Clarendon

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
The Grinch, illustrated in Post-It Notes by Brigid Donaghy on the front of the H-B Woodlawn school building in Rosslyn (photo courtesy Dan Donaghy)

Redevelopment of Parking Garage Proposed — “The owner of a pair of Crystal City hotels along Richmond Highway is moving to redevelop a parking garage on the property into residential, the latest bit of change for the neighborhood as part of an Amazon.com Inc.-inspired development boom. Miami’s Sound Hospitality is on the hunt for a development partner to manage the transformation of a garage that currently serves Crystal City’s Hampton Inn and Suites and Hilton Garden Inn.” [Washington Business Journal]

Parent Group Wants More Class Time — “An advocacy group is pressing the Arlington School Board to add more instructional time to the school system’s proposed 2022-23 calendar. The comments came at the Dec. 2 School Board meeting, in which board members were presented with a staff proposal that meets the letter of state law in providing at least 990 hours of instructional time. But the school system should be going further – holding classes the full 180 days that had been the pre-COVID standard – said Camille Galdes, who spoke on behalf of Arlington Parents for Education.” [Sun Gazette]

Firefighter Unions Call Out Alexandria — “Understaffing within the Alexandria Fire Department put people and buildings at risk during a fire at Crystal City’s restaurant row on 23rd Street earlier this month, according to two unions representing more than 500 Alexandria and Arlington firefighters, medics and fire marshals.” [ALXnow]

Middle School Student Disciplined for Weapon — “On Thursday afternoon, the Swanson Administrative team received a report that a student was in possession of a weapon on their walk home from school. As a result of our investigation and consultation with the Arlington [County] Police Department on Friday, the student was disciplined in accordance with the Arlington Public Schools code of conduct.” [Twitter]

New ACPD Officers Sworn In — “December 10, 2021 marked a significant milestone for the Arlington County Police Department’s 18 newest officers as Session 145 graduated from the Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Training Academy. During the graduation, the officers took their oath to serve and protect the Arlington community and safeguard the Constitutional rights of all.” [ACPD]

Abduction Arrest in Clarendon — “At approximately 3:22 a.m. on December 10, police were dispatched to the report of a check on the welfare. The reporting party advised the female victim was inside a vehicle with a known suspect who would not allow her to exit… [The suspect], 26, of Washington D.C. was arrested and charged with Abduction and held without bond.” [ACPD]

W&OD Trail Bridge Gets Decked — “Enjoy a smooth ride on the newly-redecked bridge east of Little Falls St in Arlington.” [Twitter]

It’s Tuesday — Today will be sunny with a high of 54 and a low of 38. Sunrise at 7:19 a.m. and sunset at 4:47 p.m. Tomorrow will be mostly cloudy with a high of 55 and a low of 39. [Darksky]

An “Uncommon” restaurant is set to open in Clarendon early next year

By Matt Blitz
1/3

A new Clarendon restaurant promises to provide an uncommon dining experience, its owner promises.

“Uncommon Luncheonette” at 1028 N. Garfield Street is planning for a February 2022 opening, owner Joon Yang tells ARLnow.

While a menu and further details are not yet being provided, Yang assured ARLnow that the concept will be one that “no has done before in Clarendon or, even, Arlington.”

Yang is the co-owner of the upscale barbeque restaurant Epic Smokehouse in Pentagon City, which opened in 2012, and the McLean steakhouse American Prime.

Uncommon Luncheonette will be moving into the space formerly occupied by Riverside Hot Pot, which closed in October 2020 and was noted for sending food on a conveyor belt to customers. Prior to that, fast casual Bowl’d was in that location on N. Garfield Street which is around the corner from the always-busy Clarendon Trader Joe’s.

Just last week, Uncommon Luncheonette applied for a permit to serve wine, beer and cocktails. A construction permit was issued for the space in September.

New pizza place moving in after former Clarendon late night spot Goody’s closes

By Matt Blitz
1/2

A new pizza place is moving into the Clarendon space formerly occupied by late night pizza spot Goody’s.

Angolino Pizza could open as early as this week, new owner Farhad Bazzaz confirmed to ARLnow, though the restaurant is still waiting on county inspections and permits.

Goody’s quietly closed earlier this year, marking the end of an era at 3125 Wilson Blvd. The diminutive restaurant opened in 2006, across from the Clarendon Metro and within close walking distance of the neighborhood’s bars. The late-night pizza spot saw its fair share of antics and devoted fans over the years.

In 2018 the original owners sold the business, which kept the Goody’s name but added a new mural. In 2019, county inspectors came calling and determined the mural was a sign and thus not allowed. Instead of colorful paintings of pizza, the new ownership repainted the building lime green.

Early last year, the restaurant started emphasizing its taco offerings and other Mexican fare, alongside its pizza. It closed within the past few months — it’s unclear when, exactly, though an online review from three months ago noted that it was closed for renovations — as the new owner took over and made some changes.

There isn’t much known about Angolino Pizza at this time beyond potentially opening within the next few days. The owner was unavailable for follow-up questions when ARLnow stopped by the shop — which is now painted blue — this afternoon.

County permits and a business license were issued for the new restaurant in October. The permits specify a maximum interior capacity of 15 people, including those seated at the pizzeria’s three tables and six seats.

Orange juice-espresso purveyors Kino Coffee close shop in Clarendon

By Vernon Miles
1/2

After nearly two years of serving up a unique range of coffee — most famously the orange juice-espresso blend called bumble coffee — Kino Coffee (2607 Wilson Blvd) has closed its doors for good.

Owners Anna Tsybko and Jason Blevins said in an Instagram post that the coffee shop and independent movie venue would be closing on Sunday after they decided not to renew their lease.

“This Sunday (11/28) will be Kino Coffee’s last day,” Tsybko and Blevins said. “We made the challenging decision not to renew our lease at 2607 Wilson Blvd. Thank you to everyone who joined us on this journey over the last two years!”

The owners emphasized the difficulty of the decision in an email to ARLnow.

“The decision not to renew our lease was a difficult one. With constant and persisting COVID uncertainties we made a challenging decision not to renew our lease,” they wrote. “We announced early last week that it was going to be our last one. We saw nothing but an incredible amount of support from our customers and community in general, who shared how meaningful Kino was to them.”

“We are proud to say that given the unfortunate circumstances of the pandemic we were able to build a healthy business, as well as create this community around our coffee shop,” the owners added. “We received emails, cards, and personal messages that showed so much appreciation and we will always treasure it!”

Kino Coffee, under its original name This is Fine Coffee, replaced the former Blümen Cafe in January 2020 — which unfortunately was just two months before COVID hit Arlington. The cafe added an indie theater and rebranded to a more cinematic feel last December.

The cafe’s legacy will continue in disgusted looks from this reporter’s girlfriend as he mixes coffee, orange juice, and caramel every few days.

The Crossing Clarendon seeks county approval for office-gym conversion

By Jo DeVoe
The Crossing Clarendon (staff photo)

There are some signs of movement forward for the luxury fitness gym Life Time, which is slated to come to Clarendon in 2023.

In mid-December, the County Board is slated to hold a public hearing to consider allowing retail use — and, therefore, fitness activities — inside an office building in The Crossing Clarendon. The Board approved the hearing earlier this month.

Regency Centers, which owns The Crossing (formerly known as “Market Common”), is asking the county to permit retail on the third floor of The Loft office building (1440 N. Edgewood Street) that Life Time is looking to lease. The change would allow the gym to take over the office building and turn it into a 113,000-square foot, multi-story, high-end gym with a host of amenities.

Life Time proposes using all four levels of the newly renovated building. There will be a spa and dressing rooms in the basement, a lobby and small retail space for food and drinks on the first floor, gym space on the second and third floors and a co-working space for gym members and independent users on the fourth floor.

The third floor, set for gym use, comprises more than 18% of The Loft’s total square footage. That is significant enough to require a “major” site plan amendment and Planning Commission and County Board approvals, according to a county report.

Typically, that involves a four-month-long review process, but county staff instead support a one-month hearing schedule, according to the report. It says staff have found no problems with this change, which is supported by planning recommendations for this part of Clarendon.

“Staff finds that a shorter review period is warranted as it does not require any structural additions or significant alterations to the building design as approved under the site plan and community stakeholders have responded to staff outreach to confirm that there are no objections to advertisement of this amendment,” according to the report.

A spokesman for the property owner said there are “no changes to report” on the work done to move the project along.

“The design is being worked on concurrent with the amendment process,” he said. “All permits are on schedule.”

Up until this year, an Equinox gym was expected to move in. In February, Regency Centers sued Equinox, alleging breach of contract.

In total, the building has eight retail spaces on the ground floor, of which three are vacant. Tatte Bakery & Cafe opened in September, and dog daycare and boarding facility District Dogs could be coming next spring. Other forthcoming retailers include a a laser skincare facility and an under-construction tattoo parlor.

Former Clarendon Ballroom once again turning into a winter wonderland

By Matt Blitz
1/4

The former Clarendon Ballroom is once again being transformed into a winter wonderland for the holiday season.

The ownership group behind the Lot, the nearby and popular outdoor beer garden, is putting together the seasonal pop-up. It will open on Friday at 8 p.m. and continue through January, a company spokesperson writes ARLnow in response to an inquiry.

“Guests can expect new holiday drinks, a totally winterized change in decor, and an awesome lineup of events in the space!,” writes the spokesperson.

Cocktails will include ones with festive names like the “Polar Express” (Grey goose, blueberry vodka, blueberry Red Bull with a “white shimmer”) and the christmas cookie-flavored “Ornament Shooters.”

“They’re also bringing back the popular “Jingle Juice Punch,” which is made with a secret recipe but includes White Claw seltzers,” notes the spokesperson.

There’s no cover and the pop-up bar will be open Friday and Saturday nights. This Friday’s “relaunch” party is set to feature DJ Vicious, according to the website.

This version will be pretty similar to last year’s winter wonderland, though it will actually be opened for the holiday season.

The 2020 version was reportedly delayed from opening due to “typical internal delays,” like equipment arriving on time. The County Board also didn’t approve the bar’s request for a live entertainment and dancing permit until mid-December. The food permit wasn’t approved until December 29.

“The winter wonderland theme received a lot of positive feedback last year! People loved the festive decorations, Christmas lights, and holiday spirit, and we’re excited to share this experience with our guests again,” Michael Bramson, co-owner of the pop-up bar, writes ARLnow. “The Winter Wonderland is quickly turning into one of our favorite holiday traditions.”

Since first popping up last year in the midst of the pandemic, Clarendon Pop-Up Bar has decked out the space at 3185 Wilson Blvd with a number of themes. Most recently, it traveled back time to the 1980s with hot pink and blue hues reminiscent of “Miami Vice.”

But the bar will be moving from the hot, sandy beaches of Miami to the cold, snowy landscape of the North Pole.

The long-time nightlife venue Clarendon Ballroom closed as its prior iteration nearly two years ago. In late December 2020, Monument Realty purchased the building at 3185 Wilson Blvd for nearly $7 million and signed a 21-month lease with the Lot’s owners to operate pop-up bars out of the space.

While there’s another nine months on that agreement, Monument Realty told Washington Business Journal that it was a possibility that the ownership group could take over the space permanently.

Another big difference compared from last year’s pop-up is that indoor capacity restrictions and mask requirements have been considerable loosened. There are no longer any capacity restrictions and masks are no longer required indoors, though they are encouraged.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Thanksgiving week in Shirlington (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)

ACPD Thanksgiving Anti-DUI Event — “On Thanksgiving-eve, traditionally a time of celebrations with heavy alcohol consumption, ACPD, in partnership with WRAP, is hosting a Thanksgiving anti-drunk driving event to highlight the impact alcohol has on motor skills. This free event is open to the public and will take place on Wednesday, November 24, at N. Hudson Street and Wilson Boulevard, from 8:00-10:00 p.m.” [ACPD, Twitter]

Shirlington Apartment Employee Slashed — “An employee of the residential building discovered that the laundry room had been locked and upon opening it, discovered the unknown male suspect inside. The suspect produced a knife and struck the victim’s hand, causing a laceration. The suspect then fled the scene on foot. Arriving officers canvased the area with negative results. The victim was transported to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries.” [ACPD]

Bus Driver Protest in Ballston — “Arlington Public Schools bus drivers are protesting again, this time in Ballston. They’re chanting and getting passing drivers to honk in favor of better pay and fair treatment.” [Twitter, WJLA]

County Seeks Budget Feedback — “Each winter, the County Manager presents a proposed operating budget to the County Board in order to plan spending for the next fiscal year. We’d like to know your thoughts on how Arlington should prioritize necessary spending in FY 2023. Help us get better insight on questions such as: How would you rate the importance of County programs and services?” [Arlington County]

Clement: Fewer Signs Stolen This Year — “In her annual election wrapup at the first Arlington County Board meeting after the votes were in, perennial protest candidate Audrey Clement told board members that she’d been able to gather up a good portion of her campaign signage from medians. ‘I recovered about 450 signs, or two-thirds of the total,’ she told board members. ‘This is a significant improvement over 2020, when two-thirds of my signs were trashed.’ Clement ran second in the four-candidate County Board race.” [Sun Gazette]

It’s Monday — A chance of showers today, mainly before 10 a.m. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 52. Northwest wind 7 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Sunrise at 6:59 a.m. and sunset at 4:49 p.m. Sunny tomorrow, with a high near 43. Northwest wind 9 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. [Weather.gov]

Arlington police turn to state troopers for help with nightlife detail

By Jo DeVoe
Virginia State Police vehicle (photo by John Calhoun/JC Photography)

As its police force shrinks, the Arlington County Police Department is leaning on state police when extra officers are needed to maintain its nightlife detail.

Virginia State Police troopers will be helping Arlington fill staffing holes in the local nightlife team that works with bars and restaurants in Clarendon and Crystal City to keep establishments and patrons safe and to help keep order when things get out of hand.

The number of acting police officers available to staff ACPD’s various divisions has dropped amid retirements, reports of low morale, and attrition to more lucrative and less demanding private-industry jobs. In response, ACPD has turned to VSP troopers who are willing to help out with the nightlife detail, according to the county.

This past weekend the County Board approved a mutual aid agreement between the two forces that codifies compensation for troopers.

The agreement will help keep staffing for the detail steady, not add to it, ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage tells ARLnow.

“The overall staffing for the Nightlife detail is remaining the same,” she said via email, adding that ACPD does not disclose the specific number of officers. “The MOU with [VSP] provides ACPD the option of utilizing troopers to fill vacancies in the Nightlife detail, when necessary. The department began exploring additional staffing resources for the Nightlife detail in September 2021 due to a reduction in ACPD’s functional staffing.”

As part of the memorandum, troopers will be reimbursed at an overtime rate for their hours worked as well as for vehicle mileage. The county will also pay a 10% fee to VSP for “administrative and accounting costs associated with the provided services,” the report said.

The detail patrols spots in Clarendon and Crystal City as part of the Arlington Restaurant Initiative (ARI), which was founded in 2016 to tackle alcohol-related crimes in Clarendon and has since expanded to Crystal City.

Through ARI — in which police patrol area bars, train employees and meet with businesses — Clarendon’s crime rates have dropped, according to the county. The detail also looks out for misbehaving bar patrons, who can be banned from all establishments that participate in Arlington’s Bar Safe program as a result of public drunkenness or more serious crimes.

Between January and September, there have been 32 Bar Safe violations, according to Arlington police data. Rates peaked in the summer, when bars fully reopened, as did the number of fake IDs. The detail confiscated 572 fake IDs during the same time period.

While many alcohol-related crimes dropped from 2019 to 2020 due to COVID-related business closures, the detail has noticed the nightlife crowd increasing every month since the state reopened, according to a monthly police report.

With that, new safety problems have arisen: last month, there were six reports of spiked drink in Clarendon and Crystal City bars.

The collaboration between ACPD and VSP was not the only agreement that received County Board approval. On Saturday, the Board approved a mutual aid agreement with U.S. Capitol Police after 50 Arlington officers helped secure the U.S. Capitol building during the “Justice for J6” rally this fall.

The rally on Sept. 18. was held in support of those charged after the Jan. 6 invasion of the Capitol by a large pro-Trump mob. It was widely reported as a flop that did not draw the expected crowds while still costing government agencies hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The county says both of these mutual aid agreements exemplify ACPD’s commitment to regional partnerships.

“The Police Department is an active member, throughout the region, in providing mutual aid assistance,” a county staff report said. “This effort allows for the appropriate utilization of resources both within and outside of the County. Our commitment to regional partnerships greatly enhances the safety and well-being of the citizenry.”

The Crossing Clarendon catches sustainable seafood spot Seamore’s

By Jo DeVoe
The Crossing Clarendon (staff photo)

The Crossing Clarendon says it has “some ‘reel’ good news to share.”

The retail and residential development formerly known as Market Common Clarendon has netted Seamore’s, a New York-based sustainable seafood spot, announcing the new restaurant tenant on social media.

“Born from a love of sustainable and local fishing, Seamore’s brings the ocean back to the urban table with modern, healthy dishes for every eater,” the post said. “From lobster rolls, fish tacos, to their signature tuna poke, this is Clarendon’s best catch and you’ll only find it at The Crossing Clarendon.”

The restaurant is slated to operate in a 2,605-square foot spot at the corner of N. Edgewood Street and Clarendon Blvd — where the old Baja Fresh used to be — on the same strip as the MyEyeDr. and Nicecream. The building has since been renovated, along with the four-story office building behind it.

Regency Centers and Seamore’s were not immediately able to provide additional details about when the restaurant could open.

Seamore’s has a half-dozen locations around New York City, and was founded by a New Yorker seeking better options in Manhattan for local fish.

“For a city surrounded by water, New York shockingly lacks menus with local fish,” the restaurant’s website says. “Seamore’s was born to change this. Founded by native New Yorker, Michael Chernow, who longed for better fish tacos and a reunion of city and sea, Seamore’s brings the ocean back to the urban table in a deliciously modern and healthy way.”

The menu is always changing based on what’s available, according to the restaurant.

Seamore’s says it only sells fish with stable or growing populations that are harvested “in an environmentally conscious manner.”

JUST IN: Police warn bar-goers after a spate of drink spiking reports

By Jo DeVoe
A cocktail (via Georg Pirrung/Wikimedia Commons)

There’s been a rash of reported drink spiking incidents in Clarendon and Crystal City, according to Arlington police.

The Arlington County Police Department says that it received six reports last month from women who believed their drinks were spiked.

“In each case, the female victims reported experiencing loss of consciousness and memory loss after visiting various nightlife establishments in Clarendon and Crystal City on weekend evenings and believe their drinks may have been tampered with,” the department said in a press release this morning (Friday).

Drink spiking, when someone puts alcohol or drugs into someone else’s drink without their knowledge or permission, is illegal in Virginia.

“These incidents remain active criminal investigations and the preliminary investigations have not identified a link between the reported cases,” ACPD said.

Police shared the following nightlife safety tips in response to the spate of spiking.

Safety Tips

ACPD wants you to have a safe and enjoyable night out and is sharing these tips to help safeguard your drink:

  • Never leave your drink unattended
  • Avoid sharing drinks with others
  • Do not accept drinks from strangers
  • If someone you do not know offers you a drink and you accept, go to the bar with them and have the drink served directly to you
  • If you did not see your drink poured, do not drink it
  • Keep an eye on your friends and their drinks

If you think your drink may be spiked or observe an individual spiking a drink, take action right away by calling 9-1-1.

Available Resources

If you suspect drink spiking or drug-assisted sexual assault, help is always available. Crisis response resources are available 24/7:

  • Arlington County Police, 703-558-2222 or 9-1-1 in an emergency
  • Doorways Dating/Domestic/Sexual Violence Hotline, 703-237-0881
  • Inova Forensic Assessment and Consultation Team (Forensic Exams), 703-776-4001 (ask to page a FACT Nurse)

Nightlife Safety

ACPD has partnered with County agencies to establish the Arlington Restaurant Initiative (ARI) to raise the standards of restaurants that serve alcohol, streamline processes within the County Government and maintain Arlington County as a safe destination for nightlife and entertainment. ARI provides training on various topics, including drink spiking, to improve patron safety. Restaurants can email the Restaurant Liaison for information on future training opportunities.

Photo via Georg Pirrung/Wikimedia Commons

A new dog daycare facility is coming to Clarendon, but there may be a snag

By Jo DeVoe
1/3

(Updated at 2:25 p.m.) A D.C.-based dog daycare and boarding facility is making its first foray out of the nation’s capital with a Clarendon outpost.

District Dogs will move into The Crossing Clarendon shopping center (formerly Market Common Clarendon) in February or March, owner Jacob Hensley tells ARLnow. In addition to daycare and boarding, District Dogs provides other services such as grooming and training.

“We’re very excited to come to Arlington,” he said. “Right now, we have the designs finished and construction plans out to bid. We should be getting bids and contractors in the next couple of weeks or so, and we expect to be open late winter or early spring.”

The business will front Wilson Blvd, according to a photo sent by Hensley, in a ground floor space between the Whole Foods and where Iota Club used to be.

There is one hurdle to surmount: zoning rules about how many dogs can be boarded per night. According to a zoning determination this summer, District Dogs can operate in Clarendon as a doggie daycare and grooming facility, with overnight boarding for up to three dogs. Any more overnight occupants, and it’s considered by the county a “kennel,” which is not allowed on the property either by-right or through a special exception permit.

Regency Centers, which owns The Crossing, is appealing the decision on Hensley’s behalf. Either way, District Dogs can move in, Hensley says.

“District Dogs will be able to offer daycare, boarding, grooming and training services in the Clarendon location regardless of the outcome,” he said. “I can’t comment further [about zoning issues] because of how complicated it is and I don’t want to get the details wrong.”

The forthcoming Arlington location will be Hensley’s fifth. He started District Dogs in 2014 as a one-man dog-walking business and opened his first brick-and-mortar facility in 2016 in D.C. Since then, he’s added two more D.C. locations, with a fourth under-construction.

Clarendon was a natural choice, since District Dogs targets markets with a mix of apartments and single-family homes, and many clients come to D.C. from Northern Virginia, he said.

Hensley says Arlington’s urban corridors need more of these kinds of dog-care facilities, as many existing providers are located in warehouse and industrial districts. Many customers will be able to walk to District Dogs, compared to having to drive somewhere a distance away.

“We’re bringing a more urban dog daycare experience that’s more convenient for people and where they live,” he said.

Hensley said District Dogs aims to make dogs and their humans feel comfortable. For pet owners, that means providing web-cameras so they can check in, as well as operating in spaces with lots of windows.

“We’re really just trying to show everything that goes on,” he said. “That’s what’s lacking in a lot of facilities, which can be old and run-down in a warehouse.”

Hensley attributes his ability to expand in part to COVID-19. People adopted more dogs during the pandemic and now need the services he provides, particularly weeknight, overnight boarding.

“Our facilities in D.C. are pretty much at-capacity in a daily basis,” he said. “In addition to new dogs, since people can work remote, people are traveling more… Because people’s work is so much more flexible, not just travel but the length of travel is increasing.”

Once District Dogs settles into Clarendon, locals can expect dog-friendly community activities.

“We have a great online community, and we try to do events at restaurants, bars and parks,” Hensley said. “We’re trying to bring a sense of dog community to the Arlington area — we want to be a part of it and help foster it.”

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