News

Plans to build an affordable housing development near Crystal City could take a key step forward next week despite a neighborhood association’s objections.

A request to advertise hearings on a possible land-use amendment for the Melwood property in Aurora Highlands is scheduled to go before the Arlington County Board on Tuesday. At issue is the possibility of shifting the site’s designation from “public” to “low-medium residential” — bringing a proposal to build 104 units of affordable housing “within the realm of consideration,” a county report says.


Sponsored

The Dragons Concord is a tabletop roleplay gaming center that focuses on providing a safe and professional roleplay and miniature wargaming experience.

Our themed private gaming rooms, free public gaming tables, and growing staff of professional game masters, are all oriented toward one goal — to make roleplay gaming as accessible and fun as we can for everyone! We’ve had an amazing reception by the community since we first opened our doors last June, and to celebrate we’re hosting a special event at our store in Fairfax on June 1st.

In addition to hosting a variety of special game sessions and events throughout the day, we’ll also be hosting several local creators and crafters showing off their talents in 3d printed miniatures and dice towers, board game development and even introductory blacksmithing classes being offered by our partner Semicolon Craft and Forgeworks! Visit www.dragonsconcord.com for more information.

The demand for quality game masters is increasing faster than ever before, and we intend to meet that demand head on. Our Storytellers are some of the best in the area, and we work together as a team to both improve our own skills and find ways to improve the community as well.

If you think you have the passion and experience to take your game to the next level and help us grow this community, fill out an application to join our team!


Around Town

Lao and Thai restaurant Padaek, which opened last October in the Arlington Ridge Shopping Center, won some acclaim from the Washington Post today.

The Post included the eatery at 2931 S. Glebe Road on a list of the best new restaurants in the region.


Announcement

FREE Leadership Sessions will be conducted at the George Mason University –Arlington Campus for High School Latinas. The program runs from Monday 7/15 through Friday 7/19 from 10:00AM to 3:00PM EST each day (1-week).

Las sesiones de liderazgo GRATUITAS se llevarán a cabo en el campus de George Mason University – Arlington para latinas de secundaria. El programa se desarrollará desde el lunes 15 de julio hasta el viernes 19 de julio, de 10:00 a.m. a 3:00 p.m. EST cada día (1 semana).


Sponsored

As many small businesses continue to face challenges in meeting their staffing needs, there is an often-overlooked labor market with significant potential: individuals living with developmental disabilities.

Currently, Arlington County’s Department of Human Services (DHS) supports more than 600 residents living with developmental disabilities. Many of these individuals work independently or with County-sponsored support, such as a job coach. There are countless additional residents who are not only interested in working in Arlington but are eager to thrive with the right employer and support.


Events

An event aiming to connect military veterans to AI-related opportunities is coming to Arlington this week.

The Vets in AI launch event, taking place at Microsoft’s Rosslyn office on Thursday, is one of the first forays into the D.C. area for the San Francisco-based nonprofit VetsinTech. As emerging technologies play an increasingly prominent role in both the public and private sector, Vets in AI seeks to create education, employment and entrepreneurship pathways for people with military backgrounds.


Around Town

An office building right across from the Clarendon Metro station is finally filling some vacant retail bays.

The owner of the office tower at 3101 Wilson Blvd just announced three new retail tenants on the ground floor: bakery and cafe chain Paris  Baguette, nostalgic confectionary chain Kilwins, and wellness clinic chain Relive Health.


News

Former Clarendon mainstay Mister Days Sports Rock Cafe is set to reopen in June with only slight changes to its concept and dining options.

Under the leadership of its original owner, Bobby Lee, the restaurant aims to revive aspects of the beloved sports bar atmosphere that patrons enjoyed at its previous Clarendon location — now home to The Renegade — before Mister Days closed in 2019.


News
Looking east down Wilson Blvd from the pedestrian bridge in Ballston, on a rainy day (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

We’re #1 for Retirement Income — “Arlington, Virginia, ranked highest in retirement income, followed by Cambridge, Massachusetts, and The Woodlands, Texas, according to a SmartAsset analysis of the Census Bureau’s 2022 1-year American Community Survey. Three of the top eight large cities with the highest incomes were in the Washington, DC, area.” [Business Insider, SmartAsset]

Wine Shop Coming to Crystal City — “The popular Flight Wine Bar that shuttered in Chinatown late last year is reconstituting itself as a retail store in Crystal City. The 2,175-square-foot Flight Wine Shop is slated to open by the end of the year at The Grace, the multifamily building developed by JBG Smith Properties at the larger site known as 1900 Crystal Drive in Arlington.” [Washington Business Journal]

Arlington By the Numbers — From the Dept. of Environmental Services: “It’s #InfrastructureWeek. Seriously. Some Arlington numbers.” Stats cited by DES include 22 million gallons of wastewater treated daily and 1,400 tons of glass collected at recycling stations annually. [Twitter]

County Board Election Guide — “Your ballot will look a bit different because of ranked choice voting, and the results on election night likely will too. Last year, Arlington elections officials released the tally of the first-choice votes on Election Night, but county residents had to wait until Friday for the preliminary tabulation of the results.” [WAMU]

Clement Wants More Federal Offices — “Clement also referenced an executive order made by President Carter in 1978. ‘The order stipulates that whenever a federal agency relocates, it must give priority to an available space located in a city’s central business district rather than in a suburb,’ Clement said – and in this case, Arlington is counted as part of the central core rather than suburbia… ‘If elected, I am going to insist upon it,’ she said.” [Gazette Leader]

Karantonis Makes Endorsements — Arlington County Board Vice-Chair Takis Karantonis has endorsed both JD Spain and Tenley Peterson in the Democratic County Board primary. [Twitter, Twitter]

Board Member Is Hiring — From Maureen Coffey: “I’m hiring!!! This aide role will support me day to day. Have you ever wanted to see how local gov works and also have a cool hip boss? This is your chance!! Job includes admin, emails, scheduling w/significant opportunities for research/policy projects.” [Twitter]

F.C. Approves Tax Rate Decrease — “The FY2025 General Fund budget, inclusive of Schools and General Government, totals $137.8 million. The budget provides for a 7% growth for the General Government expenditures and local funding for City schools. The approved budget reduces the real estate tax rate by two cents from $1.23 to $1.21 per $100 of assessed value. The median homeowner’s real estate tax bill will increase by $174 or 1.5% with the rising assessed value of homes in the City due to market appreciation.” [City of Falls Church]

It’s Wednesday — Expect showers and possible thunderstorms after 2pm, alongside patchy fog from 7am to 2pm, with a high near 65, and a northeast wind of 8-10 mph. Precipitation is 80%, and new rainfall may reach up to three quarters of an inch. On Wednesday night there’s a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms, with a low around 59. [NWS]


Sponsored

Each week, “Just Reduced” spotlights properties in Arlington County whose price have been cut over the previous week. The market summary is crafted by Arlington Realty, Inc. Maximize your real estate investment with the team by visiting www.arlingtonrealtyinc.com or calling 703-836-6000 today!

Please note: While Arlington Realty, Inc. provides this information for the community, it may not be the listing company of these homes.