So what did we learn? Here are just a few of the questions and answers.
Tell us a bit about your company.
Phillips: “Shift is a two-year-old startup that makes car resale easier. We handle all the paperwork, and take the stress out of it.”
Why do your companies choose Arlington?
Sundaram: “For us Arlington was a natural choice. Arlington offered a large residential piece and retail… [for] our employees who live nearby. It worked out geographically.”
What are some of the best opportunities for local tech?
Sundaram: “I think that there are a lot of high-tech companies but also lots of startups, so we get a balanced ecosystem. We are also in the D.C. area, this area has access to lots of political conversation.
What is your company working on right now?
Orazem: “We are creating a forum for people to ask questions about government cuts and revenue.”
You have offices all over the world, how do you keep everyone on the same page?
Fuccillo: “Big business problems in a small business is never good, we have to have really good communication. Webinar-based meetings with webcams definitely helps us connect a little bit better.”
The races will take place around Clarendon on Saturday, June 11 — busy streets like Wilson Blvd will be closed to traffic around the race circuit — and around Crystal City, the Pentagon and the Air Force Memorial on Sunday, June 12.
Kids Race: The Ethan Klancnik Memorial Kids Race supports Tay-Sachs Awareness and Prevention, and will take place in Clarendon on Saturday, June 11 and in Crystal City on Sunday, June 12.
Air Force Association Cycling Classic’s Clarendon Cup: This professional race showcases a form of cycling involving a series of high-speed bike races that take place on a 1km course on city streets. As part of the prestigious USA Cycling Professional Road Tour, the Clarendon Cup 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.
Challenge Ride: The Challenge Ride is an amateur, non-competitive, participatory ride, open to cyclists of all abilities. The ride will be held on a closed, 15km circuit in and around the Pentagon, Crystal City and the Air Force Memorial. Bronze, silver and gold medals will be awarded for those who can complete 2, 4 or 6 laps within the 3-hour course closure (June 12, Crystal City). Races incorporated in the Challenge Ride include:
Thales Corporate Challenge
Navy Federal Credit Union Armed Forces Challenge
USAA Congressional Challenge
Some proceeds from the event will benefit wounded Air Force personnel.
“The Air Force Association’s Wounded Airman Program is the primary beneficiary of the event, receiving proceeds from pledges made by Team Sabre and from additional fundraising activities throughout the weekend,” said the press release. “The Wounded Airman Program supports wounded, ill and injured Airmen with adaptive equipment needs, financial support and care and quality of life items.”
Registration for the kids ride and for the races is open online. See photos from previous years here, here and here.
County Board Contenders Debate — The two Democratic contenders for Arlington County Board, incumbent Libby Garvey and challenger Erik Gutshall, debated who would be the most transparent and the best agent of change last night. Gutshall criticized Garvey for the lack of action on new transit options for Columbia Pike and for supporting the creation of a “blue ribbon panel” to study county priorities. [InsideNova, Washington Post]
Residents Concerned About Sex Offender — Some residents in the Bluemont neighborhood and the area around Bon Air Park are concerned about a registered sex offender who recently moved to the area. There have been reports of the man watching children’s soccer games and leaving balloons in the backyard of a family home. Police say they’re investigating. [Fox 5]
Vornado Attracting Millennials With Cool Restaurants — “Vornado has carefully curated its retail in Crystal City and Pentagon City to appeal to creative Millennials, bringing in tenants like DIY design and fabrication space TechShop and hip restaurants like We The Pizza, Sweetgreen and Taylor Gourmet, which just opened Monday. That’s not to mention the Whole Foods anchoring the retail section of Vornado’s The Bartlett, a trendy ‘city within a city’ with nearly 700 residential units.” [Bisnow]
Chinese News Agency Profiles Arlington’s Tech Scene — Xinhua, the state-run news agency that’s said to be the largest and most influential media organization in China, has published a feature story that discusses how Arlington has become a “hot spot for tech startups.” The story notes that in addition to a robust talent pool and the availability of investment capital, “government has also played a vital role in the development of startups in Arlington.” [Xinhua]
Outdoor Lab to Celebrate 50th Anniversary — The Arlington Outdoor Lab, a nonprofit facility that hosts more than 9,000 students annually for outdoor and environmental education, is celebrating its 50th anniversary with an event in Ballston next month. [Arlington Outdoor Lab]
Yes, your narrow apartment with a Murphy bed is not the Palace of Versailles. And yes, like a dorm your WeLive apartment comes furnished and with the expectation that your neighbor could be your next best friend.
But dorms generally don’t have, among other things, built-in Bose sound systems, custom-designed West Elm furniture and free fruit-infused water in the lobby. And thanks to some clever, efficient design, even the smallest WeLive studio doesn’t feel cramped.
WeLive is a much more ambitious effort than just trying to figure out how to cram humans into as small a space as possible while maintaining an aura of high-end living. As its leaders will tell you, it’s a new paradigm for living in cities.
The WeLive experience could be described as “asset light.” Your furniture, kitchen equipment, linens, towels, plus your TV, sound system, cable, Wi-fi and utilities are all included. If you’re moving here you don’t have to pack a moving van, instead you show up with your suitcase and your laptop, then make a quick trip to the grocery store and you’re good to go.
The trip to the grocery store might even be optional. The building offers free coffee, tea and — yes — beer, and the move-in kit includes hangers, Co. Bigelow toiletries and a Harry’s shave kit.
Unlike your typical apartment, there is a social component to WeLive. Sure, other buildings might have a cocktail hour or exercise class, but here it’s assumed that you will actually get to know your fellow residents — at least those in your three-story “neighborhood” (there are three neighborhoods in the Crystal City WeLive/WeWork building.) Common areas like the big flat screen TV and video game lounge are hubs of activity, as are a dining area and breakfast nook.
WeLive somehow manages to use internet-connected technology to make the living experience more personal, instead of using it to help people disconnect from in-person contact. A dedicated WeLive app tells residents when there’s free pizza in the kitchen, Game of Thrones on the big TV or a WeLive-organized fitness or cooking class or other activity happening. You can also send messages to your fellow residents, if need be.
One might expect WeLive to be a haven for ramen-noodle-eating, single 20-somethings, but so far that’s not entirely the case. Yes, there are recent college grads working on the lower rungs of tech startups. But there are also older professionals and executives giving it a try. The oldest resident WeLive resident, we’re told, is in his 60s. At least one friendly dog has taken up residence with his 30-something owner — the building is pet friendly.
Company officials are calling WeLive an experiment and are paying close attention to how things go in Crystal City. The location is a slightly more suburban parallel to the only other WeLive location currently open — on Wall Street in Manhattan. Both types of location are important to a company that says it wants to provide a “disruptive alternative to the way people live.”
The Crystal City WeLive is located at 2221 S. Clark Street, a former office building it shares with a WeWork co-working space, and has 216 total units, with 1-4 beds and 1-2 private bathrooms apiece.
Monthly prices, excluding the flat $125/month utility fee, start at $875 for an individual bed or $1,640 for a private unit, according to the WeLive website.
The new Taylor Gourmet restaurant in Crystal City is opening today.
The sandwich shop, at 2200 Crystal Drive, will open at 11 a.m., a PR rep says. Taylor will be open daily from 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
The new location will feature some unique decorations, including a new neon sign, recycled bike tire wall paneling, a Philadelphia-inspired mural, shipping palette wood screens, and a glass garage door front window.
This is the second Taylor Gourmet to open in Arlington, excluding the location at Reagan National Airport.
A two-vehicle collision resulted in an SUV overturning on Route 1 (Jefferson Davis) this morning.
The crash happened in rainy weather around 10:15 a.m., at the 27th Street S. intersection in Crystal City. An SUV flipped on its roof and a car suffered heavy front-end damage in the wreck.
Two ambulances have been called to the scene, but none of the injuries are reported to be life-threatening.
Northbound Route 1 is down to one lane as crews continue to clean up the wreckage and spilled fluids.
The Arlington County Police Department will hold its 2016 Spring Pedestrian & Bicycle Safety Awareness campaign this week.
From 8:30-10:30 a.m. tomorrow, and from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Thursday, Arlington officers will be participating in a special detail in the Crystal City and Clarendon areas, promoting the campaign and enforcing traffic law violations by motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.
“Approximately 25 percent of the traffic fatalities in the Washington area are pedestrians and bicyclists, with nearly 90 deaths per year,” ACPD notes in a press release (below). “Motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians are reminded to pay attention to one another and always proceed with caution and care for each other’s safety.”
On Tuesday, April 26, 2016 from 8:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. and on April 28 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., officers with the Arlington County Police Department’s Special Operations Section will be out promoting the 2016 Spring Pedestrian & Bicycle Safety Awareness Program. This safety enforcement detail will be held in the Clarendon and Crystal City areas. This campaign will run from April 11, 2016 through May 8, 2016. Officers will enforce violations of traffic laws by motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians. Members of the media are invited to attend to cover the detail.
The detail is part of the 2016 Street Smart Pedestrian, Driver, and Bicyclist Safety Campaign and the Arlington County Police Department’s Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Awareness Program to promote pedestrian and bicycle safety across the region. These programs are designed to carry out education and enforcement campaigns throughout the year in order to ensure everyone shares the roads safely. Approximately 25 percent of the traffic fatalities in the Washington area are pedestrians and bicyclists, with nearly 90 deaths per year.
Motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians are reminded to pay attention to one another and always proceed with caution and care for each other’s safety.
Community Garden Fundraiser Fizzles — Arlington County’s attempt to crowdfund a community garden accessible to those with disabilities has not gone so well. As of Sunday the county has only raised $465 out of the $10,000 it sought, with only five days to go in the fundraiser. The failure raises questions about local government use of crowdfunding, the Post suggests. [Washington Post]
Meeting on Career Center Changes — Some major changes could be coming to the Arlington Career Center. Arlington Public Schools will be discussing that and other South Arlington school projects at a meeting Tuesday. The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Career Center, at 816 S. Walter Reed Drive. [Taylor PTA]
More on Notable Tree Planted at Fire House — A Southern Magnolia tree planted outside Fire Station No. 4 in Clarendon was recognized as a “Notable Tree” last week. The tree was planted in 1965 in memory of ACFD Capt. Archie Hughes, who died while responding to a house fire at the age of 33. [NBC Washington]
New Movie’s Arlington Connection — A new indie flick, “Green Room,” follows the travails of a fictional Arlington-based punk band. The film was written and directed by Alexandria-born filmmaker Jeremy Saulnier. [DCist]
Spotluck Launches in Crystal City — Restaurant discovery and discount app Spotluck has launched in Crystal City. Participating restaurants include Crystal City Sports Pub, Kora and Kabob Palace. [Spotluck]
Arlington’s Diversity Highlighted — The world is learning about Arlington’s diversity. The Voice of America notes that Arlington is home to more than 130 ethnic groups, particularly around Columbia Pike. [VOA]
Valor Awards Recount Harrowing Moments — Saving a suicidal woman who was about to jump from the seventh floor of a parking garage. Saving the life of a man who had just been run over by an SUV twice. Smashing a car window in order to resuscitate the victim of a major crash on I-395. Those are a few of the acts of valor recognized at the Arlington Chamber of Commerce’s Valor Awards this week. [InsideNova, Arlington Chamber]
WaPo Questions Crystal City-Brooklyn Comparison — The Washington Post isn’t letting the New York Times get away with a quote that compared Crystal City to Brooklyn. The area’s hometown paper instead quoted a number of Twitter critics, one of whom called Crystal City a “Ballardian hellscape.” The Times story suggests that Crystal City — with its new restaurants, emerging tech scene, transportation improvements and community events — is experiencing something of a mini renaissance. [Washington Post]
Vida Fitness Coming to Ballston — High-end local fitness chain Vida Fitness is planning a new full-service gym in Ballston. The new location could open as soon by 2019. [Washington Business Journal]
Nauck Town Square Designs — Arlington County is seeking feedback on the draft design of the forthcoming Nauck Town Square park. The design includes a large sculpture of the word “FREED.” [Arlington County]
County Gets Adorable Letters — Arlington County gets adorable letters from children, who ask about things like raising backyard chickens and saving worms that might have gotten swept up as yard waste. [Arlington County]
Times Lauds Crystal City’s ‘Reboot’ — Arlington’s Crystal City community is “is quietly and persistently reinventing itself,” with tech startups and co-working spaces moving in and taking advantage of office space left vacant by departed federal and military tenants. Crystal City stakeholders are positioning it as a less expensive but still amenity-filled alternative to the District. “Think Brooklyn and Manhattan,” said Mitchell Schear, president of property owner Vornado/Charles E. Smith. [New York Times]
Ballston Named One of the Area’s ‘Hottest Neighborhoods’ — Ballston is among the top 5 “hottest neighborhoods in Washington,” according to Washingtonian. The magazine notes that Ballston’s median home price rose by nearby 10 percent last year, and that the forthcoming renovation of Ballston Common Mall will convert it into “an airy, downtown-like destination, akin to Fairfax’s Mosaic district.” The other four hot neighborhoods are Mount Pleasant, Trinidad, Shaw and Hyattsville. [Washingtonian]
Archaeological Dig Unearths History — An Arlington County-supervised archaeological dig at Dawson Terrace, near Rosslyn, has unearthed “243 ceramic objects, 1,603 glass objects, 74 metal objects and 13 others.” Most of the objects are believed to be from the 18th and 19th centuries. Dawson Terrace is Arlington’s oldest stone house, dating back to around the Revolutionary War. [Falls Church News-Press]
County Recognizes ‘Notable Trees’ — At yesterday’s Arlington County Board meeting, the county recognized this year’s batch of “notable trees.” Among the record 23 trees bestowed the honor for “their importance to our community, our environment and our sense of identity” was a Southern magnolia in Clarendon, planted in 1965 in honor of a fallen firefighter. [Arlington County, InsideNova]
Four Mile Run Initiative Advances — The County Board yesterday appointed a working group, charged with “providing advice, guidance and feedback to the Board and County staff on developing a comprehensive vision for Four Mile Run Valley.” The 95 acre area between Shirlington and Nauck, also known as Shirlington Crescent, is currently home to various light industrial businesses but may be ripe for redevelopment. [Arlington County]
Tickets Available to W-L Theater Production — Tickets to the Washington-Lee High School production of “Dark of the Moon” are available online. The show runs from April 28-30. [Tix.com]
