Around Town

We may have discovered an entirely new genre of video on YouTube.

Crystal City’s elevators and escalators have been extensively chronicled on the video sharing site. There are at least two dozen such videos on the site, posted by at least three dedicated elevator enthusiasts. The videos feature commentary and often a critical review of the elevator’s aesthetics and function.


News

Clarendon Office Building Sells for D.C. Prices — The 200,000 square foot office building at 3101 Wilson Boulevard, located across the street from the Clarendon Metro station, has sold for a whopping $112.6 million.”Pricing was on par with building trades in Downtown DC,” reports GlobeSt.com. The building is home to a TD Bank and Georgetown’s continuing studies programs. [GlobeSt.com]

County Issues Bonds for Projects — Arlington County has sold $11.9 million in bonds at a relatively low 4.18 percent interest rate. The bonds will fund the last phase of Fire Station 3 in Cherrydale, a new park in Buckingham Village and initial construction of the Arlington Mill Community Center. Although a direct comparison is difficult, in July Arlington sold $73 million in bonds at an interest rate of 2.70 percent. [Arlington County]


News

The building, which houses a number of Department of Defense offices, is located at the corner of Crystal Drive and 18th Street. Arlington County Police, Pentagon Police and other federal law enforcement officers were at the scene of the incident, which occurred shortly after 11:00 this morning.

Shortly before the incident, a Twitter user reported seeing a man in a suit jump onto the tracks at the Crystal City Metro station as a train was approaching. The man then jumped back onto the platform and ran out of the station, the user said. It’s currently not known if the two incidents are connected.


Events

Couture will be held from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. every night from Feb. 1 to 5. Organizers released additional details today about the event’s schedule and the designers and boutiques that will be participating (see below).

In keeping with Crystal City’s use of vacant space as an event venue, Couture is relocating this year from an formerly unleased retail space (which is now a Buffalo Wild Wings) to the abandoned Crystal City Food Court at 1750 Crystal Drive.


Around Town

It was hard to pick just one winner for our Arlington holiday poem contest, but in the end we went with an entry that tackled one of the most controversial issues in Arlington in 2010: towing.

Our winner, Rich, came up with a humorous and topical take on a towing story we reported on earlier this month, setting it to the tune of a classic Christmas song.


Around Town

When Synetic Theater offered us two free tickets to their family-friendly performance of The Nutcrackerplaying in Crystal City through Jan. 16 — we immediately realized that this was a perfect opportunity for a holiday-themed contest.

Since haiku and ugly holiday sweater contests are old hat, here’s what we’re going to do instead:


Around Town

Crystal City Sports Pub (529 23rd Street South) is known for being a place to grab a beer and watch your favorite team. During the holidays, it’s also a place to go to check out a meticulously arranged, miniature winter village and model railroad.

The railway is set up in the back of the patio seating area, facing the sidewalk on 23rd Street.


News

Just as we were receiving notification of a road closure between Fern Street and Grant Street on South 23rd Street near Crystal City, a tipster sent us the photo above with this description:

Good morning — There’s some sort of water problem on 23rd St South near Crystal City, between Fern and Grant, closer to Fern.  Water is out on at least that block (I live there and a neighbor has told me hers is out as well).  It looks like this utility truck has fallen through the street surface, a sinkhole or something. That could be the cause — either the water main was broken, or it was shut off to make repairs. Picture attached, though it’s not the best angle.


Around Town

The beer-wings-and-sports joint, with its large expanse of flat screen TVs, is sure to attract a nights and weekends crowd. Today we’ll get our first taste of what the buttoned-up Crystal City workday set thinks of it as a lunch destination. The restaurant will open at 10:00 a.m.

While today is the official opening, some lucky customers were able to sneak in for a free meal this week. The restaurant quietly opened its doors for two hours at a time for employee training. Anyone who happened to wander by got their food for free.


Around Town

Hawking $6.50 gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup, the truck parked in Crystal City around noon today and attracted a few dedicated food truck aficionados willing to brave the blustery weather.

“Craft cheese with a ‘C'” is how owner Patrick Rathbone describes the difference between his grilled cheese and the pedestrian grilled cheese your mother used to make. (Sorry, mom.)


Events

Last month we told you about a new event in Crystal City that will combine light exercise with moderate drinking. Now we get more details and a new date:

Lace up your sneakers and cleanse your palette; it’s time to start training for the Crystal City 1K Wine Walk. Presented by the Crystal City Business Improvement District in partnership with the Washington Wine Academy, the 1K Wine Walk promises “racers” the opportunity to taste and learn about between 30-40 wines as they make their way through the shops and interior walkways of Crystal City.


Events

Now in its third year, the event will feature “runway shows, local DJs, open bar, free snacks, free makeovers from makeup artists and hair stylists – and more,” according to organizers.

In a big change, however, Couture will be changing locations — from a formerly vacant storefront, now occupied by Buffalo Wild Wings, to the abandoned food court at 1750 Crystal Drive.


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