Pentagon City mall

‘Top Model’ Tryouts to Be Held at Pentagon City Mall

By ARLnow.com

Screenshot of America's Next Top Model audition promoLocal TV station DC50 will be holding auditions for the CW show America’s Next Top Model at the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City on Saturday (Jan. 5).

The auditions will take place at the mall from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Previously only open to women, this latest round of tryouts are open to both men and women, between the ages of 18 and 27. A list of eligibility requirements and a required 100+ question application are both available via the DC50 website.

The auditions will be followed by a private screening for the new show The Carrie Diaries, a “prequel” to the hit HBO show Sex and the City. The screening will take place at 5:00 p.m.; interested viewers must register online.

Crime Report: Armed Robbery at Pentagon City Mall

By ARLnow.com

A man robbed the Currency Exchange store at the Pentagon City mall on Chrismas Eve by implying that he had a weapon, according to police.

No weapon was seen, but the man was able to flee the scene after obtaining cash. From this week’s Arlington County crime report:

ARMED ROBBERY, 12/24/12, 1100 block of S. Hayes Street. At 2:42 pm on December 24, an unknown suspect robbed the Currency Exchange at Pentagon City Mall. The subject fled the scene on foot in the direction of the Metro. The subject is described as a black male, approximately 50 years old, 150 lbs, with a short beard. He was wearing a jean jacket over a black hooded sweatshirt and a black Nike hat at the time of the incident.

Also this week, a man was arrested and charged with indecent exposure after has was caught masturbating at the L.A. Fitness health club in Crystal City, according to police.

A gym patron walked into the sauna and witnessed the man mid-act, police said. According to Arlington County spokesman Dustin Sternbeck, the suspect began to “tussle” with the witness after he said he was going to alert the manager; no charges were filed as a result of the scuffle.

INDECENT EXPOSURE, 12/21/12, 3500 block of S. Clark Street. On December 21 at 9:21 am, a subject was seen masturbating inside the sauna of a gym. Morris Umansky, 63, of Arlington, VA, was charged with indecent exposure and released on a summons.

The rest of this week’s crime report, after the jump.

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Oakley, Sperry to Open, Lucy to Close in Pentagon City

By ARLnow.com

 

(Updated at 1:20 p.m.) Two new stores are coming to the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, while another is closing at Pentagon Row.

A new Oakley store and a new Sperry store are both under construction on the second level of the shopping mall. The stores are directly adjacent to one another. Oakley is best known for its sunglasses, while Sperry is best known for its boat shoes. Oakley also sells clothing and Sperry sells other types of footwear.

Both stores are expected to open in time for Christmas shopping, with the Sperry store hoping to open around Dec. 7 and the Oakley store hoping to open around Dec. 14, according to a PR rep for the mall.

Lucy, an women’s activewear store, will be closing soon at Pentagon Row. A sign in the window advertises a 25 percent off sale at the store, while directing shoppers to other locations at Union Station in D.C. and Tysons Corner Center mall in Fairfax County.

Photo (right) courtesy Desiree Lomer-Clarke

More Car Break-Ins at Pentagon City Mall

By ARLnow.com

Thieves struck again at the Pentagon City mall parking garage yesterday.

About 15 vehicles in the garage were broken in to Monday afternoon, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. The cars each had their door lock “punched,” allowing a thief to gain access to the inside of the vehicle. Valuables like wallets, purses, credit cards, cash, phones and GPS units were taken.

Sternbeck said the suspect or suspects moved from car to car, sometimes leaving items stolen from one vehicle in another vehicle. The thefts all took place between 12:30 and 1:30 p.m., Sternbeck said.

Thefts are fairly common in the Pentagon City mall parking garage, though a large series of thefts such as this doesn’t happen very often. In July, thieves struck at least 10 vehicles, including two police vehicles, in one afternoon.

“That’s one of the known hot spots for thieves due the the number of vehicles,” Sternbeck said of the parking garage. “[The mall is] typically a place where you leave valuables inside your vehicle. It’s easy pickins for these criminals.”

Police advise shoppers to keep valuables out of plain sight — perhaps locked in a trunk or a glove compartment — when parking one’s car in a public area.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

No Sandbag Distribution in Arlington — Contrary to some rumors, Arlington County is not distributing sandbags to residents concerned about flooding. “Arlington County, fortunately, does not have significant river front areas that are subject to flooding (e.g., Georgetown, Old Town),” Arlington County Director of Communications Diana Sun told ARLnow.com this morning.” She said that county staff is “focused on the highest priorities.”

Long Bridge Drive Flooded — Long Bridge Drive, near Crystal City, has flooded as a result of rain overnight and is being closed to traffic by police. The flood-prone road is the only street that leads to the parking lots for Long Bridge Park.

Pentagon City Mall Closed — Updated at 10:45 a.m. — The Fashion Centre at Pentagon City will be closed today (Monday) due to Hurricane Sandy. Ballston Common Mall will be closing at 2:00 p.m. [Facebook]

Artisphere’s Per-Visitor Subsidy — Based on its new Fiscal Year 2012 year-end report, Artisphere required a taxpayer subsidy equivalent to $41.85 for each of the cultural center’s 55,607 visitors over the course of a year. [Sun Gazette]

Cuccinelli May Investigate Moran Video — The State Board of Elections has asked Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli to investigate a video of Rep. Jim Moran’s son discussing possible voter fraud. Patrick Murray, Moran’s Republican challenger, said “we need to know that [our electoral process] has not been corrupted.” He also called on U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to investigate the video. The Arlington County Police Department is currently investigating the video, as well. [Washington Post, Murray for Congress]

High School Football Update — Yorktown High School remains undefeated (9-0) following this weekend’s high school football action. Wakefield High School remains winless (0-9). Washington-Lee chalked up a victory over the weekend and is now 5-4. [Sun Gazette]

Guess Who’s Coming to Town in Two Weeks?

By ARLnow.com

Everybody’s talking about Sandy, but another big arrival is coming to town soon: Santa.

Simon Malls says photos with Santa will begin two weeks from today, on Friday, Nov. 9, at the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City (1100 S. Hayes Street).

The Jolly Old Elf will be available for photos at Pentagon City mall through Christmas Eve, Dec. 24. He’ll also be present for a special holiday shopping night from 6:00 to 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 15, and available for photos with pets (no exotic pets, please) from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Nov. 25 through Dec. 2.

St. Nick’s arrival in Arlington is a bit earlier than last year. His appearances at Pentagon City mall last year started on Nov. 12, 2011. No word on when Santa will be coming to Ballston Common Mall, but last year his first appearance in Ballston was scheduled for Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving.

Alleged Shoplifter Had Diplomatic Immunity

By ARLnow.com

Two alleged shoplifters were detained by security at the Pentagon City Macy’s store yesterday evening, but only one suspect was taken to jail because the other had diplomatic immunity.

Police responded to the store, in the Pentagon City mall, around 5:45 p.m. after getting a call from Macy’s about two female shoplifters who were taken into custody by security officers. The women were accused of collectively trying to steal more than $600 worth of clothing.

When police arrived, both suspects claimed to have diplomatic immunity, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. After checking with the State Department, it was determined that one suspect, a 35-year-old woman, was indeed a diplomat from Jordan and had diplomatic immunity. She was released on a court summons, accused of trying to steal $205 worth of merchandise.

Sternbeck declined to release the name of the woman. The embassy of Jordan was contacted about the incident, he said.

The second suspect, identified as 48-year-old Entaser Alsmady, did not have diplomatic immunity and was charged with grand larceny, according to Sternbeck. Alsmady is accused of trying to steal $427 worth of merchandise. She is currently being held in the Arlington County jail, Sternbeck said.

Alleged crimes by individuals with diplomatic immunity are not unheard of in Arlington. Sternbeck said he could recall at least one other diplomat accused of a crime in the past year.

TV Station Looking for Models at Pentagon City Mall

By ARLnow.com

DC50, the CW television station in Washington, will be recruiting models at the Pentagon City mall next weekend.

The station is looking for models for its annual Fashion, Beauty and Lifestyle Expo, to be held at the Washington Convention Center on Oct. 20. The event features  The event features “multiple fashion shows, free beauty makeovers, book signings, and meet and greets with celebrities.”

The casting call for the expo will be held from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Sept. 23, on the third floor of the mall.

“Models chosen to walk during this year’s FBL will get a chance to meet these accredited designers, have portfolio pictures taken, increase their exposure, and the chance to get scouted by New York modeling agencies,” DC50 noted in a press release. “Models will be chosen by Maggy Francois, LLC and Joel Cas Productions.”

New Stores Coming to Pentagon City Mall

By ARLnow.com

 

More changes are coming to The Fashion Centre at Pentagon City.

On the heels of the recent openings of a new Microsoft Store, Tumi store, Coach store, Bose store, The Limited store, and Chipotle restaurant, the mall has announced some new additions.

A Fire and Ice jewelry store is expected to open tomorrow, Sept. 1. The store specializes in “hand crafted creations, with a focus on vibrant gems and jewels that evoke the colors and textures of our planet’s rich natural history.” The 500 square foot store will be opening on the second level of the mall, next to L’Occitane.

A Kate Spade store is set to open in Pentagon City mall in “early fall,” according to a press release. Kate Spade’s diverse set of offerings include handbags, clothing, jewelry, shoes, stationery, eyewear, baby items, fragrance, tabletop goods, bedding and gifts. The 1,450 square foot storefront will be opening on the second level of the mall next to Club Monaco.

Finally, an Oakley store is also opening on the second level of the mall, according to the mall directory. While not officially announced, it appears that the Oakley store will be replacing another store that’s currently open. It’s not clear which store that may be, however. Oakley is best known for its sunglasses, but it also sells apparel, bags and footwear.

There are more than 170 stores in the Pentagon City mall, which is anchored by Nordstrom and Macy’s department stores.

Weezer Concert Won’t Be Taking Place at Mall, After All

By ARLnow.com

It turns out we were wrong to assume that a Weezer concert that was said to be taking place “near The Fashion Centre at Pentagon City Microsoft Store” next weekend, in honor of the store’s grand opening, will be taking place at the mall. Or in Virginia, for that matter.

A PR rep emailed us today to let us know the concert — scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 11 — is actually taking place at the Warner Theater in D.C. The original media advisory (which omitted the Warner Theater detail) said the concert will be taking place at 2:00 p.m., though the band’s website says it’s scheduled from 12:00 to 5:00 p.m.

Weezer fans can get tickets to the event by visiting the Microsoft Store’s Pentagon City mall grand opening on Thursday, Aug. 9. Starting at 10:00 a.m., the store will distribute free wristbands for admission to the event, in pairs of two, according to the Microsoft Store website. The first 200 people in line will also reportedly get a wristband for a meet and greet with the band.

A few lucky people who get in line early on the 9th will also have the chance to play Microsoft Kinect with Washington Wizards star John Wall later that day.

ARLnow.com apologies for the error in our previous article.

Photo by “James” via Wikipedia

Thieves Strike Cars at Pentagon City Mall Parking Lot

By ARLnow.com

Thieves struck at least 10 vehicles — including two police cars — at the Pentagon City mall parking lot yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon.

Detectives are investigating 10 reports of car break-ins at the mall parking garage yesterday, including five reports of larcenies from auto (items stolen from inside the car) and five reports of attempted larcenies.

Police believe the incidents took place between 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Two of the victim vehicles belonged to law enforcement agencies, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. Sternbeck wasn’t able to confirm which agencies were involved, except to say that the vehicles did not belong to Arlington County. ARLnow.com hears that at least one of the vehicles was an undercover Fairfax County police car.

Sternbeck said that mall-goers can help protect themselves from theft by making sure to lock their vehicles and by keeping valuables like iPods, GPS units and cash hidden in a locked glove box or trunk. Shoppers are also asked to report suspicious activity in such parking garages to police or mall security.

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