Editor Pick
Local Athlete
Michael Wardian
You may have seen 48-year-old Michael Wardian whizzing by, ruddy beard and ponytail bopping along, during one of the two 6-mile runs he completes almost daily. Or perhaps you caught a glimpse of him in 2019 when he ran a 90-mile loop around the D.C. Beltway on one of the hottest days of the year. Or when he logged the equivalent of 10 marathons (263 miles) in almost three days during Covid quarantine by running around his Arlington Forest block for 63 hours straight. Or maybe you saw him in the news in the spring of 2022, when, inspired by Forrest Gump, he spent 61 days crossing the continental U.S. on foot. It’s the euphoria, he says—that proverbial runner’s high—that 28 years ago got him hooked on the sport in which he now holds several world records, although he also counts CrossFit and pickleball among his passions. “It’s one of the best feelings ever…the elation of doing something hard,” says the Arlington local, a partner at a shipping company and professional marathoner whose sponsors include sneaker company Hoka, T-Mobile and DMV favorite District Taco. To date, he has completed more than 200 marathons and more than 100 ultra-marathons.
–Stephanie Kanowitz
Reader Pick
Personal Trainer
Damion Moss
It takes a lot for a fitness studio to stand out in the nation’s fittest city—a title Arlington has held for five years running. Damion Moss says his success has little to do with the actual workouts. “I don’t think I’m any better or worse than any other trainer out there. We’re all using a lot of the same stuff,” says the former Howard University football player, who launched DMossFitness seven years ago and in 2022 co-founded the Sukha Center, a Black-owned and -operated yoga studio in Clarendon. “It’s about the relationship-building. I think that’s where I tend to excel.” Still, a 50-minute session with Moss isn’t all schmoozing. Clients can expect to be pushed with strength and cardio exercises, plus stretching and yoga. “My approach to training is holistic,” Moss says. –Stephanie Kanowitz
Other top vote-getters:
Sheila Cordaro (COR FIT), Chauncey Graham (Gold’s Gym Ballston), Aryan Siahpoushan (Method Fitness)
Reader Pick
Eyebrow Shaping
Beauty Brains Brows
Vicky Modica likes to say she has a great “browside manner.” It’s imperative when she’s literally in the faces of about 50 clients per week—trimming, tinting and shaping their eyebrows to perfection. A celebrity makeup artist for 20 years (her past clients include Paris Hilton and John Waters), she still offers makeup services, though the bulk of her work for the past decade has been brows. In 2021, Modica opened Beauty Brains Brows inside hˉom Salon in Courthouse, where she chats with clients about their goals, facial structure and brow hair before pulling out her tweezers (no waxing or threading here). “What I do is more about a bespoke one-on-one,” she says. “I have a really good eye for shape and color.” –Stephanie Kanowitz
Other top vote-getters:
Arlington Threading & Waxing, Azure Dream Day Spa, DuPont Threading Arlington, European Wax Center, Hair Play Salon, Perfect Eyebrows, Urban Halo Salon
Reader Pick
Pickleball Court
Lubber Run Community Center
Four lighted outdoor courts at Lubber Run Community Center are lined for multiple sports, including basketball and volleyball, but pickleball is the current favorite. Open since the fall of 2020, the courts are free to use and require no reservations, attracting about 60 players (aka picklers) on any given day. In a pickle for a partner? It’s easy to find one upon arrival. “You can just drop in and pick up and play with the people who are out there,” says Nakish Jordan, a county recreation services supervisor. “Pickleball is a really social sport that way.” Bad weather? Lubber Run also offers drop-in pickleball indoors on select days. –Stephanie Kanowitz
Other top vote-getters:
Army Navy Country Club, Thomas Jefferson Community & Fitness Center, Vinson Hall Retirement Community, Walter Reed Recreation Center
Editor Pick
Old School Shave & Haircut
Mr. Moore’s Barbershop
James Moore Sr. founded Mr. Moore’s Barbershop in 1960, opening his doors to everyone regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation or anything else. Decades later, he passed his shears on to his son James Jr., a retired Arlington County firefighter who has run the business on Langston Boulevard full-time since 2020. The elder Moore died in 2021, but James Jr. is carrying on the tradition of service, cutting hair at nursing homes and giving free back-to-school cuts to kids. In the shop, he sees 25 to 30 clients a day (the fade cut is the most often requested), encouraging them to put down their phones and chat. “We try to have a more personal experience,” he says. –Stephanie Kanowitz
Reader Pick
Salon in Arlington
Hair Play Salon
Other top vote-getters:
Casals Salon Collective, hŌm Salon, Jon David Salon, Salon Joseph, Smitten Boutique Salon, Urban Halo Salon
Reader Pick
Salon in Falls Church
Nash Hair Design
Other top vote-getters:
Kess Hair & Skincare, Rooted Mane, Tinner Hill Hair Salon
Reader Pick
Salon in McLean
Eclips Salon & Day Spa
Other top vote-getters:
Dolce Vita Salon & Spa, Elements McLean, PR at Partners Salon, Salon Sage, Tom & Deniz Hair Studio
Reader Pick
Facial
Azure Dream Day Spa
Other top vote-getters:
The Adara Spa, Eyes on Skin Spa, Honey Skincare Studio, Massage Envy, Skin & Wellness Centre, Urban Halo Salon
Reader Pick
Place to Learn Martial Arts
Jhoon Rhee Tae Kwon Do
Other top vote-getters:
EvolveAll, Pentagon Mixed Martial Arts
Reader Pick
Golf Course
Army Navy Country Club
Other top vote-getters:
Washington Golf and Country Club