The Arlington Rap

Sorry, we're pretty much on long-term hiatus with this blog, right now, but if anything ever deserved a post, this is it ...

Arlington - the Hot Place for Political Food

In case you didn't see the news, President Obama and VP Biden lunched today at Arlington's own Ray's Hellburger.

Check out actual video here.

And this past weekend, a group of Republicans held an event at Pie-Tanza.

I guess Arlington is now the place to eat for the DC elite.

National Monopoly Tournament

The National Monopoly Tournament is being held in Arlington this week ... seriously, check this out.

National Monopoly Tournament? I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

New Bar Rumored to Open in Courthouse on Friday

Quick heads up that my spies tell me Velocity Five is opening up on Friday. Eagle-eyed What's Up Arlington readers will remember it's going in at the spot formerly occupied by King Street Blues.

Note to Velocity Five - the Green Lantern called, he wants his logo back.

Recession Hits Sugar Daddies, Gold-Diggers Hardest

I still can't figure out if this article is satirical or genuine -- and by "genuine" I mean genuinely and completely out-of-touch.

This line sums it up: "In the end, he said, a loving relationship should be able to thrive without the rib-eye steak and Moet."

Wow. I guess love really can conquer all.

Arlington's Best Bars

According to Washingtonian Magazine ...

In no particular order.

Drumroll please ...

Eatbar

Liberty Tavern

Guarapo

Carpool

Galaxy Hut

Thoughts?

Follow County Board Meetings on Twitter

Arlington Young Democrats have started Twittering this year's County Board meetings. You can track the Tweets here. You can also watch meetings online at the County Board website.

Arlington Republicans have also joined Twitter, you can follow their feed here.

Rhodeside Grill and il Radicchios to close?

Guest Post by Arlington Local:

Rumors continue to swirl regarding il Radicchios and Rhodeside Grill being demolished to make way for the expansion of The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) headquarters.

This isn’t in the least surprising for Arlingtonians, as another local restaurant and a bar stand in the way of a developers’ plan.

I gave il Radicchio a call to find out when they would close up shop. The waiter gave a quick and scripted response—stating that there are no plans to demolish the restaurant, known for its authentic Italian cuisine and endless pasta bowls. He then scaled back his response and said that they should be “safe through December 2009”. It seems like the details of the demolition are still being finalized.

While they aren’t the most aesthetically pleasing buildings-- the character, friendly service, and great food are worth taking advantage of while we still can.

How Much Would You Pay for Parking in Clarendon?

The Arlington Sun Gazette's Scott McCaffrey recently took aim at a proposal to charge for parking after 6pm and on weekends in the Arlington County garage in Clarendon at 3033 Wilson Blvd (entrance on Highland Street):

THUMBS DOWN: To one of the dumber proposals being considered by county officials to help solve their budget shortfall.

Board members this weekend will be asked to advertise for public hearing a proposal to start charging residents $3 to park on nights and weekends at the Department of Human Services garage on Wilson Boulevard. Parking is now free, and keeping it that way will encourage patronage of Clarendon venues as well as keep vehicles off neighborhood streets.

This proposal is a nickel-and-dime approach to governance that is beneath Arlington’s leaders to propose, let alone enact. County Board members can make quick work of this wrongheaded proposal by simply refusing to advertise it for a hearing.

There are certainly drawbacks to the proposal. But considering these fees would be on the low end of current parking fees in Clarendon, Scott's rhetoric is a little over the top. Would any husband really turn to his wife and say, "Honey, I was going to take you to Restaurant 3 for our anniversary tonight, but it's $3 for parking now, so we're having Hungry Man TV dinners instead. Hope you like salisbury steak."

The current subsidized free parking also incentivizes driving over Metro, biking or walking. Why make the effort and pay at least $1.35 to Metro to Clarendon when parking's plentiful and free?

What do you think? Would a $3 fee be a reasonable considering the county's $35 million budget gap? Or is it a "nickel-and-dime approach," as Scott suggests, and the deficit could be better made up through general tax increases?