Feature

Neighborhood Spotlight: Savor Locally-Roasted Espresso and Eclectic Food at Detour Coffee

By ARLnow.com Sponsor


This content was written and sponsored by The Keri Shull Team, Arlington’s top producing residential real estate team.

Stepping inside the industrial-style space, you see a swarm of white coffee cups artfully suspended from the ceiling above a community table. The smell of fresh coffee and the sound of frothing milk washes over you.

This is Detour Coffee, a hidden gem coffee shop and bistro in Clarendon.

Follow John Ma of The Keri Shull Team and Manager Manuel Olivera inside for a look at Detour’s locally-roasted coffee, handmade pastries, delicious food and more. Detour is a great spot to drink, eat, socialize and work.

All the coffee at Detour is locally sourced from Vigilante Coffee of Hyattsville, Maryland.

Standard drip coffee or pour-overs are available. And of course Detour’s skilled baristas are standing by to create traditional espresso drinks like cappuccinos, lattes, cortados and Americanos.

On Detour’s food menu you’ll find an eclectic mix of Mediterranean and South American influences. At the counter you can find beef empanadas, baba ghanoush, labneh, churros and more. In-house bakers make pastries from scratch.

For a detour before work, try a classic breakfast sandwich like The Norwegian, a lox-and-croissant situation, or get adventurous and try the Elvis: Peanut butter and jelly on banana bread with bacon.

When the day’s work is done, you can shut your laptop lid and enjoy Happy Hour specials from 4-7 p.m. every weekday.

Detour also offers brunch every Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., complete with breakfast cocktails — so bring friends!

Want to live in Clarendon, surrounded by amazing places like Detour Coffee? Check out our Clarendon Neighborhood Guide. Contact The Keri Shull Team at (703) 952-7653 or [email protected] and we’ll help you find your next new home!

Your Beermonger: Public Brew-dity

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

This sponsored column is written by Nick Anderson, beermonger at Arrowine (4508 Lee Highway). Sign up for Nick’s email newsletter and also receive exclusive discounts and offers.

A few weeks back, I lamented the state of IPAs and brewing in general, after an evening spent trying about a half dozen new-to-me beers that yielded only one good, drinkable brew.

I think it’s only fair, then, that when I come across a new brewery that impresses me, that really stands out, I should take some time to acknowledge it.

A recent drop of beers from Twelve Percent Imports — a fantastic broker of hipper-than-thou, hard to find breweries the world over — included some breweries that were new to Virginia. One of those was Public Access, a name I’d heard and seen bandied about but had yet to try anything from. There’s next to no info on the brewery out there. I had to reach out to Twelve Percent to learn more.

Public Access Liquids is essentially one guy, Ramon Manuel Manrique Hung, contract brewing along the lines of Stillwater or Evil Twin. A Venezuelan native who fell in love with beer living in Belgium, Hung found himself working at Tørst, the Brooklyn beer bar opened by Evil Twin himself Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø.

Hung is the latest branch of a brewery tree whose roots can be found at Tørst. Other bartending alums include Joey Pepper of Folksbier and Anthony Sorice from Root + Branch.

According to Twelve Percent, Hung’s aim with Public Access Liquids is to take “an ultra-modern, forward-thinking approach to beer design and recipe development, but instead of crafting beers specifically designed to stay local, creates them for the express purpose of sharing with high-end beer enthusiasts far and wide.”

Two Public Access beers were offered to me on this shipment; I opened both for sampling among a group of hazy IPAs and Pale Ales from Richmond’s Väsen Brewing (their Azanian Passion, which is excellent), and another new-to-Virginia brewery, Columbus, Ohio’s Hoof Hearted (I know, I know), whose Pale Ale and IPA were very tasty.

What stood out to me about the Public Access beers was that they stood out: they were hazy and heavily late and dry-hopped for sure, but not “hot” or obnoxious with their more tropical and citrusy notes like many can be.

The first one we tried, Outer Reality, was a 7% ABV IPA double dry-hopped with Columbus, Mosaic, El Dorado, Simcoe and Comet. The Columbus and Comet jumped out at me — these are hops that went into commercial use in the 70s and are far from the overripe tropical fruit bombs you typically see in New England IPAs.

The resulting beer was hazy for sure, but with a much more “traditional” set of hop characteristics — citrus/grapefruit-forward, piney and most of all dry. It’s a unique and welcome take on the NEIPA.

The other was Suspended Disbelief, a Double IPA at 8% ABV with Galaxy, Citra, Idaho 7 and Simcoe hops; much more in-line with the typical juice-bomb IPA. That said, the beer also came across impeccably balanced for the style, while still displaying all the mango/orange/stone fruit notes you’d expect from a beer with its hop schedule.

Only a handful of Public Access beers have been produced and, as noted, only two have shown up here in Virginia, but I have to say: so far, so good. Keep Public Access on your radar.

Note: Suspended Disbelief has sold out at Arrowine, but some Outer Reality is still in stock. Check your favorite local bars and shops to see who might have what.

Upcoming Arrowine Events:

Friday, October 4, 5-7 p.m. — Tyler Weaver of Väsen Brewing Company
Saturday, October 5, 12-3 p.m. — Patrick Cashin of Charm City Meadworks
Friday, October 25, 5-7 p.m. — Jackson Brown (not that one) of Canarchy — Cigar City feature!
Friday, November 8, 5-7 p.m. — Jesse Ploeg of Potter’s Craft Cider

Open Houses in Arlington This Weekend

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

Looking for a home? There are plenty of houses and condos open for viewing this weekend.

Check out the Arlington Realty website for a full list of homes for sale and open houses in Arlington. Here are a few highlights:

4731 34th Street N.
6 BD/5 BA, 1 half bath single-family home
Agent: Tradition Realty, Llc
Listed: $2,399,000
Open: Sunday 2-4 p.m.

 

1402 S. Randolph Street
5 BD/4 BA, 2 half bath single-family home
Agent: Re/Max Allegiance
Listed: $1,088,000
Open: Sunday 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

 

3967 26th Street N.
3 BD/2 BA, 1 half bath single-family home
Agent: Ttr Sotheby’s International Realty
Listed: $850,000
Open: Saturday 1-3 p.m.

 

2220 Fairfax Drive #310
3 BD/2 BA, 1 half bath condo
Agent: Weichert Realtors
Listed: $749,900
Open: Sunday 2-4 p.m.

 

1849 N. Uhle Street #1
2 BD/1 BA, 1 half bath condo
Agent: Rlah Real Estate
Listed: $689,000
Open: Sunday 2-4 p.m.

 

3204 13th Road S.
2 BD/2 BA villa/townhouse
Agent: Residential Properties, Inc
Listed: $535,900
Open: Sunday 1-4 p.m.

 

2101 N. Monroe Street #118
1 BD/1 BA, 1 half bath condo
Agent: Redfin Corporation
Listed: $419,000
Open: Sunday 1-4 p.m.

Just Listed in Arlington

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

Just Listed highlights Arlington properties that just came on the market within the past week. This feature is written and sponsored by Team Cathell, “Your Orange Line Specialists.”

Arlington’s real estate market picked up some steam this week after a sluggish start to the fall season.

Sellers listed 69 homes and buyers ratified 61 contracts. These numbers are more in line with previous robust fall numbers. While the U.S. continues its historic economic expansion into the 11th year, there were signs this week of concern. Job growth has slowed, although unemployment remains at a near historic low of just 3.7%. And the consumer confidence index dropped this week.

Economists have cited consumer spending as the main pillar supporting continued economic growth. Well, consumer confidence, as measured by the non-profit Conference Board since 1985 (index started at 100), dropped from 134.2 in August to 125.1 in September. Economists expected a drop, but not that much.

Mortgage rates meanwhile improved early this week and have held at 3.75% for a 30-yr fixed rate.

The improved rate of ratified contracts this week didn’t help our inventory level. The supply of active homes for sale (271) dropped from 1.3 months to 1.1 months based on the current rate of absorption. It’s still a tough market for home buyers.

Click to see all the fresh new inventory in MRIS and call Team Cathell (703-975-2500) when you find a home you like.

Boring Title: Why Title Insurance is Worth the Cost

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

Title insurance is boring, but Allied Title & Escrow is here to decode the jargon and make it (somewhat) more interesting. This biweekly feature will explore the mundane (but very necessary!) world of title insurance while sharing interesting stories of two friends’ entrepreneurial careers.

This week, we wanted to share two articles that explain why title insurance is worth the cost.

Because title insurance is “optional,” many times people will try and cut costs. However, purchasing a home is one of the largest financial investments of a lifetime, so is not something you want to go without!

For Article 1: Click here

For Article 2: Click here

Have questions related to title insurance? Email Latane and Matt at [email protected]. Want to use Allied Title & Escrow when you buy a home? Tell your agent when you buy a house to write in Allied Title & Escrow as your settlement company!

Arlington Pet of the Week: Paprika

By ARLnow.com
1/4

Arlington’s Pet of the Week is Paprika, a 5 month old Pomeranian mix who recently came to Arlington from Colombia.

Here is what Paprika’s owner said that she had to say about her life so far.

My name is Paprika. I am a five month old Pomeranian mix from Colombia. My human mommy rescued me from Popayan, Colombia when I was a tiny baby. I wasn’t eating much on my first day so she stayed up all night feeding me until I was strong enough to feed from my birth mom.

I waited 4 long months to be reunited with my human mommy in Arlington. I took a bus and two planes to get here but it was worth it! My human mommy and I like to go on hikes and adventures every weekend. My favorite so far has been hiking in a creek and chasing all the squirrels, birds and leaves. I also like saying hi and trying to play with every dog we pass on walks.

I’m learning new things every day. Every day is an adventure for me and I am so thankful my human mommy found me.

Want your pet to be considered for the Arlington Pet of the Week? Email [email protected] with a 2-3 paragraph bio and at least 3-4 horizontally-oriented photos of your pet. Please don’t send vertical photos, they don’t fit in our photo galleries!

Each week’s winner receives a sample of dog or cat treats from our sponsor, Becky’s Pet Care, along with $100 in Becky’s Bucks. Becky’s Pet Care is the winner of eight consecutive Angie’s List Super Service Awards, the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters’ 2013 Business of the Year and a proud supporter of the Arlington County Pawsitively Prepared Campaign.

Becky’s Pet Care provides professional dog walking and pet sitting in Arlington and all of Northern Virginia, as well as PetPrep training courses for Pet Care, CPR and emergency preparedness.

Biz Talk: Innovations in Healthy Aging Challenge

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

This article was sponsored by Arlington Economic Development‘s Business Investment Group.

The marketplace for technology to assist aging adults is expected to grow to nearly $30 billion in the next few years, according to Arlington’s own Consumer Technology Association.

Seniors and their families and caregivers are eager to acquire new tech-enabled products and services that would provide better care and improve the quality of their loved ones’ lives. Hence, entrepreneurs, innovators and technologists are increasingly focused on the growth opportunities in serving older adults.

To address this issue, Culpepper Garden and Arlington County are hosting a unique competition to identify and provide funding and pilot program opportunities for innovative companies and technologies focused on helping improve the lives of low-income seniors. This competition is open to companies and individuals from early seed stage to established corporations from around the world.

Judges are looking for products and ideas that are helping older adults leverage technology to stay healthy, improve their mobility and better connect to their family and community. Companies selected to pitch will receive valuable feedback from older adults, health care providers, businesses and government officials. The three winning companies will have the opportunity to trial their product or service at a residential community in Arlington.

Culpepper Garden and its nonprofit owner, the Arlington Retirement Housing Corporation, are celebrating 50 years as an award-winning residential community that was one of the nation’s first to serve the needs of low-income seniors as they age in place. Culpepper Garden is home to over 340 residents and is located on North Pershing Drive.

Participants have the opportunity to:

  • Win $12,000 in funding for each of the top three winners
  • Pilot their technology or approach at Culpepper Garden and a formal evaluation to provide to future customers
  • Become a leader in social impact technology benefitting low income seniors
  • Build relationships with competition judges including venture capitalists, medical professionals, company CEOs and government officials
  • Receive mentoring, feedback and advice from health care providers, senior and assisted living experts, older adults and other stakeholders
  • Solicit customer testimonials
  • Receive recognition and publicity about their company and technologies

To learn more and apply, visit Culpepper Garden’s website.

Just Reduced Properties in Arlington

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

Each week, “Just Reduced” spotlights properties in Arlington County whose price have been cut over the previous week. The market summary is crafted by licensed broker Aaron Seekford of Arlington Realty, Inc. GET MORE out of your real estate investment with Aaron and his team by visiting www.arlingtonrealtyinc.com or calling 703-836-6116 today!

Please note: While Aaron Seekford provides this information for the community, he may not be the listing agent of these homes.

Single-family homes, townhouses and condos get a lot of love on the Just Reduced column.

Regardless of what may already be constructed and how hot our local market may be, there is still land out there in Arlington County to build the home (or business!) of your dreams.

Amid this week’s Just Reduced home offerings, we have a 1.72-acre parcel of commercial land at 1722 North Glebe Road in Arlington. The acreage was reduced by more than $1 million on September 16! And, contingent on the seller’s needs and timeframe (as with any transaction), these savings may only be the beginning.

From a clean slate of land to tear-down possibilities, we can make your real estate dream a reality. To get started on your future (and/or to-be-built!) home/business, turn to Arlington Realty, Inc. We’ve been the family-owned real estate in Arlington since 1984 and know the lay of the land by heart.

And now on to this week’s figures:

As of September 23, there are 162 detached homes, 27 townhouses and 101 condos for sale throughout Arlington County. In total, 21 homes experienced a price reduction in the past week:

Please note that this is solely a selection of Just Reduced properties available in Arlington County. For a complete list of properties within your target budget and specifications, contact Aaron Seekford.

Ask Eli: New Condo Building 2000 Clarendon Banning Smoking

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

This regularly-scheduled sponsored Q&A column is written by Eli Tucker, Arlington-based Realtor and Arlington resident. Please submit your questions to him via email for response in future columns. Enjoy!

Question: Are there any smoke-free condo buildings in Arlington?

Answer: There is overwhelming support amongst condo owners in Arlington and the D.C. area to ban smoking in condo buildings, including within individual units and balconies. The problem is that it requires a two-thirds (or more) vote in all existing condo buildings to change the by-laws to ban smoking completely and only a handful of buildings have successfully done so.

2000 Clarendon to be Smoke-Free, LEED Certified

I’d like to recognize The Bush Companies for making 2000 Clarendon, an 87-unit condo building currently under construction in the Courthouse neighborhood, for being the first developer in Arlington to ban smoking outright in the original by-laws. Per the by-laws:

“Smoking is prohibited inside the Condominium building. Smoking is prohibited outside the Condominium building except in designated smoking areas located at least 25 feet from all entries, outdoor air intakes and operable windows. The no-smoking policy applies to spaces outside the property line used for business purposes.”

In addition to being smoke-free, 2000 Clarendon will also be a LEED Certified “green” building.

There is real demand in the Arlington condo market for smoke-free buildings and there will likely be multiple owners who choose 2000 Clarendon as their home because of the smoking ban. I believe that the decision by The Bush Companies to ban smoking will result in stronger sales and I expect more developers in Arlington and the surrounding D.C. area to follow suit.

On October 15 I’m hosting a panel and info session on smoking bans in existing condo buildings. If you are interested in attending or getting a recording of the meeting, please email me at [email protected].

2000 Clarendon Sales Update

If you’re in the market for a condo in the Rosslyn-Ballston Corridor and aren’t aware of 2000 Clarendon, it’s because marketing has been very limited and nothing has been entered into the MLS yet (hopefully you saw my column introducing 2000 Clarendon in April). However, demand has been high enough without a full marketing push that over 50% of the units are already under contract.

The shift in demand within the Arlington condo market to larger units with 2+ bedrooms is evident at 2000 Clarendon, with impressive demand for their 2 BR and 2 BR+Den units and double-digit waiting lists. The 1 BR+Den floor plans have been nearly as popular, but 1 BR sales have lagged. I expect the 1 BRs to move rather quickly once they’re entered into the MLS for broader distribution.

The developer is releasing units for sale by floor and to-date ten of the fourteen floors have been released with floors 9, 11, 13 and 14 yet to be offered. Some units on the upper floors are expected to have direct D.C. views.

If you’re interested in learning more about available units at 2000 Clarendon or other new condo development in Arlington or the D.C. area, feel free to reach out to me at [email protected].

If you’d like a question answered in my weekly column or to set-up an in-person meeting to discuss local real estate, please send an email to [email protected]. To read any of my older posts, visit the blog section of my website at www.EliResidential.com. Call me directly at (703) 539-2529.

Eli Tucker is a licensed Realtor in Virginia, Washington D.C., and Maryland with Real Living At Home, 2420 Wilson Blvd #101 Arlington, VA 22201, (202) 518-8781.

Large Portion of Foxcroft Heights Listed For Sale for $11 Million

By Kalina Newman
1/3

A substantial portion of Arlington’s Foxcroft Heights neighborhood is listed for sale for $11 million.

The properties between 901 and 925 S. Orme Street — a block-long row of brick houses bordering Columbia Pike and across from the Sheraton Pentagon City hotel — are touted in the listing as a “tear down” redevelopment opportunity.

It’s currently the most expensive real estate listing in Arlington.

The listing suggests the tiny neighborhood near the Air Force Memorial is primed for “integrated gentrification” with the planned reconfiguration of eastern Columbia Pike with the expansion of Arlington National Cemetery, not to mention Amazon’s nearby HQ2.

“The re-development of 901-925 Block can and will be simultaneous with the planned redevelopment and expansion of Arlington National Cemetery and the most eastern corridor of Columbia Pike, allowing for vast and integrated gentrification of the area,” the listing says. “It is an exceptional opportunity to revitalize and rebuild a part of Arlington County that has remained virtually forgotten for the past 50 years.”

The listing says that a developer should be able to build a five-story residential building, with up to 71 new units of housing, on the 0.75 acre site.

It’s unclear if any of the new apartment units would ultimately be designated as affordable housing, or what will happen to the current residents along Orme Street. Matt McMullan, the president of the Foxcroft Heights Civic Association, said the group has discussed the listing with residents “at a number of association meetings.”

“This is not the first time that gentrification has been broached with the neighborhood, and historically, residents have been divided on the topic,” said McMullan.

The listing’s real estate agent, Barbara Johnson, said she had no comment. The full listing is below.

Amazing opportunity to tear down and build 5-6 stories in prime Arlington County location! Foxcroft Heights is Arlington’s best kept secret, with a location one mile from the Pentagon Metro and Crystal City-Amazon HQ-2, and one stop light to the 14th Street Bridge. Incredible views of Arlington National Cemetery, USAF Memorial, the Capital and the Washington Monument starting on the 3rd floor. Lots & Alley Parcels comprise 32,427 square feet of buildable space. Yield Analysis and Pricing are based upon 5 floors with two levels of underground parking. Total Gross Building Area is 75,578 Square Feet, 71 units ranging 950-1200 square feet, 8814 Square Feet of Open Space, and 77 parking spaces. Commercial Mixed Use on first floor allowed, but Yield is based on Maximum Residential use under the Form Based Code. Call or email for complete package of materials. FYI: If timed correctly, the re-development of 901-925 Block can and will be simultaneous with the planned redevelopment and expansion of Arlington National Cemetery and the most eastern corridor of Columbia Pike, allowing for vast and integrated gentrification of the area. It is an exceptional opportunity to revitalize and rebuild a part of Arlington County that has remained virtually forgotten for the past 50 years.

Images (2-3) via Google Maps

Legal Insider: States Begin to Offer Employment Rights to Domestic Violence Victims

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

This is a sponsored column by attorneys John Berry and Kimberly Berry of Berry & Berry, PLLC, an employment and labor law firm located in Northern Virginia that specializes in federal employee, security clearance, retirement and private sector employee matters.

By John V. Berry, Esq.

Some states are beginning to offer victims of domestic violence employment law rights.

The Commonwealth of Virginia has not done so yet, but this article focuses on the jurisdictions that have enacted such legislation. The most major legislation in this area has come from New York and California. It is hoped that more states (and Virginia) will begin to enact these types of employment law protections for victims of domestic violence.

New York and California Laws Offer Employment Law Protections

The State of New York recently enacted Bill A5618/S1040, which offers employment law protections to victims of domestic violence. The new law enhanced previous New York protections which prohibited discrimination against victims of domestic violence within the workplace. The new law adds the following:

Reasonable Accommodation: The law requires employers to reasonably accommodate victims of domestic violence who must be absent from work for a reasonable amount of time to seek medical attention, therapy or legal services in connection with domestic violence.

Anti-Discrimination: The new law further ensures that domestic violence victims are considered a protected class and that employment discrimination against them is considered another form of illegal discrimination.

The State of California has enacted similar protections for victims of domestic violence. In some ways, the protections given to employees in California are slightly stronger than those in New York. California Labor Code §§ 230 and 230.1 provides employment law protections to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking.

Like in New York, California requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to domestic victims. California also makes it illegal to discriminate or retaliate against a victim of domestic violence for taking time off of work to seek help.

Virginia Lags Behind in Protections

Virginia lags far behind in the protection of domestic violence victims in the workplace. The legislature should move to adopt a law similar to those enacted by California and New York to ensure that employees suffering from domestic violence are not terminated or discriminated against for taking time off to get medical or mental assistance needed in order to get better.

Currently, Virginia only protects victims of domestic violence (and other crimes) for the time taken to respond to a summons or subpoena related to the criminal proceedings. Va. Code § 18.2-465.1. Virginia also requires an employer to permit a victim of a crime to be present at all criminal proceedings related to a crime against the employee. Va. Code 40.1-28.7:2.

Virginia also offers suggested (not binding) guidance to employers asking them to consider allowing victims of all crimes (including domestic violence) to be able to attend court without loss of pay. Va. Code § 19.2-11.01(A)(3)(a). Virginia should follow the lead of New York and California and protect domestic violence victims in the workplace.

Conclusion

If you need assistance with employment law issues, please contact our office at (703) 668-0070 or at www.berrylegal.com to schedule a consultation. Please also visit and like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BerryBerryPllc.

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