Why walkability matters when you’re deciding where to live

1. You’ll lose weight: The average resident of a walkable neighborhood weighs 6 to 10 pounds less than someone who lives in a car-dependent neighborhood . 2. You’ll save money: Transportation is the second largest expense for American households, costing more than food, clothing, and health care. 3. You’ll connect with people: Studies show that […]

Small Bites: This week’s restaurant news

Mangia l’etoile L’etoile might be Virginia cuisine with a French influence, but on Tuesday, September 25, gourmet fineries from Foods of All Nations and wine from The Country Vintner will help it go Italian at its 6pm Italian Wine Dinner. For $80 per person (plus tax and gratuity) expect six family-style courses and eight wines […]

Fruit of the vine: Wine events for the week of September 17

Afton Mountain Afton Mountain After Hours Saturday, September 22: Dallas Wesley and Band (6-9pm) (540) 456-8667 www.aftonmountainvineyards.com Barboursville Vineyard Italian Harvest Feast Saturday, September 22 at 1pm: Enjoy a traditional five course feast paired with Barboursville wines, prepared by Guest Chefs Cesare Lanfranconi, formerly of Washington’s Café Milano, Tosca, and Spezie, and Shannon Overmiller of The Majestic […]

Love in the age of smartphones

The universe lacks a person more devoted to their iPhone than I. Ever since my ex-husband insisted we change phone plans (we’re still on the same family phone plan to make it easier for us and the kids) to get iPhones my life has been transformed. That sounds a bit melodramatic and materialistic, but I […]

The object of my affection: a cultural relic

“The object that is my most prized possession in my home is a handmade Afghan woman’s shepherd cloak that is about 80 years old, from the northeast province of Badakhshan. The cloak is made from felt and embroidered with beautiful silk thread designs of flowers. All of the dyes are made from things native to […]

Camino chugs along serving a crew of regulars

There will always be restaurants that change hands so often that it’s hard to keep track. While the little cheese wedge of a restaurant next to the Vinegar Hill Theater has stood as its current incarnation—Camino—for nearly three years now, it was Il Cane Pazzo for three years before that, and L’Avventura for eight years […]

Charlottesville Street Style: The rebirth of cool

I ran into EDGAR (above), the owner and lead stylist of Reflections Salon, looking decidedly dapper on a break. He is wearing a Ralph Lauren shirt with Banana Republic pants, Cole Haan shoes, and a vintage hat for a unique look that’s rooted in the past but relevant for today. Edgar says his style mantra […]

Small Bites: This week’s restaurant news

Party like it’s harvest time Monticello, the home of our own “first foodie,” serves as the pastoral background for the sixth annual Heritage Harvest Festival on Friday, September 14 and Saturday, September 15. You and your family will learn—with all your senses—about the gifts of our local soils and the hardworking people who grow them. […]

Free Will Astrology: Week of September 11-17

Virgo (August 23-September 22): Arthur Turner, a Virgo reader from Austin, is upset with my recent horoscopes. In his e-mail, he wrote the following: “You’re making me mad with your predictions of non-stop positivity, Brezsny. I need more dirt and grit and muck. I’ve got to have some misery and decay to motivate me. So […]