Events

Arlington Restaurant Week starts next week, with 40 eateries across the county participating.

Organized by the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, the fourth annual event will run this year from Monday, October 17 through Monday, October 24. The Chamber held its first restaurant week in 2019 and it has continued for the last several years, even through the pandemic, with restaurants providing to-go options. Once again, Amazon is a major sponsor of the event.


News

(Updated at 4 p.m. on 12/15/22) The Penske truck rental location on Columbia Pike — which once had an ART bus crash into it and stay there for a month — has closed.

And the replacement for the storefront and expansive parking lot, at the Pike’s intersection with S. George Mason Drive, may be something completely different.


Sponsored

Last week, Arlington welcomed more than 20 global technology companies for the Arlington Tech Launchpad, a three-day immersive business program connecting global firms with the region’s innovation, talent and business networks, led by Arlington Economic Development.

These companies came from 10 countries including the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Canada, Latvia, Estonia and Argentina, bringing diverse perspectives, cutting-edge technologies and a shared ambition to establish or expand a U.S. presence.

Throughout the program, founders and executives engaged with Arlington-based leaders, entrepreneurs and academic partners, exchanging ideas shaped by different industries, cultures and lived experiences, the kind of cross-sector collaboration that fuels both innovation and business growth.

Over the three days, participants met with leading organizations including Amazon and Amazon Web Services, SAIC, RTX, Safran, Hanwha and FedTech, as well as academic institutions like George Mason University, Marymount University and Virginia Tech. These interactions weren’t just introductory, they were intentional and strategic, designed to spark partnerships, unlock opportunities and accelerate pathways to commercialization and local expansion.

Programs like the Tech Launchpad are more than short-term recruitment efforts. They are long-term investments in Arlington’s economic vitality and regional competitiveness, positioning Arlington at the forefront of global innovation while ensuring that growth translates into local jobs, office demand and community impact. (more…)


Around Town

The sun has set on the British-inspired Salt Pot Kitchen in Ballston Quarter Market.

The “upscale British street food” eatery closed down its Quarter Market stall back in early August, co-owner Wendy Salt confirmed to ARLnow. Salt Pot first opened there in May, making its run rather short.


News

TV Tackles ‘Missing Middle’ — “A debate over housing has sparked an intense debate in Arlington County that involves possible zoning changes to what types of houses can be built in certain neighborhoods. It’s called missing middle housing, and while supporters say it will allow more affordable housing, opponents say it would ruin single-family neighborhoods.” [Fox 5]

It’s Fire Prevention Week — “Fire Station 10 in Rosslyn is the Arlington County Fire Department’s newest fire station, and it’s needed because the community is growing so quickly. This Fire Prevention Week, firefighters want to make sure that the public knows to make an escape plan so they can be safe inside their home.” [WUSA 9]


News

Embracing Arlington Arts has put forward a business plan for a future “Arlington Performing Arts Center.”

And it is taking great pains to prove it will survive on private financial support, and won’t take county funds or fizzle out like the county-run Artisphere in Rosslyn, which suffered from ineffective marketing and a relative lack of engagement from Arlington residents and artists.


Feature

Sponsored by Monday Properties and written by ARLnow, Startup Monday is a weekly column that highlights Arlington-based startups, founders, and local tech news. Monday Properties is proudly featuring 1515 Wilson Blvd in Rosslyn. 

(Updated 12:40 p.m. on 10/11/22) If you own a local restaurant, grocery co-op or healthcare clinic in an underinvested neighborhood, there’s a good chance that Arlington-based Capital Impact Partners can help find money to assist your business.


Around Town

Nationals Park favorite Haute Dogs is coming home to Arlington.

The concession stand that serves up fancy hot dogs at Nats Park, which started in Purcellville before opening a popular location in Old Town Alexandria, is opening a new eatery in Williamsburg Shopping Center.


Opinion

Both because it’s a convenient holiday to swap for an off day on the unofficial holiday of Black Friday — the day after Thanksgiving — and because, despite his exploration feats, Columbus is regarded by some as “a murderer, tyrant, and scoundrel,” Columbus Day here is just any other day for county employees.

Of course, for many — including federal employees and Arlington Public Schools students — Columbus Day is a day off. But Columbus is not always mentioned as the reason.


News

County Offices Open — “Arlington County Government offices and facilities are closed on all federal holidays except Columbus Day.” [Arlington County]

Metro Service Plan Today — “In observance of Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Monday, Oct. 10, Metrorail will operate normal weekday service and Metrobus will operate on a Saturday supplemental schedule. MetroAccess customers may make reservations to travel on the holiday; however, subscription trips will be canceled.” [WMATA]


Announcement

Ghost Limb is a timely and haunting examination of authoritarianism set during Argentina’s Dirty War that draws poetic inspiration from the Persephone and Demeter myth. When Consuelo’s son is “disappeared” by the military, she discovers a psychic link between her injured arm and her tortured child-and races to find him before it’s too late.

Performance Days and Times