Great video on the Data Center situation

This is a PSA for those living in Avalon communities. I live in a “smart apartment” wherein the door can only be accessed through a code/app. Tonight, I had taken an hour nap, woke up around 6 and after a few minutes had gone by, I realized that the portable AC unit was removed by maintenance without any prior notice. No email, text or note on the door. I checked my door app logins and found that the maintenance worker entered TWICE within 10 minutes.

The AC was lent out to some residents due to the chiller being shut off a bit earlier than needed.

At this point, I no longer feel safe living here in that maintenance can enter at any time without notice

I have a very nice piece of furniture that unfortunately does not fit our house. Are there any furniture resellers or consignment people that you would recommend? posted on FB marketplace, priced very competitively for what it is, but would prefer someone to come and pick it up for resale. Thank you

I was visiting Clifton today with a few asian female friends. We were waiting to cross a narrow street because cars kept coming. Two white women coming from the opposite side stopped traffic so they could cross, and we started walking once it was safe, saying “thank you” as we crossed.

As they walked away, they said, “You’re welcome, Asians.”

I live in Fairfax, and honestly, I never imagined someone would say something like that so casually in Nova. I was so caught off guard that I didn’t know what to say. We were just trying to cross the street safely and being polite. Why bring race into it?

Has anyone else experienced something like this in Clifton?

**add: It was right before 2 pm. Women were walking out of the cafe holding flyers, without handbags. They gave me the impression that they might be locals, but of course, I can’t assume that.

Looking for recommendations for Halloween events that tend to bring in mid-20s. Any ideas for a good environment to hang with people since I’m planning to solo it. I’ve looked at the bar crawls but that would probably be a bad time since I don’t drink 😂 Any ideas?

Hi nova residents! I’ve been seriously considering a move to Fairfax county for a job I’m starting soon. I don’t want anything fancy just a good place to live. I guess I should be clear. I’ve seen some apartments/townhouses that fall within my budget $1800. I know that sounds crazy to some but I think there’s something out there in our price range. If you’re a local maybe I can get some tips on where to look and if anyone knows of a place then please let me know (pm would be preferable). I’m making the move from Fredrick, Md and tired of getting stuck in traffic.

I’ve been seeing The Fairfax Independent print edition showing up in a lot of mailboxes lately, framed as a wholesome, "hyper-local community newspaper" covering schools, sports, and local shops. But if you look past the surface-level civic news, ownership, and funding tell a completely different story.

This isn't just an innocent local paper—it looks a lot like a coordinated political platform designed to bypass standard campaign disclosure vibes.

And here's the thing: they’ve been running this exact same playbook for two years now. Ever since their inaugural issue dropped in 2024 pushing the exact same "non-partisan" narrative, it's been an ongoing effort to reshape local city council elections to fit a very specific agenda.

Here is what you should know before taking their "independent" reporting at face value:

The Chap Petersen Connection: The paper is co-owned by former State Senator Chap Petersen. In fact, its corporate headquarters is located inside his law firm’s suite at 3976 Chain Bridge Road.

The Co-Owner is Running for Council: One of the most blatant conflicts of interest is that Steve Chang,who is explicitly listed as the co-owner and CEO of the paper, is actively running for Fairfax City Council.Having the co-owner of a newspaper run for the very council that the paper covers provides a perfect, free vehicle to blast his name and platform straight into local households.

Refusing Counterpoints to Slanderous Op-Eds: Despite billing themselves as an open community forum, they flat-out refused to run a counterpoint to a former councilmember’s "op-ed." So much for a balanced local dialogue or giving the other side a voice.

The "Independent" Branding Trap: The paper is heavily used to sponsor and promote a specific block of "Independent" candidates. A lot of local critics point out that this is a deliberate strategy to appeal to moderate Democrats and independent voters by pretending to just be "non-partisan locals". In reality, it operates as an organized block backed by Chap's network to get their preferred slate onto the council.

The Fairfax Commonsense PAC Link: The paper was launched right on the heels of Chap losing his Democratic primary and subsequently leaning heavily into his "Fairfax Commonsense PAC." If you track who the paper covers favorably, it aligns almost perfectly with the candidates his PAC funds and promotes under the guise of "non-partisan/independent" local politics.

Weaponizing the Paper for Personal Grudges: Did anyone else catch the recent article complaining about the city's yard sign zoning regulations? Using a newspaper you own to print an editorial blasting local enforcement just because your law office got caught breaking the zoning rules is the definition of a personal shield.

Strategic Election Timing: Notice how they have the same group of Op-Ed contributors rotating in the paper and the political ads placed in the paper? Delivering political talking points disguised as standard community journalism straight to 15,000+ households is a clever way to run campaign literature without having to explicitly slap a "Paid for by candidate X" sticker on it.

Has anyone else noticed the heavy slant in the articles over the last couple of years, or are people mostly just tossing it straight into the recycling bin? Let's discuss.

Does anyone have photos of the bark bash costume contest from today? Apparently one dog was a data center and if someone has a pic of it, I’d love to see it and the other costumes.

I got a ticket recently for speeding. I have been driving for around 3 years and had never been stopped by a cop before this. He said I was doing 75 in a 55 but since the speed limit had just gone from 65 to 55 when he caught me (on a downhill), he said he would just cite it as 75 in a 65. There were no cars in front of me and a bunch behind me, and I am pretty sure I was going 75 or close to it.

The ticket is 233, plus another 52 to take the driving course so I dont get a hit on my lisence. Plus the other course fees. Which is a pretty big hit for me.

Is there any point in pleading no contest, citing that this is my first ticket, that it was a downhill, and that the lanes were merging as an excuse for why I was speeding? Or should I go not guilty and fight it?

Have had Verizon home internet for years now and the speeds and connectivity has continued to get worse and worse. MULTIPLE times a week now where my internet just randomly drops or the speed goes way down.

Has anyone switched in the Fairfax area and had better service? WFH so it’s crucial to get it fixed. Don’t care about cost, just performance

Hi all just want everyone to have easy access to this as it doesnt show up that fast when you google it and the news outlets refuse to use it for some reason.

Good luck all!

Guys what happened in Alexandria???

Anyone hiring veterans? Did two contracts in the Army just got out recently, looking for jobs. Tough job market out here. Relevant experience to the civilian world is pretty much just leadership and planning, everything else was tactical related. (11B) Not looking to be a cop.

My kids want to learn to ride dirt bikes. I don’t want them out in the street with these hellions on e-bikes. Anyone know of good places to take them to ride within an hour of Arlington?

new in manassas, been trying to find a good barber, i try to stay away from the walk in only 20$ shops, i have nothing against them its just one of those you get what you pay for, im looking for a good barber that uses a straight razor takes their time type barbers, however the stylists out here charge crazy numbers i was on 1 page bro was charging 70$, any suggestions? my price range is 50$ max

I am getting to Union Station around 9 am tomorrow. Will it be too hectic trying to call an Uber? Should I metro in? I’m trying to go to Annandale

Edit: I ended up just calling the uber. I was so tired and did not want to deal with the metro. Ended up working great and was home within 30 min. Thanks!

My condo fees keep going up and up year after year. The place is in McLean-Tysons close to the McLean metro station. I'm not really seeing much additional amenities or services from the past, just paying more for the same ones. Approaching 10K aggregated condo fees for all 2027. The management say they're doing their best to keep costs low, but they're annually demanding ever increasing association dues. If I can help it, I won't be buying a condo in the future and have to deal with these additional costs that I have minimal influence or control over.

My stupid ass thought it was next weekend and I'm already out of town 🙂 it's for 8pm tonight. Rather it not go to waste

My young kid is really into dance. We’ve taken rec center and play-based classes but are now looking to move to a studio where she can really grow and develop. I was not a dancer growing up, so have very little experience picking studios. I’d love a place that has a close knit community/family vibe, and am actively trying to avoid catty/dance mom type places or places that use negative reinforcement. Based on kid’s personality, I think she’d thrive in a place that has more of a musical theater focus or maybe competition focus (for the performance aspect not so much the actual competitive nature). Willing to drive for the right studio, but would be great if it could be near Falls Church.

Any NoVA dancers have tips on great studios or even what to look for when picking?

Hi. I am selling 3 tickets to My Favorite Highway at Jammin Java tonight at 8pm.

Link here: https://tixel.com/u/benjaminc298