Earlier: Arlington County police are investigating a sexual assault and slashing in Crystal City last night.
Police and medics were dispatched to the 1900 block of Richmond Highway on Saturday just before 8:30 p.m., for a report of a woman who was slashed with a box cutter and robbed of her phone. Later it was reported that she was also sexually assaulted.
A source told ARLnow that the attack happened in an underground portion of Crystal City’s network of shops and tunnels.
This is at least the second sexual assault in Arlington this week. On Monday night a man was arrested and accused of sexually assaulting a woman in the Courthouse Metro station.
Arlington County police issued the following press release about Saturday’s sexual assault early Sunday afternoon, confirming some of the details in our earlier reporting.
The Arlington County Police Department is investigating a sexual assault and robbery which occurred in the 1900 block of S. Bell Street on the evening of July 22.
At approximately 8:24 p.m., police were dispatched to the report of an assault with a weapon. The preliminary investigation indicates the female victim was walking in the Crystal City Shops when the male suspect approached, produced a box cutter, demanded money and stole her cell phone. The suspect then took the victim to a secluded area where he sexually assaulted her and struck her with the box cutter, resulting in a laceration. The victim was able to exit the area and seek assistance from individuals in the 1900 block of Richmond Highway who contacted emergency services. The victim was transported to an area hospital for treatment of physical injuries considered non-life threatening.
Responding officers established a perimeter and canvassed the area for the suspect which concluded with negative results. The suspect is described as a Black male in his mid-20’s with dark hair and a beard. He was wearing a gray t-shirt, black shorts with gray leggings underneath and carrying a green duffle bag.
This remains an active criminal investigation. Anyone with information that may assist the investigation is asked to contact Detective Maldonado at 703-228-4194 or [email protected]. Information may also be provided anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477). For additional community resources and contact information, visit our website.
Z-Burger in Crystal City along 23rd St. S is now open (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
A new Z-Burger started serving late last week in Crystal City.
The local burger franchise has opened a new location at 509 23rd Street S., next to Royal Pawn and Los Tios Grill. That was the former location of Taj of India and was initially set to be the home to Korean rice dog eatery Oh K-Dog and Egg Toast. But those plans never materialized and now it’s a Z-Burger.
The fast-casual eatery opened late last week, co-owner Kevin Ejtemai confirmed to ARLnow. As to be expected, the menu consists of burgers, fries, and milkshakes.
This is currently the only Arlington location for Z-Burger, though there was one previously in Virginia Square before it became an All About Burger due to a legal settlement that forced a split of the two franchises.
Ejtemai said the local chain is eyeing expansion and is actively looking for other locations in Arlington. Z-Burger has nine other restaurants across the D.C. area, including one on S. Pickett Street in Alexandria that opened recently.
The co-owner noted one of the main reasons they decided to open on 23rd Street in Crystal City — on the “restaurant row” where a number of the independent businesses have set up shop over the year — is that it’s a “historic and quaint [part of] town.”
Makeshift closed sign on Amazon Fresh store in Crystal City (courtesy anonymous)
The Amazon Fresh store in Crystal City is closed, though the company says the closure is temporary.
ARLnow first received a tip about the closure on Saturday. Subsequent tips fretted about whether the closure might be more than temporary.
“I asked an Amazon associate… and she said no one knows why and management has not said why,” a tipster said. “Residents are worried it was shuttered, it’s our only easily accessible grocery store in the heart of Crystal City.”
But fret not, says an Amazon PR staffer, it will reopen.
“I can confirm that our Amazon Fresh grocery store in Crystal City is temporarily closed,” wrote Amazon’s Jessica Martin. “We regret the inconvenience to customers, and look forward to re-opening the store soon.”
She was not able to clarify a timeframe for reopening nor why the store closed.
“I don’t have any additional details to share at this time,” Martin wrote.
Amazon Fresh opened at 1550 Crystal Drive in Crystal City, a few blocks from the company’s Pentagon City HQ2, in July 2022. It’s the only full-service grocery store in Crystal City, though there are a pair of Harris Teeter stores and an Amazon-owned Whole Foods just outside of the neighborhood’s boundaries.
Amazon was rumored to have been planning to open a Fresh store on Columbia Pike, but that grocery tenant — whether Amazon or otherwise — ultimately fell through, delaying a planned redevelopment. Amazon has been “rethinking” its strategy for Fresh and other brick-and-mortar stores, according to various reports.
Surreal is opening in Crystal City in the fall (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Surreal is opening in Crystal City in the fall (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Work on Surreal underway in May (via Google Maps)
Surreal is aiming for a fall opening in Crystal City, but much still remains unknown about the restaurant, situated in a park-like setting.
Surreal, from the award-winning D.C.-based chef Enrique Limardo, is set to move into a newly-constructed space in the JBG Smith-owned courtyard of 2121 Crystal Drive. The restaurant is part of the developer’s “Dining in the Park” project and will utilize both indoor and outdoor areas while being “set among more than an acre of greenery.”
Photos taken by ARLnow last week show that construction is moving along and apparently nearing completion.
A JBG Smith spokesperson confirmed to ARLnow that the plan is for the restaurant to open in the fall, a slight push from an earlier late summer goal.
It was back in October 2021 when Surreal was first announced to much fanfare. However, in the two years since, few details have emerged about the exact concept, the menu, and the decor.
When asking for more information, the spokesperson wrote in an email that “there is nothing new to share at this time” despite the restaurant being only a few months away from opening.
A few blocks away, meanwhile Crystal City’s revamped Water Park is also planning its opening. It will feature nine 300-square-foot restaurant kiosks, including local favorites like Queen Mother’s, Falafel Inc, and Tiki Thai.
Along with the restaurants, there will also be a live performance stage, public art installations, a building with public restrooms and bike facilities, and a “modernized fountain water wall” that empties into an “immersion fountain.” On top of the water wall will be an open-air raw and cocktail bar called “Water Bar.” A New York-style pizza place will also be located in the park.
A JBG Smith spokesperson told ARLnow is anticipating an August “soft opening” for the Water Park, with a grand opening set for shortly after Labor Day.
The proposed location of an east entrance to the Crystal City Metro station (via Google Maps)
The intersection of N. Vermont Street and N. Fairfax Drive in Ballston (via Google Maps)
A long-planned-for second entrance to the Crystal City Metro station is set to hit a milestone during the Arlington County Board meeting tomorrow.
The Board on Saturday is set to approve a $117.2 million contract with JBG Smith and Clark Construction, which intend to design and build an east entrance to the station on the northwest corner of 18th Street S. and Crystal Drive.
This May, JBG Smith and Clark submitted 30% complete designs and the $117.2 million price tag. Since then, county staff and the developers have been negotiating the terms of the contract, which would hold the developers responsible for budget overages.
Project costs have increased by a few million dollars since 2022, when JBG Smith and the county agreed to tweak the project to save $13 million from the then-estimated total of $126 million.
In a report, the county says this entrance project is targeting one of Arlington’s most heavily used Metro stations in an area expected to grow even more in the near future.
“The Metrorail station serves high-density residential buildings, office buildings, and retail development,” the report said. “The station is also a major transfer point for Metrorail, commuter bus and rail, and premium bus service.”
The new entrance will provide a direct route accessible to people with disabilities and forge a better connection to the Virginia Railway Express station to the east.
When the Board reconvenes in September, members are expected to consider a separate agreement with WMATA, the county report said. It will outline the county’s role overseeing design and construction and how it will coordinate with WMATA.
Location of proposed second Crystal City Metro entrance (via Arlington County)
But this is not the only second Metro entrance project taking a step forward on Saturday.
Next up, in Ballston, the Board is slated to accept $4.5 million in Northern Virginia Transportation Commission I-66 Commuter Choice Program Funds for a long-envisionedwestern entrance at the intersection of N. Fairfax Drive and N. Vermont Street.
The county has pooled together a hodge-podge of funding sources, including an $80 million from the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, approved last summer. NVTA helped cover the cost to develop design costs in 2016 but denied a 2019 request for $33.5 million.
Despite these funding wins, costs continue rising: a county report now estimates a price tag of $150 million, up from $140 million in 2021 and $130 million in 2019.
The county expects to have a final estimate after WMATA finishes reviewing the 35% complete plans. Then, Arlington County will seek out a company to finish the designs and build the project.
“A second station entrance will improve access from the Glebe Road area and growing development in the western part of Ballston. The project will also improve egress in the event of an emergency incident requiring evacuation from the station and train platforms.”
There will be two street-level elevators and either escalators or stairs to an underground passageway and a new mezzanine with stairs and elevators to the train platform. The new entrance will have fare gates, fare vending machines and a station manager kiosk.
The project will come with improved street-level transit connections.
Map showing potential location of new Ballston Metro entrance (via Google Maps)
A man was seriously injured after an assault that stemmed from him knocking on a door early this morning.
Police were dispatched to a residential building along the 2100 block of Richmond Highway — the same block as the Crystal Plaza Apartments — around 12:30 a.m.
“The male victim was inside a residential building when he knocked on an apartment door before walking away,” said today’s Arlington County Police Department crime report. “Two female suspects then exited the apartment and located the victim near the elevator. A verbal dispute ensued during which one suspect allegedly assaulted the victim while the other suspect stole the victim’s cellphone before leaving.”
The man was seriously injured and the two women were arrested, police said.
“The suspects returned to the scene upon police arrival and were taken into custody,” said the crime report. “The victim sustained serious, non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to an area hospital.”
A 29-year-old Arlington woman and a 25-year-old Alexandria woman were arrested and charged with robbery and assault, respectively. They were also both charged with public intoxication, according to ACPD, and held without bond.
Asked what prompted the dispute, a police spokeswoman tells ARLnow that it was “over the victim knocking on the suspect’s door.” The ACPD spokeswoman noted that the “suspects and victim were not known to one another” and, asked about the man’s injuries, said only that they “were consistent with a physical fight.”
Cosplayers at BlerDCon in Crystal City (via BlerDCon/YouTube)
A cosplayer at the 2019 BlerDCon, which takes place in Crystal City (via BlerDCon/YouTube)
BlerDCon 2023 promo screen (via BlerDCon)
Cosplayers at BlerDCon in Crystal City (via BlerDCon/YouTube)
BlerDCon, an annual convention with cosplay, gaming, anime and sci-fi events, is returning to Arlington this weekend.
The summer tradition for nerds, and particularly the event’s namesake Black nerds, or “blerds,” kicks off in Crystal City today (Friday). It will run from noon today until 3 p.m. on Sunday. Expect to see costumed crowds around the neighborhood throughout the weekend.
Tickets can be purchased online for the event, held at the Hyatt Regency at 2799 Richmond Hwy.
Actress Rachel True, who has appeared in “Beverly Hills 90210” and “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” will return to BlerDCon, after her last appearance at the convention in 2019. Voice actor and actress Cree Summer, who has spent a majority of her career working in animation, will also appear at this year’s BlerDCon, along with several other notable guests and cosplayers.
The event this year will honor art, literature, cosplay and media genres with its “Fae’d to Black” theme, the event’s website says.
The schedule includes everything from 2000s Disney Channel trivia to mental health discussions, highlighting common struggles shared among people of color.
While open to all, the convention aims to highlight sci-fi and fantasy fans in the LGBTQ and disability communities, as well as women, people of color and immigrants.
Last year’s convention drew a local headline after police were called for a man with a weapon, which turned out to be a cosplayer with a prop. Organizers have published policies regarding faux weaponry and cosplay that attendees are expected to follow for safety purposes.
Ticket reservations for a full weekend badge cost $70. There is also an option to purchase a badge valid for Saturday and Sunday for $55 as well as a badge available for Sunday only listed at $30. Children ages 10 and under can attend the event for free, accompanied by an adult.
Badges to get selfies, autographs, voice and video recordings from featured guests are available to purchase as well. Ticket reservations range from $10, for selfies or autographs, to $200 for a VIP ticket that includes giveaways, early access to BlerDCon 2024 events, free show entries and front row seats at qualifying events throughout the weekend.
Leaf blowers in use in the Truist Bank parking lot in Ballston (courtesy anonymous)
Proximity of resident’s apartment building to DCA (via Google Maps)
Naval support facility on S. Courthouse Road (via Google Maps)
One inevitability of running a local news outlet is that you’ll get plenty of people contacting you with complaints about stuff, some more newsworthy than others.
In general, we’re disinclined to use our limited reporting resources as a cudgel against pet peeves that lack greater significance or safety concerns to the community at large. More often, the better stories tend to be those that come from tips sent because something seems interesting, not because it bothers the tipster personally.
Recently, though, there has been a noticeable uptick in a certain type of tip: those complaining about noise.
Noise is a constant concern in a place like Arlington, which has no shortage of noisy things from airliners to helicopters, bars to buses.
Noise complaints abound in our 26 square miles, but those that have a more limited local impact and fall into a category that might be described as “annoying but to be expected where you live” often do not rise to the level of local coverage.
Arguably, the following three noise complaints could get that categorization. But after receiving each in notably short succession, we’re going to let readers decide which, if any, has the most merit and might deserve additional scrutiny.
First up: (1) the use of leaf blowers in Ballston when there are, in fact, few if any leaves on the ground.
You folks should do a story on excess use of gas powered leaf blowers in [Ballston]. I live off Welburn Square, and when I work at home I hear pairs of workers with leaf blowers frequently, like every few days. This happens literally year round, every month,–80% of the time there are no leaves!
Are these county workers? It seems like a waste of taxpayer money plus unneeded air pollution and sound pollution.
I’ve attached a photo from this morning. No leaves!! Yet two guys with gas powered blowers wailing.
Regards
Welburn Square apartment resident.
Next: (2) nightly runway closures at DCA steering late flights closer to residential towers in nearby Crystal City.
As a longtime resident of Crystal City, my high-rise building, and others on the northern end of Crystal Drive, are directly along the flight path of aircraft currently departing the 15/33 runway that’s being used during the evenings while the main runway is worked on. Since the project started, aircraft depart that runway perhaps 1000′ from my building regularly during the late evening until nearly 3AM … and then resume a few more times before 6AM when the main runway is cleared for regular daytime traffic. (It’s intolerable for us in Waterford House and Crystal Gateway, but likely is worse for the residents of Crystal City Lofts and Water Park Towers.)
In addition to working professionals, several buildings in this part of Crystal City count many senior citizens as homeowners and/or renters. Taken together, we are all directly – and adversely – impacted being in such immediate proximity to the overwhelming noise of aircraft taking off on 15/33 that pass so close to our buildings during the overnight hours. I think you’d agree that long-term sleep deprivation and the related health consequences – at any age – certainly is not the answer. :(
According to a 2022 airport diagram[1], DCA runway 15/33 is 5200×150′ while 4/22 is 5000×150. Runway 4/22 is another ‘cross’ runway but departs over the Potomac River and does not put departing aircraft so close to residential buildings during their initial climb-out from DCA. Given the nearly identical length of these runways, it would be nice to know why DCA is not able to use that runway instead and therefore prevent disrupting the residents of northern Crystal City.
Finally: (3) the daily playing of the National Anthem at a Navy facility in the Penrose neighborhood, which allegedly “started last fall” and “can be heard from several blocks away, through windows, and is played every day.”
I am writing in about the Naval Support Facility at 701 S Courthouse Rd, Arlington, VA. Several months ago, the facility began playing the National Anthem every morning at 8am.There are speakers pointed directly into the neighborhood. While it may have simply been an oversight, I wanted to bring Arlington County’s noise ordinances to your attention.
According to Arlington County, the Naval Support Facility is located in Zone S-3A. Arlington’s noise control regulations require that noise for Zone S-3A is below 95 decibels for “impulsive noise” during daytime hours (7am – 9pm weekdays, 10am – 9pm weekends) and below 90 decibels during nighttime hours. Please note they also define impulsive noise as lasting less than 1 second [Noise Ordinance, page 2]. All other noise needs to remain below 60 decibels during daytime hours and 55 decibels during nighttime hours. The Naval Support Facility plays the National Anthem at an audio level far beyond the permissible levels.
Additionally, I would like to bring your attention to the prohibited acts in the Arlington County noise ordinance. [Noise Ordinance, page 6]. I live approximately 600 feet from the Naval Support Facility, and the noise is extremely loud, even with the windows closed. This is a direct, clear violation of Arlington County’s noise ordinances.
“My neighbor has tried bringing this to Arlington County, but they won’t preemptively come out to the facility to witness the noise, so they won’t enforce their own rules,” the anthem tipster told ARLnow.
Which of the above complaints do you think has the most merit?
Renderings of Dweck’s proposal for Crystal Towers 3 at 1600 S. Eads Street (via Arlington County)
Renderings of Dweck’s proposal for Crystal Towers 3 at 1600 S. Eads Street (via Arlington County)
Renderings of Dweck’s proposal for Crystal Towers 3 at 1600 S. Eads Street (via Arlington County)
Renderings of Dweck’s proposal for Crystal Towers 3 at 1600 S. Eads Street (via Arlington County)
Renderings of Dweck’s proposal for Crystal Towers 3 at 1600 S. Eads Street (via Arlington County)
An aerial view of the existing Crystal Towers at 1600 S. Eads Street (via Arlington County)
The parking lot between Crystal Flats and Crystal Towers on S. Eads Street (via Google Maps)
A surface parking lot at Crystal Towers set for redevelopment (via Google Maps)
A surface parking lot at Crystal Towers set for redevelopment (via Google Maps)
A development proposed for Crystal City is entering the home stretch.
Tonight (Thursday), the Arlington Planning Commission is slated to review and vote on plans from Dweck Properties to add a residential building and a retail building to the existing the Crystal Towers Apartment complex at 1600 S. Eads Street.
The 132-foot, 11-story residential building would have up to 209 units and a penthouse with an amenity space and ground-floor retail, per a Planning Commission report. Dweck proposes 54 studios, 120 1-bedroom and 35 2-bedroom units and is aiming for LEED Gold certification in exchange for extra density.
A single-story, 27,901-square-foot retail building would have building heights ranging from 16 to 22 feet.
If approved, the apartment building would replace an existing surface parking lot between the Crystal Flats building and the existing Crystal Towers buildings fronting S. Eads Street, according to application materials. The new retail building to the north, also fronting South Eads Street, would replace another existing surface parking lot to the north.
As part of the project, dubbed Crystal Towers 3, S. Eads Street will get a median buffer connecting to a buffer built as part of the first phase of Amazon’s second headquarters, north of the site. Dweck proposes adding new sidewalks, street trees and street lights along S. Eads Street as well.
The project would also realize some improvements to an existing open space at the corner of 15th Street S. and S. Eads Street, according to a recent county staff report. Dweck proposes expanding the space by some 700 square feet and adding a boardwalk area with public tables and chairs, bench seating and new pathways, without disturbing a mature oak tree.
Plans call for two green roofs, one over a portion of an existing building and a second over the new retail development fronting S. Eads Street.
Prospective tenants in the new residential building would have access to an existing garage that already serves Crystal Towers residents and the Lofts building nearby. Despite the increased occupancy, the total number of spots is set to drop from 1,152 to 1,061 spots, plus 11 visitor bicycle spots.
The developer intends to make an affordable housing contribution to the Affordable Housing Investment Fund (AHIF) of $1,421,380.
This “could provide gap financing for approximately 18 (committed affordable units) at the nearby Crystal Houses infill development project, a project which is anticipated to request a significant amount of AHIF financing to achieve the County’s stated objective of partnering with the property owner to significantly increase the supply of low and moderate income housing options in Crystal City,” the report says.
The Arlington County Board is slated to review and vote on the project during its meeting on Saturday, June 10.
The 21st Armed Forces Cycling Classic held in Clarendon and Crystal City in 2018 (courtesy Douglas Graham/WLP)
Hundreds of cyclists will descend on Crystal City and Clarendon this weekend for the 25th annual Armed Forces Cycling Classic.
There will be several races over the course of the weekend. Spectators can watch participants race through Arlington on three separate routes: one in Crystal City, another in Clarendon, and a third spanning Crystal City to Rosslyn. A schedule lists the start times for every race.
From 7 a.m. on Saturday, spectators can watch the Crystal City Challenge Ride, which starts and finishes on 12th Street S. east of S. Eads Street, according to a route map.
The route extends past the Pentagon and continues all the way to Rosslyn before circling back. Competitors must complete as many laps as possible before the race ends at 10 a.m.
Attendees may also observe the competitive pro races through Crystal City, along a rectangular route that starts and ends on 12th Street S., then loops onto S. East Street, 15th Street S. and Crystal Drive. The first heat takes off at 10:25 a.m.
The Crystal City Cup (via Armed Forces Cycling Classic)
Then, on Sunday, spectators can watch pro and amateur cyclists race through Clarendon from the start and finish line at the intersection of N. Herndon Street and Wilson Blvd, beginning at 10:05 a.m.
The course circles through Washington Blvd, N. Highland Street, and Clarendon Blvd.
The Clarendon Cup Race (via Armed Forces Cycling Classic)
In a traffic advisory, Arlington County Police Department suggests attendees and spectators ditch their cars when heading to the weekend’s races.
The Crystal City Metro station (Blue and Yellow lines) is located near the Challenge Ride/Crystal Cup racecourse at the corner of 18th Street and Clark Street and will be accessible on Saturday, June 3. The Clarendon Metro Station (Orange and Silver lines) is located within the Clarendon Cup racecourse at the corner of Wilson Boulevard and N. Highland Street. Vehicular traffic (to include buses) will not be able to access the Clarendon Metro Station after 5:30 a.m. on Sunday, June 4.
For those who are not able to watch in person, the races will be live-streamed on Saturday from 11 a.m.-2:15 p.m. and on Sunday from 9:45 a.m.-2:15 p.m.
That remains the case with the restaurant hoping for a debut in the coming months, co-owner and Peter’s daughter Lydia Chang told ARLnow.
“We’re still on track to open NiHao Crystal City. Our team is working on obtaining the building permit. Will share more about the concept when we’re ready,” she wrote in an email.
The initial plan was for NiHao to be a bit different from the chef’s other local Arlington location, in the Lee-Harrison Shopping Center. It would focus on a modern approach to Szechuan cuisine while providing an “introduction” to authentic Chinese food, Chang told DCist in February, much like the Baltimore location with the same name.
However, Chang’s recent comments to ARLnow also make it seem like the concept could be tweaked by the time it opens late this year or early next.
Peter Chang first began to amass an American following in the late 2000s. For much of his career up to that point, he was one of the most well-known chefs in China. In 2001, he moved to the United States with his family to work as the head chef for the Chinese ambassador. Two years later, he secretly fled the embassy with his wife (a pastry chef as well) and his young daughter.
He took jobs cooking at modest-looking Northern Virginia restaurants in an effort to keep a low profile, but soon his fame and delicious cooking made him a mysterious sensation. Chang eventually opened his first restaurant in Charlottesville, and it quickly became a hit. He opened others, including his first local location in 2015 in the busy strip mall on N. Harrison Street in Arlington.
Peter Chang Arlington remains popular today, along with the other acclaimed restaurants he’s opened over the last decade.
NiHao Arlington will be restaurant 15 when it starts serving in the months ahead. And there are more restaurant openings ahead. Plans are already in the works for other Chang eateries in McLean and Herndon.
