Athletics Ban Not Consistent with County — “Arlington’s newest School Board member opened her tenure by intimating that, if the county school system’s ban on athletics and extracurricular activities is extended past its current Jan. 14 deadline or resurrected later, the county government should follow suit and shut down park programs for adults.” [Sun Gazette]
Universal Basic Income in Arlington? — “Every Arlingtonian, rich and poor alike, could be given $550 a month, leaving few families below the poverty line, if the property tax rate were tripled. The net income of a family of four living in a house worth less than $1.36 million would be higher, as this UBI dividend would exceed the increase in tax.” [Greater Greater Washington]
Yorktown Hockey is Undefeated — “In high-school club ice hockey action in recent days, the undefeated Yorktown Patriots (7-0) won two matches. Yorktown nipped Georgetown Prep, 2-1, then blanked the Langley Saxons, 5-0, in league play.” [Sun Gazette]
Local Dry January Deal — Ballston’s recently opened taqueria El Rey is offering up $1 zero-proof cocktails with meals, for those participating in Dry January. [Twitter]
Falls Church Jewelry Store Robbed — Falls Church Police are searching for two men who stole $200,000 to $300,000 worth of jewelry in an armed robbery of a jewelry store on W. Broad Street on Friday afternoon. [City of Falls Church]
Questionable Covid Testing Location in F.C. — “A COVID-19 testing company with a location in Falls Church is the subject of numerous complaints from across the U.S. about its practices.” [Tysons Reporter, USA Today]
Camera Discovered in Laundromat Restroom — A teen girl discovered a camera in the restroom of Surf ‘N’ Suds in Bailey’s Crossroads and Fairfax County Police need help identifying a man who was seen leaving an adjacent restroom at the time of the incident. [Fairfax County Police]
It’s Wednesday — Today will be sunny, with a high near 44. South wind 6 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Sunrise at 7:26 a.m. and sunset at 5:07 p.m. Tomorrow will be partly sunny, with a high near 46. [Weather.gov]
The day before Joseph Schanuel was discharged from Virginia Hospital Center (via Instagram)
Joseph Schanuel recovers at Virginia Hospital Center (via Instagram)
A still from a video of Joseph Schanuel receiving support at Virginia Hospital Center (via Instagram)
Serious bicycle crash on N. George Mason Drive (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Serious bicycle crash on N. George Mason Drive (staff photo by Jay Westcott, blur added)
Serious bicycle crash on N. George Mason Drive (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
The man who suffered potentially life-threatening injuries in a bicycle crash in Yorktown last month says he is making a full recovery.
“I can’t believe I was almost killed in the bicycle accident,” said Joseph Schanuel. “I have nobody to blame but myself — nobody caused my bike to fall.”
Schanuel, 25, was riding his bike — which he modified to be powered by a two-stroke gas engine — along N. George Mason Drive on the afternoon of July 28 when suddenly it fell apart.
“The front wheel came off after my carbon fork [a part that attaches the front wheel to the frame] broke in half due to overuse and local bumpy terrain,” he said. “My skull dropped into the pavement, face-planted at 20 mph.”
The crash happened around 1 p.m. on the 2700 block of N. George Mason Drive, just south of Yorktown Blvd, and the detached wheel could be seen next to the bike. According to a Nextdoor post, a woman walking her dog called the paramedics.
“I was on a work call when my wife, who was walking our dog, screamed for me to come outside,” a man said on Nextdoor. “She was already on with 9-11. I saw you lying in the road and ran into the middle of the road to stop traffic. Within minutes, the paramedics were there. We were worried sick about you and are so glad to hear you are ok and on the mend.”
Another poster said she drove by the scene before the road had been blocked off. She saw Schanuel surrounded by Arlington County Fire Department personnel.
“I was horrified to see you lying unmoving on the street,” she said. “I was very shaken and am so relieved to hear that you survived!! I wish you well in your recovery!”
Schanuel was rushed to Virginia Hospital Center, which was only five minutes away. According to his Instagram, he was discharged Aug. 13, a Friday.
“I owe my thanks to the 911 caller at the… scene of the accident and to the [Emergency Medical Services], also [Emergency Room] physicians and facial neurologist trauma doctors at VHC, which was only five minutes away,” he said. “Thank you for providing me rapid transport — I am alive because of your heroism.”
Schanuel was wearing a helmet at the time and said it might have saved his life. Still, the force of hitting his face on the pavement knocked him unconscious “for at least five hours,” according to his account of the crash on Nextdoor. Firefighters had to use water to wash Schanuel’s blood from the pavement.
His fall resulted in shattered facial bones and traumatic injury to Schanuel’s brain. He says he suffered a concussion so bad that he could have had permanent cognitive impairment, as well as deficits in balance, agility and the ability to sense his body’s movements. But he’s happy to be alive.
“I’m lucky I can still bathe and swallow and lift objects and walk in a straight line without any mobility assistance,” he said.
Serious bicycle crash on N. George Mason Drive (staff photo by Jay Westcott, blur added)
Serious bicycle crash on N. George Mason Drive (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Serious bicycle crash on N. George Mason Drive (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
(Updated at 2:20 p.m.) A bicyclist has suffered potentially life-threatening injuries after a crash 2-3 blocks from Yorktown High School.
The crash happened around 1 p.m. on the 2700 block of N. George Mason Drive, just south of Yorktown Blvd. Initial reports suggest the front wheel of the bike somehow came off and the cyclist flipped over the handlebars, suffering a possible head injury.
The detached wheel could be seen next to the bike, which appeared to have a motor that powered it. A pool of blood was nearby, in the middle of the bike lane.
The cyclist was rushed to a local trauma center for treatment. So far there are no reports of any vehicles being involved in the crash.
“ACFD arrived on the scene of a single-bicycle crash in the 2700 block of N. George Mason Drive,” Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage said. “The bicyclist was transported to an area hospital in critical condition. Police were dispatched to the area and remain on scene investigating the crash.”
Drivers should expect the northbound lanes of N. George Mason Drive to remain closed while police document the scene and investigate the crash.
(Updated at 2:15 p.m.) One person was hospitalized after a crash that sent one vehicle careening off the road and onto its side near Yorktown High School this morning.
The two-vehicle crash happened around 7:15 a.m. at the intersection of Yorktown Blvd and N. Harrison Street, about two blocks from the high school.
“Units quickly arrived on scene and found a 2 vehicle crash with 1 vehicle off the roadway, on its side,” said Lt. Nate Hiner, a spokesman for the Arlington County Fire Department.
“Crews found that there was one patient trapped in the vehicle on its side and went to work stabilizing and extricating a single patient from that vehicle,” Hiner said. “That patient was quickly removed from vehicle and transported to an area hospital with minor injuries.”
There’s no word as to what led to the crash.
Incident Update: One patient extricated from the vehicle and transported to a nearby hospital. Units are in the process of clearing the scene.
— Arlington Fire & EMS (@ArlingtonVaFD) June 16, 2021
This neighborhood is home to some of D.C.’s top-ranking centers of education — but does that mean that moving here is the smart choice?
Like all of Arlington, the real estate market in Yorktown is very strong right now. We are seeing a ton of traffic as people are moving up from Arlington condos to the single-family homes in this bucolic locale. So join the Keri Shull Team today as we share everything you need to know about the in-demand Arlington neighborhood of Yorktown.
And, as always, if you have any questions about Arlington real estate, contact the Keri Shull Team, the No. 1 top-selling real estate team in the Washington, D.C. area.
Seeing Double
Not to be confused with the census-designated place of the same name near Newport News, the Yorktown we are covering in this guide is a neighborhood in the northern stretch of Arlington, Virginia.
Although Yorktown itself offers a quiet slice of suburbia, the neighborhood is not far from the action in Arlington. Yorktown sits to the northwest of Ballston, one of the main centers for commerce and entertainment in Northern Virginia. This means the area is perfect for people who work in Arlington or attend school at one of the prestigious institutions along the Orange Line.
Living in Yorktown
Speaking of homes, most of the houses for sale in Yorktown are single-family homes. This means that, although the neighborhood offers easy access to the rest of Arlington and the D.C. area via Lee Highway, Yorktown retains a tranquil, suburban feel.
Yorktown is well-known for its great education options. Yorktown High School consistently ranks in the top 100 public schools in the entire nation, and Marymount University is immediately adjacent to the neighborhood.
Even though most of Yorktown is dedicated to residential spaces, there are still great options for dining and recreation in the area. The main retail center in Yorktown is Lee Harrison Shopping Center, which features both local favorites and national chains.
Owning a Home in Yorktown
In general, homes in Yorktown hold their property value and appreciate well, meaning that buying a home in the neighborhood can be a smart real estate investment for many people.
So, why are homes in such high demand in Yorktown? Yorktown’s market remains hot because it’s the neighborhood that has it all. With both a family-friendly atmosphere and easy access to all of the nightlife and entertainment in Arlington, this community is thriving right now.
Getting Around NoVA
Although there is not a Metro stop in Arlington’s Yorktown neighborhood, residents are still able to get around with ease. The southern border of Yorktown is defined by Old Dominion drive, an important throughway for NoVA traffic. This means commuters living in Yorktown can easily access everything that the D.C. area has to offer.
Plus, with a respectable Walk Score of 71, it is very possible to take care of daily errands via foot, all without sacrificing the quiet of suburbia.
The Verdict on Yorktown
Yorktown residents get to enjoy the utmost privacy and tranquility that comes with suburban living. However, thanks to the proximity of downtown Arlington and other NoVA cities, you don’t have to sacrifice amazing entertainment, dining and recreation.
Finally, the neighborhood is replete with natural beauty. Greenbrier Park and Rock Spring Park, in particular, are amazing spots to get some fresh air.
On top of this, we are seeing an increasing interest in single-family homes in 2021, with more and more condominiums going on the market as families outgrow their homes. This means that people are moving away from high-rise neighborhoods like Rosslyn or Ballston and into more suburban locals — such as Yorktown.
This means that if you want to find a home in Yorktown, you need to have every advantage that you can get!
Finding a Home in Yorktown
At the Keri Shull Team, we have hundreds of off-market properties that you cannot find online or anywhere else… and we want to give you priority access to these homes before they even go on the market!
And if you are selling a house in Arlington, it’s more important than ever to make sure you are taking the proper precautions to protect your investment. The best way to do that is to speak with a top-tier real estate agent and create a completely customized home selling strategy.
ACPD Salutes Fallen Officer — “ACPD Officers honored fallen @CapitolPolice Officer Brian Sicknick as his procession traveled through Arlington County. In Valor, There is Hope.” [Twitter, Twitter]
M.J. Stewart Makes Splash in Upset Win — “Former Yorktown HS standout M.J. Stewart was one of NBC’s players of the game in the Cleveland Browns’ playoff upset of the Pittsburgh Steelers tonight.” [Twitter]
National Award for County Naturalist — “Alonso Abugattas, natural resources manager for Arlington County, VA, received a Regional Environmental Champion award at the 2020 Natural Latinos conference.” [Bay Journal]
Cristol to Chair NVTC Again — “Arlington County Board member Katie Cristol will go another round as chair of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) for 2021.” [InsideNova]
McAuliffe Picks Up Local Support — “Four of the seven members of Arlington’s legislative delegation, including all three state senators, have announced their support for Democrat Terry McAuliffe’s bid for governor. McAuliffe ‘has the bold vision and proven track record we need to push Virginia forward,’ said state Sen. Adam Ebbin.” [InsideNova]
Nearby: Fairfax Vaccinating Teachers — “Starting as early as Saturday, Jan. 16, the Fairfax health department has partnered with Inova to vaccinate an estimated 40,000 teachers and staff of public and private schools and childcare programs across the health district.” [InsideNova]
Two. D.C. men are facing a battery of charges after police say they were seen prowling local neighborhoods and trying to break into cars.
The arrests were made Monday morning after a resident reported a suspicious vehicle, accompanied by two people on foot looking into parked cars, along N. George Mason Drive in the Yorktown neighborhood. The vehicle was later spotted in the Clarendon area, and the pair arrested after a foot chase.
More from an Arlington County Police Department press release:
At approximately 5:30 a.m. on October 12, police were dispatched to the area of 27th Street N. and N. George Mason Drive for the report of a suspicious vehicle. The reporting party observed a vehicle driving through the neighborhood with two subjects walking alongside it and appearing to look into parked vehicles. A lookout for the vehicle was broadcast and officers located it in the area of Wilson Boulevard and 10th Street North. The driver of the vehicle failed to stop for law enforcement. The vehicle eventually became inoperable at 10th Street N. and N. Irving Street and the four occupants fled the scene on foot. Following a brief foot pursuit, two of the vehicle’s occupants were located and taken into police custody. Two subjects remain outstanding and there are no descriptions of the subjects. The investigation determined that both the vehicle and the temporary license plate on the vehicle were reported stolen.
A 21-year-old man was charged with Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle, Eluding and Receiving Stolen Property, while a 20-year-old man was was charged with Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle, Eluding, Forgery and False ID to Law Enforcement. Both were held on a secured bond, police said.
The arrests come as Arlington is in the midst of a wave of vehicle-related crimes. In February we reported that hundreds of cars had been broken into since July 2019. In July of this year, at least 31 cars were reported stolen in Arlington, two-thirds of which were either left running while unattended, or unlocked with keys inside. Despite public service announcements from ACPD, as well as other arrests, those types of crimes continued throughout the summer.
The latest incident, police say, is an instance of a common vehicle property crime in Arlington: a group of thieves, traveling together in a stolen vehicle, testing door handles and then stealing items from unlocked cars or stealing the cars themselves, if keys are found inside.
From ACPD:
Vehicle-related property crimes such as motor vehicle theft, larcenies from auto and vehicle tampering are often crimes of opportunity. Thieves are looking for easy, low effort opportunities to steal from hardworking members of the public and target vehicles with unsecured doors and windows.
The method of theft in this incident is consistent with other vehicle-related property crimes reported in Arlington. Several suspects, often riding in a stolen vehicle, drive through Arlington neighborhoods looking for crimes of opportunity. As the driver proceeds slowly down the street, several accomplices exit the vehicle and check door handles of vehicles parked in the area. The suspects enter vehicles that are found to be unlocked with the goal of stealing valuables and those vehicles with keys left inside. These incidents typically occur during overnight or early morning hours.
The police department offered the following tips for keeping one’s vehicle secure and reporting suspicious activity to authorities.
Amazon Not Giving Up on HQ2 Helipad — “The list of nongovernmental aircraft the Transportation Security Administration permits to fly inside the [Flight Restricted Zone], besides commercial fights to and from Reagan National, is basically nonexistent… In a statement, Amazon suggested it hasn’t given up. ‘We recognize there are several layers of approval for such a feature, and will continue to work with Arlington County and other relevant stakeholders as we determine its feasibility for our Arlington HQ,” the statement read.” [Washington Business Journal]
Pentagon Helipad to Get New Tower — “The Department of Defense has designs on building a permanent air traffic control tower to help guide aircraft landing at the Pentagon and is seeking a contractor to carry them out.” [Washington Business Journal]
County Concerned About Peak Trail Usage — “We’ve noticed the trails are pretty crowded between 3pm-6pm. To help stop the spread of COVID-19, we suggest finding a less busy time to walk, bike, or run on the trails or to find an alternate route.” [Twitter]
Mexicali Blues Closed, For Now — Clarendon mainstay Mexicali Blues has shut down its carryout business and is closing temporarily. [Twitter]
Candidate Blasts County’s Coronavirus Response — “Audrey Clement, who has been running campaigns for elected office for more than a decade, said last week that the County Board failed to use its powers to force restaurants to close in the earliest days of the crisis.” [InsideNova]
Va. Senators Seek Local News Funding — “U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) joined their Senate colleagues in a letter calling for funding to support local journalism and media to be included in any future COVID-19 relief package.” [Press Release]
Video: YHS Orchestra Plays Remotely — “Vivaldi: Concerto for Strings in D Major, RV 121 (1st movement) by the members of the Yorktown High School Chamber Orchestra during the COVID-19 pandemic.” [YouTube]
Tree down across Yorktown Blvd (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Tree down across Yorktown Blvd (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Tree down across Yorktown Blvd (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Tree down across Yorktown Blvd (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Tree down across Yorktown Blvd (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
(Updated at 2:55 p.m.) A large tree has fallen and is completely blocking the intersection of Yorktown Blvd and N. George Mason Drive.
Police and firefighters are on the scene. The tree reportedly also brought down power lines at the intersection, which is just down the street from Yorktown High School.
Drivers should expect detours in the area while crews work to remove the tree from the roadway. Eastbound traffic on Yorktown Blvd is being diverted onto 28th Street N., near the high school, according to scanner traffic.
Pedestrian traffic from the high school may also be re-routed.
UPDATE: N George Mason shut down between 26th St and Yorktown Bl. Yorktown shut down between N George Mason and N Dinwiddie. Seek alternate routes. https://t.co/yThuZHMXes
Separately, further down Yorktown Blvd from the fallen tree, Arlington County firefighters were on the scene of a possible gas leak at Nottingham Elementary as of 1:30 p.m. The school was evacuated while firefighters investigated a reported gas odor.
A new indoor swimming school is coming soon to Lee Highway in Arlington.
SwimBox offers one-on-one lessons to swimmers of all ages, from beginners to athletes. All lessons take place in the shallow, warm-water “Endless Pool,” with instant video feedback to customize swimming technique.
“We are anxious to work with the masters swimmers, competitive age group swimmers, triathletes, and adults learning to swim that live in/close to that area,” said owner Lissa Latella. “We find that the adult community is often overlooked in terms of learning to swim, so it will be great to provide that service to this new area as well.”
The space is slated to open in December, according to Latella, underneath Caribbean Grill at 5183 Lee Highway.
“The move to Arlington has been something we’ve been wanting to do for the past few years, but finding a good space that allows for our pool was a bit hard in an area where most buildings have underground parking garages,” said Latella. “Can’t put a pool above something like that!”
SwimBox applied for a construction permit in August, per county records, in which it was labeled as an “above ground modular spa.”
New Trail Bridge Work Progressing — “Bridge girder installation is occurring this week during daytime hours for the new Washington & Old Dominion Trail Bridge over Route 29 (Lee Highway) in Arlington. This work is taking place west of Lee Highway, and will not impact roadway or trail users. Work will continue the week of Oct. 28, and will require nighttime hours and an additional trail detour.” [Press Release]
Chick-fil-A to Blame for Blocked Bike Lane? — Delivery drivers picking up orders from Chick-fil-A in Crystal City may be at least partially to blame for frequent bike lane blockages along Crystal Drive. [Twitter]
Netherlands Carillon to Get ‘Grand’ Upgrade — “The National Park Service (NPS) and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands today celebrated the start of a project to restore the Netherlands Carillon and add three bells to elevate its status to ‘grand carillon.'” [Press Release]
E-CARE Sets New Record — This past Saturday’s E-CARE recycling event recorded record turnout, as Arlington residents showed up en masse to drop of tons of old bikes, scrap metal and household hazardous materials. [Twitter]
Yorktown Golfer Wins State Championship — “He was the last player to tee off in the round, then at the end of the 18-hole competition, Benjamin Newfield was standing No. 1 on the leaderboard. The Yorktown High School freshman carded a 4-under-par 35-33-68 on Oct. 14 to win the Virginia High School League’s Class 6 individual state golf championship by one stroke.” [InsideNova]
Ceremony for New Elementary School — “This past weekend, the APS and [Fleet Elementary] communities celebrated the opening of the new school with ribbon cutting and fall festival.” [Twitter]
Woodbridge Development Claims HQ2 Proximity — “The radius of Northern Virginia buyers citing Amazon HQ2 in their plans continues to expand, with a developer in Woodbridge now citing the tech giant as a catalyst for a large-scale shopping center redevelopment.” [Bisnow]
