The Williamsburg Shopping Center is the retail establishment in my neighborhood, Williamsburg/Berkshire Oakwood on Sycamore Street in Arlington. 
It has a delightful mix of shops and restaurants, including the new and delicious Deli Italiano - which delivers 7 days a week, and has a few nice tables and stools for dining in as well. It seriously has one of the best cheese pizzas I've ever tasted!
It is also home to a wonderful tailor/dry cleaner - Jin's, Virginia Commerce Bank, Peking Pavilion, Backyard BBQ, some hair salons and a pottery store.
Back in late October, residents were saddened to see the local 7-
11 in the Williamsburg Shopping Center abruptly shut down. It was the anchor of the plaza and always buzzing with activity. You really rarely could go into the 7-11 without encountering a line of people buying coffee, Slurpees, lunches, or an afternoon Big Gulp. My family relied on it for late night ice cream and early morning milk runs. When it shut down, rumors spread that the landlord, Nick Kalis, raised the rent too high. I called Mr. Kalis and asked him his thoughts on this anchor store leaving, if it was true he raised the rent and what his plans are for filling the space.
Mr. Kalis said that there were no negotiations with the 7-11 tenant and that he was sorry they left. Another rumor I addressed with him was that a Dunkin Donuts would be the replacement - which had residents quite giddy. Mr. Kalis said that talks between his real estate broker and Dunkin Donuts had not progressed significantly. Then in December, Your World Pottery, one of the newest tenants in the shopping center had appeared to take over the space, yet there is still a for rent sign in the window.
Mr. Kalis said he just let Your World Pottery temporarily use the space during the holidays and wants residents to know that his broker, Renaud Consulting, is still actively looking for a permanent tenant. He also welcomes residents' input as to what kind of store they would like to see there, and encourages residents to contact him directly with feedback, positive or negative about the shopping center. His vision is to replace 7-11 with a "high end" convenience store. When I asked him what the current rental asking price was, he declined to answer and asked me to contact his broker.
If you are thinking of opening a small business, the Williamsburg Shopping Center is in a great neighborhood to consider! It is less than a mile from the EFC metro and surrounded by an active community who loves to walk and support local businesses.
It's also a great place to live if you are thinking about moving to North Arlington, Virginia! Our real estate market has held strong amid the national collapse, and our numbers were actually up in 2010 over 2009.
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