Around Town

With only a few days to go until Valentine’s Day, reservations are filling up at many restaurants in Arlington and Falls Church.

Below is a non-exhaustive list of establishments where tables are still available during typical dinner hours on Saturday, Feb. 14. Other restaurants only have options for those willing to come before or after the dinner rush.


Events

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, an upcoming event in Ballston will celebrate the time-honored tradition of playing matchmaker.

Quincy Hall is hosting Pitch-A-Friend Washington D.C. for a Valentine’s edition of its wingman-inspired nights. For $5, participants give cheeky, lighthearted PowerPoint-style presentations to pitch their single friends to that night’s crowd.


Valentine’s Day is nine days away. Have you made all of your plans for the big day yet?

Some people are V-Day go-getters who made restaurant reservations months ago. Others are Valentine’s Day procrastinators who will figure it out when they get a chance — maybe later this week?

Today we’re asking readers: which one are you?

Oh and in case you were wondering, previous Valentine’s Day-related ARLnow polls have determined that Arlingtonians prefer food to flowers as a present (70-30) and would much rather stay in than go out on Feb. 14 (85-15).


Events

From fancy date nights to couple’s painting, there’s no shortage of ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day in Arlington and Falls Church.

Whether you plan to celebrate solo or over a candlelit dinner for two, here are some ways to enjoy the day of love with local food, drink and events.


Around Town

A florist from Eastern Europe is bringing her passion for flowers to Arlington.

What started as an online business for floral delivery has blossomed into a brick-and-mortar storefront, Kat Flowers Design and Decor, which had its grand opening at 2342 Columbia Pike this past Friday, Feb. 9.


Opinion

It’s Valentine’s Day, truly the Super Bowl of the floral and heart-shaped-chocolate-box industries.

Previous ARLnow polls have already established that a strong majority of readers — both single and in a relationship — prefer to stay in rather than go out on V-Day. Today we’re wondering about readers’ Valentine’s Day gift of choice.


Events

Love is in the air and in National Landing.

This week and next, several events in Pentagon City and Crystal City will celebrate the day of love with specials and experiences for attendees spending the day solo or with a loved one.


Around Town

Arlington has plenty of dimly lit, romantic restaurants and charming, cozy local spots suitable for a date night.

Whether you’re hoping to share a bowl of noodles “Lady and the Tramp”-style, split a slice (or whole pie) with a partner, or would rather skip straight to dessert, these local spots have you and your loved one covered for Valentine’s Day next week.


Opinion

When we last asked, in 2017, just under 20% of you said you planned to go out for Valentine’s Day that year.

That includes both singles (28.5% of overall respondents) and those in a relationship (71.5% of respondents). Those in a relationship were only slightly more likely to be planning to head out: 20% of those in a relationship said they were going out to 17% for singles.


Opinion

Valentine’s Day is around the corner, which naturally leads many to consider where to take their significant other out on a date.

If you live in Arlington, there’s a natural gravitational pull to stay closer to home when possible. After all, you’re presumably paying the higher rent or mortgage payments associated with living here because you like being close to stuff.


News

If you’re dating but on a budget, Arlington is a good place to be.

That’s according to a new-for-2021 set of rankings from the website SmartAsset, which examined cities and places from around the U.S., comparing to cost of things like coffee and wine, in addition to access to parks and employment.


News

Love Notes in Rosslyn — “In honor of Valentine’s Day, we created Rosslyn Love, a community-wide free activity where anyone in the DMV could submit a message to be displayed across four temporary murals outside of 1550 Wilson Boulevard in Rosslyn. Whether it was for a partner, a friend, coworker, family member, healthcare professional or even just a favorite spot around the neighborhood, we received over 400 messages of love and gratitude.” [Rosslyn BID]

Dems Keep Focus on Equity — “The Arlington County Democratic Committee in early March is expected to make its ad-hoc Inclusion and Equity Committee a permanent standing committee. The goal, deputy party chair Maggie Davis said, was to ‘do better including more people that look like the population of Arlington’ in Democratic Party activities.” [InsideNova]


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