Crystal City | ARLnow.com

Morning Notes

Published August 23, 2018 at 8:55AM | Updated August 23, 2018 at 9:14AM

Road Closed Due to Downed Tree — Williamsburg Blvd is closed at N. Westmoreland Street due to a tree that fell overnight and took down several utility lines with it. Arlington’s emergency management office says the closure “may last through evening rush hour.” [Twitter]

Reminder: DUI Checkpoint Tonight — The Arlington County Police Department will conduct a sobriety checkpoint in an undisclosed location tonight. “Officers will stop all vehicles passing through the checkpoint and ask to see the licenses of drivers. Any driver suspected of operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol will be directed to a safe area off the roadway for further observation.” [Arlington County]

News

Suspicious Package Investigation at Crystal City Office Building

By ARLnow.com

Published August 21, 2018 at 4:45PM

File photo

Police are investigating a suspicious package at a Crystal City office building.

Initial reports suggest that the package was inside an office on S. Bell Street belonging to the Dept. of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, prompting an evacuation of that office. A federal immigration court is on a lower floor of the building.

News

ABC Officials, Lawmakers Pitch Reforms to Arlington Businesses

By Alex Koma

Published August 16, 2018 at 4:45PM

Virginia lawmakers are considering loosening some state alcohol regulations in the coming months — and that could be good news for Arlington’s bars and restaurants.

The General Assembly is weighing a bevy of changes to how the state’s Alcoholic Beverage Control authority, commonly known as the ABC, hands out licenses and permits to better match the ever-evolving beverage business.

News

Morning Notes

By Alex Koma

Published August 15, 2018 at 9:20AM

Army-Navy Country Club Employee Alleges Supervisor Used Racial Slurs — A former golf cart attendant at the club claims that one of his bosses repeatedly used racist language to refer to him and former President Barack Obama. It seems the supervisor has been fired, and the club’s employees are receiving sensitivity training. [Falls Church News-Press]

Crystal City Hotel to Host Anti-Muslim Group’s Conference — ACT for America will hold its annual gathering at the Crystal City Hyatt this fall. The group has alleged that Muslims can’t be loyal citizens of the United States and held “anti-Sharia” marches across the country, prompting Muslim groups to call on the hotel to abandon the event. [DCist]

News

Morning Notes

By Alex Koma

Published August 10, 2018 at 8:30AM | Updated August 10, 2018 at 9:03AM

Local Leaders Brace for White Supremacist Rally Sunday — “Unite the Right 2,” stemming from last year’s violent demonstration in Charlottesville, comes to D.C. this weekend. Counter-protesters are are set to greet participants, who plan to march from the Foggy Bottom Metro station to Lafayette Park. D.C. and Virginia officials alike have heightened emergency precautions, particularly around Metro stations, as rally participants plan to ride from Vienna into the city. [WTOP]

Federal Court Rejects Airplane Noise Appeal — Some D.C. residents suing over noise generated by Reagan National Airport, a contentious issue among Arlingtonians as well, now have only the U.S. Supreme Court to turn to, after an appeals court tossed out their case last month. Maryland’s attorney general is pursuing a similar case, targeting noise from BWI. [Washington Post]

News

With Amazon Looming, Developers Increasingly Link Crystal City to Potomac Yard

By Alex Koma

Published August 9, 2018 at 1:45PM

Though they may not share the same zip code, Arlington’s Crystal City and Alexandria’s Potomac Yard are bound together in the pursuit for Amazon’s second headquarters — and, win or lose on HQ2, the area’s business community is looking to strengthen those ties in the future.

Four Mile Run may separate the two neighborhoods, but real estate giant JBG Smith controls vast swaths of property in both neighborhoods, helping the company pitch Amazon on the area’s potential. With Potomac Yard becoming a development hub for the city, and Crystal City’s commercial office space emptying out a bit, the combination could be enticing enough to win out over the region’s other offerings.

News

Police Investigating More Airbag Thefts in Crystal City, Pentagon City

By Alex Koma

Published August 6, 2018 at 3:45PM

File photo

Arlington County police believe “the windows of approximately 20 vehicles were smashed and airbags stolen” across the area sometime on Friday night, according to a crime report.

They add that the thieves stole the tires and rims off two of those vehicles. In all, police believe the incidents occurred on the following streets:

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published August 2, 2018 at 9:40AM

Chess Growing in Popularity at Wakefield HS — A hot new trend with students at Wakefield High School: chess. The school offers chess boards for students and teachers to use during their lunch periods. Five or six students were regular players at the beginning of the year, but by the end of the year the number of students playing on a weekly basis grew to around 200, including standout varsity athletes like Amari Cooper and Ben Horsford. [InsideNova]

Religious Protesters Picket Freddie’s — A pair of religious protesters held signs and chanted anti-gay slogans outside of Crystal City LGBTQ watering hole Freddie’s Beach Bar over the weekend. Despite their message of intolerance, owner Freddie Lutz invited the two in to have a dialogue about their beliefs and why Lutz is proud of his bar and customers. [Washington Blade]

Around Town

With Redevelopment Nearing, Several Crystal City Shops Set to Relocate

By Melanie Pincus

Published July 25, 2018 at 1:45PM

Crystal City Shops at 1750 (file photo)

Multiple restaurants and stores are either closing or relocating in the Crystal City Shops at 1750.

Potbelly Sandwich Shop, one of the departing tenants, will be closed after today (July 25).

News

Taxi Drivers Argue DCA Construction is ‘Destroying Our Business’

By Alex Koma

Published July 24, 2018 at 10:45AM

Taxi drivers demonstrate outside a MWAA meeting in Crystal City (courtesy of New Virginia Majority)

Construction-related changes at one Reagan National Airport arrivals terminal have local taxi drivers fuming, and they argue airport officials are ignoring their complaints while catering to ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft.

Dozens of drivers serving the airport have begun leading protests outside Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority meetings in Crystal City, with the most recent demonstration coming last week, in order to force attention on the issue.

Events

Blerdcon, ‘Fully Inclusive’ Convention for Nerds, Returns to Crystal City

By Melanie Pincus

Published July 20, 2018 at 1:45PM

Blerdcon, an anime, gaming, cosplay, comics and sci-fi convention with a focus on inclusivity, will return to Crystal City next Friday (July 27).

Held at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City (2799 Jefferson Davis Hwy), organizers anticipate between 3,000 and 4,000 attendees.

News

Morning Notes

By Alex Koma

Published July 20, 2018 at 8:30AM

Students Sue Over W-L Name Change Decision — Three current students at the school claim Arlington’s School Board didn’t follow proper procedure in voting to start the process of stripping Robert E. Lee’s name from the school earlier this summer. [WUSA]

Could Jeff Bezos Buy Crystal City’s Biggest Property Owner? — JBG Smith’s CEO isn’t sure, but he’s heard the rumors too. The company took over the ownership of the bulk of buildings in the neighborhood from Vornado/Charles E. Smith and is a key part of Crystal City’s bid for Amazon’s second headquarters. [Washington Business Journal]