Clarendon

Overhaul of Tricky ‘Clarendon Circle’ Intersection Could Start This Fall

By Alex Koma
1/6

Arlington could soon kick off work on improvements at one of the county’s trickiest intersections for pedestrians and cyclists.

The County Board is set to approve a $2.5 million contract for the overhaul of the “Clarendon Circle” — the area where Clarendon, Washington and Wilson Boulevards all meet, just past the Metro station.

Planners have hoped for years now to add improvements to the intersection, like shortening the distances pedestrians have to walk across roads. The work will also include the installation of additional bike lanes, the widening of Washington Boulevard to four lanes — while nixing the current reversible lanes — and the addition of upgraded traffic signals.

Plans also call for adding a “green streets” element to better manage stormwater on N. Irving Street, next to the Silver Diner.

The Board is scheduled to vote on the construction contract at its Saturday, June 16 meeting as part of its consent agenda, which is typically reserved for non-controversial items. Should Board members approve the deal, the county estimates that work could begin this fall and wrap up in the winter of 2020.

The Clarendon Circle project is designed to move in conjunction with the county’s plans to do away with the reversible lanes on Washington Boulevard and create a “T” intersection with 13th Street N. That construction is projected to kick off in the winter of 2019, after the Board voted on May 22 to let the redevelopment of the nearby Red Top Cab properties move ahead.

BREAKING: Caps Stop in Clarendon, With Stanley Cup in Tow

By Alex Koma

(Updated at 12:10 a.m.) Dozens — if not hundreds — of adoring fans flocked to Clarendon tonight (June 8) to welcome home the Washington Capitals as they brought home the Stanley Cup.

The team gathered for a private celebration at Don Tito along Wilson Blvd, and fans congregated on both sides of N. Hudson Street to cheer and offer their thanks. Players arriving at the restaurant early on included T.J. Oshie, Tom Wilson and Philipp Grubauer.

Wilson even got the chance to hoist the Cup and show it off to the assembled crowd.

The Caps returned from Las Vegas earlier this afternoon, after besting the Golden Knights in five games to win D.C. its first major sports title since 1992.

ARLnow broadcast the staggered arrivals of players and the Stanley Cup on Facebook Live. The Cup can be seen in the beginning of the video.

Caps star, Conn Smythe Trophy winner and one-time Arlington resident Alexander Ovechkin arrived after our live feed ended. Later Ovi brought the Cup down from the party to show screaming, smartphone-wielding bar-goers, as seen in the video below.

Despite a brief summer thunderstorm rolling through — and Thursday’s excitement putting a slight damper on Clarendon’s Friday nightlife — the line to get into Don Tito’s remained relatively long as of 11 p.m.

More social media posts from the celebration, after the jump.

(more…)

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Rocks the Red — It was lit in Arlington during last night’s Stanley Cup Finals — literally. In Rosslyn, a swath of red and the words “ALL CAPS” was projected onto a prominent office building. In Ballston, the lights atop another office building were switched to red. [Twitter, Twitter]

Young Caps Fan Provides All the Luck — Parker Matthews, a 7-year-old Arlington resident, kept finding four leaf clovers on the ground during the Washington Capitals’ playoff and championship run. She would display the lucky keepsakes in front of the TV during games. [NBC Washington]

Celebrations Around Arlington — The scene last night after the Caps won the Stanley Cup in Game 5 was one of jubilation throughout Arlington. In some parts of the county, homemade fireworks were going off. In Clarendon, fans cheered in the streets while a fire truck used its horn to lead the crowd in a chant of “let’s go Caps.” [Twitter, Twitter]

Where to Buy Caps Stanley Cup Gear — The team store at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Ballston could have Stanley Cup championship merchandise as soon as Saturday, though the exact timing is unclear. [Twitter]

In Less Exciting News — “Rising interest rates already are impacting the amount Arlington County taxpayers will have to shell out for bond-approved capital projects in coming years. But county-government officials hailed the recent 2.99-percent interest rate received on sale of $153 million in municipal debt as a testament to the government’s rock-solid credit rating.” [InsideNova, Arlington County]

Earl’s Sandwiches to Shutter Ballston Location, Though Clarendon Store Staying Put

By Alex Koma

Earl’s Sandwiches is planning to close down its Ballston location next Friday (June 15).

The local sandwich shop announced the decision on its Facebook page yesterday (June 6). The location at 4215 N. Fairfax Drive, across from the Ballston Metro station, opened back in 2012.

Earl’s added in the Facebook post that the restaurant’s Clarendon store will remain open as part of this shuffle.

“While we have had a fabulous time running our second location, we’re ready to get back to our roots and fully concentrate on creating amazing sandwiches [and] experiences for our customers,” the post reads.

Earl’s first opened its Clarendon location, at 2605 Wilson Blvd, back in 2005.

https://www.facebook.com/earlsinarlington/photos/a.197185143628369.54959.195725183774365/2071012439578954/?type=3&theater

Photo via Facebook

One Year Anniversary of the Clarendon Bus Stop Deodorant Post

By ARLnow.com
1/6

One year ago today, a mystery captivated the Arlington community.

Why, we asked, was there a stick of Old Spice deodorant on top of a Clarendon bus stop? We sent an intern to interview passersby to see if anyone had any idea how it got there.

“People get drunk on the weekends, that would be my best guess,” said a man who works at a local bar.

“I assume somebody just threw it and didn’t expect it to land up there,” said another passerby.

[…] “Maybe somebody was upset with the deodorant’s performance and threw it up there out of anger. Or, more often than not, people throw things up there to see how often they stay up there.”

A few weeks later, the deodorant was joined by a bottle of mouthwash.

We may never know the real explanation of why either personal care product went astray. The deodorant spent a few months on top of the bus stop, looking no worse the wear despite plenty of wind, rain and other inclement weather. Then, one fateful day, we arrived at our office and it was gone without a trace.

On this one year anniversary, we again photographed the bus stop. The roof was sans deodorant, but you can see a new addition in the zoomed-out photo: stray shopping carts from a local Giant grocery store.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

‘Coffee With a Cop’ Comes to Clarendon, Pentagon City — The Arlington County Police Department is hosting a pair of “Coffee with a Cop” events later this month, at a Starbucks in Pentagon City and Northside Social in Clarendon. In a press release, ACPD said it “is committed to developing and maintaining strong relationships with those we serve, a vital component to ensuring the public’s trust.” [Arlington County]

Potomac Roaring Over Great Falls — Those within earshot of the Potomac River are being treated to an especially loud roar this week as the rain-swollen river “churned and even exploded into the air at Great Falls.” It also flooded parts of Alexandria and the Georgetown riverfront. [Washington Post, Twitter, Twitter]

Artisphere Closing Anniversary — It has been three years since Artisphere closed its doors in Rosslyn. The former county-funded arts venue is now a co-working and events space.

Photo courtesy @jimcollierjr

ACPD to Enforce New Clarendon Drop-off Points

By ARLnow.com

New nighttime drop-off and pick-up zones are coming to Clarendon in an effort to stop double parking, blocking of crosswalks and other bad driver behavior.

The zones, created in response to drivers clogging roads and creating dangerous situations for pedestrians during peak bar-going times, are being placed throughout the neighborhood.

The county is specifically working with Lyft, Uber and Red Top Cab to make sure the new traffic patterns are followed by those driving nightlife patrons to and from Clarendon.

Arlington County Police will conduct a three-week “warning” period before starting to “strictly enforce the new regulations.”

More from an ACPD press release:

The initiative also aims to curb illegal practices, such as double parking and stopping in travel lanes, bus stops, bike lanes and crosswalks, to load and unload passengers.

The designated drop-off and pick-up zones in Clarendon will be enforced between Thursdayand Sunday nights from the hours of 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. Zone areas are:

  1. Wilson Boulevard and Clarendon Boulevard between North Highland Street and North Irving Street
  2. North Highland Street between Wilson Boulevard and 11th Street North
  3. North Fillmore Street between Wilson Boulevard and Clarendon Boulevard

Motorists should be on the lookout for ‘No Parking Except 5 Minute Passenger Pick Up and Drop Off’ signs. The Arlington County Police Department will strictly enforce the new regulations, however; a three week warning period is planned to help bring public awareness to the changes and encourage compliance through the issuance of verbal and written warnings for observed infractions.  The warning period will also give drivers and riders an opportunity to become familiar with the newly designated pick-up and drop-off zones.

Violators will be issued citations at the completion of the warning period.

This is a joint safety project between Arlington County’s Department of Environmental Services (DES) and the Arlington County Police Department.

“With the popularity of Clarendon, safety of all people in the public right-of-way is a top concern for us” says Dennis Leach, director of transportation. “We believe the zones will benefit everyone – customers, businesses and neighborhood residents – by providing a safer flow of traffic and reduced conflicts between motorists and pedestrians in one of the County’s busiest neighborhoods.”

“The Arlington County Police Department is committed to maintaining Clarendon as a safe destination for nightlife and entertainment” says M. Jay Farr, Chief of Police. “The officers assigned to Clarendon on Friday and Saturday evenings continue to monitor the area to reduce alcohol related harm and address public safety concerns. The new zones are one additional layer to ensuring the overall safety of customers, businesses and neighborhood residents.”

Photos via ACPD

Goody’s Back Open in Clarendon, Under New Owner

By Alex Koma
1/3

A little more than a month after closing up shop, popular Clarendon pizzeria Goody’s is back open, with some big changes on the way.

New owner Glenda Alvarez says the shop reopened its doors for the first time last Monday (May 15) and is ready for customers once more. Nick and Vanessa Reisis ran the pizzeria since 2006, but decided to retire and sell the store to Alvarez in early April.

Alvarez says she won’t be changing the restaurant’s name, or much about its menu: pizza and subs are still the main things on offer. She added that Goody’s will still be open late at night on the weekends to cater to bar-goers and even Arlington County police officers.

However, Alvarez has recently completed a full renovation of the restaurant’s interior, replacing its well-worn floors and furniture, with more changes on the way.

“Little by little, we’re adding on to it,” Alvarez told ARLnow. “It’s a friendly atmosphere. It’s welcoming, it’s run by a family. We want to make it a family-oriented place.”

Alvarez says she went to culinary school in Paris and used to own a Mediterranean restaurant before moving to Arlington. She says she spent years as an Arlington County government employee, but had long been interested in getting back into the restaurant business.

Alvarez says she’d repeatedly spoken with the Reisis’s about taking over Goody’s someday, and they approached Alvarez and her husband (who works at the small jewelry store next door to Goody’s) when they decided to retire.

“My husband and I talked it over, and it just seemed like a new opportunity for us,” Alvarez said. “So we thought, ‘Let’s go ahead buy it.'”

Though Goody’s may have a different owner running things, Alvarez says patrons shouldn’t expect the food to be too different — she kept on two of the same cooks and plans to leave their pizza and sauce recipes untouched.

However, she is planning on hiring a new chef and perhaps expanding Goody’s breakfast offerings, and even starting up a catering service.

“We’ll just try it all out, and see what works,” Alvarez said.

Flier for a White Supremacist Group Spotted in Clarendon

By Alex Koma

(Updated May 22 at noon) Shana Silver says she was walking along Washington Blvd in Clarendon today (Monday) when she made a disturbing discovery: a flier advertising an Alexandria-based white supremacist group.

She snapped a photo of the slip of paper, distributed by the group Identity Evropa, before promptly taking it down. The flier shows several tattooed white men with the text “Our Generation, Our Future, Our Last Chance” overlaid over the image, and Silver says it was posted near the pedestrian crossing to reach Northside Social.

“I know what neo-Nazi, white supremacist propaganda is when I see it,” Silver told ARLnow. “As a Jewish woman, I can’t let that go.”

Silver, who works for a D.C. nonprofit focused on battling systemic racism in the region, suspects that the flier must have been new, as it had plainly not been soaked by the rain plaguing Arlington for the last week. She says she hasn’t spotted other, similar fliers around Arlington, but she plans to take down any others she might encounter.

“It’s not surprising, but it is very upsetting and disappointing,” Silver said. “It’s really quite sad. You see it happening all over the country and all over the world, this resurgence of white supremacists. They feel like they’ve been emboldened in this political climate.”

Sam Harrington, a spokesman for Identity Evropa, wrote in an email that the group is “a movement for European Americans seeking to preserve our identity and restore the American nation.”

“People of European heritage are being replaced as a result of mass immigration and globalization, and we shouldn’t be expected to find this desirable,” Harrington wrote.

The group argues on its website that it does not believe in white supremacy, but both the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League categorize the organization as a white supremacist group. The SPLC also notes that one of its founders helped plan the infamous “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville last summer, marked by the death of a protester, allegedly at the hands of a man with white supremacist beliefs.

Harrington would not say whether the group has any members in Arlington.

“We’re a nationwide organization, and our members participate in peaceful activism and fliering everywhere,” Harrington wrote.

Arlington County police spokeswoman Ashley Savage says her department has not received any reports about the fliers, dating back to Friday (May 18).

Photo via @SASilverLining

Boccato Gelato Planning to Leave Clarendon Location, Relocate Elsewhere

By Alex Koma

After serving up frozen treats for the last decade along Wilson Blvd. in Clarendon, Boccato Gelato is now set to relocate.

The gelato and espresso lounge posted a notice on its front door and social media accounts Saturday (May 19) that it will soon be moving elsewhere, leaving 2719 Wilson Blvd. behind.

However, the restaurant’s managers wrote that “our future location is in the works.” They did not immediately respond to a request for comment on where they might be moving.

“While we were very lucky and blessed to have found this amazing spot in 2008, it has been quite a task and great challenge to keep up with the obligations of our lease,” Boccato’s staff wrote. “We would like to thank our landlord for giving us a chance to serve you in this wonderful location, and to all the employees of Arlington County for helping us get started and giving us the opportunity to introduce our business to the beloved town of Clarendon.”

The restaurant’s managers added that they have not yet decided on when their final day serving up scoops on Wilson Blvd. will be, and plan to post that information to their Facebook and Twitter accounts in due time.

The move will not affect the Cowork Cafe, however, which has operated out of Boccato for the last three years. The notice Boccato posted said that the Cowork Cafe has signed a new lease at the same space.

File photo

Bishop Considering Redevelopment for St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church

By Alex Koma

A push to overhaul Clarendon’s St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church for the first time in nearly 30 years is gaining steam.

The church’s pastor, the Rev. Don Planty, wrote to parishioners in a newsletter Sunday (May 13) that St. Charles is moving forward with a proposal to “redevelop” the parish site, which is located on prime land at 3304 Washington Blvd. The next step is to get approval for a redevelopment from the diocese and Bishop Michael F. Burbidge.

Planty wrote that the parish has spent the last 10 months or so gathering feedback on the issue. One town hall meeting asked parishioners: “If our parish had an empty city block-if we could start from scratch — what structures would you envision that would best support our mission?”

Church leaders found a “consensus that a timely redevelopment of the St. Charles parish campus would better serve the church’s mission in general and the parish’s mission in particular.”

The church’s website says the building was last overhauled in 1990. More from Planty’s letter:

I am happy to report that the consultation phase regarding a potential parish site redevelopment has concluded and that I have submitted a report to Bishop Burbidge. The consultation process revealed a consensus that a timely redevelopment of the St. Charles Parish campus would better serve the Church’s mission in general and the parish’s mission in particular. A strong majority of parish stakeholders, and all diocesan stakeholders, are enthusiastic about the possibilities that a future redevelopment of the St. Charles campus could bring. Having spent ten months soliciting broad feedback from representative parishioners and diocesan officials, according to the plan approved by Bishop Burbidge, I am confident that there is a great desire to redevelop the St. Charles Parish site, and therefore have requested that Bishop Burbidge formally approve further redevelopment efforts.

Other churches in Arlington have funded new facilities through redevelopment of the church property, including Arlington Presbyterian along Columbia Pike and the Church at Clarendon in Clarendon, both of which approved affordable housing developments that were built on top of the new church spaces.

St. Charles leaders are interested in addressing “an aging parish infrastructure,” “the projected growth in the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor” and “the need for facilities which better support the parish mission now and in the future,” according to its website.

File photo

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