Crystal City | ARLnow.com

Freddie’s Beach Bar Holding DOMA Decision Celebration

Published June 26, 2013 at 4:20PM

Freddie’s Beach Bar, at 555 23rd Street in Crystal City, is planning a “big celebration” tonight (Wednesday) to mark the Supreme Court’s repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act.

This afternoon a rainbow-colored sign with the words “One Step Closer” was put up outside the bar, above the door. Owner Freddie Lutz says he’s expecting a large, jubilant crowd to take those words as a rallying cry at the bar tonight.

“We’re getting calls left and right,” he said. “We’re going to get mobbed.”

The bar will hold a special happy hour from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m., followed by the regularly-scheduled drag bingo night. Exact details of the celebration weren’t worked out at the time of our interview.

On a personal note Lutz, a long-time Arlington resident, said he’s pleased with the ruling but unsure when gay marriage will be allowed in the Commonwealth.

“I’m thrilled about everything,” he said. “Today was certainly a big step in the right direction. But I was thinking this morning about how unfair it was. I’m a Virginia resident, I pay taxes, I have a business in Virginia that brings money into Virginia, yet I can’t marry my partner in the state of Virginia.”

“I would like to see Virginia turn around and allow gay marriage,” he continued. “I want to get married in Virginia. I would like to see that happen before I die.”

Portion of Crystal Drive Opens to Two-Way Traffic

By ARLnow.com

Published June 17, 2013 at 2:00PM

The second phase of the Crystal Drive Two-Way Conversion project was completed over the weekend.

As of Saturday, Crystal Drive between 23rd Street and 26th Street was open to two way traffic. Formerly, the road only allowed one-way northbound traffic.

A county spokeswoman said the conversion is just the beginning of a larger effort to reconfigure Crystal City’s street grid.

“The roadway now includes a northbound sharrow (a marking in the center of a travel lane that indicates bicyclists may use the full lane), a southbound bicycle lane, a north and southbound vehicular lane, up-to-date ADA compliant crosswalks, and upgraded traffic and pedestrian signals,” said Arlington County spokeswoman Laura G. Smith. ” This project marks the beginning of the major street network upgrades in Crystal City that better support the Crystal City Transitway, bicycle network, and general navigability of Crystal City.”

A third phase of the project is expected to establish two-way traffic on Crystal Drive from 26th to 27th Street.

Shot Fired During Armed Robbery in Crystal City

By ARLnow.com

Published June 17, 2013 at 10:00AM

A gunshot was fired during an armed robbery in Crystal City early this morning.

The robbery happened on the 2400 block of S. Eads Street around 12:30 a.m. Police say two Arlington men, ages 32 and 33, were walking to their car from a nearby restaurant when a man crossed the street and engaged them in conversation. The man then pulled out a gun and demanded cash.

The victims emptied their pockets and then ran away. For an unknown reason, the suspect then fired a single gunshot, striking the side of the CVS Pharmacy building. No one was hurt.

A K-9 unit and the U.S. Park Police Eagle 1 helicopter responded to help in the ensuing search for the suspect. The suspect was not found, but the shirt he was wearing at the time of the robbery and the victims’ phones and keys were recovered a short distance away.

In all, the suspect made off with about $20 to $30, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.

The suspect is described as a 45-50 year-old black male, approximately 5’4″ and 140 lbs. He was wearing a black and red horizontal-striped shirt and brown shorts.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published June 14, 2013 at 8:30AM

Fish and Wildlife Office to Leave Arlington — On the heels of the decision to move the National Science Foundation from Arlington to Alexandria, the General Services Administration is expected to announce soon that the Fish and Wildlife Service is leaving, as well. The Dept. of the Interior agency, which occupies three office buildings in Ballston, is “seeking a less expensive space option outside Arlington.” [Washington Business Journal]

Restaurant Fire in Crystal City — A fire broke out in the kitchen of Cafe Manna in Crystal City around 5:30 last night. The restaurant is located on the ground floor of the office building at 2345 Crystal Drive. A sprinkler system helped to extinguish the flames before they spread, but the restaurant suffered smoke and water damage.

Mary Marshall Scholars Announced — Arlington County has named the eight local high school students who will receive $1,500 college scholarships as part of the Mary Marshall scholarship program. The scholarships, awarded to those who are pursuing careers in public service, are named after former House of Delegates member Mary Marshall. [Arlington County]

Teen Battle of the Bands This Weekend — Artisphere (1101 Wilson Blvd) will host a teen battle of the bands competition on Saturday. The competition, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m., will feature at least 8 local teen bands. The concert was organized by D.C.-area high school seniors as part of a month-long internship at Artisphere. Tickets are $5. [Artisphere]

Army Celebrates Birthday — Today (Friday) is the U.S. Army’s 238th birthday. The occasion will be marked with a wreath-laying ceremony from 2:30 to 3:00 p.m. at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery. [U.S. Army]

Flickr pool photo by Martin Humm

Video: Race Official Hurt in Crystal Cup Crash

By ARLnow.com

Published June 10, 2013 at 1:30PM | Updated June 10, 2013 at 5:20PM

A race marshal for Sunday’s Crystal Cup bike race was hurt when one of the competitors slammed into her, knocking her to the ground.

The moments before and the immediate aftermath of the crash, which happened near the VRE station on Crystal Drive, were caught on video (above).

The collision sent the cyclist tumbling into the path of a race vehicle, the driver of which managed to stop in time and render aid. Arlington County sheriff’s deputies and police motorcycle officers also responded to the crash.

About 30 seconds after the initial crash, a group of racing cyclists approach the scene. Unable to get out of the way in time, one ran over the race official, who was still on the ground, and himself fell hard to the pavement.

The race marshal was transported to a local hospital for minor injuries, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. She was one of four race participants who required transport to the hospital on Sunday.

The cyclist who ran over the official, identified by the website Bike Hugger as Timothy Rugg, wrote in a blog post that he didn’t suffer any injuries aside from “tons of road rash and a deep gash in my elbow.” He complained that the course for the Crystal Cup race and Saturday’s Clarendon Cup race, both part of the Air Force Association Cycling Classic, contained too many “obstacles and potholes.”

Aldo Imo Ilesic of Slovenia was the first place male finisher in the Clarendon Cup, according to CyclingNews.com. American Amanda Miller topped the field among elite women.

Argeninian Juan Jose Haedo placed first among elite men in the Crystal Cup, VeloNews.com reported. Lauren Stephens captured first place in the elite female race.

Photo (bottom) courtesy eschweik

Air Force Association Cycling Classic This Weekend

By Katie Pyzyk

Published June 5, 2013 at 10:10AM | Updated June 5, 2013 at 10:41AM

Cyclists will fill the streets of Arlington this weekend for the annual Air Force Association Cycling Classic.

Activities begin at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 8, with various amateur races. The big event, however, is the Clarendon Cup which begins around noon. It is part of USA Cycling’s National Criterium Calendar and has been the Washington DC region’s premier Pro/Am race since 1998. According to the event website, the 100km Clarendon Cup (100 laps on a 1km course) is known as one of the most difficult criterium races in the U.S. due to technical demands of the course and the quality of the participants.

Cyclists of all abilities are welcome to participate in the Challenge Ride on Sunday, June 9, beginning at 7:30 a.m. Sunday’s featured event is the Crystal Cup men’s pro race.

Closures for the events are as follows:

Saturday, June 8, from 4:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.:

Wilson Blvd from N. Fillmore Street to Washington Blvd
Clarendon Blvd from Washington Blvd to N. Fillmore Street
Washington Blvd from Wilson Blvd to N. Highland Street
Highland Street from Wilson Boulevard to Washington Blvd
Garfield Street and Fillmore Street from Wilson Blvd to Washington Blvd

Street parking in the affected areas also will be restricted. Motorists should be on the lookout for temporary “No Parking” signs. Illegally parked vehicles may be ticketed or towed.

Sunday, June 9, from 5:00 a.m. to noon:

Crystal Drive between 23rd Street and 15th Street
20th Street between Crystal Drive and Jefferson Davis Highway. Single lane provided westbound from S. Bell Street to Jefferson Davis Highway
Clark Street between 20th Street and 23rd Street. Vehicles will be able to enter/exit from the northern most garage entrance/exit when deemed safe.
Westbound lanes of 23rd Street between Crystal Drive and S. Clark Street will be closed and eastbound lanes will be converted to westbound traffic. All traffic from Route 1 bound for the Crystal Drive parking garage will be diverted to S. Clark Street• 18th Street between Crystal Drive and S. Bell Street –- Only local traffic destined for garage parking permitted east of S. Bell Street
Westbound lanes of 15th Street between Crystal Drive and S. Eads Street
Eastbound lanes of 15th Street between Crystal Drive and the southbound entry ramp for Route 1/Jefferson Davis Highway – east bound lanes between S. Eads and the south bound entry ramp will remain open.
Southbound Route 110 between Rosslyn and Route 1/Jefferson Davis Highway
Southbound Route 1/Jefferson Davis Highway between Route 110 and 15th Street
Washington Blvd eastbound at I-395
Washington Blvd westbound from Memorial Bridge
Columbia Pike from S. Washington Blvd to S. Oak St.
S. Joyce Street from S. Washington Blvd to Columbia Pike
Boundary Channel Drive from Connector Road to S. Washington Blvd
South Gate Road no access to Columbia Pike

Sunday, June 9, from noon to 4:00 p.m:

Crystal Drive between 23rd Street and 15th Street
Eastbound lanes of 15th Street between Crystal Drive and Jefferson Davis Highway
20th Street between Crystal Drive and Jefferson Davis Highway. Single lane provided westbound from S. Bell Street to Jefferson Davis Highway
Clark Street between 15th Street and 18th Street
Clark Street between 20th Street and 23rd Street. A single lane will be provided at the exit to the parking garage for Plaza Apartments to allow vehicles to exit upon ACPD direction
Westbound lanes of 23rd Street between Crystal Drive and S. Clark Street. Eastbound lanes will be converted to westbound traffic. All traffic bound for the Crystal Drive parking garage will be diverted to S. Clark Street
18th Street between Crystal Drive and S. Bell Street –- Only local traffic destined for garage parking permitted east of S. Bell Street

Disclosure: Air Force Association Cycling Classic is an ARLnow.com advertiser

Crystal City Outdoor Movies Begin Monday

By Katie Pyzyk

Published May 28, 2013 at 5:00PM

Crystal City is getting ready for its summer showings of outdoor movies. The first movie will run next Monday, June 3.

This year’s theme for the Monday night Crystal Screen movie festival is “Blockbusters.” Last year, residents had the opportunity to vote for which movies they’d like to see relating to the theme.

The movies chosen are a mix of old favorites, such as Jaws, and newer options like The Help. The full schedule is as follows:

June 3 — E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial
June 10 — The Social Network
June 17 — The King’s Speech
June 24 — Crash
July 1 — American Beauty
July 8 — The Blind Side
July 15 — Moneyball
July 22 — A Beautiful Mind
July 29 — Forrest Gump
August 5 — The Help
August 12 — Jaws
August 19 — Inception
August 26 — Jurassic Park

The movies are shown just after sunset in the green space at 1851 S. Bell Street. The free movies will play rain or shine, but could be canceled in the instance of severe weather.

Disclosure: Crystal City BID is an ARLnow.com advertiser

Second Cantina Mexicana Location Opens

By Katie Pyzyk

Published May 28, 2013 at 1:25PM

The owners of Cantina Mexicana have opened a new location just off of Columbia Pike.

The new restaurant, at 922 Walter Reed Drive, took over the space previously occupied by Senor Pan. It joins the existing location at 515 23rd Street S. in Crystal City, which has been in business since 1974.

Last year, owner Gloria Arias told ARLnow.com that she had hoped to open the new restaurant in November. It just celebrated its grand opening this past Friday, however.

The restaurant will serve the same “fine Tex-Mex cuisine” as the Crystal City location. In addition to bottled beer, wine and cocktails, the restaurant offers Dos Equis, Pacifico, Modelo Especial and Negra Modelo on tap.

Morning Notes

By Katie Pyzyk

Published May 21, 2013 at 9:00AM | Updated May 21, 2013 at 9:42AM

Pierce Queen Apartments Too Costly for Tax Credits? — The Virginia Housing Development Authority has flagged the Pierce Queen Apartments project in Ft. Myer Heights as being too expensive for Low Income Housing Tax Credits. The units must remain at $350,000 each to receive credit, but the Pierce Queen units come in at $402,000. The project developers asked for a little more than $2 million in tax credits. VHDA is still examining the request and will make its final decision on June 5. [Arlington Mercury]

DOD Renews Lease in Crystal City — The Department of Defense decided to renew its lease at 2530 Crystal Drive in Crystal City. The agency was expected to stay in the more than 550,000 square foot space due to money being tight within the federal government. [GlobeSt]

High School Tournament Roundup — In high school sports, the Washington-Lee boys tennis team defeated the Robinson Rams in a quarterfinal match, but lost to Langley in the region semifinals. Yorktown boys and girls lacrosse teams lost in their second rounds of tournaments. Yorktown sophomore Luke Maxwell finished his season undefeated and won the National District singles tennis tournament without dropping a set. [Northern Virginia Sports]

Flickr pool photo by ddimick

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published May 15, 2013 at 9:05AM

Yorktown Baseball Sets Record — Yorktown High School’s baseball team has finished the regular reason undefeated in the National District. With 14 victories, the Patriots set a National District record for wins in a single season. [Sun Gazette]

Crystal City BRT Named — The Bus Rapid Transit system that will serve Crystal City and Potomac Yard next year will be named “Metro Way” and will feature a blue bus design. The buses will travel from Pentagon City to Alexandria, and will run every 6 minutes during the rush hour. [Greater Greater Washington]

USS Arlington Fundraising $100K Short of Goal — So far, more than $390,000 has been donated or is expected to be pledged for a 9/11 “tribute room” on the USS Arlington. That leaves the ship’s commissioning committee more than $100,000 short of its $500,000 goal, however. Fundraising is continuing and committee member Frank O’Leary says he is “hoping to crack $400,000 this month.”

Crystal City Wine Shop to Open Second Location

By ARLnow.com

Published May 7, 2013 at 2:00PM

The one-year-old Crystal City Wine Shop is expanding to a second location.

Crystal City Wine Shop — a for-profit business owned by the nonprofit Washington Wine Academy — will open a 1,500 square foot store at 220 20th Street S., in the former Revolution Cycles CityHub space. The store will carry 300 different wines and 150 types of beer, according to Washington Wine Academy president Jim Barker.

In addition to selling wine and beer, the store will “focus on educating people through tastings and events,” Barker said. Like the current store at 401 12th Street S., the new location will hold wine and beer tastings on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Barker says he hopes to open the new store at some point this summer, possibly in August.

Even though the two stores will only be a few blocks away from one another, Barker says he believes having a new store “in the heart of Crystal City” will help attract new customers who don’t necessarily want to walk to the existing store, on the north end of Crystal City.

Barker said the Whole Foods Market set to open a block away from the wine shop’s 12th Street location in 3-4 years is “obviously a concern,” but thinks that there’s room for both businesses. He pointed out that the apartment building in which the Whole Foods will be built will add residents to the area, and that the new Boeing headquarters will also add to Crystal City Wine Shop’s base of potential customers.

Photo via Google Maps