#Bartender shirts series

When Paredes moved back to the area after spending eight years in south Florida, Carpool felt less like homeroom and more like home. I’d say over the years we know at least 500 to 1,000 people by name and probably another 500 to 1,000 by face,” Filipczyk said about Carpool’s customers. Mike Filipczyk chats with regular customer Alberto Paredes on a Thursday afternoon at Carpool in Arlington, Virginia. Everybody knows everyone,” said Paredes, a general contractor who grew up three blocks away from the bar and has been a regular since it opened. “To me, it’s kind of like high school homeroom. The change, however, has not deterred customers from visiting Carpool. “It’s high-rise after high-rise,” said 59-year-old Filipczyk, who added that there’s also been an influx of bars and restaurants. Carpool is expected to serve its last drinks in April, The Washington Business Journal reports.įilipczyk, who has worked as a bartender at Carpool for more than 21 years, says the neighborhood has changed “drastically” since he arrived on the job. In 2016, the sale was completed and plans to replace the bar with a 22-story, 330-unit apartment building, retail space and underground parking were announced. In 2014, development company Penzance bought the bar’s adjacent building with the option to acquire the Carpool property. Now, offices and apartments tower above it. The one-story sports bar, stocked with pool tables, sports paraphernalia and antique gas station signs, was once a focal point on the busy stretch of Fairfax Drive that runs between the Ballston and Virginia Square Metro stations. But at Carpool in Arlington, Virginia, that is exactly what’s on the menu - at least for a few more weeks.Ĭarpool, which opened in 1995, is one of the few remaining establishments of a bygone Ballston. dining scene, it’s hard to find a watering hole where comfort comes in the form of a bottle of Bud, a basket of onion rings and a bartender who knows your name. In an era where craft cocktails, celebrity chefs and “artisanal” everything dominate the D.C.

#Bartender shirts series

Paredes, 46, whips out his phone, scrolls through photos and launches into a series of stories about the newest four-legged member of his family. WASHINGTON - Wearing a plaid bucket hat and a short-sleeve button-up shirt, Mike Filipczyk leans over the bar and places a pint of light beer in front of Alberto Paredes. Business & Finance Click to expand menu.Īug| A beloved Ballston bar serves its last drinks (WTOP's Rachel Nania).