Local residents looking to catch a bus to New York City no longer have to take the trip to Union Station or Chinatown.

OurBus, a bus service founded in 2016 offering intercity and commuter routes, will run a new route from Tysons to New York City starting this Sunday (Nov. 18).

“We saw a terrific opportunity to provide local Tyson’s residents a more efficient, less stressful travel option to NYC,” said Axel Hellman, co-founder of OurBus, in a press release.  “Rather than traveling to a city center such as Arlington or D.C., and paying for parking, our customers can board our buses close to their home and work.”

Tickets for the maiden voyage from Tysons to New York are $25. The bus picks up on Dolley Madison Boulevard in front of the McLean Metro Station at 1 p.m. and will drop off at Park Avenue S. between 26th and 27th Streets in New York at 5:40 p.m.

Hellman said the bus tickets are more affordable than flying or other forms of travel, which is true, although it’s worth noting that tickets from Washington, D.C. earlier that morning are notably cheaper with a 7 a.m. trip for $15 and an 8:30 a.m. trip for $10.

The company also offers full refunds if the booking is canceled up to 25 hours prior to departure time and can exchange tickets for different departure times within 24 hours.

Photo via Facebook

It’s official: half of Amazon’s HQ2 will be coming to Arlington and Alexandria. But while the offices won’t be located in Fairfax County, experts tell Tysons Reporter that the impact will be felt across the region.

Jerry Gordon, President of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, said today that the new headquarters is not only likely to bring 25,000 new jobs to the HQ2 site, but will likely pull 50,000 to 75,000 jobs following Amazon into the region.

“There’s going to be a lot of new jobs, particularly in Tysons because of the Metro connection,” said Gordon. “There’s going to need to be new housing and new office space. The whole region is going to boom.”

Gordon said the first companies to feel the impact of the new headquarters will be regional construction companies, who are likely to see more work as developers scramble to meet the new residential and office space demands.

Among the excitement for new jobs are concerns that the headquarters will also make Tysons, an area already infamous for traffic congestion and a lack of affordable housing, denser than its supporting infrastructure allows.

“I’m hoping we get just enough of a boost from HQ2 for everyone to get raises or better jobs,” said a commenter on the Tysons Reporter Facebook page, “not so much of a boost that we end up with a housing crisis like what Seattle or [San Francisco] have right now.”

Gordon said there’s legitimacy to these concerns.

“When you bring in all these new people, you’re going to find housing values go up,” said Gordon. “There’s going to be a lot of families and they’re not going to want to live in high rises. If you want to own — or if you do own — property in the area it’s going to go up in value.”

Gordon said apartments will also feel the squeeze as new Tysonians move in, especially in the interim before the residential development market can catch up to the demand.

“Renting apartment space, that’s going to go up too,” said Gordon. “It’s all based on supply and demand. When that demand increases dramatically, the prices go up.”

Unfortunately, Gordon also said that the headquarters will likely impact traffic as well.

“If Arlington creates enough housing to accommodate, or new housing is built in proximity to the Metro, that impact will be relatively small,” said Gordon. “But that won’t be the case. This is 25,000 people… It depends on whose hired, but you’re still adding 25,000 jobs in the primary sector so there’s going to be an impact on transportation.”

But overall, Gordon said Amazon is likely to have a positive impact on the community.

“Everyone’s been focused on the new jobs, but people don’t think about the fact that Amazon is one of those companies that are very good corporate citizens,” said Gordon. “I know in Seattle they’re involved in issues from homelessness to arts to health issues. If that’s any indicator for how they’ll be involved here, the region is about to get a good shot in the arm.”

Anyone who has visited Republik Coffee (7915 Jones Branch Dr) might have noticed that the building it’s located in is “Highgate at the Mile.” But what exactly is The Mile?

The Mile is a proposed development aimed at transforming 39 acres of office park east of Tysons Galleria into 13 mixed-use buildings. The Mile development would include residential, retail, office, hotel and storage locations.

The Mile is set to be a mixture of high-rise and mid-rise residential and commercial structures, with the ground floor reserved for retail uses. According to the application:

The goal is a transformation of the existing suburban office park into a vibrant mixed-use community interwoven with parks, open spaces, and public gathering areas. The proposal will replace the existing mid-rise office buildings and substantial surface parking typical of an older suburban office park and help transform Tysons Corner into the urban environment envisioned by the County.

The first of the new developments proposed, simply referred to as Building A in the application, would be a seven-story residential building with 280-425 units. Building A would be located just west of Highgate.

The development application for Building A also includes the first stage of a series of street improvements planned for the new development to improve connectivity between the potential development sites.

Plans for the development were submitted late last year but, according to the Fairfax County website, no Planning Commission or Board of Supervisors hearings have been scheduled.

Wondering what to do with your long weekend? Never fear, Tysons Reporter has you covered.

Throughout the weekend, Tysons Corner Center mall will be one of a handful of locations nationwide where players will be able to demo popular Nintendo brawler Super Smash Bros. Ultimate one month before its release.

The game will be playable at kiosks in the mall, along with other Nintendo games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Just Dance 2019. The kiosks will be open tomorrow (Saturday) from 10 a.m.-9 p.m.

Tonight (Nov. 9)

• Opening Night at Meadowlark’s Winter Walk of Lights (5:30-10 p.m.) — The Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna (9750 Meadowlark Gardens Court) will be lit up with a half-mile stretch of light displays. Tickets are $14 for regular admission or $8 for child admission. Be warned, light rain is expected tonight, and cold weather is expected tomorrow. The Walk of Lights will run until Jan. 6, 2019.
• Happy Hour Fundraiser for Vienna Volunteer Fire Department (6-9 p.m.) — The Tysons Biergarten will donate $2 to the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department (VVFD) for every person that shows up with the Facebook event flyer either printed out or on their phone. A percentage of bar sales from 7-8 p.m. will also be donated to the VVFD.

Saturday (Nov. 10)

• Wolf Trap Mega-Adoption Event (11 a.m.-1 p.m.) — The Wolf Trap Animal Rescue’s adoption events typically have around 30 animals available, but for National Adoption Weekend the organization will have nearly 100 puppies and kittens up for adoption Sunday morning at the Tysons PetSmart (8204 Leesburg Pike). A full list of animals up for adoption is available online.
• Veterans Expeditions BBQ and Blues Fundraiser (6:30-9:30 p.m.) — Veterans Expeditions is hosting a fundraiser at J.R.’s Stockyards Inn (8130 Watson St) in Tysons to support its mission of arranging outdoor adventures for veterans. The event will feature live retro-blues music and barbecue.
• Gordon Biersch Tysons Corner Veteran’s Day Fundraiser (Noon-5 p.m.) — A percentage of food and beer sales at the Tysons Corner (7861 Tysons Corner Center) brewpub will go towards the EOD Warrior Foundation, a charity that provides assistance to explosive ordnance disposal veterans and their families. Veterans eat free from a special menu.
• Sabado with Jeff Carr (8 p.m.-2 a.m.) — Guest DJ Jeff Carr will host a night of salsa and bachata dancing with hits from Latin house music and Latin pop at the newly opened nightclub Palladium (1524 Spring Hill Road). Salsa and Bachata classes start at 8 p.m. with cover free for anyone who arrives before 11 p.m.

Sunday (Nov. 11)

• SyteraYoga Grand Opening Celebration (1:30-3:30 p.m.) — The yoga studio that launched in January in downtown McLean will open its doors in a new location (6888 Elm Street) with a celebration that includes chair massages, local vendors, food and drinks.
• Tyler Ramsey at Jammin Java (8 p.m.) — The former lead guitarist for Band of Horses will be performing at Jammin Java in Vienna (227 Maple Ave E). Tickets are $13 in advance or $15 for same-day purchases. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Image via Nintendo

(Updated at 12:15 p.m.) While Tysons may have been snubbed in the final rundown of Amazon headquarters locations, if the second headquarters (HQ2) opens in Crystal City, Tysons may reap some of the benefits and avoid the pitfalls.

Crystal City is potentially one of two locations selected as Amazon’s second headquarters.

“The Crystal City location for HQ2 would generate new [potential] households for Fairfax County,” said Stephen Fuller, head of George Mason University’s Stephen S. Fuller Institute. “Tysons would be well positioned, given its Silver Line service/connection to Crystal City.”

Fuller also said an influx of new jobs means more demand for residential and commercial space.

“These new households will generate demands for local consumer and retail services that would fit into Tysons,” said Fuller. “HQ2 will also generate other business locations and Tysons is well positioned to attract some of these. So, HQ2 would be good news for Tysons.”

Salah Hassan, Professor of Strategic Brand Management at George Washington University’s School of Business, went one step further and said the HQ2 in Crystal City might even benefit Tysons more than if the headquarters had been located in Fairfax County.

“This is going to be a big plus for Tysons,” said Hassan. “I think Tysons will reap the benefits without having to suffer from the traffic issues that may come as a result.”

Dodging the traffic bullet comes as particularly good news for areas like McLean, which has struggled with commuter traffic going to and from Tysons. Traffic cutting through McLean neighborhoods has gotten so dire the Virginia Department of Transportation is currently considering closing access to the Beltway from one McLean artery.

But in addition to crowding the region’s already strained infrastructure, there are concerns that the new Amazon headquarters could squeeze out smaller tech companies and send area rents skyrocketing. Housing affordability is already strained in Tysons.

While Crystal City might be most poised to reap the immediate benefits of businesses hoping to crowd in close to the new Amazon headquarters, Hassan said Tysons’ proximity to Dulles could make it a valuable alternative for companies looking for international access.

“Tysons is a gateway for international travelers going in and out of Dulles,” said Hassan, noting that Reagan National Airport near Crystal City is domestic-only. “Tysons is ready with a big build up. Tysons is rising, and it will be the international gateway for HQ2.”

Hassan also said it’s likely for those moving to the region for HQ2 to look to Tysons for shopping, with Tysons fitting the sweet spot of not feeling as dense as Arlington or Washington, D.C. while still remaining Metro accessible.

But Hassan added Tysons will need to get moving on plans to build educational facilities if it wants to really capitalize on the new HQ2 talent pool. Hassan said that Tysons will be one of the only American cities of its size without a university.

“Tysons needs more in terms of education and support with professional development programs and training,” said Hassan. “The tech industry is going to start to flourish around Arlington and Tysons corridor to support this big giant moving into our backyard. There is a lot of opportunity for education in addition to residential and commercial.”

At the Tysons 2050 event in October, regional experts agreed that Tysons was going to have to encourage a higher education facility to locate in the area. Rodney Lusk, director of National Marketing for Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, said that by 2050 Tysons would need two performing arts centers and at least one research university if it wanted to become anything more than just a commuter hub.

Photo courtesy Crystal City BID

Ten restaurants around the Tysons area made it onto this year’s Northern Virginia Magazine Top 50 Best Restaurants list, including five of the list’s top 10.

At the number three spot in the list is Maple Ave Restaurant at 147 Maple Ave W, just a few blocks west of the Vienna Town Green. It’s a small restaurant, but inside it’s an eclectic mix of American and European cuisine. The restaurant is open seven days a week for dinner, with lunch available on weekdays and brunch on Saturdays and Sundays.

At the eastern end of Maple Avenue is Clarity, which comes in at number five on the list. Clarity offers a seasonally rotating menu of modern American cuisine. A nightly “tasting menu” offers a guided tour of the restaurant’s cuisine. Tonight (Thursday), it’s a three-course meal a variety of seafood and roasted duck, accompanied by Suntory Japanese Whisky and followed by a chocolate almond torte.

But Vienna doesn’t take all the culinary credit for the region. At number seven on the list is Asian Origin, a Chinese restaurant just west of Tysons Galleria at 753 Pinnacle Dr. The restaurant serves a mix of traditional Chinese dishes as well as pan-Asian cuisine like sushi. Asian Origin also boasts a variety of vegetarian dishes.

At number nine is 2941, the modern American restaurant in Falls Church (2941 Fairview Park Dr) near Merrifield. The restaurant puts a French spin on classic American dishes, like a Bordelaise sauce on a rib eye steak.

Lastly, Esaan near downtown McLean (1307 Old Chain Bridge Rd) comes in at number ten on the list. Esaan is a Thai restaurant that offers a variety of specialty items and “street style” dishes from the northeastern region of the country. There’s none of the usual Pad Thai, but offerings like the spicy papaya salad offer a more unique Thai experience.

Also included on the Top 50 list are:

• Amoo’s Restaurant (6271 Old Dominion Dr) – A Persian restaurant in McLean
• Assaggi Osteria + Assagia Pizzeria (6641 Old Dominion Dr) – An Italian restaurant with a focus on fish and pasta in McLean
• Elephant Jumps (8110 Arlington Blvd) – A Thai restaurant in Merrifield
• Nostos (8100 Boone Blvd) – A Greek restaurant in Vienna
• Tachibana (6715 Lowell Ave) – A Japanese restaurant in McLean

The Washington Business Journal has announced its list of 75 fastest growing companies in the Washington, D.C. area and it’s good news for the Tysons area.

Of the top four companies on the list, the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority noted that three of them are based in Tysons.

The list ranks average percent change in revenue from 2015 to 2017. The companies must be headquartered in the Washington area and must be privately held.

DGC International, a company which provides logistical support to military and government clients, was ranked number one on the list. According to Bloomberg, DGC International Inc. is headquartered at 1604 Spring Hill Road near the Spring Hill Metro station but maintains operations in the Middle East, Central Asia, South America and Africa.

The Washington Business Journal said that DGC International has seen an 876 percent revenue increase over the years surveyed, far surpassing TechAnax in second place with a 187 percent increase and Dynamo Technologies LLC with 138 percent.

“There’s no slowing down here,” said Evan Hopkins, business analyst for DGC International Inc. “We’ve brought on a lot of new people, younger talent, and it’s ended up being a really dynamic work atmosphere.”

Hopkins said DGC International Inc. has been working to grow by filling specific needs in narrow markets.

“We’re currently pretty heavy in the vertical of global logistics, and we’re moving into mission support and global operations,” said Hopkins. “It’s a lot of construction work and operations. We’re also really growing in training with a lot of new and upcoming training contracts that we’re currently looking at.”

The companies ranked third and fourth, Dynamo Technologies LLC and Ridgeline International Inc., are also headquartered in Tysons.

Dynamo Technologies is located at 1775 Tysons Blvd just east of Tysons Galleria. The company provides IT services to federal agencies.

The 75 companies were also surveyed on their future plans, with 79.7 percent of those surveyed saying they do not plan on going public. Companies located in the region also seemed satisfied with their location, with 97 percent of those surveyed saying they do not plan to move their headquarters outside of the region.

The rankings also list the fastest-growing companies by their total revenue.

Tysons based KLDiscovery also topped the revenue list at $281.2 million. KLDiscovery is located west of Tysons Galleria across International Drive. The company primarily provides technology services and software to law firms and legal departments.

Number four on the top revenue companies, Dovel Technologies, is also located near Dynamo Technologies and had $190.8 million in revenue in 2017. Following it at number five on the top revenue list is another appearance by DGC International, which reported $149.7 million in revenue.

Photo via Facebook

DC’s Dancing Stars is coming to the Ritz-Carlton in Tysons this Saturday (Nov. 10) for an evening of glitz and glamour with some surprising names.

The annual gala pairs local celebrities with professional dance partners. The dance pairs compete for a mirror ball trophy and a $10,000 donation to the charity of their choice.

The judges of the event are professional dancer and Dancing With the Stars regular Chelsie Hightower, Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta’s Monte Durham, and former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, who turned down an invite to go on Dancing With the Stars last year. Spicer and Hightower were also judges in the 2017 competition.

The gala includes a cocktail reception, dinner, silent auction, professional performances and a live band in addition to the dance competition.

Eight local celebrities are scheduled to compete in the event. So far, construction executive George Nash has the lead in fundraising with $37,920 raised to benefit Youth For Tomorrow.

The gala will be emceed by Will Thomas, a former Fox 5 anchor, and Julie Donaldson, the NBC Sports Washington anchor and reporter.

General admission tickets to the gala is $175, which includes a seat to watch the competition from the balcony or back of the ballroom, dessert buffet, dancing and an open bar.

The VIP ticket includes access to a VIP-only cocktail hour, viewing of the show close to the stage, and a gourmet dinner and dessert.

For residents of the corner of McLean inside the 10th Congressional District, last night’s election saw Jennifer Wexton (D) oust Barbara Comstock (R). But for the rest of the area, incumbents will be returning to office.

Not only did Wexton win in Fairfax County, but the Dranesville District heavily favored Wexton by 3,592 votes.

It was an active race, with 73 percent of voters casting ballots across the Dranesville District. Even before election day, the 10th District race saw an unusually high number of absentee ballots.

Comstock won the seat in 2014 after replacing Congressman Frank Wolf (R), who’d held the seat for over 30 years. Wexton will be the first Democrat representing the 10th Congressional District since 1981.

But while McLean saw high turnout in the competitive race, the Tysons area voter turnout was lower than the countywide average.

Countywide voter turnout was 69.8 percent, but the Tysons precinct only reported 58.7 percent voter turnout. At the nearby Magarity and Rotonda precincts, voter turnout was 66 and 64.7 percent respectively.

In the 8th Congressional District, incumbent Don Beyer (D) handily beat challenger Thomas Oh (R), winning 76.3 percent of the vote.

It was a similar story in the 11th Congressional District, where incumbent Gerald Connolly (D) defeated challengers Jeff Dove (R) and Stevan Porter (L) with 71.1 percent of the vote.

In the statewide race, Sen. Tim Kaine (D) won a 15-point victory over Republican Corey Stewart.

Two constitutional amendments allowing tax exemptions and the public safety bonds request were also approved.

Photo via Facebook

Tysons may be in a long–running effort to drop the “Corner” from the name, but the Tysons Corner Center mall is still the most iconic location in the area. It’s a corner that has gone through some substantial changes over the years.

The mall celebrated its 50th anniversary this year. The Fairfax County Historic Imagery Viewer, which collects aerial photography of the county over time, shows the mall’s evolution from a grassy field to a sprawling urban center. As we did with development near Tysons Galleria and the Greensboro Metro station, we’re sharing a glimpse of Tysons Corner Center over the years.

The oldest photos date from 1937, when the area was more cows than people. The area was known as Tysons Crossroads, with the main local stores being Crossroads Market and Tysons Corner Market.

In 1976, the aerial photos shows the beginning of substantial changes in the area. The mall, constructed in 1969, had already started spurring some small development across Leesburg Pike. Also new in the 1976 photo is the Capital Beltway east of the mall, which was completed in 1964.

By 1990, the development across Leesburg Pike had continued apace. To the south, development of the Towers Crescent was still nearly ten years away. The mall itself had also undergone expansion in 1988, adding new anchor tenants like Lord & Taylor and Nordstrom.

In 2017, one of the biggest aerial changes to the mall is the addition of the Tysons Corner Metro station located on Chain Bridge Road. The Towers Crescent development south of the mall also filled the space at the corner of the Beltway and Leesburg Pike, including the addition of tech firm MicroStrategy. In the wake of the announcement that MicroStrategy would be expanding its headquarters, the Towers Crescent developers are allegedly looking to sell the property.