of customers at the outset of the pandemic.

That all said, what do you think of a gun store operating in the Clarendon neighborhood? Does the Metro corridor location change youe opinion compared to the store’s current location near Route 50?

A Bolivian cocktail lounge is moving into Ambar’s basement for a few days starting this weekend

By Matt Blitz
1/4

A Bolivian cocktail lounge is moving into the basement of a Clarendon restaurant for a five-day pop-up starting Sunday.

Casa Kantuta will be serving drinks with names like the Angry Llama, Charca Punch, and Inca Child on the bottom level of Balkan restaurant Ambar starting on Sunday (Aug. 7).

The basement of the restaurant at 2901 Wilson Blvd was formerly home to Ambar’s cocktail lounge “Baba.” The pop-up bar will be open for four other days next week: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday.

Casa Kantuta comes from siblings Carla and Juan Sanchez. They debuted their cocktail lounge inspired by their upbringing in the Bolivian capital city of La Paz last year in D.C. but have decided to bring it to Arlington this time around.

“There is a sizable Bolivian population in Northern [Virginia], and we know that many people who wanted to check us out did not get an opportunity to join us at our last pop-up,” co-owner Carla Sanchez tells ARLnow. “Arlington was strategically chosen because it is metro accessible and a close drive from our original location in ADMO, allowing both D.C. and [Virginia] patrons to join us, should they so choose.”

Baba, which never reopened after closing due to the pandemic, is a good temporary home for the pop-up cocktail lounge because the “aesthetic was similar to our own,” Sanchez said.

“‘Baba’ means “grandma” in Serbian which made me feel like this space would be perfect for Casa Kantuta,” said a press release. “The decor and design of their bottom level very much matched ours as a lot of our pop-up aesthetic is inspired by our own ‘abuela’ aka ‘grandma.”

The lounge is keeping it simple and offering a menu of only five cocktails, chilled singani shots, and Bolivian wine. That includes its signature cocktail Angry Llama, which has tequila, celery, pineapple, the Bolivian national spirit Singani and the traditional spicy sauce Llajua.

“Our focus is and has always been on providing unique cocktails that tell a story and celebrate our rich culture in an environment that makes you feel transported to another place,” Sanchez said.

While Casa Kantuta looks for a permanent home, the owners are thankful that Ambar Clarendon is allowing them to use the restaurant’s basement for a few days around Bolivian Independence Day.

“When the opportunity at Ambar presented itself, the space was already booked for different dates during the month, but thankfully, the dates closest to seis de Agosto were free,” Sanchez said. “The dates lined up in such a way that allowed us to put together this five-day pop-up that is really intended to celebrate Bolivian culture.”

We now know what is replacing The G.O.A.T. in Clarendon

By ARLnow.com
1/2

(Updated at 12:25 p.m.) We now know which bank is coming to the former G.O.A.T. sports bar space in Clarendon.

TD Bank is moving across the street to the highly-visible space near the Metro station, the company has confirmed to ARLnow. We reported in January that a bank was under construction on the first floor of 3028 Wilson Blvd, but could not confirm which bank was opening in the space until now.

“TD Bank will close the 3101 Wilson Blvd. store on Oct. 27 and will open the new 3028 Wilson Blvd. store location on Oct. 28,” a TD Bank spokesperson tells ARLnow.

Customers were informed of the move in letters sent last week.

The new, 2,081 square foot branch “will feature an advice center format, which allows colleagues to have advice conversations with customers about their financial goals along with conducting routine banking activities and account openings,” the spokesperson said. It will also have “sit-stand workstations that enable our colleagues to adapt them based on the type of conversation we’re having with a customer or the amount of traffic we expect on a given day.”

The move across the street comes as the existing branch’s lease is expiring.

“We have an expiring lease at our 3101 Wilson Blvd store, which gave us an opportunity to move to a location that better suits our customers’ needs and enhance[s] their banking experience with us,” said the spokesperson.

Construction permits suggest that the bank will be located on the first floor. So far, there’s no word on what might eventually come to the second floor of the building. The G.O.A.T. and its predecessor, Hard Times Cafe, previously used both floors.

There’s also no word as what might replace the branch on the ground floor of the office building at 3101 Wilson Blvd.

Hat tip to Ken K.

Police investigating early morning stabbing in Clarendon

By ARLnow.com
File photo

A man was stabbed in Clarendon shortly before bar closing time over the weekend.

The stabbing happened around 1:45 a.m. Sunday along the 3000 block of Wilson Blvd, a busy stretch amid the neighborhood’s bar district, just down the block from the Metro station entrance.

“Upon arrival, officers located the male victim suffering from a laceration and began providing emergency medical care until the arrival of medics,” Arlington County police said today in a crime report.

Police say the man was stabbed after a verbal dispute with two people he did not know escalated into a fight.

“The investigation determined the victim and two unknown suspects became involved in a verbal dispute which escalated into a physical altercation, during which the victim was stabbed,” said the crime report. “The victim was transported to an area hospital with injuries considered non-life threatening.”

Both suspects fled the scene in a white SUV, police say. Officers searched the area but could not locate them nor the vehicle.

“Suspect One is described as a Black Male, approximately 5’11 tall with dreadlocks wearing a white shirt and blue jeans,” the crime report continues. “Suspect Two is described as a Black or Hispanic male, in his early 20s to mid-30s, wearing a white shirt and blue jeans. The investigation is ongoing.”

Arlington ‘newbie’ discovers life’s simple pleasures through popular Facebook group

By Pia Kramer
Marc and Gary Shulman (staff photo by Pia Kramer)

Gary Shulman has only lived in Arlington for about three months but has created a popular Facebook group all about the warm and wonderful feelings the county evokes.

Shulman, a retired early education specialist and published poet, was already using his outreach and advocacy skills to connect with Arlington residents in the Facebook group, Arlington Neighbors Helping Each Other Through COVID-19 after he moved to Rosslyn in April.

Without even realizing it, that page became the “Gary Shulman Show,” he said, where he would post all of his and his partner Marc’s adventures. The intention of the page was not for it to become the “blog” of one user. So, others encouraged Shulman to begin a new Facebook page — a page that could remind Arlingtonians what makes the county special.

He started Arlington Through the Eyes of a Newbie on May 13 and gained more than 600 followers within the first day. Now, he has over 700 members that follow his and Marc’s day-to-day life, as well as share helpful tips and suggestions. Shulman and Marc have been able to discover nitty-gritty information — where the best dermatologist is, allergist, dentist, even barbershop.

As he’s explored Arlington, members of the group have recognized him, as if he’s a local celebrity. Some stop and take photos with him to share on Facebook.

“There is a wonderful and caring network [in Arlington] and in many ways, reminds me of my early days in East NY and Canarsie Brooklyn where a sense of community was in every fiber of every neighbor. They all cared,” Shulman posted on his personal Facebook account.

Arlington Neighborhood (courtesy of Gary Shulman/Facebook)

Shulman always fantasized about living in Mayberry, the setting of “The Andy Griffith Show,” where people care about each other, garden, have beautiful homes, and enjoy the simple pleasures of life, he told ARLnow. His Facebook page reminds Arlingtonians to look on the ground and take in their (and others’) neighborhoods, places they pass daily.

He and Marc enjoy trying new restaurants, like Brass Rabbit, and Guajillo, where a post shows them trying out one of its “sangritas.” They also like finding beautiful parks and neighborhoods like Bon Air Memorial Rose Garden and Lyon Village and meeting new friends (especially dogs). Shulman sometimes shares some of his published poems.

Marc enjoying a Sangrita at Guajillo (courtesy of Gary Shulman/Facebook)

Shulman and Marc had only moved to Arlington a month before he started his Facebook group. They spent two years and eight months in Palm Springs, where they had originally thought they’d spend retirement.

However sitting in their Palm Springs home, outside temperatures reaching 120 degrees with 0% precipitation, the COVID-19 pandemic trapped Shulman and Marc inside.

“When it’s 120 degrees, you can’t go any place — you’re a prisoner,” said Shulman. “Something was happening to my mental health. Covid happened, and then everything closed down.”

Since moving to Arlington, they’ve been able to get out and about.

It’s no doubt that Shulman’s “fans” know him and Marc to be walkers. Most of his posts begin with some form of “a stroll through…,” “our goal was to walk…,” or “just a short 3 miler today… .” Shulman explained that walking is good for his health and redirects his brain.

As he walks, he appreciates the beauty of people’s gardens and neighborhood homes. He stops and smells the roses. Talking with ARLnow, Shulman emphasized, “the small things are the important things.”

Bon Air Memorial Rose Garden (courtesy of Gary Shulman/Facebook)

Now, after making a move from Rosslyn to their Ballston apartment in June, Shulman sees his Facebook page as a way to showcase how wonderful Arlington is and bring Arlingtonians together. It is a mix of Brooklyn, New York, and Palm Springs, California, with a close community and liveable climate.

Shulman and Marc hope “people will get off their behinds to start walking,” Shulman says. “Just learn and appreciate what Arlington has to offer.”

When the Ballston Silver Diner opens this fall, the long-time Clarendon location will close

By Matt Blitz
1/4

When the new Ballston Silver Diner opens, the Clarendon location will close.

Silver Diner is now planning to start serving at 750 N. Glebe Road in October 2022, a company spokesperson tells ARLnow. This is bit of push from its initial “summer 2022” debut that’s still being advertised on its storefront throughout construction.

When it does open, though, the long-time Silver Diner at 3200 Wilson Blvd in Clarendon will shutter after 26 years.

“The current Clarendon location will close the day after the new location opens,” a spokesperson said, confirming what has long been expected given redevelopment plans for the Clarendon site. “Their lease is ending so they’re moving as close as possible to their current location.”

The new Silver Diner is about a mile from the current location. What’s somewhat surprising, perhaps, is that it will shutter as soon as the new diner opens. The closure will make way for a new development that’s set to include a hotel, gym, and a 286-unit residential building.

The Ballston Silver Diner was first announced five years ago as part of the new Waycroft apartment building, which also includes a Target store that opened on the ground floor in the summer of 2020.

The new 6,700-square-foot restaurant is set to have a 68-seat outdoor cafe, which was just given a thumbs-up by the Arlington Planning Commission this month.

While last year’s application noted that “the applicant anticipates operating the restaurant 24 hours a day,” the spokesperson said this won’t be the case. The Ballston restaurant will keep the same hours as the Clarendon location, which operates 21 hours a day — from 7 a.m. to 4 a.m. — on Fridays and Saturdays, while closing 2-3 hours earlier on other days of the week.

“Many restaurants apply for permitting for longer hours, just in case anything changes in future but none of the Silver Diner restaurants operate 24 hours,” the spokesperson wrote.

The outdoor seating, meanwhile, will be open “seasonally.”

Construction is ongoing at the future diner, with fences protruding into the sidewalk and wires dotting the side of the building.

UPDATED: Gun store coming to former cafe space in Clarendon

By ARLnow.com
1/3

(Updated at 3:50 p.m.) You might soon be able to buy a Beretta where you could previously sip a bumble.

Gun store Nova Armory appears poised to open in the former This Is Fine Coffee and Kino Coffee space at 2607 Wilson Blvd. Boxes outside the storefront are addressed to Nova Armory and its parent company, while the store has the address listed on a “contact us” page on its website.

Nova Armory has an existing location on N. Pershing Drive in Lyon Park that opened amid considerable local controversy in 2016. A representative of the store told ARLnow via email Monday afternoon that the Pershing Drive location will close.

“We [will] only have one location at Wilson Blvd,” the store rep said. “The old location is being shut down.”

Already, early word of the potential opening is causing its own controversy. One of several tips sent to ARLnow called it an “unacceptable, reckless addition to the neighborhood.”

Despite drawing the ire of some neighbors and experiencing several burglaries, the local gun store is seemingly popular with customers given its online reviews while reporting growing business a couple of years after opening. Like many gun stores, Nova Armory also experienced a boom in business at the outset of the pandemic.

Kino Coffee, which was noted for serving a unique (at least for the United States) orange juice-espresso blend called bumble coffee, closed late last year, citing Covid-related business challenges.

Fire at Clarendon business shuts down Wilson Blvd

By ARLnow.com
1/7

(Updated at 2 p.m.) Wilson Blvd is blocked at N. Fillmore Street due to a reported fire in a commercial building in Clarendon.

Initial reports suggest a small fire broke out on or just below the roof of one of the businesses — reportedly nightlife venue Wilson Hardware — along the 2900 block of Wilson Blvd. Firefighters are on the scene, with ladders stretched to the roof of the building, and have reportedly extinguished the flames.

No injuries or significant damage has been reported, though some smoke has been reported in the business. Firefighters are working to make sure the fire hasn’t spread elsewhere.

Most fire department units are now clearing the scene and Wilson Blvd should be reopening shortly.

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