Feeling arty?  Lucky for you, you live at 220 Twentieth Street Apartments, located just a stone’s throw from the new Northern Virginia Art Center.

Located at 2120-A Crystal Plaza Arcade, this Arlington Artists Alliance gallery promotes the works of established and emerging regional artists.  The Alliance’s mission is to make regional fine art accessible to the public through monthly exhibits, special events, and art workshops.   So go there and take in all of the beautiful works in a variety of media, including painting, sculpture, glass, ceramics and handmade jewelry.

The cool thing is that you could go down there, become inspired, and then become a part of this community of regional artists yourself by providing your own artwork.  After all, this is Arlington, you live at 220 Twentieth Street, and it’s all about being a part of the community, right?

We’ll be there with our friends from 220 Twentieth Street, being all high-brow, channeling Degas or Picasso or another awesome artist, wearing our beret and scarf and pondering arty quotes like da Vinci’s “Art is never finished, only abandoned.” Find more information about the Northern Virginia Arts Center here crystalcity.org/go/northern-virginia-arts-center.

Shopping at The Fashion Center at Pentagon City Mall just got so much better!  They recently opened three new stores – Henri Bendel, Bose, and the Microsoft Store. It’s the perfect combination of couture accessories and bags, high quality sound, and tech all in one place.   Oooh-la-la!

First, we’re going to go to Henri Bendel to drool over all of the metallic-tone bags and sparkly bangles and such.  Then we’re going to head on over to the Microsoft Store to take a look around at all the cool laptops.  And, of course, we’re going to spend a good hour or two playing Just Dance 4!  After all of our hard work drooling and making our wish list, we’re going to go over to Bose.  There, we are going to sit down, close our eyes, and let all of the high quality sound take us away to another world.  And then typically what happens is we are so caught up in the pleasure of the sound, the security guard comes over around 9 or so and warns that it’s time to close our mouth, stop drooling and go home.

Parting is always such sweet sorrow from our Pentagon City Mall.

Well, at least we won’t have far to travel next time we want to jaunt over from 220 Twentieth Street when the desire to go shopping hits!

What’s better than attending an outdoor beer festival in Crystal City?

Attending one where you can also bring your favorite pup, of course.

The inaugural Pups and Pilsners outdoor beer festival was Sunday, September 23rd from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., just a dog walk away from your equally pet-friendly apartments at 220 Twentieth Street.

I’m sure all of our wonderful pet owners enjoyed the massive beer garden with ten different stations – each with a different craft brew!  The best part was that entry to the festival was free; you pay for own drinks, of course!

It’s the end of summer!

And to celebrate the end of the season, we held a Soggy Doggy Day Swim for man’s best friend !  Fetch! Pet Care sponsored the event and provided fantastic gift bags for 220’s furry friends to enjoy.  They even had Doggles (Dog goggles!) for the first five dogs to arrive.

And don’t worry, we didn’t forget the owners; drinks and snacks were provided.

We love theater in all of its forms – Broadway, off Broadway, and especially not far from

220 Twentieth at Synetic Theater.  A true artistic gem in the community, Synetic received 15 Helen Hayes nods for King Lear, and was awarded a 2010 National Theatre Company Grant from American Theatre Wing, founder of the Tonys®!

So we visit to see their most recent drama playing out on stage whenever possible.  Beginning this September 20th, we’re going to explore the famed life of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in “Jekyll and Hyde”, Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic Victorian tale of good and evil.  But this tale will be told at Synetic adding their signature physicality and darkly dramatic aesthetic.  Updating the story’s setting from 19th century London to modern-day America, Synetic’s version will put a new spin on the strange case of the charming and sociable Dr. Jekyll and his sinister friend, accused murderer Mr. Hyde

Oooh, sounds really exciting, and sinister and artistic and dark…

So make sure to gather all your friends and get tickets to see the show!  After all, theatre is best enjoyed in community, with friends who are willing to walk down to the theater with you, walk you home, and hold your hand during the scary parts…

Find more information on Synetic Theater, click here: www.synetictheater.org.

Find more information on living at 220 Twentieth Street, www.220living.com.

Who are you?

A business owner?

A business leader?

An entrepreneur?

Are you a top influencer in the NOVA area?

Then you need to be a part of the DC Top Influencer Networking Group event at 220 Twentieth, hosted by Eminent IT – a US based software consulting Company established with the objective of providing Consulting Services, Development Solutions and IT training in key areas for various requirements in IT industry with great commitment to the high quality.

Whew – that was a mouthful!  After all, these people are really important.

Just like you, Top Influencer.

All of your fellow Top Influencers from 220 Twentieth Street will be there with their business cards and dressed business casual on September 13: 6:30pm-8:30pm in our Club Room.

So you’d better be there, too!

September is it!   It’s your last month to enjoy Food Truck Thursday before it ends on the 27^th. So be all over it – get your lunchtime Food Truck fix from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 223 23^rd Street – not far from your apartment at 220 Twentieth Street!

There are so many yummy trucks to enjoy – A’Lo Cubano, Doug the Food Dude, Hot Food People, Lemongrass and more. We’ll be there, inhaling food from the eight food trucks represented and hoping to placate our taste buds until the trucks come back next June.

Well, maybe we won’t inhale the food. We’ll just buy all of our faves and take it back to our 220 Twentieth Street Apartments to nibble on it a bit… gracefully.

Eating spare ribs and pulled pork after work.  Can life get any better that?

Sure it can – eating all of that at 220 Twentieth Street with Memphis Barbecue has a Barbecue tasting of their menu TODAY!

Enjoy it all at The Luna Lounge – rooftop pool and terrace.  And when we say all, we mean the best of Memphis Barbecue’s fare, including the spare ribs and pulled pork along with coleslaw.

But Memphis Barbecue is definitely not down and dirty.  While you will need to lick your fingers for sure, this will all be served up with an element of class.  After all, this is a 220 Twentieth Street event we’re talking about!

We will be licking our own fingers, and there won’t be any leftovers, so you will be mad and hungry if you don’t come out!

Let’s face it – living in America was feeling kind of icky for a while.  Actually, living in pretty much the whole world was.  All of this talk of recession and job losses and banks was just overwhelming.  And while we’re still experiencing some of it, at home, near your 220 Twentieth Street apartment in Arlington, Virginia, things are feeling like they are starting to look up.

A recent blog on www.urbanturf.com also cited that DC is rising, and we assert the surrounding areas like Crystal City, Virginia are rising.  “The McKinsey Global Institute (recently reported by The Atlantic Cities) just compared the GDP of 30 U.S. cities in 1978 versus 2010; in that time period, DC climbed from the seventh spot to the fourth, switching places with Philadelphia.”

You’re going to hold on to this news, and enjoy DC rising.  You’re going to invite friends over to your apartment at 220 Twentieth Street and show them that you’re thankful – for them, for this moment, and that a better day continues to materialize on your Crystal City, Virginia horizon.

For more information on living at 220 Twentieth Apartments, follow this link: www.220living.com.

You’re sitting at home in your apartment at 220 Twentieth Street when you decide to open the window and let in a little breeze.  As soon as you do, you are overtaken by a delectable smell that you can’t quite identify.  It’s the mix of a perfect burrito and a falafel at the same time, perhaps with a touch of curry?  Or maybe that’s orange spice.

Whatever it is, the aroma is so strong that you half walk, half sleepwalk, letting your nose lead you in that direction.  At the end of your nose you find a beautiful sight – what seems like an army of food trucks lined up to serve you with some of the best food you’ve eaten in, like, forever.

You do not hesitate as you order lunch from the largest assembly of food trucks that can be found in the Arlington, Virginia area.  And as you walk back to your apartment at 220 Twentieth Street, you realize that the best dining options can come in boxy packages with wheels.

For more information on living at 220 Twentieth Apartments, follow this link: www.220living.com.