Will's Blog

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Living near the highway in major city?

Four Winds of Oakton

In an area crisscrossed with high volume commuter routes and heavily-trafficked Interstates, it's inevitable that some folks are going to live in close proximity to a highway. It's great to be near the Beltway or Route 66 because this can take a serious bite out of your commute. But the downside is that the highways can generate a lot of noise. In most areas, there are towering concrete walls to dampen sound in the neighborhoods in close proximity to the Beltway, I-66, I-395 and other highways.

In the picture above the wall has been taken down as work crews expand the road. Once the expansion is completed, they'll reassemble the wall. There's not much you can do about construction, but once the wall is back up, the neighborhood should be relatively quiet. In the homes and condos closest to the walls, I find that the noise sounds a bit like a waterfall---a wooshing white noise that is not particularly offensive. The noise is perhaps worst near an exit. Exit ramps create noise because every so often a trucker exiting the highway will use his "jakebrake". That is to say, the truck will gear down and emit a loud, low growling noise not unlike a Harley Davidson's loud pipes.

Here's a thought to consider if you are purchasing a condominium near the highway. In my travels I've found that the condos at the ground floor are much quieter. This is because the condos on the top floor are often just above the sound-break and therefore get the full brunt of the highway noise. Some folks like the noise ... it sounds like busy and they like being in the city. Some folks can't stand the noise and find out the hard way ... after they've purchased ... that they could have gotten a first or second floor unit.

 


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.

Sunset at Carlyle Towers

Sunset at Carlyle Towers

Carlyle Towers is located in the Carlyle District near Old Town Alexandria in Alexandria VA. There are three towers in this community, each one with different views of the city, the Potomac or the Monument. In the summer Alexandria is green and full of tourists, life and bustling with happy people. Carlyle Towers is conveniently located between the Eisenhower Metro and the King St. Metro. To check the prices and availability of listings at Carlyle Towers, just click the link!

Carlyle Towers is about 10 years old now and most units are in top condition. Some units in Carlyle Towers have already been refurbished and upgraded with touches like new hardwood floors and crown molding. Some even have new kitchens and bathrooms.

Where will you spend your sunset?

Kayak or canoe ... it's up to you!

The goal of the Alexandria Fun with Friends Group is to have fun and make friends through gaming get-togethers, social activities and local excursions. This group has has also organized events around laser tag, karaoke, bowling, ballroom dancing and the theater. We've even hosted a few barbecues. Most of us are not experts in these activities, but some of us are, we enjoy teaching others about our favored hobbies. Our group provides a great venue for making friends and staying active around Alexandria.

On Saturday July 26th, the group will be renting kayaks and canoes at the Belle Haven Marina. We'll probably to paddle upstream to Jones Point, disembark, stretch our legs and then coast downstream back to the marina. Some folks like to head for the marsh to see waterfowl. 

The marina offers kayaks, canoes and I think they have johnboats or rowboats if that's your preference. The idea is to hit the river before things get too hot, work up an appetite and then take in a brunch at a nearby restaurant.

The boats rent for between $20 and $35 per hour. We'll take at least an hour and might get a discount if we have enough people.

There is no charge or obligation to join the group.  Sign up here and more details here

BTW ... he's a nice dog.

The Olympus at Landmark --- condominium homes in the West End of Alexandria

The Olympus in Alexandria

The Olympus is a unique high-rise with a curved layout giving its rooms spectacular curved vistas.  It was opened in the mid 70s and stands at the meeting of Yoakum Pkwy and Stevenson Ave.  Included in the extras of the Olympus you will find:

  • Outdoor swimming pool surrounded by treesOlympus condos
  • Controlled entry with 24 hour security
  • Tennis courts
  • Hot tub and sauna
  • An exercise room
  • Party room
  • Utilities are included in condo fees
  • Parking garage

To learn more about the Olympus and what's available in the area call us any time at Condo 1 Alexandria or simply click Olympus Condo Search.

Restaurant Row in Aurora Highlands near Crystal City VA

Aurora Highlands historic "Restaurant Row" is located at 23 St South between Eads and Fern. There are a number of restaurants to suit any palate here.

Other nearby restaurants

sidewalk cafe

Lofts and townhouse-style condominiums

For some people one of the benefits of condo living is that everything is on one level. Many there are no stairs inside the unit of some condominiums. For those in wheelchairs, for the elderly, or for those who just like life without stairs, this is a big advantage. But for some people, life on one level is just not enough.

Lofts and bilevel condominiums offer condo-style living, but doesn't limit life to just one level. One of my favorite examples of this is found in the top floor units at the Tiers of Manchester.

chalet-style condominium in Northern VA

The Tiers are "swiss-style" condominiums. Their roof lines echo the high-pitched roofs favored in Alpine cottages. In Switzerland these roof provide the pitch needed to get excess snow off the roof. But in Manchester Lakes, these roofs provide opportunities for dramatic overlooks in the condo itself.

loft at the Tiers

The pitch of the roof allows for high angled ceilings and the placement of a loft over-looking the living area.

It's difficult in a photograph to show how this brings a real feeling of spaciousness to the condo. The lofts here also provide bonus space for storage and closets under the eaves of the roof. The loft is easily accessed by way of a spiral staircase that only adds to the dramatic feel of these condos.

In Kingstowne has a good many condominiums with lofts and the Tiers of Manchester and Eton Square are just two of my favorites. To check pricing and availability on these go to Tiers or Eton Square.

fireplace at the Sycamores of Van Dorn

Lofts are dramatic and very appealing but they aren't for everyone. Another alternative in you're looking for a multi-level condo is the townhouse style layout found at the Sycamores at Van Dorn.

The Sycamores is one of many garden-style condos in this area that offer townhouse-style floorplans in a garden-style condo. This give you all the benefits of condo life (low maintenance, amenities) with the homey feel of a townhouse. In condos such as these, the bedrooms are upstairs but the kitchen and living room are downstairs. In some condos like the Sycamores and Old Town Village, most or all units have a townhouse style unit. In other condos, such as Eton Square in Kingstowne or Worldgate near Reston, on the the top floor units have the townhouse-style unit.

But there is yet one more way to get a multi-floor condo.

The Fountains of Alexandria

Some high-rises offer units with multiple floors. For example the Fountains in the West End of Alexandria VA, have units that occupy two floors. The Fountains is also one of the most affordable condominiums in Northern Virginia and features a convenient location that is easily accessible via I-395 or public transportation. The Atrium in Arlington VA is a high-end condominium in Rosslyn that has dramatic two-level units with two-story windows.

There are plenty of choices these days. Contact us to find a property that will fit your tastes, budget, commute!

 


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.

 

Carlyle Towers -- condos in the Carlyle District

If you work at the Pentagon, USPTO, Arlington or Washington DC, the Carlyle District is a pleasant place to reside. The Carlyle District is home to many restaurants and the AMC Hoffman movie theaters. Nearby Old Town is home to even more restaurants and sites.

If you're new to the area, or if you just want to know more about the Carlyle District and historic Alexandria, there are a number of websites that provide information about the Carlyle District and Old Town Alexandria. Alexandria VA is a great place to work and live as these sites will attest.Carlyle Towers

  • Carlyle District --- All about the Carlyle District in Old Town Alexandria
  • Carlyle Info --- Info for visitors, residents, buyers and sellers in and near Carlyle and the USPTO
  • Carlyle Towers --- Search listings and check prices of condos for sale at Carlyle Towers
  • Carlyle Old Town . com --- Commentary, pictures and information about Alexandria's historic area and the Carlyle District
  • Carlyle Old Town --- Tools to shop and compare homes for sale in Old Town and the Carlyle District
  • Condo Alexandria --- Buying / selling condos in and near Alexandria VA

One of the premier developments in the Carlyle District is Carlyle Towers. Carlyle Towers offers upscale condominiums in a highly desirable location near Old Town Alexandria. Carlyle Towers is near the USPTO and is an easy commute to the Pentagon or Washington DC via the Yellow Line or Blue Line. 

Carlye Towers has a parking garage for residents. Guests can find very short-term parking in the courtyard or on the streets of Alexandria VA. Carlyle Towers has two swimming pools and loads of amenities. Carlyle Towers has  saunas, a hot tub, a swim-in-place pool and Jacuzzi pool. Carlyle Towers has tennis courts, a shuffle board court, putting greens, an indoor car wash area, and individual bike storage. The Carlyle Towers fitness and exercise room is complete with machines, free weights and treadmills.

Check here for Carlyle Towers listings to check prices and availability of condos at Carlyle Towers. Shop and compare Carlyle Towers with this developments in the Carlyle District:

Northern Virginia's Theatre and Cinema Options

Cinema

The Old Town Theatre serves up arty, independent and off-beat cinema, while the AMC Theatre at the Hoffman Center, Kingstowne 16 and Regal at Potomac Yard hosts blockbusters and more mainstream movies. 

Theatre

Capitol Steps

Capitol Steps began as a group of Senate staffers who set out to satirize the very people and places that employed them.

In the years that followed, many of the Steps ignored the conventional wisdom ("Don't quit your day job!"), and although not all of the current members of the Steps are former Capitol Hill staffers, taken together the performers have worked in a total of eighteen Congressional offices and represent 62 years of collective House and Senate staff experience.

Arena Stage

The core purpose of Arena Stage is to produce huge plays of all that is passionate, exuberant, profound, deep and dangerous in the American spirit. Arena has broad shoulders and a capacity to produce anything from vast epics to charged dramas to robust musicals. Our focus is on theater of the Americas; we produce American classics, premieres of new plays and contemporary stories. Our Arena is a forum, a coliseum, a place for audiences to argue, discuss and meet each other over the theatrical divide. At the center is art; all other programs thrive in concentric circles supporting the art.

Wolf Trap

As America's National Park for the Performing Arts, Wolf Trap plays a valuable leadership role in both the local and national performing arts communities. Through a wide range of artistic and education programs, Wolf Trap enhances our nation's cultural life and ensures that the arts remain accessible and affordable to the broadest possible audience.

Nissan Pavilion

Nissan Pavilion at Stone Ridge is an outdoor live performance amphitheatre with a 25,000 fan capacity, the largest in the Washington Metropolitan area. The Pavilion is located in semi-rural Prince William County which is approximately 35 miles west of our neighborhood.

Kennedy Center

The Kennedy Center, located on 17 acres overlooking the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., is America’s living memorial to President Kennedy as well as the nation’s busiest arts facility, presenting more than 3,000 performances each year. Touring Kennedy Center productions and its television, radio, and Internet broadcasts reach millions around the world. As part of the Kennedy Center’s Performing Arts for Everyone outreach program, hundreds of free performances are offered each year featuring national and local artists; these include early-evening concerts on the Millennium Stage, dozens of performances during the annual Open House Arts Festival, and daily concerts of seasonal music in December as part of Holidays at the Kennedy Center. Since 1999, the Millennium Stage performances have been broadcast live over the Internet and digitally archived on the Kennedy Center’s website.

The Shakespeare Theatre

Since its founding in 1985, The Shakespeare Theatre has endeavored to be the nation's leading force in the presentation and preservation of classic theatre. Our core mission is to present classic theatre in an accessible, skillful, imaginative, American style that honors playwrights' language and intentions while viewing their plays through a 21st-century lens. With the formation of the Harman Center for the Arts—which includes the new Sidney Harman Hall and the existing Lansburgh Theatre—the Shakespeare Theatre Company will become a national destination theatre offering a broad range of works to audiences in the greater-Washington area and across the nation.

Fords Theatre

Fords Theatre is a live, working theatre located in downtown Washington, DC. As a national historic and cultural site welcoming visitors from across the nation, Ford's Theatre blends its rich history with performance excellence in serving as a living tribute to President Lincoln's love of the performing arts. When Ford's Theatre re-opened its doors in 1968 - after having been closed 103 years - it truly was reclaimed as a national treasure for all Americans, and those of us who work here are mindful of that legacy and grateful that Ford's Theatre once again is a vibrant showcase for the performing arts that President Lincoln so appreciated.

Other Venues

Warner Theatre , The Smithsonian and the The MCI Center are nationally renown venues for theatre, sport and entertainment.

Franconia Springfield Metro

Franconia Springfield Station

Franconia-Springfield Metro station is located in Springfield, Virginia at the end of the Blue Line. The address of this station is 6880 Frontier Drive, Springfield VA 22150, which places it just off the Fairfax County Parkway in close proximity to the Springfield Mall.

While the metro stations in Alexandria and Arlington are designed for urban living for the use of those within walking distance, the Franconia Springfield station is designed for commuters with cars. This station has Metro's largest parking garage, with over five thousand parking spaces. Commuters from Franconia, Springfield and Kingstowne all make use of this metro.

This station is also well-served by Virginia Railway Express, Metrobus, local and regional bus lines. If you're searching for a home or condo near the metro, click the link.

Franconia Springfield Metro


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.

 

Summer Concerts in Fairfax County

Summer concerts are found all over Northern Virginia and it's just one of the many benefits of life inside and near the Beltway. Keep in mind that outdoor concerts may be canceled in the event of inclement weather and subject to change without notice.

Fairfax County

Not to be outdone, Fairfax County boasts a full schedule of summer concerts.

Spotlight by Starlight

Spotlight by Starlight is at the Mason District Park Amphitheatre located at 6621 Columbia Pike in Annandale VA.

  • The Fairfax Symphony Orchestra's Dixieland Band July 01, 2009
  • Dead Men's Hollow July 03, 2009
  • NOVA Annandale Symphony Orchestra July 05, 2009
  • Sandra Y. Johnson Quintet July 08, 2009
  • Ganga July 10, 2009
  • The United States Army Band Blues Jazz Ensemble July 12, 2009
  • Knockout King & Bruce Ewan July 15, 2009
  • Debi Smith July 17, 2009
  • The Fairfax Symphony Orchestra Summer Band July 19, 2009
  • David Bach Consort July 22, 2009
  • Little Red & The Renegades July 24, 2009
  • The Capitol Steps July 26, 2009
  • Natty Beaux July 29, 2009
  • Eastern Standard Time July 31, 2009
  • Tonic & Gin A Cappella August 02, 2009
  • Tom Principato August 05, 2009
  • Andrew Acosta & Speedy Tolliver String Band August 07, 2009
  • Falls Church Concert Band August 09, 2009
  • The Oscillators August 12, 2009
  • Ruthie and the Wranglers August 14, 2009
  • The Winstons Band August 16, 2009
  • MSG - The Acoustic Blues Trio August 19, 2009
  • The United States Navy Band Commodores August 21, 2009
  • Jennifer Cutting's Ocean Orchestra August 23, 2009
  • City of Fairfax Band Saxophone Quartet August 26, 2009
  • Squeeze Bayou August 28, 2009
  • Kings Park Band August 30, 2009

For detailed information on any of these concerts check here. For information about last minute performance cancellations due to rain or inclement weather, call 703-324-SHOW (7469) one hour prior to the program start time.

Lee District Nights

Lee District Nights happen on Wednesday nights at at Lee District Park Amphitheater near Kingstowne and Franconia in Alexandria.

  • Rick Franklin & His Delta Blues Boys w/ Mike Baytop July 01, 2009
  • King Teddy July 08, 2009
  • Alexandria Kleztet July 15, 2009
  • The Fairfax Symphony Orchestra Summer Band July 22, 2009
  • The Nighthawks July 29, 2009
  • The United States Army Band Blues Jazz Ensemble August 05, 2009
  • Pietasters August 12, 2009
  • John McCutcheon August 19, 2009
  • The Irish Breakfast Band August 26, 2009

Braddock Nights

Braddock Nights is spread over several venues. The following concerts are at the Lake Accotink Park on Friday nights.

  • Hot Society Orchestra of Washington July 03, 2009
  • Falls Church Concert Band July 10, 2009
  • The Fairfax Symphony Orchestra Summer Band July 17, 2009
  • NOVA Annandale Symphony Orchestra July 24, 2009
  • National Concert Band July 31, 2009
  • Patty Reese Band August 07, 2009
  • The United States Navy Band Sea Chanters August 14, 2009
  • Kings Park Band August 21, 2009
  • City of Fairfax Band Alte Kameraden German August 28, 2009

For detailed information on any of these concerts check here. For information about last minute performance cancellations due to rain or inclement weather, call 703-324-SHOW (7469) one hour prior to the program start time.

Braddock Nights is also at Ossian Hall Park on Sundays

  • HBlues Heritage Night (at Ossian Hall Park) July 05, 2009
  • Filipino-American Cultural Heritage Night (at Ossian Hall Park) July 12, 2009
  • Hawaiian Cultural Heritage Night (at Ossian Hall Park) July 19, 2009
  • Indonesian Cultral Heritage Night (at Ossian Hall Park) July 26, 2009
  • Taiwanese Cultural Heritage Night (at Ossian Hall Park) August 02, 2009
  • Indian Cultural Heritage Night (at Ossian Hall Park) August 09, 2009
  • Russian Cultural Heritage Night (at Ossian Hall Park) August 16, 2009
  • Chinese Cultural Heritage Night (at Ossian Hall Park) August 23, 2009
  • African Cultural Heritage Nights (at Ossian Hall Park) August 30, 2009

On Fridays Braddock Nights is at Royal Lake Park.

  • Mike Seeger July 03, 2009
  • Reggie Wayne Morris July 10, 2009
  • Robbie Schaefer July 17, 2009
  • The Taters July 24, 2009
  • Maggie Sansone & Friends July 31, 2009
  • Honor By August August 07, 2009
  • Night Music August 14, 2009
  • Nero August 21, 2009
  • Luke Brindley August 28, 2009

For detailed information on any Braddock Night concerts check here. For information about last minute performance cancellations due to rain or inclement weather, call 703-324-SHOW (7469) one hour prior to the program start time.

For information about concerts in Alexandria or Arlington County, check here.