Ballston | ARLnow.com

Morning Notes

Published May 6, 2014 at 9:05AM

Sweet Leaf Cafe Coming to Ballston — Sweet Leaf Cafe will be opening a second Arlington location. In addition to the existing Courthouse location, the local salad and sandwich chain will be opening a new cafe at 650 N. Quincy Street in Ballston, on the ground floor of the Residence Inn hotel. [Washington Business Journal]

Businesses Optimistic About County Ombudsman — Local businesses and developers hope that the appointment of assistant county manager Shannon Flanagan-Watson as Arlington County’s “business ombudsman” is another sign that that the county is serious about cutting red tape and being friendlier to business interests. [InsideNoVa]

Around Town

Pizza Vinoteca Coming to Ballston

By Ethan Rothstein

Published May 5, 2014 at 11:00AM

The restaurant is expected to open at 800 N. Glebe Road, next to Mussel Bar, this July. It will have table seating for 100, a 28-seat bar and seating for 36 at its outdoor patio.

“The restaurant’s menu is grounded in gourmet grilled pizzas with toppings that have been responsibly sourced from an array of American producers,” said spokeswoman Robin Insley. “Its wine menu features a sommelier-created list of about 36 wines designed to be paired with each pizza.”

News

UPDATED: Stabbing at Ballston Metro Station

By ARLnow.com

Published May 4, 2014 at 9:35PM | Updated December 23, 2021 at 3:54PM

(Updated at 1:35 p.m.) Police and paramedics swarmed the Ballston Metro station after a stabbing Sunday night.

According to WMATA, a man in his late 20s was stabbed on the station platform around 8:50 p.m. He suffered life-threatening stab wounds to his bicep and abdomen and as of Monday morning was listed in critical/stable condition, according to Metro spokesman Dan Stessel.

Around Town

Dunkin’ Donuts Coming to Ballston

By Ethan Rothstein

Published April 28, 2014 at 1:30PM

A Dunkin’ Donuts location appears on its way to Ballston in the former Quiznos storefront in the National Science Foundation building.

The storefront, at 4201 Wilson Blvd — but located at the corner of N. Stuart and 9th Streets — is covered in brown paper but a sign on the window states Dunkin’ Donuts applied for a building permit on April 3.

Events

‘Cinco de MEGA-Crawl’ Planned Saturday

By ARLnow.com

Published April 28, 2014 at 11:45AM

The Cinco de Mayo-themed “Cinco de MEGA-Crawl” will be held from 4:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 3, according to organizer GoCity Events. Tickets are available online for $15.

GoCity, which also organizes the annual Shamrock Fest in D.C., says participating bars include Clarendon Grill, Velocity 5, Mad Rose Tavern, Greene Turtle, Hunan One, Arlington Rooftop Bar & Grill, Mister Days, Wilson Tavern, Hard Times and “more to be added.” The crawl will feature “exclusive drink and food specials at each stop” and “Cinco de Mayo festivities, entertainment, music & fun.”

News

Metro PD Looking for ‘Inappropriate Touching’ Suspect

By ARLnow.com

Published April 23, 2014 at 11:15AM | Updated June 29, 2018 at 2:47PM

During the Feb. 12 evening rush hour commute, while on an Orange Line train near the Ballston Metro station, the man “allegedly rubbed the inner thigh of a patron as she sat next to him,” according to police. The crime is being described as “assault and battery.”

“Anyone who is able to identify the individual pictured below is asked to call Metro Transit Police Detectives at (202) 962-2121 and reference case #2014-07734,” MTPD said in a press release.

Traffic

Concrete Crosswalks in Ballston Deteriorating

By Ethan Rothstein

Published April 18, 2014 at 11:05AM | Updated April 18, 2014 at 1:07PM

The crosswalks, called “pavers,” were installed by the county on VDOT roads like Fairfax Drive, Lee Highway and Columbia Pike. They were built roughly 20 years ago as part of a county project to try to construct a brick-like crosswalk without material as fragile as the clay that bricks are made from.

“When brick sidewalks in old cities were in vogue, the industry developed concrete pavers as a flexible and durable surface for sidewalks that could adapt to tree roots without cracking and looked attractive in many areas,” county Department of Environmental Services spokeswoman Jennifer Heilman told ARLnow.com. “However, the heavy volumes of large vehicles such as what is typical of Fairfax Drive and most major arterials where Arlington has such crosswalks installed have made them very difficult to maintain as they’ve aged and become more prone to failure.”

Events

Taste of Arlington is One Month Away

By Ethan Rothstein

Published April 18, 2014 at 9:30AM

The event, hosted by the Ballston Business Improvement District, will close down Wilson Blvd and part of N. Stuart Street to accommodate about 50 restaurant booths, two live music stages, a beer and wine garden, three golf putting holes and a rock climbing wall.

Among the restaurants being featured are Willow, the yet-to-open Kapnos, World of Beer, Big Buns, Pete’s Apizza, Circa and Red Rocks, among others. The restaurants will compete in competitions for best appetizer, best entrée and best dessert. The beer and wine garden will also feature national and local breweries like Port City in Alexandria, Devil’s Backbone, Flying Dog and Starr Hill, plus wine and sparkling wine from Barefoot.

Around Town

Despite Ridicule from Yelp Reviewers, Ballston Cafe Keeps Phallic Sign

By Ethan Rothstein

Published April 16, 2014 at 10:35AM | Updated October 7, 2016 at 1:30PM

The logo for Market Place & Cafe in Ballston (staff photo)

Yelp reviewers and out-of-town passersby alike see the same thing when they look at the sign for Market Place & Cafe in Ballston: a phallus.

But despite giggles from around the internet and outside the doors, the store at 901 N. Glebe Road has kept the logo plastered on its windows for at least 5 years. And there’s no indication that it will be changing any time soon.

Around Town

‘Modern Comfort’ Restaurant Comes to Ballston

By Ethan Rothstein

Published March 25, 2014 at 10:00AM

Republic Kitchen and Bar, a “modern comfort food” concept, is open for dinner in the former Leek American Bistro space in Ballston.

Republic, at 801 N. Quincy Street, is open for dinner this week at 4:30 p.m. for a soft opening and will fully open for lunch business next week, according to General Manager Anthony Catselides.

Around Town

World of Beer Touts Itself as Business Venue

By ARLnow.com

Published March 18, 2014 at 10:20AM

The tavern, which carries more than 500 types of beer, has been touting itself as a location for lunch meetings, corporate training and teleconferencing.

“We are a great place for off-site meetings,” said owner Evan Matz, in a press release. “With little notice, CEOs and managers can reserve a separate room equipped with our IP-based video and wall monitor systems. It’s a perfect place to hold working lunches.”

Around Town

Retail Experts Say R-B Corridor Set for Future Success

By Ethan Rothstein

Published March 6, 2014 at 2:30PM | Updated March 6, 2014 at 3:58PM

Those in and around the retail industry say the recent trends toward mixed-use, urbanized development and the growth of “milennials” among consumers in the post-recession years add up nicely for Arlington.

Bruce Leonard, a managing principal at Streetsense, a real estate, retail and marketing firm, gave a lecture at George Mason University’s Arlington campus last month called “the changing face of retail.” He contended that the retail market is catching up to the real estate market in seeking urban, walkable centers.