Best of Charlottesville

Best Charlottesville blogs

admin — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 13:49:30 +0000

	Real estate blog One of the best blog for real estate news. Run by Jim Duncan, a local realtor.
	Charlottesville blogs This is an aggregator of CVille-related blogs
	VARbuzz Virginia real estate news, views and issues.
	W. Keith Davis Real estate blog by W. Keith Real Estate
	Charlottesville Albemarle Services Blog A blog that is a reference for homeowners from the Charlottesville area. Founded by Albemarle Window Cleaning’s Jim Harshaw
	Charlottesville Albemarle SPCA Blog The Charlottesville Albemarle SPCA Community Blog is for the sharing of information regarding SPCA news, events, and fostering activities, and also for animal lovers who would simply like to share their animal-related experience
	Outskirts: Life and Time in Charlottesville Blog covering Charlottesville
	Charlottesville Area Weddings Blog A great, and ever-growing resource for brides and grooms in the Charlottesville area – there’s nothing else like it around!

Best bars in Charlottesville

admin — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 13:42:10 +0000

Favorite bartending spots in Charlottesville

	St Maarten Cafe A Charlottesville classic on the Corner
	South Street Brewery
	ZoCaLo Trendy and hip
	Michael’s Bistro
	Starr Hill A Charlottesville hotspot.
	Blue Light Grill
	Orbit Billiards Great place for pool especially since Charlottesville doesn’t have too many pool joints.
	Rapture Nice place to shoot pool too.

Charlottesville restaurants with the best patios

admin — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 13:39:51 +0000

Eating out on a patio reminds us of Europe. Here’s a list of our favorite restaurants with patios in Charlottesville.


	Bashir’s Great sandwiches for lunch. Diverse Mediterranean food. Patio is great in the summer during Fridays after Five. You can eat and enjoy the music at the same time.
	Vivace Italian restaurant with probably the largest patio in town. Great in the summer with shady areas. Service can be slow but the patio makes up for it.
	Hamilton’s On the downtown mall. Fine food for a reasonable price. Great shaded patio in the summer.
	Bizou Nice space on the downtown mall, not a patio but still a good outdoor space to hang out.
	Bang Outdoor enclosed private patio. The food is succulent.
	Oxo Behind the ice skating rink. Nice patio, located next to the street, but cozy anyways.
	Maya Fancy Southern Food. Located on W. Main St. near downtown. The patio is all concrete but it’s got a great atmosphere
	C&O Restaurant Great double patio, one covered, one outside. The covered one has more atmosphere, the one outside needs more tables to bring more energy into the space

10 things to do before graduating from uva

admin — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 13:33:59 +0000

It’s not enough to just get a BS or a BA; students at UVa like to do (so we hear) the following things before they graduate. Keep in mind that some of these may not be quite legal. So beware!

	Streak the Lawn A fine UVa tradition. Be careful at night so that you don’t trip over random lawn chairs
	Foxfield Races Held in Fall (Family Day) and Spring. Even if you don’t like horse racing, come out for the atmosphere
	Sunrise on the Lawn Easier said than done. Perhaps the trick is to not sleep the night before?
	Attend a JPJ event Our newest entertainment venue. Voted best new major concert venue in 2006 (but how many get built in a given year?)
	Ride the Trolley Catch a ride. Loop around town
	Steam Tunneling What is that? That’s for you to find out but it involves steams and tunnels.
	Eat a Gus Burger Where to find this delicacy? At the White Spot on the UVa Corner
	Lighting of the Lawn Bringing the UVa community together
	Monticello The home of Thomas Jefferson. A great place to take out-of-town visitors.
	Crozet Pizza A classic. Check out the photographs of all the luminaries on the walls

Activities for kids

admin — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 13:28:36 +0000

Things to do with kids in Charlottesville


	Ice Skating Rink Charlottesville’s blessed to have an ice rink. Ice skate in the heat of summer. No problem there.
	Shopping at Short Pump An 1hr away by car towards Richmond. An outdoor and pedestrian friendly mall. Great place to redo everyone’s wardrobe.
	Visit the SPCA Be careful there or you may come back with a puppy or kitten.
	Glass Palette The store has plenty of kid-friendly activities, even if they involve glass.
	Shopping at Target. For some reason, kids love to shop there.
	Get a pedicure with mom Young daughters love this one. Quality bonding time for mothers and daughters.
	Ride the trolley During the Holiday season, take a ticket to ride on the trolley. It will take you to all the neighborhoods with cool christmas lights.
	Pen Park Good for all ages. Wonderful playground, tennis courts and shelters for family picnics.
	Virginia Discovery Museum Not just for kids, great for adults too. Lots of fun.
	Write on the Freedom Wall Located on the downtown mall by the post office and pavilion. Teach your kid about the meaning of Free Speech. Check out the graffiti too.
	Go to a toy store This is a great activity. But you’ll end up buying something for sure.

Best Dining on the Downtown Mall

admin — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 13:16:51 +0000

	Miyako Japanese Located in York Place. Our Japanese friends think this is the most authentic Japanese restaurant in the area
	Petit Pois Try the thin fries and salad. Great location by the fountain.
	C&O Restaurant
	Court Square Tavern
	Fleurie French. Refined. Authentic.
	ZoCaLo Contemporary food and setting. Great location by the fountain. Right next to Petit Pois.
	Hamilton’s Great patio. Contemporary cuisine
	The Pointe – OMNI Try the Sunday brunch.

Restaurants with the best quality/price ratio

admin — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 13:09:24 +0000

If food is expensive but every morsel tastes like heaven, then that’s ok. However, if the quality doesn’t match the price, then we are disappointed. Here’s a list of restaurants that we think have struck the right balance.

	Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar International teahouse. Vegetarian cuisine and desserts
	Bodo’s Bagels Fast and easy. Bodo’s bagels is a Charlottesville institution. It provides great value for the price. The bagels are good too!
	Marco and Luca Unbeatable price for tasty noodles and dumplings.
	Mona Lisa Great fresh homemade pasta, pizza and all sorts of sauce
	Cafe 88 Chinese restaurant. Ovo, lacto, and vegan-friendly
	Bizou On the downtown mall. Great patio and good food for the price. The menu doesn’t change much, so no variety but also no big surprises
	Cafe Cubano On the downtown mall. Great for breakfast and delicious paninis for lunch.
	Bashir’s Restaurant Famous for his hams. Mediterranean fare. Tapas.
	Ming Dinasty Favorite Chinese restaurant of many Cville vegetarians
	Hamilton’s One of our top favorites in terms of quality / price ratio.