Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in McLean. Reach the office at 703-790-9090.
Quite possibly my favorite weekend to be a Vienna resident happens on Memorial Day weekend (May 25-27) — ViVa Vienna!
The event spans both sides of Church Street from Lawyers Road to Mill Street, from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. (until 6 p.m. on Monday). You’ll find rides and games for kids, all the fair food you can eat, live music and entertainment. On Sunday and Monday you’ll also see Church Street lined with booths/vendors.
My family ends up going at least 2 days because it’s so much fun and my kids love it! Here’s are some tips to help you enjoy the wonderful chaos ViVa Vienna brings!
- If you’re not a fan of crowds, go on Saturday before the vendors set up. It’s a little calmer, a little less crowded and you’ll end up coming home with less “stuff” that people like to grab as the vendors give away freebies.
- Check out the Entertainment Lineup ahead of time if you’re looking for a specific performance group (Vienna Singing Princess are a fan favorite — they do face painting at this event as well).
- Parking is a nightmare! You can use one of the shuttle services provided or try to park near Vienna Elementary/Center Street. Park on the south side of Maple Avenue and walk across.
- There are plenty of port-o-potties setup for bathroom use all over Church Street/Mill Street.
- Bring cash to pay for ride tickets (get a free one here). The line is always shorter if you can pay with cash instead of credit.
- The event is held rain or shine!
- The event made the Cooking Chanel Carnival Eats Episode, highlighting the pierogis and crab dip.
- Follow ViVa Vienna on Facebook to get updated on special events (like the Caps!).
Welcome to New Homes, a monthly column highlighting the new construction real estate market, written by Conor Sullivan and Dave Moya of Three Stones Residential at Keller Williams Realty. We are here to share our experience and expertise in lot acquisition, financing and construction of custom homes.
First, we need to understand who the top builders and influencers are that are reshaping our communities…
Deciding to build your own custom home does not need to be scary, nor does it have to be stressful. However, it does mean you will have to make a ton of decisions from insulation type to lighting fixtures, door trim, and dozens of other areas. That is why finding the 3 “R” are critical to success and happiness when building a new home.
Right Builder, Right Time, Right Lot. Let’s continue to meet some of the top builders in NOVA with experience building quality homes for clients every year.
Meet The Builder: Matt Rzepkowski of MR Project Management.
What differentiates you from other builders?
When you build a home with MR, you build a home with me personally. I live in the area and I visit every room of every house every day. We’ve built over one hundred homes in the Arlington, McLean and Falls Church areas, the vast majority of which were built using the same subcontractors with whom we’ve partnered with for over a decade.
Consistency, attention to detail, and personal customer service are the hallmarks of MR.
How many homes have you completed in the last 12 months?
We built 27 spec and custom homes last year. The business has grown steadily since its inception and we attribute that to providing a great home for our clients and also providing over the top customer service. We have done limited marketing over time and almost all of our custom clients and sales come from existing customer referrals.
How long have you been building homes and how many people work on your team?
I am a third generation home builder and both my dad and grandfather were custom homebuilders, so at some level I have been building and working in the industry my whole life. After college I worked for a national homebuilder and went through their training program for a couple years before moving over to the custom home side.
Today, the MR team consists of eight people and almost everyone on the team I have known or they have been working with me in some capacity since I started building custom homes fifteen years ago.
What counties have you built in?
Arlington and Fairfax County, but within Fairfax we really just build in McLean and the Falls Church area. We try to keep all of our projects to about a five mile radius so that we can visit each project multiple times a day and spend most of our time onsite and with clients as opposed to in the truck driving between projects.
What is the most popular model you build?
Everything we build is custom for each individual client and site and we do not have standardized models. However, there are certain design and build concepts that carry through to all of our homes including detailed craftsman trim work, a great kitchen design, spectacular master bedrooms and spa like baths, large rec rooms in the basement and a flex room on the main floor that doubles as a home office, playroom or additional bedroom.
Here are some current homes that MR Project Management has on the market:
Three Stones Residential specializes in matching home owners with the right builder and lot location. If you have any questions about new homes or builders that you’d like us to highlight please email us at [email protected].
Three Stones Residential agents pride ourselves on our consultative service approach, local expertise and real estate market knowledge. With over 26 years of business experience in the DMV, we have consistently performed in the top 2% of local Realtors and are currently the #1 group at Keller Williams Metro Center.
8399 Westpark Drive, Mclean
1 BR/1 BA
Agent: The Mayhood Company
Listed: $511,000
Open: Sunday 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
1724 Pine Valley Drive, Vienna
5 BR/2.5 BA
Agent: Redfin Corporation
Listed: $770,000
Open: Saturday 1-4 p.m.
8526 West Oak Place, Vienna
4 BR/ 3.5 BA
Agent: Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc
Listed: $859,999
Open: Sunday 2-4 p.m.
1634 Montmorency Drive, Vienna
3 BR/3 BA
Agent: Redfin Corporation
Listed: $870,000
Open: Sunday 2-4 p.m.
7219 Hyde Road, Falls Church
5 BR/4 BA
Agent: Compass
Listed: $1,075,000
Open: Sunday 1-4 p.m.
853 Shady Drive SE, Vienna
6 BR/4.5 BA
Agent: McEnearney Associates, Inc
Listed: $1,325,000
Open: Sunday 2-4 p.m.
Our role is to offer sound advice and guidance to our clients in order for them to achieve their goals in either buying, selling, leasing or managing real estate. We are truly “Your Home… for Everything Real Estate.” To schedule a private showing of these or any other properties of interest please do not hesitate to contact us here or email us at [email protected].
Vienna may be going through changes, but in some ways, life in The Italian Gourmet Deli (505 Maple Avenue W.) isn’t that different from when it opened in 1974.
Jeremy and Margaret Schottler are the owners of The Italian Gourmet. Jeremy bought it in 1995, having grown up in Vienna and worked in the deli throughout high school and college. He married Margaret in 2005, and shortly after, she began working at the business.
“The area has changed a lot since then,” Margaret said. “It’s a lot busier. We make frozen entrees, and once they were not big sellers, but now people really want them.”
Margaret said the shift is representative of a larger change in the town. When The Italian Gourmet started, Margaret said it was known as the place to get specialty Italian food at a time when Vienna — and Northern Virginia as a whole — were still very much viewed as part of the South.
“Everyone would spend their Sundays making marinara sauce and they’d come here for supplies,” she said.
While the quick-bites have become increasingly popular, the specialty side of the gourmet remains active from hand-rolled balls of mozzarella to basil from a nearby hydroponic farmer. Margaret said the deli even uses the same recipe and tomato base for their marinara as they always have.
One of the biggest changes over the last few years was the Schottlers opening Molly’s Yogurt, a frozen yogurt and gelato spot just a few doors down in the same shopping center. The location had been a framing store underneath overflow spaces owned by the Schottlers.
The framing store closed in the middle of the recession in 2010, but with frozen yogurt on the rise, Margaret said the family saw potential. Molly’s Yogurt — named after their daughter — opened that year and is basically an extension of the deli, sometimes using the same tools or kitchen.
In both locations, Margaret said they know most of their customers by name and enjoy answering questions people have about the deli and gelato.
“If people are making an effort to go out to shop, they want an experience,” said Margaret. “That’s what we will always provide — what chains aren’t able to.”
If you stop by the deli, Margaret recommends the Roman Sandwich, a collection of traditional cold cut meats loaded with lettuce, tomatoes, peppers and more onto a 7-inch sub roll. Or if you swing by the frozen yogurt-gelato spot, Margaret said there’s plenty of options, but nothing beats classic chocolate.
Editor’s Note: This biweekly column is sponsored by Dominion Wine and Beer (107 Rowell Court, Falls Church). This week’s Guide is written by Arash Tafakor of Dominion Wine and Beer.
On Friday May 3 at 5 p.m. our friends at Väsen are releasing their canned beer for the first time!
Väsen Brewing started making their brew in Richmond, Virginia in 2017. Since then they have focused on “combining the experimental spirit that defines American craft beer with the rustic and funky flavors of Belgian farmhouse and sour ales.”
Their inaugural run of three beers will be available Thursday at the brewery — first spot to retail is right here at Dominion on Friday. The ultra-fresh new cans, days young, dropped at our door!
Available in cans by mid afternoon Friday are:
Nörse Double IPA
“This double-dry-hopped 8% ABV DIPA was conditioned on Citra, Mosaic and Amarillo hops to produce a complex, well-rounded hop character with hints of grapefruit, tangerine and pine. Traditional Norwegian Kveik yeast from a farm in northern Norway contribute complex aromas of orange peel, peach and white pepper, which combine with rich brown sugar and honey to balance this moderately bitter farmhouse-style ale.”
Guava Otter
“A Virginia Craft Beer Cup award winner. This funky, 5.5% ABV sour ale was conditioned on guava to impart bold tropical flavors. Salty. Sour. Delicious.”
Läger
5.1% ABV, malty, smooth and delicious. Our European-style lager combines the finest malts from the U.S. and Belgium with noble German hops to create a refreshing golden draught with a remarkably clean finish.”
On tap Friday by 5 p.m. All 3 can release beers, plus:
- Northern Equinox Hazy IPA
- Hefeweizen
- Mango Tango Otter Mango/Tangerine Gose
- Whiskery Walrus Buffalo Trace BA Stout
Come out Friday, grab some ultra fresh cans, enjoy a great list of drafts and hang for happy hour or dinner! We’ll be the exclusive retail spot with these cans through the weekend. Cheers to Väsen and their inaugural canning run!
For more info on Väsen, check out their Facebook page and website.
Just a month shy of its 10-year-anniversary, a kids’ clothing boutique named Wee Chic recently opened its first Virginia store in the Mosaic District.
Rewinding to when it all began, owner Bridget Quinn Stickline told Tysons Reporter that she started Wee Chic after struggling to find clothing she liked for her daughter, who was then a baby. “A retailer alert went off [in my head] — this is a void in the market. There’s opportunity here,” she said.
Stickline, who has worked in the garment industry and is a self-described “fabric-phile,” knew she wanted ethical fashion with a modern approach that she could buy in boutiques.
Fast forward to present day and Wee Chic sells appropriate kids’ clothing that parents can have a hard time finding, she said.
“Fashion forward and mom approved” is how Stickline describes the shop’s offerings, which include clothing for girls’ sizes from newborn up to size 16 and for boys from newborn up to size 8, along with toys and books. (Food-printed clothing, like sushi and tacos, are popular right now, she said.)
Originally based in the Baltimore-area, Wee Chic has a newly opened Mosaic District shop, which was formerly the location of Dawn Price Baby — another local kids’ boutique that started shuttering its stores last year after 15 years in business.
Stickline said that she heard about Price’s plan to retires and signed the lease for the space in March just a few months after Price’s lease ended.
“We saw that as a sign for us to make a move into Northern Virginia,” Stickline said, adding that she likes the variety of restaurants and mix of national chains and small businesses that call the Mosaic District home.
She says she hasn’t had any customers confuse the two shops, since the decor and merchandising “feel very different” from Dawn Price Baby.
Wee Chic embraces the individuality, fun and the flexibility that comes from being a small business, Stickline said.
She has embraced recent push in the industry toward selling gender-bending — not be confused with gender neutral — clothes and toys. “We’re seeing dinosaurs on girls’ clothing. Why didn’t this happen 10 years ago?” Stickline said, adding that she’s excited about how retailers are starting to think differently about gender.
Wee Chic is also unique in its refusal to sell products online — a move that might be surprising in an e-commerce age, but one that Stickline says creates in-person experiences that shoppers can’t replicate online. “For us, it’s about the human connection,” Stickline said. “We get to know clients really well.”
Even in “Age of Amazon” as Stickline calls it, the boutique sees returning customers — “the Wee Chic Squad” — that allows Stickline to watch kids grow up.
“Kids come into our store and it’s their favorite store,” she said, adding that parents will bring their kids shopping there as a reward. “That’s a really cool feeling to create a space that kids love.”
Now age 12, Stickline’s daughter has outgrown Wee Chic, but has picked up her mom’s entrepreneurial spirit, Stickline said. “She was the original Wee Chic.”
Photo courtesy via Wee Chic
Welcome to Luxury For Less, a weekly column highlighting the best deals in luxury real estate. Written by Brandy Schantz of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty, Luxury For Less offers tips and tricks navigating the competitive real estate market and securing the home of your dreams. To learn more, visit ttrsir.com.
If you’ve been waiting to buy because the market is just too hot, now is a good time to put your toes in the water.
The market has softened just a bit and inventory has increased. This week saw 241 new homes come on the market in the Tysons area (McLean, Vienna, Falls Church, Great Falls). Inventory in Fairfax County is up almost 50% from this time last year. It’s still a seller’s market but it’s a bit friendlier to buyers going into May than it was going into April.
I’m often asked about new builds in the Town of Vienna. Vienna is a great place to live. It’s walkable to many shops and restaurants and features family activities throughout the year. The new build homes are becoming quite expensive though.
Depending on where you live (Vienna is divided into quadrants), a new home can cost $1.5M to nearly $3M. Homes that are just a bit older sell for considerably less. Craftsman and Farmhouse style homes are very popular but Colonials are still a staple for the D.C. metro area.
If you want to live in Vienna and live in a home with considerable size, consider a home just a few years older. This colonial is in the Town of Vienna and features nearly 6,000 sq. ft. on 3 levels:
1003 Cottage Street SW Vienna (Reduced $59,800)
Check out all this week’s Luxury for Less listings here:
- 737 Ridge Drive McLean (Reduced $30,000)
- 1003 Cottage Street SW Vienna (Reduced $59,800)
- 10420 Van Patten Lane Great Falls (Reduced $45,000)
- 8702 Old Dominion Drive McLean (Reduced $70,000)
- 7004 River Oaks Drive McLean (Reduced $300,000)
- 2050 Crossing Gate Way Vienna (Reduced $50,100)
The properties listed are a small selection of properties available in the Tyson’s Corner area. For a full list of properties listed on MLS and private exclusives, please contact Brandy Schantz.
As Tysons grows, Fairfax County officials say the plan is for the small Raglan Road Park between Tysons and Vienna to be repurposed into “active recreation uses.”
Currently, Fairfax County Park Authority owns 11.82 acres of Raglan Road Park, a forested area adjacent to the Old Courthouse Spring Branch Stream Valley. The area recently saw some construction with the opening of the new Vesper Trail, but more amenities could be on the way.
David Bowden, director of the Park Planning and Development Division, said the park is one of the only properties the Park Authority owned prior to the widespread redevelopment of Tysons.
“Expansion of that park property is an area identified as [a priority] to support Tysons,” Bowden said.
“What we need in Tysons is an athletic field,” Bowden added. “We need multi-use spaces for basketball or tennis courts, or even pickleball now.”
Raglan Road Park and the Freedom Hill Park to the south are both identified in the 2014 Tysons Park System Conception Plan as locations for some active recreation facilities. According to the plan:
The park is mostly forested upland, with a small clearing of about half an acre. Raglan Road Park is contiguous with the Old Courthouse Spring Branch Stream Valley, though the park does not have any regulatory Resource Protection Area (RPA) land on it. Prior to construction of any recreational uses at Raglan Road Park, additional land will need to be acquired to complete the park. This is due to the irregular shape of the park, and the land area needed to construct facilities.
But Judy Pedersen, public information officer for the Park Authority, noted that active recreation uses don’t have to be incompatible with preserving natural spaces.
“There are combinations uses of active natural areas and streams,” said Pedersen. “The urban park model tries to do a little bit of both. But the reality is we do need active recreation facilities in this area.”
Any moves towards redeveloping the park as an active space are still in the formative stages. As part of their proffers for The View project, the Clemente Development Company plans to contribute $750,000 to construct an athletic field at Raglan Road Park.
Pedersen said that other priorities for creating active use spaces in the area include trails to connect to nearby neighborhoods and playgrounds.
“This is all very conceptual,” said Bowden. “It all depends on how much land we ultimately acquire as part of that park. But eventually, it’s going to be more than it is today. It will provide for the park network in Tysons.”
Photo via Facebook
Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in McLean. Reach the office at 703-790-9090.
This Saturday, May 4, is the opening weekend for the Vienna Farmers Market at the Community Center.
The market opens at 8 a.m. and goes until noon. Remember that dogs are not allowed at the market unless they’re service dogs. The market has fruit, veggies, meat, fish, flowers, eggs, pastries, breads and prepared foods. Usually on hand are also musicians with live music, a face painter and sometimes even the Vienna Singing Princesses.
You can buy breakfast and watch some baseball games at Waters Field, head into the community center and play some basketball, or even walk over to the Vienna Elementary playground and let the kids run around.
If you’re looking for another way to support local businesses and do some shopping, the Vienna Mom’s group is hosting a Vendor Fair at the community center from 3-5 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. I will be there if you want to come meet me in person, or visit one of the other retailers listed in the graphic below.
On Friday, May 3 from 8 a.m.-12 p.m. you can stop by the McLean farmers market which opens for the season as well!
The market is held at Lewinsville Park and you can find a full list of vendors here. Only service dogs are allowed here as well. Lewinsville Park has a bunch of fields, when not being used by soccer or baseball, there are also basketball and tennis courts.
Don’t forget the Falls Church farmers market is also Saturday morning from 8 a.m.-12 p.m. year round. You can find a full list of vendors here, but a huge shout out to the almond croissants at this market! So good!
This is a sponsored column by attorneys John Berry and Kimberly Berry of Berry & Berry, PLLC, an employment and labor law firm located in Northern Virginia that specializes in federal employee, security clearance, retirement and private sector employee matters.
By John V. Berry, Esq.
We represent employees in Virginia who have been fired from their employment. Sometimes, our representation involves claims against the employer and/or negotiations and other times it involves the issue of how they obtain a new position in light of their termination.
The following are 7 tips to consider if an employee ever finds themselves in this particular situation.
Handle Termination Day Calmly
When an employee is terminated, it can be an extreme shock. Sometimes the reasons are known, sometimes the employee is specifically informed about the underlying issues, and other times they really cannot figure out why. In any case, it is very important to handle termination day with as much grace as possible.
Be calm, follow any reasonable instructions and be polite as you leave. Doing so will help the former employee in the future when they are applying for other work. We have represented many employees where termination day ended up badly and the employer made additional notes in their personnel record or even contacted the police.
If Wrongful Termination is Potentially Involved, Obtain Legal Advice
When an employee has been fired, it is important for them to consider all of their options. If there has been a potential illegal action taken by the employer against the employee (e.g. firing the employee for whistleblowing or based on illegal discrimination) it is important to get legal advice about whether or not to pursue any legal options about the termination.
If a wrongful termination exists, there may be ways for an attorney to resolve the matter with the company in a way that makes the employee more readily employable.
Where Appropriate File for Unemployment Compensation
If an employee is terminated unjustly, it can be worth it for them to apply for unemployment compensation while they are finding a new position. Sometimes, employers decline to object to compensation or fail to show up at such hearings. In many cases, employees can be awarded unemployment compensation even if they have been fired.
Prepare an Updated Resume
When an individual who has been fired starts the job search, it is important to work on their resume. Even though the individual has been terminated, it is important to update their resume and list all of their experience and any skills or education gained from the past employer. The sooner this is done, the quicker the ability to rebound becomes.
Write a Note to the Former Supervisor
While this may be difficult, writing a thank you note to a former supervisor can go a long way to mitigating what they may say to another employer. This can be difficult, especially if the employee was treated unfairly, but it can pay significant dividends in terms of future employability. Many supervisors, even if they fire an employee will feel some guilt in doing so.
If an employee responds with a kind letter to them, it can go a long way in mitigating any bad feelings. I find that when terminated employees take this step, many former supervisors will provide them recommendations when they apply for other positions.
Use Other Contacts as References if Needed
Sometimes a supervisor will not provide a reference for your prior employment. In that case, it is important to find others who can potentially vouch for an employee’s service during their prior employment.
For example, sometimes a former supervisor who is no longer with the employer is willing to provide a positive recommendation. In other instances, former co-workers can sometimes provide a recommendation as well.
Practice Job Interviews
When trying to get a new position after being fired, it is important to practice interview skills. It is also particularly important to be able to explain the termination if need be, and to provide other references. It is usually good advice to stay away from sounding defensive or vindictive toward the former employer in explaining the reasons for termination.
A calm and neutral explanation of the termination is usually the best strategy. However, practicing the delivery is very important.
Take an Interim Job if Necessary
Sometimes, when a termination is based on difficult facts for the former employee, it can be important to take a less than ideal employment position to bridge the gap from the termination.
Basically, in this type of situation, the employee takes a position that either doesn’t pay as much as they are used to or where they are overqualified in order to have a current position on their resume as they apply to their ideal position later. This often alleviates or minimizes future concerns from the prior termination.
Conclusion
If you are in need of employment law advice or representation, please contact our office at 703-668-0070 or through our contact page to schedule a consultation. Please also visit and like us on Facebook or Twitter.
