Chain Bridge Closure Postponed, Again
The planned closure of Chain Bridge this weekend has been postponed due to the windy and rainy weather. This is the third time reconstruction work on the bridge deck has been postponed. Snow storms in January and February caused the first two postponements.
Fire Dept. Responds to Gulf Branch Contaminant
Arlington firefighters were called to the Gulf Branch Nature Center Wednesday afternoon after a strange, milky contaminant was spotted in the water.
Firefighters ultimately determined the substance was non-toxic. A subsequent Department of Environmental Services investigation revealed that the cloudy white water was caused by runoff from concrete work at a nearby home.
The incident is not altogether uncommon — DES investigates 50 to 100 complaints of stream contamination each year — but it serves as a reminder that many residents still don’t know where the county’s storm drains go.
Arlington’s 300 miles of storm sewers all empty into local waterways said Aileen Winquist, an environmental planner with the county.
Paint, antifreeze, petroleum products and portable toilet chemicals have all wound up in streams around Arlington due to people –purposely or inadvertently — dumping into storm drains.
First Look Inside Northside Social
It’s still a work-in-progress, but yesterday we got a look inside Northside Social, Clarendon’s new coffee and wine bar.
Construction is taking place at a furious pace at the old Murky Coffee building. When we arrived after the short walk from Northside’s big brother, Liberty Tavern, general manager Alison Christ was surprised to see a chandelier already installed on the second floor, which the wine bar will call home.
On the first floor the makings of the coffee bar were coming together. Christ, formerly the sommelier at Willow Restaurant in Ballston, said the centerpiece of the store — a top-of-the-line espresso machine — was in the process of being flown in from Italy.
An adjacent “sun room,” which we’re told will be furnished with couches and other comfy furniture, was still barren concrete.
After it gets its necessary county permits, Northside will have seating for about 100 people, including 65 outdoor patio seats. With new stores popping up monthly, and with an added emphasis on outdoor seating and street life, Christ says she sees Clarendon developing into a “New York-style neighborhood.”
Spider Kelly’s Mutating, Adding Sidewalk Seating
After acquiring two small, adjacent storefronts, Spider Kelly’s in Clarendon is aggressively expanding inside and adding sidewalk seating outside.
Based on a floor plan filed with the county (below), the new Spider Kelly’s will feature three pool tables, five shuffleboard tables, five video game machines, four darts stations, two old school basketball arcade games, a big island bar, sidewalk seating for 32 and indoor seating for at least 150.
Permission for the outdoor seating and a new outdoor sign will be discussed and is expected to be approved at Saturday morning’s county board meeting. If all goes well, the new Spider Kelly’s could open as soon as next weekend.
We got a peak inside yesterday as job candidates trickled out the door, and there’s only one word to describe the interior: massive.
Check back here on Tuesday for interior photos. In the meantime, check out the floor plan, so big it had to be broken up into two separate images.
To Do This Weekend: St. Patrick’s Day Stuff
Ireland’s Four Courts seems like the place to be this weekend for pre-St. Patrick’s Day fun. Saturday morning the pub will be hosting runners before and after the Four Courts Four Miler. It is also billing itself as a post-ShamrockFest destination.
Four Court’s normal Sunday activities will become even more Irish-y. Expect a special Irish Sunday brunch. Then, later Sunday night, karaoke become Irish-themed karaoke.
For more dedicated drinkers, the Arlington Athletic and Social League is holding its “St. Practice Day” bar crawl on Saturday. The $10 registration fee is almost worth it just for the t-shirt.
Registration starts between 1:30 and 2:00 p.m. at Mister Day’s. Subsequent destinations include Hard Times Cafe, Clarendon Grill, Eleventh Street Lounge, and SoBe.
For more over-21 festivities, check out our St. Patrick’s Day Guide.
Photo courtesy Stacey Viera of Every Food Fits. Smiley faces added to protect the innocent.
