A small town at the edge of the most powerful city in the world!

• Easy commute
• Outdoor Pool
• On site businesses & market
• Excercise facilities
• Access to Dyke Marsh
• Walking and Jogging Paths
• Nearby marina with Boat Slips (boat storage available on site)
• Private Garden Plots
• Playground facility
• Doctor's office onsite with nearby dental care and hospital
• Near Old Town fun, food and shops
• Near Metro

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Fun and Funky Fashion at Crystal City

From February 1-6 Crystal City will celebrate its second annual Fashion Week.  Events will include trunk shows, music, food and drink, and dancing.  Audience members can even participate in an on-the-spot design competition.

Take some time to explore the Crystal City complex, which includes high rise residential buildings, office blocks, hotels, shops and restaurants.

Crystal City's 6,000 residents could go for months, or even years, without leaving the complex, which offers health clubs, banks, drug stores, supermarkets, doctors' and dentists' offices, a post office, nine parks, public concerts, a Water Park, night school and over l50 shops and restaurants.  In case the weather is bad, all these features are connected by underground passageways. 

If they do need to go somewhere, not to worry--because Crystal City is a commuter's dream.  It is five minutes from downtown or Reagan National Airport, lies on two Metro lines, has its own VRE commuter train station and is a hub of the local bicycle commuter system.

To see homes for sale in Crystal City, click here.

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Charm and Chocolate -- Fairfax City Festival

When Forbes Magazine named Fairfax City #3 of the top 25 U.S. cities to live in, it must have had the Chocolate Festival in mind.

Every year at this time the town invites the rest of us to binge on chocolate and charming 19th century surroundings.  This year's festival will be held on February 6 and 7 in Old Town Fairfax at Main Street and University Drive.

Events will include a contest to create chocolate works of art, a Pancake breakfast (chocolate chip, of course), open house in some the district's historic buildings and a craft show.  Walk off some of those excess calories by exploring well preserved buildings dating from the early 1800's, including the site of the first Confederate casualty of the Civil War and the Fairfax City Courthouse--built in 1800 and still in use today.  The district also includes a wide variety of restaurants and boutiques.

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Celebrate Black History Month in Northern Virginia -- February 2010

The Workhouse Arts Center is mounting an exhibition of works by several well-known African-American artists.  The Center is located in Lorton on the site of the defunct prison.

Sully Mansion in Chantilly, built in 1799, offers guided tours which highlight the lives of its early 19th century owners, tenant farmers and slaves, whose original quarters have been preserved.

Guides at Mount Vernon Estate emphasize the lives and contributions of the resident slaves.  Be sure to visit the gift shop for further materials highlighting the African American experience in America in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries.

Attend gospel music concerts, movies and cultural celebrations in Arlington County.

Visit the website of the Arlington County Publc Libraries for a list of exhibits, programs, brochures and suggested readings in Black History.

Check out the Alexandria Black History Museum at 902 Wythe Street.  Its collection includes documents related to the first public schools for African Americans, records of Civil War exploits by black soldiers, a large collection of historic photographs and even some African artifacts.  The Robert H. Robinson library was originally established in 1940 because the Alexandria public libraries were segregated.  The museum and library also have their own adjacent park.  Then take a walk through beautiful, historic Old Town.

Finally, cross the river to celebrate the life Frederick Douglass--abolitionist, businessman and journalist.  Frederick Douglass House is located on the banks of the Anacostia River.  On February 14 historians will celebrate Douglass' birthday with readings, tours, films and music.

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Into Fitness?

Athletes, would-be athletes and nature lovers should head south from Old Town Alexandria.

Stretching along the Potomac River from the southern border of Old Town to Mount Vernon Estate is the Mt. Vernon bike path.  Eight miles of asphalt allow locals and visitors to walk, run or bike while enjoying river views and wildlife sightings.  Bald eagles, ospreys, blue heron, cormorants, egrets, ducks and geese are among waterfowl commonly spotted along this corridor, while deer, groundhogs and fox sightings are frequent.  Combine cardio and conservation by following a nature trail through Dyke Marsh.

 Along the bike path is a fitness course and several points of access for canoes or kayaks.

Businesses in the nearby Belle View shopping center allow you to rent a bike, tone up at Curves or take karate lessons.  Adjacent to Belle View is the Mt. Vernon Recreation Center, which provides Fairfax County residents with an indoor pool and ice rink.  Farther south on Route 1 is a Gold's Gym.

Local communities such as River Towers, Porto Vecchio and Belle View also offer their residents tennis, swimming and basketball facilities as well as their own in-house gyms.

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Get Out and Do Something! Five Fun and Frugal Upcoming Events in Arlington, Virginia

Get out and do something! Even though it's cold outside, there is always something to do in Arlington, Virginia. Below is a list of five fun, local, and free or low-cost events in Arlington that anyone can enjoy!   

1) Children's Theatre Festival

Event: Children's Theatre Festival

Date/Time: Saturday, January 16, 11 am-5 pm

Location: Rosslyn Spectrum, 1611 N. Kent Street, Arlington, VA 22209

Event Description:
The Children's Theatre Festival is a full day theatre event including exciting live performances, workshops, theatre activities and more. The theatre lobby will be filled with activities for children such as painting, drawing, and storytelling beginning at 11 am. There will be a performance of The Cat and the Seagull at 12 pm and again at 4pm. This theatre performance is based on The Story of the Seagull and the Cat Who Taught Her How to Fly, by Luis Sepulveda. At 1 pm there will be additional performances by Los Quetzalitos, the Children's Mexican Dance Group, and Las Lunitas.

Contact and Other Info:
Admission to The Cat and the Seagull is $10.00. All other activities are free. Free Parking in the building garage. Food and drink will be available for sale throughout the festival. Call 703-548-3092 for more information or visit http://www.teatrodelaluna.org.

2) Painting Class for Beginners

Event:  Painting Class for Beginners

Date/Time:  Wednesday, January 20, 10 am – 12 pm 

Location: Walter Reed Senior Center, 2909 16th Street South, Arlington, VA 22204 

Event Description:
Learning how to paint is easier and more fun than ever! Longtime art teacher Blanche Kirchner is opening her painting class on Wednesday morning to help people who are new to the wonderful world of art creation and painting. Blanche will consult new artists on what materials they should bring and discuss the options of different media. This event will get anyone interested in art on the road to their own creative expression!

Contact and Other Info:
Cost is $24 for 4 sessions. Call Nelly Urbach at 703-228-0955 for more information. Sessions run Jan. 20 - Feb. 10 and Feb. 17 - March 10. Event website can be located at:  http://www.arlingtonva.us/departments/parksrecreation/scripts/comm_center/parksrecreationscriptscomm_centerwalterreed.aspx.

3) Comedy Club

Event:  Comedy Club

Date/Time:  Friday, January 22, 10:30 am - 11:30 am 

Location: Aurora Hills Senior Center, 735 18th Street South, Arlington, VA 22202

Event Description:
Come to laugh and relive the classic comedy of times past at Aurora Hills. Guests will enjoy video and audio selections of The Honeymooners, I Love Lucy, Sid Caesar, Milton Berle, Bill Dana, and Burns and Allen. Later, guests can take a stab at sharing their own funny stories together. The event will be led by Mike Bloom, comedy book author and former write for Walt Disney pictures.

Contact and Other Info:
Cost is free. Contact Julie Albers at 703-228-5722 to register. The Comedy Club meets monthly on Fridays. The event website can be found at: http://www.arlingtonva.us/departments/parksrecreation/scripts/comm_center/parksrecreationscriptscomm_centeraurorahills.aspx.

4) Under the Ice 

Event:  Under the Ice 

Date/Time:  Saturday, January 23, 2 pm-3 pm 

Location: Gulf Branch Nature Center, 3608 N. Military Road, Arlington, VA 22207

Event Description:
Bring children ages 6 and up to a winter wonderland in the Gulf Branch Nature Center pond. Children will learn what's lurking in that cold dark water and then go outside and discover what can be hauled up from its depths. The nature centers is nestled in lovely park setting and the event will be staffed with friendly and knowledgeable people who are there to help you and your family learn more about the great outdoors. This interactive event is an environmental education programs for both children and adults. Registration is required.

Contact and Other Info:
A fee of $3 will be due upon registration. Event is for children ages 6 and up, registered children only. Call 703-228-3403 or 703-228-4747 for more information or visit the event website located at: http://www.arlingtonva.us/departments/parksrecreation/scripts/nature/parksrecreationscriptsnaturegulfbranch.aspx.

5) Sudoku Mental Exercise Class

Event:  Sudoku Mental Exercise Class

Date/Time:  Wednesday, January 27, 1 pm – 3 pm 

Location: Langston-Brown Senior Center, 2121 Culpeper Street. Arlington, VA 22207

Event Description:
Challenge yourself and learn to work Sudoku puzzles in your head using the systematic approach developed by instructor Nort Beckerman. This two-hour class will build brain function and cognitive abilities, including memory, while teaching strategies for solving Sudoku puzzles. The class is fun and stimulating. Guests must be registered for the event.

Contact and Other Info:
Cost is free. Contact Eva Mayor at 703-228-5321 to register for the event. Event website is located at:
http://www.arlingtonva.us/departments/parksrecreation/scripts/comm_center/parksrecreationscriptscomm_centerlangstonbrown.aspx.

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Bon Air Memorial Rose Garden

The Bon Air Memorial Rose Garden is located at the corner of North Lexington and Wilson Boulevard, at 850 North Lexington Street in Arlington, Virginia. This scenic and serene rose and botanical garden occupies approximately one acre of land and features over 135 different rose varieties and houses 2,500 plant species as well. Featured roses include Hybrid Tea, Grandiflora, Floribunda, and miniature roses. The garden also hosts the latest All-American roses annually, showcasing the newest variety of roses at least one year before they become commercially available.

Bon Air Memorial Park also features an azalea garden, a shade garden, a sun garden, and an ornamental garden. Other amenities include picnic tables, charcoal grills, a babbling spring stream, a paved walking trail, tennis and basketball courts, an additional children's playground. Cultural advice and guidance for the rose garden is provided by the Arlington Rose Foundation. Call (703) 358-4747 for more information.

This beautiful and fascinating garden is a brilliant and colorful local resource that truly proves Virginia is for lovers! Whether you are a botanical aficionado or an individual who simply wants to stop and smell the roses, the Bon Air Memorial Rose Garden is a must see this spring in Northern Virginia. Park hours are from Sunrise until half an hour after Sunset throughout the year. 

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Fun for the Whole Family at Upton Hill Regional Park

Upton Hill Regional Park, located at 6060 Wilson Boulevard in Arlington, Virginia, offers local residents and visitors alike a versatile, wooded recreational commons in the heart of one of the most densely populated areas of Northern Virginia. The park features an outdoor swimming pool complex that includes a lap pool, a full-sized recreational pool, a separate kiddie pool, multiple water slides, and a children's water house with a huge bucket that fills up with water and empties out onto everyone in its path!! The park also features a deluxe miniature golf course as well as batting cages that include baseball and softball both.

Although the park facilities are presently closed for the winter season, the park itself remains open every day for hiking, picnicking, and playing on the playground. The batting cages and mini-golf facilities will reopen for the season in March of 2010. The water park and swimming pool complex will reopen Memorial Day weekend. In addition, Upton Hill Regional Park hosts and annual Easter Egg Hunt in early March and welcomes the whole family to come and join in the festivities. Children can enjoy hunting for eggs filled with candy as well as a moon bounce, coloring, and other games. The Easter Egg Hunt is recommended for children ages 2 through 10 and reservations are required. Call 703-534-3437 for more information or to make reservations.

Located between the Arlington and Fairfax County line at the intersection of Patrick Henry Drive and Wilson Boulevard, Upton Hill Regional Park is a great venue with a wide range of activities that provide fun for the whole family! In 2007, the Park's facilities underwent a $2 million renovation as part of the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority's effort to attract local residents and visitors to an innovative, public facility representative of both the area and the local governments' commitment to its community.  

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Alexandria Fun with Friends Group starts the New Year healthy!

The Alexandria Fun with Friends group is getting together for some light gaming fun at the Club Room again. Friends and newcomers alike are welcome. Attendees are invited to please bring your favorite games and be ready to teach or just bring an open mind and be ready to learn. 

The group will mainly be playing what they call "Eurogames". Although these games come from all over now, the first of this genre started in Europe, thus the name. Typically Eurogames are easy to learn, fast to play and the game is about collecting points of some kind rather than eliminating your opponent. This is different from classic American games like Risk or Monopoly where the game can last for hours and the goal of the game is to conquer or crush your opponent. Of course, card games, Scrabble and other old favorites are always welcome.

Our food theme this time around: healthy snacks! There is no charge for the event, but attendees are asked to bring fruit or a veggie tray or something creative (but healthy). Please bring a drink to share.

This is as much about the socializing as it is about the gaming. The organize says, "If you've never been to one of our gaming get-togethers the mood is casual and relaxed. We welcome new folks and we're happy to see old friends. We hope to see you there!"

BTW, the Greater Washington DC RPG group is meeting at the same venue at 2 pm and will be wrapping up just as the Alexandria Fun with Friends group starts up. Some of them might linger through our meet-up. Those of you who wish to may come early for their meetup.

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Major League Sports Venues for Locals in the Northern Virginia Area

Are you thinking of moving to Northern Virginia? You might be wondering what you do after you move into your new home.  Arlington, Alexandria and Fairfax County are part of the Washington DC area and this area provides a whole host of Major League Sports Venues for all types of sports fans in the area. Check out what this great area has to offer below!

The Washington Redskins
 

Established in 1937, the Washington Redskins are a professional American football team based in Washington D.C. that play for the National Football League (NFL). The Washington Redskins play at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland. The team's headquarters and training facility are at the Redskin Park in Ashburn, a community in Loudoun County, Virginia, near the Dulles International Airport. The Redskins have won five professional American football championships including two NFL Championships and three Super Bowls.

The Washington Wizards

Established in 1961, the Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. and were previously known as Washington Bullets until 1995. The Washington Wizards play for the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the team plays at the Verizon Center located on 7th Street in downtown Washington D.C.

The Washington Capitals

Established in 1974, the Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. and are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Washington Capitals play at the Verizon Center in Washington D.C.'s Chinatown neighborhood on 7th Street. Since their founding in 1974, the Caps have won their division title five times and the conference championship once.

D.C. United

Established in 1995, D.C. United is an American professional soccer club located in Washington, D.C. that plays for Major League Soccer (MLS). The team's home field is at the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium (RFK), owned by the District of Columbia and located near the Anacostia River.

The Washington Nationals

Established in 1969 and based in Washington D.C. since 2005, the Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. and are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball (MLB). The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium, also occupied by D.C. United. The new park is located in Southeast D.C. near the Anacostia River.

No matter where you buy a home in Northern Virginia or D.C., the area has plenty to see and do for any and all sports fans alike!

• The Washington Redskins
• The Washington Wizards
• The Washington Capitals
• The Baltimore Orioles
• DC United
• The Washington Mystics

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Holiday Adventures around Northern VA

I was born in Northern Virginia, and have lived here most of my life, but there are no end of things to do. When Christmas approaches in Northern Virginia, the Holiday Season is a great time to get out and see some of what the area has to offer. Julie and I have already started to enjoy some of the many sites of the season and I thought I'd share a bit with friends and soon to be friends who are considering moving to this area.

Just across the Potomac River from Alexandria VA is the National Convention Center at National Harbor. This recently developed area is home to many high-end shops and restaurants, and makes a nice day-trip anytime. Julie and I visited ICE! a holiday display of ice sculptures. The attraction was billed as "a world unlike any other ... a winter wonderland made entirely of ice. We explored ten different holiday scenes made from two million pounds of ice, including a life-sized Santa's Workshop, a penguin village... and even ice slides that stood more than two stories tall! ICE! was created by a team of 40 artisans and sculptors.

The tunnel had white branches that were covered in ice. Inside the exhibit the air was a chilly 9 degrees Fahrenheit. All visitors wore special blue parkas over their coats that kept us nice and warm.

My son Stuart and I goofed around at the penguins near the glass-like ice igloo. National Harbor can be seen from Alexandria, but a few nights ago we took a short drive around the Beltway to the Washington, DC Church of Jesus Christ of Latter–day Saints, also known as the Mormon Temple.

The ground of the Mormon Temple are open to all visitors during the Christmas season. This impressive church and its surrounding grounds shine brightly with nearly a half-million sparkling Christmas lights. Each night, a different local musical group performs a live concert in a state-of-the-art theater. Best of all: all events are free!

It's hard for my little picture to really catch the brilliance of the winter night, but in both of these pictures you can see a representative of the Star of David shining in the distance over a Nativity Sceen near the visitors' center.

We grabbed some photos outside and walked the grounds. They were plenty of people there, but the crowds were very polite and nice. The Mormon ushers and parking attendants were very welcoming to all who approached.

It was a chilly night, so we came in the visitor's center to warm up. There were Christmas Trees from around the area and I took Julie's picture near the Mount Vernon tree. I really liked the trees with contributions from nations around the world. Those trees were themed by continents so there was a tree themed with decorations from Africa, from South American, from Europe and from Asia.

Another great spot to check out is the National Christmas Tree near the lawn of the Whitehouse near the Ellipse in Washington DC.

We parked in front of the Washington Monument and then headed across the lawn toward the National Christmas Tree and National Menorah. On the way we passed an enormous Yule Log burning brightly to warm visitors. There is a parade of free entertainment and there are trees representing all the states and territories of the USA.

The National Christmas Tree is between the Washington Monument and the Whitehouse, but very close to the Whitehouse.

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.

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