Rosslyn Outdoor Film Fest Starts This Week With ‘SNL’ Theme
They’re calling it “Saturday night, one day early.”
Rosslyn’s outdoor film festival returns to Gateway Park on Friday, and this year’s theme is “Saturday Night Live performers.” Every Friday night from now until August 26, different movies starring different Saturday Night Live stars will be shown on a big inflatable screen.
The movies get underway just after dusk — about 8:00 p.m. After 6:00 p.m., parking is available for $3 at 1901 and 1911 N. Fort Myer Drive, across the street from the park.
“Movie-goers are encouraged to bring blankets and low chairs to picnic in the park,” Rosslyn BID said today in a press release. “Attendees should arrive early for the best seating, and for pre-show games and prizes.”
Last year’s theme was “I [Heart] The 90′s.”
See this year’s movie line-up after the jump.
Mackey’s Public House Closes in Crystal City
(Updated at 9:40 p.m.) Mackey’s Public House (320 S. 23rd Street) has closed its doors in Crystal City.
The pub served its last customers this weekend, an employee said today. The D.C. location at 1823 L Street NW will remain open.
Mackey’s catered largely to the Crystal City lunch and after-work crowds. It had sidewalk seating that was popular on warm weather days. No word yet on why the pub closed, although a recent health department inspection of the restaurant turned up more than a dozen violations, including the presence of cockroaches and fruit flies.
Mackey’s is the second Irish pub to close in the Crystal City area in the past 6 months. McGinty’s Irish Pub, in the Market Square at Potomac Yard development, folded in December.
Photo via Mackeyspub.com
County Issues 2010 Development Stats
Despite continued economic weakness across the country, development and construction in Arlington continued at a relatively strong pace last year, a newly-released report reveals.
In 2010, developers began construction on more than 600,000 square feet of retail and office space, while construction wrapped up construction on another 600,000 square feet of space. Construction started on 477 multifamily (apartment and condo) units, while 1,438 units were completed.
A majority – 68 percent – of on-going commercial construction last year took place in Ballston. A similar majority of the multifamily construction – 67 percent – took place on Columbia Pike.
For more information, see the 2010 Development Trends report from Arlington County’s Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development.
Zoë’s Kitchen Coming to Ballston
Greek-inspired soup, salad and sandwich restaurant Zoë’s Kitchen is coming to Ballston.
According to the company’s web site, the new Zoë’s will be located near the Ballston Metro station at 4245 Fairfax Drive, formerly home to do-it-yourself stir fry restaurant Flat Top Grill.
Founded in 1995, Alabama-based Zoë’s is a rapidly-growing chain with restaurants from Arizona to Florida. It has three D.C.-area locations: Fairfax, Woodbridge and Potomac, Md. Its menu includes kabobs, sandwiches, pitas and a variety of soups and salads.
No word yet on when the restaurant will open.
Fire-Scarred Four Courts Reopens With Limited Menu
Ireland’s Four Courts (2051 Wilson Blvd) in Courthouse reopened Friday evening, two days after a grease fire damaged its kitchen.
The pub will be using its downstairs kitchen to offer a limited menu while the upstairs kitchen is repaired. The damaged kitchen is expected to remain closed for “at least a month.” During that time, the pub will open on weekdays from 2:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. and on weekends from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m.
“We are extremely thankful and grateful for the quick response of Arlington fire department,” Four Courts said in a statement. “A investigation is continuing into the fire.”
Photo courtesy @MixMasterZano
Morning Poll: Bikeshare Worth the Parking Sacrifice?
For many people who don’t have cars, Capital Bikeshare seems like a no-brainer. With all the money spent on road construction and maintenance, and with our streets lined with parked vehicles, the loss of a few parking spaces and the investment of a few thousand dollars to bring CaBi to Rosslyn is a drop in the bucket.
But to those who own cars and frequently utilize street parking, even the loss of a couple of parking spaces in a crowded area like Rosslyn can seem like an encroachment. Doubly so if you don’t believe Bikeshare is an efficient use of tax dollars.
Thus, when someone at the Arlington County Republican Committee observed the loss of eight parking spaces for CaBi’s four new Rosslyn locations, he or she took to blogosphere to vent.
“Those parking spaces had been heavily used by Rosslyn visitors and shoppers… but the County decided to replace the valuable spots with rental stations for the costly subsidized bicycle rental program,” the GOPer fumed on the committee’s blog.
“The loss of on-street parking in Rosslyn means additional inconvenience,” the GOPer argued. “It also hurts Rosslyn shops and restaurants, who depend on available parking to attract customers.”
The blog estimated that the loss of the parking spaces would cost the county $10,000 in parking meter revenue per year.
Do you think the loss of parking spaces and meter revenue is worth it in order to bring Capital Bikeshare to Rosslyn and – soon – other Orange Line locations?
Flickr pool photo by Patryce
Morning Notes
Arlington Students Head to White House – Two hundred fifty students from five Arlington elementary schools will be heading to the White House today to participate in the annual White House Easter Egg Roll. [Arlington Public Schools]
Student Project Heading to Space Station – A science game invented by a group of Barrett Elementary School students was the winner of a national NASA-run contest and will now be played aboard the International Space Station. [WUSA 9]
Examiner Takes on 31st District Senate Race – On Saturday, the Washington Examiner simultaneously published two very similar articles by the same reporter on the same subject. The articles take a critical look at the financial and backroom political support received by County Board member Barbara Favola in her campaign for the retiring Mary Margaret Whipple’s state Senate seat. In addition to rehashing an article first published by ARLnow.com, the Examiner quotes potential Favola rival Ben Tribbett as saying that unnamed Senate leaders are trying to ruin his technology consulting business to keep him out of the race. [Washington Examiner]
Flickr pool photo by Chris Rief
