Around Town

The Scoop N Scootery has set a June grand opening date for its new late-night ice cream shop in Clarendon.

The ice cream franchise will hold a grand opening on Saturday, June 6 at 1138 N. Irving Street with merchandise and treat giveaways to celebrate. The shop plans to offer more than 70 loaded sundae variations for pickup and delivery until 2 a.m., five days per week.


Around Town

Solset, a new rooftop bar in Clarendon, has opened for business this week, joining the neighborhood’s bustling happy hour scene.

The bar, situated atop the new “supper club“-inspired restaurant, The Boulevard, offers cocktails and “modern American food with a little bit of Asian fusion,” co-owner Nico Karagounis told ARLnow. The restaurant and bar replaced Wilson Hardware, refreshing the 8,000-square-foot space at 2915 Wilson Blvd with a revamped interior and new menu.


Around Town

A game bar and brewery in Clarendon closed its doors last week after eight years in business, citing high rent and labor costs.

The Board Room’s last day in business at 925 N. Garfield Street was Thursday, owner Mark Handwerger told ARLnow. A 35-year veteran of the D.C.-area bar space, he said that business never fully recovered from the pandemic and struggled with high overhead costs.


Around Town

A new restaurant from the founder of a fast-casual Middle Eastern chain appears to be underway at a vacant Clarendon storefront.

A permit application filed this month requests interior alterations at 3137 Wilson Blvd for a business under the name “Clarendon Eats.” The application was filed on behalf of Ahmad Ashkar, the entrepreneur behind fast-casual chain Falafel Inc.


Around Town

The Container Store in Clarendon is selling off a large portion of its merchandise in preparation for a “mashup” with Bed Bath & Beyond.

The business at 2800 Clarendon Blvd is one of 98 stores nationwide transitioning to a new “Container Store + Bed Bath & Beyond” format, integrating a wider range of home goods. Bed Bath & Beyond announced plans to acquire the other chain earlier this month.


Around Town

Barnes & Noble is getting ready to reopen after a year of renovations in Clarendon, consolidating the previously two-level bookstore into just the second floor.

The bookstore chain plans to reopen at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, May 6, a spokesperson told ARLnow. D.C.-based author Sam Kean will cut the ribbon on the remodeled store and host a book signing at 2800 Clarendon Blvd to celebrate.


Events

An annual arts festival in Clarendon and an Earth Day celebration near Langston Blvd will result in some road closures this weekend.

The 12th annual Arlington Festival of the Arts will kick off the weekend with over 125 exhibitors showcasing original pieces beginning on Saturday. The following roads will be closed from 3 a.m. Saturday through 8 p.m. Sunday.


Around Town

A family-owned Vietnamese restaurant and the last remaining business from Clarendon’s Little Saigon community is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.

Tucked in a storefront near the corner of Wilson Blvd and N. Hudson Street, Nam-Viet Restaurant — started in July 1986 by the late Nguyen Van Thoi and his widow, Ngoc Anh Tran — carries on the legacy of what was once a hub of Vietnamese immigrant-owned businesses that opened in the neighborhood following the fall of Saigon in 1975.


News

An Arlington probation officer warned a judge last year that a local man — now charged with attempted rape — was on the verge of a slippery slope of increasing violent crime.

Luzvin Orvando Garcia Moran, whose arrest has also caught the attention of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) because of his immigration status, remains in jail following a violent attack in Clarendon.


Around Town

A veteran chef in the D.C. area appears to be breathing new life into the Green Pig Bistro’s former Clarendon address.

A work permit application for a new “Cafe Dalmatia” by chef Ivan Zivkovic was filed last week at 1025 N. Fillmore Street. It’s unclear what the new restaurant plans to offer, but the name Dalmatia, a coastal region of Croatia, suggests Mediterranean cuisine.


Events

The Arlington Festival of the Arts is returning later this month in Clarendon, bringing over 125 exhibitors in a variety of mediums.

The outdoor art festival will be back for its 12th year on Saturday, April 25 and Sunday, April 26 at 1051 N. Highland Street, near the Clarendon Metro station. From 10 a.m.-5 p.m., local and national artists will showcase original pieces in an all-ages, pet-friendly art walk.


Events

George Mason University’s Virginia Square campus is hosting a health-centered festival this weekend, with a fun run, live fitness classes and a DJ.

The celebration, called Clarendon FitFest, kicks off at 8 a.m. on Saturday at Mason Square Plaza (3351 Fairfax Drive) with a 5K run and 2-mile walk. These will be followed by a “fitness fair” with live class demonstrations and free giveaways until 12:30 p.m.


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