Apartment Showcase Blog

Crowded house: Free Alcohol Wednesdays typically draw the largest crowds at The State. (emilyonasunday via Flickr)

The State Theatre in Falls Church has quite a little history.

Built in 1936, it operated as a movie theater until the late ’80s. It opened with a screening of “Thanks a Million” and ended with a showing of “Die Hard.” How’s that for cinematic bookends?

Their site claims it was the first theater on the East Coast to feature central air conditioning.

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After a multimillion-dollar restoration in the late ’90s, it’s now primarily a live music venue, and judging from their upcoming shows, they are heavy on tribute bands. If you can’t see the real Guns N’ Roses (and given the predilections of one W. Axl Rose, there’s no guarantee you can even when the band’s in town), Queen or Led Zeppelin, why not choose the next best thing?

While you probably missed tribute band Appetite for Destruction on the first of this month, the Falls Church renter can still catch faux, err, Almost Queen on Friday, Dec. 9, and Zoso: the Ultimate Led Zeppelin Experience on Feb. 11, 2012.

The State Theatre also presents nationally known (and little-known) acts.

On Thursday, Dec. 15, Devo comes to town, and on Friday the 23rd it’s Wu-Tang Clan’s turn to tickle your ears. Prices on shows vary, but I must admit that $57 for Devo ($120 for a meet-and-greet, or should I say, geek-and-greet) and $55 for Wu-Tang Clan is a bit much. OK, way much.

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But pricing isn’t always high. For instance, you can catch The Smithereens on Jan. 14, 2012, for the reasonable sum of $20. And the tribute bands all seem to be in that range, or even less.

The State differs from many clubs in that you can order food, sit down and eat it while watching the show. Tables can be reserved for a price, and here are all the particulars you need concerning that.

The place has received positive write-ups in Washingtonian magazine and The Washington Post. So if you’re into live music – especially tribute bands – it may be worth your while to traipse out here and see a show.

The State Theatre is conveniently located near the East Falls Church Metro station on the Orange Line.

What's pho dinner: Stop by Eden Center for a delicious bowl of pho soup. Dozens of authentic Vietnamese restaurants can be found at the sprawling center.

Eden Center in Falls Church, Va., is a one-of-a-kind shopping experience.

Located on Wilson Boulevard at Seven Corners, this colorful, Vietnamese-American mall lets the shopper know they’re in for something different as soon as they pass under the elaborate lion arch. The shopping center itself has been around for about 40 years but didn’t make the transformation into a Vietnamese wonderland until 1984. Catering to people of Vietnamese extraction, it now ranks as the cultural home of the Vietnamese-American Community for the entire East Coast.

Eden Center contains approximately 120 stores and is divided into five sections, and it’s about the kitschiest place imaginable … in a good way.

There are more than 30 restaurants here, the Cho Saigon Supermarket, and all types of jewelry, beauty, travel, and music and video stores. There are also several bakeries.

Some of the merchandise I’ve seen here defies description. The renter in Falls Church will almost certainly visit Eden Center at some point, if only for the eclectic restaurants. You’re just not going to find any other place like this on the East Coast.

Decisions, decisions: The monthly FIRSTfriday event is a fun, inexpensive way to acquaint yourself with the best restaurants in downtown Falls Church.

Falls Church is geographically the second-smallest city in Virginia, and it’s unique in other ways as well.

The city operates under a council-manager form of government and has a population of 11,200 residents. Falls Church is also known for having the premier small school system in the nation. The city does have two additional high schools that have Falls Church addresses, but they’re under the purview of the Fairfax County Public School system.

Since Falls Church is only six miles away from Washington, D.C., commuting to work in the nation’s capital is very easy, especially considering that the WMATA Metrorail has not one, but two stops in the area: East Falls Church and West Falls Church-VT/UVA, though technically the East Falls Church station is located in Arlington.

Like the rest of Northern Virginia, Falls Church has its share of strip malls and restaurants, and is close enough to larger shopping venues so you won’t suffer.

Falls Church’s history goes all the way back to the 1600s, and the town is named after The Falls Church, an historic church whose roots were planted in 1732.

There are many things for the apartment renter to do in Falls Church, including hiking, biking and everything in between in the city’s 11 parks. You can catch a concert at The State Theatre, and the city also boasts the so-called FIRSTfriday of Falls Church, a tradition that sees area businesses and the art community get together to host a variety of events – including discounts on food and services, free art exhibits, musical performances, and more – on the first Friday of each month.