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Morning Notes

Published December 6, 2010 at 6:15AM

Most Elaborate Christmas Display in Arlington? — Blue Virginia has a video of what may be the most elaborate Christmas display in Arlington. It’s located on North Quebec Street, between Lee Highway and 17th Street, in Cherrydale. Let us know if you’ve seen anything better.

Pentagon Row Sold — The collection of stores and apartments known as Pentagon Row has been sold for a relatively low $14.9 million. Vornado Realty Trust sold the complex to Federal Realty Investment Trust, which also owns the Shirlington Village shopping center. More from the Washington Business Journal.

News

Blind Item: Food Truck Follies

By ARLnow.com

Published December 3, 2010 at 8:44AM | Updated December 3, 2010 at 9:34AM

Which Rosslyn and Crystal City businesses have been calling the police on the new Bada Bing sandwich truck? Cops have shown up at the truck at least eight times since it launched just over a month ago, we hear.

Officers show up, dutifully check out the truck’s license and examine whether it’s parked legally, and inevitably leave without finding a violation.

News

DEVELOPING: Doggie Daycare Bites County With Sign Lawsuit

By ARLnow.com

Published December 2, 2010 at 12:08PM | Updated December 2, 2010 at 2:33PM

Wag More Dogs owner Kim Houghton says she commissioned the $4,000 mural, which depicts dogs, bones and paw prints, to beautify the dog park, which her business abuts. But the county zoning office didn’t see the mural as art, it saw it as a 60 foot by 16 foot commercial sign — well beyond the 60 square feet of signage the store is allowed under the county sign ordinance. Had the mural depicted flowers or anything not dog-related, said county regulators, it would be permitted.

Shortly after that, Houghton linked up with the Institute for Justice, a Ballston-based libertarian public interest law firm. This morning Houghton and her attorneys filed a lawsuit and asked for a preliminary injunction that would allow the mural to be displayed while the lawsuit makes its way through the courts.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published November 30, 2010 at 8:17AM | Updated November 30, 2010 at 8:59AM

December Leaf Collection Schedule Released — The county’s second round of vacuum leaf collection through neighborhoods is now scheduled to begin on Dec. 4 and end on Dec. 24. More from the Dept. of Environmental Services.

Holiday Events Aplenty — The Sun Gazette has a list of 15 holiday-related events around Arlington in December.

Opinion

Morning Poll: Food Options in the R-B Corridor

By ARLnow.com

Published November 29, 2010 at 8:34AM | Updated November 29, 2010 at 9:04AM

The Rosslyn-Ballston corridor will be getting not one but at least two new frozen yogurt stores next year thanks to rapidly-expanding D.C. chain FroZenYo.

While some will take a “more the merrier” approach to food in Arlington, others may question whether a three-mile stretch of Wilson Boulevard can really support 5-6 frozen yogurt shops, not to mention numerous ice cream and gelato places.

Around Town

Arlington Is Big Winner at N. Va. Developer Awards

By ARLnow.com

Published November 19, 2010 at 9:32AM

Seven out of 17 awards went to Arlington properties.

The big winners included Courthouse’s new Fire Works Pizza restaurant and the county’s new Dept. of Human Services office, which both won awards for best interior.

Around Town

Sushi Rock Gets Live Entertainment Permit, At a Cost

By ARLnow.com

Published November 17, 2010 at 3:51PM

Sushi Rock volunteered for most of the provisions sought by residents of the high-end condos above the restaurant: keeping doors and windows closed during live entertainment, using sound-dampening materials, testing decibel levels in condos, designating a “neigborhood liason,” prohibiting loitering outside the business, picking up trash outside, and so forth.

Owners did not agree, however, to restricting the use of outdoor speakers on the restaurant’s patio. But that’s exactly what happened last night. The board approved the live entertainment permit with a provision that the outdoor speakers be shut off after 10:00 p.m. on weekdays and 11:00 p.m. on weekends.

News

Introducing the 2010 ABBIE Award Winners

By ARLnow.com

Published November 16, 2010 at 3:06PM

About 10,000 people participated in the online nomination and voting process, according to Arlington Economic Development, which sponsors the annual contest. That’s about twice as many nominations and votes as last year.

Among the big winners were Northside Social, voted Arlington’s Best New Business, and Lost Dog Cafe, the only business to win in two categories.

Around Town

District Taco Restaurant Opens Today

By ARLnow.com

Published November 11, 2010 at 9:14AM | Updated November 11, 2010 at 9:59AM

After a number of delays, the big day is finally here. The guys behind the the District Taco cart are holding the grand opening for their first brick-and-mortar restaurant (shown here, still under construction), at 5723 Lee Highway.

The restaurant’s menu consists of basic, fresh Mexican cuisine, served over a counter. There will also be weekly specials, where owner Osiris Hoil will get to show off a bit more of his culinary prowess. See an early preview of the menu here.

Around Town

Developer Moves Forward With Clarendon Project

By ARLnow.com

Published November 9, 2010 at 3:55PM

Thanks to a $48 million bank loan, local developer Ironwood Realty is moving forward with construction of a 163,000 square foot mixed-use building on the site, which was most-recently home to a CVS Pharmacy. Work is set to begin in the next 2-3 weeks, according to the Washington Business Journal.

When completed, the development — dubbed Garfield Park at Clarendon Village — will house 149 luxury apartment units, 20,000 square feet of retail space and nearly 300 underground parking spaces.

Opinion

Last Day for ABBIE Award Voting

By ARLnow.com

Published November 8, 2010 at 10:59AM

ARLnow.com has been nominated for an ABBIE, under the category “Arlington’s Best Place to Learn Something New.” However, we’re facing tough competition from the category’s reigning champ, the Arlington Public Library system.

Our odds are especially long, considering that the library isn’t any old small business — it’s a large government entity with nine locations around town, dozens of staff members and thousands of customers — who receive its services for free. Plus, while the general public is limited to one vote per computer, ABBIE rules specifically state that publicly-accessible computers at the library are exempt.

News

Ballston Looks to Improve Image

By ARLnow.com

Published November 8, 2010 at 9:43AM

This weekend a group of large local property owners will ask the county board to advertise a public hearing on the creation of a Ballston Business Improvement District.

The Ballston BID would be responsible for marketing Ballston to potential businesses, residents and visitors. It is necessary, property owners say, to keep Ballston competitive with other fast-growing commercial office markets in the District and in Northern Virginia. (Such as Tyson’s Corner, which is a few years away from becoming Metro-accessible.)