There's No Place Like Vienna (Dot Com)

What Does The Future Hold for Vienna Real Estate in 2012?

2011-12-28T10:12:00.000-08:00

The New Year is upon us. But if we travel back to 2007-2009 and first review the news headlines, one would think it was Halloween for several years in real estate. You may remember some of these news bytes:

“Housing Horror”- Crain’s Business

“U.S. Housing Crash Deepens in 2008 After Record Drop” - Bloomberg

“Worst Case Scenario” CNN/Fortune

and on and on . . . .


It was “Friday the 13th” every day for a while as literally every local market in the country experienced falling sales and homes values as buyers froze and the banking, mortgage, building, and residential brokerage industries came to a virtual standstill.

In Northern Virginia, depending on location and price range, values dropped between 25-50 percent from peak, new home construction slowed drastically, some national builders left our market or went out of business, and many local small builders went bankrupt or could not obtain construction financing. The number of real estate agents and mortgage brokers began to shrink. Consumer confidence was at all-time lows. And in 2009, the Northern Virginia area lost jobs for the first time since 1990-1992.

It’s good to learn from the past and not to live in it.

At the end of 2011 and headed in to 2012, local headlines read differently. Reminding ourselves that residential real estate is local, local, local and not a national market, our region has performed fantasticly compared to most every other market in the USA. Vienna in particular was ranked the #5 best housing market in the USA according to a recently released study by Bloomberg/BusinessWeek with median home values increasing almost 13% in 2011. Yes, 13%, that is not a “typo”! While not ranked in the report, many of the other local adjacent communities are doing comparatively well, especially as you get closer to Washington, DC. Thanks to a healthy local economy and extremely affordable interest rates for mortgages, we are experiencing the most stable market since the frenzied run up of 2004-2007.

According to the GMU Center for Regional Analysis, Northern Virginia’s unemployment rate is at 4.5%, which is about one half the national rate. A significant number of new jobs were added in 2011 and many of those were filled with people relocating to our area. The market theme most weeks and almost every month in 2011 was a decrease in the inventory of homes compared to the week/month before and year over year. The latest numbers show that as of December 12, 2011 the Washington, DC region had 48,934 versus 64,266 units during the same week of 2010. That’s a whopping 23.9% decrease. The months’ supply of homes is now 6.1 compared to almost 8 months a year ago. Locally the month’s supply is between 2-6 months depending on price range, home style and type. A 5-6 month supply of homes is considered to be a balanced market between buyers and sellers.


The data also shows that total sales volume for 2011 is less than 2010 and if you read news headlines highlighting this it can be misleading. The truth is that sales are off because there are fewer new listings, especially attractive homes that people want to buy. The result is a pressure on prices to increase, which we saw in 2011. Some headlines will also state the fact that in most areas the time to sell a home has increased and the percentage of list price is decreasing. Again, the uneducated buyer or seller that relies on headlines and sound bytes might think that it is a buyer’s market. The truth is that homes that are prepared properly, show well and are priced to what the market comparables indicate value is are selling quickly in weeks not months and in many cases with more than one offer.

So what is in store for 2012?


The local real estate market is not as volatile as the stock market and residential real estate markets move at a much slower pace. While we always experience temporary fluctuations in local housing activity that affect the psychology of buyers and sellers due to national news events like the recent credit rating downgrade by Standard & Poor’s or 911 or local incidents like the sniper attacks, weather, earthquakes, etc; the local trends we see in housing are expected to sustain in the new year. As long as mortgage rates remain at or near historical lows, affordability at all time highs and our local economy is healthy, expect 2012 to look very similar to 2011.

This is what the final report from The GMU Center for Regional Analysis titled “Housing the Regions Future Workforce. Policy Challenges for Local Jurisdictions” stated in the summary of key research findings in the 4th quarter of 2011:

“Over the next 20 years, the Washington DC metropolitan area will add more than a million net new jobs. At the same time, the region will need 1.8 million replacement workers to fill jobs vacated by retirees and others. The ability to absorb these new workers into the region and to ensure robust regional economic growth depends critically on providing a sufficient amount of housing of the right types and prices and in the right places.” “If each jurisdiction provided enough housing to accommodate all of its future workers, the Washington DC region needs to add 731,457 net new housing units between 2010 and 2030.”

If the research and forecast for population and job growth is even remotely accurate, the future for housing in our area is sound. Happy selling and buying in the new year to come!

If you are looking for an advocate to help you navigate & negotiate in TODAY’s market, email The Belt Team or call us at (703) 242-3975. Our expertise is the Northern Virginia real estate market and we are #1 in Vienna. Call now to schedule a Buyer or Seller consultation, to request a FREE WRITTEN REPORT of your home’s value or to be put on our FREE PRIORITY NOTIFICATION LIST for special buying opportunities that are not in the MLS or on the Internet. You can’t afford not to. (Why You Don’t Want To Miss Out On “The Belt Team Experience”!)

It May Be Flu Season, But Vienna's Real Estate Market Is Healthy!

2011-11-03T09:31:00.000-07:00

We normally try to keep our blog posts on "There's No Place Like Vienna (Dot Com)" about things other than real estate. (We publish a separate blog where we cover the Northern Virginia real estate market.) And over the past year, we've written about lots of reasons why we love living in Vienna - its history, the big-hearted people, free fitness opportunities, Vienna's "Secret Side", baseball, the music scene , the fun of cross-town rivalries, the fab restuarants, school spirit & more.

But you can't really talk about why you love living somewhere without sometimes talking about the real estate market - especially when it's so good. In fact, Bloomberg Business Week recently listed Vienna as the #5 Best Housing Market in the country!

You may have noticed that the blog post published previous to this one was posted back in September. It's not because we ran out of reasons why we love living in Vienna. It's because we have been so busy helping our Buyer & Seller clients. And while it may be flu season, the real estate market in Vienna is healthy!

If you want to know more about what's specifically happening in the Vienna housing market, you can read more on our blog - weekly statistics, advice for Vienna buyers & sellers , etc.

The real estate market is healthy here - just another reason why we LOVE living in VIENNA!

FITNESS FOR FREE & "HAPPY NEW YEAR"!

2011-09-07T06:09:00.000-07:00

Back-to-school time always reminds me of the New Year - new routines, new resolutions and a time for renewal. My co-worker reminds me that back-to-school time also means that Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year and a time of reflection, is approaching. So "Happy New Year" everyone!

The new school year is a time for getting back into routines ("early to bed, early to rise" for example). Camps end and practice schedules begin. Pools close and schools open. It's also often a time for a fresh start. Children get new teachers, start at new schools, make new friends, try a new sport. Parents make resolutions too - about getting out the door on time in the morning or having family dinners together at night or volunteering more (or volunteering less!).

So in honor of back-to-school resolutions, here are some ideas for "Fitness For Free". Don't have the money to hire a trainer or join a gym? No problem. Whether you are getting in shape, staying in shape or just want to spend more time with your family, Vienna offers lots of opportunities!

W&OD Trail

The W&OD (Washington & Old Dominion) Trail is named after the railroad that used to track from Alexandria to Purcellville. It goes right through the "Heart of Vienna". This is the perfect place for a walk (for you AND your dog!), a jog, a run, a skate or a ride. No matter your pace - the scenery is great. (Check out what you might see along the trail here.) Just make sure you follow the "rules of the road' - slow movers stay to the right, fast movers pass on the left. (Here's a map of the W&OD Trail.)

Nottoway Park/Moorefield Park

A myriad of opportunities exist at Nottoway Park & the adjacent Moorefield Park - and they are all FREE! You can play basketball or volleyball (and tennis for a small reservation fee). And did you know that NBA player Grant Hill used to play pick-up basketball regularly on these very courts? There's also a fun fitness trail. (More info about Nottoway Park)

Glyndon Park, Meadow Lane Park, Peterson Lane Park & Southside Park

These parks are all Town of Vienna parks. Between them, they offer lighted tennis courts, basketball courts, ballfields, a sand volleyball court, playground equipment & a walking trail. (More info about Town of Vienna parks)

Faith Baptist Church

Faith Baptist Church is getting ready to open their gym to the community on Monday nights from 7-9PM. If you like to play basketball or volleyball, this is the place for you. They are conveniently located at 301 Center St South - right across the street from Waters Field.

Vienna Community Center

The Vienna Community Center has FREE drop-in programs that include basketball, volleyball, roller skating and even pickleball. There's something for all age groups - from Senior Citizens to toddlers. Details are on the Vienna Community Center's web site.

Madison High School

My husband's favorite place to work out is at Madison High School. There's a track for running/walking. The football stadium provides plenty of stairs for a great workout. And - you always run in to someone you know. Perfect when you need a breather between activities!

Do you have a place we should add to our FITNESS FOR FREE list?

The "Secret" Side of Vienna, VA (Shhh Don't Tell Anyone!)

2011-08-17T15:15:00.000-07:00

Did you know that Vienna has a "secret side"?

Well, it's really not so secret - if you know where to look!

We can't share ALL our secrets (after all, then they wouldn't be secrets any more!), but here are a few to get you going. And feel free to share your Vienna secrets below!

1. "SECRET SHOWS"!

Recently, I went to a "secret concert" at one of my favorite music venues - Jammin Java. If you've never been there, you're really missing something special. As one of the band members said that night, "The rumor that this is a coffee house is out the window!". You might think by its name (including the word "Java") that it's a coffee house. They do have coffee (along with a full bar and great food). But you'd be missing the "Jammin" part. And boy was it jammin last time I was there!

And that brings me back to the "secret" part. I follow Mei, the "Jammin Java Door Gal" on Twitter. And one night, lo and behold, a tweet came out saying there would be a "secret concert" the following night. If you recall, Taylor Swift was recently in town and Need To Breathe, the band that had opened for her at the Verizon Center, was going to "secretly" appear at Jammin Java for their own concert. Needless to say, the secret spread quickly. Not so secret anymore. And tickets that went on sale at 10PM were sold out by 5AM the next morning - the fastest this band has ever sold out.

I can't tell you how much fun it was. The band had a blast and their joy was contagious. You could tell how much they appreciated "jammin" together in such a small venue after traveling the country in big venues like the Verizon Center. It was truly a magical night.

And this isn't the first time Jammin Java has had a "secret show". If you have teenage daughters (or "tweeners"), you might recognize the name Nick Jonas. So who performed "secretly" at Jammin Java back in February - the day before he performed at The White House? Yup - you got it - Nick Jonas.

2. "SECRET MENU ITEMS"

One of our favorite Vienna restaurants is Maple Avenue Restaurant - MAR for short. (For you "old-timers" - it's where the "old Anita's" used to be, for you "newcomers" - it's across the street from Panera). MAR offers a super intimate, fun dining experience. (You can read a review here.) Their menu changes frequently, but it's always fresh & inventive.

Now comes the "secret" part. If you follow MAR on Facebook or Twitter, they sometimes announce "secret menu items". The servers will not mention them as specials when they bring your menu, but if you tell them you saw it on Facebook or Twitter, then you get a sweet opportunity to sample something extra special. Sometimes it's items that are being demo'd. Sometimes it's because they only have a small quantity of something. But it's always yummy. We liked the baked mac special one night. I know that doesn't sound exciting - but boy was it good! Chef Tim Ma has a way of taking something you might think of as pedestrian and turning it into a culinary masterpiece. (He also has a hilarious sense of humor with comments on Twitter like "Did we get pulled over on our scooter by vienna police? Yes. Was it because they were bored? yes. Was it embarassing, absolutely." and "MAR will close early tonight, staff will be taking pickleback shots, then heading over to the potato sack slide at #vivavienna. don't judge.")

Other local restaurants & eateries let you in on the "secret" when they have new menu items or when they are about to take items off the menu so you can get them one last time before they disappear.

3. "SECRET DISCOUNTS"

In today's economy, who doesn't want a discount? Well, a lot of Vienna's local businesses are turning to social media to spread the word about their products and services. It's no or low cost advertising for them. AND, if you pay attention - you can take advantage of the "secret discounts" they often offer. Here are some examples we've made the most of (note - these are not current discounts - most of these "secrets" are for one day only and sometimes just for a few hours).

Caffe Amouri - "50 cents off iced drinks"

Pure Pasty - "Buy a chicken marsala pasty and get a 2nd one for $1"

Whole Foods Vienna - "After you get your chicken breasts for only $3.99/lb head to customer service and say "I'm not chicken, but I'm all natural". You'll get a delicious bottle of marinade on the house."

Sweetleaf Cafe - Get an extra veggie topping on a salad "created by you" for free.

(If all this sounds too complicated, just follow The Belt Team on Twitter. We tend to "retweet" all kinds of great info about Vienna, because as you know, WE LOVE LIVING IN VIENNA and THERES NO PLACE LIKE VIENNA (Dot Com!) (And for Vienna real estate "secrets", you can follow us on our blog or find us on Facebook.)

There are lots more things to find on Vienna's "Secret Side" - but some things just have to stay secret! What are you favorite secrets about Vienna?

Not Your Mother's Summer Camp

2011-08-01T12:54:00.000-07:00

Summer camp in Vienna ain't what it used to be - and we think that's a GOOD thing!

Check out what Guest Blogger Susan Hussey shared with us about some of the camp happenings in Vienna last week. They might make you wish you were young again! (Susan is a member of The Belt Team and Mom to Grace (age 7) and Matthew (age 6).)
_________________________________________________

There can be no doubt . . . The Belt Team loves Vienna. The answer to what makes Vienna so special often lies with the families and events that shape our lives here. Here's an example:

Last week, many of Vienna’s children had the opportunity to learn and have fun at two truly unique summer camps.

Westbriar Elementary School's PTA hosted "Camp Invention" again this year. Camp Invention is designed to spark creativity and give kids a unique hands-on experience building and creating their own inventions. The kids brought items from home to inspire their creativity. I’ve heard they explored and recycled everything from alarm clocks to satellite dishes!

Another unique camp opportunity for Vienna children last week (including my children Matthew & Grace) was Holy Comforter’s Vacation Bible School. The theme this year was "Christian themes in the Harry Potter novels". Children explored JK Rowling’s engaging plots from a deeper perspective and had lots of fun in the process. Here, students arrive by “Hogwarts Express”.

In very broad terms, the plot of the Harry Potter novels can be described as a young boy's transition from ordinary . . . to someone who is mature, learned and extraordinary. Exceptional teachers and mentors help him all along the way.

Activities included everything from games of Quidditch - to Care of Godly Creatures - to feasts in the Great Hall! About 155 children took part as "students", in addition to 25 youth who acted as "prefects" and 10 adult "professors". (Pictured here are Grace and Matthew with Hagrid, Professor of Godly Creatures!).

Last week in Vienna, our children experienced the “magic” of growth under the guidance of exceptional volunteers at these two camps. If you missed it this year, mark your calendars now to check them out next summer!

THE MOST IMPORTANT BLOG POST I'VE EVER WRITTEN

2011-06-29T08:25:00.000-07:00

In 2009, I got a crazy idea that I wanted to write a blog. I've lived in Vienna since 1972 and I am passionate about the town I live in and the people that share this town with me. I grew up here. I raised my family here. And one day I hope to retire here. I'm also part of the #1 Real Estate Team in Vienna (The Belt Team - Keller Williams Realty) and I thought it might be a great way to share our wonderful community with folks who are moving here from other parts of the country.

Ninety posts later, it's June 2011. I've written about Vienna history, Vienna sports, Vienna real estate, Vienna entertainment, Vienna restaurants, "good deeds" that Vienna residents have done and more. Each time I write, it comes from the heart.

So today I must take this opportunity to write to you again from my heart - but this time about something much more important than dining or sledding or sports.

Last night, I attended a Mass & Prayer Service that was held at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church in Vienna. In case you haven't caught the local news recently, a well loved member of our community has gone missing. And last night the community gathered to pray for his safe return.

TOM DUESTERHAUS (Photo Credit: Bishop O'Connell High School Web Site)

Tom Duesterhaus is a Vienna native. Like me, he graduated from Bishop O'Connell High School and then from The College of William & Mary. But instead of going into business, Tom went on to a life of service and youth ministry - both as a teacher at O'Connell and as a consecrated lay member of Youth Apostles. (If you're not familiar with Youth Apostles, you can read more here. I can tell you from personal experience that my family has been blessed many times over by the involvement of various Youth Apostles in our lives & community.)

The Arlington Catholic Herald profiled Tom earlier this year. If you ask Tom, he'd probably say that he's just a "regular guy doing what he's called to do". But the outpouring of pain & love that has come from his disappearance tells me otherwise. He has had a profound effect on those he loves & serves.

Tom was last heard from on Friday, June 17th. He was scheduled to start a retreat the following Monday and was spotted taking a swim in Virginia Beach on Saturday, June 18th. A bag of personal items was found abandoned on the beach. However, his car, car keys & credit card (which has not been used) have not been found. Nor has Tom. The police do not believe he drowned and say there is no evidence of foul play or criminal activity. But they are worried about Tom's safety. Tom apparently received bad news on Friday that his teaching contract at O'Connell was not being renewed and family members believe this could have led to Tom's disappearance. He's now been gone for 12 days.

As I walked into the church for last night's service - the skies were dark & threatening. Thunder rolled and raindrops began to fall. It was truly a reflection of the emotions swirling in the air. Imagine if your son, your brother, your friend, your beloved teacher just disappeared - almost into thin air. I don't know Tom personally, I went to school with his sister, but like many others in the church - I came to support this family in prayer. That's what community is all about.

As I entered the church and shook off the rain, I was immediately greeted with an embrace from a friend I had not seen in a while. No words were exchanged and no words were needed. Hearts all around were heavy.

And then I entered the sanctuary. The dark skies were replaced by light. And as the sound of thunder faded I realized that a harp was being played. It was a most incredibly peaceful and beautiful sound - somehow very comforting. And I settled into my pew and poured my heart out to God.

Mass began. And as Father Jack put it so perfectly, it was a "refuge" for all those gathered. Vienna Patch has some of the moments on video, the Arlington Catholic Herald captured it beautifully, and as Dante Gil-Alvarado commented on Facebook: "Prayer service for Tom was uplifting and reassuring. Father Jack's gentle spirit and trust in God's love gave us all peaceful hearts."

Near the end of the Mass, Tom's father, Rich Duesterhaus, got up to speak. In a gentle voice, he asked for prayers for Tom's safe return. And he thanked the community, the police & the press for their support. He pointed out that this is not a "manhunt" for Tom and that Tom may just need time away to reflect and "that's ok". His manner was gentle, loving and accepting - but with an unspoken yearning to have his son home. But he was not without trust in God or hope.

Mr. Duesterhaus concluded by saying that he would welcome a report from Tom or someone close to him that "all is well". And that is where YOU come in!

Please pass the information below* on to everyone you know - regardless of what part of the country they are in. We need YOUR eyes and ears. You may think it's a long shot, but YOU NEVER KNOW! (Up-to-date info, including a Missing Person poster that can be downloaded can be found at http://tom.duesterhaus.net/ )

As I left the church after Mass, this is the sight that greeted me. I believe it was a sign of HOPE sent especially from Our Lord to Tom & his family & friends.

______________________________________________

After Tom's disappearance, Father Jack Peterson happened to walk by the door to Tom's room at the house and he noticed something he had not noticed before - there was a Scripture reading posted on the door. This is what it said:

Please join in prayer for the safe return of Tom Duesterhaus.

*Here is the information from the Fairfax County Missing Person poster:

On June 17, 2011, Thomas Duesterhaus voluntarily left his residence in McLean, Virginia. Mr. Duesterhaus was distraught and there is concern for his wellbeing. Mr. Duesterhaus may be operating his 1999 blue Buick LeSabre bearing Virginia registration XMT-8126. Mr. Duesterhaus may be in the Virginia Beach area. Mr. Duesterhaus has been known to frequent parks and shelters. Mr. Duesterhaus and his vehicle have been entered into NCIC. White Male, 37 years old, 6 feet 3 inches, 190 pounds, blonde hair, green eyes. Anyone with information pertaining to the whereabouts of Thomas Duesterhaus is asked to contact Detective Chris Flanagan at 703-246-7860 or the Fairfax County Police at 703-691-2131 or Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS.

Passion, Perspective & Perfection

2011-06-15T06:59:00.000-07:00

One of the things I love about living in Vienna is the passion people bring to whatever they are doing. Whether it's gardening, sports, work, raising money for charity - whatever it is that they are involved with, they give it 110%.

If you have followed our blog regularly, then you know one of our passions is baseball. We've written about Yeonas Park, Warhawk baseball, "Small Town Baseball & Big City Dreams" & more. And so this week, we have the final wrap up about Madison High School's baseball season. It's written by one of those Vienna folks I love - someone who is passionate about baseball, but more importantly who is passionate about his family.

Dave Graham (father of Madison baseball player Jonny Graham) retired several years ago and is a fixture at the Madison High School baseball games. At the home games, you'll find him right behind home plate - with scorebook in hand and taking notes for the post-game write ups he does after each game. Being a scorekeeper myself, I enjoy sitting with him and discussing the game as it plays out - hit or error, good call or bad, did you mark that as a double or a single advanced to second on an error?

But really as we sit and watch the games, I find that I am learning about much more than baseball from him. I'm learning about more important things - love, sacrifice, priorities, faith in action. I can't share all of that with you here - but I have definitely been given a gift by watching this man and the devotion he has for God, his wife & 4 children and how he lives out his faith & love through action. When you read his post below, you'll get a glimpse of what I'm talking about. Because for Dave, it's about passion, perspective & perfection.

The Madison season is over, but if you get a chance to come to a game next year, you just might want to pull up a chair behind home plate next to Dave Graham. You never know what gift he may give you.

Here's Dave Graham's season wrap up:

EPILOGUE: ANOTHER SEASON TO SAVOR . . . AND BUILD ON (REALLY)

The title to last year’s epilogue was “A Season to Savor…and Build On.” You will note that this year’s title is similar. Some may not feel like savoring this season, at least not yet, which is why the “(Really)” was added.

So much of life is driven by how we choose to view things. Is the glass half empty or half full? Chuck Swindoll captured it by saying that life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you respond to it. The season recap is an opportunity to put that philosophy into action. The epilogue is a challenge because unless the team wins a State championship, the season ends on a losing note. Often our impression of something is heavily influenced by our most recent experience. Will we let a season ending loss color our perception of the whole year?

Those that choose to think the glass is half empty would say that we didn’t do any better this year than last year. While we won three more games in 2011 than 2010, those additional victories came in a Spring break tournament that was tough but not as tough as the one we went to last year. Last year we finished second in the Liberty District regular season while this year we tied for the second best record and were the third seed due to the tie breaker. Last year we could blame our loss in the ultimate game on a freak injury that sidelined our best pitcher. It is a much bigger stretch to blame this year’s loss on a freak rainstorm that lasted for twelve pitches. Finally, at least last year our season ended with a loss to the eventual State champion. This year the team that beat us lost in the State championship game.

The glass is half full argument is much more compelling. Nineteen wins was the most since 2007. This team repeated as champion of the Liberty District tournament. How many teams have done that in the last fifteen years? Other than Madison, none. This year we were one of four teams in the Northern Region who were still playing in June. How many Northern Region were not playing in June? Twenty six. How many of the four teams in last year’s Northern Region semifinals made it back to the semifinals this year? Two, Madison and Lake Braddock. Ironically, the teams that lost in the semifinals this year (Madison and Stone Bridge) eliminated the teams that played for the championship last year (West Springfield and Woodson).

So, to dismiss this year’s accomplishments by saying that we didn’t do any better than last year ignores how hard it is to win a Liberty District championship and get to the Northern Region semifinals once, let alone in back to back seasons. The last loss was disappointing but we can’t allow it to cloud that fact that we had a great year.

We have to admit that we lost to a better team. We could have beaten them but we would have had to be perfect, or at least near perfect. Imagine trying to recap the season for South County. After ending our boys’ season they went on to win three more games and stood on the brink of matching Madison for the only perfect season in State history. Then one of their key players got hurt in the semifinals and couldn’t pitch in the next game. Sound familiar? His replacement pitched well but the team lost in the championship game to finish 28-1. One game short of perfection. Such a great season and yet so much disappointment at the end. What would you say to them?

I would ask them how they define perfection. And then I would refer them to the movie “Friday Night Lights” which tells the true story of a team that lost the 1988 Texas high school football championship game. Several times in that movie, the head coach challenges his players to “be perfect.” The first time I watched the movie I thought that was an unrealistic burden to put on a team. At halftime of the championship game, he finally explains to his team what being perfect means:

“Being perfect is not about that scoreboard out there. It's not about winning. It's about you and your relationship with yourself, your family and your friends. Being perfect is about being able to look your friends in the eye and know that you didn’t let them down because you told them the truth. And that truth is that you did everything you could. There wasn’t one more thing you could've done. Can you live in that moment as best you can, with clear eyes, and love in your heart, with joy in your heart? If you can do that gentlemen, you're perfect.”

Wow. I can’t speak for the Stallions but I think it is possible that the Warhawks just completed a perfect season.

In the final analysis, it is silly to compare one year to the next when every year you have to replace the seniors that graduated. Thanks to the “program” at Madison, tradition doesn’t graduate but the young men that lead the program do and a new group of leaders must step up. That is no small task but this year’s seniors were up to the challenge. Now we have to say goodbye to these young men.

Once again, as I reflect on those who leave us after this season, I find it is a matter of perspective. My own perspective is heavily influenced by my son’s. His first two years in the program, it was natural for him to view the seniors almost with reverence. He was an underclassman and they were so much older and more experienced. To him, the seniors the last two years were his mentors.

This year’s seniors were not so much mentors to my son as they were something perhaps even more significant. They were brothers. One has been a neighbor almost his entire life and was a teammate in A and AA baseball. He played on a fourth grade VYI basketball team with another. A third was a teammate on a championship AAA team. Four were teammates on Colonial Division All Star teams. One was a teammate and roommate on a memorable trip to Cooperstown. Most important, all of them have been fellow Warhawks for two or three years.

Make no mistake about it, the Class of 2011---Austin Chute, Joe Corrigan, Ryan Corrigan, Eli Facenda, Gavin Gibbons, Jay Kenyon, Justin Nicholls, Ben Powers and Alex Tyroler---were leaders. They may not have been as vocal as the seniors the last couple of years but they knew how to lead by example. They were a blue collar bunch that brought their lunch buckets and hard hats to the ball field every day. This was a group that worked hard, was resilient and knew how to persevere through adversity. One caught bullpens for an entire year before becoming a starter his junior year. Another spent most of his high school career rehabbing from major surgery. Three others endured significant injuries that derailed part if not all of their junior season. For many the bell on significant playing time didn’t ring until their senior year but when it did they answered it in a big way.

Their leadership was instrumental in a season that saw us win a dozen times despite trailing at some point in the game. Six times we trailed when coming to bat in the fifth inning or later yet pulled out a “W.” The season also saw the seniors lead us into extra innings three times. All of those games were decided by one run in the eighth and after losing the first to Stone Bridge, we defeated the host team of the Hanahan Invitational Tournament and we beat McLean in the District semifinals. Then there was the one run victory over Langley in the District finals and the dramatic rallies to overtake Yorktown and put us in the Region semifinals. This team reflected the resiliency of its seniors and as a result knew how to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Our seniors led us well and we will miss them.

I started out by saying that so much of life depends on your perspective. Of course, your perspective is influenced by your expectations and as we look to next year, we expect great things. Next year’s team will return more experienced, accomplished players than any team in the last five years. Certainly they have aptitude, achievement and talent. If anybody thinks that alone can guarantee a championship, check out who won the NBA Finals. Can next year’s leaders infuse the attitude, effort and character that this year’s seniors brought to the team? If so, perhaps next year we will advance at least one step further on the long hard road to glory. The first step on the 2012 journey begins the day after the 2011 Varsity Awards Night. Be perfect, boys.

LATE RALLIES PUSH WARHAWKS PAST PATRIOTS

2011-05-31T08:59:00.000-07:00

If you've been reading our blog for a while, then you know we LOVE baseball here in Vienna! And this week is playoff week for high school baseball all around our Northern Region. The number of teams competing for a spot to represent our region in the state playoffs has now been narrowed down to 4 teams. And our very own Madison High School Warhawks are one of those teams. Last night was an exciting game. Don't worry if you missed it because we have a fabulous recap from "Guest Blogger" Dave Graham below! AND it's not too late to see the team play. Their next game is at 7PM at Robinson High School against the South County Stallions. Good luck Warhawks!

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RUNS HITS ERRORS

YORKTOWN 8 8 1

MADISON 11 12 2

On a hot and somewhat humid Memorial Day at Lake Braddock, the fans were kept cool by a fairly steady light breeze supplemented by some heavy gusts generated by some hefty hacks from both teams as Yorktown and Madison locked up in a see saw slugfest. The Warhawks grabbed an early 2-0 lead after one inning but by the third the Patriots had taken a 7-3 lead. Madison rallied in the fifth to regain the lead at 8-7 but Yorktown tied it in the top of the sixth on Ryan Dowdell’s second home run of the game. Jay Kenyon and Jonny Graham responded by jacking homers in the sixth to produce the final 11-8 margin of victory for Madison. Mark “Pudge” Gjormand later noted, “It was a hot day and it was easy to get a little agitated out there. We made some mistakes early but give Yorktown credit for applying pressure. We were frustrated but didn’t lose our composure and did a great job of battling back. I was very impressed with the Yorktown team; I knew Coach Ruck would have them ready to play.”

Tim Davis drew the starting assignment for Madison. James Overbeek led off by beating out a high chopper to second for a base hit. Two pitches later, Davis induced a room service grounder to short and Andy McGuire, Nate Favero and Graham dialed up a 6-4-3 twin killing. That loomed large when Shaun Wood and Brooks Valtin drew back to back walks on full count pitches. The inning ended with Davis winning an eight pitch battle to get a swinging K.

Daniel Whitaker, a senior lefty, got the starting nod for Yorktown. Alex Tyroler led off by fouling off three two strike pitches before walking on the ninth pitch. He advanced to second on a balk and after a pair of fly outs scored when Kenyon stroked a single to left. Justin Nicholls entered as a courtesy runner and took third when future Texas Longhorn McGuire dropped a Texas league single into center. McGuire took second uncontested and Graham reached base when a breaking ball plunked him in the posterior. Joe Corrigan walked to drive in the second run of the inning but Madison left the bases full on a force out.

In the Patriot second, after a lead off strike out Tyler Wykoff whacked an 0-2 pitch into the gap in right for a double. As David Bernhardt was walking on four pitches Wykoff took third on a passed ball. As Davis was in the process of getting the second out on a backwards K Bernhardt stole second. Both runners scored on a muffed ground ball and then the left hand hitting Dowdell launched one over the centerfield fence for a two run tater. After another muffed grounder the side was retired on a force play but the four unearned runs had given Yorktown a 4-2 lead.

Justin Padgett led off the bottom of the second with a line single to left. Tyroler sacrificed him to second and Ben Socher hit a soft one hopper that first baseman Wood made a nice play to backhand and then made a diving attempt to tag Socher. The base ump initially ruled Socher safe but after a brief huddle the umps reversed the call. Padgett had hustled to third on the play and scored when Favero dumped a single into right. The inning ended with Kenyon lining out to left and Yorktown up 4-3.

With one out in the top of the third, William Young worked a base on balls on a full count offering. Wykoff inside outted a single to right and Bernhardt grounded a single through the hole just under the shortstop’s glove to bring in Young. Nick Cantow sacrificed the runners to second and third. Overbeek beat out a slow roller to third on a bang bang play to score Wykoff and when the first baseman looked at the base ump for the call Bernhardt kept rolling around third and scored as well. A fly ball ended the inning on Davis’ 84th pitch with Yorktown ahead 7-3.

Whitaker found a groove in the third and retired Madison in order on seven pitches.

Dan Powers came in to pitch for the Warhawks in the fourth. Tyroler made a long run to flag down a deep drive to right center for the first out. Whitaker hit a pop fly double to shallow center with two outs but Powers retired the side on another pop fly.

Whitaker again retired the side 1-2-3 in the bottom of the fourth but Tyroler taxed him by fouling off four two strike pitches before finally succumbing to a ten pitch strike out. Tyroler may have lost the battle but he set the stage for winning the war by driving the pitch count to 72 on a day when the temperature was in the nineties and the heat index was around the century mark.

Southpaw Eli Facenda took over on the mound for Madison in the top of the fifth and retired the side in order ending the inning with the batter flailing at a breaking ball in the dirt with Kenyon blocking the ball then firing it to first for the out.

Socher beat out a bunt to lead off the bottom of the fifth as the third baseman double clutched on the throw. On a 1-0 count Favero jumped on a high fastball and tomahawked a missile down the right field line for a double with Socher speeding home all the way from first. That concluded Whitaker’s afternoon of pitching as Yorktown brought in Overbeek to pitch.

Kenyon reached by wearing a breaking ball in the back and again Nicholls entered as a courtesy runner. Both runners worked a double steal as the Patriots almost nailed the trailing runner. McGuire drove in a pair of runs with a worm burner through the left side and Graham’s pop fly fell just in front of the centerfielder’s diving attempt for a double to put runners on second and third. Corrigan fouled off a pair of two strike pitches before smacking an RBI single to right on a full count pitch. Again the Patriots switched pitchers bringing in Nate Brown.

The Warhawks countered with pinch hitter Matt Livingston. With runners at the corners, Corrigan took second on defensive indifference. Livingston plated Graham with a run scoring fly ball to left. Padgett sacrificed Corrigan to third and was safe at first when the throw pulled the first baseman off the bag. Catcher Dowdell gunned down the runner trying to steal second with a nice throw to second baseman Valtin covering. Tyroler gave new meaning to the term scappy when he was hit with consecutive pitches. First he stood statuesque as a 2-2 breaking ball hit him on the forearm. Without hesitation, the plate ump ruled it a ball and ordered Tyroler back into the box. He reached base anyway on the next pitch when he was plunked in the back. The inning ended on a pop fly to short left but Madison had sent ten men to the plate to score five runs and take an 8-7 lead.

With one out in the sixth Dowdell hammered a monstrous blast over the scoreboard in right center. Shortstop McGuire made a fine play charging a check swing bouncer and gunning on the run to get the second out at first. A pop out to first retired the side on five pitches with the score knotted at eight apiece.

Favero led off the bottom of the sixth dropping a pop fly single into shallow center. Two pitches later Kenyon lit the fuse on a rocket over the left field fence for a two run blast. The Patriots brought in sophomore ace John Yoest to pitch. After a ground out Graham went yard the other way lobbing a mortar shot to left for a solo HR. Corrigan walked but the inning ended on a strike out and a force out with Madison leading 11-8.

CJ Herod pinch hit to lead off the top of the seventh and drew a walk. On a 1-1 pitch Young drilled one that the 6-4 Favero pulled down at second and tossed to first for a rally killing double play. The game ended on a comebacker.

Coach Gjormand summed it up by saying, “Tim wasn’t at his best and we didn’t support him well but he did a great job of battling through the heat. Dan and Eli were really good and kept us in the game. Ben’s bunt leading off the fifth and Nate’s double gave us the spark we needed at that point but Yorktown never quit. Jay and Jonny’s home runs were big and the double play we got in the seventh was huge.”

History repeated itself as last year the Warhawks also won behind Facenda on Memorial Day to advance to the Northern Region semifinals. The victory sets up a déjà vu all over again experience as for the second year in a row Madison will face a powerhouse team from the Patriot District. Last year they lost to eventual State champion West Springfield and this year they will face undefeated South County, the prohibitive favorite to capture the 2011 crown. The Stallions bring a sparkling 24-0 mark into the game having just trounced a very good Westfield team.

Gjormand, who coached the Warhawks to a 29-0 record in winning the State title in 2002, observed that, “It’s an understatement to say that we will have our hands full with South County. I know how hard it is for a team to go undefeated. For them to do it in the Patriot District makes it that much more impressive. Today’s game took a lot out of us physically and mentally and it will be interesting to see how we respond to the biggest challenge we’ve faced this year. We will regroup and do what we do; we are a small school in a small town trying to get our story written.”

The game will be played Wednesday at 7:00 at Robinson. The winner will play the winner of the game between Stone Bridge and Lake Braddock that will be played beforehand. Interestingly, both semifinal games match teams from the Liberty and Patriot Districts. The Northern Region final game is slated for Friday at 7:00 at Madison. Both participants in that game will advance to the State championship tournament.

7 Things To Do In Vienna, VA To Celebrate Memorial Day!

2011-05-27T10:31:00.000-07:00

This weekend, we mark another Memorial Day. Who will you be remembering?

On May 2, 2000 - the White House put out a statement that said "As Memorial Day approaches, it is time to pause and consider the true meaning of this holiday. Memorial Day represents one day of national awareness and reverence, honoring those Americans who died while defending our Nation and its values. While we should honor these heroes every day for the profound contribution they have made to securing our Nation's freedom, we should honor them especially on Memorial Day."

Here are a few ideas for things to do in Vienna this Memorial Day weekend:

1. "The President's Own" (the United States Marine Band) will be playing a FREE concert at Wolftrap on Sunday, May 29th. The concert will be followed by fireworks. Gates open at 6:30PM, show at 8PM, fireworks at approximately 9:30PM.

2. Meet & greet the folks who stay in & around the Vienna area when they come for Rolling Thunder. It's not hard to miss them - just look for the big groups of Harley Davidson riders. These veterans of the Vietnam War convene for a demonstration each year to urge the government to account for all MIA's and POW's and also ride to show their love & respect for veterans and soldiers of all wars. If you want to actually see the "RIDE" on Sunday (it's a very moving sight), the best spots are along the Memorial Bridge & Constitution Avenue.

3. Enjoy the Memorial Day Tribute at Viva Vienna. Viva Vienna is a huge festival that takes place in Vienna each year (rides, vendors, food, entertainment & more!). In the midst of the festival on Monday, stop by the Vienna Town Green for a Memorial Day tribute - FREE - 3 to 4PM.

(PLUS - Rumour has it that something really unique & special will be happening at the corner of Church Street and Center Street right around 3PM on Monday - you won't want to miss it. It will definitely make you smile!)

4. Call your grandpa, mom, brother, aunt, friend - whomever you know is serving or has served our country and tell them THANK YOU!

5. The Soundry's "Viva La Carnage" - May 28th at 8PM at The Soundry in Vienna. One of the freedoms we celebrate in the United States is the freedom of speech. Some might call it the freedom of expression. And "Viva La Carnage" is all about expression. Here's what the web site says: "The Soundry turns its entire space inside and out into performance space while vendors strut their stuff amidst a frenzy of creative freedom. Spontaneous collaborations! Art! Music! Dancing! Burlesque! Improv! Poetry! Performance Art! Outdoor delights!"

6. Stop in at one of Vienna's many churches to attend a service or say a prayer for peace & for protection of our armed forces. There are too many churches in Vienna to list them all, but here are a few options - St. Mark Catholic Church, Vienna Presbyterian Church, First Baptist Church of Vienna, Church of the Holy Comforter, Wesley United Methodist Church, Vienna Baptist Church, Our Lady of Good Counsel.

7. Lastly, what's more "All-American" than baseball? (You know how we love baseball here at Theres No Place Like Vienna (Dot Com!)! There are some great games going on in Vienna this weekend. Stop by Waters Field during the weekend to see Vienna Babe Ruth's Senior League games. Or stop by James Madison High School tonight (May 27th) at 7PM to see Madison take on last year's VA State Champion, West Springfield HS.

There are LOTS of other great ways to celebrate Memorial Day in the Washington DC area. But whatever you do, make sure you remember why we mark this day.

Happy Memorial Day!

Small Town Baseball & Big City Dreams!

2011-05-09T14:25:00.000-07:00

Vienna resident Nick Morabito signed a National Letter of Intent today to play baseball for Lincoln Memorial University. Congrats to Nick & his family on a well-deserved accomplishment!

Nick is a student at Bishop O'Connell High School in Arlington and played for the Prospect Stars elite travel baseball team this past summer. Nick is also a "graduate" of our very own Vienna Little League!

We've written several articles about Vienna Little League and baseball in Vienna, VA. It's defiinitely one of THE top places to play ball in our area and has a LONG tradition of success . . . all the way to Williamsport.

This year alone, there are at least 5 Vienna Little League "alumni" that we know have signed to play college baseball - and that is no easy feat!

Congrats to the following young men and their families:

Chad Carroll - signed with James Madison University (VA)
Nick Morabito - signed with Lincoln Memorial University (TN)
Eli Facenda - signed with Lehigh University (PA)
Mark Williams - signed with LaSalle University (PA)
Ryan McGuire - signed with Odessa College (TX)

Here's some interesting triva about these 5 boys:

They all played with or against each other in Vienna Little League.
They all played on the same travel team together when they were 13 years old. And that team placed 8th in the AAU National Championships that year.
All 5 boys live(d) in Vienna, but are graduating from different high schools (In VA: Oakton, O'Connell & Madison. In DC: Gonzaga. In CO: Heritage)
Chad Carroll & Nick Morabito played on the same Little League team in Vienna. AND they were coached by a Vienna Little League "graduate" who also went to college (Georgetown University) on a baseball scholarship.

I have watched these guys grow from little boys into young men. And what an honor it has been. Their accomplishment of "making it to the next level" in baseball is truly something special. And it's not just about baseball.

These boys set a great example for all of us about how to dream big and work hard. For not one of these boys was handed anything. They may have been provided the opportunities, but each one worked hard - day after day after day - very consciously and very conscientiously. And they did it when no one was looking (Nicki - this means you!). They trained and played and worked and watched and learned & kept getting better.

For getting signed to a college sports team - any sport - is not like it used to be "back in the day" when lots of players would "try out" or try to "walk on". It works more along the lines of a quote I remember Norm saying on the TV show "Cheers". He said, "It's a dog-eat-dog world out there and some days I feel like I'm wearing milk bone underwear."

We can all learn a lesson about what a lot of passion & hard work can bring you. Now - don't get me wrong. They had a LOT of fun doing what they did. However, many people "want" good things to happen to them, but they aren't willing to work & make sacrifices. These kids did. One of the players I listed above is currently one of the most talented in our area. He's even drawn some scouting interest from the pros. But when he was 12 & 13, he was the smallest kid on the team. And when it's your first year on the "big field" - that sure doesn't make anything easier. But as far as he was concerned, that meant nothing. He wanted to play ball. And play ball he did. He is one of the fierceest competitors I have ever met and no one will ever tell him he can't do something. If you do, he'll just prove you wrong. Would that we all grasped on to our dreams and made them happen like he has.

Every one of these boys told me when they were 12 years old that they wanted to play in the big leagues. They were playing small town baseball, but they had big city baseball dreams. Well, those dreams may still be far away - but that was 6 years ago and they have all just taken a GIANT step in that direction.

Don't be surprised if one day you see their faces on a baseball card!

KYLLOPALOOZA KICKS INTO GEAR!

2011-04-28T12:32:00.000-07:00

Three weeks ago, we broke news about a fabulous event coming to the Town of Vienna called KYLLOPALOOZA. (In case you missed the announcement, click here to read our initial blog post about Kyllopalooza ).

Additional details have since been released and the more we hear about this fabulous community event, the more fun we think it's gonna be!

And we're not the only ones. Kyllopalooza was posted on Facebook just yesterday and already 399 people have said they are coming! We think it's going to be the event of the season!

Here is the updated info:

THREE EXCELLENT BANDS HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED!

The bands play a wide variety of music - from Tom Petty, Rolling Stones & Grand Funk Railroad . . . to today's top songs . . .and even their own originals. Whether you are 7 or 77, you'll like what you hear. What they in common is that the bands are award-winning, super talented and high energy FUN - just like Khrystin! And they have performed at a wide variety of local and national venues including Jammin Java, 9:30 Club, the Smithsonian, Jaxx, The Irish Inn & more. Here are links to their web sites and to a sampling of their music.

ADMISSION

An admission donation of $20.00 will be requested. For your donation you will receive a souvenir purple KYLLOPALOOZA – Dream Big bracelet. (A Dream Big presale package will also be offered, but details have not yet been released.)

FOOD & DRINKS

The Vienna Inn & Church Street Pizza will be hosting an outdoor food and beer garden adjacent to the Vienna Town Green. Items like pizza, chili dogs, bottled water, soda & beer will be available for purchase.

T-SHIRTS

T-shirts will be available for purchase at the event and for presale (locations yet to be announced).

2011 SCHOLARSHIP AWARD:

The first $5,000 scholarship recipient has been selected and the winner will be announced at the end of the school year. You can read more about the Khristin Kyllo Memorial Fund and also make donations to the fund online.

Special Announcement!

2011-04-08T10:59:00.000-07:00

SAVE THE DATE FOR KYLLOPALOOZA!

What's "Kyllopalooza?"

As many of you know, we lost a treasured member of our community this year - 18 year old Khristin Kyllo. On May 19th, we will have a special event in her honor to raise money for the Khristin Kyllo Scholarship fund that has been established by the James Madison High School Booster Club.

The event is called KYLLOPALOOZA.

In case you're not familiar with the word, a "palooza" is an "exaggerated event". We thought that an appropriate name for an event to honor someone who lived life to the fullest, with an unwavering love & passion about life, her family, her friends & everyone she met.

KYLLOPALOOZA is set for Thursday May 19, 2011 at the Vienna Town Green from 6-10 PM and the entire community is welcome. On stage will be three popular local bands including "Fat Chance", "Mercury In Summer" & "Adam Swink - O.V.F.". Donation info and more details will follow. But mark your calendars now. And tell all your friends. You won't want to miss this!

If you'd like to read more about Khristin Kyllo, check out these articles in Sports Illustrated & The Washington Post. She was an incredible girl!

P.S. - Even if you didn't know Khristin, please come out to KYLLOPALOOZA. Khristin never knew a stranger. This is a community event. It's gonna be FUN. She would want it that way.

Byrds in The Barns - Is That Like "Bats In The Belfry"?

2011-03-26T09:57:00.000-07:00

Well, it was definitely a wild n crazy kind of night at The Barns last night, but let me explain:

FIRST, THE HISTORY - What is "The Barns"?

Right here in small town Vienna, we have one of the premier music venues in the country - America's National Park For The Performing Arts. The initial 53 acres of land for this park was originally purchased (and later donated) by Catherine Shouse for $5,300 (don’t you wish you could buy land around here for $100 an acre!) and she named the farm “Wolf Trap Farm”. From late May to early September each year, people enjoy the outdoor amphitheatre known as The Filene Center. (People like us who have grown up here just call this “Wolftrap”.) The Filene Center seats about 7,000 people. The Barns, on the other hand, is an intimate facility that probably seats less than 400 people. It is made up of two 18th century barns that were restored & rebuilt using only 18th century methods with hand -hewn beams & panels. It’s simply gorgeous and the acoustics are phenomenal. And that brings me to last night.

BANDHOUSE GIGS BRINGS THE BYRDS TO THE BARNS

Last night, Bandhouse Gigs gathered a bevy of the area's best musicians to put on a sold-out "Tribute To The Byrds". The entire night featured music that was either written by or played by the legendary group The Byrds. Since their music spanned a number of genres (including folk, rock n roll, psychedelic & country) - it was quite an eclectic evening. And that fit this kind of adventure just perfectly.

Throughout the night, the musicians mixed and matched. Some of the songs were performed by groups in their entirety - and sometimes the stage was filled with musicians from 7 different groups at a time. All told, there were 45 different singers/musicians on stage - each one a legend in his/her own name. Yes, this group included Grammy Award winners, Emmy Award nominees, WAMMY Award winners & more. And they played guitar, piano, harmonica, accordion, ukelele, 12-strings, bass, steel guitar, violin, trumpet, fiddle. You name it -they had it covered. It was like a local Music Hall of Fame.

Watching the night play out, I felt almost like I had been invited to the musicians' own private party - for they enjoyed playing & watching almost as much as we did. You see, despite the fact that these musicians are all at the top of their game - most of them never get to see or hear each other perform - because they've got their own gigs to play. So throughout the night, we saw musicians in the wings or hiding in the back of the room - peeking out to see who had the angelic voice, who was ticking the ivories so sweetly and who just played that rockin 12 string guitar solo.

Although the musicians obviously prepared on their own prior to the show, there were only 2 rehearsals of the full group. And of all the songs played, only 2 were ever played by a group prior to this event. This meant that the evening was rather "loose", but it added to the intimacy of the night and truly highlighted what artists they were. Each of the folks performing was a consummate professional. And so at one point, when technical difficulties intervened, "Cowboy Cal" was fully prepared with stand-up comedy. And the audience ate it up.

There were several highlights of the show. One was the song that closed out the first half. It featured Jon Carroll on piano and was a revival-style version of a song The Byrds sang called "Jesus Is Just Allright With Me" (you might remember it as a Doobie Brothers song, but apparently The Byrds sang it prior to that). With Jon on one side of the stage - tickling those ivories into a frenzy . . . and a slew of singers on the other side gathered around one microphone & throwing their hands in the air . . . it felt almost like I was in church (except that I was in a barn - but isn't that where those old revivals used to take place?).

The other highlight was near the end of the show when Eric Brace (of Last Train Home) came on stage and sang "Ballad of Easy Rider" and "This Wheel's On Fire". Although the level of performance was high all night, when Eric took the stage it was apparent why his music career has expanded well beyond the DC region. (Eric Brace used to be the lead columnist for the Weekend section of The Washington Post. His band Last Train Home mostly played locally. But a number of years ago, he gave up his "day job" to take his music career full throttle and he now tours nationally and internationally.) Eric's ability to storytell captures an audience - whether he is talking, writing or singing. He has an incredible charisma and his voice is powerful and unique. And when he teams up with Bill Williams, the vocal harmonies are magic. (On a side note - Bill Williams played on 13 different songs last night. What a talent - singing, playing, harmony arranging AND he made the best male fashion statement of the night with some incredible shoes/boots. Best female fashion statement belonged to Ellen Cherry with her psychedelic tights.)

The show was closed by John Jennings and his band playing "Eight Miles High". And they rocked it. It was an incredible evening. For $25, we got to see 45 of the area's best musicians & singers. Not only will I go see anything Bandhouse Gigs puts together (previously they have done tributes to Neil Young, Nils Lofgren, Bob Dylan, Nick Lowe, Joni Mitchell, Warren Zevon & Allen Toussaint - and rumor has it Rod Stewart may be next), but I defintely made note of many artists I want to see again so I can hear them play their own music. Such talent, such passion. WOW.

And the best part? I live in Vienna - so while most of the musicians and guests had a long drive home (people came from Springfield, Silver Spring, Burke & Baltimore) - I was home & tucked in bed 10 minutes after the show ended.

I LOVE LIVING IN VIENNA!

Trivia Note: Elizabeth Taylor was a Director Emeritus for Wolftrap. I had forgotten about that until I saw this poster last night.

Final Note: I wasn't able to capture all the names of the performers/groups, but here is a partial list:

John Carroll, Eric Brace, The Lofgren Brothers, Jelly Roll Mortals, Naked Blue, Ruthie & The Wranglers, Purple Umbrella, Forty Dollar Fine, Bill Williams, John Jennings, Dave Chappell, Scott McKnight, David Kitchen, Ellen Cherry, Todd Wright, Cal Everett, Bill Baker, Janet Emma Garbe, Mike Clem, Jen Smith, Derrick Brock, Scott Smith, Ronnie Smith, Helen Hausmann, Jim Clatterbuck, Steve Hall, Andy Rutherford, Spencer Hoopes, Dave Egelhofer, Ronnie Newmyer, Chuck Sullivan, Carey Creed, Harry Traynham, Justine Miller, Louie Newmyer & Robbie Magruder

FACENDA, FAVERO FLY WARHAWKS OVER OAKTON

2011-03-21T11:19:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for the blog post that Dave Facinoli referred to in his Sun Gazette article about the Madison-Oakton baseball game last weekend - scroll down below this post.

And now, please welcome back Guest Blogger Dave Graham. Dave's son Jonny plays first base for the Madison Warhawks and Dave can do a game write-up like no one else we know. So if you missed the game (or even if you were there) - sit back & enjoy the show. You'll feel like you had a front row seat!
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MADISON 6 runs 10 hits 1 error

OAKTON 2 runs 6 hits 0 errors

On a beautiful Saturday afternoon in Oakton the Madison Warhawks opened their 2011 campaign by defeating the Cougars in a game that was much closer than the final score indicates. Madison starter Eli Facenda spun five innings of three hit shutout ball and the Warhawks scored five runs in the fifth to break open a 1-0 game. The Madison attack was led by Nate Favero who went four for four and Andy McGuire and Jay Kenyon who each collected two hits and drove in a pair of runs. Coach Mark “Pudge” Gjormand later noted that, “Eli did a nice job today with no walks. This was a team win. We had a good approach at the plate with two outs and two strikes and protected the ball well on defense.”

Oakton had opened its season Tuesday by trouncing Yorktown. R.J. Garcia started on the mound for the Cougars, a sidearming right hander who always works from a stretch and relies on control and keeping the ball down. He needed only nine pitches to set the side down in order in the first inning. The Oakton defense featured three Carroll brothers starting in the infield: senior Chad at shortstop, junior Tyler at second and sophomore Mitchell at third. Their dad, Carson, coached almost every Madison player at one time or another on the Vienna Mustangs. Congratulations Carson and (mom) April!

The Warhawks countered by sending their senior staff leader to the mound. Facenda, a crafty lefty, gave up a two out bloop single to right by Luke Willis in the bottom of the first but second baseman Favero ended the inning by ranging far to his left to snag a grounder that appeared headed to right field.

Senior catcher Jay Kenyon got aboard to lead off the second when he was hit by a 1-2 pitch. Austin Chute pinch ran and scooted to third as Favero lined a single to right. With no outs and runners at the corners, Garcia bore down to get a swinging strike out. Third baseman Mitchell Carroll made a nice play on a grounder to hold the runner at third and get the second out at first. Garcia escaped the jam when Tyler Carroll scooped an inning ending grounder to second base.

After a strike out in the bottom of the second, Ty Carroll reached second when his fly ball to center was misplayed. He was promptly doubled off when shortstop McGuire made a splendid diving catch of a half swing line drive then shoveled the ball to Favero covering second to end the inning.

With two outs in the top of the third, McGuire drilled a line drive single to right. Before the next pitch was thrown, Garcia picked him off on a well executed run down involving first baseman Taio Francis twice sandwiched around a pair of Carrolls.

With two outs in the bottom of the third, speedy Chad Carroll short hopped the base of the fence in right center and hustled into third with a triple. Facenda coaxed a grounder to first to end the threat.

With two outs in the Madison fourth, Favero shattered the scoreless tie launching a towering drive to right through a crosswind blowing in from left to collect his first varsity round tripper. By the time the ball landed well beyond the fence it had been blown into foul territory but it was clearly fair and seemed to still be climbing when it left the field.

In the bottom half of the frame, the Cougars Chris Hanson doubled on a sinking liner to left despite a valiant diving attempt by Ben Socher. Facenda helped himself out making a nice play on a one hopper back to the mound to record the out at first after holding the runner at second. The threat expired on a grounder to second.

Garcia started the fifth having given up three hits and thrown 54 pitches. He began the inning recording a strike out on a full count pitch before what may have been the pivotal play of the game. On a 1-1 pitch, Dan Powers scorched a grounder off Garcia’s foot. Garcia recovered quickly enough to get the second out at first and appeared to be OK. However, he hit Alex Tyroler with a 1-2 pitch. Sophomore Socher collected his first varsity hit drilling an opposite field double just fair down the third base line to put runners on second and third. On a 2-2 count, McGuire followed with another opposite field rocket, this one to right, for a two run double to finish Garcia’s afternoon. Fatigue may have affected him as he had thrown 20 pitches in what turned out to be his longest inning of the day.

Oakton brought in Andy Gross to relieve. He may not have had enough time to warm up and Jonny Graham jumped on his first pitch and smacked a hard grounder off the glove of the diving second baseman into right for an RBI single. Three pitches later, Kenyon blasted a two run dinger over the fence in right. Favero poked a pop up down the left field line for a double, Madison’s fifth straight hit, four of them opposite field. Gross ended the inning on a strike out but Madison had sent nine men to the plate and seized a 6-0 lead.

In the bottom of the fifth, the savvy Facenda knew the importance of not letting the Cougars respond with a rally of their own. Facing the bottom third of their line up, he got a ground out to third on a 3-2 pitch, then recorded a strike out on a nasty 2-2 curve that Kenyon nicely blocked then tagged the batter for the out. The inning ended on a 3-2 strike out. Having thrown 64 pitches with two tough Liberty District games in the next six days, Facenda’s afternoon was finished.

Francis moved over from first to pitch for Oakton in the top of the sixth. With two outs he hit Tyroler with a pitch then retired pinch hitter Ben Powers on a fly to right to end the inning. The Warhawks opted to send McGuire to the mound in the bottom of the sixth with Tim Davis taking over the duties at shortstop. With two outs, the fleet Willis reached on an infield chopper down the third base line. He advanced to second on a wild pitch and took third on a passed ball as Hanson walked. Joey Bartosic pinch ran with runners at the corners. Dennis Cooney grounded a single past first baseman Graham’s dive to plate one run.

Another run scored when Ty Carroll’s grounder hit first base and took a high bounce. Graham still gloved the ball but the startled McGuire, thinking Graham would tag the bag himself if not for the fluke bounce, was late covering first allowing Bartosic to score. Perhaps the play rattled McGuire a bit as he walked Brian Burns on four pitches to load the bases and bring the tying run to the plate. After getting ahead in the count 0-2, the count ran full as he narrowly missed on a pair of breaking balls. McGuire ended the seven pitch at bat with a called strike on a fastball on the outside corner.

With two outs in the top of the seventh, Kenyon stroked a single to right and Favero followed by rolling a single through the right side. The inning ended with pinch hitter Matt Livingston lining out to center. McGuire responded by retiring Oakton in order in the bottom of the seventh on a pair of fly outs and a grounder to short.

The score may have looked decisive but it was a close, hard fought game. Coach Gjormand summed it up by saying, “We beat a good team today in a big rivalry game. These guys have played with and against each other since Vienna Little League and sometimes it is tough to play against your friends. We can enjoy it now but we need to get back to work to get ready for a tough Fairfax team on Tuesday.”

MARCH MADNESS IN VIENNA

2011-03-16T10:57:00.000-07:00

Nope - this isn't another post about basketball! At least not directly . . .

March Madness is going on. All around the country, games are taking place - with the ultimate goal being to make it to the Big Dance - to play one of your arch-rivals - to become THE CHAMPION!

You see teams playing with passion. With grit. With determination. Because they want to WIN! They want the bragging rights that come with being a champion. They want a payoff for all the hard work they have put in - during the season and before the season. It's a CRAZY, FUN time of year.

And March Madness has hit Vienna too. But our version of March Madness comes on the baseball field.

You see, there are two arch-rivals in this area - one being Madison High School and the other being Oakton High School. They have battled for years and traded off championships. And now, no matter whether they are playing a regular season game, a playoff game, a championship game or just a scrimmage - it's WAR. (Or at least WARHAWKS - lol!)

This Saturday, the Madison Warhawks take on the Oakton Cougars in baseball. It will be Madison's season opener and the game will take place at Oakton's field at 1PM. This year, the game means a lot. It's not a playoff game or a championship game - but this game is about pride. Oakton beat Madison in football just after school started in the Fall (in the Outback Bowl ). And Madison beat Oakton in basketball (on Oakton's home court). So as far as we can see, THIS game on Saturday will be the tie-breaker. The winner takes home the bragging rights until next Fall comes around and another game is on the line.

Some interesting background info:

When Madison's Eli Facenda, Jay Kenyon, Justin Nicholls, Gavin Gibbons and Joe Corrigan were 13, they played on the same nationally ranked travel team as Oakton's Chad Carroll, Taiyo Francis and Luke Willis.
Last year's match-up between Oakton & Madison was especially contentious - not just on the field, but off the field too. Just ask Sun Gazette reporter Dave Facinoli. He happened to sit between a brother & sister who were rooting for opposite sides - one had a son who played for the Warhawks - the other had a spouse who coached for the Cougars. And last year's game had no shortage of controversial calls.
Madison's Head Coach (Mark Gjormand) and Oakton's Assistant Coach (Scott Rowland) have both coached their teams to state championships.
Last summer, Madison's first baseman (Jonny Graham) was teammates with Oakton's catcher (Austin Lamon) when they played together for the NVTBL Prospect Stars travel team.
Coaches on both sides (Oakton's Head Coach Justin Janis and Madison Assistant Coaches JJ Hollenbeck & Jimmy Goldsmith & Andrew Baird) are graduates from the schools they coach.
There is a player named Cooney on each team - but they're not related. There are 3 players on Oakton's team named Carroll. They ARE related.
And quite a few players from both rosters played together this past summer on American Legion Post 180 - including Madison's Nate Favero, Justin Nicholls, Eli Facenda and Oakton's Chris Hanson & Mason Hauser.

You can't beat the passion of cross-town rivalries. And we say - skip the Saturday afternoon basketball games (you can catch the scores on your I-phone - you know your office pool is all you REALLY care about anyway) - and come out to see Oakton and Madison square off on the baseball diamond. There may only be one winner on the field, but the true winner on Saturday will be the fans!

Here are a few players to watch:

MADISON:

Eli Facenda - Senior, Lefty Pitcher, signed with Lehigh Univeristy (D-1), crafty & patient
Jay Kenyon - Senior, Catcher, 3rd year varsity player, strong arm & strong bat
Nate Favero - Junior, Righty Pitcher & 2B, 3rd year varsity player, soft hands - watch for him to be part of some doubleplays
Jonny Graham - Junior, 1B & Outfielder, 3rd year varsity player, versatile, sprays the ball to all fields with potential to hit for power
Andy McGuire - Sophomore, SS & Righty Pitcher, fabulous fielder, already being recruited by multiple D-1 schools including University of South Carolina
Dan Powers - Sophomore, Righty Pitcher & 3B, varsity starter as a Freshman

The Warhawk baseball team also includes: Austin Chute, Gavin Gibbons, Justin Nicholls, Joe Corrigan, Ryan Corrigan, Alex Tyroler, Ben Powers, Jack Anzilotti, Henry Brandmark, Andrew Cooney, Tim Davis, Evan Jacquez, Beau Overholt, Matt Livingston, Justin Padgett, Luke Weller, Ben Socher & Daniel Bayer.

OAKTON:

Chad Carroll - Senior, SS, signed with James Madison University (D-1), one of the fastest players in our region - set regional track record this winter, has some pop in his bat
Luke Willis - Senior, CF, signed with Coastal Carolina (D-1), one of the other fastest players in our region - teammates with Chad Carroll in setting regional track record this winter, also a good hitter
Taiyo Francis - Senior, Righty Pitcher & 1B, good arsenal of pitches, great target at first
Chris Hanson - Senior, 3B & Catcher, gotta gun for an arm and not afraid to use it
RJ Garcia - Junior, righty sidewinder pitcher
Austin Lamon - Junior, Catcher, commands the field & keeps baserunners on their toes with his arm

The Cougar baseball team also includes: Tyler Carroll, Dennis Cooney , Andy Gross, Walker Webster, John Titus, Mason Hauser, Felix Vandervaart, Zack Fabian, Connor Flanagan, Brian Burns, Mitchell Carroll, Mario Pomponio, Joey Bartosic, Aaron Rochkind, Johnny McCormick, Jesse Peckinpaugh & Brandon Chandler.

Passion & pride - just another reason why we LOVE LIVING IN VIENNA, VA!

NO MORE MEAT & POTATOES!

2011-02-26T12:30:00.000-08:00

If you're a "foodie" like I am, then Vienna, VA is DEFINITELY the place for you! Who needs to travel to New York or Paris or Rome when you've got such an array of restaurants here at home?

A few weeks ago, we finally got a chance to try Maple Avenue Restaurant (MAR). (For you "old-time Vienna-ites" - it's in the location where "the original Vienna Anita's" used to be - just across Maple Avenue from Magruder's).

We've been wanting to try MAR for a while, but just haven't had the time. We've been following them on Facebook and the specials they post always sound yummy. And boy was it worth the wait!

The night we chose for our first visit was Valentine's Day - probably not the ideal day to try a new place - but nevertheless, that's what we did. I was worried that on such a busy night, the service might be lacking. But thankfully I had nothing to worry about. It was great. I can only imagine on a "regular" night, that it must just be stellar!

The atmosphere of the restaurant is sleek & modern. Some might call it stark, but I like the floor-to-ceiling windows and the elegant simplicity. And there is nothing simple about the food. THIS is where MAR excels. They describe their cuisine as "eclectic American Cuisine in the heart of Vienna, Virginia blending American with Asian, Latin American, French flavors and techniques."

Normally they have a very reasonable menu with "small plates", "main plates" and "dessert plates" - kind of a tapas-style thing - with all kinds of delightful sounding bites. (I'd give you a list of some sample dishes, but they change the menu frequently based on what's fresh.) Since it was Valentine's Day, the menu was prix-fixe and a little pricey. So, would the food live up to our expectations?

Well, we enjoyed four courses and each one was better than the last. Here's what we had:

Jicama and Granny Smith Apple Salad (with a ginger lime vinaigrette)
Saffron Coconut Milk Mussels
Argentinean Sausage with Housemade Chimichurri Sauce (on a bed of frisee)
Panko Lollipop Lamb Chops & Creme Fraiche Mashed Potatoes

The courses may sound simple, but the flavors were complex and perfectly melded together. Definitely not your "same old - same old"! It was truly a symphony of food, where each course built upon the one before - until you reached the highlight of the meal.

Did we have room for dessert? Well, at least one of us did - but to tell you the truth, I can't even remember what it was. I think we were in a coma of happiness by then!

We will DEFINITELY go back to MAR . . . because based on what we tasted, we'd like to try ANYTHING Chef Tim Ma wants to make. (And this includes my "meat & potatoes" husband!)

PS - Maple Avenue Restauarnt also has a "food truck" that makes the rounds sometimes in the Vienna - McLean area. If you follow them on Facebook, you'll see when they take the truck out & where it will be. AND you'll see the specials posted. (For example, on Thursday it said "sweetbreads are here" and "Soup: roasted piquillo pepper served with Firefly Farms goat cheese and parsley. Wine: $5.00 chardonnay, shiraz and godiva white chocolate coffee. Sweet plate: apple pistachio pie served with salted caramel sauce."

Sounds tempting, doesn't it?!

Fabulous food . . . just another reason why WE LOVE LIVING IN VIENNA, VA!

What's your favorite restaurant in Vienna?

Sixth Man Sets The Tone & Brings Home A Win For Madison

2011-02-13T11:25:00.000-08:00

Friday night was Madison High School's last regular season basketball game of the season. And Madison's Sixth Man was out in full force! In case you haven't been able to make it to a game and are wondering what all the "buzz" is about - here are a few glimpses into the electric atmosphere the Sixth Man has created. (Read more about Madison's Sixth Man here.)

TIP OFF - SIXTH MAN SETS THE TONE FOR THE GAME

SIXTH MAN KEEPS IT GOING

AND GOING . . .

MADISON BEATS TJ - SIXTH MAN GOES CRAZY!

Congrats to Madison High School's basketball team AND to the Sixth Man. You have truly inspired many people in the community with your spirit, perserverance, creativity & passion. Job well done!

BEST SLEDDING HILLS IN VIENNA

2011-01-28T17:21:00.000-08:00

If you're looking for good places to sled before the snow melts, you may want to check out our post from last year about "Best Sledding Hills In Vienna"!

Cheers!

WACKY WARHAWK FANS FLIP!

2011-01-13T17:20:00.000-08:00

If you haven't caught a James Madison High School basketball game yet, then you're missing something special.

The basketball team has been struggling. Starting the season off with 4 losses in a row was tough. But the Warhawks, led by Senior Captains Daniel McNerney, P.D. Knipe and Ian Doyle have turned things around and their record now stands at 4-8, with 2 straight wins this past week: a 52-40 win over Marshall High School and a 75-74 win in triple overtime against McLean High School.

Yup - I said a ONE POINT WIN IN TRIPLE OVERTIME!
You can't get more exciting than that! Or can you?

Well, I don't know if YOU can get more exciting than that - but the Warhawk FANS can DEFINITELY get more exciting than that. Having been a fan of Northern Virginia Sports since back in the 70's, I can tell you that the trend at many high schools is that each sport has a SMALL core group of passionate fans. Fans are spread thinly over the many options that exist and each sport sort of exists in its own separate world. Madison High School, for example, has 43 different sports teams. And many of these teams have their own little group of committed fans.

BUT - if you come to a Madison basketball game - you'll see a HUGE group of student fans who support their team like no other I've ever seen. They call themselves the "Sixth Man". (If you look closely in the photo above, you can see where they've painted "SIXTH MAN" above the student section in their home gym.)

The first time I saw the group in action was at the Oakton - Madison basketball game. Keep in mind that at this point in the season, Madison's record was 0-4. They had yet to win a game. And they had suffered some tough losses - including a season opener that they lost to O'Connell by 41 points. Most fans would have quieted down some, maybe even given up. But not this group of kids. These are not "Fair Weather Fans"!

It was an Away Game. At a school that probably has 500 more students than Madison does. And yet, the student section for Madison was PACKED. Madison had more fans than Oakton. And the game was at Oakton! These kids rocked the gym. It was more like a college game than any high school game I've ever seen. And lo & behold, Madison captured their first win. The team played hard, but I've gotta believe that the fans are due a little bit of credit for that win. And it was a BIG win because Oakton is Madison's cross-town rival!

The season continues. And this group of fans shows up to every game. Not only do they show up and cheer loudly. But they have cheers & outfits that are so well choreographed you'd think they had Michael Jackson or Oliver Stone setting things up behind the scenes. They coordinate so all the fans know what colors to wear ahead of time. For example, at last night's game we saw a "white out". Every student wore white from head to toe.

Sometimes they wear red. And that's when they do my favorite stunt - "The Parting of the Red Sea" - led by Madison student Tommy Curley dressed up like Moses.

Last night, one of those wacky Warhawk fans (Andrew Gay) even flipped out. LITERALLY! Thanks to Madison student Jonny Graham who took the photos above & the video below, you can see it too!

If you'd like to experience it all for yourself, come out to see the Madison Warhawks (Kavan Ranasinghe, Daniel McNerney, Jason Mann, P.D. Knipe, Nate Favero, Ian Doyle, Connor Douglas, Christian Prince, Max Ehrsam, Jack Baule, Tim Alexander, Gunnar Baskin & John Adam!) beat Langley on Friday night, January 14th at 7:30PM (at Madison). Or you can check out the rest of the Madison High School Boys Basketball schedule here. (PS - Since it's a home game, we hear there may be a "red out". So maybe Moses will be in the building!)

Our prediction is that this team will peak just in time for playoffs! So good luck to all the players - we're rooting for you!

Fabulous fans - just another reason why WE LOVE LIVING IN VIENNA!
*********************************************************
Late Update: Our hearts & prayers go out to the family & friends of Khristin Kyllo who passed away yesterday. Khristin's time as a Madison student athlete (class of 2010) embodied the spirit of passion & perserverance that led the way for this year's Sixth Man. Note that the Sixth Man may be attending the Madison Girls Basketball game tonight AT Langley instead of the Boys game to support Khristin’s former teammates.

Welcome to Spring!!

2011-01-11T13:19:00.000-08:00

SPRING??!?!

Tonight they're calling for snow, so why are we saying "Welcome to Spring!"?

Well, for those of us who are "behind the scenes" in the real estate world, Spring has already started. Buyers are out looking and Sellers are busy prepping their homes for market. We normally keep our "Northern Virginia Real Estate" blog and our "Life In Vienna" blogs separate, but since this is a blog about "Life In Vienna" - we can't ignore the topic of real estate. Isn't that everyone's favorite cocktail party conversation?

If you're thinking of buying or selling your home this year - or maybe you're just curious about "the market" - you might want to take a look at our Northern Virginia real estate blog. If you listen to the national news only, you may be getting a false sense of what is happening in our local Vienna real estate market. For while many areas around the country are truly suffering, Vienna is not generally one of those areas. In fact, Forbes recently named Washington DC as #1 on their list of "Cities Where Home Values Will Rise Most in 2011"!

The Belt Team tracks the market very closely - both statistically and anecdotally. We have information that many folks don't - because we are the #1 Real Estate Team in Vienna. (There are more than 10,000 Realtors in Northern VA. And the next top agent in Vienna sold less than half as many homes as us last year.) We have our finger on the pulse of Vienna and we post updates about the Vienna market once a week. So if you want to know what's happening in Vienna Real Estate - come join the conversation on our real estate blog. It's quite interesting!

(Vienna is currently experiencing a healthy, balanced real estate market - just another reason why WE LOVE LIVING IN VIENNA!)

Congrats Warhawks!

2011-01-07T13:36:00.000-08:00

We hear "congratulations" are in order for the James Madison High School Warhawk basketball team. They won their first District game in a triple overtime thriller last night over the McLean Highlanders. WAY TO GO BOYS!

Cobra Patrol At Thistle Ridge!

2010-12-14T12:51:00.000-08:00

"Cobra Patrol at Thistle Ridge!" It sounds like the title of an old Hardy Boys book, doesn't it?!

But "Cobra Patrol" is actually part of Den 7 and the Vienna Cub Scouts. And I had the pleasure of tagging along with them as they visited after school with one of Vienna's premier builders along the way to earning their Engineering Badge.

Last month, Bryan Deege (Vice President of Sekas Homes) and Susan Hussey (Realtor with The Belt Team and Director of Sales & Marketing for Thistle Ridge) hosted "Cobra Patrol" at Thistle Ridge (one of Sekas' new home projects in Vienna). Bryan gave the boys a thorough education in construction, planning & building and showed them everything from blueprints, floorplans & site plans - to a home just begun 5 days prior - to a home just nearing completion.

Bryan is passionate about what he does. And his passion definitely translated to the boys. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if one of these Cub Scouts becomes a builder when he grows up!

The boys asked EXCELLENT questions.

One young man wanted to know how many contractors it takes to build a house. The answer was "over 100!"

The boys were particularly interested in how the various rooms on the plans were named. Ryan R wanted to know what a "billiard room" was. And after Bryan told the boys about the various creative things they have done in basements (like installing billiard rooms, home theatres & batting cages), one young man asked, "Can you put a hockey rink in the basement?"

I was truly impressed with how well the boys paid attention. Bryan talked about wiring and dry wall and drainage and all kinds of "technical" things. He talked about the sequencing of contractors and how he organizes who does what, when & how. Bryan told the boys, "The key to building good homes is being organized, detailed and having a commitment to doing things right." I think that's great advice for life - not just for building houses, don't you think?!

Bryan then toured the boys through an under-construction home and they got to see a lot of "behind-the-scenes" things - what's inside the walls & behind closed doors.

One young man wanted to know whether the builder gets to name the streets in his subdivision. Bryan explained how the street names must be unique (no two streets in the same town or city can have the same name), but that numbers can be repeated. Then he told them how the naming process works.

He said that the builder is required to submit a list of 15 names to the County for approval - a first choice and 14 backups. The County goes down the list and approves the first unique name it sees. Bryan then shared a story about how a certain street in Vienna was named. A few years back, Sekas Homes was building in the Bennett Kiln subdivision. John Sekas (the President of Sekas Homes) submitted a list of 15 street names and then told the County "and if none of those are available, name the street after my dog Brenner". Well, you got it - there is now a street in Vienna named Brenner - after John Sekas' dog. The boys thought that was HILARIOUS!

After a few more questions, and a walk over to see a lot that had just been cleared, the Cobra Patrol headed home. You can only postpone your homework for so long!

Thanks for a fun afternoon Cobra Patrol! What a well mannered, intelligent, lively group of young men you are. Your parents should be proud of you. And you are just another reason why I LOVE LIVING IN VIENNA!

(And PS - There are only 2 opportunities left to own a home in Thistle Ridge. prices start at $1,499,900. Contact Susan Hussey if you would like more info!)

NO HEARTS OF STONE HERE

2010-12-02T13:48:00.000-08:00

We love sharing good news! And since we live in a town like Vienna, we get the opportunity frequently.

If you follow our blog regularly, then you've read a number of stories about the types of folks you'll find here in Vienna. They are warm and friendly and big-hearted. I've told you about my neighbor Sheila (the Cupcake Fairy) and my other neighbor down the street (the Anonymous One) and I've shared lots of stories about charity fundraising events and other "good deeds". People like Sheila and the "Anonymous One" are why I love living in Vienna.

So - back to sharing good news.

One Sunday a few months back, we had a guest homilist at our church. His name is Father Keith O'Hare. He is a priest in our Diocese (the Diocese of Arlington), but he is currently serving the people in Banica, Dominican Republic. This particular Sunday, he was at our church here in Vienna (St. Mark Catholic Church) and he shared a number of stories about what life is like for the people in Banica.

One of the stories he told was about the children in Banica and how little they have. He told us that the little girls in the towns he visits often carry around stones.

Stones? Why stones? To protect themselves maybe? Why on Earth would girls carry around stones?!

Because these are what the little girls play with as dolls. The stones are cuddled and kissed and nestled in the little girls' arms - just the way our girls here in Vienna walk around with their Baby Dolls. Sometimes the girls find ways to draw eyes & mouths on the stones, but mostly their dolls are just simple stones.

Father O'Hare shared, "To me what is so beautiful is that children who are hungry and malnourished will put their physical needs aside and ask me for a doll...it shows me that they hunger to love and be loved, as much as they feel physical hunger. (Of course we're working on their hunger situation, with various projects in motion now on that front.)"

Wow. That paints a picture. Doesn't it?

Sitting in another piew at St. Mark's that day was Katie Vitale. Katie didn't just listen to the stories Father O'Hare told, she HEARD them.

Fast forward 2 months - and 26 boxes containing 850 (new & gently used) dolls and teddy bears are on their way to the little girls in Banica. All thanks to Katie Vitale!

Katie organized the parish and school at St. Mark, along with her friends and neighbors, and after a mass collection of dolls & bears - it looks like Father O'Hare may be able to give a doll or bear to every child in the communities of Pilón, Guaroa, and Manyaya. Wow! Despite the distance in miles - these children will know how much we love them and how much their love touched us.

People like Katie Vitale and the St. Mark parishioners & schoolchildren at St. Mark Catholic School are just another reason why WE LOVE LIVING IN VIENNA!

Where In Vienna Is Carmen Sandiego?

2010-12-01T09:57:00.000-08:00

Yes, ladies & gentlemen - it's time for ROUND SIX of our game - "Where In Vienna Is Carmen Sandiego"? So far, we have visited:

Yeonas Field
Waters Field
Patrick Henry Library
The Vienna Police Department
W&OD Trail

Let us know where you can find this sight in Vienna:

Inventory Going Down, Down, Down

2010-11-17T07:14:00.000-08:00

The story in Vienna real estate today is that inventory is going DOWN, DOWN, DOWN. The number of homes on the market in Vienna is at its lowest level since March 2010. With that being said, we are still seeing very healthy numbers of contracts.

You can read details about Vienna's real estate market weekly on The Belt Team's Northern Virginia Real Estate Blog.

Where In Vienna Is Carmen Sandiego? (Round Five!)

2010-11-15T10:21:00.000-08:00

It's time for Round Five of "Where In Vienna Is Carmen Sandiego"! (If you don't know what we're talking about, click thru to find out more about our game of "Where In Vienna".)

The first four rounds of our game found us at Yeonas Field, Waters Field, Patrick Henry Library and then the Vienna Police Department. (Pictures of our previous Vienna sites are here.)

Now - see if you can guess where we are this week!

Home SWEET Home

2010-11-05T12:07:00.000-07:00

Vienna, Virginia is home to many small, locally run businesses. Among them are a number of "Sweet Shops" like Pie Gourmet, Cupcakes! and Silva's Patissierie.

Vienna, Virginia is also home to some really Sweet Neighbors! How do I know this? Well, today I posted the following on my Facebook Wall:

"Vienna Peeps - Who has the BEST cupcakes? (Must be in Vienna) Is it Silva's? Cupcakes?, Pie Gourmet? Somewhere else? I need a cupcake . . . B_A_D!"

Well, barely an hour later I heard a knock on my door and one of my SWEET NEIGHBORS showed up with this! (Thank you Sheila Racinez!)

Vienna truly is Home SWEET Home!

PS - The cupcakes were from the new store in the Village Green called Cupcakes! and they were really yummy! What's your favorite Sweet Shop in Vienna?

Read another story about Sweet Vienna Neighbors here.

Cold Feet - Warm Hearts

2010-11-01T12:09:00.000-07:00

Despite tomorrow's chilly forecast (a low of 33 degrees and high of 53 degrees), the golf course at Westwood Country Club in Vienna, VA will be full of golfers who are there to raise money for 4 local charities. Keller Williams Realty's McLean office is hosting their First Annual Charity Golf event.

The event will feature a golf tournament, silent auction, live entertainment, reception & a live auction. The four charities that will benefit from the event are The Children's Inn at NIH, SHARE of McLean, Wounded Warriors and the Keller Williams McLean/Great Falls Scholarship fund.

It may be cold in Vienna tomorrow, but there will be lots of warm hearts!

If you are interested in donating or attending the reception, please contact The Belt Team!

Where In Vienna Is Carmen Sandiego? ROUND FOUR!

2010-10-25T11:07:00.000-07:00

If you haven't been following along, we're playing a new version of the game "Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego". It's like the old game, except you have to guess where you would find the statue, sign, sculpture, etc . . . that we show pictured below. They are all in Vienna, Virginia!

ROUND ONE found us at the Vienna Little League's Yeonas Field:

ROUND TWO found us at Water's Field:

ROUND THREE found us at the Patrick Henry Library in Vienna:

The first three rounds were for beginners. Now it's time to move to the next level!

Here's ROUND FOUR. Where in Vienna do you see this?

Don't enlarge the photo - it will give away the answer!

Where In Vienna Is Carmen Sandiego? (Round Three!)

2010-10-07T13:42:00.000-07:00

One of the things we love about Vienna, VA is that Vienna has its own personality. It's a fun place to live - with fun people, fun things to do & fun things to see. No Dullsville here! So this fall, we're highlighting some of the "fun" local statues, sculptures and sights - with a game we call "Where In Vienna Is Carmen Sandiego". (Scroll down if you've forgotten what Carmen Sandiego is.)

Ok - Let's play the game!

So far, we've seen the statue of the Little League baseball player that you can find at Yeonas Park in Vienna.

And we've seen the bicycle sculpture that you can find at Waters Field in "Downtown Vienna".

So now it's time for Round Three! Do you know where this is?

Where In Vienna Is Carmen Sandiego? Round Two!

2010-09-29T10:41:00.000-07:00

Remember that old TV show/computer game - "Where In The World is Carmen Sandiego"? The object of the game was to use various clues to capture Carmen Sandiego (or one of her henchman) by determining where in the world they were hiding. Last week, we started a version of this game on our blog. We are posting photos taken in various spots around town. Your job is to guess where the photo is taken. Our first photo was pretty easy. Today, we've posted Round Two. See if you can guess where it's located!

Where in Vienna Is Carmen Sandiego?

2010-09-23T12:50:00.000-07:00

There are all kinds of interesting statues, markers, sculptures and more around Vienna. So we thought we'd post a few & see if you can locate them.

Let's start with an easy one . . . (check back for some tougher challenges as we go along).

Do you know where this charming young man is?

Everyone Gets Their 15 Minutes!

2010-09-16T11:52:00.000-07:00

Recently, we wrote a blog post about the exciting Outback Bowl that takes place each year between Madison High School (Vienna, VA) and Oakton High School (Oakton, VA). We highlighted the story of 2 players - Luke Willis from Oakton High School & Ryan McGuire from Madison High School.

Well, this week we hear that Ryan's brother, Andy McGuire, is the new local celebrity. You see - even a student here in "small town Vienna" can earn nationwide fame!

Last weekend, Madison High School faced Yorktown High School for their second game of the season. Unfortunately, Madison lost. BUT - Andy McGuire stepped into the national limelight.

Check out this video that we understand made it on to ESPN SportCenter's "Not Top 10" last night:

The video is nearing 300,000 views as we finish this post!

Andy - We think you would have made a great commercial for the old Timex watch company. Their slogan was "Timex - it takes a lickin and keeps on tickin"!

I Know What They Were Asking, But What Did It Really Sell For?

2010-09-16T09:14:00.000-07:00

August sales & stats are out for Vienna real estate. If your neighbor's home was for sale and sold last month - and you've been wondering how much they REALLY got for it - you can find out on The Belt Team's Northern Virginia Real Estate Blog. (Oakton stats are posted as well!)

It's Time To Bowl!

2010-09-03T07:21:00.000-07:00

It's not New Year's Eve - so it's not time for the Orange Bowl.

It's not New Year's Day - so it's not time for the Rose Bowl.

But it IS Labor Day Weekend - and it IS time for a bowl game!

Did you know that Vienna has its very own bowl game? We may be a small town, but we've got big spirit! And you'll see the colors flying tonight at the annual Outback Bowl Game between cross-town rivals - the Madison High School Warhawks and the Oakton High School Cougars.

Tonight's game takes place on the field at Madison at 7:30PM. Anyone who is anyone in Vienna will be there. (The rest of us will be too - LOL!) And just like a "real bowl game", the festivities start much earlier. You'll see kids and parents alike tailgating - I hear there some elaborate tailgates planned. I'm sure that Madison's award winning marching band will be performing. (And we're planning on attending a pre-game party ourselves!)

There's a lot of talent on both teams, but we'll especially be watching two Seniors: running back Luke Willis for the Cougars and linebacker/tight end Ryan McGuire for the Warhawks. Both boys are not only talented football players, but are great baseball players as well. (Luke Willis plays for the Cougars and recently committed to #12 Coastal Carolina for baseball. Ryan McGuire plays for Liberty District Champions, the Madison Warhawks.)

This won't be the last time they face each other on a field. Luke & Ryan will face off across the diamond when baseball season arrives next Spring. But the irony is that both boys played together on the same travel baseball team at the age of 13 - a team that went all the way to the Top Ten in the AAU National Baseball Championship.

This summer they were friends. Tonight they are rivals. And tomorrow they'll be friends again. But only one will have the bragging rights that come with a win tonight!

And that's what makes the Outback Bowl great . . . the friendships & fun that take place off the field . . . and the fierce competition on the field.

Just another reason why WE LOVE LIVING IN VIENNA!

8 Things You Must Do In Vienna Before Summer Ends

2010-08-25T14:15:00.001-07:00

It's not really summer in Vienna until ______________ (fill-in-the-blank).

The temperatures are becoming a little more moderate. (Well, 80's sure beats 90's/100's doesn't it?!) And that means the summer season is coming to a close. I know summer doesn't "technically" end until about September 22nd, but when "Back-To-School" comes around - doesn't it feel like summer is over?

So you're back from vacation & back in Vienna. How did you fill in the blank in the sentence above? If you filled it in with something you haven't done yet - don't worry - you still have a few days left.

Here are a few of the ways we would fill in the blank:

*** It's not really summer in Vienna until we picnic on the lawn & catch a performance at Wolftrap. We recently had a casually elegant picnic at the top of the sledding hill at Wolftrap and then rocked out at The Counting Crows concert. Now THAT's what I'm talking about! And it's not too late. You can still catch Donna Summer, Tony Bennett, "The Sound of Music", "The Ultimate Doo Wop Show", "The Lord of The Rings", Abba, Jackson Browne & the Golden Dragon Acrobats from China!

*** It's not really summer in Vienna until we enjoy a meal al-fresco and there are lots of options. My daughter & I recently shared a meal at Noodles (a super-popular destination for those with children in tow). Or you can try Sushi Yoshi or Church Street Cellars (both on charming Church Street).

*** It's not really summer in Vienna until we have grown or eaten so many tomatoes that we can't bear the thought of making or eating another jar of marinara sauce or another caprese salad. If you haven't had your fill of tomatoes yet, you can find the best ones at the Vienna Farmer's Market or the cute little organic market across the street from Whole Foods.

*** It's not really summer in Vienna until we have splashed in the fountains at the Vienna Town Green (or at least dipped our toes in!).

*** It's not really summer in Vienna until we have jogged, walked, run, rode, strolled the W&OD Trail. (And don't forget - it's slow to the right, pass on the left!)

*** It's not really summer in Vienna until we have gotten ice cream or custard, walked outside and attempted (unsuccessfully) to eat it before it melts. And you've got lots of options here - Neilsen's Custard Store, Baskin Robins, Dairy Queen and Cold Stone Creamery - to name a few. We haven't done this one yet - so I'm thinking we should have a family taste-test contest and make the rounds of all four! (And PS - Neilsen's even has curb-side pick up if you call ahead!)

*** It's not really summer in the Town of Vienna until we have finished our Spring cleaning and called in for a "special pickup". (Yes - we know Spring cleaning is meant to be done in the Spring, but some folks don't get around to it until school is out!) If you live in the Town of Vienna - you receive two free "special pick-ups" per year for things you may not be able to recyle - like discarded furniture, brush, playground equipment, things you couldn't sell at your garage sale (or even give away). Check the requirements here.

*** It's not really summer in Vienna until we catch a FREE concert at either the Vienna Town Green or Nottoway Park. The Vienna Town Green series has wound down, but you can still catch The Grandsons (rockabilly/wing/lounge music) at 7:30PM on the 26th at Nottoway Nights!

Lastly, while some people mourn the end of summer (and if that's you, then you can extend summer a little bit by attempting the entire list above) - here's an old commercial that presents another point of view:

Endless summer . . . just another reason why WE LOVE LIVING IN VIENNA!

"Be A Winner and Eat Your Dinner"

2010-08-13T08:36:00.000-07:00

"Be a winner and eat your dinner". My Dad used to say that to me almost every night when I was a kid. I had a small appetite and he was always encouraging me to eat more. Well - I don't have that problem any more (darn it!). I really enjoy dining out. And that means I always look forward to "D.C. Restaurant Week"!

Twice a year, the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan DC sponsors a week where local restaurants offer 3-course fixed price meals. The cost is $20.10 for lunch and $35.10 for dinner. This summer, "DC Restaurant Week" takes place from August 16-22. Some restaurants offer both specially priced meals and some offer just one or the other. It's a chance to try places you might not normally go to - maybe splurge a little - or try that place you've been hearing everyone talk about.

And if you live in Vienna, Virginia - you don't have to go all the way to DC for "DC Restaurant Week" because it comes to you! So take out your daytimer - ask your spouse out for a date - grab your girlfriends - and try one of the restaurants listed below. (Note - we included restaurants in Tysons Corner even though they are "technically" in McLean because we really think of Tysons as Vienna).

“After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one's own relations.” Oscar Wilde

Capital Grille

"Find me a man who's interesting enough to have dinner with and I'll be happy.” Lauren Bacall

Chef Geoff's

“Never argue at the dinner table, for the one who is not hungry always gets the best of the argument” Richard Whately

Chima Brazilian Steakhouse

"A man seldom thinks with more earnestness of anything than he does of his dinner." Samuel Johnson

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse

"All great change in America begins at the dinner table." Ronald Reagan

La Sandia

"Dinner was made for eating, not for talking." William Makepeace Thackeray

Lebanese Taverna

"I like to be bought flowers and taken out for dinner. I like a man to be a gentleman. I don't like to be treated as if I am brainless. I like to be respected and to give respect." Sharon Stone

Maplewood Grill

"It is easy enough to be moral after a good dinner beside a snug coal fire, and with our hearts well warmed with fine old port." Henry Mayhew

Morton's Steakhouse

"Make your having dinner out become The Event of the Night, instead of just the beginning." John Walters

Panache

"Never argue at the dinner table, for the one who is not hungry always gets the best of the argument." Voltaire

Ruth's Chris Steakhouse

"Show me another pleasure like dinner which comes every day and lasts an hour." Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

The Palm

"Some people ask the secret of our long marriage. We take time to go to a restaurant two times a week. A little candlelight, dinner, soft music and dancing. She goes Tuesdays, I go Fridays." Henny Youngman

Wildfire

DC Restaurant Week . . . just another reason why WE LOVE LIVING IN VIENNA, VA!

(More posts about restaurants in Vienna: "Bazin's On Church", "It's Friday Night - What Should We Do", "Travel Around The World - Right Here in Vienna" )

Vienna Real Estate Update

2010-08-10T11:52:00.000-07:00

So . . . you know what your neighbors were asking for their home - but what did it actually sell for? Here's a list of all the settled sales in Vienna, VA (22180, 22181, 22182) for July 2010.

Plus - check out this new listing on Arabian Avenue in The Trails!

Did You Know Sunday Is A Holiday?

2010-08-04T10:26:00.000-07:00

One of the great things about living in Vienna, VA is that the climate in the summertime is perfect for gardening. Just drive around town and you'll see all sorts of gardens - from flower gardens to herb gardens to vegetable gardens. Some are tiny little plots and others take over entire acres of land. Vegetables especially seem to grow like crazy once we hit August. You'll see people's gardens absolutely OVERFLOWING with tomatoes, zucchini and yellow squash.

And as you're driving around town, you might also notice that LOTS of people have front porches. It's one of the reasons we love living in Vienna. It might be old-fashioned, but we like to sit out on our front porch & chat with the various neighbors as they stroll by on their evening walks. Today's world may be filled with emails, texts, tweets and IM's - but we still enjoy the give and take of face-to-face conversation.

Now, you may be thinking "what does that have to do with holidays?" . . . in fact, August doesn't have any "holidays" in it, does it?

Well - Sunday, August 8th is not a federal holiday; BUT it IS a different kind of holiday. It is "National Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor's Porch Day". Seriously, try googling it and a bazillion different sites (well maybe not a whole bazillion) will come up - all devoted to "National Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor's Porch Day".

There's a saying that goes around at this time of year. It goes "My grandfather always said that if you have to buy zucchini, you must not have any friends." So - now that you know Sunday, August 8th is a holiday - are you going to celebrate it?

Zucchini in August . . . just another reason why WE LOVE LIVING IN VIENNA, VA!

I'm In A New York State of Mind

2010-07-20T08:29:00.000-07:00

You're probably wondering (since this is a blog about "Life in Vienna, VA") what being in a New York state of mind has to do with Vienna?

Well - stay with me here. You might think it's kind of a stretch, but there really is a connection. (And if you are a true "New Yorker", perhaps you'll keep this quote from Meyer Berger in mind: "Each man reads his own meaning into New York". My perspective is certainly more that of a native Vienna-an than a native New Yorker! )

So . . .

Being located where we are here in Vienna, it's super easy to get to New York City. From Vienna, you can of course drive. You can also take a bus from DC. But we prefer taking Metro to Union Station and then hopping aboard Amtrak . The Acela is our preferred train because less than 3 hours later, you're in Grand Central Station - New York City.

My mother and I used to do this once a year at Christmastime. It's arguably one of the most beautiful times of year in Manhattan. And my memories of it will never fade. Seeing Broadway shows, eating dinner at midnight, strolling by the store windows decorated so beautifully, stopping in at Cafe Carlyle for a Bobby Short show.

Times have changed and we don't get up to New York as often as we used to. But as I drove through Vienna this week, something caught my eye that made me think back and reminisce. And then I realized that even though I might not have time to visit New York, I can still have a few "New York moments" right here in Vienna. So here they are:

Store Windows

Have you ever noticed the full length windows at Karin's Florist on Maple Avenue in Vienna? They change their displays with the season and they offer a lovely vista as you drive by their store. This Spring, it was a beautiful vision of "April Showers Bring May Flowers". The windows were full of pastel colored parasols & umbrellas and gorgeous flowers and greenery. This summer, the windows are full of beach balls and beach umbrellas. Every time I drive by, I remember the windows in New York and I wonder what we will see at Karin's this Christmas?!

Diners & Dives

In New York City, no matter what time of day or night, you can get a full meal. And you'll find tiny little hole-in-the-wall places that only the locals know about. Their diners & dives are world renowned. Well, here in Vienna - we have our own diners & dives. People come from all over the DC area to go to the Vienna Inn - our local dive. But don't be fooled, there's lots of history there. And it's a great place to meet the locals. And if you're looking for breakfast at 2AM or dinner at 6AM - try the Amphora in Vienna. It's open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. And the menu has everything from cream chipped beef to prime rib to souvlaki to shrimp to pancakes. Plus one of the best bakeries around - try the New York Cheesecake!

David Letterman & Cafe Carlyle

My favorite part of the "Late Night with David Letterman" show (which films in New York City) is the last 5 minutes when various bands are showcased. Sometimes they have high profile groups and sometimes they host new, up & coming bands. You never know who you might see. Well, if you live in Vienna, you often have the opportunity to see the same bands that perform on Letterman, except right here in Vienna at Jammin Java - a great little venue on Maple Avenue. For example, last week, Letterman had "Steel Train" on and guess who's playing at Jammin Java tonight? Yup - that would be "Steel Train"!

Now, if you're more of a Cafe Carlyle person (read "not so loud!"), don't despair. Vienna has one of the area's best piano bars. It's at the Maplewood Grill. And not only are the performers good, the 'regulars' provide just as much entertainment. And unlike at Cafe Carlyle, there's no cover charge and no minimum!

There are lots of other "New York moments" available to those who live in Vienna - seeing shows at the theater in DC when they are on their way up to Broadway, catching the Radio City Christmas Spectacular at the nearby Patriot Center - and more. We've shared ours with you, but what are your favorites?

And what we've decided is that while New York City is fun to visit, we love living in Vienna!

Power Bars, Protein Shakes & Prayers

2010-07-12T06:52:00.000-07:00

Many of the agents in our Keller Williams McLean office (including The Belt Team) have family members serving in the military overseas. One colleague's son (Josh Gibson) is an Army medic stationed in Iraq and starting this month he will be working with us to coordinate care packages for the troops there.

Our KW Cares McLean charitable foundation will provide the postage and we are collecting items for the care packages now. Our first box will ship on July 26th. If you would like to participate, please drop items you would like to donate (see list below) at our office (6820 Elm Street in McLean) or contact a Belt Team member and we will make a pick up. Here are the items the soldiers have particularly requested this month:

~ Canned meat like tuna, chicken or salmon (MUST HAVE A POP TOP)
~ Power bars
~ Protein powder or protein shakes
~ Beef jerkey
~ NONMELTING candy

Here's what a recent message from Josh said: "We just played tug-o-war in 125 degree heat (148 with humidity factored in) with full gear including full armor to celebrate Independence Day! So stuff being as NON melting as possible is really important!" You gotta love the spirit of the men & women serving our country!

Thanks for your help and please keep all our soldiers in your prayers!

Hearts of Gold

2010-07-08T10:03:00.000-07:00

Vienna, VA is in Fairfax County - one of the wealthiest counties in the United States. And the people in Vienna have hearts of gold. Philanthropies abound here - with everything from million dollar gala events in hotel ballrooms to raise money for the American Cancer Society to lemonade stands & bake sales held by local school children to raise money for Haiti.

One local fundraiser we have participated in is the local AAUW (American Association of University Women) Annual Booksale. This year will be their 41st year! The proceeds benefit scholarships for women. The sale itself takes place in September, but AAUW is collecting donations (see list below) in Vienna this month - on Saturday, July 10th & Saturday, July 31st. Donations can be dropped at Sun Trust Bank (515 Maple Ave East) in Vienna from 10AM to 4PM.

Please consider donating! You can clean your house, recycle and help someone else get on their feet - all at the same time. (AAUW normally receives a significant number of donated books from the McLean branch of the Fairfax County Public Library, but due to construction - this is not an option this year. So they would really appreciate your help!) And AAUW says 2/3 of the value of your donation is tax deductible!

Items Needed (new or gently used / children or adult)

~ Books
~ DVD's
~ VHS tapes
~ CD's
~ Software
~ Audio books

Hearts of gold . . . just another reason why we love living in Vienna!

Vienna Real Estate Update

2010-07-07T13:34:00.000-07:00

So . . . you know what your neighbors were asking for their home - but what did it actually sell for? Here's a list of all the settled sales in Vienna, VA (22180, 22181, 22182) for June 2010.

And how did the Vienna real estate market fare in June? Check out June Sales & Stats here.

Weekends In Vienna

2010-06-24T07:35:00.000-07:00

While many people are headed out of town for the weekend (read long drives, traffic, kids asking "Are we there yet?") - we're staying home in Vienna this weekend (read no commute, save the gas money & spend it on entertainment, fun things to do). Our only challenge is deciding WHICH fun thing to do!

Friday, June 25th

* RAIN, A Beatles Tribute - 8PM at Wolftrap ($25-$40)

* Fat Chance (rock music) - 6:30PM at the Vienna Town Green (Free)

* Family Skate Night - 6:30PM at the Vienna Community Center ($1)

* Beatlegras (Jammin Java's web site says: "not another Beatle impersonator act but three seasoned singer/musicians (with 5 platinum albums between them) who love the Beatles and bring a very organic interpretation of the Lennon/McCartney catalog through the magical world of bluegrass.") - 7PM at Jammin Java ($20)

* Five After Five - at Whole Foods Market - 5PM to 7PM - Enjoy 5 tapas-style plates of food paired with 5 wine or beer samples - this week's theme is "American Classics"

* Movie In The Park: "Toy Story 2" - at dusk (approx 8:45PM) at Glyndon Park (Free)

* The Blackjacks Homecoming Show & Fight The Lion CD Release - 10PM at Jammin Java ($10)

*Dr. Sketchy's DC Drawing Party - 8PM at The Soundry ($10-$15)

* Reinhardt Liebig - in the piano bar in the evening at Maplewood Grill (no cover charge)

* Vienna Babe Ruth Senior League Tournament - at Waters Field all weekend (Free)

Saturday, June 26th

* RAIN, A Beatles Tribute - 8PM at Wolftrap ($25-$40)

* Vienna Farmers Market - 8AM-Noon at The Caboose

* Open Mike Night - 6:30PM at Vienna Town Green (Free)

* The Bigger Lights & Hotspur & Storm The Beaches - 5:30PM & 8:30PM at Jammin Java ($10-$13)

* Baby Canvasses II (art show opening & adoption)- 7PM at The Soundry (no cover charge)

* Reinhardt Liebig - in the piano bar in the evening at Maplewood Grill (no cover charge)

* Half Price Bottled Beer & Burgers - 3 to 5PM at Maplewood Grill

* Vienna Babe Ruth Senior League Tournament - at Waters Field all weekend (Free)

Sunday, June 27th

* Sunday Brunch - 11Am to 2PM at Bazins on Church (YUM!)

* Richard Walton Group (jazz) - 6:30PM at Vienna Town Green (Free)

* Gordon Lightfoot - 8PM at Wolftrap ($22 - $40)

* Rosie Likes Red, Corrin Campbell & Find Vienna - 1:30PM at Jammin Java ($10-$13)

* An Acoustic Storyteller Evening with Lloyd Dobler Effect - 7PM at Jammin Java ($12)

* Vienna Babe Ruth Senior League Tournament - at Waters Field all weekend (Free)

"Mom - I'm Bored"

2010-06-17T06:33:00.000-07:00

How often do your children say that during the summer? They can't wait for school to get out and then soon enough those dreaded words come . . . "Mom, I'm bored. There's nothing to do." This year, instead of responding the way YOUR Mom probably did ("Well, I can find you something to do - you can scrub the floor or mow the lawn or clean your room!") - here's an idea:

The Town of Vienna is having a Scavenger Hunt! When we were growing up, scavenger hunts were a popular thing to do at birthday parties. You would divide into groups and then set off in the neighborhood in search of silly items on a list. There was a deadline and the group who collected the most items on the list won. (There were versions of this game played in college too - but that's a story for another day!)

Well this Scavenger Hunt is a little different. It's called "Vienna's Hidden Gems Family Scavenger Hunt". And it's a photo Scavenger Hunt. The idea is to search all around Vienna for "hidden gems". Vienna defines a hidden gem as a "little known about place in the Town of Vienna". There are 7 categories and you have to find one gem in each category.

Here are the categories:

1) Play in a Safe Place
2) Explore Nature
3) Celebrate the Arts
4) Follow a Trail
5) Play a Sport
6) Explore History
7) Make a Lasting Memory

Each picture must include a family member in the photo. (And you can even include family pets!)

We think this is a great idea. What a fun way to reconnect with your children (especially your teens!) and discover some really interesting places in your own hometown of Vienna. I'm betting you can be pretty creative in both your selection of "gems" and in how you construct each photo!

The deadline is August 20th. Here are the rules and application for the Vienna Hidden Gems Family Scavenger Hunt.

We LOVE living in Vienna, Virginia!

Foreclosures & Short Sales in Vienna, VA?

2010-06-14T11:39:00.000-07:00

We are often contacted by folks who are looking to buy a foreclosure or short sale in Vienna, VA. After all, don’t we hear about foreclosures and short sales in the news all the time? Here are some things you may be interested to know (and it might not be what you think!):

Foreclosures & Short Sales in Vienna, VA

Is History A Mystery? Not In Vienna!

2010-06-09T06:17:00.000-07:00

"The great eventful Present hides the Past; but through the din of its loud life hints and echoes from the life behind steal in." John Greenleaf Whittier

Now that's an intriguing way to look at history don't you think?

When I was growing up, I always thought studying history was boring. Forget the past, I was ready for the future. (I could flatter myself and say that I was on the same page as Thomas Jefferson when he said "I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past." But really, I was just an impatient kid.) Now as I get older, I realize what a treasure our past can be - a font of learning and really quite an interesting topic!

Those of us who live in Vienna are surrounded by history. And thanks to Historic Vienna, Inc - much of it has been marked and preserved. In 1988, the Town of Vienna established a Register of "Vienna Historic Structures, Sites and Places". This is not really an "official" designation (for example - it does not mean a site is on the National Historic Register) - but it's a way for the Town to recognize our historic sites & encourage interest in them.

Any site that is designated by the Vienna Town Council can put up a special marker like the one pictured below:

You'll notice that the marker has a small number in the lower right corner. This number corresponds with the Register of Vienna Historic Structures, Sites and Places. For example, the one pictured above is #6 on the Register - Freeman House.

There are at least 22 sites with Vienna Historic Markers. You can pick up a Register with a full listing of the locations at the Freeman Store & Museum (#6 on the Register).

This time of year is a great time to do a Historic Scavenger Hunt. Take your children, your scout troop, your classroom - and walk around Vienna to see some of these sites. It's an easy history lesson where history might actually come to life for your kids (and maybe even you!).

Here are some examples of what you'll see:

Register #6 - Freeman House - was built in 1858. In addition to being a home, it has also served as a post office, fire station, civil war hospital, store and railroad station - and was occupied by both sides during the Civil War.

Register #1 - Money & King - is the oldest continuously operating business in Fairfax County.

Register #16 - Vienna Railroad Station - built in 1856. (As a side note - did you know that the Vienna Community Center is on the site where the Park Street Railroad Station used to be? This is where the 5th skirmish of the Civil War - part of the Battle of Manassas - took place. It was the first time in history that a railroad was used tactically in battle.)

In addition to all the Vienna Historic Markers, there are a number of locations in Vienna that have been marked as historic by Fairfax County. These includes sites like the first courthouse in Fairfax County (at the intersection of Old Courthouse Road and Rt 123) - hence the name of the street! Here's the list of Fairfax County Historic Markers in Vienna.

If you're a history buff - Vienna is definitely the place to be. And even if you're not - you might find it interesting.

We LOVE living in Vienna!

(More posts about Vienna History: Have You Met The Ghosts of Vienna? and How Old Is Vienna? )

Everybody's Working For The Weekend

2010-06-04T07:43:00.000-07:00

Remember that old 80's song "Everybody's Working For The Weekend"? Well, guess what - the weekend is here! And if you live in Vienna - there are lots of great ways to enjoy the weekend. Here are a few ideas:

Friday, JUNE 4th:

Ari Hest & Sarah Siskind at Jammin Java - $15

Sarah Borges & The Broken Singles at Jammin Java - $12

The Poetry Lab at The Soundry - FREE

Alchemy (a vocal band) at the Vienna Town Green - FREE

Riverdance at Wolftrap - $20 to $70

Rienhardt Leibig at the Piano Bar at Maplewood Grill - No Cover Charge

Family Skate Night at the Vienna Community Center - $1

Neilsen's Custard - today's specials are lemon & coffee

SAT, JUNE 5th

Vienna Farmers Market

Nathaniel Rateliff at Jammin Java - $10

Mista Forty's Birthday Special with Live Performaces by Dia & Mista Forty at Jammin Java - $10

Riverdance at Wolftrap - $20 to $70

Rienhardt Leibig at the Piano Bar at Maplewood Grill - No Cover Charge

Open House at 9622 Prelude Ct - FREE

SUN, JUNE 6th

Athlete & Carney at Jammin Java - $12

Riverdance at Wolftrap - $20 to $70

Burger & A Pint Special at Maplewood Grill - $14 (and their burgers are yummy!)

Cletus & Lori (folk music) at the Vienna Town Green - FREE

Open House at 9606 Podium Drive - FREE

Open House at Thistle Ridge - FREE

Meadowlark Botanical Gardens - workshop on "Gardening With Deer" - FREE

Bingo at the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department - $10 game pack minimum

These are just a small sampling of fun things to do in Vienna this weekend. Rather eclectic - don't you think? There's something for everyone - young and old, down-home and highbrow, costly and free. We LOVE living in Vienna!

Good Luck Madison Warhawks!

2010-06-02T11:27:00.000-07:00

We'd like to wish Vienna's James Madison High School Warhawk baseball team "GOOD LUCK" in today's semi-final game for the Northern Region Championship. Hope to see you in the finals!

8 Ways to Celebrate Memorial Day in Vienna, Virginia

2010-05-28T07:24:00.000-07:00

This weekend, we mark another Memorial Day. Who will you be remembering?

On May 2, 2000 - the White House put out a statement that said "As Memorial Day approaches, it is time to pause and consider the true meaning of this holiday. Memorial Day represents one day of national awareness and reverence, honoring those Americans who died while defending our Nation and its values. While we should honor these heroes every day for the profound contribution they have made to securing our Nation's freedom, we should honor them especially on Memorial Day. "

Here are a few ideas for things to do in Vienna this Memorial Day weekend:

1. "The President's Own" (the United States Marine Band) will be playing a FREE concert at Wolftrap on Sunday, May 30th. The concert will be followed by fireworks. Gates open at 6:30PM, show at 8PM, fireworks at 9:45PM.

2. Meet & greet the folks who stay in & around the Vienna area when they come for Rolling Thunder. It's not hard to miss them - just look for the big groups of Harley Davidson riders. These veterans of the Vietnam war convene for a demonstration each year to urge the government to account for all MIA's and POW's and also ride to show their love & respect for veterans and soldiers of all wars. If you want to actually see the "RIDE" on Sunday (it's a very moving sight), the best spots are along the Memorial Bridge & Constitution Avenue.

3. Enjoy the Memorial Day Tribute at Viva Vienna. Viva Vienna is a huge festival that takes place in Vienna each year (rides, vendors, food, entertainment & more!). In the midst of the festival on Monday, stop by the Vienna Town Green for a Memorial Day tribute - FREE - 3 to 4PM

4. Mike Klee's True Blue American Show - Also at Viva Vienna, you'll find a Children's Stage. On Monday at 3PM, your kids might enjoy learning about American history & being entertained at the same time!

5. Call your grandpa, mom, brother, aunt, friend - whomever you know is serving or has served our country and tell them THANK YOU!

6. The Soundry's "Verbal Assault" - May 28th at 8PM at The Soundry in Vienna. One of the freedoms we most celebrate in the United States, is the freedom of speech. This unique event is a weekly celebration of expression. Tonight's theme is "Solitary Confinement". Here's what the web site says: "Verbal Assault has been sentenced to “Silentary Confinement”! What are we to do?!? Use movement, body language, facial expressions, chalk, and the GIANT Whiteboard to express yourself and a party we will have. Once you cross the threshold of silence, not a sound we will make, but we will be heard. Most communicative will be awarded an awesome prize. Watch out for the Improper Imps!"

7. Stop in at one of Vienna's many churches to attend a service or say a prayer for peace & for protection of our armed forces. There are too many churches in Vienna to list them all, but here are a few options - St. Mark Catholic Church, Vienna Presbyterian Church, First Baptist Church of Vienna, Church of the Holy Comforter, Wesley United Methodist Church, Vienna Baptist Church, Our Lady of Good Counsel.

8. Lastly, what's more "All-American" than baseball? (You know how we love baseball here at TheresNoPlaceLikeVienna.com!) There are some great games going on in Vienna this weekend. Stop by Waters Field during the weekend to see Vienna Babe Ruth's Senior League games. Or stop by James Madison High School tonight (May 28th) at 7PM to see Madison take on Hayfield in the Northern Region tournament. Madison will also host the Northern Region Quarterfinals on Monday at 1PM and 4PM.

There are LOTS of other great ways to celebrate Memorial Day in the Washington DC area. But whatever you do, make sure you remember why we mark this day.

Happy Memorial Day!

Madison Miracle Hijacks Hardware From McLean Highlanders

2010-05-26T10:37:00.000-07:00

Vienna has a LONG history & reputation for producing great baseball players. And if you missed this week's District Championship Baseball Game between Vienna's Madison HS Warhawks and McLean HS's Highlanders, you missed an EPIC game! Lucky for you, we are blessed with another post from Guest Blogger, Dave Graham. Enjoy!

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MADISON 4
McLEAN 1

We often hear during the NFL playoffs that it is tough to beat a team three straight times in a season. The same typically applies to the Liberty District Baseball Tournament. However, when one of the teams won the previous two games by a combined score of 24-6, is the top ranked team in the Northern Region and the second ranked team in the state, a third consecutive victory would seem to be a foregone conclusion. Facing such a daunting challenge, the Madison Warhawks rose to the occasion pulling off a miraculous upset to snatch the Liberty District Championship trophy from the hands of the defending District Champion McLean Highlanders.

Central to the stunning victory was a bold pitching strategy formulated by Madison Coach Mark “Pudge” Gjormand. Having given up a dozen runs in each of the previous contests between the teams, Gjormand had to find a way to shut down the McLean bats. Heeding the advice of Albert Einstein that “one definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results,” Gjormand devised a scheme to keep the Highlanders off balance by pulling his pitcher every other inning regardless of how well he was doing.

When David faced Goliath, he chose five smooth stones. Gjormand chose four to hurl the stone. The first three---Eli Facenda, Dan Powers and Nate Favero---pitched two innings apiece and the fourth---Danny Cate---closed in the seventh. They embodied the age diversity of the team; respectively, they are a junior, freshman, sophomore and senior. The first and third are more finesse pitchers while the second and fourth are more power pitchers. Facenda, a stocky lefty, was followed by a trio of righties who kept getting longer and lankier. Backed by several stellar defensive plays, the quartet combined to limit the potent McLean line up to three hits and a lone unearned run.

In addition to having the advantages of being a prohibitive underdog and having a daring pitching strategy, another factor in the Warhawk’s favor was that although the Highlanders were the higher seed, the location of the game had been predetermined to be Madison. To be sure the Highlander faithful were well represented but the Warhawk Nation was out in force and made the confines at JMHS “visitor” friendly.

Against that backdrop, the Highlanders sent Sean Fitzgerald, the Liberty District Pitcher of the Year, to the mound. He had pitched three innings Friday night getting the win in extra innings in the semifinal game. He began this game in impressive fashion needing only thirteen pitches to set down the side in order on an infield pop up, a comebacker and a strike out.

Facenda started the game pitching carefully to Liberty District Player of the Year Riley Beiro ultimately issuing a five pitch walk. On a 1-1 count, he induced a room service ground ball to short and Andy McGuire, Favero and Jonny Graham dialed 6-4-3 for a splendid twin killing. This loomed particularly large when Fitzgerald shot a grounder through the left side for a single. Facenda retired the side on a comebacker.

Scott Bernier led off the second for the Warhawks by wearing a curve ball in the back. After a strike out, Jay Kenyon crushed a drive on a bounce off the fence to the left of the 415 sign in left center with Bernier scurrying home. Austin Mellor entered as a courtesy runner. It looked like Madison would put another run on the board when Graham scorched a shot to center. However, the fleet Beiro, who played shallow all game, raced in to make the catch and doubled the runner off second to end the inning.

Josh Sborz led off the second with a rocket barely over the second baseman’s leap that went to the fence for a double. After a pop up to second, James Oldenburg sacrificed the runner to third and was safe at first when the throw pulled the first baseman off the bag. Facenda picked off Oldenburg who broke for second. Graham looked Sborz back to third and fired to shortstop Andy McGuire who started to chase Oldenburg back to first then relayed home where Kenyon blocked the plate and tagged Sborz for a crucial out. After the textbook execution of the rundown, Charlie Geiger walked to put runners at first and second. Facenda got ahead of the next hitter 1-2, ran the count full and ultimately recorded a swinging strike out to conclude an eight pitch at bat.

Fitzgerald mowed down Madison in order in the top of the third needing only thirteen pitches sandwiching a pair of strike outs around a ground out.
In the bottom of the third with the top of the Highlander order coming to the plate, people were wondering if Facenda had been injured as Madison sent Powers to the mound. A freshman facing the top of the order in a 1-0 game when the starter had only thrown thirty pitches? Little did they know it was part of a plan. Beiro fouled off a pair of two strike pitches before drawing a walk on a full count. Chris Russo grounded a single through the left side to put runners at first and second. Powers got a huge out on strikes then a force play at second put runners at the corners. A wild pitch moved the runner to second but Beiro held third. With the runners off with the pitch, Powers escaped the jam getting another swinging strike out on a full count.

Matt Moore was plunked in the posterior with a curve ball to start the eventful fourth for the Warhawks. He was forced at second on Teddy Turner’s hard grounder to first. Bernier reached out and poked an outside pitch for a bloop single barely out of reach of the second baseman. The runners advanced to second and third on a wild pitch and after a strike out, Kenyon hit a grounder to short. The throw to first bounced and the first baseman knocked it down but couldn’t scoop it allowing Turner to score and putting runners at first and third. Mellor again entered as a courtesy runner. With an 0-2 count on Graham, Mellor advanced to second uncontested on a pitch in the dirt. On the ensuing offering, Graham fisted an inside breaking ball just hard enough to dump a single out of reach of the shortstop to drive in a pair of runs. The inning ended on a ground out but somehow Madison had manufactured three runs with only two bloop hits. Depending on who you were rooting for, the hits were either cheap or good pieces of hitting against a terrific pitcher. Either way, they gave Madison a 4-0 lead.

With one out in the bottom of the frame and Powers still on the mound, Oldenburg walked on a full count pitch and took second on a passed ball. After a fly out to right, Oldenburg scored when Bruce Beatty’s grounder was booted. The error meant that for what would turn out to be the only time in the ballgame, McLean batters would face a pitcher a second time. Beiro reached first when he was hit by a 2-2 pitch but Powers bore down, quickly got ahead of the next hitter 0-2 and ended the inning on a grounder to short.

Fitzgerald dominated with a 1-2-3 fifth needing only ten pitches to retire the side. Sticking with their game plan, Madison sent Favero out to pitch the bottom of the fifth. Andy McGuire started things with a web gem as he backhanded Fitzgerald’s bullet on one hop and lasered the throw to first. Denis Buckley was hit in the back with a curve ball and Chase Mills entered as a courtesy runner. Sborz scalded a line drive right at McGuire who made a fine catch jumping but not needing to fully extend to haul it in. The inning ended on a fly out on a full count. It was indicative of the kind of night it was for McLean that two balls they roped in the fifth produced outs while Madison used a pair of dinkers in the fourth to produce three runs. A sense of frustration must have been mounting for the “home” team.

Turner started the Warhawk sixth by drilling a shot over shortstop for a single. With one out, Ryan McGuire sacrificed him to second and he stole third getting a great jump off second and going in with a headfirst slide. It was all for naught as Fitzgerald ended the inning on a called strike three on a 3-2 pitch.

Facing the bottom third of the line up, Favero retired the side in order. His replacement at second, David Belt, stayed with a high pop up for the first out and a made a solid play on a grounder for the second out. The inning ended on a comebacker.

Graham led off the seventh going with the pitch to stroke a soft line drive to left for a single. Mellor entered as a pinch runner and Favero sacrificed him to second. Fitzgerald got his eighth strike out of the game for the second out and ended the inning on a comebacker. On the night he walked no one but the two batters he hit led to a pair of runs. Though charged with four runs, only one of them was earned.

With the top of the order coming up, Cate took the mound for Madison. He was focused and quite loose having warmed up a number of times in previous innings. He started the inning facing the dangerous Beiro. After fouling off a two strike pitch, Beiro looked at called strike three and stalked back to the dugout shooting a disgusted look at the plate umpire. Russo hit a hard grounder to short on an 0-1 pitch. Andy McGuire’s throw to first was high but Graham leaped and made an acrobatic play to snare the ball and make a sweep tag on Russo for the out. The game ended on another grounder to short with McGuire making the pick up and another strong throw to first for his seventh assist of the night.

It was a tough loss for a marvelous McLean team that had won 29 of 31 Liberty District regular season and playoff games over the last two years. In particular, it was a tough loss for Fitzgerald who was attempting the remarkable feat of winning both the semifinal and final games of the District tournament. After pitching three innings three days earlier, he had tossed 108 pitches in seven innings. Next year he will pitch for the Fighting Irish and hear about Notre Dame’s fabled Four Horsemen backfield that played football in the 1920’s. On this night though, Madison rode its own version of the Four Horsemen---Facenda, Powers, Favero and Cate---to a victory that will long live in Warhawk folklore.

As the exuberant Madison players and coaches celebrated on the infield, one could almost hear Al Michaels saying, “Do you believe in miracles?” Coach Gjormand summed it up noting, “We had a great approach against one of the best pitchers in the Northern Region. We beat a great team tonight; I tip my hat to them. They don’t make many mistakes but we took advantage when we had the opportunity. We played almost a flawless game, battled for everything and got a few breaks. We had been planning how to win this game for a long time and decided to run a potpourri of pitchers at them. Eli, Dan, Nate and Danny all did a great job. Our kids have been resilient all year and I’m excited for this group to win their first championship.”

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Other posts about Vienna Baseball: Yeonas Park - The Old-Fashioned Back Fence , Baseball At Waters Field, Baseball & Apple Pie

It's Friday Night - What Should We Do?

2010-05-19T09:05:00.001-07:00

Well, if you live in Vienna, Virginia - you have LOTS of options - and you don't even have to leave Vienna! Here are some ideas for this coming Friday, May 21st:

Catch a performance or some "live music":

"The Mikado" done by the New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players at Wolftrap (tickets are $8-$48)
Ellis Paul & Michael Clem (Eddie From Ohio) at Jammin Java (tickets are $20)
The Splinters at the Vienna Town Green (FREE)
Reinhardt Liebig in the Piano Bar at Maplewood Grill (NO COVER CHARGE)
"Verbal Assault" - an open mic for poetry, monologues, etc at The Soundry (FREE)

Try a new restaurant or a new cuisine:

Italian - Bonaroti
French - Cafe Renaissance
Japanese (and a variety of other Asian dishes) - Sweet Ginger
Vegetarian - Sunflower Vegetarian Restaurant
Rose Kabab Restaurant
Greek - Plaka Grill
Chinese - Wu's Garden
Mexican - Tequila Grande or Anita's
Turkish - Nizam's
Thai - Natta Thai
Brazilian - Chima Steahouse

Pack a picnic and enjoy one of Vienna's parks:

Glyndon Park - tennis, basketball, ball field, picnic area, playground equipment, walking trails
Meadow Lane Park - tennis, ball field, picnic area, palyground equipment
Northside Park - 26 acre undeveloped park
Southside Park - ball field, sand volleyball, basketball
Peterson Lane Park - playground, basketball, open fields
Moorefield Park - Nottaway Park - ball fields, soccer field, picnic area, sand volleyball, fitness trail, nature paths
Sarah Walker Mercer Park - walking paths & seating areas, lovely landscaping
Meadowlark Botanical Gardens - the "piece-de-resistance" of Vienna parks!

What are YOU doing for fun in Vienna? We'd love to know!

Sellers Market In Vienna?

2010-05-12T07:11:00.000-07:00

Average days on market is still trending to the low side for 2010 in Vienna, while the number of months supply is at its lowest level ever for 2010 - with only a 2.3 month supply of homes. This puts us in a Sellers Market in Vienna. (Keep in mind that this is a general statement. If you are looking to buy or sell, make sure you talk to your Realtor about the inventory and supply of homes in your specific price range, school district, etc.)

Click here for today's full Vienna Real Estate Update .

Old MacDonald Had A Farm

2010-05-10T12:11:00.000-07:00

Remember that old Song, "Old MacDonald Had A Farm"?

Old MacDonald Had A Farm - E-I-E-I-O
And on his farm he had a Crepe?

Wait - that doesn't sound right. Let's try again.

Old MacDonald Had A Farm - E-I-E-I-O
And on his farm he had some Popcorn?

Now that's not right either. Let's try one more time.

Old MacDonald Had A Farm - E-I-E-I-O
And on his farm he had some Crab Cakes?

OK WAIT! WHAT KIND OF FARM IS THIS?

Well - it's the Vienna Farmer's Market! It just opened for the season and will remain open until October 30th. The Vienna Farmer's Market is a "producer only market", which means that what the vendors sell at the market must be raised, grown or made on their own farms. It's located in the "Caboose" parking lot in the heart of Vienna and is open Saturdays from 8AM to Noon.

Meet Sidney Kuhn, of Kuhn Orchards. Sidney drives from Cashtown, PA (outside of Gettysburg) every Saturday at 4AM to make the Vienna Farmer's Market. Kuhn Orchards has been a family farm for over 90 years and Sidney is the 5th generation to work in the business!

If you love to cook, it's a great place to find whatever is fresh & in season. And the vendors are great at giving you tips on how to prepare the foods they are selling. (They even provide recipes on the Vienna Farmer's Market web site!)

Folks who are trying to "eat healthy" love the market as well for the things you can find like salsa and sausage without preservatives & additives. And some of us just like to taste our way around the market - first the popcorn man, then the salsa lady, taste a crab cake, then finish up with a crepe. YUM!

Oh - and of course there is the "normal" farmer's market fare - fresh produce, flowers, meats, dairy products & more. Recently, Diane Nugent & her daughter Madison came to buy their favorite popcorn. Madison said she "loved the pretty lilacs and other plants" for sale. So gardeners - take note as well!

Here's a list of some of the vendors & products you may find at the market on any given day:

Middleburg Creamery - homemade ice cream, root beer floats
Kuhn Orchard - fruit, herbs, cut flowers
Friendly Hall Farms - produce, jams
Blue Ridge Gardens - annuals, perennials
Guata Java - organic coffee
Gypsy Hill - packaged rubs & dips
The Crab Ladies - crab cakes
Ole Pioneer's Kitchen - breakfast, appetizer & dinner meats
South Mountain Creamery - milk, cream, yogurt, eggs, cheese
The Swiss Bakery & Pastry Shop - artisan breads, pretzels, pastries, cookies
Lois' Produce - fresh fruits & produce
Smith Family Farm - grass-fed meats, pastured pork, poultry, turkey

The Vienna Farmer's Market is just another reason why we love living in Vienna. You don't have to live on a farm when the farm comes to you! Theres No Place Like Vienna!

First A Pig, Now a Goat?

2010-05-03T11:57:00.000-07:00

If you're a regular reader of our blog, then you'll remember we recently wrote a post about "Foxy Cleopatra", the pig in residence at Stalcup's Hardware in Vienna.

Well, maybe the idea is catching on . . . because yesterday, we walked into Vienna's Whole Foods Market and who did we find but "Phillip the Goat"?!

Phillip was there promoting all the fabulous goat cheese offerings at Whole Foods.

Stay tuned to TheresNoPlaceLikeVienna.com - who knows what animal we'll find next?!

Vienna's Town Green

2010-04-29T09:05:00.000-07:00

It's not a "Town Square", it's a "Town Green". And this spring & summer, it's the place to be. So be there or be square!

The Vienna Town Green was established in 2007 and has been a lovely addition to the landscape of "downtown Vienna". Just over 2 acres in size, you'll find it on Maple Avenue - right next to where the W&OD Trail crosses Route 123 - across the street from Whole Foods. The Green also backs up to the historic Freeman House and original Vienna Library (two more interesting sites in Vienna!)

The plaza sits right on Vienna's main thoroughfare and the highlight of the plaza is the fountains.

When the weather is warm, you'll see kids frolicking and even grownups dipping in a toe. (My dog likes it too!)

There's a lovely expanse of lawn that leads back from the fountains.

It's the perfect place for a family picnic after work or even a romantic date. And better yet, at the back of the lawn you'll find a small amphitheater.

This is the site of Vienna's "Concerts on the Green" series. And the concerts are FREE!

You'll find a huge variety of entertainment. There's something for everyone. So bring your blanket or chair, your picnic basket, your frisbee, your family & friends and enjoy! (And by the way, the Town of Vienna has a pilot project going on to try out free wi-fi at the Town Green. So bring your laptop and move your office outdoors this summer!)

Here's the Vienna "Summer on the Green" Concert Schedule:

(performances usually begin at 6:30PM)

May 14 - Bill Emerson & the Sweet Dixie Band
May 15 - Noon - JMHS Jazz Band
May 16 - US Navy Band Country Current
May 23 - Marshall Artz - Acoustic
May 21 - Splinters - Rock -
May 22 - Open Mic Night
June 4 - Alchemy - Acappella
June 6 - Cletus and Lori - Folk
June 11 - Annapolis Bluegrass
June 13- Kingsley Winter Band - Rock
June 18 - The Sunny Daze Band - Classic Rock to Motown
June 25 - Fat Chance - Rock
July 9 - Four Star Combo - Rockabilly and Honky Tonk
July 16 - Angela Hayes Quartet - Jazz/Vocals
June 20 - Randy Barrett - Mama Tried - Bluegrass
June 26 - Open Mic Night
June 27- Richard Walton Group
July 7 - Susan Savia - Singer/Guitarist
July 14 - Sarah Benett Swanner - Soulful Blues
July 21 - Doc Dikeman - Jazz
July 23 - US Navy Band - Cruisers - Rock
July 24 - Open Mic Night
July 11 - Blaskapelle Alte Kameraden
July 18 - The Tonics - Blues /Rock
July 25 - Vienna Community Band
July 30 - Craven Dogs - Rock
August 1 - Difficult Run Jazz Band
August 6 - US Navy Band Sea Chanters
August 8 - Dagmar and the Seductones – Roots Rock
August 13 - Elise Kress - Coleman’s Cross - Celtic
August 15 - Wayne Tympanick Quartet - Jazz/Dixieland
August 20 - US Navy Band – Commodores
August 21 - Open Mic Night
August 22 - Redstone - Classic Rock

We LOVE living in Vienna!

Homes Selling Quickly In Vienna

2010-04-28T07:06:00.000-07:00

In the past week, 40 homes in the Vienna Oakton area went under contract. Of those 40 homes, 20 sold in 10 days or less. WOW! Click here for a full Vienna Real Estate Update.

Bazin's On Church

2010-04-22T07:10:00.000-07:00

Last night we decided to take advantage of Bazin's suggestion to "Wine Down After Work".

Bazin's on Church is a fabulous upscale restaurant in Vienna. It's owned by Patrick & Julie Bazin. Patrick is former Executive Chef of the historic Occidental in Washington DC. It's a very inviting place - with soaring ceilings & expansive windows, gleaming wood & exposed brick and a contemporary look that manages to be warm & welcoming at the same time.

Bazin's has a very small bar (it seats maybe 10?) and if you visit the bar between 4:30 and 7:00 Tuesday to Thursday, you can try their wines-by-the-glass at half price. They have a very extensive list of wines by the glass. Most places have a chardonnay or two, a pinot grigio, maybe a merlot, a cab and a shiraz - but Bazin's offers 7 champagnes, 14 whites, 14 reds and 5 roses by the glass. (The full wine list is even more vast!) So if you're in a "rut" and always drink the same wine when you go out to dinner, it's a great way to try something new.

Last night's bartender was Chris. He's definitely an asset to Bazin's. With super friendly eyes and a low key, but still charming manner, he definitely made us feel welcome. And he was great about answering a million questions about the wines - both patient and knowledgeable. He doesn't just pour drinks, he's truly a professional bartender.

By about 7:30PM, the restaurant was full and there was a nice hum of families & friends catching up on their daily activities - maybe a few business diners, but mostly locals who appreciate having a fine dining restaurant so close to home. With all the wonderful dishes walking by the bar and the smells wafting temptingly through the air, we decided to have dinner at the bar too.

And all I can say is WOW. They do offer a special "Rush Hour Dinner" from 5-6Pm on Tuesday to Thursday (3 courses for $26.95), but we ordered off the regular dinner menu. Well, kind of. We started out with the baked fontina with toasted bread, garlic & thyme as an appetizer. It reminded me of being in Switzerland or Canada and ordering raclette, but with different flavors. Yum! And then we moved on to dinner. My husband ordered the veal medallions with bacon & a red wine sauce. And the risotto on the side was "to die for". I have no idea what it was, but it tasted like mac n cheese - except better because it was risotto .

I, on the other hand texted my girlfriend who comes to Bazin's a lot and asked her what to get. (Her father taught Emeril Lagasse how to cook in culinary school, so unlike me, she is a real "foodie"). Among other things (the miso sea bass and blue cheese flatiron steak), she recommended the lump crabmeat salad with avocado, cucumber, microgreens and a passion fruit vinaigrette. Well, that sounded great, but it's not on the dinner menu. She told me to ask if they would do it (it's on the lunch menu). So I did - - - and of course they said yes. And I'm so glad they did. You might think that all lump crabmeat salads are the same - but NOT this one. Oh yeah baby!

After dinner, we finished with a warm chocolate tart, chocolate sorbet & chantilly creme. Plus some coffee & more chantilly creme. And then it was time to roll on home . . . sated & satisfied.

And only 1 mile to the house!

I LOVE LIVING IN VIENNA!

More posts about restaurants in Vienna: Travel Around The World Right Here in Vienna

A Dog's Life

2010-04-18T09:32:00.000-07:00

There used to be a tourism campaign in Virginia that had the slogan "Virginia Is For Lovers". Well, if Vienna had a slogan, maybe it would be "Vienna Is For Dogs". Ok, wait - let's re-think that!

At any rate, Vienna is a great place for dogs (and their owners) to live. So this week we have a guest blogger named Casey. Hope you enjoy seeing Vienna from Casey's point of view!

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A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A DOG IN VIENNA, VIRGINIA

Hi! My name is Casey. I'm an 8 1/2 year old spaniel mix (basically a mutt). I've got a pretty sweet life, living in the heart of Vienna with my Mom. There's so much great stuff to do here! I thought I'd give you a peek into a day in my life:

9AM - Mom and I like to sleep in on the weekends, so we had a nice lazy morning. Got up and went for a walk around the block.

11AM - WooHoo! Mom just grabbed her car keys and my leash......does this mean we're going to the park? Huh? Huh? Can we Mom please???

11:04AM - Are we there yet?? Are we there yet?? Can't wait!!

11:05AM - Yippee! I love the Vienna Dog Park - it's an awesome spot to run and play, and make some new friends. As we're here today, more and more dogs show up. This is definitely the place to see and be seen if you're a Vienna dog!

Love hanging out with the big dogs and the little ones. And they even have a great water station for us to take a breather if we get tired out from all the running around.

Personally, I'm not a fan of the things to climb on, but some of the other dogs definitely enjoy them!

12PM - Guess I got a little dirty rolling around at the dog park. Plus I've got some other dogs' slobber on me. Time to hit the Vienna Pet Spaw!

I love coming here - it's like Cheers - where everyone knows your name. The owners always remember who I am when I stop by! You can tell they really love dogs. One of the owners, Carol, mentioned that she grew up in Vienna, and instead of babysitting she would pet-sit for neighborhood families instead. She owns the Spaw with her brother, Brian.

Even though I'm a little reluctant to get a "pawdicure", Carol is super gentle and manages to get all my nails trimmed and it didn't hurt a bit!

Mom gave me a bath - can't say I'm a huge fan of that either, but I do smell really good now! I like trying to lick the water when she's hosing me down to wash out the shampoo. The first time I came here, it was actually free, since I was a shelter dog. I'm like my Mom -I love free stuff!!

12:45PM- Time for a stroll along Church Street. Wow -it's such a gorgeous day outside! We wanted to grab lunch and sit outside at Sushi Yoshi, but too many other people had the same idea and all the outdoor tables were taken.

12:50 - Stopped at Great Harvest Bread Company - there are some really good smells coming from those open doors!

Mom stops in to grab a treat for me (and herself!). Not only do they sell super yummy bread (my Mom loves it), they also have dog treats! The owner sees me hanging around outside the door, and offers to bring me a bowl of water. What a great guy! As he said, "Dogs are people too!"

1:00 - Home to relax and have some lunch. And time for a nap.

1:30 - Ruff! Ruff! Ruff! For some reason I am compelled to bark like crazy whenever I see the mailman outside my door!

4:00 - Time to take my Mom for a walk.

Luckily, we live about a block and a half from the Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) trail. There's great scenery, plenty of stuff to sniff along the route, and always new friends to meet along the way. I made several new friends out on the trail today.

4:45 - Home for nap #2

6:00 - Dinner

10:00 - One more walk before bedtime

11:00 - Bedtime. I'm pooped, but this sure was a fun day! Got to enjoy all that Vienna had to offer AND have some extra bonding time with my Mommy as a bonus. Next time maybe Mom will take me to Neilsen's Frozen Custard Store or Church Street Cellars!

Open Houses This Sunday, April 18th

2010-04-16T09:29:00.000-07:00

440 Windover Ave NW - 1 to 4

9604 Thistle Ridge Lane - 12:30 to 4:30

More Info About The Open Houses in Vienna

Vienna Real Estate Update

Want To Go On A Safari?

2010-04-14T07:17:00.000-07:00

Well, who wouldn't?!

My guess is that you don't have the time or the money to go to Africa this week, so instead we thought we'd tell you about a safari opportunity a little closer to home.

On Friday, April 16 at 7 pm Holy Comforter Episcopal Preschool will hold its annual auction and dinner at Westwood Country Club. The theme this year is "Safari Adventure". Along with a live auction, there will be a silent auction, games and raffle items.

Raffles include a Wine Lovers Basket, a $500 gift certificate to the Inn at Little Washington (yum!), an IPOD, and a Sony 40" flat screen HDTV. Some of the auction items include spa gift certificates, use of a beach house in Surf City, NJ, a golf outing at Trump National, babysitting & pet sitting services and Nationals tickets.

Tickets are available at the door ($35) or you can contact Holy Comforter Preschool at (703)938-3704. You'll only need to bring yourself, your friends, your checkbook for your auction items and cash for the bar.

Wow - a Safari Adventure right here in Vienna! Just think of all the wild animals you might meet! And even if you spend money, you'll really be saving since you won't have to pay for airfare!

Yeonas Park - Like The Old Fashioned "Back Fence"

2010-04-13T13:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was another one of those "I LOVE LIVING IN VIENNA" days!

If you live in Vienna, you will eventually make your way to Yeonas Park. You either have children who play baseball or your children have friends who play baseball or you have friends whose children play baseball. It's just one of those inevitable things.

So yesterday, we went to see a neighbor's son play in a Vienna Little League game at Yeonas. As we entered the parking lot, it was teeming with activity. And there was an air of excitement that wafted by - almost as strongly as the smell of the chili dogs on the grill at the snack bar. Last Saturday was Opening Day (more than 1,100 people attended!) and this was the first week of the season. PLAY BALL!

And just like every April for the past 50+ years, the Vienna Little Leaguers took the field.

And just like every April for the past 50+ years, the Vienna parents assumed their perches from which to root. And just like every April for the past 50+ years, the siblings gathered in the common area to play with one another.

Yeonas Field in Vienna is kind of what the back fence used to be "in the olden days". Back then, neighbors would hang their laundry out to dry in the backyard and catch up on gossip over the back fence. Or they would mow their lawns and tend their gardens, and take breaks to chat with the neighbor next door or behind them.

Well, that's just what happens at Yeonas Park. Last night, two of my girlfriends, who are normally so busy they can't see straight (they are AWESOME Moms!), settled in to the bleachers to watch the game and had themselves a nice two hour chat. The Dads like to hang out along the fences, and they are usually much more "into" the game. But don't be mistaken, there's a lot of chit chat going on there too. In a world where we are always "on the go", it's nice to have this respite.

And you ALWAYS run into people you know. It's just a fabulous gathering place where people of diverse interests and diverse backgrounds "hang out" together. I love seeing the many multi-generational families that come to the ballgames - babes in arms, grandparents in wheelchairs, and even teenagers who might be "too cool" to otherwise hang with their parents.

Just visit once and you'll see what I mean. Vienna Little League gets in your blood. Did you ever notice the "V" stickers on so many car windows in Vienna? They either say "Go Blue" or "Go Red" or "Go Black". The stickers represent the various leagues in Vienna (National, American & Colonial). And once you're a part of a certain league, your are Blue (or Red or Black) FOREVER. Many of those cars you see with stickers have kids who are long past Little League age, but they are part of that family always.

AND we have a long history of winning. When you go to the park, you'll see the list of many State Championship wins and even a Regional Championship that sent our team to the Little League World Series in Williamsport. But it's not only about winning. It's the life lessons that are learned along the way - things like loyalty and hard work and how important it is to spend time with the ones you love.

I just LOVE living in Vienna!

Come and See!

2010-04-09T13:04:00.000-07:00

Two fabulous homes will be held open in Vienna this weekend.

Stop in and see 10240 Dunfries Road :

and 201 Charles Street SE.

Vienna Open House Info

Vienna - Tree City USA

2010-04-08T12:43:00.000-07:00

In 1972, our family moved from California to Virginia. We had no idea how beautiful we would find Vienna! At first, we missed living near the ocean, where the climate didn't change much year-round. But over the years we have fallen in love with living in a place with four definite seasons.

In case you didn't know, Vienna has been named a "Tree City USA Community" for at least 9 years by the Arbor Day Foundation. I've seen the "Tree City" signs around town and always wondered what that was all about, so I finally looked it up.

To qualify as a Tree City USA Community, a town or city must meet four standards established by The Arbor Day Foundation and the National Association of State Foresters. You must (1) have a "tree board or department", (2) have a "tree care ordinance", (3) have a "community forestry program with an annual budget of at least $2/per capita and (4) have an "Arbor Day Observance and Proclamation ".

Well - who knew?! I didn't know Vienna had a tree department, much less a forestry program. Did you? We even have an Arbor Day Tree Planting event scheduled for 6PM at the Vienna Community Center. Cool!

What I DID know is that Vienna has incredibly beautiful trees and lots of them. They give our town beauty & personality. Here are some of our favorite "tree shots" that we've taken around town at different times of the year:

Just another reason why we love living in Vienna!

Have You Met The Ghosts of Vienna?

2010-04-05T12:15:00.000-07:00

I recently came across this quote from Dexter Perkins:

"History is a kind of introduction to more interesting people than we can possibly meet in our restricted lives; let us not neglect the opportunity."

One of Vienna's many draws is that it is a town rich in history. And the quote above made me think about a stroll I took this weekend with my family around Vienna. As we wandered around town, enjoying the spring weather (finally!) and admiring the natural beauty, we came across a number of historical markers.

This one marks the entrance to Carter's Glen subdivision in Vienna (not far from the intersection of Nutley Street & Courthouse Road).

The marker marks the spot where the First Baptist Church of Vienna held baptismal services in the early-mid 1900's. The property was the homestead of Charles Carter. Charles Carter was the grandson of a freed slave.

We found another historic marker in Vienna at the corner of Tapawingo Road and Frederick Street SW.

This marker marks the graves of Colonel Broadwater and his son & grandson. Captain Broadwater (the Colonel's father) served as the first Sheriff of Fairfax County. Colonel Broadwater was also a Sheriff and Justice of Fairfax County and served with George Washington as a Burgess to the Convention at Williamsburg in 1774.

And we came across a third marker on Lynn Street SW.

There were two gravestones at this site - one for "James Hunter, M.D." and the other for "Sara A. Wife of Dr. James Hunter". Dr. Hunter's marker said he was "esteemed for those virtues which most adorn the character of man" and that "An honest man is the noblest work of God." Sounds like a guy I'd like to know!

One of these days, I'll get around to contacting Historic Vienna Inc or the Town of Vienna and finding out more about the people that these markers commemorate. But in the meantime, I'll be wondering about Vienna's ghosts . . . Dr James Hunter, Colonel Broadwater and Charles Carter.

Those would be great names for a game of Clue - wouldn't they?!

(Interested in other blog posts about Vienna history? Check out "How Old Is Vienna?" and "Happy Anniversary Vienna")

(P.S. - You might also enjoy the "Vienna Remembers World War II Exhibit" at the Freeman House Store & Museum. The exhibit has been extended through the end of April and is open Wed-Sat (Noon to 4PM) and Sundays (1PM to 5PM). )

Baseball At Waters Field

2010-04-02T08:54:00.000-07:00

Growing up in Vienna for me meant being a baseball fan. The nights are too numerous to count when Dad would say "Honey, I think we need some milk".

So we'd hop in the car, head down to Vienna and look for the lights at Waters Field. Because if the lights were on, that meant a baseball game was being played. You never knew who might be playing - sometimes it was Babe Ruth, sometimes American Legion, sometimes just a pick-up game.

We'd catch a few innings . . .

And then it would be time to run over to High's, grab some milk, and head home.

Ah - those were the days!

If you like baseball (and who doesn't!), then the place to be tomorrow is Waters Field in Vienna! Three great games - three great match-ups - in the DC Sports Fan Private School Baseball Challenge. Here's who you'll see playing:

Noon: Paul VI vs. St. Stephen's/St. Agnes
3:00 PM: St. Stephen's/St. Agnes vs. Flint Hill, 3:00
6:00 PM: Paul VI vs. Flint Hill, 6:00

Each team playing won their respective conference last year (WCAC, MA & IAC) - so it will be a great day for baseball in Vienna!

(And if you need an excuse to get out of the house, just tell your spouse you need to pick up some milk. Highs is no longer there, but Safeway is just down the street!)

Other articles about baseball in Vienna: Madison Warhawk Baseball

Vienna Oakton Real Estate - How's The Market?

2010-03-31T09:10:00.000-07:00

Contracts are up . . .

Inventory is up . . .

Average days on market is down . . .

Want more info?

Read our detailed weekly Vienna Real Estate Update here.

They Even Have A Pig!

2010-03-29T13:47:00.000-07:00

One of the great things about Vienna is the fact that it's full of small, local businesses. While Vienna may be located just a few miles from a number of malls & big corporate stores, Vienna still retains its small town character with all kinds of "Mom & Pop" stores.

One of our favorites is Stalcup Hardware - owned and operated by Vienna resident, Justin Stalcup.

You may recognize this truck.

It sits along Maple Avenue in front of the store. And the personality this truck exudes outside is exactly what you'll find inside the store . . . quality, charm & good old fashioned service!

Stalcup's first hardware store opened up in McLean in 1990 and the Vienna store opened in 2005. But Stalcup Hardware actually goes back even farther than 1990 - to a roadside stand in the 1960's! (Justin Stalcup worked there starting when he was 8 years old.)

Come inside the store and see the homemade jams, jellies & pies and you'll think you've gone back in time. Yum!

Forget Home Depot, you can find just anything at Stalcup's. In fact, Stalcup's has one of the biggest nuts & bolts selections in the entire area.

But it's not just a hardware store. Justin Stalcup takes particular pride this time of year in the incredible selection of spring flowers. And if you don't know what to plant - just ask the owner. He's usually there to offer great advice. (In the summertime, Stalcup's also had awesome fresh farm produce for sale!)

Now, remember I said you could find just about anything at Stalcup's? Well - we walked in recently and guess what we saw?! A PIG!

"Rocky" the chocolate lab greeted us too, but lots of stores have dogs in residence. How many do you know that have a pig? And not just any pig - but a housebroken, 6 month old pig named "Foxy Cleopatra"!

"Foxy" & "Rocky" are great friends. In fact, since "Foxy" loves carrots, "Rocky" has learned to like them too!

I'd say if the owner of this hardware store can train a pig - he can probably help you with about anything else you might need.

Theres no place like Stalcup Hardware.

And There's No Place Like Vienna, VA!

Skate Park On Wheels in Vienna

2010-03-28T08:37:00.000-07:00

Did you used to skate board when you were a kid? Wonder if you can still ollie or kickflip or maybe even backflip? Or maybe your kids have been begging you to go to a skate park?

Well, this coming Saturday (April 3rd) - you can check out a "Skate Park on Wheels" in the parking lot at the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department! The park will be there from 2PM to 5PM and will have ramps, rails & jumps!

What better place to see if you still have the moves or if your kids can follow in your footsteps than the Vienna VFD?

You have to be at least 6 years old (and adults are welcome too!). Everyone has to wear a helmet and those under 16 have to wear wrist guards, elbow pads & knee pads.

For more information, call Vienna Parks and Recreation at 703-255-6360.

And PS - If this is a little too "wild" for you, you might like the Skate Nights at the Vienna Community Center better. All ages are welcome. It's $1 per person. You bring your own skates & safety equipment. And you can skate Fridays from 6:30-8:00PM starting April 16th.

Vienna Oakton Real Estate - Spring Has Sprung

2010-03-24T11:48:00.000-07:00

Just as the blossoms on the cherry trees are beginning to come out, Spring has sprung in real estate. Let’s take a look at what has happened in the Vienna Oakton real estate market over the past week:

Vienna Oakton Contracts

•39 homes in the Vienna Oakton area went under contract in the past week. This is 22% more contracts than in any other week in 2010.
•82% of the homes that went under contract this week were listed under $775,000
•10% of the homes that went under contract this week were listed above $1,000,000

Click here For the full Vienna Oakton Real Estate Update

Baseball & Apple Pie

2010-03-16T18:52:00.000-07:00

There's nothing more American than "baseball & apple pie". Vienna has a long history of great baseball teams at every level - from Little League to high school. And this year's Madison High School Warhawks baseball team is coached by the President of the National Baseball Coaches' Association - Mark "Pudge" Gjormand.

This week, "Guest Blogger" Dave Graham steps up to the plate to give us a preview of what we can look forward to with Warhawk Baseball.

*******************************************************
WARHAWK BASEBALL HOPES SOAR IN 2010

The 2010 season for the James Madison High School Warhawk baseball program promises to be an exciting one. Head Coach Mark “Pudge” Gjormand returns for his 15th season at the helm of a veteran squad. Last year a young team which returned only one starter and one pitcher won 13, lost 7 and tied for third in the Liberty District with a 9-5 record.

By contrast, this year eighteen players return including seven starters and three pitchers. Coach Gjormand observed that, “It makes things a lot easier to have so many players who already understand the way we do things. Especially with all the snow we’ve had it would have been harder to get the season started with a young team. The Town of Vienna and Vienna Babe Ruth have been a great help by letting us use the artificial turf at Waters Field. We hope to make them proud of us.”

The returning players are: seniors Andrew Bayer, Scott Bernier, Danny Cate, T.J. Ehrsam, Austin Mellor, Matt Moore, Zach Schwatka and Teddy Turner; juniors Austin Chute, Joe Corrigan, Eli Facenda, Gavin Gibbons, Jay Kenyon, Ryan McGuire and Justin Nicholls; and sophomores David Belt, Nate Favero and Jonny Graham. New to the varsity are: juniors Ryan Corrigan, Josh Dunbar, Ben Powers and Alex Tyroler; sophomore Evan Jacquez; and freshmen Andy McGuire and Dan Powers.

Coach Gjormand notes that, “One of the things that makes Madison baseball so special is the unique relationship between the team and the community. About 95% of our varsity and JV players played in Vienna Little League. These kids have been playing ball with or against one another as far back as T-ball. Those close knit relationships run not just between the players but also between families. When the Warhawks take the field, the jersey may say Madison but the players know they represent their families, VLL and the Town of Vienna.”

Gjormand’s coaching staff includes: VLL and Madison alumni J.J. Hollenback, Andrew Baird, Robbie Robeson, Matt Riffee and Joe Canova; current VLL coaches Justin Counts and Jimmy Goldsmith; and Bob Cesca, Bobby Robeson, Gerard Skinner, Bruce Hall, Scott Byers, Jay Canova and Andrew Heard.

The community’s support of the team’s fund raising activities will enable the varsity to travel to Florida to participate in the prestigious Sarasota Spring Break Classic. Ticket sales also help support the program. This year marks the inaugural season for the new snack bar and bathrooms which are being completed with the help of Sekas Homes and the Madison Booster Club. Admission is $5 and home games start at 6:30 on the following dates:

Thursday, March 25 versus Langley
Tuesday, April 6 versus Stone Bridge
Thursday, April 15 versus Oakton
Friday, April 16 versus South Lakes
Tuesday, April 20 versus Marshall
Friday, April 23 versus Fairfax
Tuesday, May 4 versus McLean
Friday, May 7 versus Jefferson

Thanks for your support Vienna and Go Warhawks!

Big City or Small Town?

2010-03-11T11:07:00.000-08:00

Are you the kind of person that likes everything big & busy? Is your motto "Go Big or Go Home"? Or are you the type of person who likes things small & simple? Either way - Vienna is for you. And here's just one example of that.

Easter is coming soon and that means it's time for an old fashioned Easter Egg Hunt or an Easter Egg Roll (and no - an Easter Egg Roll is not Chinese food!). Anyway, when you live in Vienna, you always have the opportunity to "do it up big" - or keep it small.

If you like to live large - then you might enjoy the White House Easter Egg Roll. It takes place on the South Lawn of The White House and has been a White House tradition for 130 years! Tickets are given out via an online lottery. Events include rolling a hard-boiled colored egg on the lawn with a large serving spoon - plus an amazing array of activities including musical performances, sports activities, photos, crafts & cooking stations. And each child receives a commemorative wooden Easter egg signed by the President and First Lady.

If you like things on a smaller scale, then stay right here in Vienna and participate in the Old Fashioned Easter Egg Hunt offered by Historic Vienna. It takes place on the grounds of the historic Freeman Store on Church Street on March 27th from 10:30-11:30AM. They'll have a storyteller, egg hunt, egg painting and games.

Either way - have a Happy Easter!

Neighborhood Spotlight - Waverly

2010-03-08T05:53:00.000-08:00

The Belt Team LOVES selling homes in Waverly. Waverly is a wonderful subdivision of 148 homes in Vienna - near Wolftrap Elementary School and in the Madison High School district. It’s about halfway between the “Heart of Vienna” and Wolftrap Farm Park and is one of Vienna’s most popular “sidewalk” communities.

And it’s where several members of The Belt Team grew up. In fact, 5 of the 8 Belt Team members have lived in Waverly. Remember the days when kids played neighborhood flashlight tag at night and kickball during the day? When kids built tree forts & caught pollywogs in the creek? We certainly do. Because that’s what we did many years ago when we lived in Waverly. Waverly was popular then and it remains popular now. (There’s even a Facebook group called “The Kids of Clachan Court & Waverly Development”.)

Waverly Real Estate Update

Location! Location! Location!

2010-03-03T12:15:00.000-08:00

Most of our posts here have been light-hearted . . . about restaurants and shops and the wonderful people you find in Vienna. But sometimes things happen that make you stop & really get serious. And this week was one of those times.

One of our Belt Team members, Jerry Belt, was admitted to the hospital. Again. We almost lost him last year, but thanks to some miraculous events and the expert care of some of the top medical experts in the country - he's still with us. Those same doctors are doing their magic again. And before we know it, we hope to have Jerry back on his feet.

So this morning when I was thinking about what to post on our Vienna blog today, it hit me. We are blessed to live in the most amazing location for anyone who needs specialized medical care. You can find about any kind of expert you need - physicians and specialists who are often world-renowned. And just about anything you need is within a few minutes drive. No need to spend hours on the road or travel to other cities. It's all here.

I reflected back to when our godson was born. He weighed 1 lb 13 oz. (Yes - that's 1 lb 13 oz - NOT 13 lbs 1 oz!). He was smaller than his father's hand. Our godson is now 16 years old and in perfect health, but he was in the hospital for months - in Fairfax Hospital's special neo-natal unit. Some parents who had babies in the same unit had to drive for hours each day to see their child. But not us.

And I reflected back to when my daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. And to the week we spent at Children's National Medical Center in Washington DC. We learned about how to care for our daughter from the BEST juvenile endocrinologist in the country - Dr. Fran Cogen. All at a location just a short drive from our home. It sure was a lot less stressful for our daughter and for us. And the care she received was top-notch.

I could give you example after example. The accessibility of good medical care is one reason why CNNMoney.com rated Vienna in the Top 20 "Best Places for a Healthy Retirement".

Right now, good medical care may not be of concern to you. But when it becomes important - you'll understand why we love living in Vienna so much.

Happy Anniversary!

2010-03-01T06:32:00.001-08:00

Happy Anniversary to the Town of Vienna. Vienna turned 120 yesterday. Now that's a LOT of candles on a birthday cake!

Open Houses in Vienna This Weekend

2010-02-26T06:38:00.000-08:00

10240 Dunfries Road in Vienna - $889,000
Sunday, Feb 28 from 1PM to 4PM

Francis Young Estates in Vienna - $1,249,900
Sunday, Feb 28 from Noon to 5PM

201 Charles Street SE in Vienna - $1,295,000
Sunday, Feb 28 from 1:30PM to 4PM

Directions and More Information on Open Houses in Vienna

This Week in Vienna Real Estate

2010-02-25T14:21:00.000-08:00

What happened in the Vienna market over the past week? Here are the highlights:

~ More homes went under contract in Vienna this past week than any other week so far this year!

~ Inventory is slightly up. (Spring has sprung in real estate.)

~ Months supply in Vienna is almost down to 3 months.

Click here for a detailed Vienna Oakton market update.

Click here to request an in-depth market update for Vienna - your specific neighborhood (or one you'd like to live in!) - or any Northern Virginia area!

Search the MLS for Vienna homes.

It's A Regular "Who's Who"!

2010-02-18T09:29:00.000-08:00

Where might you find a famous author sitting next to the guy who installed the plumbing when your home was built, sitting next to a retired Redskin, sitting next to a lady in a mink coat, sitting next to the high school baseball coach, sitting next to the owner of a car dealership, sitting next to the guy who bags your groceries, sitting next to a CIA operative, sitting next to a girls soccer team?

Why that would be the VIENNA INN!

In the heart of Northern Virginia, where the first question people often ask you at a cocktail party is "So, what do you DO?", you'll find a place called the Vienna Inn. A place where no one cares what you do or how important you are. A place where people are just happy to make your aquaintance - no matter who you are.

How refreshing!

Don't expect anything fancy when you go. The VI is known for their chili dogs n cheap beer (although they do have a full menu). And it's a true "dive". This year they are celebrating two anniversaries - the 50th Anniversary of the Vienna Inn - and the 10th Anniversary of current ownership by local Marty Volk. Marty's done a number of improvements in the past 10 years - but he didn't mess with the atmosphere - and that's a good thing.

Happy Anniversary VI!

The Vienna Inn . . . just another reason why we love living in Vienna!

It's Not Just Boy Scouts Who Do Good Deeds

2010-02-10T13:29:00.000-08:00

We've been writing this blog for a while - opining about all the "things we love about Vienna" - about the restaurants, the music scene, the great sledding hills, the history & more. The list is really endless and we'll continue to post here about the "things we love about Vienna". But more important than any of those "things" are the PEOPLE of Vienna. They are just good-hearted, grounded, fun-loving, down-to-earth folks who make you happy to know them.

Here's an example of what I'm talking about...

We're currently experiencing record-breaking snowfall, along with high winds.

What was originally being called "Snowmageddon" is now being called a "Blizzaster". And what started out as an adventure, is now turning into something more concerning - especially for older folks who can't get in or out of their homes.

So this week, one of my neighbors asked around for names & addresses of senior citizens that we might know in the area. She then contacted the landscaping company she uses and set the wheels in motion for their crews to clear the driveways of older folks who couldn't do so themselves.

Not only did she follow through on her plan, but she did so anonymously and at her own expense. Like a beautiful Fairy Godmother waving her magic wand. At least that's how I pictured her actions.

Thanks Neighbor! We'll let you remain anonymous, but boy are we are grateful to have neighbors like you!

P.S. This is another one of our neighbors. He qualifies as "fun-loving". Why else would he be out biking in this weather? All we have to say is "SnOMG!"

P.P.S. to our local Boy Scouts who also do good deeds. Congratulations on your 100th Anniversary which you celebrated this week! Don't forget to look for the new Boy Scouts of America Centennial Coin which the U.S. Mint will start producing this month.)

A Small Town in the Big City

2010-02-08T06:27:00.000-08:00

When you live in Vienna, you have access to just about anything & everything you could ever need or want - fabulous restaurants, antique shops, a "real" hardware store, great medical care with some of the top hospitals & specialists in the world not far away, professional sports teams (Go Caps!) & more. You name it - we either have it or can get to it within minutes. After all, we're only about 15 miles from the Nation's Capital.

So sometimes, you don't really think of Vienna as being a small town.

And then - you notice an event announced on the Town of Vienna web site and you remember, "ah yes - we are still a small town". And it makes you smile. (And you kind of feel like maybe we have a secret here that no one knows about.)

Here's the announcement:

"GRAND OPENING CEREMONY TALAHI SIDEWALK - FEB. 10
(new time, see below)

The Town of Vienna cordially invites you to Talahi Sidewalk Grand Opening Ceremony! Bring your school-age children (and their scissors) to help cut the ribbon with the Mayor. February 10, 2010 at 4:00 pm on the sidewalk in front of 206/210 Talahi Road,SE "

We just love Vienna!

UPDATE FROM TOWN OF VIENNA ON FEB 9TH: Due to the weather, the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Talahi Road Sidewalk has been postponed.

Best Sledding Hills in Vienna & What Else To Do When It Snows

2010-02-04T10:18:00.000-08:00

It's coming.

AGAIN.

MORE SNOW!

At least, that's what the weather forecasters say. (And this time I think they will be right!)

Whenever anyone talks about snow, don't you find your mind wandering back to your childhood and remembering all the adventures you had in the snow? We sure do. Some of us on The Belt Team started out life in Southern California. We didn't have much experience with snow in our early days. In fact, we hardly even ever saw rain! I remember traveling to Denver for a wedding once and in order to play in the snow, we had to wrap plastic baggies around our hands & feet because we didn't own gloves or boots (who needed gloves & boots at the beach?!).

38 years ago this month, we moved from California to Vienna. And not long after we arrived, IT SNOWED! Dad bought us our first sled and we immediately set out to enjoy this new world of speed & excitement. We had an old-fashioned Flexible Flyer sled and soon gained a reputation for the fastest sled in Waverly. We'd sled for hours and hours, with brief intermissions for hot chocolate and sustenance, only to head out for more. Night-time sledding was the best.

Those were the days.

Since we're expecting "1 to 2 feet" of snow this weekend (not 1-2 inches like usual), we thought we'd share what we think are the . . .

BEST SLEDDING HILLS IN VIENNA!

6. Clarks Crossing Park

5. Cunningham Park Elementary School

4. Glyndon Park

3. Abbotsford Drive in Waverly

2. The "Bowl" at Wolftrap Farm Park

1. The BIG HILL AT WOLFTRAP - This is the "Daddy of em all"!

So what are your favorite snow memories? And your top spots for sledding? (It all depends on where you live in Vienna, doesn't it?!)

PS - If you start going stir-crazy and need to get out, there's one place in Vienna we have always found open during a snow storm (at least since 1977 when it opened) and that's The Amphora. Even back in the 90's when we had three double-digit snow storms in a several week period, The Amphora stayed open.

PPS - If you need to gather some energy for all that sledding, you may want to go to Jammin Java on Friday Night for "The Benefits of Chocolate". It's a fundraiser for the Stroke Comeback Center in Vienna and starts at 6:30PM. They will have music, "chocolate choices", food, drinks & an art auction with paintings done by local physicians during the evening! (UPDATE: 2PM FEB 5TH - JUST RECEIVED TWEET FROM JAMMIN JAVA - THIS EVENT IS CANCELED DUE TO SNOW)

PPPS - If you dig out by Sunday, come visit one of our open houses in Vienna. Check our real estate blog first for cancellations due to the weather)

~ Sunday, Feb 7th from 1PM to 4PM - 10240 Dunfries Road - $889,000
~ Sunday, Feb 7th from 2PM to 4PM - 201 Charles Street SE - $1,295,000

And now that you know how to keep yourself busy this weekend . . .

LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW! LET IS SNOW!

Weekly Video Update - Vienna Oakton Market

2010-02-02T18:44:00.000-08:00

For those of you who’d rather watch than read, don’t miss our weekly Vienna Oakton Video Market Update with Special Belt Team Correspondent, Ryan R (age 10)! (For those of you who are engineers - charts & graphs are published on The Belt Team's Blog!)

It's Friday Night - What Should I Do?

2010-01-29T10:01:00.001-08:00

If you've always wondered what Jammin Java in Vienna is all about, tonight is a great night to find out!

Jammin Java is ranked in the Top 100 clubs in the world (based on ticket sales and according to Pollstar Magazine). They have all sorts of entertainment there: from folk music to rock music to comedy . . . and even Rocknocerous (for kids!).

It's a small, intimate venue inlcuding a cafe area & concert area -with a full service menu, coffee bar & regular bar.

Tonight you can see The Kennedys perform and also be part of Maura Kennedy's Solo CD Release. They are (used to be) local musicians (now based in NY) who are world travelers and have performed & recorded with Nanci Griffith & a myriad of other well known artists. Pete is an incredible guitar player. And Maura has the voice of an angel. They call their music "folk rock pop". I call it FUN!

Here's a sample:

How Old Is Vienna?

2010-01-28T13:30:00.000-08:00

Well, the Town of Vienna was incorporated in 1890. In fact, we celebrated the Centennial not too long ago and the Town's 120th Anniversary is coming up soon - on February 28th.

But . . . Vienna has much more history than just 120 years!

You may already be aware of some of the historic landmarks in Vienna - like The Freeman House - which at various times served as a home, Civil War hospital, fire house, railroad station & post office and now has a museum and old fashioned "General Store" that is run by Historic Vienna.

But did you know there is a 330 year old oak tree in Vienna? It's believed to be the oldest tree in town and was honored with a ceremony & plaque about 10 years ago. You can find the tree at 802 Marjorie Lane, SE.

Check out these historical markers that are located in Vienna and see if you can figure out where they are.

They mark the graves of Colonel Broadwater and his son & grandson. Captain Broadwater (the Colonel's father) served as the first Sheriff of Fairfax County. Colonel Broadwater was also a Sheriff and Justice of Fairfax County and served with George Washington as a Burgess to the Convention at Williamsburg in 1774.

Do you know where these are? The location is not widely known, but WE KNOW! Feel free to take a guess!

Vienna has all kinds of historical importance. Here's another "factoid" about Vienna from the history of Vienna on The Town of Vienna's web site:

"The fifth skirmish of the war, part of the First Battle of Manassas, took place near the Park Street railroad crossing where the Vienna Community Center now stands. This incident marked the first time in history a railroad was used tactically in battle."

Vienna is not just for gourmets, music lovers and active citizens (see previous posts), it's for history buffs too. Just another reason why we love living in Vienna!

Vienna Real Estate Update From Ryan R!

2010-01-27T11:41:00.000-08:00

For those of you who’d rather watch than read, don’t miss our weekly Vienna Oakton Video Market Update with Special Belt Team Correspondent, Ryan R (age 10)!

Why Do I Love Living in Vienna? Let Me Count The Ways . . .

2010-01-23T09:59:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was another one of those days where I thought to myself more than once, “I love living in Vienna”. How the day started and how the day ended were at two opposite ends of the spectrum. But what they had in common was that living here in Vienna facilitated both activities.

The day started out with an early Metro trip into Washington DC. Since I both live in and work in Vienna, I’m not normally part of the 6AM Rush Hour to town. But it was an easy trip. Only 12 stops, 1 transfer and then we arrived at our destination – the Verizon Center. The Verizon Center is home to the NHL's Capitals, NBA's Wizards, and WNBA's Mystics and also hosts Georgretown basketball & other events like Disney On Ice. But we were there for the Youth Rally and Mass that were the pre-cursor for the Annual March for Life demonstration. Now this post is not meant to be political in any way. I know that this topic is one that people on both sides of the issue feel very strongly about. The point of sharing this is that going in to DC and seeing the tens of thousands of “regular folks” from around the country made me realize how grateful I am that we live in Vienna – just far enough outside the city to enjoy “small town life” and just close enough that I can go there anytime I want to express my political opinions to the leaders of our country. We saw signs and flags from groups of people who had traveled long distances, ridden busses for many hours, just to be able to exercise their constitutional right to assemble – folks from Michigan, Vermont, Florida, Arizona and more. And after the March, they got back on their busses for a LONG ride home. All I had to do was take a 20 minute Metro ride.

I love living in Vienna!

The rest of the day was just a “regular” day – work, work, work. BUT, it was Friday. And this is where Vienna comes in again. One of the great things about our town is that we have an incredible variety of cultural opportunities right here in our backyard. And one of my favorites is The Barns of Wolftrap. The Barns is part of “Wolftrap National Park for the Performing A rts”. The initial 53 acres of land for this park was originally purchased (and later donated) by Catherine Shouse for $5,300 ( don’t you wish you could buy land around here for $100 an acre!) and she named the farm “Wolf Trap Farm”. From late May to early September each year, people enjoy the outdoor amphitheatre known as the “Filene Center”. (People like us who have grown up here just call this “Wolftrap”.) The Filene Center seats about 7,000 people. The Barns, on the other hand, is an intimate facility that probably only seats about 200 people. It is made up of two 18th century barns that were restored & rebuilt using only 18th century methods with hand -hewn beams & panels. It’s simply gorgeous and the acoustics are phenomenal.

So back to last night. We hadn’t been to the Barns in a while, so a few weeks ago we picked out 3 music groups we had never seen before, sent an email out to several friends (2 of whom are musicians who have performed at The Barns themselves) and asked for a recommendation. The name that got the most votes was Paul Cebar & The Milwaukeeans. So we bought tickets. The web site described the music as “"Afro-Caribbean, Afro-pop, and conjunto music, as well as the sounds of New Orleans, Motown, Memphis, New York and, yes, Milwaukee.” We've only ever met one person from Milwaukee LOL, so we didn’t quite know what to expect.

Well, it turned out to be a BLAST! Instead of setting the space up with rows of seats, The Barns was set up for a “general admission dance” – with the entire main floor free for dancing and seats available in the balcony so you could watch the show (or better yet the people – check out these folks who came “decked” out for the occasion - notice the hats!)

The band was fantabulous, very talented and so much fun. Great rhythms (thanks to both a drummer and percussionist) and they never stopped between songs (except for a quick intermission which we ALL needed after so much dancing!)

We met a ton of really nice people – most of whom have followed the band for years. But none of them were from Vienna. So after the show, when they got back in their cars to drive home to Arlington, Springfield, Silver Spring, DC, etc…we thanked our lucky stars again that we live in Vienna and only had to drive a couple of miles to get home.

I LOVE VIENNA!

PS – If you’re looking for a good show to see at The Barns, a very talented friend of ours (Deeme Katson) is singing with Grammy Award winning local artist Jon Carroll on March 5th. Tickets are still available.

Here's what they sound like:

YES WE CAN CAN--Jon Carroll Live

Jon Carroll MySpace Music Videos

New Weekly Update Video!

2010-01-22T12:34:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Ryan R, Special Correspondent for The Belt Team!

Hope you enjoy this quick 2 minute video update on the Vienna Oakton market.