School board to consider school renovation needs
The design for Falls Church High School. [Perkins Eastman/FCPS] Fairfax County Public Schools’ Capital Improvement Program for 2022-28 outlines projects at six schools in the Mason District/Annandale area. The school board is holding a work session on the CIP on Jan. 5 and a public hearing on Jan. 7. The school board is scheduled to … Continued
Loyal customers of Anthony’s are contributing funds to keep the restaurant afloat
Like so many businesses during the COVID pandemic, Anthony’s Restaurant on Annandale Road is struggling to survive. “It’s been a very difficult year. Business has declined tremendously,” says Ted Yiannarakis, the son of owners Anthony and Faye Yiannarakis, who founded the Italian/Greek restaurant nearly 50 years ago. “We have some wonderful customers who are very … Continued
Alexandria celebrates ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ – Landmark Mall never looked so good
Wonder Woman kicks butt at Landmark Mall. A special treat for Northern Virginians watching “Wonder Woman 1984” are the scenes filmed at Landmark Mall. The City of Alexandria is celebrating the release of the movie with a display featuring a prop from the mall scene and other WW84 special promotions. The seven-foot-tall drum with the … Continued
2020: What opened, what closed
Lidl opens in Pinecrest Plaza. Many of the restaurants and other businesses that closed during 2020 couldn’t survive under the restrictions to stop the spread of COVID. Meanwhile, a fair number of businesses opened this year in spite of the pandemic. Here’s a rundown of the restaurants and other business that opened and closed in … Continued
Giant to add labels indicating products are from a minority-owned company
The Giant on Columbia Pike in Annandale. Giant Food will introduce new shelf labels in January for about 3,100 products sold in its stores that come from minority-owned businesses, the company announced last week. The labels will let shoppers know certain products are from women, black, Asian-Indian, Hispanic, LGBT, or veteran-owned businesses. There are 218 … Continued
New sushi restaurant will offer Thai cuisine
Akeno is moving into the vacant space between Taco Rock and T-Mobile. Akeno Sushi Bar & Restaurant, under construction in Pinecrest Plaza, will serve sushi with a taste of Thailand. The co-owners Eakachai (Sean) Promsiri and Anawat Jaithum are both originally from Thailand. In addition to traditional Japanese sushi, they are planning creative sushi varieties … Continued
2020: The most-viewed stories of the year
The following Annandale Blog stories published in 2020, listed in descending order, drew the most readers: Annandale loses a beloved doctor: Farewell Steve Perez (May 12) Dr. Perez, a long-time Annandale doctor who died from COVID-19, is fondly remembered by his many patients. Virginia nursing home with the biggest COVID outbreak is in Annandale (June 20) The Annandale Healthcare … Continued
2020: The year in review
What a year! The COVID-19 pandemic dominated our news coverage in 2020, but other things happened, too, including some redevelopment plans, a renewed focus on racial justice, and a critical election. Here are some of the highlights from the Annandale Blog: January Amazon to start construction soon on HQ2Amazon’s decision to build a new headquarters … Continued
D1 athletic training center to open in Pinecrest Plaza
D1 has leased this vacant space in Pinecrest Plaza. An athletic training studio called D1 is coming to a vacant storefront next to Lidl at Pinecrest Plaza. Franchise owner Tom Fukuda hopes to open in May or June. D1 offers athletic-based, personal and small group training for adults and scholastic sports training for kids and … Continued
Happy Holidays!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to our Annandale Blog readers. Be well. We’ll be back tomorrow with more news.
Fairfax Connector to replace Metrobus routes in Annandale
The 3A Metrobus on Annandale Road. [File photo] The Fairfax County Department of Transportation is proposing five new routes to replace Metrobus routes being eliminated. Three of the new routes serve the Annandale area. FCDOT is holding a virtual community meeting on the new routes and proposed service changes affecting other Fairfax Connector routes on … Continued
Inova to relocate Alexandria Hospital to Landmark Mall site
The new plan for Landmark Mall. The City of Alexandria, Inova Health System, and three development companies announced an initial agreement Dec. 22 to build a new hospital campus and mixed-used urban village on the site of the former Landmark Mall. Inova would invest $1 billion in the medical campus, which would be anchored by … Continued
Take a survey on your priorities for a new police chief
Fairfax County is seeking public input on the qualities and priorities for a new chief of police. Access the survey here. The current Fairfax County police chief, Edwin Roessler Jr., is retiring in February 2021. The brief survey asks such questions as “What do you consider the most important public safety issues in Fairfax County?” … Continued
Commonwealth’s attorney ends cash bail
Descano Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano is implementing several reforms – alternatives to pre-trial detention and the elimination of cash bail – with the goal of making the criminal justice system more equitable. Descano formalized his office’s commitment to not seek cash bail, a practice he initiated immediately after taking office in January. … Continued
Explore a Park: Ecological restoration and history at Fitzhugh Park in Annandale
This article is part of the Annandale Blog’s Explore a Park series. Previous parks in the series include Manassas Gap Park and Luria Park in Annandale and Lillian Carey Park in Bailey’s Crossroads. Fitzhugh Park is a 10-acre park in Annandale between the Bristow Village condominium, the Ravensworth-Bristow neighborhood, and the beltway. Features: Playground, basketball … Continued