Do You Know the Way for a Slippery Day?

A quick tip for Buckingham and Ballston residents who need to walk to Metro on icy days like this. There's a covered walkway that goes all the way from Glebe Road to Fairfax Drive.

Just enter the Ballston Common Mall and go to the second floor. Go through the tunnel over Wilson Blvd and follow the walkway through the office building, then through another tunnel over 9th St N. The walkways will continue past more offices, then you'll take the escalator down and walk another few steps to the entrance to the Ballston Metro.

It's only a couple of blocks, but on a slippery day like today, it's a lifesaver. Or at least, a coccyx-saver.

A Breath of Fresh Air in Ballston

The list of nightspots in Clarendon that are smoke-free (or have a dedicated smoke-free bar) keeps growing: Clarendon Grill, Eleventh, Liberty Tavern, Tallula's EatBar.

By contrast, until recently, the list in Ballston has been short. In fact ... nonexistent.

While Ballston has some smoke-free restaurants like Pinzimini, Sangam, Ted's Montana Grill and Willow, there's been nowhere I'd go for a drink on a Saturday night. (As always, if I'm missing a place, feel free to correct me in comments.)

As someone who lives near Ballston, it's especially frustrating for two reasons:

• Bailey's, Front Page and Rock Bottom are all already set up with two separate bars. Why not make one smoke-free? Front Page and Rock Bottom even have outdoor patios they could reserve for smokers. Pretty ridiculous that they refuse to make any accomodation whatsoever for the 75 percent of us who are non-smokers.
  
  
• An unusually cold autumn. Do I bundle up and walk an extra 20 minutes in the bitter cold to Clarendon? Or put up with the smoke in Ballston?

Fortunately, I have a new option with the opening of Union Jack's in the Ballston Common Mall in the space formerly occupied by Romano's Macaroni Grill. I stopped by for the first time this week not knowing it was smoke-free and noticed it still had that new restaurant smell.

Sure enough, I got an email the very next morning from Union Jack's responding to an email I'd sent a few weeks back saying that yes, they are totally smoke-free!

To find more smoke-free establishments near you, check out FitArlington's Smoke-Free Restaurants Guide. (One warning -- some restaurants are listed in the guide even if they allow smoking at the bar.)

Happy Hours Are Always For A Good Cause

... but this one could have a big impact in the struggle to find a cure for Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis.

Come out this Thursday night to Front Page in Ballston to have a good time and support the cause. This fundraiser was organized by Lisa Dorsey, an active CRM member who is living with Crohn's Disease and training for a half marathon through the Team Challenge. To learn more about Team Challenge please go to Lisa's Blog.

How you can help you ask?
Attend the Happy Hour and do either or all of the following:

* Purchase a wrist band: $10 for the wrist band gets you 2 free raffle tickets and drink specials from 5pm to 9pm. All of the $10 will go straight to CCFA!

- $2 Miller Lite Bottles
- $3 Corona Bottles
- $3 SoCo and Lime Shots
- Half price bottles of wine
- Half price appetizers

* Purchase raffle tickets: $2 per ticket
I will be raffling off various prizes throughout the evening so the sooner you get there the greater your chances are of winning something. Some Prizes include:

- $100 GC to Sette Bello in Clarendon
- $ 75 GC to Harry's Tap Room in Arlington
- $50 GC to Hard Times Cafe
- $35 GC to Crystal City Sports Pub
- Several Free Manicures to Mystique Nails in Falls Church

All entry fee and ticket raffle proceeds go directly to CCFA.

How I Know Fall is Here

Some people know fall is here when the leaves change colors.

I know fall is here when it's too cold for Carpool to have the garage doors open:

Carpool's fun in the summer when there's a nice breeze blowing. But when the doors come down, it's a little too smoky to be enjoyable.

Oh well. I'm off to my walking-distance bar scene winter retreat -- the smoke-free places in Clarendon.

What's the next hot neighborhood?

Washington Business Journal recently published an article titled "The hunt for the next hot spots" in which Richard Florida identifies trends in DC area development. He highlights Arlington as a place that 20 years ago no one would have predicted as a popular place for young professionals to want to live.

Ballston and Clarendon are highlighted as trendy urban neighborhoods that came as a surprise to demographers.

According to the article, 77% of Gen Y-ers (or Millennials) plan to live in an urban core. This is a dramatic departure from the suburban ideal that was embraced by our parents. Another interesting trend is the end of "White Flight" which had a major effect on housing trends of our parents generation. DC has seen an increase in the white population since 2000.

So what is the future hot spot? In Arlington, this article points to Shirlington and Columbia Pike as examples of areas that are benefiting from an increase in transit options and development.

What do you think?

Watering the Pavement

Seen at the corner of Wilson Blvd. and Randolph St. last Wednesday morning while walking to the Ballston Metro:That's not a power-washing -- the water's dribbling out of the hose. As you can see with the two bits of junk to the right of the planter in the foreground, it didn't clear stuff off the sidewalk. The worker watered the sidewalk all the way around the building -- with some quick-and-dirty math, roughly 6,000 square feet of sidewalk.

It's a waste of water, sure. But really, my critique here is an economic one, not an environmental one. Is it really worth paying someone to spend an hour doing this every morning? Or any morning?

Cross-posted from The Green Miles

New Staples Coming to Virginia Square

Was on my way to work a couple of weeks back when I saw this at Wilson Boulevard & Oakland Street ...

OK, so as usual my cell phone camera sucks, but the red sign says "Staples Coming Soon." That strip used to be home to a doggy daycare, dance school, and flower shop. I'm assuming this Staples will replace the one in Ballston as development continues at the former Bob Peck site.

When taken in the larger context of the new tennis shop going in at Wilson & Pollard and the new stores going in at "Liberty Plaza" on Wilson across from the Metro bus lot, the new Staples is a sign of progress. Right now, there are virtually no retail storefronts on Wilson all the way from the Ballston Common Mall to Lincoln Street the east end of Virginia Square -- a full seven blocks of blankness.

I wonder if the new Staples will come with an upgraded sidewalk. That stretch is one of the last narrow sidewalks left on a major road in Arlington. It's so narrow that if you're walking with a friend and someone's coming the other way, you have to go single file to let them pass.

And when buses and trucks fly by at 40 miles an hour just a couple of feet away from your head ... well, who needs King's Dominion? They should have a camera set up that snaps your picture at that instant like they do on rollercoasters.

Saturday: CRM Headstart Spring Cleanup

Here's a CRM volunteer opportunity coming up this Saturday in Ballston:

Headstart Spring Cleanup
Saturday, April 19th, 10am-1pm
601 Vermont Street

Help CRM spruce up Northern Virginia Family Service's Arlington Early Headstart Child Development Center! We will help clean several classrooms, the playground and a small shed. Playground cleanup will involve general yard work tasks and the shed cleanup will entail some lifting and carrying of small furniture.

The mission of Northern Virginia Family Service is to empower individuals and families to improve their quality of life, and to promote community cooperation and support in responding to family needs. Northern Virginia Family Service was established by volunteers in 1924 to help people in need. Today, it is a private, non-profit organization staffed by professionals trained in counseling, social work and community outreach. Northern Virginia Family Service is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Services for Families and Children and is a member of the Alliance for Children and Families.

Sign up at the CRM website!

Monday: Community Forum on Accessory Dwelling Proposal

Check out this event on Monday:

Community Forum: Housing Commission’s Accessory Dwelling Proposal

When: 7:00 - 9:30 p.m., Monday, March 31, 2008 Where: Arlington Central Library Auditorium, 1015 North Quincy Street (nearest Metro: Ballston, very limited on-site parking) You will have the opportunity to:

• Hear a presentation describing key elements of the proposal
• Ask questions about the proposal or what’s legal now
• Share your thoughts on what the County Manager should recommend to the County Board

Here are links to the Commission’s Accessory Dwelling Report which was submitted to the County Board in January. It recommends that the County Board amend the Zoning Ordinance to permit Accessory Dwellings.

• Executive Summary of the Report
• Accessory Dwelling Report
  

For more information, email Fran Lunney.

Accommodations: To request assistance for persons with limited English proficiency or hearing impairments, please telephone the Arlington County Housing Division at 703.228.3760 as soon as possible (TTY 703.228.4611). Central Library is accessible to people with disabilities.

So what are accessory dwellings? The Arlington Connection explains:

"Houses can sometimes renovate their basements to turn them into a living area," [Tejada] said in an interview. "Because of the cost of land these days, this is a way of creating housing."

TEJADA’S proposal dealt with accessory dwelling units. An accessory dwelling unit is a part of a home with its own kitchen and bathroom that could be rented out to a private party. They can be located in a basement, an attic, a garage, a second floor or in a free-standing structure such as a guest house.

Currently, renting out an accessory dwelling unit is not legal in Arlington unless it is rented to a family member. In his first speech as chairman on Jan. 1, Tejada described accessory dwelling units as "a new form of affordability in Arlington" and said that the law should be changed to permit them to be rented to private parties.

A similar change to allow for this was proposed in the early 1980’s but was killed after neighborhood representatives raised concerns about crowding issues. Now, with Arlington facing inflated land prices and a housing shortage, the idea has been resurrected by local officials.

THE COUNTY’S Housing Commission has been investigating this issue for several years and recently issued a report that recommended changing the housing laws to allow for the renting of accessory dwelling units.

The report said that allowing homeowners to rent out parts of their houses would not only increase affordable housing in Arlington but would also give the county’s elders the ability to "age in place through added income or space for caregivers."

Take Back the Park and Raise That Glass

Arlington Community Role Models has two environmental events planned in the coming weeks!

First, there's Take Back the Park, an invasive plant removal planned for Saturday, March 22nd from 2-4pm at Potomac Overlook Regional Park with a happy hour to follow at King Street Blues in Courthouse. I say "planned" because it's already been postponed once due to bad weather. Stupid March, always coming in like a lion! But with any luck, it'll be going out like a lamb and we'll get a nice day for it. There are a few volunteer slots left, you can sign up at the CRM website!

Then on Tuesday, April 1st, CRM will host our Monthly Meetup at Pinzimini in Ballston (in the Westin at the corner of Glebe and Wilson). You can RSVP at the CRM website or at the Facebook event page!

One odd thing about the CRM Monthly Meetups -- girls are heavily outnumbering the guys. Right now, RSVPs at the Facebook event page for the April Meetup are running two-to-one female. Wouldn't you think the guys would tell their buddies and more men would start coming? Or is it the opposite -- guys aren't telling their buddies in hopes of keeping the ratio the same?

Major Makeover Planned for Former Bob Peck Site

One of the least pedestrian-friendly locations remaining in Ballston is about to get a makeover:

ARLINGTON, Va.– The Arlington County Board today approved a mixed-use project for the last unplanned redevelopment site in the Ballston Metro station area. The project will replace the former Bob Peck car dealership with office buildings, affordable apartments, townhouses and retail space.

Located at Glebe Road and Wilson Boulevard, the project will include two office buildings, incorporating more than 400,000 square feet of office space and 36,000 square feet of retail space; 90 units of affordable housing, and 28 town homes.

Not only that, the development will be environmentally friendly:

The two office buildings are proposed to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. The 10-story office building at the corner of Glebe Road and Wilson Boulevard (Office Building A) will include 282,989 square feet of office space and 26,292 square feet of ground floor retail space. It is proposed to achieve Gold LEED certification. The seven-story office building, mid-block along Glebe Road (Office Building B) will include 132,827 square feet of office space and 9,949 square feet of ground floor retail. It is proposed to achieve silver LEED certification. A 6,600 square foot public plaza will be built south of this building.

While the former Bob Peck Chevrolet dealership was a good neighbor, there's no reason to waste prime street space near a Metro station on a car lot. The adjacent Staples is also a relic of Ballston's pre-walkable days. Ever notice how it doesn't even have a path from the sidewalk to the door? Or have windows that face the street?

So can I put in a request now for the new building? Can it have a smoke-free bar that serves organic beer? Is that so much to ask?

Mini Golf in Ballston?

As reported in the Buckingham Triblog, Arlington is considering putting in a mini-golf course outside the Ballston Commons Mall parking garage on N. Glebe Road at the intersection of N. Randolph Street.

Personally, I'm kind of like the idea - kind of not. Putt putt is fun and all - about once a year and combined with another activity. It's like the beach. I don't know why but putt putt just fits at the beach. But, I do like it, and it would be something else to do in an already very cool place.

What do you think?

Saturday: Ballston Beaver Pond Cleanup

If you’re looking for a way to enjoy the outdoors on a summer evening, stop by the Ballston Beaver Pond this Saturday July 28th from 5-7pm! Volunteers from Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment and Arlington County’s Community Role Models program will be cleaning the pond not just from the shore, but also from the pond itself.

ACE has arranged for two boats to be at the cleanup so some of the more intrepid volunteers can get out on the water and remove some of the ordinarily-inaccessible trash polluting the pond. Once the cleanup is finished, volunteers will celebrate a job well done at Bailey’s in the Ballston Common Mall, which is generously providing free food.

Meet at the Beaver Pond on Saturday at 5pm. It's adjacent to the end of the Fairfax Drive I-66 on-ramp. We'll gather at the observation deck overlooking the pond.

Sign up here! And if you're wondering if there are really beavers in the pond, the answer is here.

Thursday: Get New Details on Ballston Mini-Golf Plans

Big Ballston news from Steve over at the Buckingham Herald Trib:

A miniature golf course planned for the park at the corner of N. Glebe Road and N. Randolph Street, adjacent to the Ballston Common Mall parking garage, will be shown at this month’s Arlington County Sports Commission meeting Thursday, June 28, 7:00 p.m. at the Langston-Brown Community Center located at 2121 N. Culpepper Street.

Here's the Sports Commission's website, but it doesn't show any way to see the plans, contact commission members or register your opinion without actually showing up to the meeting.

I snapped the above photo of the proposed mini-golf site on my way home from dinner last night at Sangam, which I didn't realize has won the Taste of Arlington Grand Prize two years running! Congrats to Sangam.

Saturday: Opening Day of 2007 Ballston Arts and Crafts Market

Got this from Kristina at the Ballston-Virginia Square Partnership:

The Ballston-Virginia Square Partnership is pleased to announce plans for the opening day of the 2007 Ballston Arts + Crafts Market on Saturday, June 9th, 2007 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The Ballston Arts + Crafts Market runs Second Saturdays from June to October in Welburn Square, at 9th and N. Stuart Streets, across from the Ballston Metro station. It is conveniently located near the Ballston Common Mall, the Ellipse Arts Center, and a wide array of restaurants, cafes, shops and condominiums. In its three years of operation, the juried Market has gained a reputation for quality works at affordable prices.

This fourth year of the market will prove to be the best yet with more vendors than ever, a variety of musical performances, and a campaign to make Ballston a destination point for visitors from surrounding areas.

The market's opening day line-up includes 30+ vendors with a wide range of traditional and not-so-traditional handmade goods. Visitors this year can expect to see familiar work by long-time exhibitors such as Nancy Sween pottery and the award winning photography by Steve Miller, but will also be surprised by a new array of edgy artists from Washington, DC, Baltimore and beyond such as the DC Craft Mafia, Squidfire and Toxic Shock Printing. Shoppers can expect to find artwork, functional pieces for their homes, affordable gifts for friends and loved ones and a new array of "indie" designer clothing and accessories.

To round out the event, market visitors will be treated to free live music between noon and 3pm. On opening day the market will host two-DC based bands: Omegaband and the Lucky Bastards - both touting an impressive fan base and funky ska-influenced sound. ( http://www.myspace.com/omegaband / http://www.myspace.com/luckybastards )

As an added feature this year, the market has approached local businesses and asked them to donate coupons and gifts for goody bags that will be distributed to the first 100 people who visit Ballston-Virginia Square Partnership booth. On opening day our bags will feature coupons for special deals at nearby restaurants such as Willow and I Love Thai as well as gifts and discounts to other nearby businesses and shops.

All of these elements add up to a huge day of fun in the center of Ballston, VA - making it THE destination for both Local and DC-area residents on Saturday, June 9th!

For a more details including the complete roster of vendors, bands, supporting business and market sponsors visit our blog at: www.ballstonarts-craftsmarket.blogspot.com

Hope to see you there!

Sunday in Ballston: Taste of Arlington

The annual Taste of Arlington event takes place in Ballston this Sunday on Wilson Boulevard in front of Ballston Common Mall! There are at least 30 restaurants participating, including some of my favorites like Carlyle and Tallula.

You can buy six "tastes" online for $21 ($20 plus a $1 service fee), but online sales end May 17th. After that, you can buy six tastes at the event for $25.

Taste of Arlington benefits Community Residences, a leading non-profit provider of programs and services for individuals with mental retardation, mental illness, developmental and physical disabilities, as well as the homeless. Community Residences operates over 40 programs in Virginia and Maryland serving over 1,200 individuals each year, with 28 programs right here in Arlington.

After the Taste, Community Role Models will be hosting an after party for volunteers at Front Page. Details and signup are at the CRM website. If you're interested in learning more about CRM and meeting the people involved, stop by!

Review: CRM's Wake Up from Winter

One volunteer sent in a review of Wednesday's "Wake Up from Winter" event, organized by Arlington County's Community Role Models program at Bailey's in the Ballston Mall:

CRM hosted a happy hour on Wednesday night at Bailey's which turned out to be a great event that brought a number of young people out to meet each other and find out more about the group. The 20 or so people who made it to the event took part in free pool and appetizers (provided by Bailey's) while learning more from current members. Several other Bailey's customers were interested in the event which provided a great opportunity to spread the word.

I think my experience at the happy hour was typical in that I am a casual member of CRM and I found out which CRM events were coming up. I also invited some volunteer-oriented friends who did not know that the group even existed. They were particularly interested in CRM's youth-mentorship activities such as their July Jam basketball tournament last year. This type of warm-up event is great for introducing your friends to CRM for people who don't already know someone who volunteers with CRM as this is a casual way to meet other members before the actual volunteer events.

If you attend an event you saw on What's Up Arlington, please send us a review and we may post it here!

CAPS practice?

Yesterday, after checking out the CAPS schedule online the day before, I headed over to the Kettler Capitals IcePlex in Ballston to check out their practice - free and open to the public.

Except when I got there, no one was on the ice. So, I asked the nice person at the desk and she said that practice had been cancelled that day. I suspect that had something to do with their massive collapse against the evil Penguins the night before - I don't know, just my speculation. So, I dropped my head and left.

So, that to say, two things:

1)CAPS practices are free and open to the public at Kettler Capitals IcePlex in Ballston. You can view the schedule online -times are usually around lunch so it makes a good lunch break.

2) Before heading over there, you might want call the facility first or check the website again.

All together now ... "C-A-P-S CAPS, CAPS, CAPS"

Kettler Capitals IcePlex Open

The Kettler Capitals Ice Plex in Ballston is now open, and the public skate sessions are available. It looks like the best times for public skate are as follows:

Monday, 6:15 PM - 7:45 PM

Tuesday, 5:15 PM - 6:30 PM

Wednesday, 7:45 PM - 9:00 PM (adult skate)

Friday, 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM

Saturday, 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Saturday, 6:45 PM - 8:15 PM

Sunday, 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

These aren't the only public skate times, just looks like the best ones to me. Public skate is $7 plus $3 for skate rentals. Groups of 10 or more get in for $6 which includes skate rental

I went up there the other day to check it out, and it very very nice. I'm excited to actually go skating there. I'm not a great skater, but I can get around the ice.

Oh, and I had no idea high school hockey players were so big! I guess the skates help, but there were some big guys out there when I checked it out.

See you in the ice!

P.S. - I shoud probably put a real picture up here - but I like the turtle. He cracks me up :-)