🍕 Food & Wine has highlighted an award-winning pizzeria in every state, giving pizza lovers a new reason to plan their next food adventure.

🏘️ A controversial data center project in Loudoun County is taking a surprising turn.

🏗️ A former office building in Arlington is getting a new purpose.

Scroll down and enjoy!

—Chris Colgan

Salute to Our Veterans
Winchester honors everyone who has served with a ceremony at the Korean War Memorial. Afterward, local veterans are invited to a free luncheon in the Social Hall at the Park Rec Center.
📍 Location: Korean War Memorial, Jim Barnett Park, 1001 E. Cork St, Winchester
📅 Date: Nov 6
MORE INFO→

Ice Skating Season Opens at Reston Town Center
Reston’s outdoor rink opens for the season, weather permitting. Public skating runs daily, and the skate shop rents more than 500 pairs of figure and hockey skates.
📍 Location: Reston Town Center Pavilion, Reston
📅 Date: Nov 6
MORE INFO→

Grown-Up Field Trip: Who Gets Remembered
Historic Alexandria’s monthly adults-only outing asks why some people’s stories last in the historical record while others nearly disappear. Tickets are $15, or $12 for Historic Alexandria members.
📍 Location: Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, Alexandria
📅 Date: Nov 7 | 6 PM
MORE INFO→

NOT ENOUGH? SEE 20+ GREAT THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND→

Driving the news
The magazine's 50 States of Award-Winning Pizza guide features restaurants recognized by international pizza competitions, national rankings, local publications, and reader polls.

Why it matters
National recognition can introduce more customers to neighborhood restaurants, support local jobs, and give visitors another reason to explore a community. For pizza lovers, it also means some of the country's most celebrated pies could be closer to home than expected.

The big picture
America's pizza scene stretches far beyond New York and Chicago. Restaurants across the country are earning praise for wood-fired Neapolitan pies, sourdough crusts, regional specialties, and creative toppings.

Between the lines
While traditional pizza styles remain popular, locally inspired ingredients help restaurants stand out. Think reindeer sausage in Alaska, Mexican street corn flavors in Mississippi, and bison chili in Wyoming.

What's next
Whether you're planning a cross-country road trip or simply looking for your next pizza night, the full guide offers plenty of places worth adding to your list.

See the award-winning pizza spot in every state →

Driving the news
Amazon has unveiled "Project Potomac Promise," a proposal to build between 1,290 and 1,548 homes on the former GW Virginia Science and Technology Campus in Ashburn.

The announcement follows an October 20 agreement with Loudoun County officials to abandon plans for more than 800,000 square feet of data centers.

Details
The proposed development would turn the 122-acre property into a mixed-use community.

Why it matters
For Loudoun County residents, the shift could mean more housing choices, new recreational spaces, and fewer concerns about the environmental and infrastructure demands of another large data center development.

The proposal also creates an opportunity to add affordable housing and community resources in an area facing continued growth.

The big picture
Loudoun County is home to the world's largest concentration of data centers, making it a major hub for the technology industry. But continued expansion has sparked concerns about electricity demand, pollution, and how land is being used.

Amazon's change in plans shows how local opposition can influence development decisions, even in one of the country's biggest data center markets.

Between the lines
The proposal follows months of pressure from residents, county leaders, and GW students who questioned the environmental impact of another data center campus. A petition opposing additional data center construction collected more than 2,500 signatures.

What's next
Amazon's proposal is in the early planning stages and will need to move through Loudoun County's development and rezoning process. No construction timeline has been announced.

Instead of another data center complex, Loudoun County could gain more than 1,500 homes, affordable housing support, and new public gathering spaces. It's a major change for a property that was once headed toward industrial-scale technology development.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE→

Driving the news
Penzance announced on November 2 that construction is underway at 4601 N. Fairfax Drive, where a 240,000-square-foot office property will be redeveloped into a seven-story residential community.

Details
The project will bring new housing and neighborhood upgrades to the Rosslyn-Ballston Corridor.

Why it matters
Ballston One will add much-needed housing in a walkable, transit-friendly neighborhood while putting underused office space back to work. The project could also support nearby restaurants and businesses by bringing more residents into the area.

The big picture
Arlington is finding new uses for older office properties as housing demand grows. Ballston One reflects the county's broader push to create residential communities near transit, jobs, and local amenities.

Between the lines
Rather than starting entirely from scratch, Penzance plans to reuse the property's existing two-level underground garage. The approach reduces construction waste and supports the project's goal of earning LEED Gold certification.

What's next
Construction is now underway following three years of planning and community discussions. The developer has not announced an expected completion date.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE→

All the NoVA markets still lean toward sellers, but only slightly. Price cuts are common: 37% to 47% of listings have dropped their price, and most homes take one to two months to sell. Fairfax was the only city where the market got stronger for sellers this month. Reston cooled the most, and Arlington and Winchester held steady.

Arlington: $1,690,000 median asking price. Market score steady. Slowest sales, at about 56 days.
Alexandria: $950,000. Prices flat, 201 homes for sale.
Fairfax: $927,500. The strongest seller’s market, and the only one heating up.
Reston: $889,925. Just 28 homes for sale, with the biggest cooling this month.
Gainesville: $899,900. The fastest sales, at about 35 days.
Winchester: $489,900. The most affordable, and the most price cuts at 47%.

Sellers still have the edge, but pricing right matters. Buyers have real room to negotiate.

Thinking about buying or selling in the next 6 months? Get a Game Plan →

Reply and let me know what you liked the most and what you’d like to see in next week’s newsletter. See ya!