Nook Play Space (Photo via Facebook/Nook)An Arlington mom is set to bring a “modern” play place to a Lee Highway storefront this fall.

Nook Play Space is slated to open at 5649 Lee Highway in mid-October, providing an alternative to play areas like Chuck E. Cheese, owner Maria Vogelei said.

She said that many of the D.C.-area play places she and her young daughters have visited are overcrowded and in dark, windowless spaces that are “completely outdated.”

At Nook, Vogelei said, children can engage in creative play without overstimulation.

Inside the 3,000-square-foot space, children who are five years old or younger can visit corners dedicated to art, construction, costumes, the senses and the city. For example, kids can build with white Lego blocks, explore a “forest” of bungee cords or play on structures that resemble an art installation of cardboard boxes, Vogelei said.

The design elements are “pleasing to the parent’s eye,” she said. “It’s a place parents would enjoy, too.”

Parents can buy monthly Nook memberships online for $120 for one child, with discounts for multiple kids. Day passes are $20.

Vogelei plans to keep the play space open seven days a week, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Photo via Facebook/Nook


A new independent coffee shop is slated to open at some point in the near future in the Clarendon area.

The shop, called Blumen Cafe, is coming to the space that formerly held CD Cellar at 2607 Wilson Blvd, which is about halfway between the Courthouse and Clarendon Metro stations. Signs for the forthcoming cafe state that the business is “coming soon.”

Though we were unable to contact the proprietor behind the cafe, Andira Jabbari, for comment, real estate agent Kenneth Matzkin — who helped lease the property to Jabbari — was able to provide some insight.

The cafe will bring “high-end teas and coffee” and snacks to the space as early as some time this month, Matzkin said.

“They’re putting in a boatload of money to make it look nice,” Matzkin said. “They’re also going to open it up in the front so you could walk directly to the sidewalk from the space.”

But Matzkin cautioned that the end result is still subject to change.


Shady Grove Fertility location at 901 N. Stuart Street in Ballston (Photo via Shady Grove Fertility)

A new fertility center has arrived in Ballston.

Shady Grove Fertility has a location now open at 901 N. Stuart Street in the Ballston Metro Center Office Towers, the center announced last week. Dr. Anitha S. Nair, a reproductive endocrinologist who leads the Arlington office, will treat men and women fighting infertility.

With its Ballston clinic, Shady Grove Fertility currently has 19 full-service outposts in Virginia, D.C., Maryland and Pennsylvania.

“In response to the growing demand for Shady Grove Fertility services in Northern Virginia, we’ve located our newest office in Arlington, VA, within steps of the Metro to provide additional convenience for our patients,” Shady Grove Fertility’s medical director Eric A. Widra said in a statement. “With Dr. Nair being a longtime resident of the city, we’re excited to provide the Arlington community with the experience and success we’ve achieved throughout the region.”

Photo via Shady Grove Fertility


A new barbershop called Roosters is coming to Pentagon City.

The shop will be opening on the ground floor of The Acadia at Metropolitan Park apartment building, near the corner of 12th Street S. and S. Fern Street, according to “coming soon” signs in the window.

“Roosters Men’s Grooming Center provides an authentic barbershop experience in a modern, upscale, and unpretentious environment,” says the company’s website. “Our focus is on delivering consistent, exceptional service, and providing men an escape from their busy lives.”

Services offered include hair cuts, shaves, beard trims, facials and hair coloring. Discounts are offered for active duty military, police, fire and EMS personnel.

“We believe you deserve to have a space of your own, so sit back and enjoy the charm and comforts of an old school barbershop updated for the modern man,” the website said.

No date was given for the expected opening. Roosters has existing locations in 21 states, including locations in Ashburn, Herndon, Leesburg, Reston, Vienna and Bethesda.

Other ground floor businesses in the Acadia building, both opened and planned, include Sweetgreen, Orangetheory Fitness, Corepower Yoga and European Wax Center.


The Earth Treks climbing gym in Crystal City is expected to open soon, perhaps by late July.

ARLnow reported last year that the gym in Crystal City was expected to open in “late spring,” however the opening date has since been pushed back.

“We’re presently targeting the second half of July,” said Earth Treks VP Chris Jenkins. “We’re in the home stretch, but I still don’t have an exact date.”

He said the company may wait a month or two after the gym’s initial opening to hold a grand opening event.

“We are going to have a member’s ‘grand opening’ party, but not immediately after we open,” said Jenkins. “As it would be open to members primarily we like to have a little breathing space between when we open the doors and when we have our first big event celebrating it so we have some time to build the membership base.”

The gym features a 35,000-square-foot climbing area along with training areas, dedicated yoga and group fitness rooms and private climbing teaching areas.

This will be Earth Treks’ first Virginia location. The company has three other gyms in Maryland, located in Rockville, Timonium, and Columbia.

Photos courtesy Earth Treks


Couples Retreat Day Spa in Clarendon (photo courtesy Eric LeKuch)The former B&C Jewelry Boutique, at 2729 Wilson Blvd in Clarendon, is becoming a day spa for couples.

The aptly named “Couples Retreat Day Spa” is holding its grand opening, according to a sign hanging from the awning.

Couples Retreat, according to the signage, offers various massage and reflexology services. It is advertising a $65 per hour rate.

The storefront is located next to Revolution Cycles and across the street from Whole Foods.

B&C closed last August, two and a half years after first opening. The business remains open in Alexandria.

Hat tip to Eric LeKuch


Another barre studio is coming to Arlington.

Xtend Barre, which has existing locations in Alexandria, D.C.’s Shaw neighborhood and Bel Air, Maryland, is coming to 2008 Wilson Blvd, on the ground floor of the 2001 Clarendon Blvd apartment building. Construction is underway but no opening date has been announced.

“We’re opening with almost 40 classes on the schedule including our signature Xtend Barre class, Xtend Technique, Xtend Stick, Xtend Suspend and Xtend Petites,” the company said on its website. “We are incredibly excited to announce our opening day and we can’t wait to meet you at the barre!”

The owner of the studio, Kelly Wilkinson, said she discovered the ballet-based barre workout about a year ago and fell in love with it. “It was fun, energetic and made me sweat,” she in a blog post.

Xtend Barre joins a growing list of barre studios in Arlington. Among them are Lava Barre, down the street in Rosslyn; Neighborhood Barre, which is coming to Clarendon; plus Pure Barre and Barre Tech, also in Clarendon.


Neighborhood Barre in Clarendon (photo courtesy Ian B.)A new exercise facility called Neighborhood Barre is coming to the ground floor of the Beacon at Clarendon apartment building.

The business is located on N. Irving Street, next to Jimmy John’s. It’s expected to open in “late spring,” according to the company’s website.

“Neighborhood Barre is a unique workout that combines dance conditions, pilates, and isometric weight training to carve and sculpt the muscles of the arms, legs, seat, and abs,” said the website. “We are also a fitness boutique carrying a range of apparel from brands such as Beyond Yoga, Alo, and Splits59.”

This is the first D.C. area gym for the company, which has existing locations in Tennessee and Alabama.

Photo courtesy Ian B.


CorePower Yoga is planning to open its new Pentagon City location tomorrow (Thursday).

The studio will offer a free yoga class for “friends and family” Thursday night, followed by a full day of classes on Friday, according to its website. The first week of classes is also free for new students, according to a PR rep.

The Pentagon City CorePower Yoga is located at 560 12th Street S., on the ground floor of the new Metropolitan Park Acadia apartment building. That’s just up the block from a new Whole Foods, which is expected to open this summer.

This will be CorePower’s second Arlington location — it opened a studio in Courthouse last year — and fifth in the D.C. area. The company also has locations in Georgetown, Merrifield and Falls Church.

A press release from CorePower Yoga, after the jump.

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9Round Penrose in Dec. 2015Rapidly-expanding kickboxing gym company 9Round opened a new location along Columbia Pike over the weekend.

For now, the fitness club’s location at 2501 9th Road S., at Penrose Square, is in a “soft opening” period, announcing hours of operation on a week-by-week basis. It will be open from 4-9 p.m. through this Thursday and 4-8 p.m. on Friday.

According to 9Round partner Michael Agrillo, the location is offering specials for the opening and will host a grand opening party soon.

This is the second 9Round location to open in Arlington in the last three months. The other opened in November on N. Quincy Street in Ballston.

When the company first announced the new Arlington gyms in September, Agrillo said the company may look at a new space in Pentagon City or Crystal City.

That brings the total number of 9Rounds in the county up to three with considerations for a fourth, including the first Arlington location in Courthouse at 2250 Clarendon Blvd.

The Penrose Square gym is also the first of two 9Round gyms that opened in northern Virginia this week. A location in Falls Church at 6649 Arlington Blvd opened yesterday. It will be open this week during the same hours as the Penrose Square location.


Beer samples L-R: 1821, Brown Ale, Strong Ale, Pilsner

After first announcing its plans to open late last summer, a new brewery near Shirlington is ready to open its doors this weekend.

New District Brewing Co. (2709 S. Oakland Street) is scheduled to open to the public this Saturday, Jan. 9 at noon, according to co-owner Steve Katrivanos. The 5,200 square foot space is off S. Four Mile Run Drive near the Shirlington dog park and the W&OD Trail.

Though Katrivanos and his brother Mike — who built the brewery’s brewhouse system — had hoped to open before the end of 2015, inspection processes delayed the opening.

This Saturday’s grand opening will feature nine beers on tap, accompanied by food trucks to be on location all afternoon. There will also be t-shirts and hoodies for sale and growlers available for purchase.

After it opens, New District Brewing Co. will boast the title of the first production brewery to open in Arlington in nearly 100 years.

New District will have full brewing operations on site and will distribute its beer to restaurants and bars. The brewery also has its own bar, with up to a dozen beers on tap at once, a tasting room with tables and a small retail space.

According to Katrivanos, more details about Saturday’s opening will be announced later this week via the company’s Facebook page.


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