Pottery Barn is now open and operating in the Mosaic District.
The home furnishings and decor business started serving customers in the mixed-use Merrifield neighborhood on Friday, Aug. 18, a store employee told FFXnow.
The store occupies close to 15,000 square feet at 2905 District Avenue, Suite 100, where Nieman Marcus and GreatGatherings had previously set up shop. It’s open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Mondays through Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.
“Pottery Barn offers expertly crafted furniture and home decor,” the company says on its website. “Come by and learn more about the complimentary decorating and design services offered by our Design Studio Specialists. We also have registry experts ready to help you create a well rounded wedding registry.”
Now based in San Francisco, Pottery Barn was founded in 1949 by brothers Paul and Morris Secon in Manhattan, New York. It was later sold to Gap and then, in 1986, Williams-Sonoma, which had 188 Pottery Barn stores, as of 2022.
The Merrifield store supplanted Pottery Barn’s longstanding Tysons Corner Center location, which has closed, a mall spokesperson confirmed. The Tysons mall has been home to Pottery Barn since at least 2008, according to its Yelp reviews.
Pottery Barn didn’t return requests for comment by press time. It also has a store in Fair Oaks Mall.
Other recent additions at the Mosaic District include the Latin wine bar and restaurant Grand Cata and the jewelry store Brilliant Earth. The clothing store Faherty’s is on track to open a couple of doors down from Pottery Barn this Friday, Sept. 1, a spokesperson told FFXnow.
The ice cream shop, Mimi’s Handmade, is still in the works, but no opening date has been announced yet.
(Updated at 9:55 a.m.) A man from Falls Church has been arrested for allegedly firing a gun into a crowd outside Taco Baja (7716 Lee Highway) in Merrifield.
Police say their investigation indicates that Jorge Armando Melendez Gonzalez, 25, approached a group of men standing outside the restaurant early in the morning on Saturday (Aug. 26).
“During the encounter, the suspect was assaulted by one of the men and the suspect opened fire into a crowd of people who were standing in front of the business,” the Fairfax County Police Department said. “The suspect then fled the area on foot.”
Police were called to 7716 Lee Highway at 1:51 a.m. for the reported shooting, according to scanner traffic on Open MHz.
Upon arriving, officers found two adult men in the parking lot with gunshot wounds. One of the men had been shot in the arm, while the other was shot in the abdomen, the FCPD says. Both men were taken to a hospital, one of them with injuries that police initially said were life-threatening.
Police identified a third victim when Inova Fairfax Hospital called 911 at 3:39 a.m. to report that a man had walked in with a gunshot wound to the arm, according to FCPD and the police scanner.
“Officers were able to determine the victim was related to the earlier shooting,” the FCPD said. “The victim’s injuries were considered non-life threatening and he was treated and released from the hospital.”
Gonzalez was arrested late Sunday (Aug. 27) night by detectives from the FCPD’s violent crimes division with the assistance of the Arlington County Police Department’s robbery and homicide unit and SWAT team, according to the news release.
He has been charged with three felony counts of malicious wounding and three counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony. He’s currently being held at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center with no bond.
“Detectives are still investigating if there’s any connection amongst all parties involved in this incident,” an FCPD spokesperson said.
Photo via Google Maps
Summer Restaurant Week starts later this month across the region, with more than 30 Fairfax County businesses scheduled to participate.
The biannual event by Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) is intended to encourage diners to eat out during a sometimes-slow time of the year for restaurants.
Hundreds of restaurants are participating during this year’s summer edition, including several Reagan National Airport and Dulles International Airport eateries — a first for the campaign.
“This year’s Summer Restaurant Week cycle is a special one,” RAMW President and CEO Shawn Townsend said in the press release. “Not only does the promotional week take place during the DC Jazz Festival, we have multiple restaurants participating from our region’s airports, allowing both locals and travelers to the area to take part in the special offerings.”
The restaurants offer brunch and lunch menus for $25 a person and dinner for $40 or $55 a person. There will also be alcoholic and non-alcoholic drink specials as well.
There will be 32 Fairfax County restaurants participating in the upcoming edition, which will run from Monday, Aug. 28 through Sunday, Sept. 3.
Dulles Airport
- Bistro Atelier — French cuisine
- Bracket Room — Sports bar
- Carrabba’s — Italian food
- Chef Geoff’s — American food
- Devil’s Backbone — Gastropub fare
- District Chop House — Steakhouse
- The Washington Burgundy and Gold Club — American classics
Merrifield
- 2941 Restaurant (2941 Fairview Park Drive) — French cuisine
- Alta Strada Mosaic (2911 District Avenue) — Italian food in the Mosaic District
- B Side (8298 Glass Alley) — American food in the Mosaic District
- Matchbox (2911 District Avenue) McLean, and Reston locations) — Pizza in the Mosaic District
- TRIO Grill (8100 Lee Highway) — American food
Reston
- Founding Farmers (1904 Reston Metro Plaza) — Locally sourced food and bar at Reston Station
- Matchbox (1900 Reston Metro Plaza) — Pizza at Reston Station
- North Italia (11898 Market Street) — Italian food at Reston Town Center
- Morton’s (11956 Market Street) — Steakhouse at Reston Town Center
- PassionFish (11960 Democracy Drive) — Seafood restaurant at Reston Town Center
- Pisco y Nazca Ceviche Gastrobar (1871 Explorer Street) — Peruvian food at Reston Town Center
- The Melting Pot (11730 Plaza America Drive) — A fondue restaurant
Tysons/McLean
- Agora Tysons (7911 Westpark Drive) — Greek/Mediterranean/Turkish
- American Prime (1420 Spring Hill Road) — Steakhouse
- Circa at The Boro (1675 Silver Hill Drive) — American bistro
- Earls Kitchen + Bar (7902 Tysons One Place) — American food at Tysons Corner Center
- Founding Farmers (1800 Tysons Blvd) — Locally sourced food and bar at Tysons Galleria
- Jiwa Singapura (2001 International Drive) — Singapore cuisine at Tysons Galleria
- Joon (8045 Leesburg Pike, Suite 120) — Persian food in Fairfax Square
- Matchbox (1340 Chain Bridge Road) — Pizza in McLean
- North Italia (1651 Boro Place) — Italian cuisine at The Boro
- The Capital Grille (1861 International Drive) — Steakhouse and seafood restaurant in Tysons Corner Center. The Fair Lakes location at 12169 Fair Lakes Promenade Drive is participating as well.
- Wildfire (2001 International Drive) — Steak and seafood in Tysons Galleria
- Wren (1825 Capital One Drive South) — Japanese restaurant at Capital One Center
Fairfax County Public Schools has officially announced that it will not implement the Virginia Department of Education’s recently finalized model policies regarding transgender and nonbinary students.
Yesterday (Tuesday), FCPS Superintendent Michelle Reid released a statement confirming that FCPS won’t adopt the new guidelines after a “detailed legal review” found that its current policies are “consistent” with state and federal law.
The statement notes that gender-expansive and transgender students will continue to be referred to by their chosen names and pronouns, given access to school programming and facilities based on their gender identity, and “have their privacy respected,” regardless of their gender identity or legal sex.
“Let me be clear that FCPS remains committed to fostering a safe, supportive, welcoming, and inclusive school environment for all students and staff, including our transgender and gender expansive students and staff,” Reid wrote. “We believe that supporting our students and working with parents and caregivers are not mutually exclusive; we already do both and will continue to do so. We know that students can only learn effectively when they feel safe and supported.”
The policies that FCPS plans to keep in place directly oppose Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s guidance, which has two main requirements:
- Students must participate in school activities and use school facilities according to their sex legally assigned at birth rather than gender identity
- Parents must provide written consent if a student wants to go by a name and/or pronouns that differ from what appears on the student’s official records
Youngkin has characterized the policies as keeping parents involved “in conversations about their child’s education, upbringing, and care.”
Waves of backlash from LGBTQIA+ advocates have rippled across the state since late 2022, when Youngkin first announced his proposed changes to former governor Ralph Northam’s previous policies.
FCPS Pride, an LGBTQIA+ advocacy organization for employees and other adults affiliated with FCPS, played a leading role in advocating for FCPS to take a firm stance against Youngkin’s policies and in favor of transgender and gender-expansive student rights.
FCPS Pride co-chair Robert Rigley Jr. says the state guidelines — which he nicknames the “Don’t Be Trans” policy — make transgender and non-binary students feel unwelcome in Virginia schools and “remove civil and human rights.”
“[The policy] makes it so that some adults have veto power over someone’s gender identity, which from a queer person’s point of view is absurd,” Rigley Jr. said. “…It steals agency in particular from transgender children. It says that you are not in control of your identity at a very basic level, and it turns families and schools against one another, battling over children who are among the most vulnerable children in this state.”
“It traumatizes a whole generation of queer kids in Virginia,” he continued.
FCPS Pride and nine other community organizations held a rally at Luther Jackson Middle School (3020 Gallows Road) in Merrifield. Originally intended as a protest for FCPS to take a clear stance against Youngkin’s policies, the rally transformed into a celebration after the release of Reid’s statement. Read More
VHC Health is making a big push to bring its health care services closer to Fairfax County residents.
With a ribbon-cutting ceremony last Wednesday (Aug. 9), the health system introduced its new Vienna practice to the community as part of a building-wide open house at 527 Maple Avenue, which also recently welcomed the gym Advanced Fitness & Sports Performance.
At its 4,000-square-foot office, VHC Health Physicians offers primary care services for patients 6 and older as well as OB-GYN services for patients 14 and older. The practice is currently staffed with two primary care physicians, an obstetrician and three advanced OB-GYN practice providers.
“In our office in Vienna, we’re really excited about being in such a great community,” VHC Health President and CEO Chris Lane said. “We had a great open house…where a lot of community members came out and really thanked us for providing this option and this choice for them to be able to access the great care from VHC.”
Formerly known as Virginia Hospital Center, VHC Health rebranded last year in conjunction with plans to expand both within and outside of its flagship hospital in Arlington.
In less than two years, the nonprofit has opened clinical offices in Annandale, Tysons, West Springfield and Kingstowne on top of the Vienna practice. Opened in June, the Kingstowne office served as an multi-specialty replacement for a Hybla Valley office that permanently closed.
The services available at each location vary. For instance, the Tysons office at 1760 Old Meadow Road, Suite 305, has specialists in cardiology, gastroenterology and urology, along with primary care and OB-GYN practitioners.
Lane says the recent expansion reflects an evolving focus in VHC Health on preventative care and a desire to bring that care out into the community “where people work and people live.” The health system has also strengthened its telemedicine services in response to the pandemic.
“Our differentiator is we want to be able to provide that care out to the community,” Lane said. “Patients want a choice, and they want to have the ability to choose where they go and have an option, and VHC is a great option for people to receive that care right near their home.”
When looking for potential office locations, VHC Health considers the area’s demographics and what kinds of health care services are already available, Lane says.
To that end, the nonprofit is already working on another local office, this time in Merrifield. The facility at 3025 Hamaker Court will provide surgical services, something that VHC doesn’t yet offer in Fairfax County.
Construction is underway on the practice, which will be in a medical office-heavy area between the Mosaic District and the Inova Fairfax Hospital campus. The work is on track to finish this year, likely in the fourth quarter between October and December, according to Lane.
While other specific locations haven’t been identified yet, Lane says VHC Health plans to continue expanding. After an attendee at Wednesday’s open house in Vienna suggested an office in Reston, perhaps a site west of Route 123 could be next.
“People speak to us, they want the VHC brand and they want the VHC great quality of care in their community, so it’s something we obviously would have to consider,” Lane said.
(Updated at 6:30 p.m. on 8/13/2023) An 85-year-old man died Friday (Aug. 11) after getting seriously injured in a three-vehicle crash on Arlington Blvd (Route 50) in Merrifield.
Paul Hession, a resident of the Churchill neighborhood in the McLean area, was a passenger in a 2015 Toyota Camry that was turning left from westbound Arlington Blvd to Stonehurst Drive around 11:44 a.m. on Friday, the Fairfax County Police Department said in a news release on Saturday (Aug. 12).
“The driver of a second vehicle, a 2010 Toyota Prius, traveling eastbound on Arlington Boulevard, struck the Camry in the intersection,” police said. “After the initial collision, the Camry struck a third car, a 2023 Mercedes-Benz Eqs300, that was stopped at the intersection.”
Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department units were dispatched to the scene of the crash around 11:58 a.m., according to scanner traffic on Open MHz. At least one person had to be extricated from their vehicle.
Hession was taken to an area hospital, where he died. The drivers of all three vehicles were also hospitalized with injuries not considered life-threatening.
Virginia Department of Transportation traffic cameras showed vehicle backups on Route 50 approaching Pickett Road, where police directed traffic at the Fairfax City border.
The crash occurred as other police and fire units were busy investigating a major two-vehicle crash on Route 50 at I-66 near Fair Oaks Mall. Route 50 was fully closed there, and both drivers were initially considered to be in life-threatening condition, the FCPD said.
#FCPD is investigating a three vehicle crash in Merrifield, on eastbound Arlington Blvd near Stonehurst Dr. Eastbound Arlington Blvd is closed while the investigation continues. One adult man take to the hospital in life threatening condition. Please use an alternate route. pic.twitter.com/DmeXcdwLsz
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) August 11, 2023
At mosaicARTs, creative expression is the ultimate path to fulfillment. But the chance to win a gift card worth $1,000 isn’t a bad secondary perk.
That is what’ll be at stake for the 25 young artists showcased in the Merrifield gallery’s new exhibition, “Arts Make Children Powerful,” which opened yesterday (Wednesday) ahead of a formal reception from 4-6:30 p.m. this Saturday (Aug. 5).
In addition to talks by the artists and live music, the opening reception will feature a People’s Choice Awards contest where attendees can cast votes for their favorite piece. Winners will get gift cards that can be used for arts supplies or the gallery’s art programs, including workshops and happy creative hours.
“I feel the art has such a power itself,” gallery co-owner Van Nguyen said. “At the same time, all 25 artists…here, they will get a free gift card from mosaicARTs. I just want to encourage them.”
Mosaic ARTs Gallery is opening a new exhibition, Arts Make Children Powerful. You are invited to join the free opening reception on Saturday, August 5, 4-6pm at the gallery on 2931-B Eskridge Road!🖌️
Learn more about the gallery: https://t.co/MvPROyIMUh pic.twitter.com/BfLNZvSKal
— Dalia Palchik (@SupvPalchik) August 1, 2023
An artist who specializes in sculpture and works full-time as a graphic designer, Nguyen opened mosaicARTs with her sister Lynh — a painter — in late 2022, replacing Auntie Te’s consignment shop at 2931-B Eskridge Road near the Mosaic District.
Nguyen says they decided to start a gallery of their own after she finished a six-year residency at the Arlington Arts Center and noticed a lack of work and exhibition space for artists in Fairfax County — a deficit that has also come to the county’s attention.
Armed with firsthand knowledge of the challenges that artists face trying to make a living, Nguyen wants mosaicARTs to be a place where artists of all backgrounds and levels of experience can find support and a sense of community.
The scope of each show varies, bringing in local, national and even international artists. But Nguyen is particularly interested in assisting people who aren’t established, whether they’re young — like the 6 to 20-year-olds whose work is now being featured — or the older adults she met while working for the National Council on Aging.
“Arts Make Children Powerful” had no overarching theme, so participating students could pursue any idea and medium they wanted. The results range from paintings of flowers and animals to abstract mosaics, a ceramic pizza, and an Edward Hopper-esque, three-dimensional diorama of a diner at night.
“They have a power to create, to express themselves, to make decisions [on] what they’re going to do with their own piece,” Nguyen said. “…That’s just powerful, you know, and they say…this is me. This is my art. I feel so happy when they have a voice for themselves.”
While it primarily focuses on visual art, mosaicARTs supports other kinds of art as well, hosting musicians or poetry readings at every opening reception. Nguyen says they hope to allow video installations in the future, but the gallery would likely need more space.
She’s also working to expand the gallery’s outreach efforts, including potentially connecting with local senior centers.
Ultimately, she hopes mosaicARTs will help usher in a more robust and expansive artistic community in the Fairfax area. Her vision has already won the backing of Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik, who recently visited the gallery and promoted its new exhibit on her social media platforms.
“You see the need for that,” Nguyen said. “People [are] hungry to participate, to be a part [of a community], and I’m like, if we can build this, if we want to have that beautiful environment surrounded with the art, we have to start at some point.”
(Updated at 7 p.m.) The Fairfax County Planning Commission gave its full support last week to a proposal to allow housing at Merrifield’s Pan Am Shopping Center, a key step toward transforming the strip mall into a mixed-use neighborhood.
The commission voted unanimously on July 27 to recommend that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors amend the county’s comprehensive plan for the approximately 25-acre property southeast of Route 29 and Nutley Street, opening the door for up to 585 multifamily residential units and additional retail space.
Before the vote, county staff shared that they had revised the proposed amendment in response to concerns raised by community members, including at a nearly two-hour public hearing on June 28 that was continued to July 27.
“One of the key outcomes of this process is the recognition that this retail center is a vital and valued community asset that is integral to the lives not just of the adjoining residents, but those of the area and region as well,” Providence District Planning Commissioner Phil Niedzielski-Eichner said. “…In my view, the draft plan language before us this evening effectively represents or reflects the community input we received.”
Under the draft amendment, the shopping center could be redeveloped with up to 609,000 square feet of multifamily residential uses, at least 140,000 square feet of existing retail, and 47,000 square feet of new retail on the ground floor of the residential buildings and standalone commercial buildings.
Based on a rezoning application already filed by property owner Federal Realty, the square footage amounts were mentioned in a staff report released on June 7, but they weren’t initially included in the plan amendment itself, which previously only specified 585 units and a total of 187,000 square feet of retail as the parameters for development.
The amendment also now states that the number of dwelling units includes affordable and workforce units. Residential buildings will be limited to 80 feet in height along Nutley Street and 70 feet along the eastern property line.
Other changes stress the importance of gateway architecture and wayfinding signage as well as safety and connectivity for vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists.
To integrate the existing and new uses, the development must feature publicly accessible urban parks, including at least one “consolidated, common green that can…accommodate a broad spectrum of active recreation and leisure activities,” per the staff report modification.
The amendment recommends maintaining and enhancing an existing link to the Providence Hall Apartments, adding an off-road bicycle and pedestrian facility on the east side of Nutley Street, and evaluating the Nutley and Route 50 intersection, along with Nutley and Route 29. Read More
Grand Cata recently made a grand entrance at the Mosaic District.
The D.C.-based Latin American wine bar and store opened the doors of its first Virginia location on July 18, according to an Instagram post.
The modest, 910-square-foot space is located next to B-Side in the former Poke Bar at 8298 Glass Alley, Suite 100. It includes a counter bar and table where visitors can drink wine and eat food, along with shelves of wine for retail sale and a market with sauces and other pantry items.
“We are so happy to be part of the @mosaicdistrict community and we are ready for you,” the business said in a social media post last week.
Started as a retail shop in downtown D.C. in 2016, Grand Cata was founded to fill what founders Pedro Rodríguez and Julio Robledo saw as a gap in the region’s wine market for options from Latin America.
The business expanded in 2019 with its first bar at La Cosecha in Union Market.
The Mosaic District store is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. It’s closed on Monday.
Tenants still to come to the Merrifield neighborhood are Pottery Barn, the beach-inspired clothing store Faherty and the ice cream shop Mimi’s Homemade. In addition, farmers market operator FreshMarket announced last week that it will expand onto Strawberry Lane starting this Sunday (Aug. 6).
The Tysons area will have no shortage of fresh fruits and vegetables for the rest of this year, as one farmers market prepares to make its introduction and another expands its presence.
A brand-new Tysons farmers market will launch at noon today (Thursday) at The PARC at Tysons (8508 Leesburg Pike).
Run by Potomac Farm Market, the market will return every Thursday from noon to 7 p.m. through Oct. 19. It will have “seasonal fruits and vegetables, fresh cut flowers, and other locally sourced specialties” from area farmers and food producers, according to Celebrate Fairfax, the nonprofit that operates The PARC.
“We’re thrilled to work in partnership with Potomac Farm Market and host the farmers market at The PARC,” Celebratate Fairfax President and CEO Ashley Morris said. “The market provides an opportunity to bring neighbors together to connect over fresh, locally sourced food while also supporting local farms.”
To mark today’s launch, Celebrate Fairfax has planned a grand opening event with free ice cream from Tysons Creamery, while supplies last. The giveaway is a nod to National Ice Cream Month, but it will also likely be welcome for patrons on a day expected to get dangerously hot.
The farmers market is currently scheduled to be held outside, but organizers say it could be relocated indoors if necessary.
“We are monitoring the weather and have the ability to move the farm market inside The PARC if needed,” Celebrate Fairfax Director of Community Events and Engagements Trinity Yansick said.
Mosaic District farmers’ market set to expand
Looking south of I-66, nonprofit FreshFarm announced yesterday that it will expand its popular farmers market at Merrifield’s Mosaic District.
Operated by FreshFarm since 2019, the Mosaic market is open year-round on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. It typically occupies more than two blocks along District Avenue from Strawberry Lane to Penny Lane, requiring the road to be closed to vehicle traffic.
Starting on Aug. 6, the market will extend its reach onto Strawberry Lane, increasing its vendor line-up from 45 produce, food and craft stalls to almost 60.
Covering the equivalent of three city blocks, the expanded market will be “in the running to be the largest farmers market in Northern Virginia,” FreshFarm says. Offerings will include “a wide array of fresh fruits and vegetables, artisanal baked goods, pastured eggs and meats, locally roasted coffee, prepared foods” and more.
“The expansion into Strawberry Lane means we can connect even more farmers and producers with the community while also providing local residents with a wider variety of fresh and healthy options,” FreshFarm Director of Agricultural Programs Rebecca Chávez said.
She added that the nonprofit hopes the bigger market will draw more participants for its Fresh Match program, which allows SNAP and other federal benefit recipients to get a dollar-for-dollar match on any benefits they spend at the farmers market.
“[It] both helps shoppers take home more nutritious produce and local foods while creating and sustaining new revenue streams for local growers,” Chávez said.
The Mosaic market’s expansion will coincide with the first day of National Farmers Market Week, which is recognized annually by the national nonprofit Farmers Market Coalition.
Earlier this year, workers for FreshFarm — whose other markets include ones in Reston and Oakton — unionized with United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 400.
Farmers markets are also underway from the Fairfax County Park Authority, which runs 10 markets that appear from the spring into the fall, or even December in some cases.
