Author: ARLnow.com

Launched in January 2010, ARLnow.com is the place for the latest news, views and things to do around Arlington, Virginia. The ARLnow staff byline is used for the Morning Notes and reporting done by an editor or other member of our full-time staff.

Traffic

New Traffic Pattern Coming to Pike Interchange

By ARLnow.com

A new traffic pattern will be in effect at the under-construction Columbia Pike and Washington Boulevard interchange starting Thursday.

VDOT says drivers heading eastbound on the Pike will now have a different way of getting to northbound I-395 (toward the District). Now, instead of bearing right after the light at S. Quinn Street, drivers will need to wait to turn left at the light, onto a new ramp to Washington Boulevard.

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Feature

Ask Adam: Custom or Spec Home?

By ARLnow.com

This regularly-scheduled sponsored Q&A column is written by Adam Gallegos of Arlington-based real estate firm Arbour Realty, voted one of Arlington Magazine’s Best Realtors of 2013 & 2014. Please submit follow-up questions in the via email.

Our family is growing and we are in serious need of a larger home and don’t feel the one we are currently in is worth adding on to. Our preference is a new home, but having visited a number of open houses, we are not very impressed with what we are finding. Should we consider building a custom home?

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Around Town

New Italian Store Location to Replace 7-Eleven in Westover

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 7:00 p.m.) The Italian Store will be opening a second location next year, in the Westover neighborhood.

The store, which sells sandwiches, pizza, wine and gourmet Italian grocery items, has enjoyed considerable success at its Lyon Village location, at 3123 Lee Highway. The new location, at 5839 Washington Blvd, will be about twice the size as the original, according to owner Robert Tramonte, whose family has owned and operated the store since 1980.

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News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Board Takes Action on Affordable Housing — The Arlington County Board on Saturday voted on a series of measures to preserve some of the county’s supply of affordable housing. The Board approved a set of financial tools — including a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) area — that will help preserve the affordability of 6,200 market rate affordable homes along Columbia Pike, an estimated $6.7 million Tenant Assistance Fund for tenants of affordable housing that is being renovated or redeveloped, and a $8.3 million loan to keep the 101-unit Arna Valley View Apartments near I-395 affordable. [Washington Post]

Tree Removal Concerns County Board — County Board members said they were “deeply concerned” and “shocked” at reports that Arlington Public Schools allowed the removal of protected trees on the site of the Ashlawn Elementary School expansion project. [Sun Gazette]

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Around Town

Arlington Ranks as 7th Highest-Income County in U.S.

By ARLnow.com
Money

At $99,255, Arlington’s median income ranked 7th out of 3,142 counties. However, Arlington ranked lower than some Washington area neighbors: #5 Fairfax County ($106,690), #4 Howard County, Md. ($108,234), #2 Loudoun County ($118,934) and #1 Falls Church ($121,250), which is an independent city but counted as a county by the Census Bureau.

“Metropolitan counties along the East Coast continued to have the highest median household income and lowest poverty in the country,” said the Census Bureau’s Lucinda Dalzell, in a press release. “Northern Virginia alone accounted for about one-fifth of the nation’s 50 highest-income counties.”

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News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Rosslyn Holiday Market Open Today — The Rosslyn Business Improvement District will be hosting a “pop-up” holiday market today from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. at 1500 Wilson Blvd. The market will feature boutique shopping, gift wrapping as well as snacks, sweets, cigar and spirits tasting and massages. Disclosure: As you can tell by the temporary site background, this event is being advertised on ARLnow.com.

New ‘Aerial Yoga’ Studio Opens — Spark Yoga, an “aerial yoga” studio, has opened at 2201 N. Pershing Drive in Lyon Park. [Washingtonian]

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Around Town

Bangkok 54 Fire Shuts Down Market, But Not Restaurant

By ARLnow.com
Dec. 12, 2013

We’re told the Thai restaurant only suffered minor smoke damage as a result of the fire, which caused significant damage to the market. The heaviest damage was in the ceiling of the market, according to Arlington County Fire Department spokesman Capt. Bill Shelton.

Fire investigators are still on the scene, trying to determine the cause of the fire. So far, there’s no estimate of the cost of the damage.

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Events

Wakefield HS to Host Holiday Bazaar and Craft Fair

By ARLnow.com

The event is being held from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14. More than 50 vendors, many of them local and regional artisans, will be selling their wares at the fair. International food and delicacies will be served.

The free event will also feature live music from the Wakefield High School Chorus and Orchestra and from jazz musician Charles Wood, as well as a traditional Mexican dance performance and a jewelry making demonstration.

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News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Wreaths to Be Placed at Arlington Nat’l Cemetery — Wreaths will be placed on nearly 130,000 gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery on Saturday. Most of the wreaths are being made possible by a $250,000 donation from Google. [Washington Post]

Church Works to Package 100,000 Meals — More than 500 volunteers worked to package 100,000 non-perishable meals for hungry children around the world last week at Jefferson Middle School. The effort was organized by Grace Community Church. [Sun Gazette]

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