Clarendon

Paciugo Gelato and Caffè Opening Today in Clarendon

By ARLnow.com

Paciugo Gelato and Caffè is opening in Clarendon this afternoon.

The eatery is expected to open for business at or just after 4:00 p.m. This week Paciugo (pronounced “Pah-Choo-Go,” per a sign on the wall) will be serving gelato, cakes and other desserts, coffee and espresso drinks. Next week, the store plans to introduce breakfast and lunch items, including sandwiches.

The company says their sometimes eclectic gelato flavors (from standards like sea salt caramel or stracciatella to the interesting — but currently unavailable — organic maple caramelized bacon or black pepper olive oil) are made on-site daily. Paciguo is a Texas-based chain, but the owner of the Clarendon store lives in Northern Virginia, we’re told.

The smallest gelato cup or cone starts at $3.99 and can hold up to three flavors. Paciugo is located at 3033 Wilson Boulevard in the former Cafe Wilson/Big Belly Deli space.

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Morning Poll: Widen The R-B Corridor?

By ARLnow.com

Could Arlington’s insistence on preserving the single-family home communities along the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor be the reason why it seems every new apartment building in the corridor is a “luxury” apartment building?

Last week Slate columnist Matthew Yglesais, author of The Rent Is Too Damn High, wrote about Arlington and suggested that the prevalence of expensive high-end rentals and condos stems from two factors: restrictions on building height and the width of the corridor itself, which is sometimes just 2-3 blocks wide, thanks to zoning restrictions intended to preserve the single family homes on either side of the corridor.

“What you see is a narrow thread of urbanism between Wilson Boulevard and Clarendon Boulevard, with a bit of a thicker blob of urbanism around the Metro station itself,” Yglesais writes. “I don’t really want to condemn this development paradigm because if you compare it to other suburban jurisdictions around the United States, what Arlington has done really stands out as practically best in class. But still the fact of the matter is that these single-family homes adjacent to the corridor of urbanism are sitting on some extremely expensive land.”

Yglesais suggests that opening up additional redevelopment along the R-B corridor would help bring cheaper market-rate housing options. Following up on our inconclusive poll from December — “Should Arlington Increase Density to Keep Housing Prices Down?” — should Arlington consider expanding the width of the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor?


Bluemercury Store Set to Open in Clarendon

By Katie Pyzyk

Update at 3:55 p.m. — Bluemercury did open to the public this afternoon, as scheduled.

Clarendon is getting its first store dedicated solely to cosmetics, skincare and scents, plus a spa. Bluemercury is set to open to the public today.

An employee told us if all goes well, the store will open at noon. The store is located at 2855 Clarendon Blvd, where Best Cellars was located until closing last July.

Bluemercury touts its high end beauty products, including what it calls hard to find imports. Unlike other cosmetics stores, the chain also provides spa services such as facials, waxing and massages.

“We love the young professional, young family vibe of the Clarendon neighborhood,” Bluemercury Co-Founder Marla Beck said in a statement.

Spokesman Dan Brashear echoed the excitement, saying the company had been looking for the right location in Arlington for years. The company is based in the District, and the Clarendon store is Bluemercury’s first in Virginia. Brashear said the company is growing rapidly and there’s potential for more Bluemercury stores to open in Northern Virginia.

The store hopes to hold a grand opening celebration in about a month when things settle down, but so far no formal plans have been made.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

St. Paddy’s Day Is Almost Here — Tomorrow is St. Patrick’s Day, so expect some crowded bars and some intoxicated individuals along the R-B corridor. See our 2012 St. Patrick’s Day Guide for a list of some of the local watering holes that are holding special St. Paddy’s Day events.

Groundbreaking on New Courthouse Apartments — Construction is now underway on Grayson Flats, a 67-unit luxury apartment building located at 1200 N. Rolfe Street. The developer, Tysons-based Insight Property Group, say the building will be convenient to the Courthouse Metro station. Construction is expected to wrap up this fall. [Washington Business Journal]

Arlington Dems Get New Website — The Arlington County Democratic Committee launched a redesigned website earlier this week. In a blog post, the organization acknowledged that their old website was “lame.” [Arlington Democrats]

T.A. Sullivan Starts Removing Gravestones — Gravestones are apparently starting to be moved off the old T.A. Sullivan & Son property in Clarendon. The cemetery monument business, and every other business on the block, has closed or is closing to make way for a new office complex. [Clarendon Culture]

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

‘Housing 4 Hipsters’ Attracts a Crowd — Arlington’s inaugural “Housing 4 Hipsters” event attracted a crowd of about 100 young people Monday night, though it seems unlikely that any of the attendees were actually “hipsters” in the literal sense. [Washington City Paper]

ShoeFly to Close — Clarendon shoe store ShoeFly is closing up shop after 10 years in business. The store is planning on holding a going-out-of-business sale. [Washington Business Journal]

Va. Congressional Districts Approved — The U.S. Department of Justice has approved Virginia’s redrawn congressional districts, allowing the state’s congressional primaries to move ahead on time. The primaries are scheduled for June 12. [Office of the Attorney General]

‘Green Patriot’ Award Nominations — George Mason University is seeking nominations for its “Arlington Green Patriot” awards. The award “recognizes an individual, business or organization that exemplifies sustainability in more than one aspect of their recent life or operations to better civic life in Arlington.” An online nomination form is available. The deadline for nominations is March 30.

Owner Looking for New Tenant for 3100 Clarendon

By ARLnow.com

With its sole office tenant set to move out by May 2013, the owner of 3100 Clarendon Boulevard is looking for a new occupant.

Floors 2 to 14 of the 14-story Class A office building are for rent for an asking price of between $44 and $48 per square foot, according to a real estate website. The building offers tenants “direct access to the Clarendon Metro via a below grade walkway from the lobby,” “panoramic views” and a “great signage opportunity,” according to the commercial real estate firm that’s helping to lease it.

The ground floor of the building has retail tenants like Mister Days and Mad Rose Tavern.

As reported in September 2010, the Defense Intelligence Agency will be moving out of the building by May 2013, in favor of a leafy, tech-oriented office park in Reston. That is leaving nearly 215,000 square feet of prime Clarendon real estate open for new potential office tenants.

The new tenants can move in as early as July 2013, according to the real estate listing.

Flickr pool photo by wfyurasko

Green Pig Bistro Hiring Staff With ‘Passion’

By ARLnow.com

Green Pig Bistro (1025 N. Fillmore Street) in Clarendon has been hiring as of late, but they’re not looking to employ just anybody.

According to a Craigslist ad, the soon-to-open restaurant, which promises to serve “obscure” cuts of meat in the style of a rustic French bistro, is looking for “only those with serious food passion.”

“Don’t expect to find loins, micro greens and baby veg here,” the help wanted ad says. “Think sous vide. Think obscure cuts of meat in their finest form — food that is hearty, not heavy; sustainable and with proper technique above all.”

The ad continued: “Prior frustration with fine dining service is preferred.”

Chef/owner Scot Harlan, who used to work under celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, told ARLnow.com last month that his biggest investment in the restaurant will be hiring good people in the kitchen.

In addition to line cooks, sous-chefs, and pastry-sous, the Craigslist ad also seeks hosts and servers.

“We will be employing an eSavvy staff and familiarity with iPhones, iPods, and iPads is a plus,” the ad says, noting that the restaurant will be using wireless iPads as the point of sale system (instead of traditional cash registers and/or credit card readers).

Bertucci’s in Clarendon Suddenly Closes

By Katie Pyzyk

Bertucci’s restaurant in Clarendon has suddenly closed down.

When we talked to an employee at the Market Common location two weeks ago, he said the restaurant had been renegotiating its lease. At the time, he said it was in no danger of shutting down and customers could still make reservations.

Last night the restaurant was closed and dark, and nobody could be seen inside. The Bertucci’s lighted signs have already been taken down.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Romney Wins Va. Primary — Mitt Romney won Virginia’s Republican presidential primary yesterday, capturing 59.5 percent of the vote statewide. The only other candidate who qualified for the ballot, Ron Paul, received 40.5 percent of the vote. In Arlington, Romney received 64.6 percent of the vote to 35.4 percent for Ron Paul. Voter turnout was light, as expected. A total of 7,623 votes were cast in Arlington, representing 5 percent of registered voters and 6.3 percent of active voters.

County Board Candidates Square Off at Forum — The three candidates for County Board squared off last night at a candidates forum organized by the Arlington County Civic Federation. Democrat Libby Garvey was flanked by Republican Mark Kelly and Green Party candidate Audrey Clement, who together called for less spending and for the creation of an independent inspector general to monitor county spending. Kelly and Clement also took turns bashing the planned Columbia Pike streetcar. [Sun Gazette, Sun Gazette]

Republicans Blast Favola — Freshman state Senator Barbara Favola (D) has now been the subject of two critical press releases from the Republican Party of Virginia. The latest press release digs up an eight-year-old letter Favola signed, urging then-governor Mark Warner to avoid delays in adopting a budget. Favola is one of 20 Democrats who have voted against two Republican budget proposals in the state Senate. [Washington Post]

Clarendon: Hot Office Market — Bisnow says Clarendon is one of the region’s five hottest office submarkets. “If a company depends on young employees, it’s probably looking for space in Clarendon,” the online real estate publication wrote. [Bisnow]

Marine Corps Marathon Registration Opens Today — General registration for the 37th annual Marine Corps Marathon kicks off today at 3:00 p.m. Last year the marathon experienced a “record registration sell out” of 30,000 spots in a mere 28 hours. Registration costs $92 and includes a t-shirt and a finisher’s medal. [Marine Corps Marathon]

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Anti-Obama Metro Ad to Stay — A controversial advertisement in the Clarendon Metro station that tells President Obama to “go to hell” will not be taken down early. Metro General Manager Richard Sarles says he’s offended by the ad, but Metro cannot legally remove the ad due to its content. The ad is scheduled to be taken down on Sunday, March 11 following the end of a one month run. [NBC Washington]

Rosslyn as San Francisco — Civic boosters once tried to brand Rosslyn as “Manhattan on the Potomac.” But Arlington’s new planning director has another comparison in mind. He says Rosslyn reminds him of San Francisco. [Ode Street Tribune]

Couric Honored By State — The late John Couric, who died last year, has been honored by the Virginia General Assembly. Couric, an Arlington resident, was recognized in a memorial resolution sponsored by state Sen. Barbara Favola. In addition to being a Navy veteran, journalist and public relations executive, Couric is also well known for being the father of broadcaster Katie Couric. [Sun Gazette]

Arlington Man Busted for Illegal Cigs — A 25-year-old Arlington man has been arrested in Delaware and accused of trying to transport 574 cartons of untaxed cigarettes from Virginia to New York City, where he intended to sell them. [WGMD]

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Death Penalty Sought for Torrez — Former Marine Jorge Torrez, who’s already serving a life sentence for raping and abducting an Arlington woman, is now facing a separate murder trial. Prosecutors say they’re seeking the death penalty for Torrez, who’s accused of murdering Navy petty officer Amanda Jean Snell in her barracks on Fort Myer in 2009. [WTOP]

Involuntary Bankruptcy for Market Tavern? — Creditors are trying to force newly-renovated Clarendon restaurant Market Tavern (formerly Harry’s Tap Room) into bankruptcy, claiming the eatery owes them at least $77,000 in unpaid debts. Owner Michael Sternberg says the proceedings won’t have an impact on the restaurant’s operations. [Washington Business Journal]

Elevation Burger Expanding — Arlington-based organic burger chain Elevation Burger is expanding. The restaurant now has 29 locations worldwide, but is planning to have 50 locations by the end of the year. The concept is proving especially popular in the Middle East. Meanwhile, the company is testing out two new burger toppings — hardwood smoked bacon and sauteed mushrooms — at its Arlington location (2447 North Harrison Street). [Nation’s Restaurant News]

Historic Designation for Tiny Cemetery — A tiny, historic cemetery plot at 5000 Lee Highway, in the Hall’s Hill community, is getting some attention as Arlington County moves to designate it as a local historic district. The oldest grave in the 7,100 square foot cemetery is that of Margaret Hyson, who died in 1891 and was a former slave on the Hall’s Hill plantation. [Washington Post]

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