Pirouette Cafe and Wine Shop (staff photo by Katie Taranto)
The owners of a small wine bar and restaurant in Ballston are closing their doors for good this month, citing rising operating costs, flagging sales and a struggling region-wide economy.
Pirouette Cafe & Wine Shop’s last day of service is Saturday, Oct. 18 at 4000 Fairfax Drive, owners Jackie and Philippe Loustaunau announced on social media and in an email to customers yesterday (Wednesday).
Kimchi ramen with beef, bean sprouts, kimchee, seaweed and a poached egg from Ryu Izakaya (staff photo by James Jarvis)
A week of countywide dining deals kicks off on Monday with the return of the annual Arlington Restaurant Week.
Over 80 Arlington restaurants plan to offer discounts, specials and prix fixe meals from Oct. 13-20 as part of the yearly promotion by the Arlington Chamber of Commerce. Participants range from fast-casual to formal dining and include local favorites like The Italian Store.
Address:1600 N Oak Street #1410 Neighborhood: Rosslyn Type: 3 BR, 3 BA condo – 2060 sq. ft. Listed: $1,375,000
Noteworthy: The Belvedere’s largest 3-bedroom floor plan with direct Monument views
Wake up to Washington’s most iconic landmarks. Floor-to-ceiling windows showcase sensational views of the U.S. Capitol, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, and the Potomac River.
Spanning more than 2,060 square feet with three bedrooms and three full bathrooms, this residence features the largest floor plan at The Belvedere and one of the community’s most sought-after layouts.
Designed for comfortable living and effortless entertaining, the floor plan includes a formal dining area, two living spaces, and an expansive double sunroom that captures the views. The spacious kitchen opens directly to the sunroom and offers abundant cabinet storage and a pantry.
The primary suite features a walk-in closet, custom built-ins, and an en-suite bathroom. On the opposite side of the residence, a secondary bedroom with its own full bath lives much like a second primary suite, providing privacy for guests. A third bedroom and full bath offer flexibility for a home office, fitness room, or guests.
Unobstructed monument views from a three-bedroom residence are exceptionally rare. Combined with its square footage, layout, and iconic Washington backdrop, this is a home that rarely becomes available.
The Belvedere is a full-service building with an extensive amenity package including a large outdoor pool, gym, tennis/pickleball courts, 24-hour front desk, party room, convenience store, and more. Located just a short walk to the Rosslyn Metro, Target, Starbucks, and Safeway, and minutes to Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and Washington, D.C., the location offers unbeatable convenience.
Arlington voter casts a ballot in the 2024 general election (staff photo by James Jarvis)
County election officials have concluded that Long Bridge Park won’t work as an early-voting site for the 2028 presidential election, and they’re working to identify alternatives.
The county government’s fitness and aquatics center at the park was used as one of three early-voting locations in 2024 but “ended up serving fewer voters than expected,” election officials said in a draft strategic plan currently out for public review.
Modera Falls Church at 1001 W. Broad Street in July 2025 (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Developers of commercial projects in Falls Church could for the first time be required to meet minimum tree-canopy requirements.
City Council members at an Oct. 6 work session generally were supportive of a staff proposal that would set a minimum 10% canopy for future commercial development.
Get ready for a night celebrating every era as The Fearless Eras, DC’s only all-Taylor Swift cover band, takes over The Renegade in Arlington for more than 3 hours of Taylor’s biggest hits and fan-favorite deep cuts.
ATC Staffing Leads to DCA Delays — “The FAA is now delaying flights into Reagan National Airport (DCA) due to low air traffic controller staffing. Day 8 of the government shutdown and staffing shortages are hitting Congress’ favorite airport.” [Pete Muntean/X]
Ballston Crash Leads to Pot Bust — “800 block of N. Randolph Street. At approximately 2:40 a.m. on October 5, police responded to the report of a single-vehicle crash. Upon arrival, officers made contact with the driver of the vehicle and following an investigation, he was taken into custody on suspicion of driving under the influence. During an inventory search of the vehicle prior to towing, a distribution amount of marijuana was recovered.” [ACPD, ACPD/X]
Cherrydale Truck Traffic Complaints — “When it was built decades ago, Galdes said the rehab center was designed to be a quiet, nursing-home-type residential facility. But since then, she said, it’s evolved to handle more and more medical needs — which means more deliveries. “Locally, in the neighborhood, we call it a small hospital,” she said Tuesday.” [WTOP]
Long Bridge Construction Plan — “Video from @vapassengerrail that shows how the new Long Bridge for trains and a parallel bridge for pedestrians & bikers will be constructed over the Potomac River. Major construction work is expected to start next year, currently the projected completion date is 2030.” [Tom Roussey/X]
Flyover This Morning — From AlertDC: “The U.S. Military will conduct an aircraft flyover in the National Capital Region (NCR) over Arlington National Cemetery on Thursday, October 9, 2025, at 9:15AM.”
New Bill for Federal Workers — “Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) introduced the Federal Employee Civil Relief Act. This legislation would protect federal workers, federal contractor employees, and their families from foreclosures, evictions, and loan defaults during a government shutdown.” [Press Release]
Arlington Food Insecurity — Arlington’s rate of food-insecure households, 22%, was lowest in the Washington region in a new report from the Capital Area Food Bank, presented Wednesday to the Council of Governments. Though down slightly from 23% last year, both the county rate and the regional rate of 36% are expected to grow in coming months due to federal downsizing and resulting economic impacts. –Scott McCaffrey
Warner on Peace Deal — From Sen. Mark Warner: “I welcome the announcement that Israel and Hamas have reached an agreement to bring about a ceasefire, secure the release of hostages, and lay the groundwork for a more durable peace following the conflict.” [Press Release]
W-L Crew Anniversary — “On October 4, 2025, the Washington-Liberty (W-L) High School Crew Boosters hosted a special event to commemorate the 50th anniversary of W-L’s s women’s rowing program.” [Press Release]
F.C. Budget Update — “A final report of the City of Falls Church budgetary performance for its FY25 fiscal year ending last June 30 showed a healthy net surplus of revenue over expenditures, but some areas signal cause for concern going forward.” [FCNP]
It’s Thursday — Expect sunny skies and a high of 63 degrees, accompanied by a northeast wind between 9 and 11 mph, gusting up to 18 mph. Thursday night will be clear, with temperatures dropping to a low of around 43 degrees. [NWS]
Expect sunny skies and a high of 63 degrees, accompanied by a northeast wind between 9 and 11 mph, gusting up to 18 mph. Thursday night will be clear, with temperatures dropping to a low of around 43 degrees and a northeast wind at approximately 6 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.” – Henry David Thoreau
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With leaves falling along with autumn temperatures, Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia is pleading with local property owners not to rake and remove all their leaves from yards.
“There are many ways you can use them rather than sending them to the landfill,” said Claudia Gerwin, who on Oct. 3 led an online program for Virginia Cooperative Extension’s Arlington-Alexandria office.
The Arlington County champion Yorktown High School girls team (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)
Four new champions — two individuals and two teams — were crowned at this year’s Arlington County high-school cross-country meet, held Sept. 29 at Bluemont Park.
Among those was a rookie in the race: Molly Hardwick, a sophomore for the Yorktown Patriots, who helped her squad win the girls team crown. Hardwick was running the Bluemont Park course for the first time, briefly making a wrong turn, but still winning in 17:51.
Committed-affordable housing in Ballston (courtesy of AHC)
Efforts to create deeply affordable housing to meet the needs of Arlington’s lowest-earning residents face significant headwinds, according to a recent presentation to the Arlington Planning Commission.
Most current efforts around affordable housing focus on households with incomes of at least 60% of the area median income (AMI) — leaving out a large swath of people earning less.