Homegrown floats will roll down the parade route towards the Clarendon Metro station, accompanied by people in costume. Expect plenty of green beads to be thrown to the crowd lining Wilson Blvd.
No word yet on whether organizers will also be distributing purple and yellow beads. The St. Patrick’s Day parade was created as a substitute for the annual Mardi Gras parade, which was canceled this year due to snow.
Construction is taking place at a furious pace at the old Murky Coffee building. When we arrived after the short walk from Northside’s big brother, Liberty Tavern, general manager Alison Christ was surprised to see a chandelier already installed on the second floor, which the wine bar will call home.
On the first floor the makings of the coffee bar were coming together. Christ, formerly the sommelier at Willow Restaurant in Ballston, said the centerpiece of the store — a top-of-the-line espresso machine — was in the process of being flown in from Italy.
After acquiring two small, adjacent storefronts, Spider Kelly’s in Clarendon is aggressively expanding inside and adding sidewalk seating outside.
Based on a floor plan filed with the county (below), the new Spider Kelly’s will feature three pool tables, five shuffleboard tables, five video game machines, four darts stations, two old school basketball arcade games, a big island bar, sidewalk seating for 32 and indoor seating for at least 150.
The first event on our St. Patrick’s Day Guide is coming up tonight. Kicking off the festivities is Ri Ra Irish Pub and Restaurant (2915 Wilson Blvd), which is hosting traditional Irish band The Dirty Pints.
The band is expected to take the stage between 9:30 and 10:00 p.m.
A natural gas leak has been reported in Clarendon. Firefighters have responded to the intersection of Clarendon Blvd and N Garfield Street, two blocks from the Clarendon Metro.
A Washington Gas crew is heading to the scene. Initial reports suggest a 4 inch gas line ruptured, perhaps due to construction in the area.
Last year we heard that a new Dremo’s was in the works. Apparently, the Clarendon location that was settled on has fallen through, but now investors are looking at another possible location, according to DCist.
Shiny new brasseries are great, but here’s hoping for the return of an old-fashioned, grungy Arlington hangout.
Note: See our latest news on Lyon Hall here.
Lyon Hall is announcing its presence to the world. The French-style brasserie, located a block from the Clarendon Metro, just erected some retro-themed outside signage. It has also launched a presence on Facebook and Twitter.
Today the Clarendon Alliance announced that in lieu of this year’s Mardi Gras parade, which was canceled due to snow, Clarendon will host a St. Patrick’s Day parade.
The parade is being held on Tuesday, March 16, the night before St. Paddy’s Day. It will kick off at 8:00 p.m. on Wilson Blvd at N. Barton St. The parade will then head up Wilson Blvd to the Clarendon Metro.
See updated articles on Lyon Hall here and here. See more on Northside Social here.
Liberty Tavern’s owner is expanding his presence in Clarendon with two new storefronts, expected to open in a few weeks. Northside Social, a high-end coffee shop and wine bar, will be located at Wilson Blvd and Fairfax Dr, across from Silver Diner. Lyon Hall, a “European-style brasserie,” will be located at Washington Blvd and N Highland St.
Manhattan-based Crumbs Bakery is opening seven stores in the Washington area. As first reported by Washingtonian, one of the stores will be in Clarendon.
A Crumbs representative told arlnow.com that the Clarendon location is scheduled to open in May. She said she was unsure of the future store’s exact location.
Clarendon’s Screwtop Wine Bar received a flattering write-up in today’s Washington Post.
One local’s conclusion about the two-month-old wine bar and cheese shop? Screwtop is “just what the neighborhood needed.”
The Clarendon snowball fight proceeded as planned this afternoon. Police, who were called to area for a report of people — shocker — drinking and throwing snowballs, did not interfere with the informal gathering.
Attendance was modest: about two dozen people showed up for the hastily-organized event. Half the crowd lined up on one side of the tiny park, representing points south of the Clarendon Metro. The combatants on the other side represented points north.
