Most people think Steve Jobs opened the first Apple store in California. Wrong. He opened it right here in Tyson's Corner on May 19th, 2001.

I was researching this story and found photos from that day with Fairfax County police doing security. I actually spotted one of my past clients, Dave Kuhar, in the crowd! His daughter's on the police force now. When I texted him about it, he was pumped and said he remembered that day perfectly.

Why Tyson's Corner?

Jobs wasn't throwing darts at a map. Tyson's in 2001 was packed with government workers, tech fans, and families who could actually afford Apple products (because let's be honest, they've never been cheap). That was exactly who Apple wanted to reach.

The store was only 6,000 square feet with iMac G3s and iBooks on wooden tables, music stations, and hands-on video areas. No iPhone yet – this was 2001. Only 500 people showed up the first few hours, but by week's end, it was the most visited store in the mall.

Here's what's crazy: Since that Apple store opened, look what happened to Tyson's Corner. Silver Line Metro. The Boro. Capital One Center. Luxury condos. Major tech companies. Oh, and the largest Bitcoin owner is headquartered right here too.

If it worked for Steve Jobs in 2001, it's still working in 2025.

A Sports Venue That Looks Like the Year 3000

There's a company called Cosm looking to bring the wildest sports experience to DC. Picture this: you walk into what looks like a giant planetarium, but instead of stars, there's an 87-foot LED dome playing the Commanders game in 12K resolution.

It literally feels like you're on the field. I saw someone recording from one of these and thought they were actually at the game – that's how real it looks.

They've got one in LA and one in Dallas. Now they want 40,000-80,000 square feet near Audi Field or Nats Stadium. The best part? It's way cheaper than actual front-row seats, but you get the same view.

This could be huge for Southeast DC and Northern Virginia real estate if it happens.

Virginia Supreme Court Just Saved You $1,100 a Year

The Virginia Supreme Court shut down a brutal toll hike on the Dulles Greenway. They wanted to jack up peak tolls from $5.80 to $8.10 – that's 40% higher!

If you drive it five days a week, that's an extra $1,100 per year just to get to work. The Greenway is over $1 billion in debt and only gets 37,000 trips daily. They built it expecting 128,000 people by 2023. Not even close.

So their brilliant solution? Charge people even more money.

The court said absolutely not. Good thing too – nobody wants to pay an extra grand just to live in beautiful Western Loudoun County.

Virginia Dropped to #4 in Business Rankings (But Don't Panic)

Yeah, we fell from #1 to #4 on CNBC's business rankings. North Carolina took the top spot. People are freaking out about federal job cuts and all that.

But here's what they're not telling you: Virginia is still #1 for education and #2 for infrastructure. Plus, there are 270,000 more people working now and 200,000 job openings in Fairfax County, Prince William County, and beyond.

I know someone who just left a government job for a Loudoun County data center. He told me, "Chris, I get a month off per year and make almost double the pay."

So yeah, things are shifting, but they're not falling apart.

Mark Zuckerberg Just Became Our Neighbor

This is the wildest story. Mark Zuckerberg just dropped $23 million cash on a DC mansion. Third most expensive sale in DC history.

The whole thing was super secretive. Listed Monday, buyer Tuesday, closed Wednesday. Sold through some Delaware LLC called "Red Brick Corner." Right after closing, Google Maps blurred out the house.

It's 15,400 square feet, 5 bedrooms, 7.5 baths, basketball court, pool, the works. Designed by some fancy architect named Robert Gurney.

But wait, there's more: Jeff Bezos has a $23 million mansion in Kalorama. Peter Thiel just bought a $13 million house right next to Zuckerberg's. Eric Schmidt spent $15 million on Jackie Kennedy's old place. David Sacks grabbed a $10 million penthouse.

These tech billionaires are basically setting up embassies in DC. They want to be 12 minutes from the White House so they can influence all the AI and tech policy stuff.

Good news for the rest of us? When billionaires park their money in DC real estate, it usually means they're pretty confident about the area. That helps everyone's property values.

Though I bet Zuckerberg still gets stuck in Beltway traffic like the rest of us!

What This Means for You

All these stories show the same thing: Northern Virginia stays ahead of the curve. From Apple picking Tyson's Corner in 2001 to tech billionaires choosing DC in 2025, this area keeps attracting innovation and serious money.

Whether you're buying your first home or your fifth, having someone who actually understands this market makes all the difference. As the best realtor in Northern Virginia, I've been watching these trends for years and know how they affect property values.