Shirlington Village: Hip or Hype?

Neighborhood pride is very important to me, yet I sometimes have a very mixed reaction every time I cross into Shirlington Village.  The huge sun-blocking megalith Shirlington Condo (once a parking lot) and IO Piazza (once a plain lot of land) came to town and brought folks who have adopted the Village as their own.  More restaurants and now a hotel have turned Shirlington from a local hangout to a mini-town center.  Having lived in the neighborhood (both in and around) for almost 8 years (before it was "cool") and a staunch defender of most things Shirlington, these changes are both good and bad. In my opinion, here is some of the hip and some the hype:

The Hip:

1. Harris Teeter - Shirlington needed a supermarket, and Harris Teeter is one of the best.  The parking lot is sometimes a challenge since many non-Harris Teeter shoppers park in short term places reserved for the store and opt to spend long term hours eating in a restaurant (instead of parking a floor up or across the street).

2. Signature Theatre - A new face for the Shirlington stalwart (no more Four Mile Run Dr!), but very high quality productions.  Not all their stuff is Tony Award winning caliber, but it's definitely worth seeing.

3. Hilton Garden Inn - I'm excited that a hotel/motel has moved into the neighborhood.  I also think it's a tasteful size.  Maybe it'll bring some restaurants and stores that are able to stay around for a while. 

4. Shirlington 7 (Movie Theater) - One of my favorite movie art house theaters in the metro region.  I think it competes favorably with the E-street Cinema in DC.  The concessions could be more diverse or more upscale and the interior could use an update, but it's still great to have right down the street.

The Hype:

1. Federal Realty Corporation - Over the years tenants to the Village have come and gone, and Federal has tried to keep the stores filled.  I don't know what their lease rates are, but they must be pretty high.  There are quite a few storefront vacancies, and at least three tenants have vanished in the past 12 months or so.  It looks like there's no movement on replacing the lost tenants or bringing new ones to fill the new empty spaces.  The "it's the economy" argument doesn't work here in DC, in my opinion, especially in Arlington County.  I wonder if Federal has utilized all its options to make Shirlington more attractive to business.  Right now, I'm of the opinion that they haven't, but I'll have faith that they'll hopefully figure it out .  Crystal City, Clarendon, and Pentagon City are all more successful models.

2.  Extra Virgin -The second most expensive restaurant in Shirlington (behind Carlyle).  I was initially exited a few years ago when an Italian restaurant came to town, but after I saw the prices I couldn't believe anyone would frequent it.

3. Carlyle Grand - the most OVERRATED restaurant in the DC metro.  It's expensive, the service could be less pretentious, and the food is just average for the price you pay.  The decor and their bread (from Best Buns) are the best thing about it.  It's ironic that Best Buns and Carlyle are from the same restaurant group.  I've been finding better overall restaurants in other close by NOVA neighborhoods and near by in the District.  It's about time they took reservations too, call ahead lists don't accomplish the goal of reducing customer wait time.  I try going back now and again to see if things change, but they never get the experience totally right.

New Restaurant in town - Pizzaiolo Cafe on Fern

Pizzaiolo has a few restaurants in the area.  I  noticed a new one on Fern St (google map link)  in Alexandria last weekend.  It's called Cafe on Fern.  I plan to check it out: http://www.cafepizzaiolo.com/cof_home.html

I've been to Cafe Pizzaiolo on 23rd street a couple of times.  They're always crowded and they've made the Washingtonian Magazine...I think it's nothing to rave about, but it's ok for a quick sandwich or bite to eat.

If anyone's been to the Cafe on Fern, post a comment and let us know what you think.

Thanks for reading.

Winter Art Classes in Arlington County - Check out the Schedule

I was asked to post this by Arlington County. Here are a few winter art classes you might find interesting. That are open to everyone. For more information follow this blog: http://www.arthubnews.blogspot.com/

Home Post #2: Renovation Recommendations

ShirlingtonCircle (SC) has done quite a few renovations in the past year, from heaters, a full kitchen and bathroom renovation. So have some NOVA relatives. Here are some solid recommendations:

1. Sears Home Improvement: Yeah, you heard right. They do great work, and they have some great products (cabinets are better than Home Depot and Lowe's and counter surfaces were very comparable) . And the people (planners to contractors)are top notch. I was completely surprised at their quality, to be honest. We had our kitchen totally gutted, with new cabinets, stainless, and granite. Their options are semi-custom, so if you want made to measure $100K cabinets, then don't look here (but if you put $100k into a kitchen, I think you didn't watch the right HGTV show). They were competitive (we had 4 bids), fast, and come with a 100% guarantee (no kidding). They also offer discounts on appliances, from Bosch to LG to Kenmore Elite. Their website doesn't to them justice: http://www.searshomepro.com/. They aren't a totally rip out walls contractor, they're more a remodeling/upgrade place. Biggest challenge is making sure you're organized.

2. Grimsley Renovations (http://grimsleyrenovations.com/index.html): Jarrod Grimsley does great work. He has great attention to detail and is very competitive price-wise. He'll use just about any materials you want, and rip out walls if you want. He did our bathroom and had some great suggestions. Biggest challenge is getting on his calendar!

3. Studio 57 / Michael and Sons (http://studio57design.com/): The design professionals are great. Pretty reasonable, but you can really go high end ($$$) with them really quickly. A wide variety of products and finishes. These guys will tear it up and rip it out any way you want. However, you have to stay on them to make sure they finish things to your liking (since you're paying). Biggest challenge, keeping to a budget.  My brother used this company for a bathroom and partial kitchen renovation, they did great work.

Best Neighborhoods for House Hunting

When it comes to house hunting in Northern Virginia it can be tricky. It seems the housing market and the mortgage market are in perfect alignment at the moment. We at Shirlington Circle are NOT real estate agents and were settled in our home at the moment, so our opinions are less biased than those of some real estate bloggers out there on the "internets." So here are our favorite micro-neighborhoods (all with good school systems) by price range for move-in ready 2+ bedrooms:

0-$350,000
1. Parkfairfax (Alexandria, VA): Great deals for 2 Bedroom 1 Bath units (average $320-350K). On the National Historic Register, more greenspace than Fairlington, walking distance to Shirlington Village restaurants and supermarket. Less than ten minutes to pentagon city metro by bus or car.

2. Kingstowne (Alexandria VA): More suburban, south of Beltway community. Nice option for a little longer commute to DC, but not epic. Newer construction.

$350,000-$450,000

1. Fairlington (Arlington): Another close in neighborhood at the south end of Arlington County. Like Parkfairfax, it's on the National Register, also a few years ago it made Washingtonian Magazine's best neighboroods. Also 5-10 minute commute to nearest metro on public transit or by car. 3 bedroom places start at this level in the Fairlington area.

2. Shirlington Village (Arlington): A mini-town center with great transportation. Short commute times to DC. A bit more urban than Fairlington and Parkfairfax, but you pay for convenience. Fewer families (i.e. with children), but very professional.

$450,000-$750,000

1. Del Ray (Alexandria): A great bedroom community. Diverse housing stock. Very active and proud community. Very family oriented.

2. North Arlington: Another great bedroom community. Great landscaping and very green. Driving through one often forgets their in the DC metro.

$750,000+

1. Beverley Hills/Rosemont (Alexandria): The best bang for your buck in NOVA, if you can afford it. Just Trulia search 22301.

2. Falls Church: Small enclave in the middle of NOVA between tawny Mclean and Alexandria and Fairfax County. A bit militant in terms of outsiders and neighborhood compliance, however.

OVERPRICED NEIGHBORHOODS:

Clarendon/Ballston: Don't get me wrong these are great neighborhoods to live NEAR or RENT in. Homes, for the price, are small and neighborhoods are overrun by visitors.

Old Town: Great place to live, if money is no object, but you pay a lot of money for houses you can barely put your arms across. Again, a great place to live NEAR.

McLean: You're paying for the zip code and a McMansion next to a MEGA-MALL. I'm kind of glad they're getting 2-3 metro stops OVER Ground.

Return to the Circle...and to Training

Just like the butterflies return to San Juan Capistrano. We are returning to blogging after a busy six months of home renovations and traveling.Readers might notice ShirlingtonCircle has started a blog about triathlons, which gives us the idea of which gyms are the area's best.

Here they are:

Best Gym without a pool: Energy Club (Shirlington). They have a climbing wall, more personalized serivce, than those bigger gyms in the area.

Best Gym with pool: Xsport (Fairlington/King St). The gym is huge, and has a few lap lanes.

Best local low-cost option (non-governmental): Alexandria YMCA. Clean facilities, safe neighborhood...and a pool too.

Best big-chain gym: Sports Club (Bailey's Crossroads/Crystal City). Both are large-scale gym complexes, but have plenty of machines and a pool too.

Let us know what you think. Thanks for reading!