Crystal City

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Rosslyn (Flickr pool photo by erkiletian)

One Found Dead in Submerged Car — A person was found dead in a submerged car near the GW Parkway’s Humpback Bridge Sunday afternoon. D.C. and Arlington firefighters were called to the scene after a Duck Tours boat operator saw the submerged car. The car reportedly plunged into the Potomac while traveling northbound on the Parkway. [WTOP, WJLA]

BRT Debuts in Arlington — Metroway, Metro’s first bus rapid transit system, made its debut over the weekend. The service runs from Crystal City to the Braddock Road Metro station in Alexandria, utilizing dedicated lanes along Route 1. [Washington Post]

CAIR Banquet Coming to Arlington — The Council on American-Islamic Relations will hold its 20th annual fundraising banquet in Crystal City next month. The event will take place Sept. 27 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott. Announced participants include retiring Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) and the Rev. Al Sharpton, who’s scheduled to be the keynote speaker. [CAIR]

Fewer than Half of Area Residents are Native-Born — Fewer than half of the residents of D.C., Maryland and Virginia were born there. The number of native-born residents of the District, Maryland and Virginia has been falling since at least 1970. [WJLA]

Flickr pool photo by erkiletian

Slice N Dice Closes in Crystal City

By ARLnow.com
1/3

Slice n Dice, a restaurant that served up salads, sandwiches and pizzas in the Crystal City Shops, has closed.

The restaurant appears to have closed earlier this month. Its entrance, inside the shopping center on the 2100 block of Crystal Drive, is now covered in a plastic sheet.

“We appreciate all our loyal and worderful [sic] customers we have met and got to know of the past years,” said a sign posted inside the restaurant, a photo of which was uploaded to the restaurant’s Yelp page on Aug. 13. “We are sorry [about] the closing of our store. We will miss our customers and neighbors.”

Crystal City Wine Festival Returns Sept. 14

By Ethan Rothstein

Salsa dancing at Crystal City's Sip and Salsa event on SundayCrystal City’s annual wine, food and music festival is back for 2014.

Sip and Salsa, as the event is called, will be held on Sunday, Sept. 14 from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. The event will fill the parking lot and courtyard of 220 20th Street S. with booths pouring Spanish, Argentinian and Portuguese wines, plus unlimited food pairings.

The event, hosted jointly by the Washington Wine Academy and the Crystal City Business Improvement District, will have live jazz and salsa dancing. Wine experts will also be giving talks and educating attendees about the varieties of wine they will be tasting.

Tickets are $20 online or $25 at the door, and designated drivers can pay $10 to partake in all the food tastings.

Sip and Salsa is the marquee fall event in Crystal City’s “Vintage Crystal” series of wine-related events. Starting Friday, Aug. 29 and running every Friday through Sept. 26, Crystal City will also be hosting Wine in the Water Park. That event, which takes place from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. at the park near 1750 Crystal Drive, features live music and various types of wine and beer for purchase.

File photo. Disclosure: Crystal City BID is an ARLnow.com advertiser.

EXCLUSIVE: ‘Highline R&R’ Coming to Crystal City

By ARLnow.com
1/4

(Updated at 11:40 a.m.) “Highline R&R,” a new bar that bills itself as the future “social anchor” of Crystal City, is coming to the former Bailey’s Pub space at 2010 Crystal Drive.

A permit application reveals that the establishment will have a seating capacity of more than 150. The company behind the application traces back to the offices of Bedrock Management, which operates numerous well-known local bars, like the Continental in Rosslyn; CarPool in Ballston; and Penn Social, Iron Horse Tavern, RocketBar and Buffalo Billiards in D.C.

“Highline will be an industrial themed, craft beer and signature cocktail bar and restaurant that will serve as Crystal City’s social anchor,” according to the bar’s Facebook page, which was created on July 29.

Multiple calls to Bedrock Management have not been returned.

The R&R in the name stands for railroad — echoing the bar’s industrial theme — but it might also stand for “rock and roll.” Located in a large space above McCormick and Schmick’s, Highline is rumored to be a potential live music venue.

No word yet on a potential opening date. An interior demolition permit for the space was approved on Monday.

Sept. 11 Memorial 5Ks in Arlington Next Month

By Ethan Rothstein

Medal from the Arlington 9-11 Memorial 5K raceThe 13th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks will again be marked in Arlington by, among other events, two 5K races raising money for charities.

First, on Saturday, Sept. 6, will be the Arlington Police, Fire and Sheriff Memorial 9/11 5K. The race will begin at 6:00 p.m. and start and end at the Double Tree hotel in Crystal City at 300 Army Navy Drive.

The race is $40 to register and participate, with the proceeds going to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, Segs4Vets, Team Rubicon and T.A.P.S (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors). The race is limited to the first 4,500 registrants.

The course will take runners from the Double Tree up S. Joyce Street, by the Air Force Memorial and Pentagon 9/11 Memorial, around the Pentagon before returning back to the Double Tree.

A week later, the 9/11 Heroes Run with kick off just a few blocks away. Starting at 8:30 a.m. on 23rd Street S., between Fern and Eads Streets, the run raises money for the Travis Manion Foundation, a charity that supports “veterans, their families, and families of fallen service members.”

Registration for the Heroes Run is $35, plus a $2.74 service fee. The Arlington race is one of 47 nationwide that will be run this year, including events in New York City, Philadelphia and Richmond. Only those who register before Sept. 1 are guaranteed a race shirt and memorabilia.

Crystal City Rolling Out ‘Car2Go’ Service

By Ethan Rothstein

Car2Go D.C. (photo via Facebook)Crystal City will soon be a “home area” for Washington D.C.’s car2go carsharing service.

The Crystal City Business Improvement District announced today that the carsharing service would be launching in Crystal City in the coming weeks. It allows users to park their borrowed car anywhere in the “home area” and find an available car via a GPS-enabled smartphone app.

The service costs $35 to register and 41 cents per minute, with a $14.99 per hour and $84.99 per day maximum. The car’s insurance, gas and parking fees are free (in the home areas), and car2go says it has hundreds of cars in the D.C. area. They can be driven anywhere as long as the user finishes his or her trip within the “home area.”

Crystal City is the first home area outside of the District for car2go D.C., and will offer at least four car2go spaces at the launch of the program. According to the Crystal City BID, any of the service’s 33,000 members may use the cars. The service will be the second carsharing option in the area, in addition to Zipcar.

Crystal City BID President and CEO Angela Fox boasted about the new service and hopes it spreads to other areas of the county.

“We sought it out but hope and expect they will launch in other nearby neighborhoods ASAP, because that makes the whole system more robust. The more options, the better,” Fox said. “Car2go is very popular, and we wants its users to know that they can get to and from Crystal City with ease.”

Photo via Facebook

Crystal City to Show James Bond Movies Next Summer

By Ethan Rothstein

Outdoor movie in Crystal CityOutdoor movies in Crystal City in 2015 will be shaken, not stirred.

Crystal Screen, the Crystal City Business Improvement District’s annual outdoor movie festival, will be showing 14 James Bond movies under the theme Bond is Back. One movie will run every Monday next summer from June through August.

“Crystal City broke the outdoor movie festival mold by launching the very first Bond-themed series back in 2008 and we are excited for the triumphant return of everyone’s favorite super-spy,” Crystal City BID President and CEO Angela Fox said in a press release. “There are so many great Bond films that we wanted to give the fans a chance to see their favorite ones all summer.”

Anyone can vote online for their favorite Bond flicks to be shown, from the catalog of 23. They range from “Dr. No” in 1962 to “Skyfall” in 2012 — yes, even the two Timothy Dalton films. The 14 films that win the online vote will be announced on August 25 at the final movie of this summer’s “In Flight” program, “Snakes on Plane.”

File photo. Disclosure: Crystal City BID is an ARLnow.com advertiser

Military Art Therapy Studio Planned for Crystal City

By Morgan Fecto
1/8

(Updated at 6:00 p.m) A walk-in studio art facility for veterans and active-duty service members plans to open Oct. 15 in Crystal City.

Alexandria-based The 296 Project launched a Kickstarter on July 24 with a $30,000 goal to fund the 1,100-square-foot space, which it calls “A Combat Veteran’s Healing Place.” The studio will be located in a retail space at the Shops at 2100 Crystal Drive.

Kickstarter proceeds will go toward renovation materials, art supplies and equipment for the facility, which will cater to service members with post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury (TBI), according to a press release.

“When the suffering is so strong words can barely describe it, when no one understands, when there’s no support system, this new facility allows our men and women in uniform to tell their stories with a paintbrush, clay, pen and pencil, chalk, through music, digital design, 3D design, spoken word or through poetry,” Scott Gordon, executive director of The 296 Project, told ARLnow.com in an email.

The project plans to give service members a place to explore art as well as socialize. It plans to provide art therapists with a space for seminars, art classes and group therapy sessions, although it will not be a therapy-providing entity, according to The 296 Project spokesperson Rebekah Wiseman.

The general public will be allowed in, according to the organization, so it can learn more about the community of service members with PTSD and TBI who are helped by art and expressive therapies.

“With or without a PTS/TBI diagnosis, our facility, our seminars, workshops, etc., will be therapeutic,” Wiseman wrote.

Service members will have to provide records to prove that they are or were members of the military, said Wiseman. The facility plans to be open six days of the week, from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. 

“We believe we can save thousands of lives in the Northern Virginia area alone,” Gordon said. “This is just too important not to support.”

The Kickstarter will accept contributions until Sept. 22. Currently, the project has six backers and has raised $710. 

Images courtesy The 296 Project

Mobile Parking Apps Now Available in Crystal City, Shirlington

By Morgan Fecto
1/9

(Updated at 3:50 p.m.) Officials cut a ceremonial ribbon in Crystal City this morning to celebrate the Arlington launch of the mobile parking app Parkmobile.

At the ceremony in front of Charlie Chiang’s Restaurant, county Director of Transportation Dennis Leach and Arlington County Board Chair Jay Fisette spoke about Parkmobile’s partnership with the county and the convenience Parkmobile will bring to residents. Parkmobile debuted in Crystal City on July 18 and in Shirlington July 17.

“People are not shy about embracing new things here,” Leach said. “I believe we’ve had 1,500 transactions so far this week in Arlington.”

Parkmobile’s mobile parking apps are available with iPhone, Android, Windows Phone and Blackberry smartphones. The county said it plans to bring Parkmobile to Arlington’s other corridors in phases, with Pentagon City in the fall, and Ballston and Clarendon by the winter. By spring 2015, Courthouse, Rosslyn, Columbia Pike and the rest of Arlington’s 5,329 metered spots are planned to have Parkmobile.

“It’s all about making it easier,” Leach told ARLnow.com this morning. “I take transit, I walk and I bike almost everywhere, but I can appreciate it for all the residents, workers and visitors who may need to drive. If I were to drive, this is a great app.”

All drivers need in order to register is a smartphone, a credit card and their license plate number, although paying at traditional meters or pay-and-display meters is still an option. Parkmobile has been in use in the District since 2010.

“Over the last 10, 20, 30 years there has been quite an amazing metamorphosis and transition here in Arlington,” Fisette said. “You have a seamless system between the District of Columbia and Arlington with a single app, just like you can take your Capital Bikeshare across the river.”

Fisette said that Parkmobile is important for Arlington and its place in the regional economy. Parkmobile became available city-wide in D.C. in 2011 and collects 56 percent of the District’s parking revenue, according to Parkmobile CEO Cherie Fuzzell. Through mists of rain at the ribbon cutting, Fuzzell and Crystal City Business Improvement District President Angela Fox also spoke of the app’s benefits.

“Parkmobile is a great solution not only for consumers, but also for the county,” Fuzzell said. “They have had a 20 percent increase in their parking revenue. Why? Because people pay if you make it easier to pay.”

Fox said Parkmobile is a perfect service to have in Crystal City because it’s in keeping with the area’s focus on accessible transportation.

“We have this original neighborhood that’s metro oriented with an airport you can walk to,” Fox said. “Anything that builds on that base of accessibility, we get excited about.”

Crystal Twilighter 5K Returns Saturday

By ARLnow.com

Start of 2011 Crystal City Twilighter 5K (courtesy Crystal City BID)Crystal City will host the annual Crystal City Twilighter 5K race on Saturday.

The summer race, organized by Pacers, is dubbed “the hottest 5K in town.” It kicks off at 8:30 p.m. and is followed by a post-race party. Registration is $40 for adults over the age of 18, but $20 for those 18 years old or younger.

The Arlington County Police Department is planning on closing a number of roads to make way for the race. From ACPD:

The following lane closures will be in effect between 6:30 p.m. and 11:15 p.m.

  • Northbound lanes of Crystal Drive between 23rd Street and 20th Street
  • Southbound lanes of Crystal Drive between 23rd Street and 20th Street
  • A single southbound access lane from 20th Street to the parking garage entrance at 2100 Crystal Drive will be provided.
  • A single southbound exit lane will be provided at the 2200 Crystal Drive exit with access to 23rd Street.
  • Note, there will be parking and limited access restrictions in the horseshoe driveway at 2121 Crystal Drive starting at noon.

The following lane closures will be in effect between 8:00 p.m. and 9:45 p.m.:

  • Northbound lanes of Crystal Drive between 23th Street and 12th Street
  • One southbound lane of Crystal Drive between 20th Street and 15th Street. Western-most southbound lane between 15th and 20th Streets to remain open to provide parking garage access.
  • Westbound lane of S. 12th Street between Crystal Drive and Long Bridge Drive.
  • North and South bound lanes of Long Bridge Drive from 12th Street South to Boundary Channel.
  • East and West bound lanes of Boundary Channel between Long Bridge Drive and Connector Road.
  • Both directions of 10th Street between Long Bridge Drive and S. Ball Street.
  • Both directions of 6th Street between Long Bridge Drive and S. Ball Street.
  • Both directions of S. Ball Street between 6th and 10th Streets.

Disclosure: Crystal City BID is an ARLnow.com advertiser

Conversion of Office Building to Micro-Unit Apartments Approved

By ARLnow.com

"WeLive" bulding renderingA vacant office building in Crystal City will become a unique apartment building under a plan approved by the Arlington County Board on Saturday.

WeWork, a company that specializes in co-working office space, plans to gut the 1960s-era office building at 2221 S. Clark Street and convert it into a community-oriented residential building featuring “micro-unit” apartments and large common areas. Many of the 252 apartments in the 12-story building will be 360 square feet or less.

“The Crystal City project will be WeWork’s first residential building, bringing the same benefits of co-working — shared amenities, a sense of community and opportunities for collaboration — to a residential building,” the county notes in a press release. “The project will offer an entirely new type of apartment living within walking distance of the Crystal City Metro Station, several bus stops and Capital Bikeshare stations, and will serve as a model for adaptive reuse of an outdated building until redevelopment can occur.”

WeWork signed a 20-year lease with property owner Vornado. The building is expected to be torn down after WeWork vacates the space, making way for a realignment of S. Clark and Bell Streets, as called for in the long-range Crystal City Sector Plan.

“This temporary conversion of an aging, vacant office building into an innovative live-work space is an example of how we continue to reinvent Crystal City as a more attractive, vibrant place that will attract more entrepreneurs and tech workers,” Arlington County Board Chair Jay Fisette said, in a statement.

In addition to extensive interior renovations, the building’s exterior “fins” will be painted with stripes of bright colors, an “experimental exterior color application” that will change in appearance as one moves around the building. Apartment dwellers will have access to 154 parking spaces and 94 bike parking spaces.

The project’s community benefits include “streetscaping, sidewalk improvements on 23rd Street, and outdoor areas including, play and lounge zones and a community garden.”

Dubbed “WeLive,” the apartment conversion is one of several tech-oriented projects happening in Crystal City, including the opening of the TechShop and the Crystal Tech Fund.

Photo (bottom) via Google Maps

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