Dinner and a Movie at Muvico in Spotsylvania Towne Centre

After 30 years with my husband (and 5 kids later), date nights are a rarity.  However, I was excited by the prospect of a change of venue when my husband suggested we go see Red and I found out it was playing at Muvico.  My 20 year old had frequented the place often this summer, sometimes taking her younger siblings for pizza and a movie.  She spoke of the beautiful decor and enormous screens but for someone who doesn’t get out much, it was lost on me.

Boy, what an impression it made!  The idea of getting dinner and a movie in the same location was very appealing but even more so was the price! Pizza for 2, non-alcoholic beverages and 2 movie tickets to the movie of your choice were only $24.95.  We stepped it up a notch and had their more expensive meal.  For $39.95 you could get an appetizer to share, two salads, two entrees, and beverages….PLUS 2 tickets to the movie of your choice.  The meal was small but tasty. I had the spicy tuna roll and ceasar salad (TINY) and my husband had the cheeseburger sliders.  Now, yes, he could have gotten 2 double cheeseburgers at McDonald’s and been more satisfied by the portion size, but we were at the movies….having dinner!  Our calamari appetizer came out at the end of our meal at which time we had to leave for the movie and didn’t have much appetite for an appetizer after the meal. 

The service was a bit slow considering we went on Wednesday evening and the place was anything but busy.  We were told to sit where we wanted and were waited on about 15 minutes later by a very apologetic and friendly waiter/bartender.  The ambience was really quite nice.  We’re not much for crowds and this particular evening proved to give us the experience we desired. Plasma screen TV’s were everywhere and I could see how this place would be a huge hit on Sundays during the football season.  Beer and pizza specials appeared to be touchdown winners!

The theatre experience was magnificent.  The screen was like watching the largest, clearest, plasma screen TV I’ve ever seen.  it was perfection!  The seats reclined comfortably and there was plenty of leg room – even for my husband who stands 6’3″.  Aside from the picture, the audio quality was exceptional as every shot fired and explosion seemed to be coming from a different direction! We had the option of sitting in the over-21, balcony seating section where we could have had alcoholic beverages, leather seating, and access to their billiards tables.  However, one drink and I would have slept through half the movie so that was not an option!

I love this area of Stafford/Fredericksburg primarily because it has history, rural beauty, and an Old Town charm that is rarely found.  However, it also has some great entertainment, dining and shopping.  Muvico and Splitsville at the Spotsylvania Towne Center had all of these!

Irene Morales Ward, Realtor
11/6/2010

Aquia Towne Center to get an overhaul

 

http://www.realestateshows.com/show/player.swf 

I've been going to the Aquia Towne Center Movie Theatre for almost as long as it's been up!  Built in 1986, it was a wonderful addition to a growing area.  Sitting just outside the gates of the Aquia Harbour community, the Aquia Towne center, owned by Michigan-based Ramco-Gershenson Properties Trust, was a perfect addition for families looking for nearby entertainment.  Every summer, Regal Cinemas offered free children's movies to the public on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings.  I can't tell you how many movies we sat through.  It was a perfect escape – especially on swim meet days when the kids couldn't go in the pool until later in the afternoon.

Ramco-Gershenson plans to redo the Aquia Towne Shopping Center which has various one story shops and restaurants such as Big Lots, Minnieland, Achara Flowers and Gifts, Rite-Aid, as well as Northrup Grumman and much more.  In its place will be upscale office buildings, restaurants and shops, parking garages, as well as between 69 and 287 residential units with a maximum of 727,473 of commercial use.  The Aquia 10 Regal Cinema is expected to remain open until this coming June when plans for its demolition commence.  In its place will be a 14-screen, state-of-the-art theater which is digitally enhanced and will seat up to 2,500.

Understandably, while the "idea" seems ideal from a commercial perspective, area residents are less than enthusiastic about the consequences of such a proposal.  Most impacted by the proposal are the residents of bordering Aquia Harbour who have issue with the developers plans to try to access two additional entrances into the Town Center which will need Aquia Harbour HOA approval. 

Also, groups such as Stafford Citizens for a Sustainable Future (SCSF), a non-partisan group made of local Stafford citizens concerned about the county's growth, have strong concerns about traffic issues, among other things.  Currently, traffic at the intersection of Rt 1 and 610 sees significant traffic delays specifically at peak evening rush hour times.  VDOT's  impact study shows concerns about the future traffic generated as a result of the developer's proposal. 

Changes to the applicant's proposal which were to appear before the Stafford County Board of Supervisors on December 18th, were made on December 17th.  The changes were significantly different from the original proposal with regard to proffers paid by the developer (see page 7). 

In conclusion, while I welcome progress and would love to see Aquia Towne Center renovated to reflect a more modern and attractive shopping center, it is imperative that the county residents realize that with progress comes a price and traffic concerns are at the top of many Stafford commuters' minds.  Like most improvements in the county, it is my opinion that Stafford won't have a well thought out and financed infrastructure to accommodate this much anticipated renovation.

Irene Morales Ward, Northern Virginia Real Estate

Old Town Fredericksburg, VA

 

One of my favorite things to do on a sunny day or warm evening is take a stroll down Caroline Street in Fredericksburg.  Lined with antique shops, historic buildings, museums, quaint dining, and quirky shops, you’ll be amused for hours at the wonderful assortment of things to browse.

After a quick stop at Ullman’s and Crown Jeweler’s (two of my favorite “stop-in-before-the-holidays-with-the-husband” stores), we were trying to decide on a place to eat.  Something quick, tasty, and no-nonsense was in order.  Today led us to a great little restaurant owned by a young chef raised and bred in F’burg, Daniel Battista.  The Old Town Grill and Café offered a nice menu of soups, salads, sandwiches and grilled items.

It’s always busy at lunch with a pretty fast pace, simple décor, and a lot of talkative diners.  The noise was a little louder than we had anticipated but I had dined there a couple of times before and had been really happy with the food.

Lunch was delicious and even my husband (who has a pretty big appetite) was quite satisfied by the portion and was pleasantly surprised by his Italian Sub.  For an Italian boy, that’s a big compliment.  I had the blackened chicken sandwich and fries and it was delicious and huge.  Way too much for me to finish.

Afterwards, we strolled down and couldn’t decide on antiquing or whether we should get a milk shake at Goolrich’s or just head straight to Carl’s.  Their last day is November 18^th this year so with only a few days left, we didn’t want to miss the opportunity to grab a quick ice cream – even though we were stuffed!

Carl’s is located just down Caroline Street heading west and then over one street to 2200 Princess Anne Street.  If you’re ever in town, be sure to spend at least one portion of your sunny day on Caroline Street.  You won’t be sorry!

Irene Morales Ward, Northern Virginia Real Estate

The Evolution of Shopping in Stafford – 1998 to 2008

When my husband and I first moved to Stafford County back in 1988, our daughter was 2 1/2; and our son was only a few months old.  I was a stay-at-home mom transplanted from Long Island, New York - to Towson, Maryland – to Woodbridge, Virginia – and finally to Stafford/Fredericksburg, Virginia.  I was a bit confused, to say the least.

Adapting to life in Stafford in 1988 was like learning to swim without using my arms.  I was drowning in the country life.  Someone PLEASE find me a mall where I can buy maternity clothes or a grocery store where the local hardware store isn’t attached!

As old-fashioned as this area sounds, we have come a long way, baby.  Earl’s Supermarket became Earl’s True Value Hardware Store/Local Post Office.  I kid you not!  Luckily (or not), I had a Food Lion Grocery Store at my disposal.  But because it seemed I had rather sophisticated taste for this area (I didn’t know I did, but it sure seemed that way), I needed to go north to do my grocery shopping.

In Prince William County, I had Shopper’s Food Warehouse at my disposal which offered me the variety of foods I was accustomed to.  It wasn’t long before SFW moved south to North Stafford but it was still a 25 minute drive to do my grocery shopping.

By the 1990′s, Fredericksburg was booming and the appearance of Central Park brought a SFW. That was only a 15 minute commute so things were definitely picking up.  It wasn’t until after the new millennium that I got a brand new Giant shopping center within only 8 minutes of my house.  I was ecstatic.  I watched daily as they finished up the parking lot and I prepared to be the first person in there when they opened their doors just before Thanksgiving several years ago.

But it doesn’t stop there.  In March of 2007, the Maryland based food chain opened a new prototype store on Celebrate Virginia Parkway in Stafford.   Super Giant opened a whole new shopping experience.  “The 75,100 square foot store, which is the company’s largest operating unit, is a departure from conventional Giant store layouts and has been redesigned with a totally new interior décor, including new store signage, and larger food and pharmacy departments in a state-of-the-art energy efficient building.”  With farmer’s market type produce stands, a Starbuck’s, and a huge selection of products, it offers the kind of shopping I was looking for 20 years ago.

It doesn’t stop there. There is even a new, high-end Wegmans that will be opening up in Central Park.  And don’t get me started on singing the praises of Costco…a blessing of gargantuan proportions for a mother of 5!  Boy, we’ve come a long way from picking up a gallon of milk and a box of lug nuts at Earl’s!

Irene Morales Ward, Northern Virginia Real Estate