Crystal City

Melody Tavern Closes Its Doors

By ARLnow.com

Another business has closed at the Market Square at Potomac Yard development.

Melody Tavern (3650 S. Glebe Road), a bar/restaurant that hosted live music, has closed after about a year in business. On Facebook, the owners thanked customers for “10 wonderful months.”

“This location is far more challenging than anticipated so we have decided to close the doors,” the Facebook post said. “We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause some. Thank you and God Bless.”

This is the latest in a lengthening line of business closures at the off-the-beaten-path retail cluster, located on the ground floor of the Eclipse condo building between Crystal City and Potomac Yard, just off Route 1.

Melody Tavern had replaced McGinty’s Irish Pub, which closed in December 2010. Hee Been Asian Bistro Buffet closed there in July after just 7 months in business. Harris Teeter has yet to reopen after a major sewage backup in May. (No word yet on a reopening date.) Meanwhile, across the street, a Jerry’s Subs and Pizza closed last year.

Part of the blame may be the lack of foot traffic from anyone other than residents of the two adjacent residential buildings, and the fact that the businesses are set back from the street and hard to see to people driving by. Another possible explanation: last November, we reported that Melody Tavern had to issue a press release after it was revealed that some GPS navigation systems directed people to a vacant lot several blocks away when trying to find the restaurant’s address.

UPDATED: Cantina Mexicana Expanding to Columbia Pike

By ARLnow.com

 

Update at 4:15 p.m. — Co-owner Gloria Arias tells ARLnow.com that the restaurant will have the same menu as the Crystal City location. She’s hoping to open the new restaurant in November.

Crystal City Tex-Mex restaurant Cantina Mexicana is expanding with a second location in Arlington.

The restaurant is expanding from its Crystal City location at 515 23rd Street S. to the former Senor Pan location at 922 S. Walter Reed Drive, just off of Columbia Pike. No word yet on when the new restaurant is hoping to open. Cantina Mexicana’s menu includes traditional Tex-Mex favorites like fajitas, huevos rancheros, chimichangas and enchiladas.

Senor Pan, a bakery and cafe, closed in July after just six months in business.

Man With Healing Gaze to Stare at Crowds in Crystal City

By ARLnow.com

A man purported to have a healing gaze will be gazing at rooms full of people at a Crystal City hotel this weekend.

Braco, a Croatian man who purportedly has the gift of being able to awaken “positive and beautiful feelings and energies” simply by gazing at people, will be holding nine daily 30-35 minute “gazing sessions” at the Sheraton Crystal City Hotel (1800 Jefferson Davis Highway) today (Friday), Saturday and Sunday.

Though some may be skeptical of the power of Braco’s gaze, he has been doing it since the 1990s and thousands of people still line up for his gazing session.

“His visitors report his success through fascinating recoveries and positive changes in their lives, which attracts more and more people from all over the world,” according to his website. “And during those silent sessions people feel deeply touched even without having any direct and personal contact with Braco. They feel touched by an invisible and silent power, which is flowing through them and they try to open and assimilate that power.”

In the video below, two American veterans describe their profound experience with Braco.

Braco’s gazing sessions will be held from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. today, and from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets for one gazing session are $8, and are sold at the door or online.

The final session of each day will include the playing of ‘The Voice,’ described as “an eight-minute recording of Braco speaking, and offers another way for us to receive this gift into our lives.”

For the record, the price of admission is said to only cover Braco’s event expenses.

“Braco does not take any money for his help; he does not accept donations and the sessions are always free at his Center in Zagreb [Croatia],” according to his website. “There is only a small fee at international events, when he visits other countries on tour, to cover the event facilities rental and organizational costs.”

Hat tip to John Fontain. Photos via Braco.net.

County, Landlord Back Off After Shop Changes Mural

By Katie Pyzyk

There’s a whale of a difference between the old and new murals at Smokey Shope III (554 23rd Street South) in Crystal City.

The store — which sells various types of gifts and smoking paraphernalia — had run into trouble with the county over a mural on the side of the building depicting a man smoking a cigar. The painting was viewed as an advertisement for products inside, thus constituting an illegal sign.

To remedy the situation, owner Atta Amin arranged for the cigar portion of the mural to be painted over, replacing it with a whale. He said the colorful, billowing cigar smoke just happens to look similar to the waves of the ocean.

The change satisfied the county’s zoning office, and it also smoothed over things with Amin’s landlord, who at first objected to the mural. According to Amin, the building owner has allowed him to keep the mural up through the end of his lease. He’s currently four months into the five year lease.

Since the whale first appeared last month, Amin said he’s received no complaints about the mural from neighbors or customers.

“Hopefully people will be happy with it,” he said.

Amin said he spent a considerable amount of money to fix up the inside of the once-vacant building, located along the 23rd Street strip of restaurants and small shops. With the mural troubles out of the way, he’s now focused on attracting more customers.

“So far business is okay. Hopefully we can get the upper hand and see the hard work paid off,” Amin said. “Time is on our side.”

Free Burritos at Crystal City California Tortilla

By Katie Pyzyk

California Tortilla (2450 Crystal Drive) in Crystal City may be making your decision about what to have for lunch a little easier. The restaurant is celebrating its opening by giving away free burritos today.

Earlier this week, the chain tweeted about the deal, which will run from 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. and from 5:00-8:00 p.m. Customers receive one free burrito and drink, and the first 20 people in line get free burritos for a year.

Work has been ongoing all summer to ready the Bethesda chain’s newest restaurant. The Crystal City location is the third in Arlington.

If you’re thinking of showing up to quickly grab a burrito and run, be warned that you’re not alone. According to California Tortilla’s Twitter account, the first person to start camping out for a free burrito got there at 1:00 a.m.

Photo via @caltort on Twitter

Man Found Dead on Hotel Toilet

By ARLnow.com

A 51-year-old Maryland man was found dead in the lobby restroom of a Crystal City hotel Monday morning.

The hotel’s cleaning staff discovered the man unresponsive in a bathroom stall around 9:00 a.m. on Monday (Sept. 17). He was sitting on a toilet, slumped against the back wall. Paramedics were called but they were unable to revive the man, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.

The man was a resident of Bowie, Md., according to police. It’s not clear whether he was a guest in the hotel.

Authorities believe the man had a heart attack while on the toilet. His death is not considered suspicious.

File photo

Board Approves County’s Largest Private Office Building

By ARLnow.com

The Arlington County Board has approved a new 24-story office building in Crystal City — a building that’s being billed as a catalyst for Crystal City’s revitalization.

At 24 stories and 719,704 square feet, the building — 1900 Crystal Drive — will be second only to the Pentagon in Arlington in terms of floor space.

(Alhough 1900 Crystal Drive will be the tallest in Crystal City, the 580,000 square foot, 35-story office building currently under construction at 1812 N. Moore Street in Rosslyn is still expected to be the tallest countywide.)

The building includes 11,290 square feet of ground floor retail space, plus a five-level, 732 space parking garage and nearly 150 bicycle parking spaces. Vehicle parking will be available to the public on weekends, holidays and after 6:00 p.m. on weekdays. Some residents expressed concern about extra vehicular traffic as a result of the building, but it won approval from the county’s Transportation Commission by a vote of 9-0.

Vornado, the developer of 1900 Crystal Drive, agreed to a number of community benefits in exchange for the extra zoning density required for the project. Among the benefits:

  • $3 million contribution to the county’s Affordable Housing Investment Fund
  • $75,000 contribution to the county’s public art fund
  • $154,000 for Arlington utility fund, $20,000 for multi-space parking meters
  • Various improvements to 18th Street S.
  • $1.4 million for Arlington County Commuter Services and $65 Metro SmartTrip cards for building employees (to encourage transit commuting)
  • $2.76 million for a temporary half-acre park
  • $2.56 million for a four-pipe hydronic heating and cooling system, part of the county’s plan to encourage a district energy system for Crystal City

Though resident concerns about the building were largely assuaged, thanks to the addition of low-reflection glass and a 900 square foot community meeting room, Board member Chris Zimmerman voted against the project. (It passed 4-1.)

Zimmerman said that the community benefits associated with the project were relatively small for a building of its size, but ultimately his ‘no’ vote came down to his view that the building’s site plan does not pave a sure-fire path to the construction of a proposed, adjacent “Center Park.” Instead, the site plan just requires Vornado to work with county staff “to prepare an implementation plan for guiding the achievement of Center Park.”

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Registration Open for Crystal City Diamond Derby

By ARLnow.com

The area’s only bicycle derby that occurs inside a garage is returning to Crystal City.

The Crystal City Diamond Derby will take place on Saturday, September 29 from 4:00-10:00 pm. The venue is the underground parking garage at 2345 Crystal Drive, which will be transformed into an urban cycling course.

Riders of all abilities can try out the courses, some casual and others competitive. The Kids’ Derby and D&Q River Ride are free, but there are fees to enter the Open Course Challenge, Team Competition and 4X Comps. Registration for the various events is available online. All participants must have their own bikes and helmets.

Spectators are welcome in the viewing areas, and can check out other activities such as the new cycling inspired fashion shows. There will also be street art, music and food and drinks. The evening will close with the presentation of awards, around 9:40 p.m.

Photo via diamond-derby.com. Disclosure: The Crystal City BID is an ARLnow.com advertiser.

Crime Report: Rape Reported at Restaurant

By ARLnow.com

Police are investigating a possible rape at a restaurant in Crystal City.

A woman told police she was raped by an acquaintance early on the morning of Friday, Sept. 7. Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck would not name the establishment where the alleged rape took place, but described it as a “bar/restaurant” on the 500 block of 23rd Street S.

Sternbeck said the woman was brought to the hospital for examination after reporting the crime. No arrests have been made so far, he said.

“We’ve spoken with the alleged suspect and the victim,” said Sternbeck. “It remains under investigation.”

From this week’s Arlington County crime report:

RAPE, 09/07/12, 500 block of S. 23rd Street. Between 2:30 and 3 am on September 7, a female victim was sexually assaulted and raped by a known suspect. The incident remains under investigation.

The rest of the crime report, after the jump.

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UPDATED: Gas Line Break in Crystal City

By Katie Pyzyk

 

Update at 12:05 p.m. — The line is capped and streets will reopen once emergency equipment is cleared from the roadway.

Earlier: Crews are on the scene of a gas leak in Crystal City, where several blocks are being closed to traffic.

We’re told a construction crew hit a two-inch gas line near Crystal Drive and 20th Street South. Crystal Drive has been shut down from 18th Street to 23rd Street while workers repair the line. Firefighters are currently checking nearby buildings for elevated gas levels.

There’s no estimate on when the road will re-open.

Board Approval Requested for 1900 Crystal Drive

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 2:30 p.m.) Approval of the site plan for a new development in Crystal City will come before the County Board at its meeting this Saturday, September 15.

The board is being advised by county staff to adopt four provisions in the development proposal for the office building, dubbed 1900 Crystal Drive. That structure’s site proposal is the first in Crystal City to be considered under the Crystal City Sector Plan, which was adopted in 2010.

Part of the proposal involves rezoning about 1.7 acres of the property from “C-O” to the “C-O-Crystal City” zoning district. Another measure requests approval for construction of the new 24-story office building, which would require demolishing the existing 11-story Crystal Mall III structure (1851 S. Bell Street).

The building, designed to achieve LEED Gold certification, would have nearly 720,000 square feet of office space and more than 11,000 square feet of ground floor retail space. There would also be six levels of parking, with a total of 732 spaces. The parking will be available to the public at a discounted rate after 6:00 p.m.

As part of the agreement with the county, the developer, Vornado, would provide curb, gutter and streetscape improvements around the perimeter of the property. The plan also involves the construction of an approximately 16,000 square foot interim park near the intersection of Crystal Drive and 18th Street South. The park, which is not part of the property included in the current rezoning request, will remain for an undetermined amount of time until a new building is approved and constructed on the site.

In addition to being close to several bus stops, the Crystal City Metro station and the Crystal City VRE station, the site sits just south of a planned 18th Street station for the upcoming Crystal City/Potomac Yard transitway. The proposed transitway would provide service from the Pentagon City Metro station to the Braddock Road Metro station in Alexandria, and would link with the Columbia Pike streetcar.

County staff members say they have not received any written complaints about the site plan from neighboring civic associations, though at least one neighbor told the Washington Examiner that he was concerned that the building would cast a shadow over his condominium and produce additional local traffic.

Staff is recommending the board approve the measures in question. The staff report cites 1900 Crystal Drive as a significant investment that will act as a catalyst for future development, and may create momentum in the market.

The staff report stated, “Considering the impacts of BRAC, it is critical to initiate the redevelopment process, which will be difficult considering market conditions in Crystal City.”

The report asserts that the Crystal City area would not receive the entire scope of listed benefits if the existing building were simply renovated, instead of constructing a completely new structure on the site.

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