Author: Katie Taranto

Katie Taranto is a reporter at Local News Now, primarily covering business, public safety and the city of Falls Church. She graduated from the University of Missouri in 2024, where she previously covered K-12 education at The Columbia Missourian. She is originally from Macungie, Pennsylvania.

Around Town

At the Eden Center, historic businesses stand tall and new ones plant roots

By Katie Taranto
The main entrance of Fall Church's Eden Center (staff photo by Katie Taranto)

Forty years since its founding, the Eden Center remains a community pillar of Falls Church and thriving destination for visitors from throughout the D.C. area and beyond.

Known for its immigrant-run restaurants and grocery stores, the expansive commercial center — situated just over the Arlington border on the 6700 block of Wilson Blvd — is a landmark of Northern Virginia’s Vietnamese community.

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Around Town

Upside on Moore transforms space above Rosslyn Metro with all-local food hall

By Katie Taranto
The main hallway of Upside on Moore (staff photo by Katie Taranto)

Steps above the Rosslyn Metro station is a new food hall with hopes of becoming Arlington’s favorite destination for food, drinks and fun.

Upside on Moore debuted in late March, transforming the nearly 30,000-square-foot space of former Assembly food hall with a new slew of D.C.-area based vendors including Ghostburger, Lucky Dangr and La Michoacana.

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Around Town

Business owner steps in to help budding writer’s lemonade stand in Green Valley

By Katie Taranto
Nora Jacoby and Kevin Shaffer of Uncle Kebba's Lemonade at Jacoby's stand (courtesy of Maria Jacoby)

A young writer in Green Valley got a sweet helping hand from a local lemonade vendor last week.

Nora Jacoby, 10, is the author of “The Four Princesses,” a story of princesses who share their talents to help a new friend. Last Tuesday, Nora started a lemonade stand outside her house to raise funds to cover the cost of self-publishing her book on Amazon.

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Around Town

Longstanding Filipino market in Cherrydale expands offerings under new ownership

By Katie Taranto
The renovated exterior of POM and More (courtesy of Cherry Phatjareesakul)

A community haven for authentic Filipino food and groceries in Cherrydale has been renovated with an expanded focus under new ownership.

Philippine Oriental Market & Deli, aka POM, is now POM and More.

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Around Town

Sheriff’s office welcomes new puppy as a ‘wellness dog’

By Katie Taranto
Hope, a yellow Labrador Retriever puppy, has joined the Arlington County Sheriff's Office as a wellness dog (courtesy of the Sheriff's Office)

There’s a new sheriff’s dog in town.

Hope, a yellow Labrador retriever puppy, will serve as a “wellness dog” in the Arlington County Sheriff’s Office’s K9 unit.

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Around Town

Columbia Pike Orangetheory to close, merge with Ballston studio

By Katie Taranto
Orangetheory on Columbia Pike (via Google Maps)

The Orangetheory on Columbia Pike is closing.

The fitness studio at 4231 Columbia Pike, which opened in late 2019 below Centro Arlington apartments and next to Harris Teeter, will hold its last day of classes on Saturday, Aug. 31, according to an email sent to members. After that, all Columbia Pike memberships will roll over to the Ballston studio at 4201 Wilson Blvd.

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News

Falls Church is nation’s healthiest community in new rankings, and Arlington is No. 19

By Katie Taranto
Pedestrians and bikers on the dual trails at Washington and Old Dominion Trail in Falls Church (photo courtesy of NOVA Parks)

Falls Church has returned to its No. 1 spot on the U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings of the nation’s healthiest communities, and Arlington remains in the top 25.

The rankings, released today (Tuesday), gave Falls Church an overall score of 100 out of 100, particularly recognizing its high quality education, healthy populace, strong economy and good nutrition and infrastructure. Arlington County, meanwhile, received a score of 86.07, placing it at No. 19 on the list.

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Around Town

Three new grocery stores are coming to Falls Church

By Katie Taranto
The site of a new Whole Foods in Falls Church (staff photo by Katie Taranto)

Falls Church may be known as the Little City but soon there will be nothing diminutive about its grocery options.

Three different grocery chains are set to join Falls Church’s existing selection of supermarkets in the coming months and years.

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Around Town

Turkish coffee cart seeks to transform Ballston courtyard into ‘urban oasis’

By Katie Taranto
Isa Seyran chats with a regular and friends at Ballstonian: Urban Oasis (staff photo)

An otherwise unassuming courtyard in Ballston has taken on a new life thanks to a Turkish coffee cart and the vision of a local business owner and creative.

Isa Seyran‘s “Ballstonian: Urban Oasis” introduces rich red pillows, intricate Turkish carpets, tables, cushions, stools and a red coffee cart — which has called Ballston home for about a year now — to the courtyard near 4075 Wilson Blvd. The space is located between outdoor seating areas for Poppyseed Rye and the now-closed Rustico.

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Around Town

Summer Restaurant Week is approaching, offering discounted gourmet eats in Arlington

By Katie Taranto
Lobster roll and fries from The Salt Line (via The Salt Line/Facebook)

Deals on gourmet dining options are coming to Arlington and Falls Church next week as Summer Restaurant Week returns.

The event — hosted by Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington from Monday, Aug. 12 through Sunday, Aug. 18 — involves hundreds of restaurants in the D.C. area.

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Around Town

Maizal in Pentagon City appears to have closed

By Katie Taranto
Maizal in Pentagon City appears to have closed (staff photo)

After less than a year in business, a Latin American restaurant at the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City has seemingly shuttered.

Maizal’s bright yellow exterior sign at 1100 S. Hayes Street, near Macy’s, has been removed and its interior appears to be cleared out.

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Around Town

Uniqlo celebrating Pentagon City opening with weekend of giveaways

By Katie Taranto
The future location of Uniqlo in the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City (staff photo by Jared Serre)

A new Uniqlo in Pentagon City is hosting its grand opening this week, offering free treats, merch and manga-style portraits to select customers.

The Japanese fast-fashion brand will open for business at 10 a.m. tomorrow (Friday) following a taiko drum performance by the Mark H Taiko Connection. This will kick off an opening weekend of limited-time offers and giveaways at the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City.

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