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Arlington Connection ❖ Newconers & Community Guide 2015-16 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com online at www.connectionnewspapers.comLocal Media Connection LLC

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The

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The

ConnectionArlingtonArlington

David crosses the rotating monkey barsat Bluemont Park. The large, enclosed,playground features play structures forboth younger and older children.

Newcomers &

Community Guide

Newcomers &

Community Guide2015-2016

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As your local, weekly newspaper,the Connection’s mission is todeliver the local news you need,to try to make sense of what is

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About the ConnectionNewcomers & Community Guide

The Capital Bikeshare programoffers annual, 30-day or day keymemberships available online. Thebikes are available at a number ofsolar-powered stations around themetropolitan area. This stationlocated at the Central Library is 10minutes from the County Court-house.

The Arlington Post Office locatedat 3118 Washington Blvd., wasbuilt in 1937 as the first federalbuilding constructed in the county.Lobby murals depict scenes aboutArlington history and today thebuilding is a designated ArlingtonCounty landmark and listed on theNational Register of Historicplaces.

Columbia Pike stretches for morethan three miles across Arlingtonfrom Arlington Cemetery in theeast to Arlington’s western borderwith Fairfax County. It is the busi-est bus transit corridor in Virginia.It reflects Arlington’s diversitywith a blend of housing, localshops and a large variety of ethnicrestaurants.

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Arlington Connection ❖ Newconers & Community Guide 2015-16 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Newcomers & Community Guide

By Vernon Miles

The Connection

Despite the colorful banners andlively street life, Crystal City’sa shell of its former economicpowerhouse. While Arlington

overall faces a high office vacancy of 20percent, at 28.7 percent, Crystal City is hitthe worst. But in the middle of this devas-tation, something new has sprung up. Crys-tal City is becoming the leading face ofArlington’s more youth-oriented shift.Young professionals are moving into theneighborhood to commute to jobs in D.C.,

and the county is be-ginning to recognize,even rely on, this de-mographic as the fu-ture of the neighbor-

hood.“Crystal City is also undergoing reinven-

tion and transition,” said Alex Iams, assis-tant director of Arlington Economic Devel-opment. “This area was most impacted byBRAC, which took 13,000 jobs.”

According to Iams, Crystal City faces theadded difficulty that many of these formergovernment or contractor offices are unsuit-able for newer tenants. While Crystal Cityhas seen the addition of new tech compa-nies, like 1776 and Eastern Foundry, it hashardly put a dent in the office vacancy num-bers, which continue to rise.

“With the rise of teleworking, big officespaces aren’t as necessary as they oncewere,” said Iams. “You can feel that transi-tion most acutely in Crystal City. [Thecounty is] working on transitioning officebuildings to other spaces, including residen-tial.”

According to Iams, the new residences,some in converted office space, is part ofwhat’s bringing younger populations to thearea.

“Crystal City is also good landing spot forpeople who are new to the area because ofit’s access to transportation amenities,” saidIams. “It’s an easy commute into D.C., it’sright next to the airport. The new stores in

adjacent Pentagon City will be [a majorsource of] employment.”

At 23, Jesse Fonkert stands out from mostof Arlington’s Civic Association leadership.Fonkert is the membership liaison for theCrystal City Civic Association, and in manyways is emblematic of the changes happen-ing in the neighborhood. Fonkert moved toCrystal City in January from rural SouthDakota. He said that he and his girlfriendwere looking for a safe place for their firstreal urban experience, but close enough tothe city for his job working in the Federalgovernment. It didn’t hurt that Virginia gen-erally has lower taxes than D.C. or Mary-land. Fonkert also appreciated that CrystalCity was equidistant from D.C. and OldTown Alexandria.

Fonkert is quickly learning that CrystalCity is very different from South Dakota.At the same time, the two areas share sur-prising similarities. Back in South Dakota,Fonkert said that everyone in an area getsto know each other through years of livingtogether. In Crystal City, most residents arerenters who typically stay for a year or two.But Fonkert also noted that there’s a cer-tain level of community in that.

Fonkert praised the Crystal City BusinessImprovement DIstrict for its efforts in mak-ing these temporary residents feel at home.His personal favorite event is the “Brew,Blues, and Barks,” a dog-friendly event withbeer and live music hosted every Wednes-day in June.

But Fonkert says Crystal City faces itsshare of challenges. The majority of com-plaints center around the area’s transpor-tation. Fonkert says the local streets can beextremely confusing and progress on roadconstruction seems almost non-existent.Instead of addressing these issues, Fonkertsays the county focuses more on addingmore bus transit and forcing Crystal City tobecome more connected with the rest ofArlington.

“Honestly, most of us just use the metroto get into D.C.,” said Fonkert, “We don’tuse the buses to get around Arlington.”

Fonkert said Crystal City’s coolest feature

is the tunnels that run under the neighbor-hood. The pedestrian tunnels run under-neath the entire neighborhood and connectto both the metro and many of the store-fronts. Fonkert said the tunnels are a relieffrom both freezing temperatures and heatwaves. Fonkert also recommended mostnewcomers to Crystal City visit the ethnicrestaurants and other entertainment ven-ues on 23rd Street.

“There’s something there for everyone,”Fonkert said, in particular referencing hislove of “Kabob Palace”, calling it the bestkabobs in all of Arlington.

With it’s millennial-oriented lifestyle andgreater-D.C. area access, Fonkert says hethinks he made the right decision aboutwhere to move.

“For newcomers to the area,” saidFonkert, “Crystal City is a great place tostart.”

The BallstonTightrope

After losing one of its largest economicdrivers, business and county leadership re-main optimistic about the neighborhood’schances of recovery. Many of these hopespin on the impending transformation of theBallston Common Mall.

“Ballston is predicated on balance be-tween commercial and residential,” saidIams. “It has a stability and a diversity ofuses that give it a balance.”

For Tina Leone, the CEO of the BallstonBusiness Improvement District, that balanceis the result of careful planning for decades.

“Ballston is a 50-50 mix of residential andcommercial,” said Leone. “It’s the commu-nity Arlington has been trying to achievesince it created the sector plan in 1980.”

But according to Leone, it’s time to givethat sector plan a review. There have beensubstantial changes in Ballston over recentyears, like the April demolition of the “BlueGoose” building at the corner of FairfaxDrive and N. Glebe Road. The building willbe replaced by a nine-story office building

and a 15-story residential building. One ofthe biggest hits Ballston has suffered,though, is the loss of the National ScienceFoundation (NSF). With the departure ofthe NSF to a new home in Alexandria,Ballston will not only be losing 2,400 em-ployees, but over 200,000 visitors to the siteevery year. Construction continues at thenew headquarters in Alexandria, and theNSF is expected to move into its new homein 2017.

“We’ve got that vacancy to absorb,” saidLeone. “In Ballston, the strategy needs tobe not chasing after [government] tenantsbut focus on a commercial base. Thesespaces aren’t being backfilled with moregovernment tenants, it’s more private com-panies.”

After the NSF leaves, only 8 percent ofthe commercial space in Ballston will beleased by the government. As bad forBallston as the loss is though, Iams says thatthe situation isn’t as bad as it could havebeen.

“Ballston has the advantage over otherparts of Arlington in that it never had asmuch federal tenancy and it’s more diversi-fied,” said Iams.

Another visible loss in Ballston has beenthe slow decline of the Ballston CommonMall. In June, the Arlington County Boardannounced that it would be looking into apublic-private partnership with mall ownerForest City Enterprises for a $300 millionredevelopment. The new Ballston Mallwould have a more open-air design andwould include 365,000 square feet of retailspace as well as 400 new residential units.

“[The thing] we’re most excited about isthe Ballston Mall redesign,” said Leone.“The Mall design is set to be approved inNovember .… The mall redevelopmentshould help spur more development andbring people back into that vacancy.”

For new residents to Arlington, Iams saidBallston is ideal for it’s variety of local jobsavailable.

“There’s an enormous opportunity there,”

View of Rosslyn from the Key Bridge.

See Changing, Page 11

The Ballston Corridor

Neighborhood

Outlook

Undergoing ‘Reinvention and Transition’

Jesse Fonkert, a member ofthe Crystal City Civic Asso-ciation, and one of themillennials changing theculture of Crystal City

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Arlington Quick FactsArlington County is a diverse, professional community located

across the Potomac River from Washington D.C. It is the smallest self-governing county in the United States.

Area: 26 Square MilesPopulation: 216,700Median Household Income: $106,400Residents’ Highest Level of Education:Bachelor Degrees-71.7%Graduate Degrees-37.4%

School Divisions: 13th largest among Virginia’s 132 school di-visions

School Enrollment: Projected PreK-12 25,678Public Schools: 4 high schools, 5 middle schools, 22 elementary

schools, 4 alternative programs.

Largest Employers: Department of Defense (24,000), Arling-ton County (7,555), Department of Homeland Security (7,300).Deloitte (7,000), Department of Justice (5,300), Accenture (4,500)as well as other Federal agencies and private companies.

Bicycle Trails: More than 100 miles of on-street and paved off-road bicycle trails. Off-road trails travel along the Potomac River,abandoned railroad beds or major highways.

Public Transport: Reagan National Airport serving the metro-politan area is located in Arlington. Served by the Orange, Blue,Yellow and Silver lines of the Washington Metro. Also Virginia Rail-way Express commuter rail, Metrobus (regional public bus), FairfaxConnector (regional public bus), Potomac and Rappahannock Trans-portation Commission (regional public bus) and a county public bussystem as well as Capital Bikeshare, a bicycle sharing system thatbegan in September 2010 with 14 rental locations.

Weenie Beenie is a local institution, the last of a small Washington-areachain of drive-ins specializing in half-smokes. The Fearless Critic says,“The thing to have is a half-smoke with chili and cheese. It’s beautifullycharred, served on a super-absorbent white hot-dog roll and has inevery sense mastered the delicate balance of fat, salt, sugar and starchthat’s required for all-out straight-up pleasure.”

Chain Bridge was first constructed in 1797 as a wooden covered bridgeby Georgetown merchants. The eighth and present version of today’sbridge crosses the Potomac River connecting Washington with Arlingtonand carries close to 22,000 cars a day. It has three lanes with the middleone reversible.

Arlington County’s Central Library is located at1015 N. Quincy Street. In addition to the Cen-tral Library, the County Library system includes7 branch libraries at Aurora Hills, Cherrydale,Columbia Pike, Glencarlyn, Plaza Branch,Shirlington and Westover as well as the Centerfor Local History and the Shed: Garden ToolLending Library open March-November.

Theodore Roosevelt Island is in the PotomacRiver near the Key Bridge. The only way toreach the island by land is from the Arlingtonside of the river but the island is actually partof D.C. It was turned from forgotten farmlandinto this memorial to America’s 26th Presidentin the 1930s. Miles of trails wind throughwooded uplands and swampy bottomlands.

Arlington Hospital Center, located at 1701 N.George Mason Drive, has been named one ofAmerica’s 100 Top Hospitals for the third yearin a row. It specializes in the areas of oncology,neuroscience and urology. It performs general,colorectal, orthopedic, pelvic and cardiovascu-lar surgeries. In addition, it offers intensivecare, laboratory, radiology and medical imag-ing services. The center was founded in 1933.

Fire station number 3 is Arlington’s newest firestation, completed in 2011. It houses oneengine with four people, a battalion chief, and1 fire marshal 24 hours a day as well as a bombunit and a deputy chief during the day. OtherArlington Fire Stations include: 1 (Glebe Road),2 (Ballston), 4 (Clarendon), 5 (Jefferson Dis-trict/Aurora Highlands), 6 (Falls Church), 7(Fairlington), 8 (Cherrydale/Military Road), 9(Walter Reed), 10 (Rosslyn).

The 40-45 block Clarendon area of Arlington isa neighborhood between the Rosslyn area andthe Ballston area. Surrounding the Clarendonmetro station are a mix of shops, trendy bars,small restaurants as well as apartments, officebuildings and townhouses. There is a Farmer’sMarket on Wednesday afternoons outside themetro during the summer.

Photos by

Shirley Ruhe

The Connection


Improving the lives of those who enrich ours, since 1944.

The Animal Welfare League of Arlington offerscommunity services, programs and a diverse

selection of adoptable animals,including: cats, dogs,

rabbits, birds,guinea pigs

and hamsters.

Download our free Arlington Pets Appor visit www.awla.org

2650 S. Arlington Mill Dr., Arlington, VA 22206703-931-9241

Dermatology & AllergySPECIALISTS OF VIRGINIA

www.dermspecial is tsva.com

Phone 703-709-1492 • Fax 703-709-5111

1800 Town Center Dr., Ste. 415Reston, VA 20190

1715 N. George Mason Dr., Ste. 105Arlington, VA 22205

Accepting New Patients

Allergy Patch Testing • Asthma • Hives • Allergy EczemaFood & Environmental Allergy Testing • Sinusitis

Insect Venom Allergy Testing • Immunotherapy • Allergic Rhinitis

Dr. Sowerwine has specialized training and experienceto find out what causes your allergies, prevent andtreat symptoms, and help keep them under control.

Dr. Kathryn J. Sowerwine is a boardcertified Allergist and Immunologistwith a special interest in dermatologicaldiseases linked to allergy. She completeda residency in Internal Medicine atGeorgetown University Hospital and herclinical and research fellowship in allergyand immunology at the National Institutesof Health in Bethesda, MD.

Kathryn J. Sowerwine, MD


Commonwealth’s AttorneyTheo K. Stamos (D), incumbent

SheriffElizabeth F. “Beth” Arthur (D), in-cumbent

Commissioner of RevenueIngrid H. Morroy (D), incumbent

TreasurerCarla F. De La Pava (D), incumbent

County Board (two seats up forelection)Kate A. “Katie” Cristol (D)Christian E. Dorsey (D)Audrey R. Clement (I)Michael T. McMenamin (I)

School BoardReid S. GoldsteinB. A. “Brooklyn” Kinlay

The Governmental Center islocated at 2100 ClarendonBlvd. It houses a number ofcounty services includingenvironmental works,streets, sewer, taxes, De-partment of the Revenue,and County Board officials.

A Farmer’s Market is set up outside the Clarendon metrostation on Wednesday afternoons in the summer. OtherFarmer’s Markets in Arlington include: Arlington at N.Courthouse Road (Saturday), Ballston at 901 N. Taylor St.(Thursday), Columbia Pike at Columbia Pike and WalterReed (Sunday), Crystal City at Crystal Drive (Tuesday),Fairlington at 3308 S. Stafford (Sunday), Westover atWashington Blvd. and McKinley (Sunday).

The David M. Brown Planetarium at 1426N. Quincy St. is the sole freestandingschool planetarium open to the public inthe metro area. It is named after CaptainDavid M. Brown, a Yorktown High Schoolgraduate, who died while serving as amission specialist on the NASA SpaceShuttle Columbia mission in 2003. Theplanetarium offers weekend programs ona variety of space-related topics for thepublic, and more than 20,000 studentsvisit it each year.

Arlington County operates and manages apermanent year-round Household Hazard-ous Materials (HHM) Collection and Recy-cling Center at 530 South 31st St. whereresidents can drop off hazardous materi-als on Saturdays between 9 a.m.-3 p.m. orby appointment during the week. Hazard-ous products are flammable, corrosive,poisonous or potentially hazardous.Emmanuel Nocon collects householdproducts from a recent resident drop off.

Photos by

Shirley Ruhe

The Connection

Governance

Senate of Virginia, 30th DistrictAdam P. Ebbin (D), incumbentJames R. Fisher (IG)

Senate of Virginia, 31st DistrictBarbara A. Favola (D), incumbentGeorge V. Forakis (R)

Senate of Virginia, 32nd DistrictJanet D. Howell (D), incumbent

House of Delegates, 45th DistrictMark H. Levine (D)

House of Delegates, 47th DistrictPatrick A. Hope (D), incumbentJanet H. Murphy (IG)

House of Delegates, 48th DistrictR. C. “Rip” Sullivan (D), incumbent

House of Delegates, 49th DistrictAlfonso H. Lopez (D), incumbent

Clerk of Circuit CourtPaul F. Ferguson (D), incumbent

Candidates for November 2015 General ElectionCurrent Arlington CountyLeadership

County BoardMary Hughes Hynes (D), Chair

- RetiringJ. Walter Tejada (D), Vice Chair

- RetiringJay Fisette (D), Board MemberLibby Garvey (D), Board Mem-

berJohn E. Vihstadt (I), Board

Member

School BoardEmma Violand-Sanchez, ChairNancy Van Doren, Vice ChairBarbara Kanninen, MemberJames Lander, MemberAbby Raphael, Member - Retir-

ing

Award-WinningAward-

Winning

E-mail [email protected] for more information.

Newspapers & Online703-778-9431

www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

SPECIAL CONNECTIONS CALENDARAdvertising Deadlines are the previous Thursday unless noted.

SEPTEMBERLabor Day is Sept. 79/9/2015......HomeLifeStyle Pullout – Real Estate & New Homes9/16/2015...A+ Camps & Schools Back to School, Open Houses9/23/2015...........................Fall Fun, Food, Arts & Entertainment9/30/2015..........................Professional Profiles & Your Business

in the Community

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Parks A sampling of Arlington Parks

Photos by Renée Ruggles

map by Laurence Foong

and design by Jean Card

Compiled from parks.arlingtonva.us

1 Alcova Heights Park901 S. George Mason Drive; 13 acres.

Features: picnic shelter and tables,public restrooms, playground, base-ball field, basketball court, volleyballcourt and grill.

2 Allie S. Freed Park2465 Culpeper St.; 5 acres. Features:

running trail, bridge, stream, openspace.

3 Andrew Ellicott Park at theWest Cornerstone

2824 N. Arizona St.; 0.25 acres. Fea-tures: the boundary markers of theoriginal District of Columbia, picnictables and benches.

4 Arlington Hall West Park290 S. Taylor St.; 7 acres. Features: play-

ground, multi-use rectangular field,picnic area and grill.

5 Bailey’s Branch Park990 S. Columbus St.; 2 acres. Features:

playground, benches and open greenspace.

6 Ballston Pond Park4747 N. Fairfax Drive; 4 acres. Features:

a great spot to observe wildlife.

7 Barcroft Park4200 S. Four Mile Run Drive; 65 acres.

Features: lighted handball, basketballand tennis courts, lighted baseballand softball fields, batting cages, vol-leyball courts, a drop-in rectangularfield, horseshoe pit, fishing at thestream, scenic running/walking/bik-ing trail, sheltered picnic areas,charcoal grills and playgrounds.

8 Barton Park2401 10th St. N.; 3 acres. Features: heal-

ing garden, labyrinth and seating.

9 Benjamin Banneker Park6620 N. 18th St.; 11 acres. Features: trail

access, picnic tables, charcoal grills,playground, multi-use field and dogpark.

10Big Walnut Park1915 N. Harrison St.; 2 acres. Features:

open space, playground and picnicarea.

11Bluemont Junction Park744 N. Emerson St.; 15 acres. Features:

paved walking trail, Bermuda grassrectangular field and the retiredBluemont Junction Caboose.

12Bluemont Park601 N. Manchester St.; 70 acres. Fea-

tures: biking/running/hiking trails,basketball, tennis and volleyballcourts, baseball, softball, soccer, la-crosse and football fields, aplayground, picnic areas and natureareas with streams for fishing.

13Bon Air Park850 N. Lexington St.; 24 acres. Features:

memorial rose garden, azalea andornamental tree gardens, play-grounds, volleyball and basketballcourts, picnic areas and charcoalgrills.

14Charles A. Stewart Park2400 N. Underwood St.; 4 acres. Fea-

tures: woods, fields, gazebo,playground and basketball half court.

15Cherrydale Park2176 N. Pollard St.; 0.8 acres. Features:

open green space, benches, play-ground and path.

16Clarendon Central Park3140 Wilson Blvd.; 1 acre. Features: War

memorial dedicated to Arlington citi-zens, hosts seasonal farmers marketand occasional concerts.

17Dark Star Park1655 Fort Myer Drive; 0.4 acres. Fea-

tures: sculptures by artist Nancy Holtand a fountain.

18Doctor’s Run Park1301 S. George Mason Drive; 6 acres.

Features: picnic tables, charcoalgrills, playground, volleyball courtand path.

19Donaldson Run Park4020 30th St. N.; 8 acres. Features: for-

ested area, trail and stream.

20Douglas Park1718 S. Quincy St.; 5 acres. Features:

playground, nature trails, stream, pic-nic shelter, volleyball court and stonefireplace.

21Drew Park3500 23rd S. Features: basketball court,

baseball field, playground and“sprayground.”

22Eads Park2730 S. Eads St.; 4 acres. Features: ga-

zebo, charcoal grills, playground andmulti-use field.

23Fields Park825 N. George Mason Drive; 4 acres.

Features: multi-use field with bleach-ers, path and ornamental garden.

24Fillmore Park33 N. Fillmore St.; 1 acre. Features: play-

ground, picnic area and baseball andsoftball fields.

25Fort Barnard Park2101 S. Pollard St.; 5 acres. Features:

dog exercise area, playground, dia-mond field with backstop andbleachers, basketball court and apath.

26Fort C.F. Smith Park2411 24th St. N.; 19 acres. Features: tree

canopy, open meadow, the HendryHouse, preserved earthworks of a CivlWar Fort and more.

27Fort Ethan Allen Park3829 N. Stafford St.; 15 acres. Features:

gazebo, playground, basketball court,multi-use field and a dog park.

28Fort Scott Park2800 S. Fort Scott Drive; 12 acres. Fea-

tures: picnic area, playground,baseball and softball fields, tenniscourt wall and a basketball court.

29Fraser Park1800 28th St. S.; 2 acres. Features:

grills, picnic tables and open greenspace.

30Gateway Park1300 Lee Highway; 3 acres. Features: or-

namental garden, fountain andamphitheater.

31Glebe and Randolph ParkN. Glebe Road and N. Randolph Street.

Features: bocce ball courts, benchesand green space.

32Glebe Road Park4211 N. Old Glebe Road; 4 acres. Fea-

tures: playground, tennis courts,basketball court, nature trails, drink-ing fountains and picnic tables.

33Glencarlyn Park301 S. Harrison St.; 95.5 acres. Features:

picnic shelters, fishing, nature trails,playground, amphitheater and dogpark.

34Greenbrier Park2700 N. Greenbrier St.; 18 acres. Fea-

tures: basketball and tennis courts,diamond fields, multi-use syntheticturf field and a track with high jumpand shot put discus area.

35Gulf Branch Nature Center andPark

3608 Military Road. Features: exhibits,classroom, discovery room, pollinatorgarden, restored log cabin and obser-vation bee hive.

36Gunston Park2700 Lang St. S.; 10 acres. Features: pic-

nic shelter, playground, tennis courts,multi-use rectangular field, baseball/softball field and basketball court.

37Hayes Park1516 N. Lincoln St.; 3 acres. Features:

tennis courts, basketball court, picnicshelter, playground and“sprayground.”

38Henry Clay Park3011 7th St. N.; 1 acre. Features: gazebo,

playground and basketball court.

52 Nelly Custis Park701 24th St. S.; 0.8 acres. Features:playground, landscaped open greenspace and benches.

53 Nina Park800 S. 24th St. Features: sand pit, pic-

nic area and wave wall.

54 Oakgrove Park1606 N. Quincy St. Features: picnic

tables, gazebo, playground, rectangu-lar fields and paved walking trail.

55Parkhurst Park5820 20th Road N. Features: play area

for toddlers, sand area, playgroundand gazebo.

56Penrose Park2200 6th St. S.; 2 acres. Features: picnic

tables, charcoal grills, playgroundand basketball court.

57Powhatan Springs Park6020 Wilson Blvd. Features: skatepark,

drinking fountains, concessions,stream, rectangular grass field, orna-mental rain garden and fountain.

58Quincy Park1021 N. Quincy St.; 4 acres. Features:

tennis, basketball and volleyballcourts; baseball and softball fields;picnic area and playground.

59Rocky Run Park1109 N. Barton St.; 2 acres. Features:

picnic shelter, playgrounds and alighted oval field.

60Rosslyn Highlands Park1529 Wilson Blvd.; 2 acres. Features:

basketball court and playground.

61Shirlington Park2601 S. Arlington Mill Drive; 29 acres.

Features: drinking fountain,s stream,walking path, benches and dog park.

62Slater Park1837 N. Culpeper St.; 3 acres. Features:

playground, picnic tables, charcoalgrills and a path.

63Stratford Park4321 Old Dominion Drive; 5 acres. Fea-

tures: baseball/softball field, picnictables, lighted tennis courts, rectan-gular multi-use field and a lightedbasketball court.

64Thomas Jefferson Park3501 S. 2nd St. Features: lighted basket-

ball and tennis courts, diamond field,lighted multi-use rectangular fieldand fitness trail.

65Towers Park801 S. Scott St.; 4 acres. Features: play-

ground, lighted tennis and basketballcourts, sand volleyball court, commu-nity garden, lighted dog park, picnictables, charcoal grills and gazebo.

66Troy Park2629 S. Troy St.; 2 acres. Features: pic-

nic tables, horseshoe pit, stream,playground and basketball courts.

67Tuckahoe Park2400 N. Sycamore St.; 12 acres. Fea-

tures: playground, baseball/softballfields, lighted tennis courts, rectangu-lar grass field, nature trails,ornamental garden, amphitheaterand picnic tables.

68Tyrol Hill Park5101 7th Road S.; 2 acres. Features:

playground, picnic shelter and tables,charcoal grills, basketball and volley-ball court, open drop-in field andnature trails.

69Utah Park3191 S. Utah St.; 4 acres. Features: base-

ball/softball field, volleyball court,dog park with water hook-up and pic-nic tables.

39HenryW r i g h tPark

4350 4th St. N.; 0.7acres. Features: ga-zebo, playground andpicnic tables.

40High View Park1945 N. Dinwiddie St.; 3 acres. Fea-

tures: picnic area, charcoal grills,playground, baseball/softball field,lighted basketball courts and an am-phitheater.

41James Hunter Park1299 N. Herndon St. Features: plaza ter-

race, open lawn, gardens, waterfeature and community canine area.

42James W. Haley Park2400 S. Meade St.; 5 acres. Features:

charcoal grills, gazebo and naturetrail.

43Jamestown Park3618 N. Dickerson St.; 6 acres. Features:

diamond field, rectangular grassfield, tennis courts and a basketballcourt. Great for sledding in the win-ter.

44Jennie Dean Park3630 27th St. S.; 22 acres. Features: pic-

nic shelter, playground, baseball/softball fields, tennis courts, basket-ball court and open field.

45Lacey Woods Park1200 N. George Mason Drive; 14 acres.

Features: picnic shelter, lighted bas-ketball court, charcoal grills,playground, multi-use field, naturetrails, ornamental garden, woodedareas, open green space and a firering.

46Long Bridge Park475 Long Bridge Drive. Features: three

rectangular synthetic turf fields,walkways, art features and picnic ar-eas.

47L u b -ber RunPark

200 N. ColumbusSt. Features: bas-ketball and volleyballcourts, picnic shelter,charcoal grills, gazebo,amphitheater, nature paths,playground and grassy multi-use fields.

48Lyon Village Park1800 N. Highland St.; 2 acres. Features:

picnic area, tennis courts, basketballcourt and “sprayground.”

49Madison Manor Park6225 12th Road N. Features: restrooms,

drinking fountain, picnic shelter andtables, charcoal grills, stream, play-ground, baseball/softball field, tenniscourts and a lighted basketball court.

50Marcey Road Park2722 N. Marcey Road; 3 acres. Features:

tennis and basketball courts and ac-cess to Potomac Overlook RegionalPark.

51Mosaic Park544 N. Pollard St. Features: playground,

small climbing wall and bocce ballcourts.

70Virginia Highlands Park1600 S. Hayes St.; 18 acres. Features:

lighted baseball/softball fields,lighted tennis and basketball courts,volleyball court, “sprayground,” rect-angular drop-in fields and petanquecourts.

71Westover Park1001 N. Kennebec St.; 4 acres. Features:

picnic shelter and tables, playground,baseball/softball fields, lighted bas-ketball courts, volleyball courts,rectangular grass field, path and or-namental garden.

72Windy Run Park2420 N. Kenmore St.; 14 acres. Features:

stream, nature paths and wooded ar-eas.

73Woodlawn Park1325N. Buchanan St.; 1 acre. Features:

stream, playground, half basketballcourt, open green space and picnictables.

74Woodstock Park2049 N. Woodstock St.; 1 acre. Features:

water fountains, pinic tables, gazebo,playground and basketball court.

75Zachary Taylor Park2900 Military Road; 44 acres. Features:

nature trails, stream and baseball/softball fields.

Bluemont Park covers 70acres. This park featurestrails, sporting fields,basketball and volleyballcourts, healthy vendingmachines, a professionalgrade disk golf course, andfishable streams.

MarthaBoshnick, ofBethesda,came towalk herdog LittleMan. Thelarge parkoffersmultipletrails,suitable forwalking.

Parker Smith, ofArlington, triessome old-fash-

ioned rock skip-ping, as his par-

ents look on.

Dagoberto, of Arlington, sets up his next shot on the park’s basketballcourt. Along with basketball, the park offers a volleyball court, opengreen space for casual play, and fields for several sports.

At the center of the Bluemont Park playground is a largeplay structure, designed to look like a train. There arealso three smaller structures, for younger children, thatlook like western farm buildings, a theme which makes itstand out.

Julia R. and Juan D., ofWashington, D.C., came tothe park, with their parents,to ride bikes. BluemontPark offers extensive trailsthat connect with theW&OD and Four Miletrails, popular withbikers, hikers,and joggers.


September 2015SATURDAY/SEPT. 11-12Rosslyn Jazz Festival. 6-9 p.m. on

Friday, 1-7 p.m. on Saturday, atGateway Park, 1300 Lee Highway.The Jazz Festival kick-off event willfeature Mexico’s fusion band Trokerand DJ G-Flux on the 33rd floor ofthe 1812 North Moore building. TheFunk Ark, Sonny Knight & TheLakers, Debo Band, and The DirtyDozen Brass Band will headline themain event. Free admission–registration required for kickoff. Seewww.rosslynva.org/events.

SATURDAY/SEPT. 12Memorial 5K. 6 p.m. in Crystal City.

This race was organized to honor thevictims, firefighters, and public safetywho responded on Sept. 11, 2001.Registration fees are $35-40. Visitwww.arlington911race.com.

SEPT. 12-2533rd Annual Senior Olympics.

Various times at various locations.Participants over 50 years old willparticipate in track and field,swimming, diving, tennis, tabletennis, golf, miniature golf, ten pinbowling, Wii bowling, scrabble,duplicate bridge, cribbage, Mexicantrain dominoes, pickleball,racquetball, handball, volleyball,badminton, bocce, eight ball pool,cycling, horseshoes, yo-yo tricks,American style Mah Jongg, 5K runand more. Admission varies based onevent. Visit www.nvso.us.

SUNDAY/SEPT. 13Vintage Crystal: Sip and Salsa. 2-6

p.m. at 1900 Crystal Drive. Winefrom Spain Portugal, and Argentinaand food from local latin restaurantscome together at this annual event.Also find live Latin music and salsalessons. Tickets are $25 at the thedoor, $20 in advance; designateddrivers tickets are also available for$10. Visit www.crystalcity.org formore.

SATURDAY/SEPT. 19Backyard Beer Festival. 12-10 p.m.

at Gateway Park, 1300 Lee Highway.Unlimited beer tasting featuringentertainment, food trucks, andbackyard games and activities.Admission is $35. Visitwww.backyard beerfest.com fortickets.

SUNDAY/SEPT. 20Vintage Crystal: Pups and

Pilsners. 2-6 p.m. at 12th andCrystal Drive. This dog-friendlyfestival will feature a beer gardenwith 10 stations–each featuring adifferent brew. Visitwww.crystalcity.org for more.

SATURDAY/SEPT. 26Clarendon Day. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. On

Clarendon Blvd. and Wilson Blvd.between Washington and Highland.Find all the traditional trappings of astreet fair plus an International ChiliCookoff, arts and crafts promenadeand more. Free to attend. Visitwww.clarendon.org/clarendon-day.

SUNDAY/SEPT. 27Latinoamerican Festival. 1-5 p.m. at

Kenmore Middle School, 200 S CarlinSprings Road. Celebrate HispanicHeritage month by learning moreabout the folk traditions, music, foodand dance of several Latin-American

countries. Free. Visitwww.parks.arlingtonva.us/events/latinoamerican-festival.

SEPT. 27-OCT. 3Fall For The Book Festival. Select

locations throughout NorthernVirginia, D.C., and Maryland. Thisweek-long regional celebration ofliterature and the arts connectsreaders and authors at all levels.Offering bookworms the chance tomeet their favorite writers. Free andopen to the public. Visitwww.fallforthebook.org.

October 2015SATURDAY/OCT. 316th Annual Mid-Atlantic

Oktoberfest. 12-7 p.m. at TheVillage at Shirlington, 4000 CampbellAve. Breweries bring 4 oz. samples toaccompany a day of authenticGerman food, music, and more.Tickets are $30. Visitwww.facebook.com/

CapCityOktoberfest.

SATURDAY/OCT. 16-18US FreedomWalkFestival. 3-6 p.m. onFriday, 7 a.m.-6 p.m.onSaturday, 7 a.m.-4 p.m. at1900 N Fort Myer Drive. TheFreedomWalk Festival is athree-day long social walkingchallenge meant to bringtogether people of differentbackgrounds. Different trailsare offered each day at avariety of distances from 3-27 miles starting at theHoliday Inn. Costs vary. Visitwww.usfreedomwalk.org formore.

FRIDAY-SUNDAY/OCT. 23-25Marine Corps MarathonWeekend. Events like theHealth & Fitness Expo, FirstTimers Pep Rally, RunnersbRUNch, and more, lead upto the main event–The 40thAnnual Marine CorpsMarathon–on Sunday at 7:55

a.m. and the MCM Finish Festival.Visit www.marinemarathon.com for more.

SATURDAY/OCT. 24VolunteerFest. A region-wide day of

community service helps nonprofitsaccomplish tasks they would not havetime or resources to do on their own.Visit www.volunteerfairfax.org/individuals/volunteerfest.php formore.

WEDNESDAY/OCT. 28Chiefs vs. Chefs. 6:30-9:30 p.m. at

Clarendon Ballroom, 3185 WilsonBlvd. The Arlington Food AssistanceCenter is hosting it’s 4th annual“Chiefs vs. Chefs” live cookingcompetition. Three professionalschefs will compete against threefirehouse cooks for the “GoldenEggplant” using only food found incenter’s pantry. Visit www.afac.org.

November 2015WEDNESDAY/NOV. 11Arlington National Cemetery

Veterans Day Ceremony.Arlington National Cemetery.Thousands of visitors gather to honorfallen and living veterans. Visitwww.arlingtoncemetery.mil.

March 2016SECOND TUESDAY IN MARCHClarendon Mardi Gras Parade.

Annual parade to celebrate FatTuesday. Visit www.clarendon.com/mardi-gras.

April 2016APRIL-JUNERelay for Life. Raise funds for cancer

research by attending all-night-longevents sponsored by the AmericanCancer Society. Visitwww.relayforlife.org for specificdetails.

SATURDAY-SUNDAY/APRIL 16-17Arlington Festival of the Arts. 10

a.m.-5 p.m. at Highland Street in theClarendon District of Arlington.Artists from all over the country willshowcase paintings, jewelry, pottery,glass, and more. Free. Visitwww.artfestival.com.

APRIL 23-30Historic Garden Week. This eight-

day statewide event provides visitorswith a unique opportunity to seeelaborate gardens with more than2,000 flower arrangements createdby the Garden Club of VirginiaMembers. Visitwww.va.gardenweek.org for more.

May 2016Taste of Arlington. This annual event

turns the Ballston area into a streetfestival featuring Arlington’srestaurants and live music. Ticketprices vary. Visitwww.ballstonbid.com.

June 2016MONDAYS, JUNE-AUGUSTCrystal Screen. 1851 S. Bell St. Each

year a different theme is chosen forthis outdoor film festival beginning atsunset each Monday. Visitwww.crystalcity.org for more.

SATURDAY/JUNE 21Arlington’s Got Talent. Local talent

is invited to perform to benefit theefforts of Leadership Arlington. Visitwww.leadershiparlington.org formore.

August 2016WEDNESDAY-SUNDAY/AUG. 17-21Arlington County Fair. Times vary at

Thomas Jefferson Community Center,3501 Second Street South. Summerfamily event complete with carnivalrides, musical entertainment, foodand more. Admission is free.Visitwww.arlingtoncountyfair.us

Lead singer of the cover band, Burnt Sienna. Live music isoffered each spring at Taste of Arlington in downtownBallston. Visit www.ballstonbid.com/Taste.

The 2015 Arlington County Fair featured all of the traditionaltrappings–carnival rides, games, piglet races–and for the firsttime, a parade featuring reenactors (above) and other localentertainment. The 2016 Arlington County Fair has been sched-uled for Aug. 17-21. Admission to the fair is free; prices varyfor other activities. Visit www.arlingtoncountyfair.us for more.

Photos by Amina Luqman

EntertainmentA Sampling of Annual

Community Events


Public Schools Fairfax Montgomery Arlington AlexandriaCounty County, MD County City

FY 2015 Cost Per Pupil $13,519 $15,351 $19,040 $17,041Average Teacher Salary $66,782 $75,452 $76,892 $73,612

2014 ACTUAL ENROLLMENTTotal Enrollment 183,895 151,289 23,421 13,563Percent ESOL Enrollment 17.0% 13.2% 17.4% 25.5%Percent Free/ 27.5% 34.3% 31.8% 59.7%

Reduced Price Meal EligiblePercent Special Education Enrollment 13.8% 11.7% 14.7% 12.6%

2015 APPROVED ENROLLMENTNumber Increase/ 2,890 2,889 792 548

Decrease from 2014 ActualPercent Increase/ 1.6% 1.9% 3.4% 4.0%

Decrease from 2014 Actual

SCHOOLSElementary 139 133 22 12Middle 23 38 5 2Traditional (K-8) 0 0 0 1Secondary and High Schools 25 26 5 1Special Education 7 5 2 0Alternative 2 0 3 2

SOURCES OF REVENUELocal 69.6% 66.6% 83.0% 79.3%State 23.3% 27.9% 12.5% 14.9%Other 7.2% 5.5% 4.6% 5.8%

AUTHORIZED POSITIONSSchool-Based 93.2% 91.2% 90.9% 89.7%Nonschool-Based 6.8% 8.8% 9.1% 10.3%

SOURCE: 2015 Washington Area Boards of Education Guide


Zip code: 22206Population: 19,051Race: White-13,346 (70.1%), Black/African

American-2,459 (12.9%), American Indianand Alaska Native-61 (0.3%), Asian-1,294(6.8%), Hispanic or Latino (of any race)-2,700

Total housing units: 11,166Owner-occupied housing units: 4,586

(45.8%)Households with individuals under 18

years: 1,730 (17.3%)Households with individuals 65 years

and over: 927 (9.2%)Median household income: 95,023Mean family income: 125,954Population 5 years and over who speaks

a language other than English athome: 22.9%


American-1,777 (7.9%), American Indianand Alaska Native-83 (0.4%), Asian-2,698(12%), Hispanic or Latino (of any race)-1,823 (8.1%)




and over: 1,774 (13.5%)Median household income: 109,006Mean family income: 170,684Population 5 years and over who speaks



American-7,920 (16.8%), American Indianand Alaska Native-322 (0.7%), Asian-5,407(11.4%), Hispanic or Latino (of any race)-14,433 (30.6%)







American-1,321 (6%), American Indian andAlaska Native-256 (1.2%), Asian-2,247(10.3%), Hispanic or Latino (of any race)-3,839 (17.6%)








Total housing units: 18,969

Owner-occupied housing units: 6,348(35.5%)

Households with individuals under 18years: 2,006 (11.2%)

Households with individuals 65 yearsand over: 1,438 (8.1%)

Median household income: 110,293Mean family income: 191,123Population 5 years and over who speaks



American-639 (5.2%), American Indian andAlaska Native-43 (0.3%), Asian-2,058(16.7%), Hispanic or Latino (of any race)-1,409 (11.4%)



years: 610 (8.3%)Households with individuals 65 years




American-466 (2.7%), American Indian andAlaska Native-50 (0.3%), Asian-1,042(6.1%), Hispanic or Latino (of any race)-1,645 (9.6%)







American-76 (2.6%), American Indian andAlaska Native-6 (0.2%), Asian-209 (7.1%),Hispanic or Latino (of any race)-177 (6%)

Total housing units: 1,350Owner-occupied housing units: 939


years: 368 (31.1%)Households with individuals 65 years










Arlington Chamber of Commerce2009 14th St., North Suite 100. Founded in

1924, the Arlington Chamber is a voluntary,nonprofit organization of hundreds of busi-nesses and thousands of professional peoplewho are committed to the economic prosperityand civic well being of the local community.Call 703-525-2400 or visitwww.arlingtonchamber.org.

Arlington EconomicDevelopment

1100 North Glebe Road, Suite 1500. A re-source for consumers and businesses inArlington, with everything from updates onwhat on businesses’ recent accomplishmentsand successes to studies on Arlington demo-graphics that show how the city is changing.Call 703-228-0808 or visitwww.arlingtonvirginiausa.com.

The Ballston Business Improve-ment District

901 North Glebe Road, Suite 806. Ballston’sBID strives to be a foremost business, culturaland entertainment destination; they plan thelarge food-music-art festival Taste of Arlington.Call 703-664-1194 or visitwww.ballstonbid.com.

The Crystal City BusinessImprovement District

2001 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 505. Apublic-private partnership established in April2006 to promote the Crystal City business, re-tail, restaurant and residential community. TheBID is committed to showcasing the area as aworld-class destination for visitors, employeesand residents. Call 703-412-9430 or visitwww.crystalcity.org.

Rosslyn BusinessImprovement District

1911 North Fort Myer Drive, LL-10. Estab-lished in 2003, the Rosslyn BID takes aleadership role in making Rosslyn a viable placeto live, work and play. Call the office at 703-522-6628 or visit www.rosslynva.org.

Pakistan American BusinessAssociation Inc.

9302 Old Keene Mill Road, Suite B. PABA isa nonprofit, bilateral trade association that pro-motes business opportunities between Pakistan

and the U.S., and nurtures leadership skillswithin the Pakistani American business commu-nity. Call 703-627-1500 or visitwww.pabausa.org.

Northern Virginia BlackChamber of Commerce

The Alexandria-based organization providesresources to black-owned businesses in Alexan-dria, Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and PrinceWilliam counties. Visitwww.northernvirginiabcc.org.

Vietnamese AmericanChamber of Commerce

6521 Arlington Blvd., Suite 401. Providesnetworking and professional services to theVietnamese community. Call 571-858-9909 orvisit www.vietamcham.com/site/.

Hispanic Chamber ofCommerce of Northern Virginia

Located in Herndon, the organization servesbusinesses lead by and those that work with theHispanic community in the area. Visitwww.hccnva.org.

Asian AmericanChamber of Commerce

8300 Boone Blvd., Suite 450, McLean. Lo-cated in Tysons, it offers programs to Asian andPacific business communities in the region. Call703-752-6292 or visit www.asian-americanchamber.org.

U.S. LebaneseChamber of Commerce

A privately held business association foundedin 2010 offering networking and resources toLebanese Americans. Call 703-761-4949.

Afghan AmericanChamber of Commerce

8201 Greensboro Drive, Suite 103, McLean.AACC offers resources through business advice,conferences, seminars, networking events andpublications to stimulate U.S.-Afghanistan busi-ness and investment; Working Groups seek toreduce impediments to business and marketprogress for members. AACC also serves as alink between the private sector and governmentto encourage economic policies that result in in-creased business and investment. Call703-442-5005 or visit www.a-acc.org.

Arlington by Zip Code

Business Organizations

Source: U.S. Census 2010; AmericanCommunity Survey 2012



Grocery, Specialty, and WineStores

Katy Lang’s favorite grocery store isTrader Joe’s in Clarendon for the cheapbasics and unique items ‚ ” just try toavoid the 7 p.m. rush.” Liz Thomasagreed. But most of those polled wentfor either Harris Teeter on NorthHarrison Street or Whole Foods onClarendon Boulevard. Only one likedSafeway. Arrowine Wine and Cheesestore at 4508 Lee Highway was handsdown the favorite wine (and cheese)store for all of those who weighed in.The Italian Store, whether at the LyonVillage location or the new location inWestover, stood in a category of its own:Jennifer Wilkin-Penick said, “I willnever forget what a delight it was towalk in there after moving here fromItaly. Not only could I speak Italian withthe (Tuscan) cashier, but they had myfavorite Italian brand of toothpaste. Myfavorite cheese (sweet gorgonzola lay-ered with mascarpone), my favoriteItalian cookies (Pan di Stelle) and thenstaples from Italy, such as dried mulletroe, good olives, farro, and huge‘paccheri’ pasta. And that was backwhen they had a vintage Vespa sittingoutside the shop, which reminded me ofthe Vespa I’d left behind.”

Neighborhood/EthnicRestaurants

Everyone had their own favorite Thairestaurant: Heininger’s was Thai Squareon Columbia Pike, Thomas and Lang’swas Thai Thai at 5123 Lee Hwy., for thecheap, authentic food and free delivery,and Gary Harvey’s was Thai Noy inWestover (although he also goes to FallsChurch for Thai food at Duangrat).Heininger likes Ravi Kabob, on GlebeRoad in the Buckingham Shopping cen-ter: “It’s not fancy but it’s a great placeto hang out.” It is also known for itslamb shanks. Lang said: “Liberty Tavern— I know they’ve been around forever,but they are so consistently good andthe space is always warm and comfort-ing.” Gary Harvey and Thomas bothliked Kapnos Taverna located on WilsonBoulevard. Also cited were: SER, aSpanish restaurant at 1110 N. GlebeRoad, Ballston, and Cassat’s Kiwi Cafe,at 4536 Lee Highway, and Bistro 360 at1800 Wilson Boulevard for take-out,and Backyard BBQ at 2910 N. SycamoreSt. Wilkin-Penick said her own favoriteswere District Taco and LebaneseTaverna; “District Taco is just so easy tostop in to get a delectable duo or trio oftacos for a song and with speedy service,too.” The Eden Center on Wilson Bou-levard was also listed as an authenticethnic dining experience with manyVietnamese restaurants to choose from.Katie Harvey liked Lyon Hall, a French-German Brasserie at 3100 WashingtonBlvd., as her “go-to” restaurant.Sheridan Collins liked Peter Chang at2503 N. Harrison St. for Chinese food.

Dry Cleaners and Hair SalonsWilkin-Penick said: “Millie’s, at 2222

North Glebe Road, hands-down. I lovethe older gentleman who shouts ‘Hello’when you walk in, and I would trustMrs. Kim, in the tailoring departmentupstairs, with anything. She is a wiz-ard.” Gary Harvey likes the dry cleanersin the Dominion Hills Shopping Center,in the 6000 block of Wilson Boulevard.“I use them because they are very con-veniently located and they do a quickturn with my dry cleaning.” Collinsagreed on Millie’s for alterations, butchose Hi-Hat Cleaners at 3131 Lee High-way for cleaning and her friend Marychose Hurt Cleaners at 3410 WilsonBlvd., and Eli’s Salon on Lee Highway

for hair care. Liz Thomas cited SmittenBoutique Salon, 2209 N. Pershing Drivein Clarendon for hair. Gary Harvey likedTom’s Barber Shop in Westover. Hairsalon? Jenny Chang in Clarendon atSung For Hair, “3000 10th St. N Suite Cis the best,” per Katie Harvey.

Car and Bike ShopsEach of the Arlingtonians polled had

a favorite bike or car repair shop: JanHeininger swore by the Japanese AutoClinic on Lee Highway; Gary Harveywas equally upbeat about D&V ServiceCenter. “Robbie Guenther and his staffare very honest and do fantastic work atreasonable prices. Robbie will not up-sell unnecessary repair services and willcomplete repairs in a timely fashion. Welove D&V Service Center.” Liz Thomasliked Brakes and Beyond, a mobile me-chanic who cares for her 1989 Volvo,and J and F Motors when Brakes andBeyond cannot fix it. Sheridan Collinsliked Koons Toyota at 4045 Lee High-way and her friend Mary likesCherrydale Motors at 3412 Lee High-way.

One of Katy Lang’s favorite thingsabout Arlington is the variety of transitoptions: “The bus system in Arlington(and where WMATA comes over intoArlington) is truly wonderful — clean,reliable, and goes many places that youmight never think of. I think if a townhas good public transit, it shows theircommitment to the health and well-be-ing of its townspeople and that’s so, soimportant in a place to live.” Her bikeshop is Fresh Bikes, at 3924 WilsonBlvd.; others liked Revolution Cycles2731 Wilson Boulevard, and Big WheelBikes at Lyon Village Center, 3100 Blockof Lee Highway.

Caterers, Bakeries, and FarmersMarkets

Lang said Earl’s Sandwiches, at 4215Fairfax Drive, is good for catering,andthe Farmer’s Market at Courthouse onSaturday mornings is just the right sizeand has everything one might need,with the added bonus of the adjoiningcraft/flea market which is fun tobrowse. Some liked the Westover Farm-ers Market, mainly because it’s open onSunday. Many people liked Pastries byRandolph at 4500 Lee Hwy. KatieHarvey said Taste by Katie, at 6017 Wil-

son Boulevard, is her go-to caterer andtake away shop. “We just adore the busi-ness and as two parents who max outour time between work, church, kids’activities and volunteering, Taste byKatie is a lifesaver. The food is deliciousand fresh and keeps healthier food onthe table during very busy evenings inour household. She has also catered afew events for us (co-ed baby showerand Auction Happy Hour) with fabu-lous, customized menus.”

Bars and Coffee ShopsLang reports that lately she has been

“loving the vibe of the bar at FireworksPizza — a good mix of travelers lookingto be social, and locals coming from af-ter work nearby.” Her favorite coffeeplace? “Northside Social,” she said.“Hands down. Great staff, delicious cof-fee, space for everyone whether you’resocializing, studying, or stuffing yourface with pastries and cheese.” Wilkin-Penick said Northside Social remindedher of a place that you’d find where she’sfrom, the North West. Gary Harvey said,“The Westover Beer Garden is a greatneighborhood bar that constantly ro-tates quality craft beers from all over thecountry. It is a great place to see friends,listen to music, watch sporting events onthe outside TV and get quality food. TheForest Inn is a great dive bar that is trulydifferent from all of the other bars inArlington. Folks here are not pretentiousand the overall atmosphere is very laidback.” Bayou Bakery also got good re-views by Rachel Minchew for theircoffee. Thomas liked the Galaxy Hut at2711 Wilson Blvd. for beer, andNorthside Social for coffee. Katie Harveyliked Screwtop, a wine bar with cheeseflights and craft beers at 1025 N.Fillmore St.

AND Jamie Usrey summed it up: “Thereis much to love about Arlington; mostpeople move here for the schools, or theproximity to Washington: but Arlingtonstands on its own too. It has great ten-nis courts (that you can actually get on),many senior activities, and public trans-portation accessibility. There are somany places to go on a bike ride, somany nonprofit organizations helpingthose in need, so many libraries, and,”she added with a smile: “And there areso many Democrats here.”

Arlington ThriveArlington Thrive provides one-time, same-day emergency

financial assistance to Arlington residents facing a financialcrisis, and also has programs to help prevent homelessness.703-558-0035 or www.arlingtonthrive.orgDoorways for Women and Families

Provides services to help women out of domestic violenceand homelessness toward safe and stable lives. Call 703-237-0881 for 24-hour hotline and safehouse, 703-504-9400 forgeneral questions, or visit www.doorwaysva.org.The Arlington Food Assistance Center

Provides supplemental food assistance to Arlington Countyresidents, on average serving 2,200 families every week withover 35 percent of the those served being children. The Cen-ter is at 2708 South Nelson St., Arlington or visit one of theirdistribution centers–view the map at www.afac.org/get-food.Call 703-845-8486 or visit www.afac.org.Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia

Helps families located in the counties of Arlington andFairfax along with the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax and FallsChurch. Assists families in obtaining affordable housing andconnects them with groups of volunteers who contribute timeand/or talent to help build homes; volunteers and monetarydonations are needed. Call 703-521-9890. [email protected] or visit www.habitatnova.org.Arlington Free Clinic

Provides low-income, uninsured adults with access to a fullrange of medical services in Arlington, 703-979-1425, 2921

11th St. South Arlington. Visit www.arlingtonfreeclinic.org.Bridges to Independence

Bridges to Independence (b2i) offers shelter to homelesspeople and works in coordination with public agencies, busi-nesses and community groups to give homeless people thesupport, shelter, counseling, and employment training theyneed to regain self-sufficiency. Call 703-525-7177 or visitwww.bridges2.org.A-SPAN

Provides services for Arlington’s street homeless. Their mis-sion is to secure permanent housing for one of Arlington’s mostvulnerable populations. Call 703-820-4357 or www.a-span.org.Northern Virginia Family Services

This nonprofit offers employments and job training, healthcare, housing, mental health, foster care and home visitationsto new parents. Northern Virginia Family Services is headquar-tered at 1455 White Granite Drive, Suite 100 in Oakton withcenters and thrift shops throughout the region. Call 703-385-3267 or visit www.nvfs.org.Arlington Neighborhood Villages

Arlington Neighborhood Villages (ANV) is a non-profit or-ganized to help people “aging in place” throughout ArlingtonCounty. ANV combines elements of a senior cooperative, asocial club and a concierge service. With a single phone callor email members can make requests from a broad range ofservices or register for village social, educational and culturalevents. Visit www.arlnvil.org.

Nonprofits in Arlington

Neighborly Advice: Arlington FavoritesFrom bicycles to barbecue:great places to try here.

By Eden Brown

The Connection

You’re new to Arlingtonand you have no ideawhere to go or what is

good in town? Relax. TenArlingtonians were asked to sharetheir “go-to” list of favorites. Someof their “picks of Arlington” werewell kept secrets; some were theold stand-bys that give Arlingtonits mix of suburban and cool. Onecouple answered the questionsseparately and were surprised ateach other’s answers: Katie Harveysaid: “I have to say, my husband’sanswers are fascinating to me ashis wife. We both have lived in Ar-lington our entire lives (outside ofcollege years) and have been mar-ried 11 years so it is entertainingto see answers that I wouldn’t haveexpected.” (They didn’t use thesame dry cleaner.).


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From Page 3

said Iams. “It’s really a complete community.”Beyond commercial opportunities, Leone said that

one of her favorite spots in Ballston visitors may notknow about is the small “ellipse park,” a courtyardbehind the National Rural Electric Cooperative As-sociation.

“It’s a beautiful little spot,” Leone said. “There’s afountain back there and sometimes, when you sitthere, you really don’t feel like you’re in an urbanenvironment.”

‘Realize Rosslyn’Like other neighborhoods in Arlington, Rosslyn is

seeing a greater push towards retail and commer-cial spaces rather than the large government jobsthat dominated the local economy before Base Re-alignment and Closure hit in 2005. A new Target isexpected to open in Rosslyn by the end of 2015, andIams said the county’s “Realize Rosslyn” plan hashelped push for more shopping and dining optionsin the area.

However, some long-time residents believe thecounty is selling them out for a chance at greaterdevelopment in the area. Paul Derby, president ofthe North Rosslyn Civic Association, said the viewout the window from his home has changed dramati-cally over the last few years.

“When I first moved here, it was a lot of low risegarden apartments,” said Derby. “Now, those four orfive story buildings are being replaced by a very tallskyline.”

Derby said the battle for local residents is keepingthe new development in Rosslyn between the Wil-son and Key boulevards.

“We’re getting pressure from Arlington County,under the drive for affordable housing, to put uplarger, high density buildings in residential areas,”said Derby. “That’s been the biggest debate here. Thecommunity is very much in support of affordablehousing, but not at the expense of replacing a lowrise neighborhood for six to eight story buildings.”

There are 1,745 residential units in North Rosslyn.With an average of two people per household, there’san average of 3,500 people living in North Rosslyn.Derby says he isn’t opposed to development, butwants to see that process slowed to allow the localoccupancy time to catch up to the new retail expan-sion.

Derby says this kind of frustration, in North Rosslyn

and other neighborhoods, was a large part of inde-pendent John Vihstadt’s reelection in the 2014 gen-eral election to the otherwise uniformly DemocraticCounty Board.

“Vihstadt’s election was a show of frustration atthe massive concessions and things that are happen-ing for the developers at the cost of voters,” saidDerby.

Mary-Claire Burick, president of the Rosslyn Busi-ness Improvement District, said that the key to de-veloping in Rosslyn is keeping both the residents andthe day workers happy. Burick said the Rosslyn Sec-tor Plan, approved by the County Board in July, callsfor streetscape changes, regional wifi, and cosmeticadjustments to support new retail in Rosslyn.

But if the added commercial space is one ofRosslyn’s largest conflicts, Derby also acknowledgedthat the present lack of retail can be a source of frus-tration as well.

“Within 15 to 20 minutes, you can walk to Court-house, Clarendon, or Georgetown,” said Derby.“There are huge numbers of retail establishments andplaces to eat. That’s good and bad. The bad is thatretail doesn’t place itself in Rosslyn, there’s a realdearth of that here.”

According to Iams, Rosslyn also struggles to bringin commercial clients to fill the vacant office spacebecause the majority of those offices were built anddesigned with the Department of Defense in mind.

“To the extent that that space can be adapted tothe new norms of office tenancy and new amenities,it can continue to do well, but there’s a strong needfor reinvestment in those properties,” said Iams.

But Iams said there’s plenty of opportunities fornewcomers either looking to commute into D.C. orfind work locally.

“You could easily make a compact, convenient lifein Rosslyn working for the government with easyaccess to D.C.’s federal core,” said Iams. But [Rosslyn]also has cool opportunities for creative types: Politico,WJLA. There are also some large professional ser-vices shops, like Corporate Executive Board[CEB]and Deloit, based out of Rosslyn.”

For commuting into D.C., Derby argues there’s nobetter place than Rosslyn.

“If you live in Rosslyn, it’s one of the few placeswhere you have walking access to three metro lines:blue, orange, and silver,” said Derby. “You can catchthree different metro lines from home. And there’sairport access at National. It’s even easy to get toBWI.”

Changing Neighborhoods



Bishop O’ConnellSchool: Bishop Denis J. O’Connell High School.Mascot: Knights.School Colors: Blue and silver.Athletic Director: Joe Wootten, 703-237-

1455.Football Coach: Colin Disch (first year).The Knights started the 2014 season with five

straight wins, but dropped their final five games,starting with an overtime loss to St. John’s, and fin-ished 5-5.

Girls’ Soccer Coach: AlbertoStarace.

Boys’ Basketball Coach: JoeWootten.

Girls’ Basketball Coach: AggieMcCormick-Dix.

Baseball Coach: Kyle Padgett.Softball Coach: Tommy Orndorff.Rival Schools: Paul VI, Bishop

Ireton.

What happened last year: The softball teamwent 27-3, lost to St. Mary’s Ryken in the WCACchampionship game and won the VISAA state title.The girls’ cross country team won the WCAC cham-pionship and placed second at the VISAA statemeet. The boys’ cross country team placed third inthe WCAC and second at the VISAA state meet. Thegirls’ soccer team lost to Good Counsel in the con-ference championship game. The boys’ soccer team

YorktownSchool: Yorktown High School.Mascot: Patriots.School Colors: Columbia blue and white.Athletic Director: Mike Krulfeld, 703-228-

5388.Football Coach: Bruce Hanson (31st year).Yorktown finished the 2014 regular season with

a 7-3 record and lost to Patriot in the openinground of the 6A North playoffs.

Volleyball coach: Sheena Gauer.Boys’ basketball coach: Joe Reed.Girls’ basketball coach: Devaughn Drayton.Baseball coach: John Skaggs.Boys’ Lacrosse Coach: Greg Beer.Girls’ Lacrosse Coach: Crystal Fraser.Rival school: Washington-Lee.

What Happened Last Season: The girls’soccer team went 13-2-3, finished Conference 6runner-up and reached the 6A North regionquarterfinals. Then-sophomore gymnast JulietteMitrovich earned all-state honors on bars andbeam. Then-senior wrestler Jason Kappel won the

WakefieldSchool: Wakefield High School.Mascot: Warriors.School Colors: Kelly green and black.Athletic Director: Noel Deskins, 703-228-

6733.Football coach: Wayne Hogwood, (third year)The Warriors finished the 2014 regular season

with a 7-3 record and earned a 5A North regionplayoff berth. It was Wakefield’s first winning sea-son since 1983 and best record since 1972.Wakefield hosted a playoff game for the first timein school history and defeated Potomac Falls, 25-18, for the program’s first playoff win. The Warriorslost to Tuscarora in the quarterfinals, finishing theyear at 8-4.

Field hockey coach: Mike WisniewskiBoys’ basketball: Tony BentleyGirls’ basketball: Marcia RichardsonBaseball: Mike Ruck

What happened last season: The boys’ bas-ketball team went 24-2 and won the Conference 13championship, but lost in the 5A North regionquarterfinals. The girls’ basketball team finished16-10, lost to Edison in the conference champion-ship game and advanced to the regionquarterfinals. The softball team qualified for

regionals.

Notable: The boys’ basketball program, led byhead coach Tony Bentley, has won three straightdistrict/conference championships. The Warriorsare 73-12 during that stretch, with one region titleand one region runner-up finish.

.Quotable: “People will stop seeing Wakefield

as a basketball school completely, and maybethey’ll want to play [football] here. I’m a teacherin Arlington; I still live in the area. There are a lotof kids that are like, I think I want to go to Wash-ington-Lee or I think I want to go to Yorktownbecause they’ve done things the right way overthere. [W-L head coach Josh] Shapiro has turnedthat program around, [Yorktown head coach]Bruce [Hanson] is always staying competitive anddoing what he does, [but] now we’ve got a rea-son to make people think about hanging out herefor a little bit.” — Wakefield head football coachWayne Hogwood.

Washington-LeeSchool: Washington-Lee High School.Mascot: Generals.School Colors: Blue and Gray.Athletic Director: Carol Callaway, 703-

228-6207.Football Coach: Josh Shapiro (ninth sea-

son).The Generals finished the 2014 regular sea-

son with a 6-4 record and qualified for the 6ANorth playoffs. W-L lost to West Springfield 38-20 in the opening round.

Cross Country Coach: Matt Przydzial.Field Hockey Coach: Beth Prange.Boys’ Basketball: Bobby Dobson.Girls’ Basketball: Angie Kelly.Gymnastics Coach: Joe D’Emidio.Baseball: Doug Grove.Boys’ Soccer Coach: Jimmy Carrasquillo.Girls’ Soccer Coach: Eddy Matos.Rival School: Yorktown.

What Happened Last Season: Then-se-nior gymnast Sophie Hatcher won theConference 6 and 6A North region all-aroundchampionships, and placed fifth at the statemeet. The boys’ cross country team won the con-ference title, placed sixth at the 6A North regionmeet and qualified for the state meet. The girls’cross country team finished conference runner-up. Then-junior wrestler Ethan Guenther won

Former Yorktown wrestlerJason Kappel, right, won the

2015 195-pound Conference 6championship.

Getting To Know High School School Sports...

195-pound Conference 6 championship. The boys’basketball, boys’ lacrosse, girls’ lacrosse and fieldhockey teams qualified for regionals.

Notable: The boys’ lacrosse program in 2014reached the region semifinals for the first time.

Quotable: “It’s a great feeling. Three years ofhard work paid off. It means a lot because I workedhard for this. Seeing all my teammates out therecheering for me; that meant a lot.” — Then-seniorwrestler Jason Kappel after winning the 2015 195-pound Conference 6 championship.

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Football team finished7-4 in 2014, madeplayoffs.

Leon Young, then a junior, and the Wakefield football team earned itsfirst playoff win in program history last season.

Football team went8-4 in 2014, won 5ANorth playoff game.

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Baseball teamreached the 2014WCAC champion-ship series.lost to DeMatha in the conference final. The boys’

basketball team went 20-11 and reachedthe WCAC semifinals. The girls’ basketballteam lost to Paul VI in the VISAA state fi-nal.

Notable: The Bishop O’Connell soft-ball program won 10 consecutive WCACtournament championships from 2004-2013. Head coach Tommy Orndorff in2015 surpassed 700 victories in 30 sea-sons with the program.

Quotable: “I don’t know if there’s a correctanswer for that. It’s certainly a problem, but it’s anice problem to have. There are a lot of people thatwould like to have just one of those guys.” —O’Connell softball coach Tommy Orndorff, whenasked how to keep his talented 2015 pitching staff— Erin Sweeney, Patty Maye Ohanian, KathrynSandercock, Olivia Giaquinto — happy with lim-ited opportunities to pitch during the season.

Orndorff

Boys’ XC teammakes first statesappearancein 33 years.the 220-pound conference championship. Theboys’ soccer team finished the season 12-1-1, butlost in the opening round of the conference tour-nament and failed to qualify for regionals.

Notable: The boys’ cross country team in2014 qualified for the state meet for the firsttime in 33 years. The gymnastics program wonthree consecutive region championships from2012-2014.

Quotable: “Sophie was, again, on a roll. Shewon the all-around at conference and here sheis, not missing a beat. We just hope that beatkeeps going all the way to states. We’re follow-ing her excitement and the team is still excitedfor her that she’s advancing.” — W-L gymnas-tics coach Joe D’Emidio after Sophie Hatcherwon the 2015 6A North region all-around title.The Generals won three consecutive region titlesfrom 2012-2014 but failed to qualify for statesin 2015.

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