Clarendon

Development Update: Garfield Park Apartments

By ARLnow.com

 

Just six months ago, the Garfield Park apartment building in Clarendon was only beginning to take shape at the corner of Washington Boulevard and 10th Street N.

Today, insulation wrap is quickly being replaced with bricks as the project moves closer to completion.

The development will add nearly 150,000 square feet of new residential space to the Clarendon area — 149 luxury apartment units, 20,000 square feet of retail space and nearly 300 underground parking spaces.

The apartment building has a new web site, but so far no word on when exactly construction is expected to wrap up.

Ad In Clarendon Metro Station: ‘Go To Hell Barack’

By ARLnow.com

A Democratic lawmaker is speaking out against an inflammatory ad in the Clarendon Metro station that tells President Obama to “go to hell.”

The lighted ad, located near the end of one of platforms, promotes a DVD documentary called “Sick and Sicker: When the Government Becomes Your Doctor,” which sharply criticizes President Obama’s health care reform law and compares it to publicly-funded health care in Canada.

“Barack Obama wants politicians and bureaucrats to control America’s entire medical system,” the ad reads. “Go to hell Barack.”

The Democratic blog Blue Virginia first reported the ad this morning. It’s been in place at the Clarendon Metro station since at least last week, based on a search of Twitter posts.

Now, local Virginia congressman Jim Moran (D) is calling for the “offensive advertisement” to be taken down.

“This advertisement is inappropriate, disrespectful of the President, and should be removed immediately,” Moran said in a letter to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. “The families with children and thousands of tourists who take Metro everyday should not be subjected to such garbage. I understand WMATA vets these advertisements before allowing them to go up, but it seems someone wasn’t doing their job when this ad was approved.”

Though barely visible, at least one Metro rider tried to respond to the ad by writing on it in pen. “That’s President Obama to you!!” the anonymous scribbler wrote.

It’s unclear if the ad has been placed in any other Metro stations.

Update at 4:25 p.m. — Metro has issued a statement about the ad:

WMATA advertising has been ruled by the courts as a public forum protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution, and we may not decline ads based on their political content.  WMATA does not endorse the advertising on our system, and ads do not reflect the position of the Authority.

Update at 5:15 p.m. — Rep. Moran has issued a statement in response to Metro’s statement.

I am disappointed by WMATA’s defense of this inappropriate advertisement. If their current advertising guidelines do not prohibit profane advertisements on taxpayer-funded property, then WMATA should take the initiative and update them. Profanity has no place in the public forum.

The specific language in the WMATA-approved ad that should be removed is not political, it’s profane. It defames the President of the United States in a way that coarsens the public discourse. All Americans have the right to make their voice heard under the First Amendment. But when we are talking about an advertisement on tax-payer funded facilities, as is the case with Metro, it should meet the minimum standards of propriety. I repeat my call on WMATA to exercise appropriate judgment and remove this offensive ad.

 

Clarendon is the Second Fastest-Growing Metro Station

By ARLnow.com

Two Arlington Metro stations are among a list of the top 10 fastest-growing stations in the entire Metro system in terms of ridership.

The Clarendon Metro station is the agency’s second fastest-growing station, with 14.4 percent ridership growth, according to the Washington Examiner. The East Falls Church station is the fourth fastest-growing, with 11.2 percent ridership growth.

“The list of fast-growing stations serve as a proxy for where development is growing around the region,” the Examiner noted.

The list looked at ridership between July 2011 and January 2012, compared to the same period one year prior.

Church at Clarendon Prepares for ‘Homecoming’

By ARLnow.com

After two nomadic years, the congregation of The Church at Clarendon (1210 N. Highland Street) is getting ready to return to their newly-renovated church sanctuary.

Since construction began in late 2009, the congregation has been meeting in venues like Rosslyn’s Top of the Town conference facility and at the First Baptist Church of Ballston. Starting on March 4, they’ll be back home.

Rev. David Perdue, the church’s Interim Senior Pastor, says he’s hoping to not only welcome back those who have stuck with the church through the construction, but to attract new, younger worshipers who might have moved to the area in the intervening years.

“We’re reintroducing ourselves to the community,” Rev. Perdue said. “We’re prepared to receive visitors and let them know: this is who we are.”

The journey to the church’s upcoming homecoming, however, has been a bumpy one. Founded in 1909 as the Clarendon Baptist Church, the church had its heyday in the 1950s and 60s, when up to 2,000 congregants would pack the pews for Sunday services.

The congregation started to wane in the 1970s, and by the 2002 Sunday attendance was consistently dipping below 100. Faced with an aging congregation, a large, aging building, costly needed repairs and utility bills that exceeded $100,000 per year, church leaders took bold action. They hired Rev. Perdue, who formed a younger, more contemporary congregation to supplement the older, traditional congregation, and then struck a deal with Arlington County and a nonprofit developer.

The church sold its “air rights” to the developer for $5.6 million. The developer, in turn, would build an eight-story affordable apartment building — to be called “The Views at Clarendon” — while renovating the two story church below it. It seemed like a win-win: 70 affordable apartments would be added to the Clarendon area (in addition to 46 market-rate apartments), while the church was saved from potential financial ruin.

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Photos: Clarendon Mardi Gras Parade

By ARLnow.com

Clarendon’s annual Mardi Gras parade marched up Wilson Boulevard last night, to the delight of hundreds of paradegoers.

Among the those marching in this year’s parade were the Ballou High School Band, Washington Nationals mascot Screech, the D.C. Rollergirls, and the all-women, Afro-Brazilian/samba-reggae percussion band Batala Washington. Local businesses, churches, nonprofits and political parties also took part.

Photos by Erin Schwartz Sutherland

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Bring Out the Beads for Mardi Gras Celebrations

By Katie Pyzyk

If you can’t make it to New Orleans for Mardi Gras on Tuesday, that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate. There are a number of options throughout Arlington for living it up with beads, food and music.

Arlington’s main event is the Clarendon-Courthouse Mardi Gras Parade. The free event starts at 8:00 p.m. More than 40 local groups will march in the event, some with floats and the quintessential beads. The parade will run along Wilson Blvd from N. Barton St to N. Irving St. The following street closures will be in effect:

  • Wilson Blvd from N. Veitch St to N. Barton St will be closed from 6:45-9:30 p.m.
  • Adams St and Wayne St, between Clarendon Blvd and Wilson Blvd, will be closed from 6:45-9:30 p.m.
  • Wilson Blvd from Barton St to Irving St will be closed from 7:45-9:30 p.m.

In addition, street parking in the area will be restricted. Motorists should be on the lookout for temporary “No Parking” signs. Illegally parked vehicles may be ticketed or towed. Parade-goers are encouraged to use Metro.

If standing outside for a parade isn’t your style, perhaps some of these other options will pique your interest:

  • Bayou Bakery (1515 N. Courthouse Rd) promises a celebration of Bourbon Street proportions. The Lundi Gras Party and Dinner kicks things off on Monday at 6:00 p.m. An all-inclusive four course dinner is offered, along with jazz music. On Tuesday, the party starts at 5:00 p.m. with “Parade Route Fare” like gumbo, muff-a-lottas, crawfish etouffee and oysters. Various ticket options are available for food, alcoholic drinks and non-alcoholic drinks. Contact the restaurant for ticket options at 703-243-2410 or online.
  • Union Jack’s (671 N. Glebe Rd.) is turning the obligatory Mardi Gras bead throwing into a contest to see who can collect the most. Prizes and specials are available throughout the night, and the evening’s grand prize will be a New Orleans trip.
  • You don’t have to have a night out to enjoy some king cake. Pick up one of the fruity, colorful concoctions from Heidelberg Bakery (2150 N. Culpeper St) and enjoy hunting for the plastic baby in the comfort of your home. The bakery is taking advance orders.
  • Maybe you can’t wait until Tuesday to begin celebrating. In that case, Lucy’s ARL (2620 S. Shirlington Rd) may be the answer, with its N’awlins-style Mardi Gras on Saturday. Starting at 8:00 p.m., jambalaya, oyster po’ boys and a crawfish boil will be accompanied by festive drinks and music. Free pool will be offered all night, and bead contests take place every half an hour. Tickets can be purchased online.
  • Piola (1550 Wilson Blvd) is also starting the festivities early, in addition to focusing on Rio instead of New Orleans. Its 5th Annual Carnival Party takes place on Saturday starting at 9:00 p.m. Brazil’s national cocktails, caipirinhas and  caipiroskas, will be served while a live band gets people moving to samba music. Feathers, costumes and masks are encouraged. Contact the restaurant for reservations.
  • A number of churches mark Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday, with traditional pancake suppers. Because in ancient times people used up all the sugar, fat, flour and eggs in their homes to observe fasting during Lent, many made pancakes. One of the churches having a pancake feast is St. John’s Episcopal Church (415 S. Lexington St). Everyone is welcome from 6:00-8:00 p.m. The cost is $5 for adults, $3 for children ages 6-12 and free for children under 6. A food donation of cereal is also requested. St. George’s Church (915 N. Oakland St) will also hold a pancake supper. The cost is $5 for adults, $3 for children ages 2-12 or $15 for a family.

Green Pig Bistro Aiming for Mid-March Opening

By ARLnow.com

Interior construction is starting to wrap up at Green Pig Bistro, a new American/French bistro at 1025 N. Fillmore Street in Clarendon.

The restaurant, under the leadership of chef/owner Scot Harlan, is seeking to provide a selection of meat-centric comfort food that is at once familiar and challenging to suburban palates. Harlan, who used to work under celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, says his biggest investment will be hiring good people in the kitchen — while other details like glassware will be relegated to commodity status.

“I’d rather pay for labor and technique than pay for ingredients and glassware. I’m literally buying used plates from places,” Harlan told the Washington Post in November.

As of last week, Harlan said he was aiming for a mid-March opening. The restaurant, located in the old American Flatbread space, will have a small sidewalk seating area.

 

Clarendon Mardi Gras Parade Two Weeks Away

By ARLnow.com

Clarendon’s annual Mardi Gras parade is only two weeks away, and already some 30 groups have signed up to participate.

The parade — featuring homegrown floats, Mardi Gras beads, and people and animals in costume — will take place on Fat Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 8:00 p.m. The parade route will take marchers up Wilson Boulevard from N. Barton Street to N. Irving Street.

Groups expected to participate this year include the Ballou High School Band, the Washington Nationals and the D.C. Rollergirls. The all-women, Afro-Brazilian/samba-reggae percussion band Batala Washington, meanwhile, will serve as the parade’s new drum corps.

Groups can still register to take part in the parade through next Tuesday, Feb. 14.

“Normally we have a lot of participants sign up at the last minute, so we know we’ll have a lot more entries by parade night,” said Matt Hussman, Executive Director of the Clarendon Alliance, which organizes the parade. “We think it is going to be a great parade, and we hope lots and lots of people come out to enjoy the spectacle.”

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Office Vacancies Up — Arlington and Alexandria were the only two D.C. area markets that saw a significant increase in office vacancies in 2011, according to recently-released data. Arlington, which had the lowest office vacancy rate at the end of 2010, ended 2011 with the same vacancy rate as the District of Columbia. The loss of government office tenants as a result of the Base Realignment and Closure Act is said to be to blame for the rise in vacancies. [Washington Post]

Howell Tries to Insert Viagra Provision Into Abortion Bill — State Sen. Janet Howell (D), who represents part of Arlington, tried to insert a bit of “gender equity” into a bill being considered by the Virginia Senate. The bill, SB484, would require that a woman seeking an abortion be offered the opportunity to view an ultrasound image of her fetus. Howell’s amendment, which was narrowly defeated along party lines yesterdsay, would have required men to receive a “digital rectal exam and cardiac stress test” before receiving a prescription for erectile dysfunction medication. [Blue Virginia]

Eleventh Street Lounge Closes — Eleventh Street Lounge in Clarendon closed up shop over the weekend to make way for a new office development. The restaurant’s management is reportedly hoping to relocate to a new space, at least temporarily. [Clarendon Nights]

Marine Beaten in Crystal City — Updated at 9:00 a.m. — NBC4 is revealing new details about a malicious wounding incident reported in last week’s Arlington County crime report. A Marine who lost a leg in Afghanistan and who’s up for a Silver Star medal was severely beaten with a club outside the 7-Eleven on 23rd Street in Crystal City. The attack, which was caught on surveillance video, may have been precipitated by a racial comment. [NBC Washington]

Photo courtesy Dan Gifford

Eventide Lounge To Reopen As ‘Odd Bar’ Tomorrow

By ARLnow.com

The lounge area of Eventide Restaurant in Clarendon (3165 Wilson Blvd) has a new name, a new menu and a new look.

The lounge has been renovated over the past week and will reopen tomorrow (Tuesday) night as “Odd Bar.” The name pays homage to the restaurant’s historic building, which housed the Independent Order of Odd Fellows after being built in 1925.

Odd Bar aims to attract a bit broader of a clientele than the old Eventide lounge, which tended to skew older and more upscale. Changes to the lounge’s interior are minor, but include repainted walls (now blue), high top tables instead of booths and a couple of new flat screen televisions.

Odd Bar will have an extended beer menu, with Miller Lite, Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA, Blue Moon and Starr Hill JoMo Lager on draft. There will also be 17 bottled beers on the menu, ranging in price from $4 to $18. A selection of bottled and by-the-glass wine is on the menu, with by-he-glass prices starting at $7. Cocktails will also be available.

A new lounge menu, designed by Executive Chef Adam Barnett, promises to feature “classic American fare with a twist.”

There are “snacks” like chicken wings (marinated in a “slightly south of Buffalo sauce” with blue cheese fondue), salt cod fritters and steamed blue bay mussels. Sandwiches include a “Pineland Farms cheeseburger,” an oyster po’ boy and roasted Shiitake mushroom sliders. Cheese and charcuterie plates are also featured on the menu, along with “bistro plates” like steak frites, potato gnocchi and Virginia sea bream.

The upstairs of the restaurant will continue to be known as “Eventide.” The full Eventide dining room menu, meanwhile, will be available in the lounge from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

“Our lounge has always been a favorite hang out for many customers,” said Eventide co-owner Nick Freshman. “With the new menu, an expanded beer list and the renovations, we hope to create a more fun, comfortable atmosphere for our customers.”

Improvements Coming to Tricky Clarendon Intersection

By Katie Pyzyk

A widely disliked Clarendon intersection will be revamped in the next couple of years. The County has released preliminary plans for the area sometimes referred to as Clarendon Circle.

Based on a study of the intersection at Washington, Wilson and Clarendon Boulevards, the plan provides safety improvements for drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians. Eight other nearby intersections would also be affected by the changes in traffic flow.

The study offers numerous suggestions and sketches of possible redesigns. Some ideas included adding lanes to Washington Blvd, removing left turn lanes, adding bike lanes, adding curb extensions near Liberty Tavern and Sam’s Diner and moving traffic more toward the Silver Diner’s property.

The geometry of the intersection, which is often described as “awkward” and “confusing,” would be normalized by the revamp. The overall size of the intersection would decrease, and better traffic signals and signs would be installed.

County staff examined the study’s suggestions and narrowed down the ideas into one design proposal. Feedback is currently being accepted on the initial proposal via an online survey.

The first round of public forums addressing the improvements will be scheduled soon and will continue throughout the spring. A finalized plan and ground breaking is expected sometime in 2014, at the latest.

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