Despite Popular Belief, Fairfax Offers Plenty To Do

By Broadside Correspondent David Greene

We often think that all there is to do in a 20-mile radius lies in our brightly-lit neighbor to the east. But how much do we really know? Many of us who live on campus are provided with enough options that we feel we do not need to leave in many cases and those of us who commute from points in Fairfax County and beyond stay here long enough to go to class, smile at a few friends and go home. But what about those times when we are sitting around campus between classes with little to do? Or perhaps resident students are curious to spice up their weekends. Many do not know there are plenty of curiosities in and just around Fairfax to be discovered.

First, the city has provided a wonderful way to get around with the CUE bus system that weaves through the streets of Fairfax. If one was to simply ride around for a while, a number of possibilities would be uncovered. Best of all, the bus is free to all Mason students with their Mason ID.

Taking the bus into the center of the city, one can find a huge array of activities to occupy their time. There of course are new restaurants like Mamma Lucia and the Metro Silver Diner. Mamma Lucia, if you couldn’t guess from the name, is an Italian place. They serve pizza by the slice and other options like pasta, salads and sides. What’s more, Mason students can get a 15 percent discount on most items. Just half a block up University Drive on the corner of North Street, the Metro Diner, which is open until 3 a.m. Thursday through Saturday, caters to students’ late-night cravings with their extended weekend hours. The food there is phenomenal, their service is speedy, and they have an innovative way of placing your order.

Maybe you have had your fill of good food, but you want something more hands-on. There is a craft shop on Main Street called Paint Your Own Pottery with over 600 varieties of pottery for every occasion, or for no occasion at all. The staff will glaze and fire your artwork for you, and call you for pick-up upon completion.

If you are shopping for a bargain, there are plenty of places to do that as well. There is the obvious destination on Main Street of TJ Maxx for name-brand overstock. Farther down the street near Pickett Road at the Fair City Mall, is Five Below for your quirkier needs like oversized totes or beer bongs—the inventory is ever-changing. As students of a very community-oriented school, however, there are places we can shop to make our dollar do better things. Consider Yesterday’s Rose, a non-profit thrift store. It too is located on Main Street near Stonewall Avenue. Besides operating costs, every cent you spend goes directly to humanitarian and outreach programs. They also accept the donation of new and gently-used items and articles of clothing.

Speaking of community outreach, there are a couple of farmers markets in the city that aide in the sustainability of local produce. The Community Farmer’s Market—located at the corner of West and Main Streets and open on Saturdays, and the Fairfax Farmer’s Market—found in Van Dyck Park and open on Tuesdays—both provide locally grown fruits and vegetables as well as other goods like jewelery and fresh flowers. These establishments will close at the end of this month, Oct. 25 and Oct. 28 respectively, so be sure to take time out and do your part.

For something year-round, be sure to visit the Fairfax Ice Area on Pickett Road.

They are open seven days a week and even offer ice skating lessons. If skating isn’t your thing, then check out the movie theatre, Cinema Arts, just down the road. They offer mainstream and non-mainstream movies, often at discounted prices. They also host various film festivals throughout the year. University Mall Theatre offers movies to Mason students with their ID for only $3. Every Saturday at midnight, they have a showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and one should not miss this cult classic.

Fairfax is not a large city by any means, but there is plenty of room to stow away some great things to be done.