Get out from under that rock! Let us illuminate you on the latest happenings and merchant news. What We Hear Around Tysons is a favorite column in the magazine. Below is a reprint form our May-June issue. Take a look to the right for the latest news that will be found in the next issue! Want to the latest delivered to your inbox? Sign up for our Talk of Tysons newsletter that will go out a couple times a month with all the latest tid-bits along with some exclusive values for our readers.

From our July-August Issue:

Maggie's Timeless Treasures has opened at 320 Maple Avenue in Vienna. Unique, eclectic, vintage, and retro  finds of furniture, jewelry, antiques and more. Ask for Chris...  England Furniture at the old Eastern Motors on Route 7 is now Urban Street Interiors...  As we told you months ago, Homegoods has put their sign up at the old Comp USA space, so I guess they're definitely coming. ..  Looking to be the next "Iron Chef"? Stratford University on Leesburg Pike just inside the Beltway has seen their culinary enrollment surpass 200, a 15% increase over last year. Hopefully those students know what they're getting into...  speaking of the tough food business, we are sad  to see Chutzpah Deli close its Tysons location.  Thanks for the great efforts Eric, I'll miss the "fuggedaboutit" sandwich. It was the closest thing we had around here to a true New York deli. They still have their original location in Fairfax...  Peter Pagonis, owner of Mykonos Grill in Rockville has signed a lease to open another Greek Restaurant, this one called Nostos at the old Chutzpah at 8100 Boone Boulevard.  It will include a nice  bar for  happy hour and feature their very popular "small  plates" Probably open by November.... The newly renovated Giant Food in McLean now offers valet parking, bag service to your parked car, and an expanded offering of upscale items including $40/lb Kobe beef, new prepared items, and Kosher foods...    Baker Tilley has their sign up at 8219 Leesburg Pike. The 13th largest accounting firm in the US merged with Beers+Cutler last February...  JP Brehony Homes is now offering their "Cottage Collection," homes in Vienna starting in the 800's.  Are builders seeing a light?...  Not that this will change anything in the near future, but the Elevation Burger (one of my favorites) building at 442 S. Washington Street in Falls Church sold for $2.8 million, well over two times it's assessed value. Downtown Falls Church may be the next real estate play. I should be so lucky...  McDonalds on Elm Street closed a few weeks ago. Corporate decided to sell it. No drive thru and a second one down the street. No need for two in McLean. So many rumors of what will or should go in there, we just can't speculate. Everyone seems to want a Chipotle. Why?...  STS Personal Training is moving to Elm Street Fitness in McLean. Monthly memberships now being offered at the gym along with personal training. Open in July...  As we inferred last issue, INOX on Tysons Boulevard is the latest Tysons restaurant casualty. Jim Mathieson and Jonathan Krinn seemed to have all the right stuff. It's sad to see them go...   Is Gold's Gym moving? I've heard it from more than one source now, but Gold's won't say anything (they haven't denied it though). Lots of big space around like the old Circuit City and Linens and Things sitting empty...  Edan and Thea MacQuaid have opened Pizzeria Orso.  The restaurant is located at 400 S. Maple Street in Falls Church.  The owners come from the team behind 2941 Restaurant in Falls Church.  Edan comes from a long list of very notable local pizza restaurants including Two Amys in DC. Great big tiled picture of a bear eating a pizza next to the brick oven. Orso is Italian for bear. Go figure...   Vienna Youth Sports (VYS) congratulates Michele Sullivan and Drew Fielding on being recipients of the Pollin Award, named for the late Abe Pollin, honoring their dedication to youth sports in the DC area...  Karen Sherwood opened Nourish Market in McLean at 8100 Old Dominion Drive at Spring Hill.  The mother of three and former Micro Strategy employee became interested in healthier lifestyles after having children.  She now operates two stores, the new market in McLean and the Kennedy's Natural Food Store at 1051 W. Broad St. in Falls Church which she bought while getting the McLean store together...  Fitness professional Jan Crerie signed a lease for a new studio. Body Grace Fitness and Yoga is opening at 124 Park Street at Church in Vienna....  OK, not quite in Tysons, but it may save a schlep out to the Sterling or Fairfax warehouse clubs, BJ's is back on track after the snow delays. They should open  in Seven Corners near the Eden Center late this summer. And you thought Seven Corners has bad traffic now...  New music at Merrifield Park behind the Vantage building. Uniwest, the developer of the 31 acre Merrifield Town Center  (the property around the old movie theatres) is sponsoring the free concerts and will maintain the park after the dedication to Fairfax County on June 16. Saturdays 6 to 8 pm through the summer. See you there...   MOM's Organic Market has signed a lease  for Merrifield Town Center. This is a very popular organic market in the Metro area and they are expanding quickly. They should be occupying sometime in 2012 as the development of the Town Center progresses...  We hear a rumor that Vienna Vinter is talking to the new building across the street on Maple Ave. A move may be in the future...  Congrats to Jesse Kraft of Providence Elementary for being named the 2010 outstanding first year principal in Fairfax County...  Silver Diner is focusing on sustainable food sources for their restaurants. These local sources account for nearly 40% of their ingredients and growing. Look for  the newly designed menu with new 600 calorie and gluten free menu items...   Some  Route 7 news in Falls Church: Sfizi, the Italian trattoria and market now on Lee Highway in Fairfax is moving to 800 W. Broad Street in Falls Church (the "flower building," it has vines and purple flowers painted on the outside walls)...  Mad Fox Brewery has been coming soon in the Sprectrum building for an eternity. Typical construction delays, but the big problem is getting the brewery equipment delivered...  Chipotle has taken over the Duron Paint store at Broadale Shopping Center. Parking is already tough there...  Walking in Tysons? Take note! Crossing Route 7 at Gosnell/Westpark now will take you TWO green light cycles. The widened road is too long to make all the way across, so there'll be a second set of crossing buttons in the median. Wasn't Tysons described as an urban pedestrian area?...  In case you haven't seen the HUGE sign, Tysons Jeep and Dodge has moved out of their Route 7 building and is now at Koons on 123 (no more service road entrance  from Route 7)...  Plush Gelato and Coffee is opening at the corner of 123 and Park Street in Vienna in the Superb Framing space. I'm still figuring out the parking there, but I love gelato...  A new Capital One Bank branch will be the result of the construction at 123 and Elm Street in McLean. Originally planned as a Chevy Chase Bank, but they were bought out. Should be open by late September, early October...  Northrop Grumman may still consider Tysons for headquarters. Lots of conflicting announcements, but they will most likely buy a building at Fairview Park as a temporary location as they solicit proposals from developers in Rosalyn-Ballston Corridor, Tysons Corner (and maybe Reston as a long shot) for a permanent facility to purchase. An RFP from CB Richard Ellis is out for an unnamed user (hint hint) for 160,000 square feet. Rosalyn seems to be at the top of the list, but you never know with the Metro now arriving here...   Newest dry cleaner: GQ Cleaners on Elm Street in McLean, $1.19 for shirts, cash only...  Just when you'd think government would be giving incentives for local transit, Fairfax County is hiking fares and reducing service on its Fairfax Connector bus service. A 75% reduction in standby buses that are used to accommodate delays and heavy use, plus fares are going up 10-20%. They admit there may  be noticeable delays. Really? Is that supposed to make us use it more?...  KPMG, LLC, the tax, audit and advisory firm, is bringing 375 jobs to Tysons Corner as they moved to newly renovated space at 1676 International Drive in June. There was an incentive of course from the state, like a $250K grant...  The Viva Vienna festivities Memorial Day Weekend were hot, as in blazing sun, but the free ice coffee served in front of Vienna Presbyterian Church made the day bearable while manning the VIva Tysons booth. They sell Land of 1000 Hills Coffee from Rwanda at their Grapevine Bookstore at cost, in order to support sustainable farming, pay fair wages, and build community in a country ravaged by war. Great coffee. Worth checking out... OK, I got a chewing out about the restaurant going into the old Friday's space at Old Courthouse and 123. Yes, they have had permit delays, NO, they don't have any money problems. My sincerest apologies on an unsubstantiated speculation. The Indian banquet style restaurant will not be called ISHQ (there is a conflict with another of the same name in Florida). It will be called DIYA, along with catered events there will be a large restaurant and bar. Owner Rahul Arora says construction is  back on track for an anticipated August opening. We hope...  We offer our sincerest condolences to the loving family, friends and loyal customers of Francois Haeringer, who made L'Auberge Chez Francois in Great Falls a DC culinary landmark. He passed away at age 91...   An interesting store, Tibeten Souvenirs has moved out of Chesterbrook to Joyce street in Arlington...  I'm not one to complain (too often), but what is up with the parking at the Fairfax Square garage? Do all their office tenants need 24/7 reserved parking? Seriously, I had to drive to the third floor to get anywhere near the elevator for Chef Geoff's and that was at  8 pm on Memorial Day.  No way I risk getting towed around here (yeah, I hear you, pay the $2 for valet). Maybe someone from Charles E Smith/Vornado can shed some light. Construction nuisances I get, this I don't...  Congratulations to Bobbi Bowman on launching her new web site  www.theMcLeanear.com. She's on top of all the McLean news. If you live in McLean, you should add it to your list of things to check out (right after you subscribe  to Viva Tysons!)... My food recommendation of the month: salteña's (a Bolivian style savory turnover) at Luzmilla's in Falls Church (their peanut soup is a close second). If you like authentic Bolivian cuisine in an a lively dive, check it out for lunch. Be prepared, this small place  on the first floor of Broad Falls Apartments gets very packed. Brush up on your Español...   Congratulations to our Viva Tysons family member John Michael Hanna  on his graduation...  One last thing: please make an effort to be aware of your surroundings during all this construction and traffic mess we're dealing with. Yacking on the phone and being oblivious is dangerous enough when things are normal, time to be extra aware, and extra courteous. Remember, don't block the box. Just a thought...  Stay cool this summer and don't let the traffic get to you. See you around town.  -D
PLEASE Don't forget- we love hearing from our readers about what's happening in the Tysons area. Send us your tid-bits of info to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Let us decide if it is too trivial, it rarely is.
Like what you're reading? A subscription is the best way to guarantee getting every issue of Viva Tysons! delivered to your home or office. See the details at www.vivatysons.com or page 12. Support a home town magazine owned, written, published, and sweated over by Tysons Corner locals. Isn't this column alone worth a couple bucks?
PLEASE NOTE: We are soon starting an electronic version of this column to be named "Talk of Tysons". It will be sent about twice a month along with some exclusive local deals from various merchants. Best part? It's free! Sign up at www.vivatysons.com

PLEASE Don't forget- we love hearing from our readers about what's happening in the Tysons area. Send us your tid-bits of info to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Let us decide if it is too trivial, it rarely is. Send stuff to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Like what you're reading? A subscription is the best way to guarentee getting every issue of Viva Tysons! delivered to your home or office. See the details at www.vivatysons.com or page 12. Support a home town magazine owned, written, published, and sweated over by Tysons Corner locals. Isn't this column alone worth $2?

We are soon starting an electronic version of this column to be named "Talk of Tysons". It will be sent about twice a month along with some exclusive local deals from various merchants. Best part? It's free! Sign up at www.vivatysons.com

Like what you're reading? A subscription is the best way to guarantee getting every issue of Viva Tysons! delivered to your home or office. Do it write online under the subscribe on the web page menu. Support a home town magazine owned, written, published, and sweated over by Tysons Corner locals. Isn't this column alone worth $2?

We are soon starting an electronic version of this column to be named "Talk of Tysons". It will be sent about twice a month along with some exclusive local deals from various merchants. Best part? It's free! Sign up on the home page!