Article Text

Four food and dessert businesses are scheduled to open at West Falls during the spring and summer, adding burgers, ramen, Thai street food and ice cream to the growing Falls Church development.

The nearly 10-acre community, described as the largest development in Falls Church history, already includes residents at The Alder apartments and The Oak condominiums. Plans also call for restaurants, shops, a hotel, medical offices, senior housing and extensive outdoor space.

The four incoming retailers are:

  • Ice Cream Jubilee, 151 West Falls Station Blvd., will serve classic and inventive ice cream flavors.
  • BurgerFi, 168 West Falls Station Blvd., will offer Angus beef and Wagyu-blend burgers, chicken, hand-cut sides and frozen custard shakes.
  • Honoo Ramen Bar, 153 West Falls Station Blvd., will open beside The Commons as a full-service restaurant serving yakitori, ramen, aburasoba and tsukemen made in-house.
  • Dok Khao, 180 West Falls Station Blvd., will feature made-to-order dishes inspired by Bangkok night markets, including curries, noodles, salads and small plates. Its menu will also include coffee, tea, cocktails and desserts.

They will join several businesses already operating at West Falls. Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls serves Maine and Connecticut-style lobster rolls at 243 West Falls Station Blvd., while Chase Bank has opened at 118 West Falls Station Blvd.

Other existing tenants include Spanish-immersion early education provider Tierra Encantada at 131 Haycock Road and Perspire Sauna Studios at 7140 Leesburg Pike.

CityDance Studios and Levine Music share an address at 255 West Falls Station Blvd. CityDance offers classes ranging from ballet and jazz to hip-hop, tap and Zumba for students from 18 months old through adulthood. Levine Music provides instruction in more than 22 instruments and voice, along with a recording studio, digital piano lab, early-childhood education rooms and performance space.

West Falls is also planned to include The Reserve at Falls Church senior living community, The Wellness Center, medical offices and a Home2 Suites by Hilton. The project is near the West Falls Church Metro station, I-495, the Dulles Toll Road and I-66, with access for pedestrians and bicyclists.

More than 150,000 square feet of open space is planned throughout the community. That includes The Commons, an 18,000-square-foot central green featuring landscaping, outdoor seating, retail space, movable furniture, a fire pit and pop-jet fountains. The area is also intended to host seasonal community events.

Falls Church Declares Dark-Sky Week

The Falls Church City Council adopted a proclamation April 14 recognizing April 21-28, 2025, as Dark-Sky Week and encouraging residents to consider how their outdoor lighting affects people, wildlife and views of the night sky.

Signed by Mayor Letty Hardi, the proclamation is intended to raise awareness about light pollution and promote responsible outdoor lighting. It describes dark skies as a shared natural heritage that can inspire interest in science and nature, particularly among young people.

Light pollution is the human-caused alteration of naturally occurring outdoor light levels. Its effects can disrupt wildlife and human health, waste energy, contribute to climate change and obscure views of the universe.

The proclamation notes that Virginia has more Dark-Sky Parks than any other state east of the Mississippi and is home to dozens of species that need undisturbed nighttime environments to hunt, mate and survive. It also says that 80 percent of the world’s population lives beneath light-polluted skies.

DarkSky NOVA, the Virginia chapter of DarkSky International, welcomed the designation April 15. Chapter leader Eileen Kragie said some lights in Falls Church create severe glare, citing fixtures near Cherry Hill Park and a nearby school.

Kragie called for a committed group of residents to organize events and work consistently on the issue. She also encouraged homeowners and businesses to review their properties and follow five principles of responsible outdoor lighting.

She compared excessive illumination to litter, arguing that communities must begin treating unnecessary nighttime light as a form of pollution.

Little City Concerts Raises $2,316 for Nonprofits

Little City Concerts ended its second season by raising $2,316 for four nonprofit organizations while continuing its mission of pairing classical music with charitable causes.

The Falls Church concert series directs 50 percent of ticket revenue from each performance to a partner nonprofit. Proceeds from season-ticket sales are distributed among all four participating groups.

This season’s beneficiaries were the News Literacy Project, Heard, OAR and Teaching for Change.

Founder and composer Stephen Gorbos announced the total after the season finale on April 6, which featured the premiere of Keith Butler’s Rest/Imagine: Themes for a Bloodline. Gorbos thanked the artists, supporters and nonprofit partners who helped organize the season and fund the donations.

Little City Concerts has received several local arts grants, including support from the Falls Church City Arts and Humanities Council. The organization is now identifying artists and applying for grants as it plans its next season.