Nestled deep within Northern Virginia, right off Interstate 66, is a small historical town named Falls Church, Va. Falls Church has two metro stops, one for the East and one for the West. If one were ever to find themselves getting off at the East Falls Church Station along the blue or orange line, one might automatically think to themselves, "Dammit, I've gotten off at the wrong stop and landed right smack dab in the middle of Pleasantville, America."
Indeed, the town of Falls Church and its East stop might seem boring and humdrum at first, but be willing to wander off the trail to discover the true charm of this little town.
Right off the Metro stop there are a lot of residential, old-style houses that make this the ideal place to raise a family. Vanessa Tobar, a freshman in the School of International Service and a Falls Church resident, said, "Malls are really big around here; Fair Oaks, Tyson's Corner. There are also a lot of karaoke bars, which is big, and bowling alleys." Indeed, Falls Church seems like every other normal town in America.
Falls Church is home to one of the biggest Hispanic populations in the Washington, D.C. metro area, making it a great place to seek out Latin American cuisine. Pass on the outrageously priced meal at Guapo's or a bland tasting burrito at Chipotle and get some real Latin American cuisine at Restaurant Picante - for more information and directions, call (703) 222-2323. Other places to check out are Anita's New Mexican Style Food, Burrito Brothers (which also has D.C. locations), Costa Del Sol and Taco Laredo.
If Latin American Food doesn't tickle your fancy, then check out the trails and parks that abound. Right off the Metro stop, there's a park with baseball diamonds, soccer fields and - best of all - a dog park.
The parks serve as centers around the Custis trail, perfect for runners and bikers. A run or bike back to D.C. from East Falls Church is perfect for anyone who fancies themselves a marathon runner or a Lance Armstrong type.
If you would rather go see a concert, Falls Church has got that covered. About a quarter of a mile down the road from the East Falls Church station is the famous State Theatre. This theater plays host to many musicians, artists and comedians, most recently hosting the Mates of State show and stand up comedian Nick Swardson. Artists like Gin Blossoms, Yngwie Malmsteen and Eddie Money are all scheduled to play upcoming shows, and anyone with a pulse would kill to see Eddie Money.
Falls Church is also home to one of the biggest auto-retail businesses in the surrounding area, with Koon's Auto Sales pretty much dominating. In turn, Falls Church has some of the best and cheapest mechanics in the D.C. area. If that god-forsaken Geo Metro is acting up, zip on over to any mechanic in the area and they are sure to get it running as good as new (or as good as a Geo can run) at half the price anyone in D.C. is charging.
Falls Church is also host to some of the more obscure things not normally found in D.C. The Anime Pavilion on Washington Street is a comic shop almost entirely devoted to anime and rare anime paraphernalia. For any "Gundam" or "Inuyasha" fans, if there was a place to go and trade nerd tools for even bigger, better nerd tools, this is it.
If none of this is of interest, then you might like books or history. Falls Church is one of the oldest living cities in America, founded in 1699 around the actual Falls Church located about half a mile down the road off Washington Street. This famous church was frequented by George Washington, who was made a vestryman in 1765. The church served as a recruit station for the military during the Revolutionary War and a stable for Union troops during the Civil War.
The accompanying Falls Church cemetery is home to many past spirits who fought for this nation or lived during these historical periods. The old style headstones date back to as early as the late 1700s and early 1800s.
Just a stone's throw from the Metro stop, a few blocks down Roosevelt Boulevard, is Seven Corners, Va. Seven Corners is home to places like Guitar Center, Bennigans and Ross, attracting both Virginians and D.C. natives alike. The Guitar Center is the closest one in the D.C. metro area. It's a perfect place to spend a whole day just screwing around with instruments and buying unnecessary things for dorm
rooms.
If all of this sounds too quaint, the East Falls Church Metro station is also one of the closest stops to Tyson's Corner. Tyson's Corner is quickly becoming a major market but the only problem is that it is a long walk from the Metro stop. While it is not unbearable, the D.C. spirit of "get there as fast as I can" transcends into Northern Virginia. Both East and West Falls Church serve as stops to Tyson's Corner, but either way, it is quite a walk.
All of a sudden, the East Falls Church stop doesn't seem so boring now, does it? With numerous places to go and have fun, it is a wonder why people haven't discovered East Falls Church. Guitar Center, Eddie Money, great food; what more does a person need?
