ARLnow.com Reaches One Million Pageviews Per Month
ARLnow.com is proud to announce that our readers have helped us to reach the mark of one million pageviews per month.
For the month ending Friday, May 4, ARLnow.com readers viewed a total of 1,000,721 pages on the site, excluding the new real estate section. That’s the first time the monthly pageview count has exceeded 1,000,000 since we launched in January 2010.
ARLnow.com thanks our loyal readers for helping to propel us to web traffic statistics not typically seen for a “hyperlocal” website focused exclusively on a single community. We look forward to continuing to serve you and our advertisers for years to come.
ARLnow.com is an independent, locally-owned news website serving more than 125,000 unique visitors per month.* Our original journalism and photojournalism is produced by Arlington residents, often with the help of emails and anonymous tips from the community.
* Directly-measured web traffic statistics provided by Google Analytics
Groundbreaking for Clarendon Office Project
A groundbreaking was held this morning for the new 3001 and 3003 Washington Boulevard office project in Clarendon.
Local officials, including Rep. Jim Moran and County Board Chair Mary Hynes, were joined by officials from Penzance, the project’s developer, at the ceremony.
Demolition work on the one block construction site actually got underway while the ceremony was taking place, we’re told. Taking the place of the small buildings that once occupied the block — including those housing a restaurant, a car dealership, a gym and a bank — will be two office buildings. Construction on the 8- and 10-story buildings is expected to wrap up in early 2014, according to Penzance.
Courtesy photo
Boeing 787 Dreamliner Lands at DCA
A Boeing 787 Dreamliner landed at Reagan National Airport around 10:50 this morning as part of an international promotional tour for the aircraft.
The widebody jetliner (wingspan: 197 feet) will spend the next few days parked at the airport, before departing on Friday morning, according to Boeing. Government and airline officials and members of the media are among those expected to be invited to tour the aircraft during its time at DCA. No public tours are planned.
According to Boeing, the jetliner — first put into commercial service in October 2011 — is outfitted with ”special cabin features including a welcoming entryway, dramatically larger dimmable windows, bigger bins and dynamic LED lighting.” The 787 is noted for its use of lightweight composite materials, which helps make it 20 percent more fuel efficient than similar-sized airliners. It’s also designed to be quieter and more comfortable for passengers than older models.
Today’s landing (see: video) was unusual for Reagan National, since widebody aircraft typically do not operate out of the airport. The plane will depart DCA for Dallas, Texas on Friday.
Last fall the Arlington County Board approved plans for Boeing to build a new regional headquarters near Crystal City.
Photos (top, bottom right) courtesy Boeing. Photo (bottom left) courtesy Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.
Followup: Statesman’s Gravestone Still in Clarendon
An old gravestone of former Secretary of War Robert Porter Patterson is still propped up against a building in a construction site in Clarendon.
Since we first reported on the gravestone last week, we’ve learned that it is a private cemetery marker that was apparently removed from Arlington National Cemetery after a new headstone was put in place following the 1988 death of Patterson’s wife. (See photo of current gravestone, left.)
In a statement, Arlington National Cemetery said it is not responsible for the handling of private headstones.
“A private headstone is installed by a contractor hired by the family,” the cemetery said. “Arlington staff will coordinate the installation with the family-hired contractor. If the family chooses to replace a private headstone, then they would be responsible for hiring a contractor for replacement and disposal.”
Patterson was a World War I veteran who later served as a top military official during World War II and as Secretary of War immediately following the conflict. He died in a plane crash in 1952 and was given a Combined Services Full Honor Funeral, as documented in the book The Last Salute.
As of last night, Patterson’s weathered gravestone was still visible from the sidewalk along 11th Street N., within the Penzance office project construction site. A groundbreaking ceremony was held at the site today.
The now-shuttered T.A. Sullivan and Son cemetery monument business is located within the site, but ARLnow.com has been unable to reach anyone associated with the business.
Photo courtesy Arlington National Cemetery
Introducing the ARLnow.com Real Estate Section
You might have recently noticed the “Real Estate” item in the menu bar, or you might have noticed the listings widget on the side of the page, but today we’re officially announcing the launch of the ARLnow.com Real Estate section.
Unlike national real estate websites, our real estate section is focused exclusively on Arlington, and is searchable by more than three dozen popular local neighborhoods. You can can also search for sales or rentals by price, zip code, address, number of bedrooms, open houses, new construction, sale by owner, etc.
Currently, we have more than 700 house and condo sales listed and more than 200 house, condo and apartment rentals listed.
In addition to the standard listings, real estate agents are in the process of adding featured listings and open houses to an interactive map on the front real estate page.
We’re still working out some minor kinks and quirks with our technology partner, but please let us know what you think of the real estate section so far in the comments.
Police Pursuit Ends in Front of Va. Square Metro
A police chase ended in front of the Virginia Square Metro station early this morning.
Virginia State Police were pursuing a vehicle on eastbound I-66 around 1:15 a.m. when it exited onto Glebe Road in Arlington. The fleeing driver was then involved in a collision with another vehicle near the intersection of Glebe Road and Fairfax Drive, according to scanner traffic.
The chase ended when the driver apparently tried to bail out near the intersection of Fairfax Drive and N. Monroe Street, in front of the Virginia Square Metro station. Police apprehended the man in front of the station’s elevator entrance, according to a witness. Arlington County police were not involved in the chase, ACPD spokesman Dustin Sternbeck said, but did arrive on the scene after the driver bailed out.
No injuries were reported as a result of the crash at Glebe and Fairfax. So far there’s no word on charges against the driver, nor what prompted him to flee.
Photo courtesy Drew Murray
Good Stuff Eatery Holds Party in Crystal City
Spike Mendelsohn brought some glitz and glamour to Crystal City Friday night at the private opening party for his newest Good Stuff Eatery location.
Between the the celebrity DJ inside (Josh Madden), the Ferrari parked outside (it belonged to one of Spike’s investors), and the reality show production crew that filmed the whole thing (we were told they were working on “Life After Top Chef”), the party was more Hollywood Boulevard than Crystal Drive. Taking in the excitement — and the beer, fries, burgers and milkshakes — was a capacity crowd that included young partiers, local notables, and Mendelsohn family members.
The restaurant, at 2110 Crystal Drive, is set to open to the public on Wednesday.
Morning Notes
ACPD Cruiser Hits Dog — An Arlington County police cruiser hit a dog Thursday night. The dog’s owner is accusing the police officer of speeding at the time the dog was struck, but a police spokesman suggests that that the dog’s injuries — it survived and is expected “to make a full recovery” — would have been worse if the officer was actually speeding. [WUSA 9]
Ballston Craft Market Season Starts — The Ballston Arts & Crafts Market will open its 2012 season on Saturday, May 12. It will take place on the second Saturday of the month through October. [Sun Gazette]
Wine Shop Offers Discount for Locals — The new Crystal City Wine Shop is offering 10 percent off to neighbors who live in the 22202 zip code and can prove it with a valid photo ID. The deal is valid on Tuesdays only. The shop is also offering 10 percent off on Wednesdays to anybody who works in the 22202 zip code and can prove it with a business card.
