gym

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
A runner passes a construction site in Courthouse (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Capital Plan, Bond Referenda Approved — “The Arlington County Board has unanimously approved a $3.9 billion ten-year Capital Improvement Plan that focuses on stormwater management and flood response, climate and environmental programs, parks, transportation, and community infrastructure over the next decade… [as well as] bond referenda totaling $510.5 million to be put before Arlington voters on the November ballot.” [Arlington County]

GOP Group Wants Fewer Vote Drops — “A Republican group seeking to have Arlington election officials reduce the number of 24-hour voting dropboxes in the county got something of a cold shoulder at the July 14 Electoral Board meeting… Representatives of a national Republican voter-integrity effort asked that the number of dropboxes be reduced from nine to as few as three, citing both cost and ballot-integrity issues.” [Sun Gazette]

Primary Voting Stats — “About 57 percent of the just over 25,000 voters who cast ballots in the primary did so on Election Day at polling precincts, according to data reported to Arlington Electoral Board members on July 14. About 30 percent cast ballots by mail, and the remaining 13 percent cast ballots in advance at one of three early-voting sites.” [Sun Gazette]

Car Show This Weekend — The Green Valley antique and classic car show is happening this Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. at Drew Elementary School. The 8th annual event will also feature a parade. [Twitter]

Family Bike Ride Planned — From Kidical Mass ARL: “Tour de Spraygrounds! This Saturday 7/23 meet at 11am at Mosaic Park in @Ballston (come early to play in the water!) We’ll bike on neighborhood streets down to the sprayground at @PenroseSquare. All are welcome. Tell your friends.” [Twitter]

Car Crash PSA — From Dave Statter: “Video of the crash with 1 hurt this afternoon on I-395N at Boundary Channel provides a good reminder. Before getting out of your vehicle after a collision make sure it’s safe to do so & your vehicle is secure & won’t continue to roll.” [Twitter]

Arlington-Born Gym Expanding — “A boutique gym is bringing its boxing-inspired workouts to Fairfax County. Introduced to Rosslyn in 2018, BASH Boxing will soon extend its reach beyond Arlington County for the first time with a new studio at the Mosaic District in Merrifield.” [FFXnow]

It’s Thursday — Humid and partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 92 and low of 78. Sunrise at 6:02 am and sunset at 8:31 pm. [Weather.gov]

Bad news for Good Sweat: Rosslyn spin studio shutters

By ARLnow.com
Good Sweat in Rosslyn in 2020 (staff photo)

An independent spin studio in Rosslyn that opened in 2019 with the help of donations has closed.

Good Sweat was an indoor cycling studio that temporarily became an outdoor cycling studio during the pandemic. It also tried virtual classes, but those quickly faded in popularity, owner Alessandra “Ali” Hashemi previously told ARLnow.

The business closed its doors over the weekend and is now selling its equipment.

Located at 1711 Wilson Blvd, in the low-slung strip mall that also houses Pho 75, Good Sweat sought to differentiate itself through its own charitable donations and commitment to social justice. But that was apparently not enough to overcome the challenging business environment for small fitness studios.

The following note about the closing was posted on its website.

Dear Good Sweat Fam,

We never thought this heartbreaking day would come: Good Sweat will be closing on April 30, 2022.

When we opened in April 2019, we were beyond excited to bring a community-oriented, positive fitness experience to the neighborhood. We knew the first few years open as a small business would be challenging, but we had no way of knowing a global pandemic was on the horizon. Before we were able to celebrate our one year anniversary, the pandemic forced us to temporarily close and since we reopened, we have never been able to fully recover.

While countless other small spin studios and local businesses closed in the area, we never thought we would be the next pandemic casualty. The past two years have been a rollercoaster and caused us to resuscitate the business multiple times. After numerous pivots from online to outdoors to indoors to outdoors, we have hung on for as long as we could. At this juncture, we have come to the difficult decision that we cannot revive Good Sweat another time.

We know that Good Sweat has become a safe space for so many, and we are immeasurably sad to see this day come.Thankfully, there is so much to be grateful for in spending three amazing years together. Good Sweat has been a beacon of light through some of our darkest days. We are so proud of all we have been able to accomplish in such a short period of time, including, but not limited to, raising over $21,000 to donate to local nonprofits as well as being named NOVA’s Best Cycling Studio, NOVA’s Best Outdoor Workout, and Best of Arlington.

Please know how much we wanted to stay open for you – for our riders and our squad who are the heart and soul of Good Sweat. We hope you understand that the fitness industry has been hit so hard and we were so young when this pandemic began that we constantly struggled.

We are trying to not cry because it’s over, but to smile because Good Sweat was so good to us. It carried us through these difficult last few years, and made us all a family. The relationships formed and the personal growth are priceless, and we have all changed for the better because of this studio.

We encourage you to keep in touch and to keep spinning. We highly recommend two other local woman-owned studios, New Trail and Cycled, which both have amazing missions that align with the Good Sweat way.

We will be sharing more on logistics and memberships in the coming days regarding our final 5 weeks of operations, but if you have any questions, please email us directly [email protected]

With Gratitude,
The Good Sweat Squad

Gym-café concept to take over Ray’s the Steaks location in Courthouse

By Jo DeVoe
1/3

A one-stop-shop for a workout and a post-workout meal is gearing up to open in the former Ray’s the Steaks location in Courthouse.

The forthcoming gym-café, FitDistrict, will have a little bit of everything: studios for hot yoga, cycling and interval training classes, and a diverse menu ranging from wheatgrass shots to healthified comfort classics, like shepherd’s pie.

“This has been a dream in the making for a long time,” says owner and founder Catherine Ford, who is also an Arlington resident.

Construction began about two weeks ago on the approximately 7,500-square foot space in the Navy League building at 2300 Wilson Blvd. It housed the iconic, no-frills steakhouse until that closed in 2019.

She expects to open the gym and restaurant at the same time in July.

“We’re all so busy and we are all are craving belonging and community — now more than ever — so it’s going to be fitness and food, but it’s about belonging and community,” she said. “Our tagline is ‘feel good here,’ because that’s what it’s about.”

After finishing a workout, gym members can head over to the café, which will have indoor and outdoor seating, or pick up a to-go order they placed before their workout. Ford designed the menu, which has vegan, vegetarian and paleo-friendly options.

“The whole idea came out of something I wanted in my own life and my personal struggles of fitting it all in,” she said.

The FitDistrict logo (courtesy photo)

As a financial planner, Ford had difficulty finding time for her two passions: attending group fitness classes and cooking healthy food. As someone who enjoyed a variety of workouts, she maintained multiple memberships to different boutique gyms.

The idea for one spot housing multiple studios and a restaurant came to her 10 years ago, when she was hungry after a barre class she had squeezed in before a meeting. She mulled the concept for years before deciding to act on it.

“I am grateful I found the courage a couple of years ago to go after it,” she said. “This has been a journey of a lifetime already.”

Ford incorporated FitDistrict in 2017 and found a bank to work with her in 2018. It took her a few years to find the right location, but she eventually signed a lease on the space a little more than a year ago. Now, she’s focused on construction and hiring for multiple positions.

She still works as a financial planner by day, but her hope is to go full time and, eventually, add locations.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Heavy rain along the Potomac River, with Rosslyn in the background (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Mysterious Bug Bites Reported — Arlington residents are against dealing with red and intensely itchy bug bites, the cause of which is so far unclear. One theory is that last year’s scourge of oak mites are back. [Facebook, WUSA 9]

Catalytic Converter Thefts in Fairlington — “A resident has reported that the catalytic converter on their Toyota Prius was stolen during the night March 21, 2022. The converter was physically cut away from the vehicle. There have been 7 similar thefts of catalytic converters reported from the Fairlington neighborhoods.” [Twitter]

Man Pistol Whipped By Intruder — “2000 block of S. Kenmore Street. At approximately 2:15 p.m. on March 22, police were dispatched to the report of trouble unknown. Upon arrival, it was determined that the victim was inside his residence when the three known suspects forced entry inside and struck him with a firearm. The victim then deployed pepper spray and the suspects fled the scene. The victim sustained non-life threatening injuries and was transported to an area hospital for medical treatment. Warrants were obtained for one suspect.” [ACPD]

Gym in Crystal City Unionizes — From Washingtonian’s Andrew Beaujon: “Movement Crystal City is the US’s first unionized climbing gym. We wrote about this place when it was called Earth Treks.” [Twitter, Twitter]

Help for Arlington’s Ukrainian Sister City — “That partnership, which came to fruition after years of advocacy by Sonevytsky, has mostly focused on cultural and professional exchanges. But the unprovoked Russian attack on Ukraine last month changed all that. Now, the Arlington Sister City Association and the volunteer group that runs the Ivano-Frankivsk relationship are focused on a new mission: helping send humanitarian aid to their partner city and educating Arlington residents about their community’s ties to a place now in a war zone.” [WAMU]

Reminder: Free Observation Deck in Rosslyn — “If you’re looking for views of the blossoms at the Tidal Basin and beyond, head to The View of DC, located at 1201 Wilson Boulevard! This 360-degree observation deck is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (with evening hours until 9 p.m. on Mondays!) and admission is free with a valid government ID.” [Rosslyn BID]

Injunction Against Va. Mask-Optional Law — “Preliminary injunction granted by the federal court preventing defendants from enforcing EO 2 and SB 739 (the mask-optional law) in schools where the plaintiffs & their children are enrolled.” [Twitter, Washington Post, WJLA]

Pappy Is Back at Virginia ABC — “Good news bourbon lovers: Virginia’s annual Pappy Van Winkle lottery is back — this year with two types of Van Winkles… Anyone 21 and over with a valid Virginia driver’s license (you have to prove it when you show up to purchase) can enter the lotteries on Virginia ABC’s website from Wednesday, March 23 until Sunday, March 27 at 11:59pm.” [Axios]

It’s Thursday — After early morning storms, light rain throughout much the day. High of 66 and low of 58. Sunrise at 7:06 am and sunset at 7:25 pm. [Weather.gov]

BREAKING: Firefighters battling sauna blaze at Ballston mall

By ARLnow.com
1/10

(Updated at 3:40 p.m.) A large fire department response is on scene at the Ballston Quarter mall for a fire on the third floor of the building.

Initial reports suggest that the fire was in a sauna inside the men’s locker room of the Onelife Fitness gym. Light smoke could be seen coming from the roof of the gym near the Ballston pedestrian bridge.

A larger response was dispatched to the mall after the first firefighters on scene confirmed a “working fire” inside the sauna. The flames have since been brought under control, according to scanner traffic.

So far no injuries have been reported. Wilson Blvd is currently blocked in front of the mall.

The gym was evacuated due to the fire. Patrons in their exercise gear could be seen standing around in other parts of the mall.

Firefighters are now starting to set up fans to remove the thick smoke that has filled the gym.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Vida Scraps Rosslyn Plans — “Vida Fitness has scrapped plans for a new location in Rosslyn, where it was to be part of a much larger multifamily-and-retail development that has been in the works for more than five years. Urban Adventure Cos., its D.C.-based parent company, has exercised an option to terminate its roughly 27,000-square-foot lease at The Highlands, according to two sources.” [Washington Business Journal]

ABC Stores Returning to Normal Hours — “Beginning Tuesday, March 1, all 396 Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (ABC) stores will return to normal operating hours. All stores will open by 10 a.m. every day, apart from some stores which regularly open later on Sundays. Store closing times, which were not part of the month-long adjustment, will remain the same.” [Press Release]

Reminder About Old SmarTrip Cards — “Customers are being reminded that Metro’s oldest SmarTrip cards will no longer be accepted at faregates and fareboxes as of March 1. Those currently riding Metro or who plan to soon will need to replace their cards to travel on Metrorail or Metrobus after the deadline. SmarTrip cards purchased before 2012 are no longer compatible with new, faster, modern faregates already installed in many stations.” [WMATA]

It’s Friday — Light rain in the morning. High of 53 and low of 34. Sunrise at 6:48 am and sunset at 5:58 pm. [Weather.gov]

Police: Man who tried to enter gym without membership fights two officers, tries to take their guns

By ARLnow.com

A Fairfax County man is facing numerous charges after an incident at the Planet Fitness in Pentagon City.

Police say the man was stopped by an off-duty military police officer when he tried to walk into the gym without a membership Friday afternoon. A physical altercation ensued, during which the 28-year-old suspect allegedly tried to take the officer’s gun.

An Arlington County officer joined the fray and the intoxicated suspect also tried to disarm her, according to a police department crime report. She urgently called for backup, which arrived quickly and helped to take the suspect into custody.

More from ACPD:

ASSAULT ON LAW ENFORCEMENT, 2021-12170145, 1300 block of S. Joyce Street. At approximately 3:05 p.m. on December 17, police were dispatched to the report of a fight in progress inside a business. Upon arrival, officers made contact with the two male subjects and determined that one of the subjects was an off-duty military police officer who was attempting to detain the suspect. The suspect disregarded the commands of the arriving officer and moved further into the business. As the officers were attempting to take him into custody, he continued to disregard their commands, act disorderly and resist arrest. A brief struggle ensued, during which the suspect grabbed at an officer’s exterior vest and attempted to disarm her. With the assistance of additional officers, the suspect was taken into custody without further incident. The suspect was treated by medics and medically cleared on scene. The investigation determined that the suspect allegedly entered into the business where he did not have a membership and became involved in a physical altercation with the off-duty military police officer, during which he attempted to remove his credentials and disarm him. [The suspect], 28, of Springfield, Va., was arrested and charged with Assault & Battery on Police, Attempting to Disarm a Law Enforcement Officer (x2), Obstruction of Justice, Trespassing and Public Intoxication. He was held without bond.

The Crossing Clarendon seeks county approval for office-gym conversion

By Jo DeVoe
The Crossing Clarendon (staff photo)

There are some signs of movement forward for the luxury fitness gym Life Time, which is slated to come to Clarendon in 2023.

In mid-December, the County Board is slated to hold a public hearing to consider allowing retail use — and, therefore, fitness activities — inside an office building in The Crossing Clarendon. The Board approved the hearing earlier this month.

Regency Centers, which owns The Crossing (formerly known as “Market Common”), is asking the county to permit retail on the third floor of The Loft office building (1440 N. Edgewood Street) that Life Time is looking to lease. The change would allow the gym to take over the office building and turn it into a 113,000-square foot, multi-story, high-end gym with a host of amenities.

Life Time proposes using all four levels of the newly renovated building. There will be a spa and dressing rooms in the basement, a lobby and small retail space for food and drinks on the first floor, gym space on the second and third floors and a co-working space for gym members and independent users on the fourth floor.

The third floor, set for gym use, comprises more than 18% of The Loft’s total square footage. That is significant enough to require a “major” site plan amendment and Planning Commission and County Board approvals, according to a county report.

Typically, that involves a four-month-long review process, but county staff instead support a one-month hearing schedule, according to the report. It says staff have found no problems with this change, which is supported by planning recommendations for this part of Clarendon.

“Staff finds that a shorter review period is warranted as it does not require any structural additions or significant alterations to the building design as approved under the site plan and community stakeholders have responded to staff outreach to confirm that there are no objections to advertisement of this amendment,” according to the report.

A spokesman for the property owner said there are “no changes to report” on the work done to move the project along.

“The design is being worked on concurrent with the amendment process,” he said. “All permits are on schedule.”

Up until this year, an Equinox gym was expected to move in. In February, Regency Centers sued Equinox, alleging breach of contract.

In total, the building has eight retail spaces on the ground floor, of which three are vacant. Tatte Bakery & Cafe opened in September, and dog daycare and boarding facility District Dogs could be coming next spring. Other forthcoming retailers include a a laser skincare facility and an under-construction tattoo parlor.

Xsport Fitness on Columbia Pike is closing next month

By Matt Blitz
1/2

Xsport Fitness is closing its Columbia Pike location on December 15.

A flyer posted on the door of the gym at 2301 Columbia Pike provides confirmation, while noting that “we have outgrown this location!”

While that message seems to suggest that the gym is moving to another location, that does not appear to be the case, at least, as of yet.

ARLnow called the gym and an employee said that the staff was “just as shocked as everyone else” about the closure. They noted all memberships are transferable to other regional locations, including Alexandria, Merrifield, and Woodbridge.

The flyer also says that Arlington members get a “membership upgrade” that’s valued at $200 a year, but employees said that they themselves are not exactly clear what that means.

The location’s general manager also could not provide any more details about why the gym was closing or any relocation efforts.

ARLnow was reached out to Xsport Fitness’s corporate office, but has yet to hear back as of publication.

A decade ago, the gym opened on Columbia Pike as a 24-hour facility. Then, in March 2020, many gyms closed due to COVID-19 restrictions. While gyms were allowed to reopen in the summer, there were significant restrictions. Xsport Fitness reopened, but never moved back to being 24 hours.

ARLnow reached out to to the building owner to see if another business is moving in and leasing the space but has not yet heard received a response.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Charges Dropped Against TikToker — Charges of violating an emergency protective order were dropped earlier this week against Coco Briscoe, the local TikTok personality whose accusations against a pair of local bars and their employees went viral on the video app. A judge previously ended the order, which Briscoe was accused of violating, citing a lack of physical threats. In the comments of one of her videos this week, Briscoe threatened to sue ARLnow for defamation for our coverage of her case. [Twitter, TikTok]

Buyer for Ballston Health Tech Company? — “Evolent Health Inc. saw its share price shoot up Wednesday after Bloomberg reported Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc., the Illinois holding company that owns pharmacy chain Walgreens, is considering a purchase of the Arlington health system consultancy.” [Washington Business Journal]

Grand Opening for Fire Station No. 10 — “This morning we held our grand opening ceremony for new fire station 10 in @RosslynVA. This fire station provides modern accommodations for our firefighters and allows us to serve our community for decades to come. We are grateful to all who came out to share in this special day.” [Twitter, Patch]

Grant for Local Senior Program — “The Arlington Neighborhood Villages program has received a $30,000 grant from the Community Care Corps to support its mission to help older adults in Arlington age in place while staying connected with the community. The funding will assist the social-safety-net organization in partnering with Culpepper Garden and the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing to bring services to residents of their apartment communities.” [Sun Gazette]

How Local Nonprofits Faced the Pandemic — “The new report, Safety Net Arlington: rising together to meet historic needs for our community, is told through the voices of the 21 nonprofit leaders in Safety Net Arlington and through the lens of how they worked collaboratively with each other and the County to face unprecedented levels of need through the first 18 months of the pandemic and the economic and racial justice crises.” [Arlington Community Foundation]

New Gym Open in Bailey’s Xroads — “Gold’s Gym is now open at 5718 Columbia Pike in Bailey’s Crossroads. There will be a grand opening on Oct. 9, noon-1 p.m., with a ribbon-cutting, food, membership deals, free classes, and prizes for members, including those who sign up on that day. The gym has relocated from its former location on Carlin Springs Road to the former HHGregg store.” [Annandale Blog]

Gym, Barbershop, and More Set to Open in Shirlington

By Vernon Miles
1/3

Throughout this fall, there could be a few new faces around Shirlington as high-intensity gym F45 and some other businesses plan to launch in the next few months.

The gym is scheduled to have its grand opening at 2800 S. Randolph Street on Saturday, Sept. 11, according to a press release, though staff working amid a torrential downpour earlier this week said the gym had a soft launch last Saturday.

The grand opening is scheduled for 8 a.m.-noon, and will include free classes, a chance to win a raffle after each class, and exclusive membership offers.

The gym’s fitness program centers on high-intensity interval training, circuit training, and functional training — increasing the heart rate to boost metabolism and burn fat effectively, said the press release.

Just around the corner, Bearded Goat Barber is scheduled to open at 4150 Campbell Avenue sometime this fall. The Shirlington location, next to Samuel Beckett’s Irish Gastro Pub, will be the third for the barbershop, which first opened in Ballston in 2019.

Bearded Goat is aiming for an opening on Friday, Oct. 1, said co-owner Scott Parker, though the exact opening date remains a moving target.

Also coming this fall is CHIKO, a Chinese/Korean fusion restaurant at 4040 Campbell Avenue. The restaurant features a mix of dishes from both countries, like bulgogi stir fry and “orange-ish” chicken.

View More Stories