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Photos: A Week of Springtime Scenery and Social Distancing (Kind of) in Arlington

By Jay Westcott
1/20

The past week has seen rising coronavirus cases and concerns in Arlington, but also considerable springtime beauty.

For those largely stuck at home, here are some scenes from around the county from the last seven days.

ARLnow staff photographer Jay Westcott had this to say about what he’s seeing, including observations about the all-too-frequent lack of social distancing in certain places:

I am seeing lines to get into grocery stores (Whole Foods in Clarendon) because they are limiting the number of customers in the store at one time. I am seeing more people wearing masks when they are out and about. Retail personnel at grocery stores and pharmacies are wearing personal protective equipment. To the folks working retail at groceries and pharmacies right now, I applaud you. Thank you. Please don’t judge my addiction to Lindt dark chocolate bars.

I also feel like people are still taking chances that they don’t need to. I’ve seen group yoga sessions in parks and group runs. And people just do not seem to know what 6 feet is. You can’t share a sidewalk with someone coming from the other way and be 6 feet apart. Sidewalks are 4 feet wide at best, right? You have to actively pay attention to your surroundings while you are walking around or running on the trail systems and sidewalks. Please, stay 6 feet away from people! Act like they have it. Act like you have it.

Not much has changed for my day-to-day as the photographer for ARLnow. I work mostly in the field anyway; I am either somewhere shooting pictures or I am traveling to the next spot. I’m out trying to document the various aspects of daily life around Arlington amidst all of this and how people are responding to it.

It still feels surreal. Each day it’s 14 minutes to Lynn Street and Wilson Blvd in Rosslyn, from my place in Fairlington, no matter what time I leave. There are fewer planes taking off and landing at DCA so there is less jet noise in Rosslyn. Seeing businesses such as Whitlow’s shuttered is haunting.

There are still beautiful sunsets to be seen along Columbia Pike, though. The Air Force Memorial looks amazing when the sun breaks through the clouds late in the day. And the tulips along Boundary Channel Drive near the Pentagon are amazing. Not far from there, trees are sprouting blossoms near Columbia Island and the Lyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Grove.

Support your local businesses, support each other. Be kind. Stay 6 feet apart when you do go out, please.

Photos: The March of the Coronavirus Pandemic in Arlington

By ARLnow.com
1/25

The calendar turns to April tomorrow, after a momentous March.

There are only a few times in one’s life that you know for sure that you’re living through a boldface entry in the history books. The coronavirus outbreak and the resulting disruption of much of the economy and daily life is one of those times.

We compiled some of the photos readers and our intrepid staff photographer, Jay Westcott, have taken around town over the past couple of weeks. The images are those of isolation and disruption, but also hope and those trying to make the most of a bad situation.

Here’s how Jay described his observations from out and about in Arlington:

A typical morning rush hour in Rosslyn is a cacophony of sight and sound. Whistles shriek as ACPD directs traffic and pedestrians at Wilson and Lynn. Jets departing and arriving to DCA reflect and reverberate off the tall glass towers. Construction up the hill at 1500 Wilson. Traffic. Pedestrians. Metrobuses. 

Not anymore. 

Monday, Mar. 16 was the first work day after the region began teleworking in earnest and schools were closed. The intersection of Wilson and Lynn felt like the opening scene to the movie “I Am Legend.” In an hour’s time I saw less than 10 pedestrians. To call this surreal is an understatement. 

But that was the first morning. As the weather has warmed, people are venturing out more and more, and people are being really cavalier about social distancing. This is not a time for picnics in the park or group bike rides. And people don’t seem to realize how far six feet actually is. Sure, you may be six feet behind someone ahead of you on the trail, but people coming at you from the other way are passing within a foot of you. You have to remember this virus can live in the air for 3 hours. You can’t bump into people, you can’t try to squeeze past someone in the grocery store. You have to actively pay attention to your surroundings and people just don’t seem to be doing that. 

Around Arlington, rush hour seems to be non-existent. Don’t get me wrong, people are still out driving around, but from what I have been seeing traffic at 8:30 a.m. is no different than traffic at 1 p.m. or 6 p.m. From my place in Shirlington to the Key Bridge takes less than 15 minutes. I can’t help but imagine what it would be like if the majority of people that can do so continue working from home as much as possible after this pandemic has been contained. 

Seeing the COVID-19 test site open up on Quincy St. N was both welcome and frightening. 60 tests a day. 60. That is a lot, right? Is it enough? 

I am encouraged to see businesses find new and creative ways to continue operating through this, like Acme Pie and El Pollo Rico offering delivery. I had El Pollo Rico last week and if there was ever a comfort food to have in a time like this, it’s their amazing chicken. 

I hope my fellow Arlingtonians take this seriously. I have a friend in Colorado that has COVID-19. He flew through Seattle for work at the end of February and likely picked it up there. He’s now two weeks into the illness. His fever hit 103 last week, and he went to the ER on Friday with pneumonia-like symptoms. He is retired military, physically fit and it’s wiped him out. Before the ER trip he was in bed for three days straight. “It’s no joke,” he said. 

Please, stay safe. Stay home. Stay away from people.

Photos: Empty Streets, Metro Stations and Businesses Around Arlington on Monday

By ARLnow.com
1/13

(Updated at 4:05 p.m.) Amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, much of the usually bustling places around Arlington seemed like a ghost town this morning.

The Clarendon Metro station and Reagan National Airport were eerily empty at times. Only a handful of people could be wandering Ballston Quarter mall and eating at local restaurants. Other than grocery stores, drug stores and Costco, many stores were quiet.

At Bearded Goat barber shop in Ballston, barbers were serving their last clients before closing for at least the next two weeks.

On I-395 and other heavily-traveled highways, traffic volumes that could be mistaken for Christmas morning could be seen.

Ultimately, it’s a good sign: only social distancing and staying at home will slow the spread of the virus. But it may be a new normal that stretches into the summer.

Jay Westcott contributed to this report

Photos: Crosshairs Garage Races Kicks Off Sixth Season in Crystal City

By Jay Westcott
1/18

It’s March, which means the Crosshairs Garage Races has started its 6th season of racing bicycles in parking garages in Crystal City.

Every Tuesday evening through the end of the month, cyclists from across the Washington area descend into the garage at 201 12th Street S. and compete in an event that Washingtonian called the “best use of a garage that doesn’t involve your car.” The series was formerly known as Wednesday Night Spins.

Over 100 racers in three categories put a number on their bicycles and raced through a course of taped-off sections that zig-zagged through the lower levels of the garage. Co-organizer and promoter Taylor Jones loves the sense of community that the races bring.

“It’s a unique opportunity for non-traditional cycling demographics to try racing,” he said. “It’s awesome to live in a place that supports something like this.”

Beverages were plentiful, as was pie from Acme Pie owner Sol Schott. Emcee Nate Graham DJ’ed and offered commentary throughout the night.

“Everybody comes together as a midweek break from the grind and plays bikes in a parking garage,” Graham said. “What’s not to love?”

Beginner’s race winner Mac Maheen, 24, of Bowie, Md., thought it was a “super cool event.” New to bike racing, this was Maheen’s third-ever race.

“There were a lot of turns, staying under control and out of trouble was the most important thing,” Maheen said. “It’s super fun. Who would have thought something this cool would be in a parking garage?”

Photos: Elaborate Halloween Decorations Across Arlington

By Kalina Newman
1/25

(Updated at 9:20 a.m.) With October 31 a day away, houses across Arlington are pulling out all of the stops for dressing up their homes for Halloween.

Popular decorations seem to be cobwebs and the classic carved pumpkin, while others opt for blown-up witches, pumpkins, skeletons, ghouls, and more. As usual, the famous N. Jackson Street in Ashton Heights seems to have some of the most extravagant Halloween displays, but other residential stretches like 38th Street N. in the Old Glebe neighborhood also have a bounty of clever creations.

If you spot any other houses decked out for Halloween, post a photo or two in the comments section.

There is no official trick-or-treating time in Arlington, but tradition says costumed children will start arriving around sunset, until around 8 p.m. or so.

Staff photos by Jay Westcott. Others contributed. Flickr pool photos by John Sonderman and Kevin Wolf.

Photos: Opening Day at the Arlington County Fair

By Vernon Miles
1/20

(Updated 10:10 a.m.) The annual Arlington County Fair is back in action.

The fair opened yesterday (Wednesday) and will run through Sunday (Aug. 18). The fair fills a lot next to the Thomas Jefferson Community Center (3501 2nd Street S.).

The usual fair attractions like carousels and Ferris wheels have made a return, while carnival barkers are enticing visitors to try their games and kabobs are sizzling on the grill.

New attractions this year’s fair include a butterfly garden — where visitors can hand-feed native butterflies — goat yoga, and a beer garden.

A row of food vendors are also set up near the community center, featuring doughnuts from the local Good Company Doughnuts and Cafe.

There’s no parking at the fairgrounds, but a shuttle runs from the fair to the Arlington Career Center — where there is visitor parking — as well as Wakefield High School, the county’s I-66 parking garage, and the Virginia Square Metro station. Shuttles cost $2 round-trip.

The fair is free to enter, with tickets available to purchase for rides and carnival games.

Ashley Hopko contributed to this story

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Lidl Opens Store at Arlington HQ — “Arlington finally has its first Lidl grocery store — it just happens to be pint-sized… the company took a little more than 1,000 square feet it was using as storage on the ground floor of its HQ to open Lidl Express, a convenience-sized store with a variety of convenience store staples and fresh food.” [Washington Business Journal]

Lee Highway Group Wants More Funding — “The Lee Highway Alliance is seeking what its president calls a modest increase in funding from the county government. But the budget proposed by County Manager Mark Schwartz is heading in the other direction.” [InsideNova]

Crystal City Condo Aiming for Record Sale — “With Amazon’s HQ2 on the way, the seller of Penthouse 3S at the Crystal Gateway Condominiums believes the time is right to go for a record… While $2 million might sound like a hefty number, DeHart stresses that inside DC limits, buyers pay nearly twice as much for Potomac views.” [Washingtonian]

Former ACPD Captain in the News — “The former police chief of Portsmouth, Va.” — Tonya Chapman, a former Arlington County Police captain and the first black woman to lead a municipal police department in Virginia — “says she was forced out by city leaders over resistance to her attempts to overhaul a department riven by racial tension.” [Washington Post]

Instagrammable Arlington Spots — Arlington tourism booster StayArlington has compiled a list of Instagram-friendly locations in the county. [StayArlington]

Nearby: Halal Butchery Approved — “A retail halal butcher shop that slaughters chickens on-site will be allowed to open in a small industrial area of Alexandria, despite strong opposition from nearby business owners and their patrons.” [Washington Post, Patch]

Flickr pool photo by Erinn Shirley

UPDATE: Arlington Public Schools Closed Monday as Snow Continues Falling

By ARLnow.com
1/7

Update at 3:30 p.m. — All Arlington Public Schools will be closed Monday, the school system just announced.

Earlier: Arlington County snow removal crews have started plowing neighborhood streets as the snowiest D.C. area storm since 2016 starts to wind down.

The county’s Dept. of Environmental Services announced just before 1 p.m. that it had entered “Phase 3” of its snow response, during which crews are “working to widen passage on primary and secondary arterial” streets while “beginning to treat/plow residential streets.”

Crews across Northern Virginia worked throughout the night to keep roads drivable, though officials cautioned against unnecessary travel due to slick conditions.

Virginia State Police said troopers in its Fairfax Division, which includes Arlington, responded to 34 crashes and 52 disabled vehicles since midnight. Statewide, more than 230 crashes were handled by VSP during that timeframe.

“Drivers be advised — looks can be and are deceiving!” state police said. “Highways may appear to be clear, but slick and icy conditions still exist.”

“On the second day of winter weather across northern Virginia, drivers are asked to continue to avoid unnecessary travel for crews to safely clear accumulating snow,” VDOT urged.

In Arlington, all Dept. of Parks and Recreation classes and activities in county and school facilities were canceled today. All county fields and community centers were closed and all other activities at public schools were canceled. Arlington Transit buses, meanwhile, are operating on a limited schedule.

As of 2 p.m., Arlington Public Schools had not yet announced its status for Monday. Another 2-3 inches could fall between 1 p.m. today and just after midnight, according to the National Weather Service, and a Winter Storm Warning remains in effect.

Despite the hazards, the snow produced picturesque scenes around Arlington. More snowy scenes from around town, via social media:

(more…)

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

County Board to Vote on Arts Grants — “County Board members on July 14 are slated to approve $215,810 in direct support to Arlington arts groups for the coming year. The funding request, which is in line with those of previous years, comes from the Arlington Commission for the Arts.” [InsideNova]

New Building Sign in Rosslyn — The logo for the University of Virginia Darden Graduate School of Business now sits atop one of Rosslyn’s skyscrapers. The school recently expanded its facilities within the building at 1100 Wilson Blvd. [Twitter]

‘Instagrammable’ Sights in Arlington — Stay Arlington, the county’s tourism promotion agency, has a list of the “Most Instagrammable Places in Arlington.” The list includes: the Air Force Memorial, the Netherlands Carillon, murals in Crystal City, Theodore Roosevelt Island, New District Brewing Co. and the Mount Vernon Trail. [Stay Arlington]

Local Young Professionals Spend Wisely — A “money diary” for a married, young professional couple in Arlington has none of the excesses usually found in the genre. Instead, the couple jointly makes $175,000 per year, plus bonuses, and spends it modestly on things like cheddar Chex Mix and a $1,600 per month one bedroom apartment. [Refinery 29]

New Look for Our Homepage — You might have noticed that ARLnow’s homepage has a new look. This is an interim step on our way to launching an entirely new website design. Please let us know what you think about it in the comments. Also, let us know if you find any significant bugs or problems, as we’re still working out the kinks.

Nearby: Dual-Use Path on W&OD Trail — “Within the next year, pedestrians and bicyclists will be able to use separate, parallel sections along the trail in the city of Falls Church.” [InsideNova]

Photo courtesy Dennis Dimick

Crash Upends Pickup Truck on Route 110

By ARLnow.com

An apparent rear-end collision between a coupe and a pickup truck resulted in the coupe picking up the rear of the truck.

The crash happened this morning on Route 110, which runs from Rosslyn to the Pentagon. No injuries were reported.

The Arlington County Fire Department tweeted photos of the crash to remind residents to drive safely, particularly today on Arlington’s annual Bike and Walk to School Day.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Immigrants Afraid to Report Crimes — President Donald Trump’s hawkishness on immigration enforcement has apparently led to a drop in crimes reported in some of the country’s largest immigrant communities, including in Arlington. Per a new report: “In Arlington, Virginia, domestic-assault reports in one Hispanic neighborhood dropped more than eighty-five per cent in the first eight months after Trump’s Inauguration, compared with the same period the previous year.” [New Yorker]

Lawmakers React to Immigration Decision — Local lawmakers are speaking out against a Trump administration decision to end temporary protected status for some 200,000 Salvadoran immigrants. “Donald Trump’s open hostility to immigrants runs against the values and history of this country,” said Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), while Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) called the decision “heartless.” [Rep. Don Beyer, Twitter]

Ramp Near Pentagon Closing at Night — The ramp from eastbound Route 27 to northbound Route 110, near the Pentagon, will be closed each night through Friday for bridge deck work, according to VDOT. “Traffic will be detoured via Route 27, George Washington Memorial Parkway and I-395 back to northbound Route 110,” the agency said. [Twitter]

InsideNova Sold — The parent company of the Arlington Sun Gazette has sold its InsideNova website along with two other local weekly newspapers, while retaining the Sun Gazette papers. Sun Gazette articles will reportedly still be published on InsideNova. [Washington Business Journal]

Arlington’s Top 10 Press Releases of 2017 — Arlington County has posted an article ranking the 10 most popular press releases of 2017 on its website. The article concludes that “2017 was a good year in Arlington County, laying the foundation for great years to come.” [Arlington County]

Nearby: Plans for Boozy Taco Bell — A Taco Bell “Cantina” that “mixes the traditional Taco Bell fare with new shareable menu items and alcoholic beverages including twisted freezes, beer and wine” is coming to Old Town Alexandria. [Washington Business Journal]

More Fog Photos — The fog covering parts of the region this morning made for some great photos, particularly among those who trained their lenses on the half-covered Washington monument. [Twitter, Twitter, Twitter]

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