Shirlington

Shirlington 7-Eleven Store Robbed

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County police carA 7-Eleven store in the Shirlington area was robbed Tuesday night.

Police say a man and a woman robbed the convenience store on the 2800 block of S. Wakefield Street around 10:15 p.m. on Tuesday. They also allegedly assaulted a 55-year-old man who works at the store.

“The first suspect is described as a black male in his thirties, approximately 6’2″ and weighed 225 lbs, He was wearing a black zip-up hoodie, black sweatpants, black hat, black/red sneakers, and gloves.,” according to an Arlington County Police crime report. “The second suspect is described as a black female in her late twenties, approximately 5’5″ and weighed 130 lbs. She was wearing a black puma sweatshirt, black leggings, and black sneakers.”

The store is popular with residents of Shirlington and the nearby Fairlington neighborhood.

Nighttime Bike Rides to Explore Arlington Neighborhood ‘Secrets’

By Heather Mongilio

"Secrets of Crystal City" graphicGroups of cyclists will get to explore the “secrets” of three Arlington neighborhoods this month.

The Washington Area Bicyclist Association is organizing the 5-6 mile evening rides with Bike Arlington.

First up tonight is the Secrets of Crystal City. The ride will start tonight at 6:30 p.m. at the Crystal City Water Park, on the 1700 block of Crystal Drive, and end just down the street at TechShop around 8 p.m.

“On our ‘Secrets of Crystal City’ ride, we’ll open your eyes to a whole new side of one of Arlington’s signature neighborhoods,” WABA said on the event’s website.

The rides continue weekly, with a tour of Shirlington on Oct. 14 and a ride through Ballston on Oct. 28. Another ride will take cyclists across the river on a haunted ghost ride on Capitol Hill in D.C. on Oct. 23.

Reservations for each tour costs $10, but it’s half off for WABA members and free for Capital Bikeshare members. Participants must provide their own bikes and helmets. The rides are open to anyone over 14 years old.

The tour is also accepting walk-ups depending on the amount of available space in the tour group. Walk-up riders can participate for free.

New Shirlington Pool Hall Looks to Open Next Week

By Heather Mongilio
1/3

Billiards may return to Shirlington as a new pool hall looks to open next week.

Chester’s Billiards Bar & Grill is opening in the same building that housed pool hall Lucy’s ARL until 2013, said co-owner Derrick Fulghum, Sr.

The restaurant hopes to have “a busy atmosphere with great food,” said Fulghum. It’s currently waiting on some permits from the county before it can open, but hopes to have those by Thursday.

In the meantime, Chester’s owners are hanging the restaurant’s new sign and putting the final touches on its menu.

The menu currently includes appetizers like chicken tenders, buffalo wings and crab cakes, salads, soups and a raw bar. The restaurant is opening with a special of barbecue and “all you can eat salad” for $8.75.

The menu will mostly contain American cuisine, “and everything is pretty much under $10,” Fulghum said.

Once open, the restaurant is planning to serve food from 11 a.m. midnight Monday through Wednesday, and until later at night on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. It will be open until 11 p.m. Sunday, according to Fulghum.

New Shirlington Sports Bar Aims for March Opening

By ARLnow.com
1/2

Dudley’s Sport and Ale, a new sports bar that’s coming to the Village at Shirlington, is tentatively aiming to open in March.

Dudley’s owner Reese Gardner, who also owns Copperwood Tavern in Shirlington, told nearby residents via Facebook that Dudley’s will be “huge,” with Shirlington’s first rooftop bar.

“The space is huge and I’m doing a complete rework of the space and adding a rooftop,” Gardner said. “Trust me I live in walking distance also and I’m just as excited.
March will be the soonest.”

In addition to the rooftop bar, Dudley’s will feature more than 40 flat screen TVs and a private party area. So far there are no plans for live music at the bar, Gardner said.

On its website, Dudley’s says it’s starting the hiring process for all positions.

“We’re looking for smart, hard working and passionate people to join our team,” the site says. “Please send your resume if you are interested in any position from Chef to Server to Bartender to Prep Cook and beyond.”

Dudley’s is located at 2766 S. Arlington Mill Drive, in the former Bungalow Sports Grill space.

Shirlington AMC Theater Closes for Renovations

By Heather Mongilio

AMC Theater in ShirlingtonThe AMC movie theater in the Village at Shirlington (2772 S. Randolph Street) will be closed through November for renovations.

The movie theater is expected to reopen mid to late November, said AMC Theatres spokesman Ryan Noonan.

Once renovations are complete, the movie theater will have plush reclining seats in all of its auditoriums, new bathrooms and hot food options like chicken fingers and french fries.

AMC may also add a bar that will serve cocktails, wine and beer, Noonan said.

“The entire movie experience will be enhanced,” he said.

The company expects business to pick up in Shirlington as a result of the changes, Noonan said.

“We found that guests love our upgraded movie-going,” he said. “People really enjoy the recliner seating.”

The theater will offer reserved seating. Moviegoers will be able to choose their seats when buying tickets online or at the box office.

“The easiest way to make sure everyone gets a ticket and everyone gets the seat they want is to use reserved seating,” Noonan said.

An AMC theater in Courthouse went through similar renovations in 2012.

Shirlington Oktoberfest Postponed

By ARLnow.com

Crowd at 2012 Shirlington OktoberfestThe annual Mid-Atlantic Oktoberfest in Shirlington has been postponed due to inclement weather.

Event organizer Capitol City Brewing Company announced this morning that the Oktoberfest, originally scheduled for tomorrow (Saturday) afternoon, will instead be held next Sunday, Oct. 11.

“This rescheduled event will be [halved] in size, comparable to Capitol City’s Springfest event,” a PR rep said in an email. “Thank you for your understanding!”

Springfest consisted of beer samples from 45 breweries, mostly from Virginia, D.C. and Maryland.

Power Outages Reported in Shirlington, North Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Power lines along Four Mile Run DriveMore than 1,500 Dominion customers are without power in the Shirlington area and other parts of Arlington this afternoon.

Businesses, homes and traffic lights are dark in and around Shirlington and Fairlington.

Initial reports suggest that the outage may be as a result of some balloons that struck a power line. Outages are also being reported in Clarendon and other parts of North Arlington.

Shirlington’s 16th Annual Oktoberfest to be Held Next Weekend

By Eleanor Greene

Shirlington Oktoberfest 2015 bannerCapitol City Brewing will be hosting the 16th Annual Mid-Atlantic Oktoberfest in Shirlington on Saturday, October 3 from 12-7 p.m.

The event will feature more than 60 local breweries, food from local vendors and authentic German music and food. As usual, Oktoberfest will be held along Campbell Avenue at The Village at Shirlington. 

“We have about 90 vendors, 65 breweries, thousands of people come out, it’s just a whole lot of fun,” said Sean Carney, a manager at the brewery’s Shirlington location. Carney says he expects two to three thousand people to come to the event, “Maybe even more… it’s one of the bigger festivals in the fall around here, that’s what gets people so excited.”

Tickets are $30 for the the beer tasting, which includes 10 four-ounce pours, wristband and tasting glass. For non-drinkers, the event is free to attend.

Arlington County has made a video publicizing ways to get there without using a car, both as part of Arlington’s Car-Free Diet, as well as to encourage responsible drinking.

Celtic Festival Returns to Shirlington

By Heather Mongilio

Beckett's Celtic Festival flyer (via Samuel Beckett's)

A bit of Ireland is coming to Campbell Avenue in Shirlington with the return of the annual Beckett’s Celtic Festival this Saturday, Sept. 19.

“The Beckett’s Celtic Festival is a celebration of Celtic food, drink and culture. It is an opportunity for the community to come together, enjoy themselves and take in the very best of Irish music, dance, food, drink and all around ‘craic,'” said Daniel Perranzas, a manger at festival host Samuel Beckett’s Irish Gastro Pub (2800 S. Randolph Street).

The festival runs from noon to 7 p.m. and there will be about 20 vendors lining Campbell Avenue, selling beer and food. Samuel Beckett’s will have a vendor stand and will sell Irish delicacies like shepherd’s pie, bangers and mash, corned beef reuben’s, Irish sausage rolls and bratwurst, Perranzas said.

Vendors will sell Irish draft beers, including Guinness, Smithwicks and Harp, along with Magner’s Cider and wine, he said.

There will also be live music and Irish dancing, both outside and inside the pub.

“The Celtic Festival was started three years ago as a way to connect with a community that has shown us such great warmth and hospitality and also to emphasize the deep connection that Irish heritage and culture holds within the many residents of this and every community,” Perranzas said. 

The Arlington County Police Department will close Campbell Avenue from S. Randolph Street to the parking garage at the Harris Teeter in Shirlington (4250 Campbell Ave.) from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday for the festival.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Sunset aura (Flickr pool photo by Erinn Shirley)

School Board Candidates Not Ruling Parkland Out — Two candidates for Arlington School Board say they aren’t ruling anything out — including use of parkland — for the building of new schools. Independent Green-endorsed candidate Brooklyn Kinlay said it would “be a tragedy” to use parkland. Reid Goldstein, who has the Democratic endorsement, said the school system is “not moving fast enough” to address the school capacity issue. [InsideNova]

Ray’s Company Files for Bankruptcy — A company affiliated with the popular Ray’s the Steaks and Ray’s Hell Burger restaurants in Arlington has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The restaurants’ operations are reportedly not affected. [Washington Business Journal]

Marymount Tops Diversity List — Marymount University ranks No. 1 for ethnic diversity among regional universities in the South, according to the new 2016 “Best Colleges” rankings from U.S. News and World Report. “It’s all part of our ongoing commitment to creating a culture of engagement that fosters intellectual curiosity, service to others and a global perspective in our students,” said Marymount President Matthew Shank. [Marymount University]

New Civic Association Forms — Arlington has a new civic association. The Arlington County Civic Federation has added the new Shirlington Civic Association as a member. Also, the Columbia Heights West Civic Association has changed its name  to the Arlington Mill Civic Association. [InsideNova]

Newspaper Columnist Denied Lemonade — “Our Man in Arlington” columnist Charlie Clark received questionable service after ordering a 50-cent lemonade from a children’s lemonade stand near Virginia Hospital Center last week. [Falls Church News-Press]

Flickr pool photo by Erinn Shirley

ART Buses to Park At Four Mile Run Property While New Garage is Built

By Heather Mongilio

3600 S. Four Mile Run Drive

The LaPorte property at 3600 S. Four Mile Run will be the temporary home of ART buses until a new facility is finished in the Crystal City area.

The temporary housing of buses is one of the topics on the agenda for a Sept. 1 community meeting, said county spokeswoman Catherine Matthews. The meeting will also discuss street parking, the upcoming Shirlington Crescent-Four Mile Run planning study and Jennie Dean Park.

“The meeting on September 1 (with residents from Nauck, Shirlington and Fairlington) will really just be to communicate about and implement some community planning efforts and address some outstanding neighborhood concerns,” Matthews said in an email.

County officials will attend the meeting to answer questions about any of the agenda items, Matthews said.

Buses will be housed at LaPorte property until 2017, when the new facility at the corner of S. Eads and 32nd Streets  is expected to be finished, she said.

“In terms of parking buses here, the County does not foresee any major changes or delays to existing traffic patterns. All of our ART buses are CNG (compressed natural gas) powered and run on natural gas, making these buses cleaner and quieter in operation,” Matthews said.

Construction to build the new ART facility begins Sept. 9 and is expected to last 18 months, according to the project’s website. The new two-story facility will have spaces for bus maintenance, bus washing, a gas station and parking.

The meeting will also discuss planning efforts for the Jennie Dean Park and Shirlington Crescent-Four Mile Run area. Both projects are in preplanning phases, Matthews said.

Shirlington Crescent- Four Mile Run Study area (Via Arlington County)

The Shirlington Crescent-Four Mile Run Planning Study is planned for 2015, according to the project’s website, and will look at the land use in the area.

“The goal will be to develop a vision and long-term planning guidance for the area, which includes primary industrially zoned properties,” Matthews said in an email. “We will be examining potential land use changes, transportation improvements; and environmental issues, given the proximity of the Four Mile stream.”

At the same time, the county will also be creating a master plan for Jennie Dean Park, but the project is still in the early stages, she said.

View More Stories