A popular restaurant and bar with French and Chinese influences has set a spring opening for its Crystal City location Bar Chinois plans to open this May at 244 19th Court S. on the ground floor of The Grace and Reva apartments It’ll be the restaurant’s second location “We are excited to bring Bar Chinois to National Landing,” co-owner Dean Mosones said in a release “Our goal is to create the same energetic experience that brings people together — offering bold flavors and warm hospitality that keep guests coming back.” The location’s hours will be 5-11 p.m by Tom Roussey (7News) — A recent study from the Virginia Department of Transportation concludes that lowering Route 1 and making pedestrian improvements in Crystal City could cost $189 million The project would also add traffic lights that would potentially worsen traffic in some parts of the already congested area The plan would add traffic lights at 15th and 18th streets South 1 is elevated above these two intersections allowing pedestrians and bikers to travel under the highway ALSO READ | Man arrested for allegedly striking acquaintance with barbell in Woodbridge, Virginia As part of its successful 2018 effort to land Amazon’s HQ2 in Arlington the state of Virginia pledged to make improvements to Route 1 that would improve pedestrian safety and access to the highway VDOT released a study in December that concludes lowering an elevated portion of Route 1 to street level and making other pedestrian improvements between 15th St South would cost $183 million in 2029 dollars VDOT is also considering reconfiguring a nearby interchange between Rt and it’s estimated that this would cost an additional $129 million After an initial study that was concluded in October 2021 VDOT recommended converting an elevated portion of Rt South into “an at-grade urban boulevard with space for sidewalks and other infrastructure desired by Arlington County residents and property owners Images released as part of the second study completed this past December show pedestrian and bike crosswalks side by side at the intersections that would get new traffic lights under the plan but VDOT is currently searching for federal or other grants to help pay for it Restaurateur Kendrick Wu is upping the neighborhood's outdoor game with a new watering hole Kendrick Wu has had his eye on Crystal City for years He’s always wanted to create a casual welcoming bar where locals could gather without leaving the neighborhood Wu advanced one step closer to that dream when he received county approval to begin construction on Scapegoat Beer Garden an expansive outdoor concept in the former Athena Pallas space behind Crystal City’s 23rd Street “Restaurant Row.” “Our goal is to serve and take care of people in Crystal City and Pentagon City,” says the restaurateur “We want to give people another reason to stay and enjoy Arlington.” The design of the outdoor space includes a sprawling tiered patio with an additional deck which can accommodate more than 200 guests A 3,400-square-foot indoor dining room with a full bar will feature large open-air walk-up windows where patio guests can order drinks we wanted a place where guests could walk up to chat with bartenders and get drink recommendations,” Wu says “I think this adds to the space’s communal feel.” The food menu, designed by Huy Nguyen and and Long Lai, owners of the Vietnamese eatery Balô Kitchen (a popular counter inside Annandale food hall The Block) will center on pan-Asian comfort foods and classic bar fare a traditional Vietnamese grilled beef skewer wrapped in betel leaves The concept draws on Wu’s background as owner of D.C.’s recently shuttered contemporary Malaysian spot Makan and its sibling bar California—but this “is the first place I’m opening for myself,” he says Raising and Educating Our Children During Uncertain Times In addition to a generous beer list featuring classic IPAs and rotating seasonal picks Scapegoat will offer a full bar with on-tap cocktails Wu says it references a longstanding inside joke in his friend group Whenever a pal would attempt to leave a party early he’d cajole them to stay and have another drink—and blame him later “It was that playful nudge to be just a little irresponsible,” he jokes Scapegoat Beer Garden is slated to open this summer at 556 22nd Street South in Crystal City Become a digital partner ... About UsContact UsSubscribeAdvertiseWrite for Us Show Breaking News BarCloseLocal NewsAndrea K. Moreno ZAVALA COUNTY Texas – A now-former Crystal City Police Department officer was arrested amid an investigation into child exploitation according to the Zavala County Sheriff’s Office Abel Hernandez voluntarily resigned from the police force on Thursday to avoid termination the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post The investigation revealed that Hernandez would meet children while on duty and make “inappropriate comments” to them Further investigation revealed that Hernandez was giving sensitive information to the general public including advising a wanted person about an active arrest warrant The incident put the officers and the public at risk Hernandez is currently in the Zavala County Sheriff’s Office custody and faces a charge of misuse of official information Copyright 2025 by KSAT - All rights reserved She graduated from Texas State University with an electronic media degree and a minor in psychology where she held several positions at The Ranger Email Newsletters KSAT RSS Feeds Contests and Rules Contact Us KSAT Internships Careers at KSAT Closed Captioning / Audio Description Public File Current EEO Report Terms of Use Privacy Policy Do Not Sell My Info FCC Applications Copyright © 2025 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group It is one of several new leases for retail space at JBG Smith’s newly developed pair of residential high rises, The Grace and Reva whose restaurants include Cafe Colline in Arlington and Chez Billy Sud in D.C.’s Georgetown Bar Colline and others are part of a pedestrian-friendly street shared by the apartment buildings between 18th and 20th Street a newly opened restaurant from the same team that runs  Seven Reasons in the District Bar Chinois’ new 2,800-square-foot restaurant brings many menu items from the original Mount Vernon location The dumplings, small plates and entrées are priced between $10 and $23. The menu could be found here The National Landing Bar Chinois will initially be open for dinner Happy hours include half priced drinks at $1 dumplings The original Bar Chinois was also a 2024 RAMMY Award winner for best bar in D.C The Bar Chinois team opened another new restaurant last summer in D.C. — Bar Japonais in Logan Circle Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area Jeff Clabaugh has spent 20 years covering the Washington region's economy and financial markets for WTOP as part of a partnership with the Washington Business Journal and officially joined the WTOP newsroom staff in January 2016 Texas - A walkout was held on Sunday in support of teachers and staff who lost their jobs after Crystal City Independent School District decided to close its pre-k school Crystal City Independent School District released a statement Friday saying this decision was a financial one The district said this was due to over projection of enrollment and adjustments in where the state wants to spend its funds that led to the layoffs RELATED | POLL: Do you agree with local school districts' downsizing efforts? Kids and adults walked together in support of those who lost their jobs on friday Jose Manuel Peinado holds a '44' sign and says that's how many lost their jobs "I pray for them that they can do well and be able to get up and back on their feet as soon as possible," Peinado said Prek-3 teaches kids that are three years old Peinado says it employed teachers at the Dr Pilar Navarro is a fourth grade teacher in the same district “It is gonna impact the students in more negative ways than positive," Navarro said We caught up with some teachers who said they might have to drive an hour to find work in another city Protesters say this is not just a fight for their jobs but for the education of students in the district "Just all these different things that are just beyond our control and were getting cut for it I just dont think thats right," Navarro said — A popular west Tulsa shopping center is working to attract more business to the area Crafting unique creations is Kerrye Morrison’s passion She’s a florist at Westside Flowers and Gifts in the Crystal City Shopping Center “It’s really coming alive here,” said Kerrye Morrison In the six years the shop has been at Crystal City she’s seen more customers as people flock to one of Tulsa’s oldest landmarks on Route 66 “It’s really really special,” said Morrison 2 News has been covering the complex for more than a decade We showed you in 2013 when many businesses were boarded up and the complex was on the auction block In 2019, we showed you when a new grocery store moved in to the shopping center the center is working to expand its footprint even more by filling in the two big empty storefronts that anchor the complex “We are so excited to get more traffic and more people coming,” said Morrison Morrison has a few things she’d like to see “Just anything that I think would enhance the Route 66 experience is sort of what I would like to see.” “I’ve heard people say a bowling alley would be nice,” he said Something that locals want that they’ve talked about is an indoor flea market.” 2 News went to a nearby neighborhood to listen to what people want to see Delora Allen visits Crystal City every day they were top of mind for what she’d like to see near her west Tulsa neighborhood “Something for the kids to do maybe like an inside putt putt golf,” said Delora Allen “We see more and more business we really do,” said Morrison The anchor stores are a 6,000-square-foot former pharmacy and a 17,000-square-foot former department store The Arlington County Board approved funding for a pair of big-ticket infrastructure projects on Saturday Other key developments at the meeting included eliminating an early voting site and another clash between County Board members and immigration activists The $20.7 million DRPT grant for a second Crystal City Metro entrance represents the local match to an earlier grant of the same amount from the Federal Transit Administration Board members accepted the funding as part of their consent agenda It will provide relief at “one of the busiest stations in Arlington,” Board Chair Takis Karantonis said will be located two blocks east of the existing entrance at 18th Street S Bell Street is reaching capacity during peak service hours and has limited emergency exits,” Karantonis said The project is expected to be completed in 2027 It will include a ground-level lobby with faregates as well as elevator upgrades Arlington will transfer ownership of the project to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Board members voted to award Fort Myer Construction Corp. a $9.6 contract million to rebuild the Arlington Ridge Road bridge over Four Mile Run at the Arlington-Alexandria border The contract includes a $1.9 million contingency allocation The bridge was constructed in 1976 and an upgrade is “urgently needed,” Karantonis said a bridge-safety inspection determined that the span was structurally deficient leading to closure of the southbound sidewalk The overall project cost is pegged at just over $16 million with funding coming from a variety of local Board members agreed to eliminate, at least for this year, use of the Long Bridge Aquatics & Fitness Center as an early-voting site in advance of the June 17 primary and Nov The action came at the recommendation of the Electoral Board which does not see a fourth site as necessary in non-presidential-election years a gubernatorial election year has 40% lower turnout” than the presidential year Voters will still have access to three early-voting sites for the primary and general elections: Madison Community Center Walter Reed Community Center and the government headquarters in Courthouse Board members opened the meeting by detailing resources available to immigrants in the community including support for those who wish to become U.S will have to prepare [for future actions by the Trump administration] and we really encourage them to do that,” Karantonis said He noted the the Arlington Community Outreach Program offers free citizenship classes and in some cases can provide financial support to cover costs of $725 imposed by the federal government for naturalization services Efforts by Board Chair Takis Karantonis to enforce public-comment rules met with mixed success at the Board meeting At the public-comment period that opened the meeting numerous speakers wanted to discuss various facets of the county government’s policing regulations and the county government’s response to Trump administration actions Karantonis attempted to cut off a speaker who was commenting on what he deemed essentially the same points as one who preceded her “One person per topic — those are the rules,” the chairman said to cries of outrage from the audience “We enforce them for everyone,” Karantonis said the speaker plowed on with her remarks as the board chair essentially The situation recurred later in the public-comment period with Karantonis having more success in keeping speakers focused on topics that had not been previously covered Following public comment, a group of about 30 protesters carrying a banner reading “Shut Down ICA Farmville” gathered outside Central Library Karantonis’ approach to speakers at this meeting contrasted sharply with his decisions last month, when dozens of protesters pressed the County Board to stop allowing local police to voluntarily cooperate with federal immigration enforcement Karantonis bent the rules to allow for extensive public comment on this topic Call Your Mother has arrived in Crystal City offering bagel sandwiches and “Jew-ish” deli classics The D.C.-born deli opened Monday at Water Park on 1601 Crystal Drive touting its unmistakable spunky aesthetic and hardy offerings A free-for-all of cycling races, zany costumes and competitive glory is coming to a garage in Crystal City this month, following a postponement last year The 11th Garage Racing National Championships are happening Saturday giving beginner cyclists and enthusiasts a chance to make it on the winner’s podium the purely recreational event describes itself as “the Fight Club of bike racing.” The day culminates in an outlandish “Anything Goes” race calling on cyclists’ creativity through costumes and unconventional home vehicle creations — like a horse figurine fixed atop a pair of skis “This is not a race,” the registration website reads “It’s an opportunity to put on a costume grab that crazy looking bike out of the garage and do parade laps of the course for 30 minutes.” The Arlington event’s history goes back to 2012 with the inaugural Crystal City Diamond Derby at 1850 Crystal Drive. The event went through a couple of rebrands, once becoming a set of weekly spring races called the Wednesday Night Spins. The event later became the Garage Racing National Championships in 2019 in the G4 level of the underground garage at 201 12th Street S. with the junior men and women championship for cyclists ages 10-14 Other races throughout the day invite novice-level cyclists nonbinary cyclists and relay teams of four people The last championship event in 2023 drew nearly 200 people Spectators are welcome to catch all the action from the sidelines with access to a pop-up bar, stationary bike rides and refreshments from Acme Pies, Good Company Doughnuts and Port City Brewing Co. Attendance is free, although RSVPs are encouraged The event is hosted by cycling media group CXHAIRS and the National Landing BID which will be on-site with swag bag giveaways “We invite adrenaline-driven racers and curious spectators alike to embrace this one-of-a-kind experience in the most unlikely of places – a garage,” National Landing BID Deputy Executive Director Rob Mandle said A post office on Crystal Drive is relocating The current United States Postal Service office inside the Crystal City Shops at 2180 Crystal Drive is closing but a new post office is expected to open less than a quarter mile away at 320 23rd Street S This is on the ground floor of Quimby on 23rd apartments A new nightlife attraction with karaoke and Chinese cuisine is open in Crystal City Lantern Restaurant & Bar opened at 320 23rd Street S. late last month debuting a nearly 5,500-square-foot space decked out with high quality sound systems and LED lights The venue is currently taking reservations Lantern Restaurant & Bar is open from 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m Sunday through Thursday A Tex-Mex and Latin-inspired restaurant hopes to open in Crystal City sometime early this spring La Posada a new concept by veteran restaurateur Julian Giraldo on the ground floor of Quimby on 23rd apartments neon signs and a playful disco theme is now open in Crystal City Coffee Republic opened last week at 3130 Potomac Avenue, on the ground floor of Azure National Landing apartments The shop sells espresso drinks and food in addition to organic coffee beans and grounds Coffee Republic is open in Crystal City daily from 7 a.m.-5 pm The former Marriott Crystal City at Reagan National Airport is emerging from renovations as the National Landing Hotel Crystal City The hotel, part of the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio “is slated to complete its transformative renovation and rebranding in May 2025.” “We are thrilled to be part of the reinvigorating development in Crystal City and Arlington and modernize our hotel to exceed the standards of the discerning guest,” said Ben Joseph “The National Landing Hotel is setting the foundation for a new legacy and we look forward to all that is to come,” Joseph said will continue operations during the phased renovation while protecting the integrity of the guest experience It is located at 1999 Richmond Highway Among the highlights of the renovated hotel: now owned by a Texas-based limited partnership It was purchased by its current owner in November 2023 for $65.8 million Authorities responded to a fire at Crystal City Sports Pub early this morning Initial reports indicated flames and smoke were seen coming from the building and the restaurant’s sprinkler system was activated The Arlington County Fire Department issued a press release Thursday evening saying the blaze was one of several small fires set at 23rd Street restaurant row businesses overnight units from the Arlington County Fire Department were dispatched to the 500 block of S Units arrived on scene and found items in an enclosed patio of 529 S The fire was contained by the sprinkler system and quickly extinguished by responding firefighters The fire did not spread into the main structure The preliminary investigation conducted by The Office of the Fire Marshal determined the fire to be suspicious in nature additional fire damage was discovered to adjacent businesses These fires are also being investigated and are deemed suspicious in nature The Office is the Fire Marshal is asking anyone with additional information to contact Lieutenant Wandekha Kanthula at 571-357-0769 or [email protected] Nate Hiner did not have a damage estimate when asked by ARLnow earlier today (On Friday afternoon, Freddie’s Beach Bar and McNamara’s Pub were also identified as having been damaged by the arsonist.) Some kid-friendly festivities are coming to Arlington and Falls Church as Easter hops closer A free egg hunt and a visit from the Easter Bunny are taking place on Saturday April 19 at Water Park in Crystal City (1601 Crystal Drive) Other family-friendly events are happening in the days leading up to Easter at Potomac Overlook Regional Park Long Bridge Aquatic Center and Cherry Hill Park in Falls Church Photo via Gabe Pierce/Unsplash It’s official: Whole Foods is coming to Crystal City A new store is in development at 1550 Crystal Drive, where Amazon Fresh shuttered in April This is in addition to another Whole Foods scheduled to open next month at 103 E While the Falls Church spot is replacing another location near Tysons that is closing on Feb. 3 the Crystal City store is part of a new approach for the grocer The Amazon company is currently expanding its presence in metropolitan areas with smaller stores referred to as Whole Foods Market Daily Shops “We look forward to serving the Crystal City community with the first Whole Foods Market Daily Shop store in the D.C area and to bringing the same high-quality natural and organic products our customers expect in a new quick-shop format,” a representative said Specific information about the store, including an estimated opening date, is not yet available. But in a press release last year smaller-format stores will pair high quality offerings with convenience Ranging between 7,000 to 14,000 square feet the quick-shop stores are about a quarter to half the footprint of an average 40,000 square foot Whole Foods Market store In bustling hubs like Manhattan where proximity matters these stores will bring Whole Foods Market closer to existing customers while extending the company’s reach to others in surrounding neighborhoods Whole Foods Market Daily Shop will provide a convenient option for grab-and-go meals and snacks easy destination to pick up ingredients to complete a meal – with all items meeting the company’s rigorous quality standards the stores will still offer Whole Foods Market favorites prepared foods like sandwiches and pre-packed meals as well as a handpicked range of local specialties and our own 365 by Whole Foods Market brand the location that is expected to open this year will be the first Whole Foods Market store in Manhattan to offer Juice & Java we’re tailoring every square foot to the unique We’re excited to introduce a new way for our customers to quickly pick up their Whole Foods Market favorites – from grab-and-go meals to that last-minute dinner ingredient – making the early morning or after work grocery trips more efficient and enjoyable,” said Christina Minardi Executive Vice President Growth & Development “Expanding our footprint with Whole Foods Market Daily Shop is key to our growth and advancing our purpose to nourish people and the planet.” ARLnow was first alerted to the development by a reader who noticed a Virginia ABC permit posted to the 1550 Crystal Drive storefront this past weekend The location would be the only grocery store in Crystal City about a 10-minute walk from another Whole Foods at 520 12th Street S The new Whole Foods in Falls Church is set to open on Tuesday replacing the company’s existing Idylwood Plaza spot The 45,000-square-foot store on the ground floor of Broad & Washington apartments will be open daily from 8 a.m.-9 p.m It’s expected to offer over 700 locally sourced grocery items a coffee bar and a section with ready-to-eat items A grand opening next month will feature free coffee and baked goods and the first 300 customers that day will receive tote bags and cards with offers up to $100 off Upon opening the new location, the company also plans to make a food donation to Northern Virginia Food Rescue and send $5,000 each to the charities Food for Others and Share of McLean Flight Wine Shop has landed in Crystal City The local wine retailer celebrated a grand opening over the weekend at 269 19th Court S., on the ground floor of The Grace apartments. The new shop is a spinoff of D.C.’s former Flight Wine Bar, which spent a decade in Chinatown before closing in late 2023 It went beyond my expectations,” co-owner Swati Bose told ARLnow today (Monday) “It was a lot of fun meeting new guests welcoming back old guests and being able to pour wine again for them.” Show Breaking News BarCloseLocal NewsZaria Oates Mark Oltz Madalynn Lambert The district told KSAT that none of the layoffs included any contractual employees but instead “staff members in various non-contractual positions.” a woman who grew up in Crystal City and was set to move back to the district said she’s communicated with teachers impacted by the cuts “One of them talked to me because she was about to retire within this next year,” Noel said One of my best friend’s sisters got let go as well It was really hurtful for the community and not just the teachers.” Noel said she was planning to move back to the CCISD this year to put her child in the pre-K 3-year-old program but it is no longer available for her child “There’s nowhere for them to go now,” Noel said So parents are probably trying to find daycare facilities or babysitters.” The district sent KSAT the following statement regarding the layoffs “The Crystal City ISD (“District”) made the difficult decision to dismiss 32 employees due to the District’s declaration of financial exigency The District can confirm that the dismissals did not involve any contractual employees but included staff members in various non-contractual positions This decision was made in consultation with external financial advisors to swiftly reduce staffing in a way that addresses the District’s financial challenges while minimizing the impact on instructional and student-related programs The District continues to review its staffing needs in light of the ongoing financial challenges but will not discuss specific personnel matters former employees will be appropriately compensated for the time they worked there are no confirmed plans for any additional dismissals or school closures but the District will continue to monitor its staffing needs as necessary The District is aware of concerns raised by members of the community as a result of these dismissals and remains focused on making decisions that will allow the District to continue to provide a high level of educational services to our students while managing the District’s financial needs and resources responsibly.” “It’s pretty stressful because then I have to find something alternative,” Noel said about the ending of CCISD’s pre-K program When KSAT asked whether laid-off CCISD teachers would receive severance or financial assistance through the end of the school year stating it “will not discuss specific personnel matters former employees will be appropriately compensated for the time they worked.” “Two teachers that I talked to told me that they were told by the school board to file for unemployment,” Noel said Noel plans to host the district’s second walkout on Monday in hopes of convincing CCISD to either assist former employees financially or rehire the people laid off BlerDCon an annual convention celebrating Black fandoms of sci-fi Named for a portmanteau of “Black” and “nerd,” BlerDCon aims to entertain and create an inclusive environment for fans of “nerdy or geeky things.” Celebrity guest Janelle Monae is expected to join this year’s convention The convention kicks off this Friday at the Hyatt Regency hotel on 2799 Richmond Highway “Thrilla,” celebrates the horror genre taking inspiration from Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” The convention’s visuals reference imagery from the iconic 1983 music video Other attractions include a “Chocolate Covered Rocky Horror” performance at 7 p.m The convention will also draw a large all-day crowd of food trucks nearby Badges, passes and a schedule of events are available on the convention’s website For convention-goers and drivers’ safety according to a release from the Arlington County Police Department ACPD encourages motorists to remain mindful of the closure this weekend and be alert to increased foot traffic in Crystal City More information from an ACPD news release is available The 2025 Blerdcon Convention will take place from Friday The Arlington County Police Department will conduct the following closure from approximately 8:00 a.m Community members should expect to see an increased police presence in the area and motorists are urged to follow law enforcement direction and remain alert for increased pedestrian traffic Additional closures not mentioned above may be implemented at police discretion in the interest of public safety Motorists should be on the lookout for temporary “No Parking” signs Illegally parked vehicles may be ticketed or towed please use the online portal to find out the status of your vehicle and where it is located If you cannot locate your vehicle or need additional support using the online portal call the County non-emergency number at 703-558-2222 Fire officials and Arlington County Police are searching for a suspected arsonist who set fire to three businesses in Crystal City's nightlife district early Thursday morning (7News) — Fire officials and Arlington County Police are searching for a suspected arsonist who set fire to three businesses in Crystal City's nightlife district early Thursday morning "You're thinking 'Oh it's an accidental electrical fire,’” said Jimmy Madden someone actually intentionally set the fire." That discovery came after the business pulled surveillance video from the bar’s patio when a camera caught someone setting fire to Christmas decorations just inside the front door "We had a small ornamental Christmas tree in this corner,” he said “(They) lit the Christmas tree and the little decorative presents underneath on fire and left the building." Another surveillance video on the same block shows someone setting a second fire at Freddie's Beach Bar "The door is toast,” said Freddie Lutz and it even scorched the roof in the little entryway out there I'm surprised it didn't catch the whole porch on fire." a couple of doors down at McNamara's Pub One of the restaurant workers showed 7News singe marks on the inside of a metal door and charring on the other side where the fire started the Office of the Fire Marshal is asking the community to check surveillance cameras in the area between the hours of 4-6 a.m Thursday to help them find a person of interest and the motive Those are mysteries that Lutz hopes will be solved soon He said his LGBTQ+ bar which has been around for decades received a threatening message just before the fires "We did get a kind of disturbing phone call the night before and the same guy called after this happened,” Lutz said "I just think somebody's very angry about something and I feel like the whole world is going crazy." All three of the fires either fizzled out or were contained by sprinklers Contact the Arlington County Fire Marshals Office if you can help them catch the arsonist before another fire is set A Northern Virginia cafe has opened a new location in Crystal City Java Loco Coffee & Bubble Tea opened Jan is the business’ fifth overall and first in Arlington Long-time local gay bar Freddie’s Beach Bar suffered damage to its front doors after an intentionally-set fire early Thursday morning Freddie’s was among three neighboring businesses on Crystal City’s 23rd Street S. restaurant row that were damaged. The others were another long-time watering hole, Crystal City Sports Pub, as previously reported Freddie’s owner Freddie Lutz spoke about the incident and revealed McNamara’s as the third damaged business in an interview with the Washington Blade Freddie’s received threatening calls from an anonymous caller before and after the fire, according to Lutz. That follows bomb threats last year connected to a family story time event with a drag performer Lutz told the Blade an anti-LGBT motive for the arson is possible, though the other two set fires might make it difficult to prove a hate crime. (The Arlington GOP, for its part, speculated on social media that the Sports Pub being owned by Republicans might have something to do with the incident.) The Arlington County Fire Department confirmed the addresses of the other two businesses damaged Friday afternoon after earlier only identifying the Sports Pub It also released surveillance video (below) showing an unknown person apparently setting the fire in front of Freddie’s “The Office of the Fire Marshal is asking the community for help in identifying a person of interest,” ACFD said in an updated press release “The preliminary investigation conducted by The Office of the Fire Marshal has determined the fire to be incendiary and is asking the community for assistance by checking their Ring cameras between the hours of 4-6 a.m to help identify a person of interest.” “Contact Lieutenant Wandekha Kanthula at 571-357-0769 or [email protected] with information pertaining to fire,” the release continued One won’t need to be a triathlete to take the future pedestrian/bicycle link between Crystal City and Reagan National Airport “It’s going to have a fairly consistent slope as you work your way,” said Kyle Kling, project manager for the county government’s “CC2DCA” trail initiative The elevated bikeway/walkway will connect the relocated Virginia Railway Express (VRE) station in the 2100 block of Crystal Drive to the vicinity of the Reagan National Metro station adjacent to Terminal 2 In the middle will be a on/off ramp connecting to the Mount Vernon Trail The connector ramp to the Mount Vernon Trail also will have a minimal fatigue level — a grade of around 3% — Kling said in a Dec. 9 presentation to the Crystal and Pentagon Cities Council Kling is a staff member with the county government’s Department of Environmental Services His projections of the grade were based on the final route agreed to between all parties most notably the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority The 1,300-foot multi-modal connector will eliminate a bottleneck that has bedeviled residents and policymakers alike since the beginnings of Crystal City in the 1960s While the airport is literally just minutes away above-ground way for those walking or biking to connect to it directly The $58.8 million project aims to change that and also will be helpful as the National Landing area (Crystal City and Pentagon City) works to maintain existing commercial tenants and recruit new ones “We see this as a massive economic-development tool,” said Robert Mandle, who represents the National Landing Business Improvement District (BID) on the council “We get constant feedback about the importance of this bridge,” he said Those representing residential interests on the panel were equally supportive “It’s a very good example of policy planning I continue to be impressed,” said Ben D’Avanzo a representative of the Aurora Highlands Civic Association on the council Among those presumably looking forward to its eventual arrival will be Amazon The state government agreed to help fund the connector route as part of its incentive package luring the company to Arlington in 2018 Current projections call for the 20-foot-wide connector to come online sometime around 2029-30 Next on the near-term agenda is an online survey that will be open Jan an in-person presentation on the project is slated at the Aurora Hills Community Center Funding for the project is coming through a variety of sources — federal Arlington County will have operational and maintenance responsibilities for the span which preliminary estimates suggest could be used by up to 5,000 people per day Those 5,000 will represent different constituencies in the multi-modal universe, noted Michael Dowell, who chairs the Crystal and Pentagon Cities Council Many will be walking to and from the airport while others will be bicyclists on their daily commutes “It can be a little disconcerting” for pedestrians on shared-use paths given the “intensity of our bike commuters,” Dowell noted is that those using Reagan National might opt to be dropped off or picked up on the Crystal City end of the trailway avoiding traffic congestion at the airport but inadvertently contributing to it on Crystal Drive Kling said that while the new connector is not designed to be used for that purpose it may end up doing so — at least to a degree We’d be hard-pressed to say there’s ways to prevent it entirely,” he said adding that efforts would be made to reduce it “as much as possible.” The project is known as “CC2DCA” because it will connect “CC” (Crystal City) to “DCA” (the airport designator for Reagan National). It cleared a major hurdle in late summer, when federal officials said it would not run afoul of any environmental regulations Other parties engaged in the planning process besides the county government and MWAA include VRE CSX and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Thousands are again without power in Pentagon City and Crystal City Nearly 7,400 homes and businesses were in the dark as of 1:30 p.m. The outage extends from Crystal City and Pentagon City to the Aurora Highlands and Foxcroft Heights neighborhoods according to scanner traffic and the power company’s map No definitive cause of the outage is listed Restoration is currently estimated at between 4-7 p.m. Arlington County firefighters were dispatched to several reports of stuck elevators The Pentagon City mall and Costco also reportedly lost power the number of Dominion customers said to be without power was down to around 2,300 This is at least the third major outage affecting the area so far this year. More than 6,000 Dominion customers lost power in Pentagon City and Crystal City in January, and at least 2,400 lost power in the Pentagon City area late last month STATter911 World HQ was down for about 10 minutes or so. We are back up. Don’t know about the mall. https://t.co/yeBMKFra0p — Dave Statter (@STATter911) April 4, 2025 Scattered thunderstorms are expected Monday afternoon and evening. Some may become severe with large hail and high winds. TRACK RADARPolice search for suspect in double shooting that critically injured teen in Crystal City by Tom Roussey (7News) — Arlington County Police said Monday they are still looking for a man who shot two people Saturday night at a Crystal City apartment complex One of the two victims was a teen boy whose injuries left him in critical condition Arlington County Police said both the teenager and an adult man who was also shot are expected to survive The teen was the more seriously injured of the two The shooting happened inside the Crystal Towers Apartments on South Eads Street around 9 p.m Police said a man got into an argument in a hallway of the apartment building then took out a gun and shot the two victims Arlington County Police spokesperson Ashley Savage said so far their investigation has revealed that there was a party expected to take place inside an apartment unit at Crystal Towers that night but investigators don’t think the party had actually started yet when the shooting happened Police said a sizeable group made up mostly of young people had gathered in anticipation of the party 7News saw a group of teens talking with police officers including one young man who was handcuffed Police said that the teen was not charged with anything residents of the area have complained about parties held in units of the complex that are rented using Airbnb and they believe the shooting may have been connected to such a party 7News found at least four listings on Airbnb for units that appeared to be in Crystal Towers Some pictures on the listings matched photos on the Crystal Towers website Arlington County Police said they cannot yet confirm what connection the planned party may have had with the shooting nor whether the party was to take place inside a unit rented on Airbnb or not “We’re still investigating all of these circumstances we’re committed to conducting a comprehensive and thorough investigation So all that will be part of our investigation,” Savage said 7News reached out to both Crystal Towers and the company that oversees it As of early Monday evening neither had responded to our questions A phone number listed for Crystal Towers rang a number of times and then hung up without anyone answering it Is Crystal City getting a grocery store back after the closure of Amazon Fresh and the aborted effort to open a Trader Joe’s An eagle-eyed ARLnow reader walking around the neighborhood before the snow last night noted a new Virginia ABC permit application posted outside the former Amazon Fresh store at 1550 Crystal Drive, which closed in April to offer alcohol for consumption on and off premises was filed by another Amazon company: Whole Foods Market “Hopefully we’re getting something good in the neighborhood!” the anonymous tipster remarked Amazon Fresh opened in July 2022 after a long dearth of grocery stores in Crystal City including a Whole Foods a half mile away at 520 12th Street S. one of Arlington’s most populated neighborhoods lacks its own walkable store for local residents The permit does not 100% indicate whether Whole Foods is indeed opening a grocery store that’s just a 10 minute walk from its Pentagon City location but such an ABC permit in roughly 90-95% of cases does precede the listed establishment opening in a given location There was insufficient time before publication to give Whole Foods an opportunity to comment but ARLnow will be following up with the company There was, at one point, supposed to be a Trader Joe’s on the other side of Crystal City at 2450 Crystal Drive. Despite Virginia ABC and construction permit applications, however, the store never opened and, we’re told A second entrance is on track for the Crystal City Metrorail station along Crystal Drive Arlington County officials and project partners celebrated the start of construction of the Crystal City Metro Station East Entrance with a groundbreaking ceremony on Fri. "Constructing an additional entrance for the Crystal City Metrorail station is an investment in the future of Crystal City and National Landing," said Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey "This project will deliver better transit access and support economic growth for our residents and our region." The east entrance project features a new pavilion at the intersection of Crystal Drive and 18th Street South above-ground station entrance with fare gates and a staff kiosk for passengers seeking assistance A new mezzanine with stairs and elevators will connect to the east end of the platform making it easier for riders to use all available space while waiting for trains The finished entrance will bring Metro and regional and local transportation closer together on Crystal Drive Riders will have faster access to the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) station the future multimodal connection to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport all to be located within a five-minute walk of the new Metrorail entrance VIDEO: Crystal City Metro East Entrance Animated Preview Locally, the new Metro entrance will provide easy access to the expanding bus Transitway on Crystal Drive, which is being extended to the Pentagon City Metro Station The east entrance will also be a short walk from the connection to the Mount Vernon Trail across the street along with improved sidewalks and bike lanes associated with other projects on Crystal Drive and 18th Street South "Crystal City is one of our busiest stations in Virginia with over 5,500 average daily entries," said Randy Clarke "This new station entrance will be an asset to our system and is a great example of the way Metro and the region are working together to grow our economy and connect people to transit." The east entrance project originated in the 2010 Crystal City Sector Plan which set a new vision for the neighborhood as a dense Arlington entered a unique public-private partnership using a Virginia Law known as the Public-Private Education Facilities and Infrastructure Act of 2002 (PPEA) the County received a proposal from East Entrance LLC a joint venture between Clark Construction Group The proposal established a path forward for the design significantly reducing the timeline for County and state procurement processes The County Board accepted the proposal last summer Construction on the station east entrance began last month with expected completion in 2027. Project updates including travel impacts will be posted on the Crystal City East Entrance project webpage sign up for the Crystal City-Pentagon City Transportation Updates email newsletter on the project page Crystal City east entrance rendering - southeast corner Main AddressEllen M. Bozman Government Center2100 Clarendon Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201 View Map View other County government locations Questions? Need help? Contact the County and learn who to call Sign up for Inside Arlington to get updates and information on projects                      by Kathakali Nandi February 20, 2025 - Categories: Hospitality News, Hotels: News, The National Landing Hotel Crystal City in Arlington is ringing in a new chapter under a new name The hotel is undergoing a multi-million-dollar renovation and rebranding and will be rebranded as The National Landing Hotel Formerly known as the Marriott Crystal City at Reagan National Airport the 347-room hotel will debut a refreshed exterior modernized guest rooms and upgraded public spaces The National Landing Hotel will remain open throughout the phased renovations the hotel will join another brand within the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio though the specific brand has yet to be announced “We are thrilled to be part of the reinvigorating development in Crystal City and Arlington and modernize our hotel to exceed the standards of the discerning guest,” said General Manager Ben Joseph and we look forward to all that is to come.” The renovations aim to align with the evolving business and tourism landscape of the National Landing district home to Amazon’s HQ2 and Virginia Tech’s Innovation Campus The updated design will feature a modern aesthetic with locally sourced art and an open layout in the guest rooms The hotel’s color scheme will reflect Arlington’s regional identity and historical significance Dining options will include a European-inspired food and beverage program local craft beers and wines served in a new restaurant and lounge offering scenic views of the area Additional amenities will include a 24/7 fitness center 8,500 square feet of event space equipped with breakout areas and A/V support for business and social gatherings and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport the hotel provides easy access to key business and leisure destinations Old Town Alexandria and the upcoming National Landing Water Park Food Hall You must be logged in to post a comment Get the scoop on the latest news in the hospitality industry Username can contain any letters or numbers A Crystal City eatery is about to start serving Michelin-starred tacos Starting tomorrow (Wednesday) and lasting through Thursday, Dec. 26, Tacombi at 1550 Crystal Drive will offer some items from the menu of Mexico City-based El Califa de León — the first taqueria in the world to earn a Michelin star Four tacos praised in El Califa’s Michelin rating will appear at Tacombi: bistec (beef steak) made with a beef cut resembling tenderloin the gaonera taco is “exceptional.” “There is a reason why El Califa de León has endured for more than half a century,” the guide says The taco pop-up will also feature salsas from El Califa and fresh tortillas prepared on-site The partnership came to be when El Califa’s owner and Tacombi founder Dario Wolos met in Mexico City and considered collaborating “We are honored to partner with El Califa de Leon and share their tradition with our guests across Tacombi,” Wolos said in a press release A launch event will be held Wednesday night in Crystal City to celebrate the collaboration “During the kick-off pop-up on December 11 first-serve customers will get to experience the four tacos from El Califa de Leon’s menu… plus their two famous salsas created and served by Mario himself,” the press release says Tacombi’s Bethesda location is also participating in the partnership starting today Tacombi — which recently garnered some praise from the Mexican ambassador — opened in Crystal City three years ago The restaurant first appeared in New York City in 2010 and now has several locations on the East Coast and in Chicago A property owner in Crystal City is seeking the county’s blessing to add an outdoor beer garden to a vacant building hopes to gain approval from the Arlington County Board to start using two of three outdoor patios constructed — without permits — during the pandemic The previous tenant, longtime Greek restaurant Athena Pallas, closed permanently in 2022 without ever getting official approval for the patios built in what were previously parking spaces we built [temporary outdoor seating areas] to try to keep all those restaurants there alive,” Voutsas said “Athena Pallas never actually applied for their permits for the TOSAs so we’re just trying to keep those TOSAs for the beer garden going there.” Scapegoat would only use two of the three patios The third would be reserved for the adjacent Enjera Ethiopian Restaurant Because construction of the patios left the property’s parking lot out of compliance with county zoning rules a proposed site plan amendment requires Scapegoat to restripe its parking lot modify a pinch-point lane and add one compact parking space The final lot would include a total of 16 approved parking spaces and an additional eight spaces which are not up to county standards but would remain available but some nearby residents expressed concerns at the potential for increased “noise In order to mitigate some of these “potential negative effects,” the county and restaurant agreed upon several proposed permit conditions These conditions — similar to those applied at other outdoor cafes and rooftop dining areas in Arlington — include limiting business hours to 9 a.m.-11 p.m. prohibiting live entertainment outside and keeping all points of sale inside the restaurant the permit will be up for County Board review within a year to assess its effectiveness County staff noted ongoing efforts to support businesses while “the nature of retail is changing significantly.” “Encouraging a successful restaurant sector is important for creating active street life and creating strong mixed-use neighborhoods,” the report says Pending county approval, the beer garden hopes to open later this year. Kendrick Wu, whose resume includes Malaysian bar Thirsty Crow in D.C. “We’re hoping for a summer opening,” Voutsas said we’ve got crews on standby just waiting to get after it.” Wu was unavailable to speak with ARLnow before publication A Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been issued until midnight on Tuesday (7News) — BlerDCon 2025 officially kicks off Friday and runs through Sunday at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City at Reagan National Airport in Arlington The convention celebrates "Black nerd culture" and is held for fans of "comic books and more," according to Blerdcon organizers "BlerDCon celebrates our connection with LGBTQ and the international community!" Blerdcon organizers said "All are welcome to partake in the experience as we are an open community who love all the same nerddom." RELATED |WATCH: Blerdcon brings celebration of Black nerd culture to DMV This year's "Thrilla" theme is inspired by Michael Jackson's song "Thriller," and will draw on visuals from the song's 1983 music video Headlining guests include Janelle Monáe, Chuck Lightning and Chad Weatherford. Fans can expect a variety of events and attractions Badges to the convention and more information can be found on the Blerdcon website CRYSTAL CITY Texas – A school district once had students required to pay $1 to receive a new hallway pass if it was lost located about two hours southwest of San Antonio only give one paper hallway pass each month to students The pass allows students to leave the classroom for restroom breaks or other reasons requiring them to exit during class time The paper hall passes only allows students to walk through the hallway to a destination twice per day with each day of the calendar month which parents shared they were unaware of regarding students needing to pay $1 to get a replacement hall pass if they lost theirs Crystal City ISD sent KSAT the following statement regarding the situation: “The Crystal City Independent School District is unable to comment on any particular student due to federal privacy laws the District can confirm that no student has ever been denied the ability to use the restroom facilities the Sterling Fly Junior High campus has 7 class transition times during the day and each transition time is about 4 minutes Students can go to the restroom during that time the Junior High Campus has a practice of issuing hall passes to students at the beginning of every month The hall pass practice was instituted by the campus administration for safety and security purposes and to control student traffic in the halls during class time The District will continue to ensure that all students are always taught in a safe and nurturing learning environment.” Facebook comments questioned the policy’s legality and the potential need for students to feel like they have to disclose medical issues Another parent commented that her daughter’s hall pass was washed in the washing machine and that she needed a dollar to get the replacement According to a parent who made the initial post the Sterling Fly Junior High principal decided on Thursday morning in a meeting with a parent that the school would transition to electronic hall passes for restroom use KSAT requested information from the district regarding where the money goes and why the policy was changed on Thursday A rumor has gone around that this policy was adapted based on a San Antonio ISD policy and we do not limit the number of times a student can go to the restroom do not issue hall passes for the first and last 15 minutes of class.” Copyright 2024 by KSAT - All rights reserved The restaurant and bakery Mah-Ze-Dahr has closed in Crystal City after three and a half years The New York City-based cafe, which opened in June 2021 shuttered at 1550 Crystal Drive last Thursday It was the bakery’s last location in the D.C Property owner JBG Smith declined to comment Knead Hospitality + Design did not respond to requests for comment Developer JBG Smith will redevelop two Crystal City buildings as apartments and a hotel under Arlington County Virginia’s new building conversions incentives program JBG Smith is the largest landlord in Crystal City and the broader National Landing area including new construction and several aging buildings that are in need of redevelopment Flagged for conversion are 2100 Crystal Drive 250,000 square-foot building constructed in 1968 and most recently leased by Amazon for temporary offices during the construction of the first phase of its HQ2 campus It will be redeveloped as a 330 room hotel 315,000 square-foot office building also constructed in 1968 will be converted into a condo or apartment building with 200 units In November, Arlington County approved an Adaptive Reuse Amendment to its zoning ordinance which dramatically speeds up the approval process for adaptive reuse projects and provides developers with incentives for such conversion projects JBG Smith did not disclose incentives the Crystal Drive projects will be eligible for and it did not provide a timeline for when redevelopment of the buildings would begin Arlington County’s push to redevelop aging buildings is in response to rising office vacancy rates and falling values “This is about positioning Arlington for long-term economic resilience we’re turning a challenge into an opportunity creating spaces that work for today’s workforce and future generations,” said Ryan Touhill director of Arlington Economic Development Arlington County’s commercial office market currently has more than 10.7 million square feet of vacant space and an oversupply of outdated office inventory In addition to its portfolio of office buildings in National Landing JBG Smith also controls development rights to Potomac Yard where the first phase of Virginia Tech’s $1 billion Innovation Campus opens in January About 75% of JBG Smith’s buildings and developable real estate are in the National Landing submarket and 98% of the company’s 13.1 million square feet of residential retail and office space is within walking distance of a Metro station The company currently has more than 9.3 million square feet of new projects in its pipeline most of which are condo and apartment projects Show Breaking News BarCloseLocal NewsAvery Meurer Crystal City TEXAS – Crystal City ISD is issuing a delayed start to their school day from Jan the school district let staff and students know their winter weather update on Monday afternoon The statement said staff will need to report at 8:00 a.m. while students will report to school at 9:00 a.m Staff and students will be allowed to dress warmly throughout the week This may be due to their dress code, which, as of the 2023-2024 academic year trench coats or duster jackets unless for a medically documented reason Crystal City ISD said their vehicles would also be driving around for any student who needs a ride The district’s statement can be read below: Avery Meurer is a Content Gatherer for KSAT 12 She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science in Communications/Radio Avery attended the Northeast School of the Arts (NESA) majoring in musical theater and creative writing