(Updated 6/10/2020) For people looking to support local Black-owned eateries, shops and services in the area, Tysons Reporter and Reston Now are working to compile a list of places open for business.
Since this is a crowdsourced “living document” — it will be updated regularly by one of our reporters or editors.
Several blogs, websites and social media groups have rounded up lists of local Black-owned businesses, including Feed the Malik, Vienna VA Foodies, Reddit and the Northern Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce.
People can contribute to the list by sending an email [email protected] with the subject line “Black-Owned Eatery and Business List Addition.”
“The best way [to help business owners] is to give directly if you can, look at your black-owned business and order from them if they’re still open,” Sean Perryman, the president of the NAACP Fairfax County, told Tysons Reporter.
Like other local businesses, Black-owned restaurants have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, Perryman said.
So far, businesses include:
- Amore Congelato (Reston Farmers Market)
- McLean Pizza (1434 Center Street)
- Caribbean Plate (133 Annandale Road E.)
- Pie Gourmet (507 Maple Ave W.)
- Mienne Beauty Supply (1880 Howard Ave Suite 105)*
- Arthur Christine hair studio (113 Park Street NE)
- Tysons Playground (8502 Tyco Road)*
- Perfect Planning Events (8201 Greensboro Drive)
- Mindstate Wellness Center (1980 Gallows Road)
*temporarily closed due to COVID-19
Photo via Caribbean Plate/Facebook
The Boston Market in McLean is closed for good, according to the property’s realtor.
Though it is unclear when or why the company decided to shutter the location (1408 Chain Bridge Road), another Boston Market shuttered recently in Arlington.
Tysons Reporter reached out to Boston Market’s corporate office for comment and has not received a reply.
The chain served home-style food like chicken, meatloaf and a variety of sides, according to the website, which no longer lists the Arlington and McLean locations. The closest one now is in Fairfax, according to the website.
Image via Google Maps
After people in Tysons noticed roughly 100 trees were cut down on the edge of an upcoming townhome and condominium development, a community Twitter account asked its followers who might be responsible.
Tysons Reporter found the answer — the property along Magarity Road is slated for redevelopment by the Toll Brothers Group. The group claimed responsibility for taking down the trees.
Previously, the property named The Commons at Mclean was abandoned and overgrown by weeds until taken over by the new developers.
Eric Anderson, the president of the Toll Brothers Group, said that the trees were in a development right of way and needed to be taken down.
“Per the [Tysons Comprehensive Plan], there were requirements in place to allow for [a] future right of way on all sides of the property,” he said, adding that the space will be used to build a bike lane, sidewalks and an expanded roadway.
“I ran that trail this morning. Missing the sweet smell of pine. They were old-growth trees as well, probably 40-50 yrs old each,” one person commented on Twitter.
By the time the new development is complete, Anderson said that 355 new trees will be planted on the property.
Last night as we slept 85+ trees were shamelessly murdered in #TysonsVA 22102 along Magarity Rd (from Anderson Rd to Westgate Elem). Who's responsible for this? RT if you love #trees! pic.twitter.com/zW9vJydPft
— Tysons, VA (@TysonsVA) May 30, 2020
Photo courtesy @TysonsVA /Twitter
As Northern Virginia reopens under phase one, people are beginning to visit public places like restaurants and shops again.
While Gov. Ralph Northam and health directors in Northern Virginia say that COVID-19 trends are going in the right direction, the Centers for Disease Control and the Virginia Department of Public Health warn that there is still a risk for community transmission of the virus.
For animals, though, the CDC issued a statement saying that the likelihood of catching the disease from a pet is very low. Still, people may feel hesitant to interact with other people or pets.
Currently, county-run dog parks are closed, according to the Fairfax County Park Authority. Several apartment buildings have their own dog parks in the Tysons area, along with ones in the Mosaic District and Vienna.
As COVID-19 restrictions get rolled back, Tysons Reporter would like to know how our readers feel about bringing fido to the local dog park. Let us know in the poll below and feel free to leave a comment.
Photo by Jonathan Slater on Unsplash
To support the Black Lives Matter movement and #BlackoutTuesday, Spacebar in Falls Church announced on its social media sites that it will be donating profits from tonight’s sales to Black Lives Matter DC.
Black Lives Matter DC is a member-based organization that helps Black people around the D.C. area who are at risk of violence by working toward “the abolition of systems and institutions of white supremacy, capitalism, patriarchy and colonialism,” according to the website.
“We are a radical collective of Black artists, infrastructure builders, movement healers and strategists from the future, organizing in the here and now,” according to BLM DC’s website.
Spacebar, a local hangout, offers diners a variety of brews and meals like sandwiches including a variety of grilled cheese ones and loaded tater tots. People can order for pick up and view the menu online.
The location will be open from 4-8 p.m. this evening for people looking to support the Black Lives Matter movement while enjoying some beer or food.
People who want to call attention to the BLM movement and create space for Black voices to be heard are using #blackoutTuesday on social media, according to the Guardian.
Hat tip to Kalina Newman
Photo via Spacebar/Facebook
A Vienna learning center is helping out kids in need by temporarily supplying them with laptops during this era of online learning.
Stemtree of Vienna typically offers four different science, technology and engineering courses for students but decided to loan laptops to students throughout the community who don’t have access to computers for online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to its Facebook page.
The center’s curriculum director Abdelghani Bellaachia said that the program distributed roughly 10 laptops in the last few weeks and still has availability for students in need. He added that a student doesn’t have to meet any criteria for the free laptop loan besides being in need and a promise to treat the equipment with respect.
Though families might have one or two laptops to share between kids, Bellaachia said he understands this might not meet the demand of online school. “We understand families might need an extra laptop.”
The center has been working with public schools like Westbriar Elementary School in Vienna to ensure the needs are being met, according to Bellaachia.
Anyone interested can register online and then set up a time to pick it up by calling (703) 281-STEM (7836) or sending an email.
All laptops must be returned by June 10 so the center has its equipment to start summer camps on June 15 under the first phase of the reopening plan set forth by Fairfax County and the Virginia Department of Health, Bellaachia said.
Students in the camps will be with peers in groups of 10 or less and have designated equipment for the week, according to Bellaachia, so families and the center can limit risk.
Photo via Stemtree/Facebook
Though firework displays and community gatherings are canceled for this year’s Fourth of July in Vienna, the town is offering a solution so people can still partake in festivities.
People can purchase a “4th of July in a Box” package from the town for $20. The box includes s’mores supplies for four people, glow sticks, a picnic blanket, a craft activity for two kids and an assortment of patriotic accessories and toys, according to Vienna’s website.
People can pick up their packages from the Vienna Community Center (120 Cherry Street SE) starting June 29, the webpage said.
Though anyone, not just Vienna residents, may purchase the package, the town has imposed a two-box limit per household.
“Visit Webtrac and use activity #610701-A1 to reserve your box,” the webpage said.
July 4th in a Box is now available for purchase for residents and non-residents!
More info available here: https://t.co/bh8mc6we1y pic.twitter.com/jFTT5aSXxK
— Town of Vienna, VA (@TownofViennaVA) May 26, 2020
Photo by Paul Weaver on Unsplash
CVS announced dozens of new drive-thru testing sites for COVID-19 in Virginia with a few near Tysons.
Of the 39 pharmacies offering the tests, two locations are near Merrifield and one is in Great Falls, according to the company’s website.
The locations near Merrifield can be found at 3921 Prosperity Avenue and 10090 Fairfax Blvd, while the address for the Great Falls location is 1020 Seneca Road.
These locations are a part of a nationwide initiative offering 986 total testing locations, the website said.
Patients must register in advance at CVS.com and take a brief survey before making an appointment, according to the website.
The locations will accept most major insurance providers so people may be able to get a free test, the site said.
Respondents are asked for information including birthdate, symptoms, if they have a reference from a doctor or official and if they have preexisting health conditions that might put them at a higher risk.
CVS joins the growing list of places where people can get tested. Tysons Reporter recently compiled a list of places where people can get COVID-19 tests around Tysons.
Image via Google Maps
Updated June 1 — This update reflects a comment from Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik.
After upcoming restoration projects sparked concerns from residents in a Tysons neighborhood, Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn is trying to minimize potential damage to local flora and fauna.
Some Westwood Village community members are worried that the project is distrustful to established trees and nesting wildlife in the area some have dubbed “Tysons Last Forest,” according to Jack Russell, who has been active in speaking out against the projects.
“The citizens have done a good job getting my attention,” Alcorn told Tysons Reporter, adding that he first became aware of the issues with the restoration projects after he heard feedback similar to what Russell has heard.
Contested projects include the Old Courthouse Spring Branch at Gosnell Road stream restoration project, which runs loosely along Route 7 and is currently under construction to restore roughly half a mile of the natural stream channel. Other projects include the installation of a new bike bath to the Metro, replacement of old sewage lines and a project to decommission an old stormwater pond, according to Alcorn.
Though Russell said he understands the need for watershed restoration projects since erosion is threatening certain area homes, he thinks the ecosystem should be at the forefront of peoples’ minds.
Russell and his wife Susan submitted a letter to Alcorn and Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik in late April, hoping to get their attention.
“I am greatly dismayed by what I see in the forest today. Various Fairfax County projects are leading to massive tree loss and deforestation,” Russell wrote. “The forest is under siege. Wildlife habitat is being decimated.”
Supervisor Palchik never replied or even acknowledged the letter, according to Russell, but Palchik told Tysons Reporter that the area is out of her geographic jurisdiction.
Alcorn, who does have jurisdiction over the area, spent several hours with Russell visiting the forest to get a better understanding of the area.
“The fact he came out on short notice and spent two and a half hours shows sensitivity to the environment and great leadership,” Russell said, adding that the two trekked through “pure mud and muck” built up from several rainy days leading up to the meeting.
“It was very helpful to see the sites and the trees and understand their concerns,” according to Alcorn.
Though Alcorn sees the community concern, he said that these projects are essential to the overall health of the area’s watersheds and have already gone through the necessary procedures clearing them for construction.
Despite the community petitions, “none of this is coming to the Board of Supervisors,” Alcorn said.
Instead, Alcorn said he will help facilitate communication and find a way for the projects to move forward with more attention to environmental welfare for the local plants and animals.
“I’m trying to use my influence to suspend the project to identify where there can be better coordination with these projects as they go forward,” Alcorn said.
Already, Russell said his own coordination efforts have saved a “significant” number of trees. He is currently coordinating walkthroughs and teleconference with planners for phase two of the project — to minimize unnecessary destruction.
Photo courtesy Jack Russell
COVID-19 restrictions have started to ease up around Fairfax County today (Friday).
Now that the county is joining the first phase of Gov. Ralph Northam’s reopening plan, here’s what people who live and work around the Tysons area need to know about county-operated facilities.
Parks and Recreation
Parks and parking lots controlled by the Fairfax County Park Authority are open with the exception of dog parks, visitor centers, playgrounds and public restrooms, according to the website.
Athletic fields will officially open for unpermitted groups of 10 or less on Friday (May 29) under phase one of plans to reopen the county.
Both publicly and privately run pools are currently not allowed to open yet, the website said, adding that certain pools might open for lap swimming during phase one. Pools run by the Park Authority will not open at all this summer.
At schools in Fairfax County, both the tracks and tennis courts have been reopened but playgrounds, basketball courts and athletic fields will remain closed for the time being, according to the website.
Fairfax County summer camps have already been canceled, according to a press release.
For people indoor entering public spaces, the Virginia Department of Public Health announced that they are required to wear a mask or protective face covering. This order will go into effect on Friday (May 29) but the Centers for Diseases Control have suggested for weeks that people cover their mouths and noses to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.
Anyone with additional questions can check out the website or email staff members from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. on weekdays.
Farmers Markets
Farmers Markets will look different this year with the implementation of preorder options and social distancing guidelines.
In the City of Falls Church, people can visit the market only to pick up preordered goods. Shopping and browsing will not be allowed, according to the website. A list of vendors at the Falls Church Farmers Market can be found online.
The future of the McLean Farmers Market, which is run by the county, is still unclear. Opening dates have not been announced yet, according to the Fairfax County website.
Libraries
All Fairfax County Public Library branches will be closed until further notice, according to the website — but this doesn’t mean that libraries aren’t offering online resources for patrons.
Anyone with a library card can check out digital resources such as e-books, audio files, online magazines and videos.
People can also pick up a new hobby like learning a new language, redesign their home using tips from the library and even learn about family heritage, according to the website.
