That’s a wrap, 2021!
Thank you to the Rosslyn community for another exciting, innovative year in the place we’re grateful to call home!
As we head into 2022, we at the Rosslyn BID would like to take a moment to reflect on all the amazing things we accomplished this year as a community. Together, we navigated hybrid-events and new challenges that pushed us to innovate—resulting in a year of returning and reimagined favorites that make Rosslyn our favorite place to live, work, visit and play. Whether you joined us outdoors for some open-air, open-mind thinking at O2; spent the warmer months having fun, playing games and enjoying live music with Summer in Rosslyn; or connected with us and each other in a different way; we’re so thankful for you.
Enjoy this look back at a few of our favorite moments, and we’ll see you in 2022!
We tackled our Rossolutions together
New Year’s resolutions—or as we like to call them, Rossolutions—can be intimidating on your own, so we faced them together! Through a free virtual wellness series, featuring workshops from local experts, live fitness classes, cooking demonstrations, giveaways, and more, we kicked off the new year inspired to be our best. Then, you continued to inspire us when you shared over 400 messages of love and gratitude for #RosslynLOVE! 2021 started with so much positive momentum, we couldn’t wait to see what was in store.
We welcomed spring with a neighborhood refresh
Once the sun was shining, we took advantage of the warmer weather with Rosslyn Refresh! Through locally-sourced giveaways, a Flower Market on the Plaza, the return of O2: Outdoor Office and more, we brought activities for you to enjoy safely outdoors this spring. Not to mention the fun, over-the-top, faux flower installations we sprinkled across Rosslyn! You shared your posts with us using #RosslynRefresh and we got to see how you enjoyed the springtime in our neighborhood. You also made the most of everything Rosslyn has to offer with our Rosslyn Staycation series! A week of giveaways complete with date-night inspiration, self-care gift cards and overnight stays, Rosslyn Staycation brought the vacation right to your own backyard.
You joined us for the first-ever virtual Rosslyn City Social
Rosslyn’s annual City Social celebration went virtual this year! The community came together for an evening of giveaways, expert-led conversations and exciting previews of what’s on the horizon for Rosslyn. This year’s City Social featured fire-side chats and in-depth panel discussions with executives from a few corporate and academic giants local to Rosslyn, including Washington Business Journal, Microsoft, Nestle, UVA Darden and Grant Thornton. We got exclusive insights about the return to the office, the future of the workplace and the developments that will shape our neighborhood’s iconic skyline in the coming years. We also spotlighted local restaurants and chefs, and you connected with us and each other through the “Rosslyn Fun” section. Our virtual City Social set the tone for an exciting year in the neighborhood but ICYMI, check out the full recap and video recording here.
Work evolved around the world & in Gateway Park
Our one-of-a-kind outdoor office made its return to Rosslyn’s Gateway Park—and this time, it’s here to stay! After O2: Outdoor Office was first successfully launched in the fall of 2020, we brought this innovative, collaborative space back to the neighborhood as an extension of the office environment. As a result, we were delighted to accept the prestigious Downtown Achievement Pinnacle Award by the International Downtown Association (IDA) for our work on O2 over this past year, and it’s been inspiring to see other BIDs and associations launch similar initiatives. This fall, we announced O2 2.0; the hybrid workspace solution that more permanently meets the evolving needs of Rosslyn’s employees, residents and visitors. And with the expansion of amenities in a variety of Rosslyn’s public outdoor spaces—including free WiFi at Central Place Plaza and Dark Star Park—O2 is just the beginning.
Your pups found their new favorite neighborhood hangout
We welcomed you and your dogs to Rosslyn’s Interim Dog Park in Gateway Park! Brought to you in partnership with the Rosslyn Dog Owners Group (R-DOGS) and Arlington Parks & Recreation, find it on the western side of Gateway Park open daily from sunrise to 10 p.m. Complete with separate play areas for small and large dogs, a 5-foot fence, a water source and benches, this new addition to the neighborhood quickly became a place dogs big and small could LOVE! This fall, we celebrated the new park with a Howl-O-Ween event that invited Rosslyn’s pet community to enjoy local pet-themed vendors, speakers, a social media dog costume contest and giveaways. Check out some of our favorite costumes from the day here.
We took back summer with a full lineup of outdoor events
From our Rosslyn Cinema outdoor movie nights, to Staycation giveaways, a new Rosslyn Rivals cornhole tournament series and more, this Summer in Rosslyn was one for the books! Our popular Rosslyn Reads book festival made its return to Central Place Plaza, where Turning the Page brought over 10,000 gently used items. We launched our #RosslynTrike for a series of giveaways and special social media contests. (Pro tip: if you see the Trike out and about in the future, be sure to stop by and say hi—there’s probably something fun going on!) Finally, we closed out the summer with Rosslyn LIVE; a new outdoor performance series in partnership with The American Pops Orchestra, which brought three themed nights of interactive dances, sing-a-long moments, and Instagrammable installations throughout Gateway Park.
Jazz filled the streets of Rosslyn once again
This year, we expanded the popular Rosslyn Jazz Festival of previous years to bring live music and celebrations back to the neighborhood! Through a series of pop-up performances, a Jazz Supper Club al fresco dining experience and a reimagined Jazz Fest, Rosslyn Jazz combined local talent with the unique locales Rosslyn has to offer for an unforgettable community event. From Central Place Plaza, to the terrace of Amuse at Le Méridien, Gateway Park and beyond, together we enjoyed the return of this beloved event.
The tradition of remembrance & commemoration continued
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In addition to all of the exciting events this year, 2021 also marked a somber anniversary in our nation’s history. In honor of the 20th anniversary of September 11, we coordinated a holistic program of remembrance across the community with Flags Across Rosslyn. We partnered with Rosslyn’s buildings to hang 26 oversized flags that were visible around the neighborhood, and BID Ambassadors worked hard to hang 64 street light banners and place 500 mini flags around the neighborhood. The Ambassadors also handed out 100 free mini flags, and for every use of the hashtag #RosslynRemembers, we put $2 towards meal donations for our first responders at the Arlington County Police Department and Fire Station 10. Thank you to all who participated, and a special thank you to the first responders who continue to put their lives on the line for our community every day.
New businesses found a home in Rosslyn
This year, we also welcomed several exciting new businesses, restaurants, retail spaces and service providers into the neighborhood! American Real Estate Partners (AREP) officially opened the doors to the newly revitalized Rosslyn City Center, a $35 million renovation that includes the addition of the nearly 40,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art Gold’s Gym and Assembly—an innovative food hall experience. More restaurants made a splash on the Rosslyn dining scene, including the colorful and customizable &Pizza and the modern twist on classic Peruvian fare offered by Inca Social. For Rosslyn’s business owners, Office Evolution set up shop to pave the way for everyone from the enterprise client to the solopreneur. Finally, Learn Me, a special behavioral consulting practice providing ABA Therapy for children, settled in on Fort Myer Dr—right above the BID’s office!
We closed out the year with Rosslyn Cheer!
To end the year, we invited the community to celebrate with fun, festive events all season long with Rosslyn Cheer! We kicked things off with our annual Tree Lighting, where we heard from H-B Woodlawn's talented secondary school choir and WJLA’s Kidd O’Shea helped count us down—check out footage from the day here. You browsed local, artisan vendors at our Holiday Market, where you enjoyed festive drinks and took photos with Santa. Community partners from Arlington County Public Health's Project PEACE, the Arlington County Police Department, Arlington County Fire Department and the County Manager’s office were also onsite to answer questions and provide resources. We helped you get a head start on your shopping list with our Holiday Buying Guide, and you played fun games for prizes throughout the neighborhood with “Where’s Cheerio?” and our Holiday Chocolate Countdown. And most importantly, you got in the giving spirit with our Holiday Clothing Drive, in partnership with PathForward, and donated 146 bags of clothes to Arlingtonians in need. That’s something we can all be proud of!
We at the Rosslyn BID are so grateful to be part of such a resilient, inspiring community, and we can’t wait to carry this momentum into 2022. Happy Holidays and we’ll see you in the new year!