A body sculpting service plans to open in a building by Tysons Corner Center.

A building permit indicates that Elite Body Sculpture is moving into 1919 Gallows Road.

Elite Body Sculpture provides personalized body contouring — “No area is off limits; if you can pinch it, we can take it,” the website says.

Currently, Elite Body Sculpture lists locations in Beverly Hills, Sacramento, Dallas, Houston, Chicago, Atlanta, New York City and Nashville.

Image via Google Maps

Fairfax County police are investigating a burglary at the Koons Tysons Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram dealership in Tysons.

The incident occurred around 9:30 p.m. on Thursday (Aug. 22) at 2050 Chain Bridge Road.

“A suspect broke into the business and stole cash,” police said.

Image via Google Maps

Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in McLean. Reach the office at 703-790-9090.

The majority of the original Vienna homes were built during the 1950s-1960s. The same is true for McLean.

Most of those original homes were red brick ramblers or split levels. Although some have gotten torn down in the recent years, many still remain. If you’re looking to spruce up your home, increase curb appeal and maybe even do some DIY projects, here are some ideas to update your home:

Paint! You won’t believe what a little paint can do. Obviously interior walls are the most obvious place to paint, but I have a few more tricks up my sleeve.

• For instant curb appeal paint your front door a pop of color. Try yellow, red, or even a slick coat of black. Same with shutters if you have them.
• If you’re tired of the red brick look, make sure all the brick is tuckpointed and paint the entire exterior. It’s an immediate way to get a brand new look. I personally love white, blue, or even gray. White houses with colorful front doors and sharp shutters — instant pop!
• Another trick: if you still have a bathroom with the old pink, green, blue, or yellow tile — did you know you can paint that tile? Oh yes! There’s an epoxy they can do to essentially paint the tiles and make it look brand new. Mostly I’ve seen white with a reglazed white tub. It’ll last for a while, but not forever, and I wouldn’t do it on the floor of the bathroom since that’ll fade quickly and might even make it slippery. This is a DIY opportunity but if you hate the way it looks, call in a pro to finish.
• Here’s an example of exterior paint before & after (they also added a garage but you can see the main house is the same).

Light fixtures! They make some really cheap light fixtures now that instantly make a new impression.

• Depending on the finish you want, you can use this $30 LED ceiling light to replace those old gold dome lights throughout your house.
• Or pick a modern dining light to make that old room look new. This one is just $34. It doesn’t have to be expensive to make a big impact. Just make sure you get one that’s big enough for the space.

Many of these ideas have come over the years from selling these homes and staging them. But truthfully if you plan on selling in the next few years, you might as well enjoy the fruits of your labor for a while. You don’t need to do it at all. Make a list of what’s most important to you and tackle it bit by bit. Over time, a little goes a long way.

Looking for more ideas? Or want an opinion on doing something for resale? Feel free to email me — I love a good before and after and don’t mind at all!

School Safety Matters — With school starting back up again, the Fairfax County Police Department has some safety tips regarding school buses, driving, pedestrians and bicycling. [Fairfax County Police]

Police Investigating McLean Crash — “Officers are investigating a crash at Old Dominion Drive and Valley Wood Road in McLean. Use caution and expect delays.” [Fairfax County Police/Twitter]

What’s It Like to Live in Tysons West? — “Tysons West is one of those small neighborhoods that is mainly made up of a few high-rise apartments, businesses and car dealerships… Today, [Westwood Village] is still a pocket of Tysons West that some residents call a hidden gem.” [The Washington Post]

Capital One Acquires Investment Bank — “Capital One Financial Corp. is officially getting into the mergers-and-acquisitions market, announcing Monday [Aug. 19] it will acquire Tysons-based investment bank KippsDeSanto & Co.” [Washington Business Journal]

Tysons: The Next Travel Destination — Forbes has an article explaining why Tysons is a “hidden travel gem.” [Forbes]

Park Authority Board Honors Falls Church High School — “Falls Church High School and Sully Historic Site volunteer Isabel Richardson have been named the Youth recipients of the Fairfax County Park Authority’s 2019 Elly Doyle Park Service Awards.” [Fairfax County]

There’s Something in the Water — “A Smithsonian researcher has just stumbled upon a major discovery in the swamps in and around D.C.: a new species of blood-sucking leeches with up to 59 teeth.” [Patch]

The U.S. Park Police Chief Robert MacLean said yesterday (Wednesday) that he is stepping down.

The announcement came nearly two years after a fatal shooting of a Tysons man by U.S. Park Police that politicians and community members are still trying to get answers to.

The FBI has been investigating the Nov. 17, 2017 shooting where two U.S. Park Police fired into a Jeep Grand Cherokee and hit Bijan Ghaisar, a 25-year-old.

MacLean told Fox 5 DC that he is met with the Ghaisar family shortly after the incident to provide them with more explanation and that he is leaving the case to the FBI to “bring that impartiality and objectivity.”

MacLean worked for the Park Police for nearly 30 years, having positions in both the operational and administrative areas, according to his bio. He was selected to be the acting police chief in December 2013.

According to Fox 5 DC, he has a job lined up at the Office of Law Enforcement and Security at the Department of Interior.

#Breaking PIO for US Park Police confirms that the Chief of Park Police (Chief Robert MacLean) is stepping down. Won’t say why, but confirms he is stepping down.

— Ryan Sprouse (@RSprouseNews) August 21, 2019

Breaking-U S Park Police Chief Robert Maclean is stepping down, according to two sources, and will be taking a job with the Department of Interior. No word yet on an interim chief. Maclean leaves without ever publicly addressing the shooting of Bijan Ghaisar by 2 of his officers. pic.twitter.com/85fdH0TC5v

— Paul Wagner (@paulcwagner) August 21, 2019

Image via C-SPAN

Brandywine Realty Trust is looking to upgrade office space by Tysons Galleria.

The real estate firm announced on Twitter yesterday (Wednesday) that it’s renovating its space at 1676 International Drive #1350.

“We’re elevating 1676 International with a Penthouse full of amenities,” the tweet said.

The new space will include a lounge, 120-person conference center, living room, fitness center and open-air conservatory.

The building houses companies including BAE Systems, KPMG and the consulting firm Savon Group.

We’re elevating 1676 International with a Penthouse full of amenities. With a lounge, conference center, living room, fitness center, and open air conservatory, “working late” just got a lot more fun. pic.twitter.com/9WTlEVZb7n

— Brandywine Realty Trust (@BrandywineRlty) August 21, 2019

Image via Google Maps 

Look around Tysons and you’ll find art near every Metro station.

Tysons Reporter has rounded up the outside artworks in the area that are Instragram-worthy and easy to walk to.

“Early Bird”

Maybe you’ve spotted the dozens of bronze birds scattered around The Plaza outside Tysons Corner Center (1961 Chain Bridge Road). If you haven’t — just take a look around at the seating and railings.

The birds depict five species — the morning dove, the red-tailed hawk, the robin, the crow and the cardinal — and were created by a trio of George Mason University artists, according to the university. In total, there are 63 birds.

Fun fact: “Early Bird is the name of Intelsat’s first communications satellite. It was launched into orbit on April 6, 1965,” according to the university.

“The Thought”

It’s hard to not notice the nearly 16-foot-tall bronze sculpture outside the Walmart (1500 B Cornerside Blvd) in Tysons West where an enormous face rests its chin on a hand.

Robert Cole created the structure with copper pipe before covering it with welded bronze plates. His assistant, Josh Yavelberg, helped with the creation of the piece, according to the D.C.-based Robert Cole Studios.

Cole, who had art at other Metro stations and around the D.C.-area, died in 2013.

“Solar Sails”

Known for his use of glass, artist Ray King created “Solar Sails” outside the Tysons Corner Metro station (1943 Chain Bridge Road) in 2015. The laminated glass panes and tension pulled steel measure 50 feet long outside, according to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

“By creating dynamic interactions with the sun and refracting light into colors — rainbow-like emanations that shift and change as the viewer moves or as the light source changes — King creates an environment that appeals to viewers’ sense of wonderment and delight,” WMATA’s website says.

“Hoop-La” 

Alice Aycock created the aluminum and powder-coated steel sculpture in front of the Capital One headquarters (1680 Capital One Drive) by the McLean Metro station.

According to a description from Capital One:

For the Capital One project, Alice tried to visualize energy, thoughts and ideas as a series of spiral vortexes gathering momentum — each emerging from the vortex below as whirlpools of thought. She designed the work to appear to spin off into the air, forming a dynamic, three-dimensional mixture of forms.

The sculpture is a metaphor for the way ideas connect in energetic and unpredictable ways in the pursuit of knowledge.

Much of Alice’s work in both public and private spheres has been a meditation on the philosophical ramifications of technology, from the simplest to the most advanced tools. Many of these works have incorporated images of the wheel and turbines and references to energy.

“Voyagers”

Located on the ground level at the McLean Metro station mezzanine (1824 Dolley Madison Blvd) are 26 laminated glass panels. Martin Donlin hand painted and airbrushed the panels, which include etchings of poetry from Virginia Poet Laureates, in 2015.

“‘Voyagers’ represents both the physical and cognitive idea of travel and transportation,” the WMATA website says.

“Eccentricity”

Standing 40 feet tall, the stainless steel and concrete work by Barbara Grygutis greets people outside the west entrance pavilion plaza outside the Spring Hill Metro station (1576 Spring Hill Road), according to WMATA.

More from WMATA about the sculpture:

This large iconic columnar sculpture and plaza demarcate the Spring Hill Road Station along WMATA’s Metro Silver Line. The sculptural form displays shifting moiré patterns as the viewer moves about the piece — from pedestrians at ground level and above on the train platform, to vehicles and bicyclists passing at varying speeds. The plaza includes an offset concentric ring design in two shades of concrete with poetry by previous Poet Laureate of Virginia Lee Pelham Cotton in aluminum within the concrete. In the evening, the pillar is illuminated to create a peacemaking feature around the clock.

WMATA commissioned Grygutis to create the piece, which was finished in 2016, according to the artist’s website. People can see it driving or walking along Leesburg Pike by the Metro stop.

“Tysons Luxury Lilies”

People getting off the Greensboro Metro station and folks heading to the Tysons Biergarten have surely seen the massive mural featuring water lilies at 8346 Leesburg Pike.

Created by Lawrence Atoigue, professionally known as Naturel, the 100 by 200 foot mural was launched in 2016 as part of a placemaking effort by Tysons Partnership.

The mural, located on a wall owned by Beacon Capital Partners, was inspired by Claude Monet’s “Water Lily” series, according to Tysons Partnership.

“Technology Triangle Colonnade”

Columns standing 21 feet tall are located on opposite sides of Leesburg Pike at the Greensboro Metro station (8304 Leesburg Pike). David Dahlquist created the metal, fiberglass and concrete columns with LED lights in 2016.

“The symbolic triangle, representative of the connection of government, industry, and consumer, becomes a dramatic iconic marker,” according to the WMATA website. “The sculptural columns create a dynamic connection to the station.”

People who look closely can spot the poetry by Virginia Poet Laureates in the bands around the base of each column.

The company behind A Taste of Urbanspace in Tysons Galleria is facing a lawsuit for allegedly stealing a retail brokerage firm’s “intellectual capital.”

District Equities filed a lawsuit Monday alleging that Urbanspace Tysons LLC, “entered into an agreement with District Equities to help find retail vendors for the food hall, utilized the brokerage firm’s proprietary market knowledge and business relationships, and then terminated the agreement,” Bisnow reported.

District Equities was started by Great Falls resident Steve Gaudio in 2015.

The two companies worked together from the fall until Urbanspace terminated District Equities’ agreement, activating the noncompete clause that said District Equities cannot work on another food hall for two years, the article said.

District Equities “says the damages would be at least $75,000, a threshold that gives it jurisdiction in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia,” according to the Bisnow article.

Urbanspace Tysons LLC opened A Taste of Urbanspace in December, replacing celebrity chef Mike Isabella’s series of restaurants known as Isabella Eatery.

Recently, A Taste of Urbanspace has seen some changes.

Danielle’s Desserts closed for good at the mall earlier this month after its owner told Tysons Reporter that she wants to focus more on her health and family.

Meanwhile, Eater reported that Ice Cream Jubilee seems to have disappeared from the Tysons spot and is no longer listing it as one of its locations.

Lady M Cake Boutique is moving from its pop-up in A Taste of Urbanspace to a permanent spot on the second level of the mall.

BAE Systems announced its new Robotic Operations Center in Tysons yesterday (Monday).

The new center will “customize and deploy suites of software robots that automate high-volume, repetitive tasks in support of U.S. national security missions,” according to a press release.

“The emphasis on security is driving a significant increase in the collection of data across the IT enterprise, giving analysts access to more data in greater detail than ever before,” Peder Jungck, the vice president of intelligence solutions at BAE Systems, said in a press release.

Known as ROC, the new center stems from BAE Systems’ partnership with UiPath to increase machine learning in the U.S. defense and intelligence communities earlier this year.

“The ROC streamlines IT operations, helping customers to take advantage of the vast sea of information to improve responsiveness while reducing cost and security risk,” Jungck said.

The multinational defense, security and aerospace company has a Tysons office at 1676 International Drive, Suite 1000.

Image via Google Maps 

Tysons-based Curbside Kitchen imagines a food truck-friendly world where companies can easily coordinate with food trucks to cater events or just switch up lunch-time options.

Amy Katz, the CEO of Curbside Kitchen, founded the company around 2017 after talking to her husband Brian about his struggles in real estate and difficulty coordinating food trucks for events.

To solve the problem, she decided to create a technological platform that allows managers to schedule food truck arrivals for their business or building.

Katz described the company as “Uber for a food truck — with a ton of heart” and said that her company helps buildings maintain tenants by building a sense of community and diversity based on a shared love for food.

“Each truck has its own DNA,” Katz said.

When first starting out, the main obstacle was finding a way to coordinate with hundreds of food trucks with unreliable hours and various management types, she said.

“The biggest struggle is bringing the food truck owners up to the same standard,” Katz said, adding that there are many “unforeseen” circumstances around food trucks, including maintenance issues or poor weather.

But, despite the challenges, Katz is optimistic about the company’s growth. “I am so passionate about it that every day we learn something new,” she said.

Today, the company has around 300 food truck partners on call in three cities, but Katz said they plan to keep growing thanks to the Virginia Founders Fund from the Center for Innovative Technology, which recently granted Curbside Kitchen money to expand their venture.

Katz said she did not feel comfortable revealing the grant amount, but she did say that she plans to hire a few more employees and build an app.

The app will tell food truck patrons when their favorite trucks are nearby, allow trucks and managers to schedule gigs and remind trucks to show up at certain times. She said the app should be available for download within six months.

Though they are not the only company that works with food trucks, Katz said that Curbside Kitchen isn’t worried about competition.

“There isn’t really anybody out there with the technology and integration we have,” she said.

As Curbside Kitchen expands, they plan to keep their headquarters in Tysons — where the community is incredibly supportive of the food truck culture.

“I believe people have a close eye on what we are doing,” Katz said.

Photo courtesy Amy Katz