Around Town

A mixed martial arts training studio along Columbia Pike has expanded to a new facility nearby — where, for a few weeks, it will soon host a top-ranking French fighter.

Pentagon MMA opened its new performance center last month on the third floor of the Arlington Drafthouse building (932 S. Walter Reed Drive). The new space has a focus on adult classes, training and recovery, with spaces for mixed martial arts and physical therapy — as well as plans to host an international athlete this summer.


Around Town

An all-you-can-eat sushi spot is replacing the shuttered Takohachi Japanese Restaurant on Columbia Pike.

Signs for the new restaurant, MoMoGoGo, have appeared at a storefront at 2501 Columbia Pike in Penrose Square, where Takohachi closed earlier this year. MoMoGoGo — which plans to serve “fresh sushi & Japanese cuisine,” according to its website — has received work permits and is currently hiring.


Around Town

Pike Cornerstone has closed its doors for the last time after just over two years in business.

The restaurant and bar, which aimed to create a “home away from home” atmosphere with hearty bar fare, cocktails and a dog-friendly patio, held its “final call” on Saturday. It opened at 2900 Columbia Pike, at the former site of Rebellion on the Pike, in April 2024.


News

A police standoff inside a Columbia Pike 7-Eleven ended with gunfire.

Around 9 p.m. several ambulances were dispatched to the standoff on the 3600 block of Columbia Pike, after reports of shots being fired. One person — the wanted man who barricaded himself in the store — was reported to be shot multiple times by police and critically wounded. Medics were also sent to treat at least several officers for unspecified injuries.


News

A teen boy is facing charges after police say he robbed a tow truck driver of his phone during a fight.

The incident happened early Wednesday morning on 12th Street S. at S. Courthouse Road, near Columbia Pike. Police say a verbal dispute led to an physical alternation and, ultimately, the robbery.


Events

The annual Columbia Pike Blues Festival will be relocating to a smaller space when it returns next month, eliminating the need for any major road closures.

The popular festival, which will feature a lineup of nationally recognized artists headlined by Kentucky funk and soul group Joslyn & The Sweet Compression, will take place at Penrose Square on June 13, Columbia Pike Partnership Executive Director Andrew Schneider told ARLnow.


News

A 34-year-old Arlington man is behind bars and facing numerous charges after police say he injured half a dozen officers and a police dog.

Oleh Mashkin entered a condo building on Columbia Pike around 6 p.m. Friday, shoved someone out of an elevator, and then kicked down the door of an unoccupied apartment, according to Arlington County police.


News

Columbia Pike leaders hosted a formal ribbon cutting yesterday (Wednesday) on street and sidewalk improvements that had snarled the busy corridor for years.

Local business leaders, numerous staff from the Department of Environmental Services (DES) and all five members of the Arlington County Board attended the event, which marked “substantial completion” of a project intended to improve the experience of bus riders, pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists alike.


Events

A new multicultural celebration is coming to Columbia Pike this weekend.

International cuisines, live performances and kid-friendly activities are all part of the inaugural Columbia Pike Culture Fest, happening from noon to 6 p.m. this Saturday at the Arlington Mill Community Center (909 S. Dinwiddie Street).


News

A man who attempted to rob a bank along Columbia Pike last year will spend nearly four years behind bars.

Steve Jamal Smith, 31, was sentenced Thursday to 46 months in federal prison over the Feb. 25, 2025, incident, in which he stole $711 from the Wells Fargo at 951 S. George Mason Drive.


Around Town

A well-loved sushi restaurant on Columbia Pike has closed after less than three years in business.

Bluefish Bistro is no longer in business at 950 S. George Mason Drive, owner Andy Park told ARLnow. The eatery, which offered a variety of sushi rolls and sashimi, opened in November 2023 at the mixed-use Centro Arlington development and had secured a 4.9-star average rating on Google.


News

Demolition has begun at the site of an eight-story former office building off of Columbia Pike, making way for a 16-home townhouse redevelopment.

Crews got to work last week tearing down a garage structure at 2300 9th Street S., preparing to demolish the 1970s-era office building beginning next week. That teardown is expected to take four to six weeks, according to a notice shared with nearby residents.


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