Entertainment

Insiders’ Tips: What are the best things about living in Burke?

Interviews conducted by Steve Hibbard at the Pohick Regional Library on Saturday, Aug. 17 in Burke.

“There is the Burke Lake Park where I go to play volleyball with friends. There’s Kingstowne for shopping and the movie theater.”

Insiders’ Tips: What are the best things about living in Clifton?

“Fairfax Station is close by to a lot: Shopping is important—and there’s Fair Oaks and Tysons. Since we’re near the capital, there are a lot of concerts; WMZQ Fest and Ke$ha at Jiffy Lube Live are some of my favorites recently. But it’s not in the city so we don’t have as much traffic to deal with. As a kid, I really liked the fact that the [Lorton] prison was out here. It was creepy. It felt like the middle of nowhere at the time. I also liked being near Occoquan with the parks. My family would take a boat out, or play baseball. I go to Clifton a lot and get ice cream at Peterson’s. It’s really cute.”

Sightseeing in the Area

See the sights in south Fairfax County.

Burke Bakery Offers Made-to-order Sandwiches, Specialty Coffee

Burke Great Harvest Bread Co. now has the addition of made-to-order sandwiches and specialty coffee drinks on their menu, which include breads, sweets and coffee.

Reston Founder Welcomes Newcomers

“I believe you will find you have moved to a friendly place. Your neighbors will want to get to know you no matter how old or young you are and regardless of the color of your skin or the size of your bank balance. The 50 miles of paved pathways within Reston make it possible for you to get around on foot or on a bicycle. You can meet people and make friends on the pathways and you can enjoy the natural open spaces that wind through as they connect to the five Village Centers.

Rescue Reston Protects Golf Course

Rescue Reston is a grass-roots organization comprising community volunteers who oppose redevelopment of Reston National Golf Course into residential housing or any site development other than a golf course or comparable open space.

Check Your Local Community Center

Reston Community Center enhances quality of life of those living in Reston.

New to the area? Whether you recently moved to the Reston area or are one of the thousands of employees that commute here every day for work, there’s a hidden gem in the neighborhood that you cannot afford to miss—Reston Community Center.

An Insider's Guide to the Arts in Northern Virginia

A selection of upcoming arts productions, happening right where you live.

There are more artists of every stripe making art in Northern Virginia than you may realize. Populating the bedroom communities, small towns, growing cities and metropolitan areas of Fairfax County, Arlington and Alexandria are your pick of dance, theatre, choral, symphonic, visual and performance, music and fill-in-the-blank groups. Look beyond Wolf Trap and Jammin' Java to the Torpedo Art Factory, the Workhouse Arts Center, and smaller, quality groups like ArtSpace Herndon and McLean Project for the Arts to cast their creative spell (that's only to name a few). Delve in and, we dare you, let your stereotypes of an artless string of suburbs dissolve. In place you'll get something much better than stereotypes: some culture.

Dancing to Lift Spirits

Gin Dance Company to perform in Reston.

"Dance is an amazing art form that you can deliver stories, ideas, meanings and emotions through body language. It’s a very powerful thing," said Shu-Chen Cuff, artistic director of the Fairfax County-based Gin Dance Company. The company will be performing in the coming weeks at Reston's CenterStage and then at the Reston Multicultural Festival.

The Beauty of Vienna Living

From national recognition to local perspective, views on life in Vienna.

What surprised many people living in the Vienna area is not that Vienna was voted by Money magazine as the third best small town to live in in America but that it did not come in first. That’s Vienna pride.

A Year of The Arts in Vienna

Don't miss the arts in front of your nose: Vienna has concerts, exhibits, community theater and more, right here, in town.

Insiders' Tips: Places to Visit in Dranesville District

Supervisor John W. Foust (D-Dranesville) recommends places to see in the area.

Newcomers to Dranesville should visit our beautiful Potomac riverfront parks. Scotts Run in McLean offers fantastic hiking trails and great views of the Potomac. Riverbend Park and Great Falls National Park in Great Falls have visitor centers, great trails, spectacular river views and scenic picnic areas.

Newcomers and the Community Guide; Get to Know Area Non-profits

Get to know the area non-profits!

Insiders’ Tips: What Are Your Favorite Places in McLean?

After four dynamic years yielding him two Cappie awards and an EP of original songs, McLean’s Damian Leverett, 18, cites the food of Chop n Chicken at 1375 Beverly Road, McLean, as the main fuel to his fire. The recent McLean High School graduate says, “It was my favorite meal to have before performances. … They catered a few of our all-night rehearsal dinners and fed us in between matinee and evening shows.” The aspiring actor recommends the “Create Your Own” option which allows customers to add any three toppings to the restaurant’s namesake dish, but he adds that because “every dish has their delicious chopped chicken … it’s hard to go wrong.” As Leverett prepares to study acting at the Guthrie Theater BFA Program at the University of Minnesota, he reflects on the family-owned business as “definitely the restaurant I’ll miss most when I move away for college.”

Insiders' Tips: What Do You Like Most About Living in McLean?

“I would say McLean is a really top quality residential area. The school system here is famous in Fairfax County. I’ve also enjoyed all the people I’ve met so far. Over 13 years, I have known many good neighbors, parents, teachers and other people involved in all kinds of organizations. Even during the daily grocery shopping experience, I just feel that things are so convenient and pleasant every time. The feeling I have about the culture of the community here is that everyone is looking for the best to contribute back to the community, especially the experience I had with Churchill Elementary School, Cooper Middle School and Langley High School so far.

The Connection