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Rosslyn --- On the Orange Line

Located on D.C. Metrorail's Orange Line, Rosslyn is the last stop in Arlington before entering the District and, compared to its more suburban-feeling counterpart neighborhoods such as Courthouse and Clarendon, Rosslyn has a distinctly urban feel. In large part, this is due to the corporate and commercial businesses occupying the area, including nationally known companies like Price Waterhouse Coopers, the Boeing Company, and several major hotel chains such as Marriott and Hyatt.

A mix of culture and community, Rosslyn offers a gamut of local activities such as the Rosslyn Spectrum Theater, a vibrant performing arts venue featuring live music and theater in the evenings, or the Arlington History Bike Tour. Rosslyn is also home to an annual jazz festival each September. Although it is known as one of Arlington's most urban villages, Rosslyn also provides a home to those who seek to live outside of the District, and many of the residential apartment complexes offer a serene view of the Potomac River and the streets are often calm by the end of the evening.

For those seeking real estate in Arlington here are a few links and suggestions along the Orange Line:

  • Rosslyn --- At the center of the world: many homes here have views of Washington monuments, Iwo Jima Memorial
    • Atrium -- stunning condos enclosed in glass
    • Belvedere -- luxury at the center of the everything near the Rosslyn Metro
  • Courthouse --- Walk to everything with a condo or home near Courthouse Metro Station
  • Ballston --- Map includes Ballston Metro and Virginia Square/GMU on the Orange Line in Arlington VA
  • East Falls Church Metro --- Metro station located near I-66
  • Dunn Loring / Merrifield --- Homes and properties near and inside the Beltway
  • Vienna --- First/last stop on the Orange Line in Virginia

Will Nesbitt About the Author --- Will Nesbitt is the principal broker of Condo 1 Alexandria / Will Nesbitt Realty LLC. Will is a realtor who specializes in condos, townhouses and single family real estate in Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax County, Crystal City, and Kingstowne. Will resides in Belle Haven Estates just outside Alexandria VA in Fairfax County.

Mount Vernon on the banks of the Potomac in Fairfax County

The Mount Vernon District of Fairfax County encourages all measure of civic and community participation. Whatever your interests are, such as enjoying the local parks and recreation services, connecting through community service, or even involvement with a very active PTA, the Mount Vernon District offers something for everyone. One event that is particularly meaningful to local Mount Vernon District residents is the annual town meeting, which is usually held on the last Saturday of every January at the Mount Vernon High School, and has been ongoing since 1988. Finally, the Mount Vernon District is well known as an ample area for venture capital investments.

A home in New Alexandria

Another point of interest is the Mount Vernon Recreation Center, located at 2017 Belle View Boulevard in Alexandria, which offers a variety of exercise and recreational programs including ice skating, swimming, and other fitness activities. The Mount Vernon District also offers two distinct Farmer’s Markets, on Tuesdays and Sundays, both of which provide fresh flowers and produce, as well as baked and home goods.

A home in Belle Haven

The benefits of living in the Mount Vernon District are numerous. With an energetic and vivacious community of citizens and ample residential housing and condo opportunities, the Mount Vernon District has carved out its own place in the greater Washington D.C. metropolitan area and is known for its family-friendly values and high community standards.

Belle Haven Marina

Here are a few of the neighborhoods of Mount Vernon

Kingstowne condos


Will Nesbitt About the Author --- Will Nesbitt is the principal broker of Condo 1 Alexandria / Will Nesbitt Realty LLC. Will is a realtor who specializes in condos, townhouses and single family real estate in Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax County, Crystal City, and Kingstowne. Will resides in Belle Haven Estates just outside Alexandria VA in Fairfax County.

Iwo Jima Memorial

Iwo Jima MemorialThe Marine Corps War Memorial honors fallen U.S. Marine Corps members depicting one of the most famous incidents of World War II. The incident was witnessed by news photographer Joe Rosenthal whose picture of six men raising the American flag on Mt. Suribachi won the Pulitzer Prize and later became the symbol of the war effort in the Pacific. The depiction was also used by the American government to sell war bonds and to promote the war effort. Finally, the picture inspired sculptor Felix DeWeldon, who created a life size model of the photograph, where it was later cast into bronze and brought to Washington, D.C, in September 1954.

The names and dates of every principal Marine Corps engagement since the founding of the Corps is burnished into the base of the statue, as well as the inscription: "In honor and in memory of the men of the United States Marine Corps who have given their lives to their country since November 10, 1775."

The Memorial is located on Marshall Drive, between Rt. 50 and the Arlington National Cemetery in Rosslyn. The U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial is administered by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Telephone 703-289-2500 for further information about scheduled events.

If you're looking for a home near the Iwo Jima Memorial or Rosslyn, you may find the following links useful:


Will Nesbitt About the Author --- Will Nesbitt is the principal broker of Condo 1 Alexandria / Will Nesbitt Realty LLC. Will is a realtor who specializes in condos, townhouses and single family real estate in Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax County, Crystal City, and Kingstowne. Will resides in Belle Haven Estates just outside Alexandria VA in Fairfax County.

Condos at Courthouse Metro

The Courthouse Metro Station is located in Arlington, Virginia at Wilson Boulevard and Uhle Street. The Court House metro is located on the Orange Line, in between the Rosslyn and Clarendon metro stations, and services the greater Courthouse neighborhood. The metro station began service in 1979 and is scheduled to be on the Silver Line by the start of operations in 2011. Located in the epicenter of Arlington, estimates project that sum 14,000 people enter and exit the station on an average weekday.

The area surrounding the Courthouse Metro Station represents a wide-range of residential, commercial, government and retail buildings. Colonial Village, for example, located just north of the metro station, is one of Arlington's first garden apartment complexes and part of the complex has been designated as a Historic District by the Arlington County Board. By contrast, the metro stop is also surrounded by the Court House Plaza buildings, which include almost 600,000 square feet of office space. In 1993, the Arlington County Board adopted the Court House Sector Plan Addendum which envisions the Court House metro station area as an urban government center with an eclectic mix of numerous, high-capacity office and commercial properties coexisting with and in preservation of the nearby local and residential neighborhoods.

If you're looking for a home on the Orange Line, you might find the following links useful:

  • Rosslyn --- At the center of the world: many homes here have views of Washington monuments, Iwo Jima Memorial
  • Courthouse --- Walk to everything with a condo or home near Courthouse Metro Station
  • Ballston --- Map includes Ballston Metro and Virginia Square/GMU on the Orange Line in Arlington VA
  • East Falls Church Metro --- Metro station located near I-66
  • Dunn Loring / Merrifield --- Homes and properties near and inside the Beltway
  • Vienna --- First/last stop on the Orange Line in Virginia

Will Nesbitt About the Author --- Will Nesbitt is the principal broker of Condo 1 Alexandria / Will Nesbitt Realty LLC. Will is a realtor who specializes in condos, townhouses and single family real estate in Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax County, Crystal City, and Kingstowne. Will resides in Belle Haven Estates just outside Alexandria VA in Fairfax County.

Questions for your real estate agent

Real estate agents are licensed real estate professionals. The Commonwealth of Virginia requires that licenses be posted in a prominent place in the office of the real estate broker. If you don't see that license, ask if the agent is licensed and ask if the license is current. Agents also carry a license on their person. questions for your real estate agent

Agents are required to train and take courses, so ask about your agent about their training, and about what resources they use to locate either properties for sale or prospective buyers. If you are buying or selling a home, make sure the real estate agent has access to the MLS (Multiple Listing Service). The MLS charges agents a pretty hefty monthly fee and believe it or not some agents let their access to the MLS lapse. Make sure your agent has full access to the MLS.

If you are selling property, ask your realtor to provide you with prices of comparable properties sold in your area so you can be sure you are listing your property for a fair and reasonable price. This is called a Comparative Market Analysis or CMA. A CMA can help you and your agent determine how long it takes the agent on average to sell property. This can also help point to the best marketing plan for selling your property.

Buyers should ask about the type of properties the agent specializes in, condos, commercial, townhouses, luxury, area, etc. Also as a buyer you should provide the agent any additional information about things like local schools and community information.

Buying and selling property can be simple with the help of a good real estate agency. Spend the time to find the right real estate agency for your needs.

We appreciate the opportunity to show what we can do for your business. Contact us to learn more about what we can do for you.

 


Will Nesbitt About the Author --- Will Nesbitt is the principal broker of Condo 1 Alexandria / Will Nesbitt Realty LLC. Will is a realtor who specializes in condos, townhouses and single family real estate in Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax County, Crystal City, and Kingstowne. Will resides in Belle Haven Estates just outside Alexandria VA in Fairfax County.

Part of Alexandria is not in Alexandria!

It's true: a portion of Alexandria is not in the City of Alexandria at all!

This is because of how the Commonwealth of Virginia organizes its jurisdictions. The state is organized into counties and county-like jurisdictions called "independent cities" or just "cities". In most respects, a city is not much more than a county that wants to be called a city. For example, the county of Arlington is larger, more populous and more urban than most cities in Virginia; while the city of Falls Church is about the same size as the town of Vienna which is in Fairfax County.

Speaking of towns, newcomers sometimes confuse a city with an "incorporated town". An incorporated town, like a city, has its own government. However a town is located inside a county. Like a town, a city has its own government, but a city is not part of any county.

Northern Virginia has several independent cities and the City of Alexandria is one such independent city. The City of Alexandria borders Fairfax County, but Alexandria is not in Fairfax County.

However, to make things especially confusing for newcomers and for folks hunting houses, there are large parts of Fairfax County that have an Alexandria postal address. These areas of "Greater Alexandria" are most definitely part of Fairfax County and are not in the City of Alexandria. In general, postal Alexandria is more suburban than addresses in the City of Alexandria, but this is not always the case. A few of neighborhood in Alexandria of Fairfax County include:

To make things a little more confusing, Fairfax County surrounds the City of Fairfax. Locals generally refer to the county as "Fairfax County" and the city as "Fairfax", but Alexandria uses the opposite nomenclature. "Alexandria" generally refers to greater/postal Alexandria, while "City of Alexandria" refers to the jurisidiction of the City of Alexandria.

If you're still confused, no worries!  We'll do all the work of searching for homes for you.  Contact us today and give me an idea what you're looking for. At any given time there are thousands of homes for sale in Northern Virgina.  One of them is the right home for you.


Will Nesbitt About the Author --- Will Nesbitt is the principal broker of Condo 1 Alexandria / Will Nesbitt Realty LLC. Will is a realtor who specializes in condos, townhouses and single family real estate in Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax County, Crystal City, and Kingstowne. Will resides in Belle Haven Estates just outside Alexandria VA in Fairfax County.

Boardgames and New Friends in Northern VA

If you enjoy boardgames and meeting new people you should check out this event hosted by the Alexandria Fun with Friends Group

This group enjoys playing "Eurogames". Eurogames are games that emphasize strategy, downplay luck, lean towards economic (trading and building) rather than military themes, and have attractive physical components.

Newcomers are welcomed because these games often have few rules and are easy to learn. The organizer warns that some of these games are long and complex but they don't often play those games. They are called "Eurogames" because this fad of games originated in Europe with games like Settlers of Catan. Most of these games were invented in the last 25 years, but if you liked Life, Clue, Risk and Monopoly as a child, you will probably like Eurogames as an adult.

This event is at a private residence in West Springfield on Oct. 17 from noon to 11 p.m. You may bring food to share or bring money for ordering pizza. or Chinese. We will have some snacks and drinks available. RSVP and directions are found at the Alexandria Fun with Friends Group.


Will Nesbitt About the Author --- Will Nesbitt is the principal broker of Condo 1 Alexandria / Will Nesbitt Realty LLC. Will is a realtor who specializes in condos, townhouses and single family real estate in Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax County, Crystal City, and Kingstowne. Will resides in Belle Haven Estates just outside Alexandria VA in Fairfax County.

Vienna Metro Station

Vienna Metro Station is a Washington Metro Station in Fairfax County located in Virginia, on the Orange Line. The Vienna Metro is located in Oakton, though its official address is of Fairfax, in the median of Interstate 66 at Nutley Street. The station provides easy access to the nearby town of Vienna, Fairfax City and the main campus of George Mason University.

For the metro rail, each passenger requires a farecard or a SmarTrip card to enter and exit, though up to two children under age five may travel free with a paying customer. Fare cards are available at the fare vending machines and also available online. The farecard machines accept credit and debit card or passes. The hours of service on Monday to Thursday are 5 a.m. to midnight, on Friday 5a.m.to 3a.m., on Saturday 7a.m.to 3a.m., and 7a.m. to midnight on Sundays.

The Vienna Metro offers daily or hourly parking but parking at the station sells out almost daily. WMATA also rents out monthly reserved parking. Riders purchase permits to park in reserved places.

Click Vienna Metro for a map of homes available near the Vienna Metro.


Will Nesbitt About the Author --- Will Nesbitt is the principal broker of Condo 1 Alexandria / Will Nesbitt Realty LLC. Will is a realtor who specializes in condos, townhouses and single family real estate in Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax County, Crystal City, and Kingstowne. Will resides in Belle Haven Estates just outside Alexandria VA in Fairfax County.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria VA

US Patent and Trademark Office

The United States Patent and Trademark Office is located in the Carlyle District of Old Town Alexandria VA. The USPTO is one of Alexandria's top employers and a magnet for sharp, well-educated folks from across the country. Commuters have easy access to the USPTO because it's located a few blocks from Alexandria's King Street Metro and just inside the Capitol Beltway. The mission of the USPTO is to protect the interests of inventors of intellectual property, while providing for the good of the nation and the market.

The Carlyle District and Old Town have many upscale shops, restaurants, hotels and restaurants. Young patent examiners may have a hard time finding an affordable residence in Old Town or the Carlyle District, but have many choices close by in Huntington, New Alexandria and the West End of Alexandria.


Will Nesbitt About the Author --- Will Nesbitt is the principal broker of Condo 1 Alexandria / Will Nesbitt Realty LLC. Will is a realtor who specializes in condos, townhouses and single family real estate in Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax County, Crystal City, and Kingstowne. Will resides in Belle Haven Estates just outside Alexandria VA in Fairfax County.

Coming Attractions at the Torpedo Factory condos in Old Town Alexandria

Torpedo Factory

Are you looking for two bedrooms in one of the most desirable neighborhoods in Northern Virginia? This is your "heads-up".

We'll soon be offering a condominium for sale at the famed Torpedo Factory condos in Old Town Alexandria VA.

porch

There are a few details we're going to take care of before formally offering the place for sale, but one of the highlights of the home has to be the patio and sunroom.

At the edge of the formal gardens in the courtyard of the Torpedo Factory condos, this home is just paces from all the many attractions and activities of Old Town. The restaurants, the waterfront and everything that is wonderful about Old Town Alexandria is at your doorstep when you live at the Torpedo Factory.

Call 703 765 0300 to inquire about the availability of this home which promises to be priced right and delivered in top condition.


Will Nesbitt About the Author --- Will Nesbitt is the principal broker of Condo 1 Alexandria and Will Nesbitt Realty. Will specializes in condos, townhouses and single family residences in Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax County, Crystal City, and Kingstowne. Will resides in Belle Haven Estates just outside Alexandria VA in Fairfax County.

Will Nesbitt About the Author --- Will Nesbitt is the principal broker of Condo 1 Alexandria / Will Nesbitt Realty LLC. Will is a realtor who specializes in condos, townhouses and single family real estate in Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax County, Crystal City, and Kingstowne. Will resides in Belle Haven Estates just outside Alexandria VA in Fairfax County.