Crystal City | ARLnow.com

Events Planned for Vintage Crystal Festival

Published August 20, 2013 at 9:45AM

Wine and beer aficionados will have a number events to quench their thirst for adult beverages next month thanks to the annual Vintage Crystal wine festival.

The Crystal City Business Improvement District teamed up with the Washington Wine Academy for the month-long wine and beer celebration, which kicks off with Wine in the Water Park on Friday, September 6. Wine in the Water Park runs every Friday in September from 6:00-10:00 p.m. at the Crystal City Water Park across from 1750 Crystal Drive. Visitors can take in live music while getting help with finding the perfect wine. Admission is free, and there is a $5 charge for beer and wine.

The celebration continues on Sunday, September 15 with Sip and Salsa, the Vintage Crystal signature event. Wines from Spain, Portugal and South America will take center stage, along with tapas from local restaurants. Attendees can participate in free salsa lessons and wine tasting classes. Sip and Salsa runs from 2:00-6:00 p.m. Tickets are $20 for food and wine or $10 for just food, and can be purchased online or at the event.

Pups and Pilsners will cater to the beer loving crowd on Sunday, September 22. The dog-friendly festival will have a beer garden with ten stations featuring different beers, including fall brews like Devil’s Backbone Ichabod Crandall Pumpkin and Weihenstephaner Festbier. Crystal City restaurants will be on hand to serve food during the event, which runs from 2:00-6:00 p.m at 1405 Crystal Drive. Tickets are available online for $20, and will be available at the door for $25 until they sell out. The admission covers six tasting tickets and one full beer.

Additional information about the events can be found online.

Disclosure: Crystal City BID is an ARLnow.com advertiser

Olympic Weightlifters to Host Training Camp

By Ethan Rothstein

Published August 16, 2013 at 11:05AM

Former Olympic weightlifter Cara Heads Slaugher will host an “Olympic Weightlifting Training Camp” in Arlington over Labor Day weekend.

Heads Slaughter will partner with her former Olympic teammate, Kendrick Farris, to host the two-day event at her personal training studio, CH Fitness and Performance. The business is based out of the Crossfit South Arlington space at 607 S. Ball Street, just north of Crystal City.

The event sold out in two weeks back in June, according to spokeswoman Rebecca Grapsy, and will include 20 weightlifters each in two, four-hour sessions spread out over Saturday, Aug. 31 and Sunday, Sept. 1. From a press release:

The sport of Olympic weightlifting has experienced a tremendous resurgence in popularity. Competitions consist of 3 attempts at each of the two lifts of the ‘snatch’ and the ‘clean and jerk’ — top athletes will put hundreds of pounds overhead in displays of athleticism and strength. Athletes of all ages are using the lifts to enhance their fitness program, or to improve their performance in other sports.

Heads Slaughter, who competed in the 2000 Olympic games in Sydney, relocated CH Fitness and Performance from Southern California to Northern Virginia last year.

Crystal Screen Announces ‘Flight’ Theme For 2014

By Ethan Rothstein

Published August 13, 2013 at 4:30PM

The Crystal Screen movie series, put on every summer by the Crystal City Business Improvement District, already has a theme for its 2014 season: flight.

Movies based around airplanes will start showing the first Monday of June 2014 on the plaza at 1850 S. Bell Street. These titles include movies like “Airplane,” “Snakes on a Plane” and “Top Gun.” Crystal City BID President and CEO Angela Fox said in a press release that the theme is meant to highlight Crystal City’s proximity and symbiotic relationship with Reagan National Airport.

“We don’t know of any other neighborhood in the world that has a major airport that you can actually walk to,” Fox said. “So, we are highlighting this uniquely accessible aspect of Crystal City with a summer of flight-based movies.”

This year’s theme is Blockbusters, with two more screenings left: “Inception” on Monday, Aug. 19 and “Jurassic Park” Aug. 26. Previous year’s themes have been “Rom Com,” showing romantic comedies, “By the Numbers” and “Star Trek.” Other outdoor movie events around Arlington include the Rosslyn Outdoor Film Festival, which has a “Back to School” theme this year, and Penrose Square’s regular movie screenings.

Crystal City BID is an ARLnow.com advertiser.

Confusing Signs at Reconfigured Crystal City Intersection

By ARLnow.com

Published August 13, 2013 at 1:00PM

Arlington County officials say they’ve fixed some confusing signage at the at the intersection of 12th Street and Long Bridge Drive.

Last week, a tipster told ARLnow.com that signs for eastbound traffic on 12th Street (pictured) indicated there two through lanes, when in fact there’s only one available lane on the other side of the intersection. This caused confusion for drivers, which could lead to accidents, the tipster said.

(The road and intersection was recently re-striped and reconfigured as part of the Crystal Drive two-way project, which converted Crystal Drive from a one-way to two-way road between 12th and 15th Streets.)

Arlington County spokeswoman Jennifer Heilman said this morning that the signs have been fixed.

“The signs in question at the intersection were corrected yesterday evening,” Heilman said. “They shouldn’t have been uncovered until the new signal at the intersection is turned on by Dominion Virginia Power.”

A Dominion rep told ARLnow.com that a new transformer is scheduled to be installed as part of the project on Saturday. Meters and power could be switched on as soon as Monday, Aug. 19.

Arlington Residents Charged in Pharmaceutical Scheme

By ARLnow.com

Published August 7, 2013 at 4:15PM | Updated April 15, 2016 at 12:08PM

Two Arlington residents have been arrested and charged with running an illegal pharmaceutical business from their Crystal City apartment.

Syed “Farhan” Huda, 38, and his wife, Deeba Mallick, 36, were among 11 people charged in a 17-count indictment unsealed in federal court today.

Prosecutors say Huda and Mallick masterminded a scheme in which they imported non-FDA-approved prescription drugs from various parts of the world, then switched the labels and sold the drugs to doctors, hospitals and medical practices across the U.S. The scheme is alleged to have generated more than $8.6 million in revenue over the past four years.

The couple and their alleged co-conspirators face various fraud and medical-related charges. They appeared before Judge John F. Anderson in Alexandria federal court today.

On its website, Gallant Pharma promotes its ability to deliver wholesale prescription drugs for “20-80% off your current supplier.”

“Due to our strong international supply chain, we are able to provide products at deep discounts compared to what you are currently paying,” the site says.

The press release about the charges, after the jump.

(more…)

Crystal Drive Two-Way Delayed Two Days

By ARLnow.com

Published August 5, 2013 at 11:35AM | Updated August 5, 2013 at 12:41PM

(Updated at 12:45 p.m.) The conversion of Crystal Drive from a one-way to a two-way road between 12th Street and 15th Street, in Crystal City, has been delayed.

Two-way traffic was originally slated to start this afternoon, following planned weekend lane striping and painting work. Instead, the conversion has been pushed back until Wednesday.

“The conversion has been delayed for 48 hours due to a scheduling conflict with our subcontractor,” Arlington Department of Environmental Services spokeswoman Laura G. Smith confirmed to ARLnow.com this morning. “Work that is yet to be done includes the bicycle lane, sharrows and parking lane markings. The two-way traffic will begin at noon on Wednesday.”

Another Portion of Crystal Drive to Open for Two-Way Traffic

By Ethan Rothstein

Published August 2, 2013 at 3:30PM | Updated August 5, 2013 at 11:41AM

Crystal Drive opening to two-way traffic

Update on 8/5/13 — The two-way conversion has been delayed until Wednesday.

Starting Monday afternoon, another section of Crystal Drive in Crystal City will be open for two-way traffic.

This weekend, crews with the Department of Environmental Services are expected to finish the final painting and striping on Crystal Drive between 12th and 15th Street S.

The striping is the second-to-last step of the project to make the Crystal Drive corridor open to two-way traffic. The last step is waiting for Dominion Power to energize the traffic signal at S. Clark and 12th Streets. Until that happens, S. Clark and 14th Streets will remain southbound only, DES spokeswoman Laura G. Smith said.

Striping work was underway Friday afternoon and will continue through Saturday and from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday. After 4:00 p.m. Monday, DES expects the stretch of road to open for two-way traffic. Parking is prohibited on Crystal Drive and 12th Street S. while crews are painting.

Crystal Drive Pedestrian Bridge To Be Removed

By Ethan Rothstein

Published August 1, 2013 at 10:00AM | Updated August 1, 2013 at 11:16AM

The pedestrian bridge over Crystal Drive at 20th Street S. is set to close Monday, in advance of being removed permanently.

The bridge, which connects to the 220 Twentieth Street apartment building, is being removed to bring the prior redevelopment of the building “in line with the County Board’s policy of removing above street-level pedestrian circulation in order to focus such activity on the existing exterior sidewalks, thereby creating a busier, more active, and exciting streetscape,” according to the Crystal City Business Improvement District.

The major demolition work will be completed Aug. 10 and 11, according to Vornado Vice President for Development Gordon Fraley. Vornado is coordinating and funding the demolition as the owner of the 220 Twentieth Street building.

After the bridge is taken down, it will clear the way for a planned “pocket park” in the area and a new stair/escalator to the Crystal Drive shops and restaurants from the upper plaza, the BID says on its website.

Photo (top) via Google Maps. Photo (bottom) via Crystal City BID.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published July 31, 2013 at 8:45AM

Claim: County Erroneously Booted Car — A D.C. resident named Rebecca Jones says she parked her car at her fiance’s private residence in Arlington and was surprised to come back from a trip and find it booted. The county claimed she owed nearly $4,000 in unpaid taxes but, Jones says, later admitted that the enforcement computer system targeted her car only based on name association with a different Rebecca Jones. [Sun Gazette]

Arlington Native Makes ‘Most Beautiful’ List — Arlington native Carolyn Walser, 28, has made The Hill newspaper’s annual 50 Most Beautiful People list. Walser, a Democrat, is a scheduler for Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) was a staffer for the former Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.). [The Hill]

Military Appreciation Night at Chick-fil-A — On Saturday, from 3:30 to 7:00 p.m., the Chick-fil-A restaurant at 2200 Crystal Drive in Crystal City will hold a Military Appreciation Night. Active and former military personnel and their immediate family members are eligible for free food and drink with valid identification. [Facebook]

Flickr pool photo by Ddimick

Man Slashed Outside Crystal City Metro

By ARLnow.com

Published July 30, 2013 at 11:00AM

A man suffered a large cut during an attempted robbery outside the Crystal City Metro station early Sunday morning.

Police say the man was outside the Metro station around 4:00 a.m. when a male suspect approached him from behind and asked for a cigarette. The suspect then demanded money and when the victim refused to hand over any cash, the suspect took out a knife and slashed him across the right forearm, police said.

“The victim sustained a large laceration and was transported to Virginia Hospital Center,” said police. “The suspect is described as a black male, approximately 5’7” tall and 180 lbs. He was wearing a black t-shirt, blue jeans and black sneakers at the time of the incident.”

The suspect is wanted by police on expected charges of malicious wounding and attempted robbery.

Taj of India Coming To Cucina Vivace Space

By Ethan Rothstein

Published July 30, 2013 at 10:00AM | Updated July 30, 2013 at 11:34AM

An Indian restaurant is going to fill the former Cucina Vivace space in Crystal City this fall.

Owner Sahjahal Mia, who owns Taj of India in Georgetown, said he’s been looking to open a second Taj of India location in Virginia for a couple of years. Once the location on the 23rd Street S. restaurant row opened up, he knew he’d found a home.

“There are a lot of restaurants on that strip, but no Indian restaurants,” Mia told ARLnow.com. “I’ve been visiting 20-30 times, and every time it’s crowded. I think we’re going to do well.”

Mia’s Georgetown location has been open since 2002 serving traditional Indian fare and offering customers carry-out and delivery, including online ordering through services like Seamless and GrubHub. He said the offerings at the Crystal City restaurant, slated to open in mid-September, will be the same.

Mia’s observation of the 23rd Street restaurant row differs from that of Gordon Vivace, who owned Cucina Vivace.

“That strip is not in good shape and is simply no longer a location where an upscale restaurant can survive,” Vivace said when he closed his doors in March.

The only other Indian restaurant in the Crystal City/Pentagon City area is Kohinoor Dhaba on S. Eads Street, so Mia feels he is better positioned to succeed. In fact, he said, he has had several calls for delivery to Crystal City from his Georgetown restaurant. Although it was out of his delivery range, he has told his drivers to make the trek anyway, just to build up a following.

“We have a lot of customers who have come from Crystal City hotels to our restaurants,” he said. “We needed to be here.”