Good news for the West End … Café Pizzaiolo has come to Cameron Station. Located in the former Food Matters space, the restaurant has locations on Fern Street and in Crystal City. Those familiar with those locations know that the food ranges from pizza, pasta, salads and gelato, and it features a variety of wines. The Cameron Station location is hosting a Wine Dinner with Casa Larga Winery this Thursday, Feb. 9; call 703-963-3944 for more information.

In other retail news, the developers of the new Beauregard Corridor are hosting a community open house on Feb. 11 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Shops at Mark Center. The Corridor Plan features parks, an athletic field, a new fire station, transportation improvements, restaurants and a brand new grocery store.

Springlike weather may have you thinking about getting a good garden plan together or ordering seeds to start. Alexandria’s own Green Springs Garden is only a few miles away, just down Little River Turnpike. Green Spring’s February offerings include: "Starting From Scratch With Seeds" on Feb. 11 and "Collaborating with Native Wild Plants" on Feb. 12, followed by "Yoga for Gardeners" on Feb. 13. Children’s programs, master gardeners and a plant shop are also onsite; go to www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/gsgp for more information.

Sometimes a walk down memory lane is instructive: Bob Bates, our Peele Place neighbor who wrote this column for many years, reported in January 1993 that Patrick Henry School celebrated its 40th anniversary … which means that the school’s 50th must be just around the corner! In that same month, Anne Lipnick was put in charge of the school’s Parent Resource Center and Patrick Henry received a Level III Computer Learning Certification. And, in a followup to home sales figures from my last column, Seminary Valley home sales were on the rise from the 1992 recession, with a median sales price of $202,000. Home prices ranged from $165,000 to $277,250.

— Mia Jones