Arlington’s own Pupatella was recently named one of the best pizzas places in Virginia by Food & Wine Magazine.
“The only thing more authentically Neapolitan than the pillow-like pizzas practically flying from the oven at Pupatella in Arlington is [owner] Enzo Algarme himself,” reads part of the story’s blurb.
The Williamsburg Shopping Center is looking for a new bank to take up tenancy where United Bank once had a branch.
Leasing agent Nora Eways said the bank location at 6500 Williamsburg Blvd shuttered on Jan. 15 but did not give a reason for the closure. The shopping center’s owner is hoping to find another bank to fill the space, perhaps in part due to the large metal bank vault that appears in interior photos.
Lorton-based and women-owned Rāko Coffee is opening in the Courthouse area later this spring or summer.
This is the coffee roaster’s first official bricks-and-mortar location, according to the Washington Business Journal, after focusing on wholesale roasting operations since opening in Lorton in 2019.
Ballston Quarter’s Zofia’s Kitchen (4238 Wilson Blvd) is cooking up a limited edition batch of Star Wars-themed snacks, and missing out would be a Wookie mistake.
The restaurant is operating with limited staff but said in a press release that they decided to go all in on “May the Fourth” — a sort of quasi-holiday for Star Wars fans on May 4 rooted in a “May the Force be with you” pun.
Many Arlington residents seem to be in the market for new furniture, according to Google Trends.
Perhaps after more than a year of sitting at home during the pandemic, your chairs are getting squeaky or your table is getting scratched. Whatever the reason, ARLnow averaged online rankings of every furniture store in Arlington and within two miles of the county on this side of the Potomac.
A group of Arlingtonians has worked nights and weekends to sign up nearly 2,000 members of local immigrant communities for the COVID-19 vaccine.
And the team, called the Arlington Schools Hispanic Parents Association, only advertised its services twice: once in March, when the group decided to get involved, and once when eligibility expanded to all Virginians 16 and older.
Word spread by mouth, text and through small social networks among mostly Spanish-speaking communities in Arlington.
"For the first couple of weeks, we were overwhelmed," said ASHPA member (and former Arlington School Board member) Tannia Talento. "In the last two weeks, it has settled down. But now that it's open to the public, we expect a second rush."
Talento and Janeth Valenzuela started ASHPA in 2016 with two other women to address the communication gap among the county, the school system, and Spanish-speaking and other immigrant households. During the pandemic, the group pivoted to focusing on weekly food distributions, rent support, mental health education and now, registering people for vaccine appointments through the community health center, Neighborhood Health.
"I'm very proud of my team," Valenzuela said. "We want to help our community get vaccinated."
It has been almost two weeks since anyone 16 and older officially became eligible to get a shot and the number of vaccinated people continues to rise in Arlington County -- more than 68,000 people in Arlington are fully vaccinated as of today, according to the Virginia Dept. of Health.
Now that the vaccine is widely available, focus has shifted to getting those hesitant to get the vaccine -- or unable to get it for other reasons -- into vaccination clinics.
Talento and Valenzuela said they did encounter vaccine hesitancy in February and March but the bigger hurdles they face involve access. They worry that hesitancy is used to gloss over these other, surmountable barriers.
"In the beginning, it was difficult. Most of the population did not want the vaccine," Valenzuela said. "It's part of the culture in third-world countries to talk bad about vaccines. We had to work with that and let them know the vaccine is something to open the economy in this country and get back the life they had."
But when hesitant folks saw their community leaders get vaccinated, they changed their minds, she said. A few skeptical community members do remain, however, she noted.
Talento said she spends more time helping people access the vaccine than convincing them it is safe to take. Some did not think they were eligible back in February, even though they were.
In 2016, Arlington was ranked the third “Healthiest City in America.” In 2021, a tobacco and vape shop is replacing a yoga studio in Virginia Square.
Los Angeles-based YogaWorks closed its location at 3528 Wilson Blvd late last year after declaring bankruptcy during the pandemic. The one-story building next to the Arlington Arts Center was listed for lease and, recently, a sign went up advertising that a store called “Tobacco Hut” is coming soon.
Seniors at a pair of local retirement communities are helping seniors at Wakefield High School.
A new pilot program launched last month pairing seniors at Wakefield High School with residents from Goodwin House Alexandria and Goodwin House Bailey’s Crossroads in an effort to help the students complete their senior projects.
A new print shop has taken over a building in Green Valley that has housed a revolving door of bar and lounge spots.
An employee confirmed that ABC Imaging opened at 2620 Shirlington Road two weeks ago on April 12. ABC Imaging is headquartered in nearby Fairfax County, and the new Arlington location joins a roster of nearly 30 outposts across the U.S., in addition to four global hubs.
What’s better than celebrating a birthday? Celebrating a dog’s birthday, of course.
Walter the Bernese Mountain Dog is turning 4 and his parents are inviting all dogs and their humans (and pet-less people) to celebrate with them.
In the short time that Colony Grill has been in Clarendon, the pizza place has garnered a lot of love.
The spot opened last October at 2800 Clarendon Blvd in The Crossing Clarendon (formerly known as Market Common). Colony Grill, a small Connecticut-based chain, is known for its short menu featuring one innovation to pizza: the thin-crust, hot-oil bar pie. On weekends, it becomes a breakfast pizza best served with a mimosa or Bloody Mary.
An long-vacant, off-the-beaten-path restaurant space in Rosslyn appears to be getting a new tenant.
Yuraku Japanese Restaurant is coming to the ground floor of the high-end Turnberry Tower condo building at 1850 Fort Myer Drive, according to permit filings and the restaurant’s website.
