Ask Val: Living In Mosaic

This regularly-scheduled sponsored Q&A column is written by Val Sotillo, Northern Virginia-based Realtor and Falls Church resident. Please submit your questions to her via email for response in future columns. Enjoy!

Question: Can you tell me more about Mosaic District? What housing options are available within walking distance?

Answer: The Mosaic District is a new urban neighborhood. It’s lively and vibrant, and no matter how often I am there, I always notice something new going on. It’s definitely one of my favorite neighborhoods and hangout spots. You really have everything there at the convenience of your fingertips.

Here’s why I’m a big fan:

Great Location — It’s perfectly situated where Route 50, 66 and the Beltway meet. The Dunn Loring Metro station is only 1 mile away, and you can be in D.C. in 25 minutes. You can drive to Tysons in less than 10 minutes. There’s free garage parking and when they have big events, they offer a free shuttle to the metro.

Environmentally Friendly — Mosaic’s architecture is much more contemporary than is typically found in Northern Virginia, with more flat roofs, glass and steel. The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, one of the most popular green building certification programs used worldwide) for Neighborhood Development pilot project is LEED-Silver certified; and all of the townhomes were built to LEED for Homes standards. Several of the District’s buildings also have green roofs.

Activities and Shopping — So convenient! From unique boutiques to Target, fitness studios, spas and salons, Mom’s Organic Market, banks, furniture stores, coffee shops, bars, a brewery and lots of restaurants for either a quick bite or a nice date. Check out my favorite spots: Sisters Thai, True Food Kitchen for brunch, B Side for amazing drinks, Sea Pearl has the best happy hour deal and Caboose Commons with their awesome dog friendly patio. You can see the full directory here.

The Angelika Film Center is a multiscreen cinema with reserved seating, a coffee shop, full bar, gourmet snacks and great digital projection and sound technology. There’s also a giant screen on the front of the theater facing the park, where people can watch family films for free.

Strawberry Park is usually where most of the outdoor activities are held. The turf is made of recycled components and it requires no water or chemicals. Outdoor activities include yoga, Lululemon run club, seasonal festivals and Farmer’s Market. See what’s on their schedule here.

Housing

There are many different options from detached homes, townhomes and condos. I did a search within 0.75 miles from the Mosaic District and there are only nine properties for sale, ranging from a 1 bedroom condo for $245,000, to a 6 bedroom single family home for $1,195,000. You can see the active listings here.

Eighteen properties are under contract, ranging from a 1 bedroom condo at $180,000, to a 4 bedroom townhouse built in 2015 at $899,900.

In the past 6 months, 68 condos were sold for a median price of $365,000; 16 townhouses were sold for a median price of $714,450; and 2 single family homes sold for a median price of $707,000 (they were built in the 1960’s).

What’s Next for Mosaic District?

Their final 2 apartment buildings just added 50,000 sq. ft. of more retail and restaurant.

According to the Washington Business Journal, a low-rise retail center next to Merrifield’s Mosaic District could soon be redeveloped to include hundreds of multifamily units. Retail Properties of America is planning a $100M redevelopment of the Fairfax Plaza shopping center that could total 1M sq. ft. and include 626 multifamily units, plus office and retail.

If you’d like more information, or would like a question answered in my weekly column, please reach out to [email protected]. I hope to hear from you soon.

Val Sotillo is a licensed Realtor in Virginia, Washington D.C., and Maryland with Real Living At Home, 2420 Wilson Blvd #101 Arlington, VA 22201, 703-390-9460.