A Tax on Driving into DC?

A few blogs have been buzzing about the possibility of a congestion tax in DC. New York City's Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently proposed a congestion tax as part of his Earth Day proposals to help green the city and cut down on traffic. DC's Mayor Adrian Fenty is a big fan of Bloomberg, and is reportedly thinking of something similar for DC. A similar congestion charge in London has already been successful in cutting traffic and reducing travel times.

Here are some basic arguments for and against a congestion tax:

PRO -- Reduce traffic at peak times, raise revenue for transportation needs, cut air pollutants (DC is a nonattainment area for ground-level ozone and fine particulates)

CON -- Fairness issues: The tax would hit low-income drivers the hardest, while high-income drivers would be able to enjoy the reduced traffic. And why only tax drivers in certain parts of the city? Workers don't control where their offices are located.

Arlington commuters who drive into DC for work would be hit hard by this tax. What do you think? Is it a good idea?

All the Arlington News You Care About - 4/27

Annie Gowen (Washington Post) wrote Sunday about the Bodies exhibition in Rosslyn that uses 250 preserved human specimens to shed light on the inner workings of the body. Read more.

The Sun Gazette reported that the County Board approved a new policy that will require government-sponsored sports leagues to meet residency requirements by 2009. Read more.

The Washington Capitals will unveil their new uniforms at a special Draft Day Party on Friday, June 22, held at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex. The Caps are returning to the red, white, and blue color scheme that they wore from their first season in 1974-75 through 1994-95. Read more.

Scott McCaffrey (Sun Gazette) wrote today on the board increasing parking meter rates. Read more.

The 2007 CSC Invitational, a premier professional bike race, will be held in Arlington on June 2. Computer Sciences Corporation announced today that it will be the title sponsor of the event. The CSC Invitational will benefit the Paralyzed Veterans of America. For more information, visit the website of Arlington Sports Inc.

McCaffrey also reported that board members are looking for balance as they study redevelopment ideas for Crystal City. Board Members Jay Fisette and Barbara Favola are quoted. Read more.

Scott McCaffrey (Sun Gazette) reports on the web today that more than 200 local residents have signed up to participate in the local “Green Living Challenge,” which seeks to provide Arlingtonians with common-sense and easy-to-implement ways to help the environment. Read more.

DC Idol -- Even Better than the Real Thing?

Thanks to Stefanie for sending this info along. It looks like a lot of fun, and the money is benefiting a great cause:

Missed your chance to audition for American Idol? Then your next shot at stardom is coming, when DC Idol hits Arlington Cinema Drafthouse starting May 8th.

Visit http://www.dcidol.com/to register for free and sing your heart out in front of a live audience.Hurry,the registration deadline is May 1. Just click on the "Be a Contestant Link"

Not a singer? Be part of the live voting audience. Purchase tickets online
at the Arlington Cinema Drafthouse.

All proceeds benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

I, for one, am definitely not a singer. But it sounds fun, and a great cause. I'm going to try and check it out.

Great Hike Right Down the Street: Four Mile Run

OK, so it's not necessarily a true hike in the strap-on-your-backpack-and-Timberlands sense of the word. But considering you don't have to leave Arlington to get there, walking the Four Mile Run Trail is a beautiful way to spend a spring afternoon. And it has one thing going for it over some bigger-name trails -- you can't stop for a Slushie in Shenandoah National Park.

The Green Girlfriend and I picked up the trail Sunday morning off a side street in Arlington's Barcroft neighborhood. There were plenty of other people on the trail, but it didn't feel crowded. We spent a couple of hours walking the trail as it meandered through parks, behind apartment buildings, past a snow-cone vendor, and across Walter Reed Drive.

A partial list of the wildlife we spotted:

• A red-tailed hawk
• Grackles
• Blue jays
• A crow being chased by aforementioned grackles & blue jays, who apparently had formed a coalition of the willing to drive the crow away from their nests
• Robins
• Cardinals
• Fish (up to 6 inches long) who apparently have not gotten word Four Mile Run itself is pretty polluted A cat, which may or not have been wild

Unfortunately, we also spotted plenty of invasive plants overpowering native trees. We pledged to bring pruning shears next time we hiked the trail.

Here's a W&OD trail website's review of the Four Mile Run Trail:

Arlington County's Four Mile Run Trail is an asphalt trail parallel to the W&OD from Mile 0.1 to Mile 4.7. Because it is less well-known than the W&OD it gets less through traffic, including bikes. It is ideal for walking. Parallel to the W&OD between Mile Markers 3.5 and 4.5, the Four Mile Run Trail disappears briefly. It takes a while to learn where it goes, but it is worth it. Going west, a good starting point is on Walter Reed Drive at Arlington Mill Road, which is west of the W&OD (Mile 0.5). Eastbound on the W&OD, it branches to the right at Mile 4.8.

Thanks to RunDC.com for the map!

More on Balkan Beat Box

DCist has a great review up of the Balkan Beat Box concert Saturday night. I'm glad to see that everyone is in agreement that the concert totally rocked. DCist begins by stating:

Is it a burlesque band? Gypsy rock? Electronic klezmer? Mediterranean dub?
Carnival musicians in the off season’s? It’s difficult to categorize Balkan
Beat Box’s sound, but you can call it good. More ...

Make sure you don't miss future great events like this by subscribing to the
What's Up Arlington! e-newsletter. Check out a sample edition, here. Hey, it's free - what do you have to loose?

Top 10: Balkan Beat Box Rocks the Spectrum

Top 10 Reasons Why Balkan Beat Box Rocked the Spectrum Saturday night.

10. Dinner at Marcopolau before the show.

9. Nonsensical lyrics

8. Gogol Bordello

7. - You can't avoid moving/dancing during the performance; even if, like me, you really have no rhythm at all.

6. - They're not your typical evening at the Spectrum.

5. - They're fun

4. - The music is great

3. - The music is like nothing you will hear elsewhere2. - Screaming at the sound of the chicken. (You had to be there)

1. - I introduced them.

All the Arlington News You Care About - 4/20

Arlington has selected EarthLink to provide a county-wide Wi-Fi network. The network, once fully installed, would cover 26 square miles and provide wireless broadband, as well as connections for on-the-move county employees. Read more.

The “Earl” of Sandwich: David Schultz (Arlington Connection) interviewed entrepreneur Stephen Dugan, the owner/chef of Earl’s Sandwich Shop on Wilson Boulevard, a favorite of Chairman Paul Ferguson. (We’re fans as well.) Read Steve’s secrets for the perfect chocolate chip cookie.

CNN Travel featured Arlington resident Ravannah Schrack who likes cruises but doesn't want flashy shows, formal dinners and competition for deck chairs around a pool. So, instead of booking on a traditional cruise line, the self-described un-tourist booked a berth on a cargo ship, her fifth such vacation. Read more.

Arlington native Nathan Lyon is featured on Discovery Health’s cooking show, "A Lyon in the Kitchen." Lyon’s approach is focused on fresh-from-the-market foods. Read more.

AVN is now showing a new special feature on the Shirlington Library. For your own sneak peek, click here.

Sandra Boodman (Washington Post) writes about “Bodies: the Exhibition,” which is opening this Saturday in Rosslyn’s former Newseum space. More than 3 million people have visited the exhibit, including 200,000 schoolchildren. Read more.

The Washington Post’s Express newspaper (delivered free at Metro stations) wrote about the Arlington’s plans to “un-wire” the county. Read more.

WasabiSito opens in Arlington, the newest offshoot of the popular DC eatery. Read more.

U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf on April 11 continued to press for widening Interstate 66 westbound from the Potomac River to the Capital Beltway, saying he has the best interests of the residents of Arlington, and the region, at heart. Read more.


A number of R2D2 mailboxes have turned up in the area – part of the USPS promotion of its new Star Wars stamp series – including 3 in Arlington. Have you spotted them? Read more.

A story in the Baltimore Sun describes “Bodies: The Exhibition” and explains the fascination, and the controversy. Read more.

Get Your Green On: Five Environmental Events in Three Weeks

Spring is always the busiest time of year for environmental events in the DC area, and the next few weeks are packed with events for people who want to know more about living green. Here are five big ones:

• Saturday April 21st, 7pm -- Long Branch Nature Center hosts Films in the Forest, with a showing of An Inconvenient Truth ... free but reservations required, 703-228-4747
  
  
• Sunday April 22nd, 6:30pm -- The Sierra Club of Mt. Vernon hosts an Earth Day Film & Social Night at Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse, featuring the movie Kilowatt Ours
  
  
• Wednesday April 25th, 7:30pm -- "I'm in a Conservation State of Mind; Reducing our Footprint on Planet Earth" at the Arlington Central Library in Ballston, presented by Martin Ogle, Chief Naturalist for the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority ... call 703-528-5406 for more information
  
  
• Sunday April 29th, 1pm -- Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment hosts a Green Living Challenge Discussion Group at the Daily Grind in Ballston
  
  
• Friday May 11th, 7:30pm -- ACE hosts its 2nd Annual Organic Wine Tasting at the Arlington Arts Center in Virginia Square, featuring organic wines from around the world paired with cheese, fruit and chocolate selected and served by staff from The Curious Grape ... tickets are $40 for ACE members, $50 for non-members, and can be purchased online

Know of any other environmental events coming up? Post them in the comments section!

Oh, and a big thanks to the hundreds of people who came to Rosslyn for last weekend's Step It Up rally! Photos and details over at The Green Miles.

An Event Not to Miss - Artomatic through May 20

I'm not an artist; nor do I have a great appreciation and understanding of art. But I like it. One of my favorite things to do is to pick an art exhibit, and go mill around it for a while; just taking it in.

I can't tell you the technical details of what makes great art. For me, I enjoy art based on any of the following criteria:

• I just like the way it looks


• I have an emotional reaction to it - happy, angry, sad, whatever


• I can keep looking at it, or go back and look at it again and still enjoy it


• It makes me thing

Artomatic is a simply fantastic event that will satisfy the art lover, hater, indifferent in all of us. It's got something for everyone. My untrained art critique would say that most of the art in the show tends towards the modern side, but by no means all of it. I even ran across a room of paintings by a classically trained artist - think Rembrandt look alikes. There's paintings, sculpture, PostSecret, and more.

And of course to top it all, you have a constant array of live performance. So when your brain needs a break from the art, check out a live performance.

If I have a complaint about Artomatic it is that is is so large it can be overwhelming. But for me, that means I a)move quickly past the things that don't immediately strike me and b)will go back multiple times.

Oh, and it also has late hours - so you can make an evening out of it, rather than trying to squeeze it in to normal museum type hours.

Below is the basic 411. For more info, including a performance schedule visit the Artomatic website. To see samples of the work in Artomatic visit the Flickr photo pool.

ARTOMATIC 2007

April 13–May 20, 2007

2121 Crystal Drive, Arlington, Va.

Metro stop: Crystal City

Free admission.

HOURS

Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday: Noon–10 p.m.Thursday: Noon–11 p.m.Friday, Saturday: Noon–1 a.m.Closed Mondays

Photo by Flickr User: Daquella Manera

Thinking of those at Virginia Tech

This post was originally intended to be about Artomatic. But as much as I think art can heal and soothe the soul, it doesn't seem appropriate today to simply talk about another fun thing going on in Arlington.

I grew up in Christiansburg, just down the street from Virginia Tech. Both my parents have worked there; my Dad still does. It's a relatively small town - one of those places where you think nothing like this could ever happen. But today it did.

So today, as I, as indeed we all mourn for those who lost their lives, their families, their friends, and the community that was terrorized by this horrific day, I extend my heartfelt thoughts and prayers to everyone involved, and everyone not involved but who feels the pain of this day.

With time will come healing, and soon this blog will return to talking about all things fun in Arlington, but today we breathe, today we rest.

Events I Have No Interest in Going to: "Bodies" Exhibition Opens in Rosslyn

The Washington Post has more details about the new "Bodies" exhibition which opened Saturday in Rosslyn and runs through October 28th.

For those of you who haven't heard of it, the exhibition features actual dead bodies stripped of their flesh to various depths and posed in different positions. It was featured briefly in the latest James Bond movie, "Casino Royale."

I'm sure many people will attend "Bodies" and be fascinated by it. Nationwide, three million people have already ponied up their hard-earned cash to see it. But for me, the sooner this exhibition leaves town, the better. Allow me to explain why using actual quotes from the previous paragraph:

1) "The exhibition features actual dead bodies"
2) "[D]ead bodies stripped of their flesh to various depths"
3) "The exhibition features actual dead bodies ... posed in different positions"

Yes, I know all three quotes are just different phrases from the same sentence. But I cannot emphasize enough how creepy the whole thing is. Even when the county put out a traffic alert saying the streets near the old Newseum would be closed to unload the exhibit, my first thought was, "I am going nowhere near Rosslyn today."

Am I wrong? Is it artistic? Am I just a philistine?

Go to Artomatic Now!

This will be a quick post. I'll write more next week, but I just got a preview of Artomatic and all I can say is go, go now. If you can make it this weekend, go, and keep going back. It's absolutely fantastic and you can spend days cruising around.

The hours are great and there are lots of performances in connections. Check out the details at http://www.artomatic.org/

To see some photo highlights, check out the Flickr photo pool

DCist also has a good write-up up.

What's Up on Fresh Aire

I'm guest blogging today. Check out my post on riding the bus over on Fresh Aire.

And if you're not already a subscriber to the What's Up! newsletter. You can read the latest edition, and subscribe by following this link.

There's some cool coming up that's highlighted in this issue including Artomatic, Balkan Beat Box, Films in the Forest, and a spring flag football league.

Also, I'm getting a sneak peak at Artomatic today. I'll get my comments and thoughts up as soon as possible - probably Monday.

Saturday: Two Environmental Events

If you've ever wanted to learn more about Arlington's environment, this Saturday gives you two chances to get involved!

Saturday from 9am to noon at Thrifton Hill Park, Arlingtonians for a Clean environment will host a tree planting. Trees purify the air of pollutants, remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, decrease watershed runoff, serve as buffers for sources of fresh water, provide shade, offer habitat for animals, and beautify the landscape. Plus, if you're taking part in the ACE Green Living Challenge, participating in this event will earn you the five points for planting a tree! You can find out more about the event and sign up through the ACE website.

Then from 1-3pm, Arlington County Board Chair Paul Ferguson will be among the speakers at a rally urging Congress to take action to stop global warming. It's called Step It Up 2007: Creating a Climate of Change, and it will take place at Gateway Park, at the corner of Lee Highway and Fort Myer Drive, a short walk from the Rosslyn Metro station. NBC4's Wendy Rieger, Sierra Club President Lisa Renstrom, DC Council Member Phil Mendelson, and your humble blogger The Green Miles are also set to speak. Learn more and RSVP at the Step It Up website!

Arlington Goes Wireless - WooHoo!

I want my wi-fi! I want it everywhere!

Arlington is going wireless -- all of Arlington. The County just announced that it has selected Earthlink to provide wi-fi throughout the County. Now I can access my wi-fi anywhere - at parks (my personal favorite location), on the tennis courts, in my car (OK, probably not a good idea) - everywhere!

Today you can access wi-fi at Central Library, Shirlington Library, and Courthouse Plaza. Tomorrow, the world -- OK, just Arlington.

I'm so excited!

I'm not sure how long this will take to put the infrastructure in, but as soon as I hear something, I'll update this post ... if only, I was in a park writing this post, how much better would that be?

P.S. - You can't see it, but the message on the laptop says "No wireless connection found" --ahh, how nice it will be to not see that message.

Becoming Picasso in Eight Weeks or Less

I am to drawing/painting as the Nationals are to baseball -- really bad, but we try really hard.

I mean, I have hard time drawing a stick figure. The only think I can draw is a cube that I learned to draw in 6th grade art class.

Recently, though, I had the opportunity to get a preview look at the Learn to Draw and Paint class offered by Arlington Parks & Rec. And, while I'm a long way from an artist, I thought I would stretch my abilities and talents, and see if I could learn something new.

And I had such a good time! OK, I did threaten to quit and walk out in frustration one time, but besides that. The instructor - Jim - is very patient and complimentary (although sometimes I think he's got to be lying or seeing things, 'cuz mine looks nothing like the example).

And believe it or not - I did get better - actually in just two short classes, I think I got a lot better. You can see my work on this page.

So if you're looking to try something new, I really recommend trying this class. The eight week series starts April 19, and goes every Thursday from 7 - 9:30 PM (that seems like a long time, but it goes really fast). It's $139 for 8 weeks, which breaks down to less than $7/hour - try to get a lesson doing anything for that! I teach tennis, and I charge $50 an hour. You can register online- just click here - the online registration is a bit of a pain in the rear, but just be patient and work your way through it.

And now, I must return to my canvass :-)

Arlington's Best Food, Part II: Dinner

A while back Eric asked what we thought were Arlington's best restaurants. I posted my favorite brunch spots last week, and today, the best places to get dinner.

The Green Girlfriend and I recently visited Oyamel, reopened in its new location in DC a couple of blocks south of the Verizon Center. It was a major disappointment, mediocre food at high prices. It was doubly depressing because Oyamel's Crystal City location had been one of Arlington's bright spots.

So what's left? Plenty of great restaurants that people don't know about. For some reason, you can't get a seat at Cheesecake Factory, but you can walk into several of the places below on a Friday night and get a table with no wait.

• Ray's the Steaks: Halfway between Rosslyn and Courthouse on Wilson Blvd., Ray's the Steaks is consistently rated as the best value among all DC area steakhouses. I went once and noticed a Secret Service agent at the door. Dining inside? Then-White House Chief of Staff Andy Card.
  
  
• Boulevard Woodgrill: I've never had a bad meal here. Arguably the best fish in Arlington, and their ribs might be better than those at Hard Times. A great selection of beer, too. One drawback: it's REALLY LOUD.
  
  
• Carlyle: Gotta give some love to South Arlington, right? Located in Shirlington, Carlyle has the added bonus of being 100% smoke-free! Great dinner, great brunch, fantastic dessert. Hard to get a table on busy nights, though.
  
  
• Tallula's EatBar: One major caveat -- I have not actually eaten the food here yet. But after stopping by for a drink last weekend, I'm dying to go back to dine. The menu is divided into "small plates" and "large plates," but both lists are very affordable, certainly much more so than Tallula's main dining room. I wanted to come back just to try the fries -- they smelled fantastic! EatBar also has a wide selection of beer (including an organic one), lots of interesting drinks (I had my first Hurricane). The bar has a projection-screen TV for game watching, and they even had dinner and a movie scheduled for Sunday at 8pm, though the info isn't posted on their website (if Tallula is reading: hint, hint).
  
  
• Lost Dog Cafe: Literally hundreds of beers available and some of DC's best sandwiches at lower prices than the bland chains (Cosi, Au Bon Pain, etc.) that we office drones are usually stuck with. I recommend the Hound Dog (BBQ chicken with cole slaw melted swiss) with a Gouden Carolus Triple from Belgium. Plus the owners are longtime supporters of animal rescue causes, so you know the profits aren't going back to some corporate headquarters, at least part is being reinvested in your community!

One drawback of dining in Arlington -- the above restaurants aren't available at OpenTable.com, my favorite way to make dinner reservations. It's fast, easy, and you earn points towards gift certificates.

So what's your favorite dinner spot in Arlington?

Arlington County Hits YouTube

Local and state governments are not exactly renown for being on the cutting edge of technology. If you want a Virginia drivers license, you still have to stand in line for 5 hours at the DMV.

But Arlington has done exceptionally well in making its older departments more tech-friendly, like the self-service kiosks at the Arlington Central Library.

Now Arlington County has made the great leap forward into the world of YouTube, offering dozens of clips on county agencies and programs. Here's one of the better ones, former County Board Chair Chris Zimmerman reviewing the board's Top Ten Accomplishments of 2006:



Other good ones: The Fresh AIRE climate blog promo and Adopt-a-Pet.

You can subscribe to the Arlington Virginia Network's YouTube clips here!

Running the Trails: How to Find a Great Run in Arlington

What happened to our nice warm spring weather? It's cold outside and it's supposed to stay that way for the next several days. Yuck! I want my spring back!

Remember those nice warm days? On Tuesday, I decided to take advantage of that wonderful warm weather (ahh .. the memories). So I left my office in Shirlington and hopped on the Four Mile Run trail for a quick little 20 minute jog. After briefly following Arlington Mill Drive, I slipped behind the trees behind Barcroft Park and in to the nice wooded area of the trail. It's a really nice run and I highly recommend it for a run, a walk, or a bike ride.

There are lots of good places to run and some good tools online to help you find a good route or to track your progress. Here are some of my favorites:

BikeArlington - focuses on bike rides, but a lot of the trails mentioned are great for running too.
Favorite Run - a good resource of running routes and tools to map your runs
WalkArlington -County maps and some good ideas for walks/runs.
Google Pedometer - an easy way to see how far you ran (Note: not that great for trails, but really good for road running)
USA Track and Field - lists over 400 running routes in Arlington (Hint: don't use the Route Rating feature - it severely limits your choices)
DC Road Runners Club - find a team, a workout, or a race
Alternative Running - information about trail running in Northern Virginia (not frequently updated)
Virginia Happy Trails Running Club - anyone crazy enough to run an ultra marathon?

This list isn't meant to be comprehensive, so feel free to add your add resources/favorite runs to the comments.

Now, let's bring that warm weather back. It makes for much nicer running.

Lifting the Weekend Fog: My Favorite Arlington Brunch Spots

I'm always amazed at the long lines for brunch at places like IHOP and Silver Diner on weekend mornings. There are plenty of lesser-known, locally-owned places that have unique dishes you can't get anywhere else.

In response to Eric's recent post, here are a few of my favorites ...

• Clarendon Grill: The best omelets I've ever had, large but light and slightly crisp on the outside. When the home fries are fresh, they're killer. Some friends will argue that the Carolina Crab Hash is even better. There's never a wait for a table, and it's always fun to watch little kids dancing on the stage that just hours earlier a band was rocking out on ... er, on which a band was rocking out. One drawback -- they don't open until 10:30.
  
• Bob & Edith's Diner: Arlington's best diner experience by far. Except for the picture of pro wrestler "The Big Show" circa 1996, the decor hasn't been updated since I was born. The best food? Maybe not. But it's authentic, cheap, and the French Toast is excellent.
  
• Whitlow's on Wilson: Probably Arlington's most popular brunch spot among the 20s-30s crowd with a legendary buffet. My roommate urged me to include Whitlow's because, and I quote, "You can't beat the volume."

Amazones Bring Down the House

Feel the fast, energetic beat of the drum. Feel, first your foot taping and then feel your whole body moving. Feel yourself rising to your feet to erupt in a raucous cheer, not just at the end of the song, but repeatedly during the song.

If you can imagine those things then you know what it was like to be at the Amazones concert this past Saturday night at the Rosslyn Spectrum, a concert that is part of the ongoing Planet Arlington series.

The Amazones are a group of ten women, originally hailing from the West African nation of Guinea. The women have each broken with tradition and difficult social circumstances to become a djembe drummer. Their performance is simply amazing.

Saturday night I had the privilege of being at the concert. I don't think I've ever been at any performance that had so many standing ovations. The energy, passion, and skill exhibited from the stage was incredible, and the audience reciprocated with its enthusiasm.

I am now that much more excited about the next Planet Arlington concert - Balkan Beat Box. The website describes their music as "techno fusion gypsy circus". I'm not sure what that means, but if the show is 10% as good as this one, it will be well worth the price of admission.

For information about ongoing Planet Arlington events, including Balkan Beat Box, simply visit www.planetarlington.com. To read more about the Amazones, visit http://www.amazoneswomandrummers.com/.

All the Arlington News You Care About - Week of 3/30

Entertainment and Shopping
Scott McCaffrey (Sun Gazette) reported on “That Thing Called Love,” pictured here, a production by ArtStream On Stage and Inclusive Theatre Companies. The production features a cast comprised mostly of individuals with disabilities, March 29-31 at Thomas Jefferson Community Theatre, 125 South Old Glebe Road. Read more.

Marianne Mayer (Washington Post) profiled singer-songwriter Andy Zipf, who will perform live at 9:30 p.m. Saturday at the Galaxy Hut. Read more.

The Reliable Source (Washington Post) reported today that Kathie Lee Gifford – Regis’ former co-host – was spotted in Shirlington browsing in the boutique Le Village Marche. The blurb mentioned that Kathie Lee wrote the musical “Saving Aimee” which opens next month at Signature Theatre. Read more. (Scroll down to the “Hey, Isn’t That…? Section).

AVN has created an Arlington County YouTube account and posted a number of videos on it. We've also added a link to it on the AVN home page -- or go directly to Arlington's YouTube page (scroll down to see all 34 videos!)

The latest edition of Washingtonian features best places to live in the Washington Metropolitan Region. Among the touted neighborhoods: Clarendon/Ballston. Local Favorites, listed by residents, included Willow restaurant; the Arlington Arts Center, and the first-Saturday-of-the-month seasonal flea market near Washington-Lee High School. Big draws? Nightlife variety. Drawbacks? Parking and traffic.

David Schultz (Arlington Connection) profiled Kristen Evans. The pair run an unusual business out of Kurbsack’s Arlington home, sellling Bolivian crafts. Read more.

Development

Maria Hegstad (DC Examiner) wrote her debut story today as the new Arlington correspondent. She reported on the planned Penrose Square development on Columbia Pike. Read more.

David Schultz (Arlington Connection) reported on the County’s plan to invest tens of millions of dollars to preserve affordable housing at Buckingham Villages. He quoted Board Chairman Paul Ferguson, members Barbara Favola, WalterTejada and Chris Zimmerman, County Manager Ron Carlee and Ken Aughenbaugh, of CPHD. Read more.

Daniela Deane (Washington Post) wrote a cover story for this morning’s Extra on Rosslyn Ridge, an innovative project with 40% affordable units and built “green” to boot. The project, approved in 2005, plans to begin leasing in December 2008. ACPD’s Ken Aughenbaugh was quoted. Read it online.

Government Issues
Maria Hegstad (DC Examiner) reported today that the board will hold a public hearing Thursday on taxes as part of the budget process. Read more.

Misc
Kristen Armstrong (Sun Gazette) reports on the latest additions to the K-9 unit – Jack and Koda, a pair of Labrador retrievers, pictured here, now being trained to detect bombs. Read more.

NBC4 reported Saturday on an Arlington church that bought down the price of gas Saturday at an Exxon station on Lee Highway as part of a community outreach program. Read more.

Scott McCaffrey (Sun Gazette) reported that Board Chairman Paul Ferguson urged residents to sign up to buy green power after he himself signed up to buy green power from Dominion. Read more.