Tony Perkins, the new NBC4 morning news co-anchor, has deep roots in NoVA. In an interview with Northern Virginia Magazine, he shares a few things he loves about the area.
What brings you back to the anchor chair in the morning?
NBC4 has been such a great station for so many decades. That’s a place that I’ve always longed to work. This opportunity came up so I couldn’t say no to it.
You grew up all around the DC region.
This has been home since I was 5 years old. I went to high school in Fairfax County at Mount Vernon High School. Even when I was working in New York, I was commuting back and forth between New York and Northern Virginia because I just love it here. My wife and I built a house here. We were building that house when I got the job in New York at Good Morning America. We decided to keep it. I commuted. And we’re still in that house today. We’ve raised our son here, which gives us both a great degree of satisfaction that he has one home that he’s lived in his whole life. It’s just a great area. It’s rich in culture, rich in diversity. You know, this is home.
What are some of your favorite things to do in Northern Virginia?
I’ll tell you a new favorite thing. My wife and I recently saw a show at Capital One Hall. We saw Hairspray. The venue is gorgeous. It is first-rate. It was like going downtown to the Kennedy Center or going to a Broadway show in New York. We’re thrilled to have that in our own backyard.
A place that I’ve always loved in Northern Virginia since I was growing up is still called Gravelly Point. It’s that park right next to Reagan National Airport, where you can just sit and watch the planes come in and out. I used to like to go there when I was younger. And once my wife, Rhonda, and I had a child, we took our son there. It’s a place that we still go, just to relax and chill out.
Any favorite restaurants?
Sakura [in Tysons]. It’s a Japanese steakhouse. It’s where they prepare the food right in front of you. We’ve gotten to know all the chefs there.
Do you have any hobbies?
I am a frustrated musician, which means I can’t sing or play an instrument, so I collect. I’m a huge music aficionado. I love live music. One of my favorite venues is The Birchmere. A lot of people know I’m a big Beatles fan.
You sound like a person who loves everything about your life.
I consider myself blessed. I am extremely grateful for the opportunities that I have had, and that I have right now. I have been very, very fortunate. I’ve worked with great people … and that continues now at NBC4. I’m blessed with a wonderful wife. My son is a sophomore in college. He’s a great kid, so I have a lot to be thankful for.
Feature image courtesy NBC4
This story originally ran in our May issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
