Columbia Pike | ARLnow.com

County May Construct Bike Park on Columbia Pike

Published July 14, 2014 at 4:45PM

On Saturday, the Arlington County Board is scheduled to vote on an agreement with the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority to construct a bike park on the northern side of Columbia Pike near Arlington Mill Community Center. Dominion Power, which has an easement for its power lines, is also party to the agreement.

“The focus of the project is to install a bike park with a learning loop for beginning riders,” the county’s staff report states. “The park improvements will include site furnishings, sand play area, water bottle filler, bike repair station, plaza space and a paved bicycle path.”

Around Town

New Farmers Market Planned for Arlington Mill

By Ethan Rothstein

Published July 14, 2014 at 2:00PM

The Arlington County Board is expected to approve a proposal to create an open air market in the plaza of the Arlington Mill Community Center (909 S. Dinwiddie Street) at its meeting this Saturday.

The market, if approved, would take place from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Wednesdays and be run by the Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization. The Arlington Mill plaza, in the middle of its first summer since the community center opened last fall, is already hosting half of CPRO’s outdoor summer movies, including showing several Spanish-language films.

News

UPDATED: Virginia Kicks in Add’l $65 Million for Pike Streetcar

By ARLnow.com

Published July 11, 2014 at 11:45AM | Updated July 13, 2014 at 11:47PM

Original Columbia Pike streetcar rendering

The county says the new funding will enable to Arlington and Fairfax to proceed with the streetcar project more rapidly — accelerating the construction timetable by at least a year — partially thanks to eliminating the need to obtain federal funding.

“The Commonwealth is committed to supporting the Columbia Pike project as a funding partner,” Virginia Transportation Secretary Aubrey Layne said, in a letter to Arlington County Board Chair Jay Fisette and Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Sharon Bulova.

Opinion

Morning Poll: Streetcar Crystal Ball

By ARLnow.com

Published July 11, 2014 at 10:55AM

Rendering of a streetcar along Columbia Pike (file photo)

This week we reported — followed by other local TV, print and online outlets — that the county had produced more television spots that try to explain “why streetcar.”

Among the expected benefits along Columbia Pike are more development, increased county tax revenue, increased transit ridership, and the preservation of affordable housing.

Around Town

Pedro and Vinny’s Shut Down By Health Dept.

By ARLnow.com

Published June 26, 2014 at 10:45AM | Updated September 23, 2020 at 1:50PM

Pedro and Vinny’s, the popular burrito stand in the CVS parking lot at 2599 Columbia Pike, is closed indefinitely after having its health license revoked.

The restaurant opened in 2011 in what was once an Ollie’s Trolley. It has since served hungry Pike residents, Pentagon employees, and even members of Congress. Earlier this month it was included in the prestigious Five Thirty Eight Burrito Bracket.

Events

Movie Nights on Columbia Pike Begin Tonight

By ARLnow.com

Published June 19, 2014 at 12:00PM | Updated June 19, 2014 at 12:59PM

The Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization (CPRO) is bringing back outdoor movies in Penrose Square every Saturday from this week (June 21) through August 30. This year, CPRO also will offer movies every other Thursday in the plaza of the new Arlington Mill Community Center, starting tonight and running through September 11.

CPRO is trying out something different at Arlington Mill by offering a couple of Spanish movies subtitled in English, and vice versa. The push for diversity in the movie selection isn’t just for Spanish-speaking cultures. CPRO Executive Director Takis Karantonis notes the movie “The Visitor” deals with issue of immigrating to the United States from Africa and the Middle East.

Around Town

New Irish Bar Coming to Columbia Pike?

By ARLnow.com

Published June 17, 2014 at 2:05PM

A restaurant called “The Celtic House,” from a company called “Green Brigade LLC,” has applied for a permit to serve wine, beer and mixed beverages at 2500 Columbia Pike, in the Arlington Village Shopping Center. That’s the current home of Manee Thai restaurant, which has been open for 13-14 years.

“Mo,” a man identifying himself as the owner of Manee Thai, told ARLnow.com today that he is in talks to sell the restaurant and retire. But he said nothing has been finalized.

Around Town

Photos: Columbia Pike Blues Festival 2014

By ARLnow.com

Published June 16, 2014 at 11:10AM

Columbia Pike Blues Festival 2014 (staff photo)

The 19th annual Columbia Pike Blues Festival was held Saturday afternoon.

The festival benefited from warm and sunny weather that seemed mild compared to the sweltering heat of past years.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published June 13, 2014 at 9:00AM | Updated January 16, 2018 at 2:39PM

Another Flash Flood Watch — It’s Friday the 13th and Arlington is under another Flash Flood Watch today. The watch is in effect from noon through 10:00 p.m. Forecasters say an approaching cold front will spawn scattered showers and thunderstorms, some of which will be strong and result in very heavy rain. [National Weather Service]

Library to Launch Tool Lending — Arlington residents will soon be able to use their library cards to borrow garden tools from Arlington Central Library. The library is currently looking for volunteers to run and maintain its new “tool library,” which was established after being set as a priority by the county’s Urban Agriculture Task Force last year. [Arlington Public Library]

News

Crime Report: Bathroom Peeping Tom

By ARLnow.com

Published June 12, 2014 at 3:30PM | Updated January 16, 2018 at 2:14PM

Arlington police car outside police headquarters (file photo)

Police are looking for a man who allegedly used his iPhone to photograph a woman using the bathroom.

The incident happened Tuesday night on the 4200 block of Columbia Pike. Police say the woman looked out the window, saw a hand holding an iPhone and screamed, scaring off the suspect.

Events

Columbia Pike Blues Festival Returns Saturday

By Ethan Rothstein

Published June 12, 2014 at 11:30AM | Updated June 12, 2014 at 11:58AM

Columbia Pike Blues Festival 2012 (file photo)

The Blues Festival runs from 1:00 to 8:30 p.m. at the intersection of the Pike and S. Walter Reed Drive by the Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse. There will be plenty of food and beer, but as Takis Karantonis, the executive director of the event organizer, the Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization, says, the food and drink are secondary to the music.

“We think the blues is the Pike’s music,” Karantonis told ARLnow.com yesterday. “It corresponds to the personality and flavor of the Pike. Our artists on Saturday, they’re such different personalities and they all converge on the platform of the blues.”

News

Police Arrest Man For Masturbating Outside Daycare

By ARLnow.com

Published May 21, 2014 at 10:15AM

File photo

The alleged incident took place at 5:00 p.m. this past Monday, on the 1000 block of S. Cleveland Street.

“A subject was seen masturbating in his car in front of a daycare as children were playing in the front yard,” according to the ACPD crime report. “Police arrived on scene and took the suspect into custody.”