Clarendon

Flash Mob Outside Clarendon Metro Station

By ARLnow.com

It’s not every day that a group of belly dancers spontaneously shows up outside a Metro station and starts performing for onlookers. But that’s exactly what happened Friday night when dancers from the Saffron Dance belly dancing school in Clarendon (3260 Wilson Blvd) organized their very own flash mob.

The ‘official’ video of the performance is above.

While some flash mobs have been greeted with looks of abject confusion from bystanders, Clarendonites seemed to know the drill — they took out their cell phones and cameras and started recording the encounter.

“All had a great time and there were no arrests,” the video’s YouTube page notes.

H/t to Danielle H.

Ice Cream, Smoothies Coming Soon to Clarendon

By ARLnow.com

Health nuts and sweet tooths will both have something to celebrate as two new stores prepare to open in Clarendon this summer.

South Block Smoothie & Burrito Co. is telling fans on Facebook that it hopes to open at the corner of 11th and Garfield Streets “around the 4th of July.” The store will offer real fruit smoothies, whole wheat burritos, salad wraps, acai bowls and Pleasant Pops, according to its web site.

South Block is located in a 714-square-foot storefront on the ground floor of the Clarendon Center project’s ‘south block’ building. It’s being launched by Amir Mostafavi, who owns the Campus Fresh store in George Washington University’s Lerner Health & Wellness Center.

A couple of blocks away from South Block’s health-conscious vibe, Larry’s Homemade Ice Cream is planning on opening at 3018 Wilson Boulevard, in the Clarendon Center project’s ‘north block’ building. Signs in the window say Larry’s will open on June 15.

The location is the second for Larry’s Homemade — which currently has a store in Crystal City. Larry’s will offer locally-sourced and produced ice cream, as well as sundaes, shakes, non-fat yogurt, espresso drinks, cookies, cupcakes, brownies, biscotti, muffins, pastries and baklava.

According to its web site, Larry’s 40+ ice cream flavors include exotic options like ginger, green tea, Kahlua, lychee, cardamom, orange chocolate chunk and lemon grass.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Board Approves Energy Plan Framework — Last night the County Board approved an ambitious set of goals to dramatically reduce energy usage and cut carbon emissions in Arlington over the next 40 years. With the goals set, a new county panel will now set out to figure out how to implement them. Speakers at last night’s board meeting — including members of the local business community — were generally supportive of the energy plan, although a few individuals criticized the additional regulations it will likely impose. [Sun Gazette, Arlington County]

Local Green Group Criticized — Arlington-based Conservation International is being criticized by environmental activists for helping to “greenwash” large corporations in exchange for donations. [Huffington Post]

The Concrete ‘Jungle’ of Clarendon — Are the roads tricky and drivers impatient in the Clarendon/Courthouse area? One writer thinks so. [Patch]

Flickr pool photo by BriankMKA

Mad Rose Tavern Adds Outdoor Seats, Preps for Grand Opening

By ARLnow.com

Slowly but surely, business has been picking up at Mad Rose Tavern (3100 Clarendon Blvd).

The Clarendon restaurant got off to a rocky start, but thanks to a new chef, outdoor seating and some positive buzz, General Manager Dennis Holland says they’re “starting to get off the ground.”

Over the weekend, the Arlington County Board approved the restaurant’s request for sidewalk seating along Washington and Clarendon Boulevards. The new seats — about 60 of them in total — should arrive either tonight or tomorrow, Holland said. The seating will supplement Mad Rose’s existing outdoor lounge which, according to Holland, seats about 80 patrons.

With approval of a permanent sign at least three months away, Holland hopes that the sidewalk cafe will help provide some much-needed visibility. The additional seating will serve not only to cater to customers who enjoy dining outside, but to attract attention and “let people know this is a restaurant,” Holland said. Mad Rose is located on the ground floor of the Olmsted building which, between the late ’80s architecture and the armed guards (the building houses the Defense Intelligence Agency), makes its entrance look decidedly unwelcoming from a distance.

In addition to getting ready for the new outdoor seats, Holland says he’s been busy planning Mad Rose Tavern’s grand opening celebration, which is scheduled for Saturday. The event will feature a cruise giveaway, 30 percent off all food items and a discount on drinks.

Local Comedians Taking It Off for a Good Cause

By ARLnow.com

Just remember: it’s for a good cause.

Eleven local comedians — men and women — are going shirt and pant-less on stage tonight to help raise money for the Japanese Red Cross and its tsunami relief efforts.

The show, which organizers are calling “The 11th Street Underwear Showcase/Tsunami Relief Show,” is being held at Eleventh Street Lounge in Clarendon (1041 N. Highland Street) from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. tonight. Tickets are $5.

See the event’s Facebook page for more info.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Mixed Signals During Fire Alarms at Senior Facility — During fire alarms at The Jefferson senior living facility in Ballston, a recorded voice tells residents to evacuate the 21-story building via the stairwell. Except, for safety reasons, most residents are supposed to remain in their condo with the door shut. This has confused some elderly residents, who risked injury by attempting to walk down long flights of stairs during fire alarms. While acknowledging the inconsistency, both building management and the fire department say they can’t change the recorded message due to “liability” reasons. [Washington Post]

Politico Reporters to Speak at Rosslyn Lecture Series — Politico White House reporter Julie Mason and congressional reporter Jonathan Allen will be the speakers at Rosslyn’s “Rooms with a View” lecture series next week. Mason and Allen will discuss “Washington’s divided political landscape” and take questions from the audience. The event is free (RSVP required). It will be held on Thursday, May 19, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Boeing conference center at 1200 Wilson Boulevard. [Rosslyn BID]

Papery Closing Rumors — There’s more evidence that Clarendon stationery store The Papery may be closing, despite employees’ insistence that they’re preparing to add new stock to the largely empty shelves. The Papery’s space is listed as “for lease” on a commercial real estate firm’s web site. And The Papery’s own web site no longer exists. [Clarendon Culture]

Sign Needed at Rosslyn Safeway? — Is a one-way sign needed across from the Rosslyn Safeway to prevent confused drivers from heading the wrong way on Wilson Boulevard? [Ode Street Tribune]

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Jim Morrison in Arlington? — The late Doors frontman Jim Morrison apparently was an Arlingtonian. The son of a Navy admiral, Morrison lived at as many as three different Arlington addresses. The current resident of one of his reported former addresses says Morrison’s ghost has haunted the house on three different occasions. [Falls Church News-Press]

Pete’s Apizza Groupon Selling Fast — A 50% off Groupon for Pete’s New Haven Style Apizza (3017 Clarendon Blvd) has nearly sold out. As of this writing, 5,800 people have purchased the deal — 4,800 specifically for the restaurant’s recently-opened Clarendon location. Expect the Clarendon restaurant to get considerably more crowded over the next few weeks as a result. [Groupon]

Mobile Visitors Center Honored — Arlington’s first-of-its-kind electric-powered Mobile Visitors Center has been honored as the Visitor Center of the Year by the Virginia Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus. The Mobile Visitors Center “serves travelers and residents at six Metro locations five days a week, and at major annual events.” [Arlington County]

Flickr pool photo by Philliefan99

http://staging.arlnow.com/2011/03/24/petes-new-haven-apizza-plans-sunday-opening/

UPDATED: Widespread Power Outage in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 2:25 p.m.) Power has been restored after a widespread outage in Arlington, Dominion says.

Power was restored just after 1:50 p.m., according to Dominion spokeswoman Le-Ha Anderson. She said the outage, which lasted 38 minutes, was caused by a malfunctioning piece of equipment at the company’s Clarendon power substation.

Nearly 8,000 Dominion customers in Arlington lost power at the height of the outage, Anderson said.

Several traffic lights went dark in the Clarendon, Virginia Square and Ballston areas around 1:15 p.m. Police directed traffic at the busy intersection of Washington Boulevard and N. Quincy Street — near the Arlington Central Library — during the outage.

There were also several reports of people who were stuck in elevators that stopped when then the power went out.

Coming Soon: Live Entertainment, Sidewalk Cafe, Metro Kiosk

By ARLnow.com

On Saturday, the County Board is expected to approve a sidewalk cafe for Mad Rose Tavern, live entertainment for Samuel Beckett’s Irish Gastro Pub, and a Commuter Store kiosk outside the Ballston Metro Station.

The three items are all part of the board’s site plan amendment agenda.

County staff is recommending the board approve Samuel Beckett’s request for live entertainment from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 8:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and federal holidays. The Shirlington pub, at 2800 S. Randolph Street, has said that it wants to host traditional Irish music.

Staff is also recommending a sidewalk cafe for the struggling Mad Rose Tavern in Clarendon (3100 Clarendon Blvd). The sidewalk seating would wrap around the restaurant from Washington Boulevard to Clarendon Boulevard, and would operate from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. seven days per week. Staff says the cafe “would serve to activate the streetscape at this major intersection” and is consistent with other sidewalk cafes in the area.

Finally, the board will consider whether to place a county-run Commuter Store kiosk at the Ballston Metro Station. Currently, there are Commuter Stores in the Ballston Common Mall, Crystal City Shops, Rosslyn Metro Center Mall and at the Shirlington Bus Station — in addition to a mobile Commuter Store RV.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

CERT Graduates Number 500 — The Arlington Community Emergency Response Team program graduated its 500th resident on Saturday. CERT says this weekend’s graduating class of citizen emergency responders was their largest one yet.

More on Mala Tang — Rebecca Cooper, formerly of TBD.com, takes a look at Mala Tang, the new Chinese “hot pot” restaurant near Clarendon. Unanswered question: are there enough potential customers who are willing to sit down and learn the hot pot process — and who don’t mind their meal getting “a little messy?” [Washingtonian]

Empty Shelves at Papery — Is Papery in Clarendon merely restocking its supply of stationary products, or is it in danger of closing? The store says they’re “making way for new stock.” [Clarendon Culture]

Elementary Students Run TV Show — Arlington Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Pat Murphy’s “Snapshots” TV segment visits the televised morning announcements show run by Henry Elementary students. [AETV]

BREAKING NEWS — House Fire Near Clarendon

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 8:20 p.m.) Arlington firefighters battled a house fire near Clarendon tonight.

Heavy fire and heavy smoke was first reported in a three-story house near the intersection of N. Ivy Street and 10th Street around 6:45 p.m. A second alarm was called and about 50 firefighters helped to extinguish the blaze.

The house, which contained three individual apartments, suffered damage throughout the structure. Ten residents were displaced by the fire and are receiving assistance from the Red Cross. Although each apartment was occupied at the time, all residents managed to escape safely, according to Arlington County Fire Department spokesperson Lt. Gregg Karl. No injuries were reported.

The Arlington Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the blaze, Karl said.

Photos courtesy Ian Luria (top) and Garrett Peck (bottom). Hat tip to John Antonelli.

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