F.C. Bulletin: West Falls Updates; Dark Sky Week Proclamation; Little City Concerts' Donations
Four New Retailers Set to Open at West Falls This Year
Make way for four exciting new food retail additions to the West Falls Project!
This time, how about an ice cream parlor, a healthy burger joint, a ramen spot, or some Thai street food? Mmmm...
The largest development in the City of Falls Church’s history is coming to life, with several highly anticipated retailers now open and more slated to welcome customers this spring and summer.
Hoffman & Associates, a "nationally recognized developer of mixed-use and residential communities across the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast," is "excited to announce the latest wave of retail openings in West Falls this year," the firm said in an April 14 press release.
"Spanning nearly 10 acres, West Falls offers a seamless blend of urban convenience and community charm, featuring condominiums, apartments, restaurants, retail, a hotel and The Commons – a central outdoor gathering space with over 18,000 square feet of open space for the community to enjoy."
"This lively neighborhood is also a place to call home, with residents of The Alder apartments and The Oak condominiums living among a dynamic mix of shops, restaurants and entertainment. The neighborhood will also include a medical office building and senior living residences."
Here are the retailers "Coming Soon:"
- Ice Cream Jubilee
- Location: 151 West Falls Station Blvd.
- About: Named "Best Ice Cream in DC" for nine years running, Ice Cream Jubilee is thrilled to bring its beloved ice cream offerings to West Falls. With an irresistible range of flavors, from timeless classics to daring and innovative combinations, Ice Cream Jubilee ensures there's something to delight every ice cream connoisseur.
- BurgerFi
- Location: 168 West Falls Station Blvd.
- About: BurgerFi is a chef-founded, fast-casual burger concept offering a casual dining atmosphere with American cuisine. BurgerFi uses 100% American Angus Beef with no steroids, antibiotics, growth hormones, chemicals or additives. BurgerFi's menu also includes high-quality Wagyu Beef Blend Burgers, All-Natural Chicken offerings, Hand-Cut Sides and Frozen Custard Shakes.
- Honoo Ramen Bar
- Location: 153 West Falls Station Blvd.
- About: Located centrally on The Commons, Honoo Ramen Bar will be a full-service restaurant offering Japanese yakitori, traditional Japanese ramen, aburasoba and tsukemen, all made in-house daily.
- Dok Khao
- Location: 180 West Falls Station Blvd.
- About: Dok Khao Thai Eatery serves an array of authentic, made-to-order dishes inspired by the quintessential night markets in Bangkok. Using locally-sourced ingredients, the menu features a variety of offerings, including small plates, salads, curries, noodles and other signature meals. In addition to a diverse and dynamic menu, the restaurant also features gourmet coffee, tea, craft cocktails and a dessert bar.
These 4 new retailers will be joining the following who've already opened at West Falls:
- Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls
- Location: 243 West Falls Station Blvd.
- About: Designed with a casual coastal ambiance and a commitment to friendly service, Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls provides guests with an authentic taste of New England, focusing on sustainably sourced seafood, led by 100% Maine lobster rolls – including both Classic Maine and Connecticut styles.
- Chase Bank
- Location: 118 West Falls Station Blvd.
- About: Chase is the U.S. consumer and commercial banking business of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM), serving more than 82 million consumers and 6.4 million small businesses. They provide a broad range of financial services, including personal banking, credit cards, mortgages, auto financing, investment advice, small business loans and payment processing.
- Tierra Encantada
- Location: 131 Haycock Rd.
- About: As the Leader in Spanish Immersion Early Education, Tierra Encantada provides a distinguished early education experience that focuses on the growth of the whole child.
- Perspire Sauna Studios
- Location: 7140 Leesburg Pike
- About: Perspire combines the centuries-old healing practice of traditional sauna with the science-backed technology of infrared (IR) and red light therapy (RLT) to optimize health and wellness.
- CityDance Studios
- Location: 255 West Falls Station Blvd.
- About: A division of CityDance offerings, Studios offers high-quality, in-person classes for students ages 18 months to adults. The newly built facility includes three studios where students can enjoy classes in ballet, contemporary, jazz, hip hop, tap, zumba and more taught by Studios' esteemed teaching faculty.
- Levine Music
- Location: 255 West Falls Station Blvd.
- About: This state-of-the-art facility features specialized studios where students can learn over 22 instruments and voice guided by Levine’s expert artist faculty. The campus also includes a cutting-edge recording studio, a digital piano lab for group learning, early childhood music education spaces and a versatile performance space for recitals and master classes.
About West Falls
West Falls is a 10-acre community in Falls Church, Virginia, that offers modern condominium residences at The Oak, apartments at The Alder, The Reserve at Falls Church senior living, lively dining, personal care, wellness and education concepts, active outdoor spaces, The Wellness Center, a medical office, Home2 Suites by Hilton Falls Church and more. The community offers unparalleled connectivity, with easy access for pedestrians and bicyclists, as well as proximity to the West Falls Church Metro and major thoroughfares such as I-495, the Dulles Toll Road and I-66. West Falls will include more than 150,000 square feet of open space, including The Commons. At the heart of West Falls, The Commons provides more than 18,000 square feet of central outdoor green space that will feature artful landscaping, ample outdoor seating, two retail concepts, flexible spaces with moveable furniture, a fire pit and pop jet fountains, while also serving as a welcoming space for seasonal community events.
For more information on West Falls, please visit www.westfallsva.com.
F.C. City Council Issues April 14 Proclamation Declaring City-Wide "Dark-Sky Week," April 21-28
Once again, the City of Falls Church is helping shed light on the problem of global and regional light pollution and its negative effects on living beings around the world.
Light pollution is the "human-made alteration of outdoor light levels from those occurring naturally," according to DarkSky International. And its disruptive effects harm: "wildlife and human health, wastes money and energy, contributes to climate change, and blocks our view of the universe."
On April 14, the City issued a Proclamation – signed by Mayor Letty Hardi and passed by the City Council – in support of "Dark-Sky Week," for the City, April 21-28.
The purpose of the week, per the Proclamation, is to "urge all to celebrate the pristine and undisturbed dark skies throughout the Commonwealth, and take a moment to ponder their role in protecting this valuable resource and connection to the environment now and for future generations."
The week is designed to "raise awareness of light pollution, and provide free education, resources, and solutions to the public to encourage the protection of and enjoyment of dark skies and responsible outdoor lighting."
"Thank you Mayor Hardi and City of Falls Church Government City Council members for recognizing 21-28 April 2025 as Dark Sky Week in Falls Church!!," posted DarkSky NOVA – the Virginia chapter of DarkSky International – on Facebook yesterday April 15. "Falls Church City joins in the global celebration for IDSW [International Dark Sky Week], raising awareness of light pollution and educating its residents."
Per the City's proclamation, "the aesthetic beauty and wonder of a natural night sky is a shared heritage of all humankind, and the experience of standing beneath a starry night sky inspires feelings of wonder and awe and encourages an interest in science and nature, especially among young people and out-of-area visitors to Virginia's local communities."
With the "greatest number of Dark-Sky Parks east of the Mississippi" located in Virginia, "home to dozens of species who rely on undisturbed night environments to hunt mate and thrive," and with "80 percent of the world's population, including many people in Virginia [living] under a dome of light pollution ... [who] may never experience the visual wonder or ecological and health benefits of living under a dark sky," increased community awareness of light pollution is essential, the Proclamation declared.
Following the City Council's Dark-Sky Week Proclamation ceremony, DarkSky NOVA chapter head, Eileen Kragie, wrote to The Falls Church Independent to update us on her organization's recent efforts to combat light pollution and some of the challenges faced.
"There are some terrible lights in FC," Kragie said. "Just in front of the Cherry Hill Park are examples of the acorn lights which are awful for light pollution and glare.... The lights on the school further down are [also] blinding and dangerous."
"What is really needed is a committed group of residents who will work on this issue regularly and hold events. Encouraging everyone, homeowners and businesses to assess their home and business lighting and to adopt the 5 principles of responsible outdoor lighting at night will go a long way in addressing the problem."
"There are just so many jurisdiction in this area which desperately need work," Kragie continued. "And everyone must begin to voluntarily adopt responsible lighting practices. We don’t throw our litter on the ground anymore. We need to stop littering with our lights."
For more information in International Dark Sky Week 2025, go here.
For a recent letter-to-the-editor on combatting light pollution from DarkSky NOVA's chapter leader, Eileen Kragie, see our article below:
Christopher Jones
Little City Concerts Wraps Season Proudly with Prodigious Charitable Donations
In October, we wrote (below) about the launch of Little City Concerts' second season in the City of Falls Church. The series' mission is to: "pair great music and great causes."
The recipient of multiple local arts grants – including one from the Falls Church City Arts and Humanities Council – Little City Concerts (LCC) combines "soothing and stimulating dose[s] of high-quality live classical music," "exultant performances," and a dedication to "social justice themes" and charitable donations.
Christopher Jones
Now, at the close of the second season, Little City Concerts' Composer and Founder, Stephen Gorbos, has written to "friends and supporters" sharing his delight in the thousands of dollars of charitable giving the group has been able to donate to worthy causes this year.
"Hello friends and supporters: THANK YOU for an awesome season at Little City Concerts," Gorbos wrote.
"We had our season closer this past Saturday [April 6], and it was such a joy to see and hear Keith Butler's Rest/Imagine: Themes for a Bloodline come into the world. Helping to bring new art into the world is a wonderful thing, and I'm honored that many of you were directly a part of this through your generous contributions."
"Yesterday was what I have come to call "Donation Day" at Little City Concerts: after the final concert, we make our donations to our partner nonprofits (50% of tickets sales for each show, as well as spreading out season ticket sales to all four groups)."
"While I've always enjoyed putting on concerts, working with amazing nonprofits is a specific aspect of Little City Concerts that was entirely new to me, and I've just loved finding out about all the amazing work our partners do in the world."
"Our groups this year were News Literacy Project, Heard, OAR, and Teaching for Change. Thank you to these wonderful orgs, thank you to the artists who brought them to our attention, and thank you to our supporters who helped us make this all happen. When you support us – i.e., buying a ticket, making a donation, getting a friend to come with you to one of our shows – you're supporting these awesome groups too."
"Together, we raised $2316 this year!"....
"Little City Concerts is now in the midst of planning our next season, which includes scoping out artists to work with, and applying for grants. If you would like to make a tax-deductible personal contribution now to help us support our mission of pairing great music and great causes in Falls Church City, you can do so at our general fund donation page at Fractured Atlas."
Thank you,
Steve
Stephen Gorbos (He/Him/His), Composer, Founder, Little City Concerts
By Christopher Jones
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