Nov. 15听marked the 50th anniversary for the Crystal City camera shop Metro Camera, and its owner, Jake Levonian, is hoping Amazon鈥檚 arrival will give his business the spark it very much needs.听

Started in 1972, Metro Camera once had five locations spread across the Washington, D.C. area. But, the rise of digitalization and the COVID-19 pandemic left Levonian with only one store left.听听

Both the worldwide shipment of film cameras and digital cameras are at record lows since their inventions, according to Statista a company that tracks market and consumer data.

听With the sharp decline of camera purchases worldwide, Levonian鈥檚 last surviving shop sits in the Crystal City Shopping mall attached to the Crystal City Metro Station.听听

鈥淚 feel like I鈥檓 traveling back in time,鈥� Arlington resident Chris Gordon said.听Gordon was referring not to just Metro Camera, but the entire Crystal City Shopping mall.听

Gordon walks past Metro Camera on a weekly basis going to the Mt. Vernon Trail and the Amazon Fresh grocery store. But Gordon never walked inside of Metro Camera.听

鈥淚 never felt the need to go,鈥� Gordon said. 鈥淎 lot of the stores down here feel kind of odd and out of date.鈥�听

Gordon said he did buy his Halloween costume this year from Total Party right by Metro Camera and went to the Dunkin Donuts in the Crystal City Shopping mall as well.听听听

There are a total of 20 shops in this section of Crystal City Shops. Businesses ranging from a Commuter Store to a military gift store called Ship鈥檚 Hatch all exist in this area of Crystal City.听听

Metro Camera is one of the shops that sit along the direct pathway from the Metro station to the Virginia Railway Express station.听听

Levonian repeated, 鈥渋t will take time,鈥� when asked if the addition of Amazon鈥檚 second headquarters has increased his business.听

As of last year, Amazon added 3,500 new jobs to the area and will include up to 2,500 more jobs by the completion of the construction, according to a Nov. 15, 2021, Amazon infographic.听

The entrance of Metro Camera is filled with Washington, D.C. souvenirs.听听

These souvenirs range from magnets with different name options to a signed family portrait of the former First Family, the Obamas.听

Towards the back of the store are the things that make Metro Camera a camera shop.听

Levonian sells vintage cameras as well as prints passport photos, develops film, and–what he said is the most popular request–enlarges images.听听

As more commuters pass Levonian鈥檚 shop, he said he expects the number of his customers will increase as well.听听

鈥淗opefully, when Amazon moves in completely things will be completely different,鈥� Levonian said. 鈥淭hat’s what we’re all waiting for.鈥�听

Not many people shop in this mall, according to JBG SMITH security guard Jermaire, who declined to share his surname.

听鈥淎 lot of people walk through here on weekdays coming and going to the Metro and VRE stations, but there are very few that go into the stores,” Jermaire said.听听

The area around Metro Camera has already started to look different. Back in October Alamo Drafthouse opened up several feet away from the shop.听听

Before the pandemic, Levonian had a staff of two, but after reopening he could no longer afford his staff leaving him to be the one opening and closing the shop six days a week.听听

鈥淏efore I used to have two employees working here, ” Levonian said. 鈥淏ut after COVID I could not afford to keep them, so now I’m by myself here.鈥�听

As a result of Levonian working alone, he said he changed the shop hours to something more fitting to his schedule. The shop was originally open from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. but is now open from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m.听

The National Landing Business Improvement District recognized the challenges small businesses like Levonian鈥檚 faced due to the pandemic and has provided $200,000 in direct grants to restaurants and businesses through initiatives like Love Local, according to BID President Tracy Gabriel in an email.听

“Small businesses are the backbone of the National Landing community and are an essential ingredient in building our area’s unique identity and a vibrant and equitable future,鈥� Gabriel said in an email.听

Metro Camera鈥檚 survival story wasn鈥檛 the same for some other businesses in Crystal City Shops.听

听A puppet shop called Puppet Heaven never returned after the pandemic. 听

Also, the shop right next door to Metro Camera, DC Men鈥檚 Wear is having a going out-of-business sale.听听

Signs saying things like 鈥淓VERYTHING MUST GO鈥� and听 鈥淟IQUIDATION SALE鈥� cover the entrance of the shop.听听

The owner of DC Men鈥檚 Wear declined to comment.听听

Crystal City, a neighborhood that once was filled with government contractors working at the Pentagon is now, along with Pentagon City, expects to have by 2040, according to an Arlington County webpage.听听听

Those that will be impacted most by this transition are small businesses, as more than 90% of Arlington County鈥檚 businesses are considered small businesses, according to the director of media relations for Arlington County Cara O’Donnell.听

Also, coming to Crystal City in 2028 is a 1,300-foot pedestrian bridge connecting Crystal City to the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.听听

The post The last camera shop in Crystal City hopes to last first appeared on 最新蜜桃影像.

After over two years of construction, Metropolitan Park is expected to open up in May, along with a 30-foot above-ground well designed by local artist Nekisha Durrett to honor the Black neighborhood of Queen City.听听

The well will be covered in red bricks and will spell out Queen City in large letters through the bricks on the outside.听听

Viewers will be able to walk inside during the daytime and see the 903 green handmade ceramic vessels covering the walls of the monument.听听

In the evening, the door shuts but a glass pane will allow visitors to still see the inside. Etched into the glass will be a brief description of the project.

The construction of Metropolitan Park is part of Amazon鈥檚 first phase of its 10-year commitment to National Landing.听听

Along with the monument, the park will include a 700-person event space and a total of 8,800 square feet of open lawn, according to a Nov. 15, 2021 infographic of the park.听听

The park will include two other pieces of art, one from Spanish artist and another from Canadian artist .听

The three artists were among many others tasked with submitting a proposal of what they wished to add to the park.听听听

Based on those submissions, Amazon chose these three artists.听听

When the opportunity came, the first thing Durrett said she did was Google Black History in Arlington.听听

Queen City 鈥減ops right up,鈥� Durrett said.听

Durrett is no stranger to capturing Black stories in art as her was in the National Portrait Gallery as part of the in 2019. 听

Her piece brings awareness to Black women and girls who have been victimized by racist police violence, a group Durrett said is constantly overlooked.听听

The community of Queen City was destroyed in 1942 to create the cloverleaf highway structure that allowed workers living in D.C. to be able to drive to the Pentagon, according to historian Dr. Nancy Perry in a to the Arlington Historical Society.听

Before its听destruction, Queen City residents were denied running water, sewer pipes, and paved streets by Arlington County, according to Perry.听

Even lacking those necessities, Queen City was said to be a thriving community, according to an article published in the Evening Star on Jan. 26, 1908, with the headline 鈥淣egros solve the problem of peaceful living.鈥�听

鈥淎 spirit closely akin to communalism reigns in (this) town,鈥� the author wrote.听

A total of 903 residents watched the construction of the Pentagon occur from their windows, until February 1942 when they were notified that they had only three weeks to leave their homes for good, according to Perry.

Durrett honors each individual by commissioning professional ceramists to create the 903 handmade ceramic vessels that will be on the inside of the monument.听听听听听

鈥淓very piece is almost like taking up space,鈥� Durrett said.听 鈥淣ot just taking up space for me, but taking up space for people who can’t take up space for themselves.鈥�听

This reality hit home for Durrett. 听

Durrett鈥檚 grandmother was living in Orange County, Virginia as a child when her family was forced to migrate to upstate New York.听听

When evacuated, less than 600 Queen City residents were able to live in the . The rest had no choice but to travel all across the country to find distant relatives that were willing to take them in, according to Claire Burke鈥檚 graduate research at Mary Washington College in 2004. 听

鈥淚 want people to encounter this thing that looks perhaps like something they’ve seen before,鈥� Durrett said. 鈥淧erhaps like something that looks like it’s serving some kind of utilitarian purpose, but that looks kind of jarringly out of place.鈥澨�听

Hannah Murphy, a resident in BridgeStreet apartments right across from the park, thought just that.听听

鈥淚 have no clue what it鈥檚 supposed to be,鈥� Murphy said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 interesting that it鈥檚 going to turn out as an art installation. I would have never thought that.鈥�听

The monument still has a ways to go until it is set to be complete in May.听

In the next coming months, the monument will begin to look a lot different as the red bricks are added.

Durrett decided to use brick to recognize the history of Arlington.听听

Arlington was one of the largest distributors of brick in the U.S. during the time Queen City existed. One of Virginia鈥檚 largest brickyards,was also destroyed along with Queen City and the to build the Pentagon, according to Perry. 听

According to the 1940 census data, 38% of adult men living in Queen City worked at that brickyard.听听

Although Durrett is including history along with the artwork, she doesn鈥檛 want it to come off as a museum exhibit.听

鈥淲hat I’m going for is more of an emotional response,鈥� Durrett said. 鈥淚 am trying to bring forward the history of this little-known community.鈥�听

Durrett does plan to add access points for further information about Queen City to the monument.听听

鈥淚鈥檓 glad Queen City is starting to get the recognition it deserves,鈥� John Stanton, Historical Research Associate for the Center for Local History at Arlington Public Library, said.听

For more information, visit the .听

An Amazon spokesperson was not available for comment.听听

听

听

听

The post Artist pays homage to a Black community destroyed by Pentagon construction first appeared on 最新蜜桃影像.

Around 1:30 p.m., the yellow train known as the 鈥淢oney Train鈥� was stuck at Metro Center for a total of 20 minutes due to a brake issue, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority spokesperson Ian Jannetta said.听听

鈥淪ervice was not interrupted,鈥� Jannetta said. 鈥淏ut there were some delays.鈥�听

Metro rerouted trains to the opposite platform, though riders were left standing around confused.听听听

鈥淲hat鈥檚 going on,鈥� one man said while looking around anxiously.听听

No one from Metro was present to direct the confused riders, but the announcement screen read, 鈥淣O TRAIN SERVICE FROM THIS PLATFORM, Due To Disabled Train at Metro Center Please Use The Opposite Platform.鈥�

The yellow money train travels from station to station collecting cash from faregate machines, according to Jannetta.听听听

Riders not aware of the Money Train thought it was a new passenger train being revealed.听听

鈥淚鈥檝e never seen a train look like this,鈥� Ryan Selsor said. 鈥淚 think it looks cool.鈥�听听

Riders should not expect to ride on it anytime soon as only Metro staff are allowed to board the train, according to Jannetta.

The post Metro鈥檚 鈥淢oney Train鈥� stuck at Metro Center Station first appeared on 最新蜜桃影像.

Tuesday鈥檚 panel titled 鈥淭he Threats to Democracy鈥� was one of six at the Democracy Summit featuring well-known journalists, authors, historians, and lawyers.听 The summit served as the launch of the Center for Journalism & Democracy at Howard University.听听听听听

Civil Rights lawyer Sherrilyn Ifill said it is important to understand that the biggest threats to U.S. democracy precede Trump.听听

Ifill pointed to the 2013 Supreme Court case, Shelby County v. Holder, which she said gutted Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. Shelby allowed other parts of the country 鈥渢o see what the South was doing with voter suppression and decided to use those techniques,鈥� Ifill said.听听

Section 5 鈥渨as made to prevent ingenious methods of voter suppression that may be used in the future,鈥� said Ifill.听听It worked by in election practices until the US attorney general or the US District Court for the District of Columbia approved them.听

In response to the historic turnout of voters during the 2020 presidential election,听we saw new voter suppression laws, according to Ifill.听听Shelby County made it easier for states to make changes aimed at suppressing votes or diluting the voting power of minorities, such as making it illegal to hand out water to people waiting to vote in Georgia. 听

Ifill also said听Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis drew gerrymandered maps for the entire state before the 2022 midterm elections.听

鈥淢aybe the Democrats were saved, but Democrats and democracy are not the same thing, ” Ifill said in response to President Joe Biden鈥檚 statement asserting democracy was saved in response to the 2022 midterm election results.听听

Another panelist, Avery Davis-Roberts, the associate director of the Democracy Program, said that as political parties become more divided and voters see their political party as part of their own identity, then the likelihood of violent attacks like the Jan. 6th insurrection will continue to increase.听听

Rachel Orey, the associate director for Bipartisan Policy Center Elections Project, said the first step in fixing the threats to the U.S. democracy is that political figures must comply with the elections laws that exist and concede when they lose elections.听听

Started by Howard professor and author of the 1619 Project Nikole Hannah-Jones, the Center for Journalism & Democracy aims to strengthen historically informed, pro-democracy journalism, according to the center’s website.听听听To learn about the new Center for Journalism & Democracy, visit

The post Panelists: Biggest Threat to US Democracy Happened Long Before Jan. 6th Insurrection first appeared on 最新蜜桃影像.

The traffic outside of Crystal Plaza looked as if it was any other day. There were no lines outside the building that morning, and only one election volunteer was standing outside offering sample ballots to those walking in to vote.听听听

Crystal Plaza resident Christina C. said she didn鈥檛 even notice any unusual traffic while walking her dog. She asked that we do not publish her full name. 听

Crystal Plaza is the only apartment complex polling site in Crystal City and one of only three in the county.听听The other apartment-based polling sites are Bennett Park in Rosslyn and The Bartett in Pentagon City.听

It is not Crystal Plaza鈥檚 first time hosting a polling site.听

The voting site at Crystal Plaza is also unique because it is only a seven-minute walk from the Crystal Square Five polling site that sits outside the Crystal City Metro Station.听听

Crystal City resident Tieranee Stevens, when asked why she chose the Crystal Square Five polling site over the Crystal Plaza location, said it just felt more accessible with it being right by the Metro.听

Stevens said she voted immediately after exiting the Metro Station.

In addition to being further from the Metro, Crystal Plaza sits along a street loaded with construction.听听

The apartment complex is located on South Clark Street, a street with a giant hole and vehicles and supplies for the construction of a new apartment complex nearby. The construction also means the apartment complex has one entrance closed off.

Crystal City resident Junkwi Keng had issues finding his way out due to all of this construction.听

Keng, who arrived at 7:45 a.m. to vote, was left outside after voting, waiting several minutes for an Uber driver to tell him the street was shut off. Keng walked to the nearby Marriott Hotel in order to access the Uber.听听

The street was not in fact closed off, but those unfamiliar with the area could find it very confusing.听听

鈥淚 wish they could have offered voting at a nearby library instead,鈥� Keng said, not knowing about the Crystal Square Five polling site.听

As a result of all these factors during the morning, a lot more voters were present at the Crystal Square Five polling site compared to Crystal Plaza.听

Residents of Crystal Plaza saw no issue with their apartment complex being a polling site for the day.听听

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 pretty clutch,鈥� Christina C. said.听听

Christina and many other Crystal Plaza residents were able to vote at the convenience of their own building then head to work immediately following.听听

Christina said two weeks prior to election day, people were outside of Crystal Plaza advertising the election as well as registering residents to vote.听听听

Both polling sites will stay open until 6 p.m. and the latest reporting was done at 1:30 p.m.听听

Crystal Plaza management declined to comment. 听

听

听

听

听

听

The post Crystal Plaza polling site a mixed blessing first appeared on 最新蜜桃影像.

鈥淓very single mayor of D.C. has been a Democrat, and I think the legacy will continue in this election,鈥� said Andrew Thompson, assistant professor of political science at George Washington University.听听

Here are the three opponents:听听

Rodney Grant, Independent听

Rodney 鈥淩ed鈥� Grant is a retired comedian, husband to a retired police officer, and father of three daughters. Grant was born and raised in Washington, D.C., and attended Dunbar Senior High School and the University of the District of Columbia.听

Issues Grant wants to tackle are ensuring education equality, eliminating poverty, supporting the LGBTQIA+ community, advocating for small businesses, and increasing public safety, according to his campaign website.听听

鈥淚 am running a campaign based on love, care, and respect rooted in sincere concern for our youth, our residents, and our public safety,鈥� Grant said in an email.听听

鈥淔or the last 18 months, I have knocked on 96,000 doors, attended hundreds of community events, spoken directly to thousands of frustrated residents, attended way too many vigils, and the theme is always the same; our city has been mismanaged by a leader who never shows up in the communities that need the most support.鈥�听

Stacia Hall, Republican听听

Stacia Hall identifies as a grandmother and businesswoman, according to her campaign website. Hall is the founder and owner of a local small business Eclectic Minimalist Interior D茅cor and Staging located in Ward 3.听Hall was born and raised in Miami and now lives and operates her business in Cleveland Park. On her campaign site, she also makes note of her faith.听听

Hall鈥檚 plan is to increase policing, reduce taxes, expand school choice, and incentivize local employers to hire people without housing, according to her campaign website. 听

Hall did not respond to questions, after she directed a reporter via Twitter to contact her on Gmail. Hall did not respond to the email.听

Dennis Sobin, Libertarian听

Dennis Sobin is a father and for his involvement in听an escort service he founded in 1984.听

Sobin advanced as a write-in for the Libertarian Party primary in June. This is his second time being on the ballot for D.C. mayor, after first running in 2010.听听

Sobin鈥檚 platform is on decriminalizing what he called victimless crimes. Drugs and prostitution should be legal in Washington, D.C., according to Sobin in an interview published on his YouTube channel back in July. 听

最新蜜桃影像 could not reach Sobin for comments, and there are no public sites for听Sobin鈥檚 political platform. 听

The mayoral contest has several major issues听听

Crime听听

Crime in Washington, D.C., has grown since 2012. The homicide rate in D.C. increased from 88 homicides in 2012 to, according to D.C. metropolitan police data.听听

Bowser鈥檚 approach is by targeting individuals that the District knows are committing violent acts, according to a DC press release.听听听

Hall wants more policing. In 2011, Hall鈥檚 son was a victim of police brutality in Miami. Hall still supports the police and said she wants to bring more police officers back to Washington, D.C., calling them听needed and essential in .听

鈥淥n Miami Beach in 2011, my son was beaten by a gang of police and hospitalized,鈥� Hall said in a tweet on Oct. 16. 鈥淏ut we got past it through prayer and forgiveness. Despite what it looks like, we have great police officers.鈥澨�听

Grant takes a different approach to fighting crime. 鈥淭he youth need more things to do, ” Grant said in a phone interview. 鈥淒on鈥檛 shoot guns, shoot cameras is one of the many initiatives I have planned to get the youth off the street.鈥澨�听听

Homelessness听听

As of January 2020, there werein Washington, D.C., according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.听听

In 2014, Browser ran on the platform of ending D.C.鈥檚 homelessness. As of April, D.C.鈥檚 47% since her administration implemented the in 2016, according to her office.听听

Hall used to be homeless, living in a shelter in Miami as a single mother at one point, according to her campaign page. Hall鈥檚 plan to fight homelessness in Washington, D.C., is to , Hall told WTOP News. 听

Grant鈥檚 campaign literature says one of his goals is to eliminate poverty in D.C. His plan to accomplish this includes, increasing affordable housing, enhancing the partnerships with Veteran Affairs, investing in job training for the present and future workforce.听听听

Migrant Busloads听

Over the summer, from states like Texas and Florida have been brought to Washington, D.C. Several nonprofit organizations received a total of $150,000 in grants from the attorney general to provide help for听the migrants. 听听

Bowser in September also established the to provide support and services to migrants being bused to the District.听听

Hall said the migrants should have Hall told听The Vibe Bar podcast that,听if the president never into Florida and Texas, D.C. would never have this issue. (According to Washington Post fact-checkers, the Biden flight in question was f)听

Hall also tweeted saying 鈥淚n DC, Sanctuary City status must end! We need to take care of our own!鈥�.听听听

Grant said if he wins the election, he said in a phone interview he will continue the work Browser already started with the Office of Migrant Services. 听

听

听

听

听听

听

听

The post Bowser likely to win DC Mayor. But three opponents are taking her on. first appeared on 最新蜜桃影像.

This time, Arlington County wants the public鈥檚 help in deciding between two locations for the bridge.听听

Arlington residents can submit their opinions no later than Nov. 6 by emailing info@cc2dca.us or completing the online feedback form at .听听听听听

Once finished in 2028, the Crystal City to Ronald Reagan Airport, or CC2DCA, for short will be the first of its kind. The 1,300-foot pedestrian bridge will be the equivalent of a five-minute walk from Crystal City to the airport and will allow for the thousands of those living and working in Crystal City to get to the airport quickly and easily.听听

The first option, option 7D, would start where the new National Landing Virginia Railway Express station will be at 2011 Crystal Dr. The bridge will cross over the George Washington Memorial Parkway and end at Terminal 2鈥檚 parking garage.

The second option, option 9D, also would end up in the Terminal 2 garage. But, it would start at the future Amtrak station, which is further down Crystal Drive at 2231 Crystal Dr., making it a longer walk through the parking garage to get to the airport.听听

听听

The preferred option is 7D, according to Arlington County. Option 7D is the quickest to the airport and the cheapest, according to a听senior planner for Vanasse Hangen Brustlin engineering consulting company Drew Morrison.听听

The planning for the bridge is already three years in, though it鈥檚 scheduled to be completed six years from now.听听听听听

Arlington County is scheduled to be done with the planning for the bridge in mid-to-late 2023. Then, the engineering for the bridge is scheduled to be completed in 2026 to early 2027. Finally, the construction for the bridge is set to be done by 2028, according to Morrison in the virtual public meeting.听听听

鈥淥f course, I will benefit from the bridge,鈥� Crystal City resident Ekaterina Smirnova said. 鈥淏ut the reality is I probably won鈥檛 be living here still to experience it.听听听

The reason why engineering is scheduled to take so long is because of five-to-six other projects that will interfere with the bridge.听听

Projects like the new VRE station, the new Amtrak station, and the new Terminal 2 security checkpoint at the airport are all directly connected to one or two of the bridge options.听听听

The construction for all three of these projects have yet to begin.听听听

The estimated walk time now from the Crystal City VRE station to the airport is 33 minutes, according to Apple Maps. 听

鈥淚t鈥檚 not a bad walk,鈥� Crystal City resident Miguel Diaz said. 鈥淚鈥檝e done it a couple of times, it鈥檚 just when I went it was really dark at the time.鈥澨�听

Both times Diaz made the walk it was early in the morning, before the Metro opened or as the Metro was just opening.听

Planning the design of the bridge will be the county鈥檚 next step after picking its location. Lighting, a roof over the bridge, and even seats on the bridge are all in the discussion, according to the senior planner for VHB Drew Morrison in a virtual public meeting.听听听听

Arlington County values the public鈥檚 opinion on what to add to the bridge, as it decided to add a connection to the Mt. Vernon Trail for both options after it was brought up as a concern for members of the public over the summer.听听听

Some residents feel discouraged about this plan, fearing that those trying to make it to the airport will be stuck in the congestion of bikers and runners throughout their commute.听听听

During the virtual meeting last Tuesday, the team responded that this is a concern that will be handled in the design stage of the project.听听听听听

Originally, there were four other options included with options 7D & 9D. Three of those options included a tunnel.听听听

Those options were deleted after the county learned that the existing infrastructure could not handle a tunnel, according to Morrison in the virtual public meeting.听

The $38 million project funding comes from not only Arlington County. Of the $38 million, $9 million comes from federal funds, $18 million comes from Northern Virginia regional funds, and the remaining $11 million comes from Arlington County, according to Morrison in the virtual public meeting.听听

The next public meeting will be in March 2022, when residents can help plan what the design of the bridge would look like.听听听

鈥淲e at the National Landing BID are thrilled by the considerable progress made towards making CC2DCA a reality and we applaud Arlington and Virginia鈥檚 commitment to delivering this next-generation mobility project,鈥� said President of National Landing Business Improvement District Tracy Sayegh Gabriel in a press statement email.听听听

听听

听

The post Arlington residents get a voice on where the DCA pedestrian bridge will be built first appeared on 最新蜜桃影像.

Set in-between the Crystal City Metro and听VRE stations, Alamo Drafthouse would be the closest movie theater Arlington residents can access by transit.听听听

But, the theater is opening less than two years after the closing of Regal Theaters in Potomac Yards, and at a time when fewer people are going to the movie theater. 最新蜜桃影像 67% of Americans 18-29 said according to the Pew Research Center.听听

During 2021, Americans saw an average of 1.4 movies in theater, compared to a 4.8 average between 2001-2007, according to a Gallup poll.听

National Landing Business Improvement District President Tracy Gabriel sees Alamo Drafthouse as an 鈥渆xciting addition鈥� to National Landing.听

“The opening of Alamo Drafthouse on Crystal Drive this fall marks an exciting addition to National Landing as we look to grow our entertainment and experiential offerings across the neighborhood,鈥� Gabriel said in an email.听 鈥淥ne of our goals at the BID is to continue bringing exciting new businesses to National Landing and Alamo Drafthouse offers the perfect blend of food, drinks and film for residents, office workers and visitors to enjoy.”听听

Just last year, Alamo Drafthouse filed for . Two months later, Alamo Drafthouse re-emerged from bankruptcy, .听听

听But, just this month, an Alamo Drafthouse in Omaha, Neb. shut its doors.听听

鈥淚t is with a heavy heart that we officially announce that today was the final day of screenings at Alamo Midtown due to the lasting impact related to the COVID-19 pandemic,鈥� Alamo Drafthouse Omaha said in a Facebook post Oct.10.听听

American University Film & Media Professor John Douglass鈥檚 theory is that small and large movie theaters will not survive. Movie theaters need to find a way to connect to their communities, according to Douglass.听听

The movie theater 鈥渘eeds to find its level in that community, whatever it is,鈥� Douglass said. 鈥淚f it鈥檚 a small town and the only way to get out for an evening is to go to a restaurant, and there鈥檚 a movie theater attached then that sounds like a good evening. Other communities are going to be different.鈥澨�听

Douglass said Alamo Drafthouse鈥檚 business model of serving food and drinks during the movie fits the D.C. area well.听听听

鈥淚t looks fun,鈥� Arlington resident Avery Austin said about Alamo Drafthouse.听听

Austin said she doesn鈥檛 go to theaters as much since COVID-19. One of the two movies she saw recently in theaters was ‘Spider-Man No Way Home’ at the end of 2021. Three days later, she got COVID for the first time.听

Austin said she will continue to go to movie theaters, just not as much.听听

鈥淚t鈥檚 really fun that a movie theater is going to open up so close,鈥� Austin said. 鈥淚 kind of miss going to the movies.鈥�听

Austin said her plans are to invite her friends to the opening night of the theater.听

听Alamo Drafthouse waiters serve customers while they are watching the movie. Then will bring the check 30 minutes before the movie ends, according to the Alamo Drafthouse site.听听

The new Crystal City location will have nine auditoriums, totaling to 915 seats all in Alamo Drafthouse鈥檚 鈥淏ig Show鈥� format.听听

鈥淭he Big Show is our attempt to create the best film-watching experience possible,鈥� Director of Presentation Mark Louis said in a quote on the company鈥檚 site.听听听

鈥淭he Big Show format鈥� uses 4k projection systems, Dolby Atmos technology, and 100% recliner seats, according to the company site.听听

Even with such luxury, Arlington residents like Matilde Jacobson still prefers to stay home to watch movies.听听

鈥淚 got out of the habit of going to the movie theater after COVID,鈥� Jacobson said.听

Jacobson said she鈥檒l check out Alamo Drafthouse at least once but watching movies at home is 鈥渏ust cheaper.鈥�听

Last year, 61% of Americans didn鈥檛 go to the movies, according to a Gallup poll.听听

The recent dual release of the movie Halloween Kills in theaters and streaming on Peacock is one of many films that are now having dual releases.听听

Even though streaming changed the movie theater industry, Douglass said movie theaters are not going anywhere any time soon.听听

鈥淲e may find movie theaters in different places than we have traditionally, ” Douglass said. 鈥淲e may find fewer theaters, we may find theaters that are tied in with combinations like bars, restaurants. But I think that group experience is something that people like.鈥�听听

Alamo Drafthouse public relations team FONS PR declined to comment in time.听听

The post After a series of closures nationwide, Alamo Drafthouse opens its next theater in Crystal City first appeared on 最新蜜桃影像.

The free rides will be limited to Zones 1-3. The three zones include six VRE stations: Backlick Road on the Manassas Line, Franconia-Springfield on the Frederick Line, Alexandria, Crystal City, L鈥橢nfant, and Union Station.听听

After October, riders in National Landing can expect to pay upwards of $6.35 for a single ride compared to the Metro rail cost of $2.40 for a ride from Crystal City to Union Station.听听听

鈥淥nce the period ends, fares will go back to what they were in August,鈥� VRE Public Affairs Administrator Karen Clarkson said. 鈥淭he staff is not recommending any increases in passenger fares, but it will be up to our operations board to make the final decision come December.鈥�听

Arlington resident Kerry Cannella rides the VRE from Crystal City to Union Station. When asked if he would continue to ride the VRE after it鈥檚 no longer free, Cannella said, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know.鈥�听听

Using the Metro, Cannella has to transfer to the Red Line to get to Union Station, and both the Blue and Yellow lines will take him there from Crystal City.听

鈥淚 don鈥檛 mind taking the Blue Line,鈥� Cannella said.听听

鈥�The only difference is that those using the Blue Line will have a slightly longer trip,鈥� Metro Media Relations Manager Sherri Ly said via email.听

Until May 2023, trains will be routed through the Rosslyn tunnel rather than the more direct connection across the Yellow Line bridge, according to Ly.听听

VRE was impacted by the pandemic, and it lost thousands of its daily riders over the past few years. .听听

Last month鈥檚 nine-month closure of the Metro Yellow Line and eight-week shutdown (the closure was extended to Nov. 5th) of Metro stops south of the airport gave VRE the opportunity to create 鈥渇ull platforms鈥� once again, according to Clarkson.听听听

鈥淭he decision to suspend fares will make VRE a more attractive and viable option for Metrorail riders,鈥� VRE said in a July press release.听听

Jimmy Mandilk, an Arlington resident, found out about the VRE through the September promotion, he said. When the Yellow line closed, Mandilk decided to start riding the VRE.听

鈥淚 hadn鈥檛 even thought about taking the VRE,鈥� Mandilk said while waiting at the Crystal City train stop. 鈥淭hen I saw an ad saying the VRE is free, and I was like, where does the VRE go? And that鈥檚 what led me to realize that I live not far from a VRE station.鈥�听听

On the flip side, VRE offering free rides encouraged D.C. resident Alex to travel to Virginia.听听

鈥淕oing down to spend money in Virginia because the VRE is giving me a free ride!鈥� DC resident Alex posted in a tweet on Sept. 8th.

The free rides are not the only thing to attract new rides to the VRE.听

VRE is great, Cannella said while standing on the Metro platform at Crystal City. 鈥淚 feel like the VRE is a lot nicer.鈥澨�听听

VRE saw its daily ridership go from 5,000-5,500 in August to around 6,000-8,000 and sometimes even more in September, according to Clarkson.听听The rail line听doesn鈥檛 know the exact number of people that get on at the Alexandria and Crystal City station since it鈥檚 not required to report those numbers to the National Transit Database, according to Clarkson.听听听

鈥淎necdotally, we have seen very full platforms at Alexandria,鈥� Clarkson said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e seen an increase in ridership at Crystal City, but they are not reflected in those numbers.鈥�听

Metro鈥檚 Ly did not comment on how Metro鈥檚 daily ridership in the National Landing area is impacted by the closure, but she did say those still choosing to ride Metro can expect 鈥渁 slightly longer trip.鈥�听听听

Metro also offers free shuttle rides from Crystal City and Pentagon City to the L鈥橢nfant Station in D.C. between rush hour times, which are 6:24 a.m.- 9:12 a.m. and 3:24 p.m.- 7:24 p.m.

The VRE runs during similar times in Crystal City and Alexandria, as the VRE does not run between 10 a.m.- 12 p.m. and after 8 p.m.听

The Blue Line will continue to only go out to Ronald Reagan National Airport until Nov. 5th. In the meantime, buses will continue to replace the train from Ronald Reagan-Huntington during Metro rail hours, with bus pick-up starting at the Crystal City Station.听

Last month, freight rail unions threatened to strike but reached a tentative agreement on Sept. 16th.听听

If union members don鈥檛 ratify the agreement by Oct. 15th, VRE has the potential to shut down since it runs on track owned by CSX and Norfolk Southern, according to Clarkson.听听

Will riders continue to take the VRE when the Yellow line opens back up in May?听听听

鈥淚 will probably switch back to the Yellow,鈥� Mandilk said. 鈥淭he VRE is more convenient, and it鈥檚 also more expensive.鈥�听

听听

听

The post Metro Yellow Line Closure Creates an Opportunity for Virginia Railway Express first appeared on 最新蜜桃影像.