Neighborhood Expert: How Vienna Welcomes New Residents and Supports Local Businesses

Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in Vienna. You can follow Laura on Instagram at @LauraSchwartzRealtor or her Facebook page. Laura can be reached at 703-283-6120 or [email protected].

You may not know there is a Vienna Business Association, which is basically a chamber of commerce. The group has monthly meetings, speaker series, weekly e-blasts, monthly mixers and helps sponsor local events, like ViVa Vienna and Oktoberfest. They are currently a discount of 20% of your first year, which includes lots of free advertising opportunities for members.

One of the things the VBA does that I absolutely adore is they mail (or, pre-COVID, drop off) a “welcome bag” to new town residents once a month. This program started about two years ago, and the CBA includes offers on discounted items like coffee, ice cream, bundt cakes, accounting services, massages, hair salons, dental services, oil changes, home improvement and design services, and more. It’s a great way for new residents to learn about the Vienna businesses.

If you’re thinking of joining the VBA, you can find them online or by phone at 571-550-2483. The woman who runs the VBA, Peggy James, is delightful, and you can always find her around town supporting local restaurants and shops. It’s a true “shop small, support local” group.