Langston Blvd

Langston Blvd plan criticized for last-minute edits and smaller-than-hoped affordable housing commitments

By Jo DeVoe
1/6

Plan Langston Blvd — a sweeping document envisioning a tree-lined, walkable Route 29 with apartments over retail — is gearing up for final discussions and eventual approval.

The newest draft landed last Thursday: two business days before a Planning Commission meeting on whether to advertise hearings on the plan. It contained a slew of changes county staff explain are policy clarifications, responding to recent feedback from citizen commissions, the Arlington County Board and residents.

In a 3-hour meeting Monday, some Planning Commissioners objected to the timing and moved to delay hearings one month, though this failed. They instead unanimously recommended hearings by the commission and the Arlington County Board in November. The deliberations echoed this stage of the Missing Middle hearings, last Thanksgiving, with commissioners noting this step simply sets what can be considered next month.

“I do think that it is an unfortunate timeline,” Planning Commission Vice-Chair Sara Steinberger said. “[This] document would be a struggle for most people to get through in that period of time. And I think that we should aim to do better because I think that’s important for the community to trust the process.”

Steinberger, who made the failed motion to delay hearings on Plan Langston Blvd, or PLB, had backing from Commissioner Nia Bagley.

“[Steinberger] was a little bit more polite than I probably would be,” Bagley said. “I hope we never do this again. I hope we give this more time in the future.”

Commission Chair Devanshi Patel said she understands the concerns of her colleagues but, sometimes, making real-time changes cannot be reconciled with giving ample time for people to review them.

“I think that staff did the best job that they could do by getting a comprehensive plan together with up-to-date information, reconciling the comments that they’ve been hearing from every single meeting of this body and other bodies, and being able to provide it in advance of this meeting as possible,” she said.

Agreeing with Patel, Commissioner Daniel Weir did say he and others have been “harping” on staff to return to the pre-pandemic days when meeting materials were published seven to 10 days before meetings.

But, he continued, “just because this form of the document wasn’t published before a certain day out, I don’t think it follows from that that there hasn’t been a full and robust public process… at least for the purposes of moving forward on the [request to advertise hearings].”

Recalling yet another controversial plan, the Pentagon City Sector Plan, Commissioner Jim Lantelme said changes were made “literally up to the final Board meeting.”

“If we’re not thrilled with something, it’s okay, because the idea is to get everything out there,” he said. “We can cut it back later. We can’t add to it, but we can cut it back later.”

County planner Natasha Alfonso-Ahmed assured commissioners that Monday’s decision still leaves time for them and other residents to review the changes.

That the draft came out on Thursday “doesn’t mean that there isn’t any time to process and to continue to review this draft that’s out before you,” she said. “We have another four weeks or five weeks before this goes to the again to you all for review.”

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Metro 29 Diner reopening after sewer line repairs

By James Jarvis
Metro 29 Diner (staff photo by James Jarvis)

Metro 29 Diner says it is reopening today (Friday) following a closure that lasted several weeks due to plumbing issues.

Earlier this week, ARLnow reported the restaurant could remain shuttered for up to a month, as it awaited a permit to repair a clogged sewer line located along N. Albemarle Street, adjacent to the restaurant.

The local staple at 4711 Langston Blvd was forced to close after the plumbing issue caused grease and other liquids to flood the parking lot from the restaurant’s grease trap, creating a health hazard.

Arlington’s planning department granted the necessary permit on Tuesday, within hours of ARLnow’s initial story publishing, Metro 29 Diner owner Peter Bota told us.

Construction started Thursday morning and concluded by 1 p.m. Bota said the restaurant has been “given the green light to reopen by the health department.”

“I want to thank the county for their prompt attention and I’d like to thank our loyal patrons and staff for their patience, understanding and well wishes while we were closed,” Bota said.

County Board, community leaders recommend tweaks to strengthen draft Plan Langston Blvd plan

By Jo DeVoe
1/5

After 11 years of work, started by a group of residents and picked up by Arlington County, a planning document guiding the development of Langston Blvd could soon get teed up for final approvals.

Plan Langston Blvd outlines how to encourage private development on the corridor to make it walkable, bikeable and flood-resilient. Less dense neighborhoods transition to “activity hubs” developed with privately owned public spaces and apartment buildings as tall as 15 stories, with units affordable to a broad range of income levels.

The county is preparing to publish a request to advertise Planning Commission and County Board hearings on Plan Langston Blvd next month. Before taking this step, the county amassed more public input this summer, following the release of a draft plan in June, and held a work session with the plan’s champions in the community and Arlington County Board members yesterday (Tuesday).

These recently published comments spanned flood mitigation, transportation planning, building heights and historic preservation, among other topics. Compared to more divided comments last year, generally about two-thirds of respondents said they are “comfortable” or “very comfortable” with the plan’s policy proposals.

During the work session, however, two longtime champions said the plan needs to be a stronger vehicle for securing affordable housing, building transportation improvements, supporting small businesses and fighting climate change. County Board members echoed some of these concerns, as well.

“A goal of the plan should be to create and retain community-serving retail and to incentivize and plan for publicly accessible parking like was done in Alexandria and Bethesda,” Langston Blvd Alliance Executive Director Ginger Brown said. “To create the community’s vision for inclusive neighborhoods serving commercial nodes, we need to support small businesses while simultaneously increasing affordable housing.”

Brown said the plan should rely on county-nonprofit partnerships, not developer contributions, to add affordable housing on Route 29.

Regarding building heights, an issue that has split residents in the past, Brown said concerns about height are compounded by the plan’s “weak commitment” to bus transit and street safety improvements. She called for bus departures every 10 minutes, more north-south routes and money set aside soon for transportation safety upgrades.

“Many stakeholders are very nervous about the density envisioned in the plan,” she continued. “Ten, 12 and 15-story buildings on the… corridor feels like a lot of change [with] lots more cars and traffic.”

County staff told the Board there are not enough riders to justify suggestions from residents, from dedicated bus lanes to 10-minute headways, predicating changes on ridership increases.

“Transit demand will continue to be monitored and the bus service levels will be adjusted to meet that demand,” county planner Natasha Alfonso-Ahmed said.

Echoing a majority of survey respondents, Sandi Chesrown, vice chair of the citizen group dubbed the Plan Langston Blvd Community Forum, said the plan should clarify public and private investments in stormwater mitigation. The road cuts through some flood-prone neighborhoods, such as Waverly Hills.

“Let us be grateful for Arlington today, but let us recognize the Arlington of tomorrow and the impact of climate change. It is now and it is bigger than all of us,” she said.

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UPDATED: Seafood restaurant looking to open later this fall in Thirsty Bernie’s former home

By Matt Blitz
Thirsty Bernie is turning into Ocean Shack (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

(Updated on 9/5/23) Local watering hole Thirsty Bernie is becoming Ocean Shack.

The former home of the neighborhood bar and restaurant at the corner of N. Glebe Road and Langston Blvd is being turned into a cajun seafood restaurant, a spokesperson said.

Ocean Shack is from the owners of Ocean Crab in Chantilly. That restaurant serves crab, fried oysters, scallops, fried baskets and other seafood. Ocean Shack will be a different concept, we’re told, but have a somewhat similar menu.

Construction is underway in the 1,767-square-foot space at 2163 N. Glebe Road. The plan is to open in late November or early December, depending on how quickly Arlington County processes the required paperwork, according to the spokesperson.

Thirsty Bernie closed back in May after about 15 years of serving pints at Glebe Lee Shopping Center. Co-owner Gobind Ghai told ARLnow then that sales were not high enough to make it financially viable to renew the lease.

The Adagio Ballet School of Dance was also once open in that shopping center before closing in May 2020. It has since rebranded and reopened as the Virginia Dance Conservatory on Little Falls Road near Rock Spring Park.

At Sloppy Mama’s, a commitment to traditional barbecue — and the community

By Nick Barahona
1/10

“The only 100 percent wood-fired BBQ restaurant in Arlington.”

What started out simply as a husband and wife catering their own wedding escalated to buying a food truck in 2014, and eventually turned into Joe and Mandy Neuman’s first restaurant opening in 2019.

Joe Neuman, owner of Sloppy Mama’s BBQ, can rattle off the trials and tribulations of what the years have brought them this far.

“Mandy and I catered our wedding, and had a pig roast,” said Joe. From there, family and friends asked the couple to cater for them and eventually they were doing 3-4 pig roasts a summer.

Fast forward to 2014, the Mandy and Joe found themselves inside of their own Sloppy Mama’s BBQ food truck.

“Food trucks became a thing and we bought one… as it was the most economical entrance to food industry,” chuckled Joe.

They went on to hustle and live the food truck life before getting their first kitchen in Sterling, Virginia for a couple months. From here they moved to Chantilly and then D.C. in 2015.

During that time they moved to a home in Arlington, to be closer to their business.

The business was operating in D.C., they had the food truck, a dive bar and were inside Union Market.

“Since we do real BBQ, we couldn’t find many places that would allow outdoor smoker,” recounted Joe. He takes pride in sticking with his traditional, wood-fired BBQ method, despite the challenges.

“We cook with nothing but wood,” says Joe.

They have two 1,000 gallon offset smokers right outside the restaurant, where they cook the meats every morning they’re open.

“We fire them up in the wee hours of the morning, we get started very early,” said Joe. “We time our meats to come off right before lunch and dinner.”

While Joe was on the hunt for available brick-and-mortar locations that would suit his needs, he came across an article about a restaurant closing on ARLnow.

Not before long after they signed a lease for their current space at 5731 Langston Blvd — formerly a ramen restaurant called Misomen — in December of 2018 and officially opened in July of 2019.

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New draft plan for Langston Blvd calls for private development to help build public benefits

By Jo DeVoe
1/5

(Updated 3:50 p.m.) Arlington County has published a new draft plan outlining how to encourage private development on Langston Blvd to turn it into a walkable, bikeable corridor with apartment buildings and public spaces.

The plan, released last week, follows up on a more conceptual document released last year. This document introduced the vision for less dense neighborhoods giving way to “activity hubs,” such as the Lyon Village Shopping Center, developed with 15-story apartment buildings.

Since then, the county says it made several changes responding to public feedback calling for more housing, especially affordable housing, and more incentives to generate public benefits. The plan leverages new housing construction to preserve historical properties — like the decades-old Moore’s Barber Shop in the Hall’s Hill neighborhood — and inject the area with new stormwater infrastructure, privately-owned public spaces, new east-west roads, streetscapes, and trail connections.

The new draft calls for taller allowable heights in certain areas, a general increase in housing units that could be built throughout the corridor, more public spaces and buffered bicycle lanes. It recommends policy and zoning changes and publicly funded infrastructure projects to facilitate the new development and has a timeline assigning tasks to various county divisions.

Changes to the Plan Langston Blvd draft (via Arlington County)

Alreadly, the draft plan has generated positive reception by some in the community, but also criticism by others of specific elements. One general criticism: the reliance on private development to deliver public spaces and needed infrastructure, especially stormwater management.

This follows divergent feedback over the last year about how, and whether, the corridor should develop — though neighbors are more united around transportation and streetscape upgrades for Langston Blvd.

Cherrydale Civic Association President Jim Todd says he was surprised to see the number of housing units go up. The 2022 concept plan estimated 8,431 new units could be possible. The new draft brought up the estimate to 9,400 new units.

The unit increase responds to calls from several residents, local advocacy groups and citizen commissions, according to Plan Langston Blvd Coordinator Natasha Alfonso-Ahmed. These comments stressed the importance of Langston Blvd for reaching a county goal to increase affordable housing in North Arlington by 2040.

Planners increased allowable heights in certain areas to further incentivize developers to build community benefits and deliver affordable housing, while updating guidance to ensure these buildings taper down to low-rise homes nearby.

Heights are now up to 15 stories in some places immediately south of I-66, where previously a 12-story limit was considered. Elsewhere in the North Highlands area, north of Rosslyn, heights are up to 12 stories, instead of 10. The same increase occurred across from the Lyon Village Shopping Center.

Elsewhere, allowable heights increased from seven to 10 stories near the Lee Heights Shopping Center and at the intersection with N. Oak Street. Upper limits increased from five to six stories at the intersection with N. George Mason Drive and south of Langston Blvd, west of Rosslyn.

Additionally, the county added 14 more public spaces to the plan and converted “sharrows” — where bicyclists and drivers share the road — into buffered bike lanes in two places.

Transit advocate Gillian Burgess welcomed the removal of “sharrows” and lauded the occasional protected bike lanes, undergrounded utilities and parking and increased transit.

Overall, however, she says the plan falls short of making travel safe and sustainable. Instead, it waits for more people to opt to ride the bus to improve bus service, through increased service and bus-priority signals.

“This is not a plan that will enable children to get to school on their own. This is not a plan that will enable an equitable transportation system. This is not a plan that reduce many car trips in favor of more safe and sustainable modes,” she said. “As our ideal, long-term goal, knowing what we know and with the technology we have in 2023, this is disappointing.”

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Joe’s had its place, but A Modo Mio is the way forward

By Nick Barahona
1/9

“Joe’s is the past, A Modo Mio is now!”

These are the words from Rosario, part owner of what used to be Joe’s Pizza Place, but is now A Modo Mio.

Joe’s made a name for itself and became a community favorite with its pizza, pasta, subs and most memorably, their buffet. Fast forward to 2020, with Covid in full effect, the restaurant changed its name, concept and menu to stay alive.

A Modo Mio was born.

Located at 5555 Langston Boulevard, A Modo Mio stands as a location serving its community authentic Italian cuisine.

“A Modo Mio, it came to be because of Covid. The previous concept wasn’t Covid friendly. With the buffet and salad bar, you just can’t do it,” co-owner Rosario Farruggio said. “[At first] we didn’t know what to do actually. We knew Joe’s wouldn’t be able to survive.”

The answer: a sit-down dining experience that borrows some of the Italian playbook from its restaurant cousin, the well-liked Georgetown eatery il Canale.

“Joe from Joe’s Place has another restaurant in D.C. called il Canele, and because of that restaurant and because of Antonio, one of the head chefs there when il Canele first opened, they were able to partner up and bring that concept here to Arlington. He knew the cuisine and we had the location, we made it happen,” says Rosario.

Born in the Agrigento region of Sicily, Italy, Joe Farruggio is an award winning restaurateur, pizzaiolo, chef and author that has over 53 years of food service experience. He opened the first Joe’s Place in Bailey’s Crossroads in 1978.

Joe, Rosario, and master pizza chef Antonio Biglietto — who’s from Naples, Italy — all came together to bring a piece of home to life here in Arlington, saving the location’s business.

“In August of 2020, we shut Joe’s down, remodeled and reopened in October as A Modo Mio,” says Rosario. The name translates to “my way” in Italian.

“Not inspired by the Sinatra song,” says Rosario. “It was something Joe came up with.”

What was new about this restaurant, other than the name?

“This is real authentic Italian, not like an Olive Garden. One of the main things that showcases that and what the people appreciate and recognize is that we are VPN certified,” says Rosario.

VPN stands for Vera Pizza Napoletana and can be seen within the menu. To that end, a Modo Mio has a custom made, hand built brick oven from Italy.

“To get certified, you have to be authentic,” says Rosario. “You need to have real Italian ingredients imported from Italy, like our flour and tomatoes, and you need real mozzarella cheese, fresh mozzarella.”

The restaurant’s employees are even trained by a certified Neapolitan pizza maker.

“We have the roots so now we can actually teach that art,” says Rosario. The authenticity extends to other parts of the menu, too.

“The pasta that we have, it’s authentic in how we make it. It’s all house made,” Rosario says.

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Langston Blvd planning effort elicits strong opinions from residents about the future of their neighborhoods

By Jo DeVoe
1/8

It has been about 10 months since Arlington County released drawings of a future Langston Blvd.

That vision included apartment buildings of up to 12-15 stories, cafés and wide sidewalks buzzing with people, and bike lanes buffered by lavender bushes — a substantial change from the commuter route lined with strip malls, car dealerships and quick-service establishments with drive-thru windows.

Now, the county is gearing up to publish a more formal draft plan that refines the ideas set forth last year. That draft will take into account all the supportive and critical feedback people submitted last fall and winter.

Once the draft is released — and exact details and dates on this are yet to be determined — there will be more public engagement opportunities, Dept. of Community Planning, Housing and Development communication specialist Rachel LaPiana tells ARLnow.

The multi-year effort to create this planning document is known as Plan Langston Blvd. It re-envisions what was once known as Lee Highway as a walkable and bikeable, verdant commercial corridor with more affordable housing.

After hearing hundreds of hours of comments from residents, and a decade’s worth of work, Langston Blvd Alliance Executive Director Ginger Brown says she is excited to get her hands on the draft plan soon.

“We know this is a huge step forward,” she said. “We’re very eager to see the final draft plan.”

The draft plan is supposed to be informed by community and commission input but in many cases, that input is deeply divergent, according to snippets of comments included in a summary of public engagement year.

“If we wanted to live in denser, taller neighborhoods we would have moved to [Rosslyn],” wrote one person. “Stop forcing your vision of redevelopment down residents throats.”

“As a working professional with a young child, I look forward to eventually being able to buy a house in Arlington as a result of projects like this one,” wrote another. “Please ignore grumpy people who hate change and implement this plan!”

There were some points of agreement.

People generally want to see a safer Route 29 — the other name for the VDOT-maintained artery — with more street trees and wider sidewalks, as well as underground utilities and fewer driveways. Some wrote in strong support for protected bike lanes over cyclists and drivers sharing lanes, a traffic pattern that may harm, not help, cyclists.

Feedback shows drivers and cyclists have mixed opinions about sharing lanes (via Arlington County)

“We’d like to see a greater emphasis on pedestrian safety and transportation and transit improvements and more affordable housing,” Brown said.

Majority support for greater development broke down somewhat when it came to what buildings should look like.

“People in my neighborhood are looking for development similar to the unified and attractive character of King Street in Old Town [Alexandria], not the development and tall buildings that characterize Ballston or Clarendon,” wrote one person.

“We should allow 15 stories for all sites between Langston & [I-66],” wrote another. “This could provide so many amenities and increase property values.”

For instance, where Route 29 is bordered by the Waverly Hills, Donaldson Run, Old Dominion, Glebewood and Waycroft Woodlawn neighborhoods, a slight majority favored taller heights — with many others preferring a range of other, shorter options.

Preferences for building heights in some neighborhoods along Langston Blvd (via Arlington County)

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NEW: Local watering hole Thirsty Bernie is closing this weekend

By Matt Blitz
Thirsty Bernie on N. Glebe Road is closing (photo courtesy of Thirsty Bernie)

Sports bar Thirsty Bernie is closing this weekend.

The 15-year-old local watering hole, at the corner of N. Glebe Road and Langston Blvd, will serve its last pints on Sunday (May 21), co-owner Gobind Ghai confirmed to ARLnow. Sales have slowed since the pandemic, which led ownership to decide not to renew its lease at the Glebe Lee Shopping Center.

“I wish we could continue, but we had a great run. It’s just our time,” Ghai said. “Sales were not high enough to continue but weren’t low enough… where we had to close right away. We could wait out the lease.”

He says there are no plans to open elsewhere and does not know what will come next to 2163 N. Glebe Road.

Last summer, rumors began circulating that the sports bar might be closing come mid-2023. Those in charge denied it at the time, but it ended up being true.

Thirsty Bernie opened in 2008, with its signature Saint Bernard mascot, as a sports-centric hangout. The current ownership took over in early 2017 after whispers of a format change.

Ghai said what made Thirsty Bernie special is the diverse mix of customers.

“We had customers and patrons from all walks of life… different cultures, different communities, different races. Everyone just sitting together,” he said. “It was such a special place. A melting pot.”

Ghai called Thirsty Bernie a “family-friendly” sports bar, a rarity in Arlington, with plenty of parking. He said his staff and regular customers were “family.”

“We are sad to go but happy for the time we had at Thirsty Bernie,” Ghai said.

Cherrydale icon Essy’s Carriage House is being sold, but unclear to whom

By Matt Blitz
1/2

Essy’s Carriage House in Cherrydale appears to have been sold, but it remains a mystery to whom.

The long-time, well-known restaurant on Langston Blvd closed in March and went on the market shortly thereafter for two million dollars.

Now, an “under contract” sign has appeared next to the building. The listing webpage also notes that an offer is “contingent.”

“Rare offering of the Essys Carriage House restaurant and parking lot located behind Essys that totals 17,269 Sq Ft,” reads the listing. “The restaurant is sited on a 2,099 Sq Ft lot that is zoned C-2 and is approximately 1,800 Sq Ft with two basements for storage and utilities. The parking lot is comprised of two parcels totaling approximately 15,170 Sq Ft that is zoned R-6. The property is vacant, conveys as-is & a majority of the restaurant equipment & personal property has been removed.”

ARLnow contacted real estate firm Yeonas & Shafran and they did confirm the former location of Essy’s is currently under contract, but could not disclose any more information than that. We have also reached out to a prominent local restaurant group that has been rumored to be behind the purchase but have yet to hear back as of publication.

The steak and crab cake Cherrydale eatery closed a couple of months ago after serving the community for nearly fifty years. The married couple who had run it, Essy and Janet Saedi, decided to retire.

That portion of Cherrydale has seen a good deal of turnover in recent years with the shuttering of several long-time restaurants.

In September 2021, Portabellos closed but was replaced only a few months later by Pines of Florence itself making a comeback after stints in Virginia Square and Columbia Pike. Tuna Restaurant serving Laotian and Japanese cuisine opened in October 2022, replacing Maneki Neko Express. But that restaurant was quickly sold to new owners who re-opened last month with a more Thai-focused menu.

Well-regarded Gaijin Ramen Shop at 3800 Langston Blvd also shuttered in September 2022, citing “irrecoverable business losses” due to the pandemic. It had been there since 2015.

Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe is more than just a bakery

By Nick Barahona
1/10

Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe offers a German and European gourmet experience like no other.

Aiming to bring a piece of home to Arlington, owner Wolfgang Büchler continues to present his customers with the best baked goods after 48 years in business. Together with his Arlington-native wife, they fulfill that goal.

Located along Langston Boulevard, Heidelberg once occupied a location just down the street.

“The bakery itself opened in February of 1975, and we were down the street in the Lee Heights Shopping Center,” said Carla.

“My husband, Wolfgang, was the one who opened it originally, and then I came in September of 1975 and applied for a part-time job. So this is my first job and only job,” she said with a smile.

About 12 years after opening, they moved to their current storefront.

“In 1988, we moved to this location, and this is where we’ve been since then,” said Carla.

Starting by selling just breads, donuts, and cakes, the move down the street allowed them to expand their offerings. With more space and ambition, the pastry shop added a deli section, offering cold cuts, cheeses, and German wursts. The goal, as always, is to give customers a taste of Wolfgang’s hometown.

“He was raised in a suburb of Heidelberg, Germany,” Carla said of her husband. “Wolfgang completed two apprenticeships, one as a baker and one as a pastry chef, because they are two very distinct arts.”

Wolfgang came to America in 1969 and “worked for a German guy who had a pastry shop in Tysons,” Carla said.

Having grown up in Arlington nearly her entire life, Carla shares how she has seen Heidelberg Pastry impact the lives of those in the community.

“They come through the doors and are very overwhelmed and surprised because it is more than just a bakery, it’s bigger,” she said.

“Here we have donuts, breakfast pastries, breads, rolls, other pastries and deli items like sandwiches, and we even have different German grocery items in our store,” Carla added.

For those growing up on the northern side of Arlington, you may have fond memories of this place providing your family with specialized cakes for celebrations or baked goods for the holidays.

“I think it’s satisfying to have the customers feel as though they are family, and so many of our customers have been customers for more than 40 years,” said Carla. “You’re a part of people’s lives and see people get married, have babies, and when they graduate because we make cakes for them.”

Heidelberg has also been a destination for some homesick Germans in the D.C. area.

“Germans tend to always miss their bread first, so this is a perfect spot for them to come to… and during Christmas time, there are so many traditional German treats we have that your mom or grandma would make in Germany,” said Carla.

Despite its enduring popularity, the shop faced challenges during the pandemic.

“We sold items we don’t normally sell, such as eggs, milk, and butter. A lot of people bought yeast and flour because they couldn’t get it in the grocery store,” said Carla. “People were very supportive and would buy from us in particular because we were a small business.”

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