Nats fans can sleep easier: It looks as though Ryan Zimmerman plans to stay.

The star third baseman bought this seven-year-old, three-bedroom end townhouse in Arlington’s Clarendon neighborhood for $965,000. The 3,000 square-foot house has floor-to-ceiling windows, a two-sided fireplace, and a two-car garage. A fan favorite, Zimmerman was rookie-of-the-year runner-up last season.

This oak butcher block table is going for $200 on Craigslist. It comes with eight chairs and the post claims it was handmade. It would go well in a country-style kitchen or breakfast room.

More good finds:

• Iron and marble baker’s rack for $150
• Patio set with table and two chairs for $150
• Two-piece sectional couch from Storehouse for $540
• Wood armoire for $300
• Mahogany dining table with four chairs for $675
• Cherry china cabinet for $300

Thanks, Craigslist!

About six months ago the DC Department of Transportation released a study proposing 22 ideas for fixing the congestion—and unsightliness—of the Whitehurst Freeway, the elevated highway that runs over K Street and along the waterfront in Georgetown. Last month a decision finally was reached about the highway’s fate: more studies.

Ken Laden, DDOT’s associate director for transportation policy and planning, announced that there will be a “more comprehensive analysis of alternative uses of the corridor through an Environmental Impact Statement.” So for the next 12 to 18 months, analysts will research issues like air and noise pollution, storm-water runoff, and vibration impacts as well as continue to examine the ideas they came up with last year.  

Click here to see maps and descriptions of the 22 alternatives, 15 of which involve tearing the freeway down.  Here’s an example—this one involves building a tunnel, highlighted in blue, beneath K Street from 33rd to 29th streets.

The weather’s great, which means outdoor-grilling season is upon us. Are you prepared to toss another shrimp on the barbie—or is the old barbie hobbling on its last legs? For a guide to summer grill gear, check out grill-buying tips from the May 2006 issue of The Washingtonian.

We tell you what features distinguish good models and run down the pros and cons of different types of grills, from classic models like charcoal and gas to newer alternatives like electric and infrared. The adventurous will appreciate a section on smokers, which, like their human counterparts in the District, are only allowed to operate outdoors. 

Housed in a two-story townhouse near Dupont Circle, Tabletop is one of my favorite spots for modern home accents. Owners Tai Tsang and Daphne Olive stock minimalist ceramics, colorful bedding, contemporary coffee tables and benches, and retro-inspired coasters, placemats, and lamps. Although the merchandise changes often, repeat designers include Klein Reid, Asa Selection, Panek Tobin, and Milbo. Books, handbags, stationery, photo albums, umbrellas, and other accessories—including a sterling-silver jewelry line by Olive—round out the collection.

To make room for spring and summer merchandise, Tabletop is having a big sale—a walk-through yesterday afternoon revealed that about a third of the store’s products are 30 to 50 percent off. Although not on sale, the Vessel Squat Benches (shown at left, $175) caught my eye. Alone, they can be used as coffee tables or benches; stacked, they make shelves. Neat idea. And just one of Tabletop’s many creative, useful items.

Tabletop | 1608 20th St., NW | 202-387-7117 

More pictures below. 

Here’s my weekly roundup of the ten most expensive home sales in the region, as reported by American City Business Leads. The box score this week:

• DC: 2
• Maryland: 2
• Virginia: 6

$5,430,445—10301 Beach Mill Road, Great Falls
$5,200,000— 3227 P Street NW, Georgetown
$3,800,000— 2442 Belmont Road NW, Kalorama
$3,379,338— 9225 Fox Meadow Lane, Potomac
$3,210,025— 1284 Cobble Pond Way, Vienna
$3,135,232— 11990 Market Street, Unit 2102, Reston
$2,900,000— 1177 Orlo Drive, McLean
$2,500,000— 10621 River Road, Potomac
$2,415,382— 41143 Grenata Preserve Place, Leesburg
$2,195,000— 8633 Plymouth Road, Alexandria

More fun numbers:

6: Number of sales that broke $3 million
12: Number of sales that broke $2 million
61: Number of sales that broke $1 million
128: Number of sales that broke $800,000

Here's a look at the five DC neighborhoods where prices are climbing the fastest. In Southeast near Saint Elizabeth's Hospital, Congress Heights prices rose more than 125 percent from 2003 to 2006. If you are looking to buy in a booming part of town, you could do worse than these neighborhoods. Northwest is the only quadrant of the city not represented in the top five. 

Source: First American Core Logic