The popular outdoor, artistic event of the year is back in Clarendon — now on Labor Day weekend.
The Arlington Labor Day Weekend Festival of the Arts will take place Sept. 4-5 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. Visitors will have the chance to see thousands of fine works from across the globe in a prestigious show encompassing fine jewelry, exquisite works of art, and hand-crafted apparel and decor.
Whether your passions run to sparkling jewels and one-of-a-kind paintings, masterfully crafted glasswork or an art deco sculpture, you are sure to find it during the free, two-day event. Ample parking is available, and pets on leashes are always welcomed.
Presented by Howard Alan Events (HAE), producer of the nation’s finest juried art shows, the Arlington Labor Day Weekend Festival of the Arts represents original, hand-crafted artwork selected by an independent panel of expert judges from hundreds of applicants. HAE’s careful vetting process also ensures a wide array of mediums and price ranges will be offered during the Festival.
This sponsored column is written by Todd Himes, beermonger at Arrowine (4508 Lee Highway). Sign up for the email newsletter and receive exclusive discounts and offers. Order from Arrowine’s expanding online store for curbside pickup.
I, for one, welcome our pumpkin beer overlords. There it is, I’ve said it. Much like Kent Brockman or perhaps later Ken Jennings, I have accepted my fate.
You would think the beer calendar was only 51 weeks because, each year, the outrage comes earlier and earlier. Yes, outrage. There is no release that draws more ire than the arrival of pumpkin beer in the middle of the summer. There is something about a 10% imperial amber ale with nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, and what is most likely frozen or canned puree from last fall that brings out the hot takes from everyone — and I mean everyone. Customers, sales reps, shop owners, cheesemongers, delivery drivers… I smile through it (you can’t always tell under this mask, but yes, there is a smile) and offer up some placation like, “Yes, it is earlier than last year,” or “You’re right, it does need to be about 30 degrees cooler before I want to drink this, too.” But occasionally I do need to assure people that pumpkin beer is not “the devil” or “only for girls.”
I think fall beers have definitely caught a very bad reputation and drawn a lot of ire from many — including at one point even myself — because, in part, they show up earlier and earlier each year, cutting into the summer. They also draw in many non-craft beer drinkers. (I’m not afraid to admit the early arrival of the 30 cases of Pumking bombers that I preordered in 2012 showing up in the middle of August was greeted with a string of expletives that I am not typically known for spewing.)
Pumpkins at the Columbia Pike farmers market (Flickr pool photo by Alan Kotok)
For years, I really thought I was taking some moral high ground by never putting pumpkin beer out on the sales floor until Sept. 1 — that seemed like an at least somewhat appropriate fall date. But the truth is, it didn’t matter when I put them out. They kept showing up earlier and earlier each year, and I would talk to a number of customers who were looking for them earlier. I would grab them a bottle or two from the back and tell them when it was “officially” coming out in hopes they would come back for more. But I know that wasn’t always going to be the case — I’m sure the next store they stopped in, if the pumpkin beers were out, would sell them as much as they wanted. I also know the year before, in the small edge of the suburbs town I was living in at the time, the one store that stocked Pumking marked their bottles up about 300% and was still able to sell out of their stock in about a week.
Oktoberfest beers present their own unique problems in coming to market. Here is my obligated mention that Oktoberfest doesn’t always take place in October. But that doesn’t stop people from wanting to drink these beers well into November, though, and who can blame them? The amber-hued toastiness of a Marzen is welcome many, many times throughout the year. Say nothing of the golden, bready and more hop-present Festbier style, equally at home with pretzels and almonds as it is with pizza and football games.
Just Listed highlights Arlington properties that just came on the market within the past week. This feature is written and sponsored by Andors Real Estate Group.
Hello, Arlington, and welcome to JUST LISTED!
It’s been more of the same sluggish pace in Arlington this past week. We’re hopeful that the buyers out there are ready to absorb a bunch of fresh inventory coming in the next few weeks — I have many new listings slated to hit the market in September, and I know many of my colleagues do as well. If this sluggish buyer behavior continues, we will see inventory rise dramatically in the coming weeks…
Welcome home to this stunning, stately and meticulously maintained Federalist-style brick home sited on a gorgeous approximately 10,000-square-foot flat, manicured lot backing to park land.
A flagstone walkway leads to a covered front entryway. The home has a large driveway and an attached one-car garage. Find a foyer entryway, expansive main level including formal living with gas burning fireplace, a home office/library and powder room. The home boasts a large and open dining area, chef’s kitchen, and a screened-in porch overlooking the large, fully fenced backyard. Upstairs features three bedrooms and two full bathrooms, including a private owner’s suite with rooftop terrace. The lower level walks out to the backyard, features a fourth bedroom and en-suite bathroom, large rec room, abundant storage and utility space, and a light-filled bonus room. Find new systems and appliances throughout and totally move-in ready.
You can find me here this weekend hosting in-person open houses — Saturday and Sunday 1-4 p.m.
Sellers listed 50 homes for sale this past week, three less than the week before. Buyers ratified 44 contracts, 15 less than the week prior, and 11 of the ratified contracts were on homes JUST LISTED in the past seven days.
There are 511 available properties for sale throughout all of Arlington and across all property types: 141 are detached homes, 57 are townhome/semi-detached homes and 313 of the available units in Arlington are condos.
For a bit of perspective, this same week last year sellers listed 97 homes and buyers ratified 61 contracts. There were also only 415 available properties for sale this week last year.
The average list price for currently available properties is $803,928 and the median is $595,000. Currently available properties in Arlington have an average of 66 days on market (DOM) and a median of just 43.
Click here to search currently available Arlington real estate. If you see a home that you’re interested in purchasing, give us a call!
Call the Andors Real Estate Group today at (703) 203-1117 to talk more about buying or selling Arlington real estate. Below are eight new listings that I think you might like to check out.
The school was founded back in 1945, making it one of the oldest preschools in Arlington. Overlee offers half-day programs for 2-, 3- and 4-year-olds.
If you’re not yet familiar with Overlee, here’s what makes it a standout preschool.
1. Overlee Preschool is Run by Parent Volunteers
Overlee has been a cooperative preschool since its founding more than 75 years ago. That means it’s run by parent volunteers. There are full-time teachers and staff, but the parents help both inside and outside the classroom.
The time commitment from parents varies by class, but there’s flexibility.
Kristen Tyagi is Overlee’s incoming president of the board and a parent. She also has a full-time job but said her responsibilities have been manageable.
“I really enjoy witnessing my child’s growth,” she said. “It’s something as a working parent I didn’t get to see a lot of at her previous preschool.”
On days she volunteers, she reads the kids stories, supervises them on the playground and helps clean up.
Louisa Stetekluh, who has been a teacher at Overlee for more than 22 years, loves building relationships with families.
“We’re building a community in our class,” she said. “I’m not just that lady who’s taking care of their kids. I have a special relationship with them.”
Overlee focuses on play-based learning, which is grounded in research. Rebecca Morrissey, the school’s director, explains the benefits simply: “Things that can’t be taught are learned in play.”
“We often think of education as something an adult has to give to the child,” she said. “But the reality is children learn countless things when we’re not looking. In fact, I think some of the most important things children learn in their early years can’t be observed, measured or quantified.”
In this child-centered approach, the teacher acts as the guide and provides support, but the child leads. There’s still structure to the day and the kids are learning skills, but it’s more organic.
Morrissey’s kids — now in fifth and seventh grades — are Overlee alums, so she has the perspective of both an educator and a parent.
“When they entered kindergarten, they knew how to self-advocate, speak their truth, negotiate, communicate with other children, express their feelings,” she said. “When you treat a kid like a normal kid, you really just get great things.”
3. Overlee Preschool is Rooted in Nature
Overlee has been operating entirely outdoors, a shift made last year at the onset of COVID. This is something that’s worked well for the students and the preschool.
Overlee operates out of the Church of the Covenant in Donaldson Run, though it’s a secular school, unaffiliated with the church. It offers the perfect setting for an outdoor preschool with a huge wooden play structure, shade trees for circle time and plenty of trails for adventures.
The outdoor model gives the children the opportunity to have a more normal preschool experience during this time.
“The kids are able to play together, share together and have a normal — and even better — experience than your typical preschool program,” Tyagi said.
Her daughter, who was once afraid to get mud on her hands, is now thrilled to be covered head to toe after an adventure through the woods.
Stetekluh says she’s always enjoyed using nature as the kids’ classroom.
“We’re not doing worksheets, drilling them on letters, any of those traditional academic activities, so we have the opportunity to develop all those other skills in nature,” she said.
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.
For this week’s edition of Boring Title, we sit down with the founder of the Shepherd Homes Group, Jason Cheperdak. Jason talks about expectations when listing a home in Arlington, and he gives us four tips to help you get top dollar for your listing!
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!
Buying a home offers many benefits, from building personal wealth to having a sense of financial independence, but there’s a lot that goes into the process and you want to find the right situation for you. It can be difficult to do that in the Washington, D.C. area where there’s stiff competition, so the Keri Shull Team is hosting a seminar to help buyers seeking to get the most out of their home search.
Bridget Mendes, one of the Keri Shull Team’s most experienced agents, will be leading this seminar at the Keri Shull Team office in Rosslyn. She will introduce you to the 8 essential steps of the home buying process that will save you time, money, and stress.
Here are some of the topics covered in this seminar:
How to find off-market homes — hidden gems that you cannot find on popular home search websites
How to get out of your lease, so you can move on your timeline
The “4 C’s” that determine the home price in any market
How to set a realistic budget for your home search
And more!
This is a FREE seminar! In addition to the invaluable information, those who register and attend also receive the following exclusive guarantees:
Up to $1,500 toward your closing costs
A $500 certificate for your home appraisal
A $50 Home Inspection Credit
As well as our priceless Buyer Satisfaction Guarantee!
The seminar is being held in-person this upcoming Monday, Aug. 30, and parking will be validated for those commuting by car. Wine and cheese will also be available for attendees.
Jazz is back in Rosslyn with a three-week celebration of music, food and fun!
The Rosslyn BID’s annual Rosslyn Jazz Fest has been reimagined with live performances around the neighborhood, culminating in an all-day event in Gateway Park on Sept. 18, featuring Three Man Soul Machine, Aaron Myers and Sin Miedo.
Enjoy the soulful sounds of local musicians, including Crush Funk Brass Band, Akua Allrich, Kingman Island Orchestra, and Cristian Perez, live from some of Rosslyn’s favorite outdoor venues. Plus, attendees can expect themed giveaways, prizes and restaurant deals throughout.
Beginning on Sept. 1, don’t miss pop-up performances from bands and soloists at Central Place Plaza, Continental Beer Garden and more. Jazz fans can also look forward to the return of last year’s popular Jazz Supper Club experience at Amuse at Le Méridien Arlington.
Please review the most current Virginia guidance surrounding COVID-19 before attending any in-person events. Do not attend if you or anyone in your household is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19.
For details, a 10% discount at participating restaurants and the full Rosslyn Jazz Fest schedule, visit the Rosslyn BID website.
Each week, “Just Reduced” spotlights properties in Arlington County whose price have been cut over the previous week. The market summary is crafted by Arlington Realty, Inc. Maximize your real estate investment with the team by visiting www.arlingtonrealtyinc.com or calling 703-836-6000 today!
Please note: While Arlington Realty, Inc. provides this information for the community, it may not be the listing company of these homes.
Fido is excited for tomorrow.
Thursday, August 26 is National Dog Day. So, to all of our four-legged friends in Arlington County and beyond, we hope the day is filled with treats, tail wags and oodles of love.
When it comes to pets and real estate, we know that dogs (and cats and other animals, too!) are a big part of the family.
In working with countless families throughout the years with an animal family member, we know there can be unique challenges in finding the perfect residence. These challenges span finding places that allow pets altogether, weight restrictions and more.
If and when the time comes to find the right fit for you and Fido, the time-tested team at Arlington Realty, Inc. is ready to put its best foot (and paws!) forward on your behalf. Until then, here are this week’s Just Reduced numbers:
As of August 23, there are 164 detached homes, 56 townhouses and 318 condos for sale throughout Arlington County. In total, 49 homes experienced a price reduction in the past week:
Please note 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 Arlington Realty, Inc.
Photo taken pre-COVID. All cleaning professionals wear masks while in your home.
Believe it or not, Labor Day is just around the corner, marking the unofficial end of summer.
Whether you have plans to travel, host family and friends, or just want to decompress amid the back-to-school chaos, get your home professionally cleaned ahead of the three-day respite.
And Well Paid Maids, based in the D.C. area, is here to help.
Well Paid Maids isn’t your typical cleaning company. It’s committed to paying its workers a living wage of at least $20 an hour or more. Even more: Cleaners are employees — not contractors — meaning they get benefits like health, dental and vision insurance; 22 paid days off a year; and 100% employer-paid commuting costs.
What better way to honor our country’s workers than to support a company that pays fair, livable wages?
It also uses healthy and sustainable cleaning products, rated “low concern” or “lowest concern” by the Environmental Working Group.
So whether you want to return to a clean home after vacation or host your family and friends for the weekend, book your summer cleaning today before spaces fill up. It takes less than 60 seconds!
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. Video summaries of some articles can be found on YouTube on the Ask Eli, Live With Jean playlist. Enjoy!
Answer: Virginia House Bill 1842 was signed into law by Governor Northam on March 18, 2021, and became effective July 1, 2021. The bill has major implications for owners of condominium and property owners associations (condo and POA) by giving the association’s elected board the ability to ban smoking inside homes and on private balconies by way of a new resolution to the rules and regulations, which generally requires a simple majority vote of the board.
Prior to this, boards could ban smoking in common areas this way, but smoking bans within units/homes required a lengthy (multiple years), costly and resource-intensive effort to get a 2/3+ vote from owners to change the bylaws.
Mr. Gartner confirmed that the new law, effective July 1, 2021, does in fact allow condo and POA boards to ban smoking inside private residences with a simple majority vote of the board. He also offered some helpful advice and caveats for any boards/communities who plan to move forward with in-unit smoking bans:
In rare cases, some bylaws may specifically restrict a board’s ability to make certain rule changes or require something other than a simple majority, so boards should have an attorney review their bylaws prior to proceeding with a smoking ban.
Smoking bans should be written as a compliant resolution through legal counsel, not as a simple motion.
Enforcement is always a challenge for boards (noise, trash and other common rules always present enforcement challenges), and boards may want to work with their legal counsel to establish compliant enforcement protocol.
The new law includes a provision that allows owners to call a special meeting to vote and repeal a change in the smoking policy.
Smoking ban policies might flip back and forth as new boards are elected and the majority votes for a new/different smoking policy than the previous board.
I’m not aware of any other state that has passed legislation like this (please comment if you know of other similar laws) in the rest of the country, which is amazing, considering Virginia’s political and economic history, that we may be the first state with this type of law.
Participate in a study about our transportation network and receive up to $100.* Simply install a device in your vehicle and drive like you normally do.
With changes in our vehicles and how we drive, there are challenges to building up a steady fund to invest in roads and improve transit — the things we rely on to stay connected and keep our economy strong.
This study, called DriveTU, is looking at new, sustainable and equitable ways to fund roadway improvements and is being conducted by Transurban and the Eastern Transportation Coalition.
By being a part of DriveTU, you contribute to the conversation on whether a pay-as-you-drive system is more sustainable and more equitable. Instead of using a gas tax to fund roadway improvements, governments are examining a pay-as-you-go model — often called a mileage-based user fee (MBUF).
DriveTU participants have the opportunity to lend their voice on this issue, provide study insights and earn $100 — just by driving like they normally would.
Are you ready to drive? Enroll now to find out if you’re eligible for DriveTU.
*Incentive payouts not applicable to state or federal government employees. All other participants must meet all pilot program application and completion criteria.
