One of Tysons’ oldest remaining restaurants could be demolished to make way for a new residential development.

An application submitted to the Fairfax County Department of Planning and zoning this summer proposes replacing J.R.’s Stockyards Inn, a two-story restaurant that’s occupied 8130 Watson Street for the last 40 years, with a new large-scale residential development. According to the application:

“After many years of successful community restaurant services, it is time to advance the transformation of this part of Tysons by pursuing a new vision for the Subject Property for future generations.”

The residential mixed-use building proposed for the site, designed by KGD Architecture, would consist of adjoining 11-story and 23-story towers. According to the application, the new building would be part of an ongoing effort to revitalize the older retail-commercial area near the Tysons Corner Center mall and set a precedent for future redevelopment in the area.

According to the architect’s website, the project would include 291 luxury apartments, 5,300 square feet of ground floor non-residential uses, and a 200-seat children’s theater. The proposal says the new building will also have three levels of below-grade parking and one level of podium parking.

J.R.’s Stockyards Inn, one of the first restaurants in Tysons to open outside of Tysons Corner Center mall, closed its daily restaurant operations in 2011 to focus on banquet and catering operations.

The proposal is currently under review by Fairfax County government staff and no hearing for the project has been scheduled so far.

If you didn’t know it was there, it would be easy to miss the 1st Stage Theater.

The entrance is at the end of a long walkway over a garage and a new salsa/bachatta nightclub at 1524 Spring Hill Rd. But despite the humble appearance, for the last ten years has held the distinction of being Tysons’ only professional theater and one of the few arts venues in an area that can sometimes seem like a cultural vacuum.

Like the rest of Tysons, 1st Stage Theater has been finding an identity and working through growing pains.

The theater’s director, Alex Levy, took over the company four years ago. From the moment he walked in, Levy said he was in love with the location. Levy said the black box theater offers a large enough stage to produce shows of a grand scale, but is also close enough to its audience for a level of intimacy. But for the region, Tysons is still the frontier when it comes to arts and culture.

“It’s great being part of the [Washington D.C.] theater community, but it’s a challenge being at the edge of that,” said Levy.

Levy, who had previously worked in theater in Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago, said that before he moved here, there were people who tried to warn him away.

“People tried to warn me that it was a suburban community,” said Levy. “There’s this idea that art can only exist in the urban centers. But I think this shows that that’s not the case. I don’t think there’s anything we can’t do here.”

According to Levy, the theater has been growing in attendance by 15 percent year after year, but that’s starting to have its own challenges as well.

“We’re in a position where we’re starting to feel the limitations of our capacity here,” said Levy. “We have conversations all the time about what the next home might look like. We’re not leaving Tysons, and while we want to expand, we want to maintain that intimacy. But here, there’s a lot of things behind the stage we need to expand. “

Some of those constraints have become most palpable with the theater’s most recent production. Last week, “A Civil War Christmas”, directed by Deidra LaWan Starnes, opened at the theater. With a cast of 12 actors playing 48 characters, the play is ambitious for a black-box theater without any wings and a dining-room sized green room.

“We need better rehearsal rooms, we need more bathrooms, and we would love to be in a more high visibility area,” said Levy.

The theater has made some expansions, like a new rehearsal space they moved into next door to the black-box theater that allows the company to rehearse the next play while one is still being performed. There’s also costuming and storage space, but these are short term fixes for what Levy recognizes is a longer term challenge of the theater’s location.

But Levy said the script, written by Pulitzer Prize winner Paula Vogel, about disparate people coming together in a time of strife, was a message he thought was very relevant. Despite the challenges the scope of the play presented, Levy said he felt it was important for the theater to attempt.

“One thing that we always ask is ‘What does it mean to do this show at this time and this place?'” said Levy.

Next year, the 1st Stage Theater’s season is scheduled to continue in the spring with “The Brothers Size,” a play by life on the bayou by Tarell Alvin McCraney, the writer of “Moonlight.” Later that year, the company is scheduled to perform “columbinus,” a play about the Columbine High School shooting.

A “Civil War Christmas” also faced another challenge the week before its opening. Markus Williams, the musical director for production, died on Monday the week before opening night. The cause of his death is still being determined.

“Markus came to the theater as a musician,” said Levy. “This was his second time directing music for a play. He was always excited, and since it was all new there were no rules for him. He would play around with choral parts and he has a very staid personality that allowed for some exciting improvisation.”

There’s a photograph of Williams with a plaque honoring him in the lobby.

Every week the Eli Residential Group scours our network for off-market and pre-market homes to give home buyers and investors access to properties they can’t find anywhere else online. If you are interested in a property you see here or have specific needs you cannot find on the market, please reach out to us at [email protected] to talk to a real person, not an automated response system.

If you are a homeowner, investor, builder or agent who would like your off-market or pre-market property featured for a half million local readers on PoPville, ARLnow or Tysons Reporter, please email us at [email protected].

Massive Condo in Gates of West Falls
7025 Haycock Road, Unit G
Falls Church, VA 22043

Description: Huge 2 bedroom, 2.5 bath condo with 2 garage spaces. 2036 sq. ft. with floor to ceiling windows, updated bathrooms, gas fireplace and a huge patio. Renovations by Case Design.
Price: Low $600’s
Courtesy of RLAH Real Estate

To view all of our off-market or pre-market properties, visit the off-market section of our website. We add new properties every week.

The Eli Residential Group is a real estate team with RLAH Real Estate, (703) 390-9460, operating in Virginia, Washington, D.C. and Maryland. Contact the team directly at [email protected].

Whether you’re actively looking for work or just idly browsing what’s around the area, there’s a bevy of new job postings around the area from corporate directors to start-up interns.

Alarm.com, a technology company in Tysons that provides home protection systems, is looking for new talent. The jobs listed range from positions requiring several years in their respective fields to relatively entry level internships. The company is looking to hire the following:

• Talent acquisition specialist
• Manager of revenue operations
• Business analyst
• Business development associate
• Technical account associate
• Field technical account representative
• International technical support associate
• Test analyst
• Data analyst and video logistics specialist
• UX/UI designer
• Sales operations specialist
• Program manager international
• Product manager
• Product management – hardware and integration
• Product management associate
• Product management intern
• Management development program intern

Other recent job postings around the area include:

• Director of Associate Engagement and Culture at Capital One — the director would focus on improving associate engagement, culture, and organizational effectiveness. The position requires a bachelor’s degree of military experience, with 10 years of experience in process or project management, at least two years leading employee engagement projects, and five years managing direct reports.
• Engagement Editor for Military Times — the engagement editor would help editorial teams maximize the impact of their content on digital platforms. The engagement editor would be deeply involved in story creation and the decision making of the editorial teams. In addition to a bachelor’s degree and two years experience working in social media, the media organization is looking for a candidate who can “speak” in military terms.
• Sales manager at Eddie V’s — responsible for building business for the Eddie V’s, a seafood and stead restaurant, through direct and indirect sales. The manager would also work with partners to oversee events. The positions pays $55,000 to $65,000 a year and requires at least one year managing in a restaurant, hotel, retail or general business, with two years in restaurant management preferred.
• Part-time customer service specialist for Gallop A.I. — the specialist would be responsible for working with business travelers and customers for Gallop A.I., a Tysons startup that uses artificial intelligence to manage business trips. The pay is $15-$20 per hour.
• Fashion Advisor for Chanel — the advisor would provide fashion advice to clients, helping to drive retention, revenue, and brand loyalty.

Photo via Alarm.com

Christmas is just a couple weeks away, so it’s time to stop procrastinating and go out and grab a tree.

In Vienna, the Lions Club is selling a variety of trees outside the Walgreens (225 Maple Ave W) in Vienna.

Prices range from $55 for Fraser firs under 9 feet tall or “giant” firs for $100. Other Christmas accessories like wreaths, pine roping, coloring books and cans of Virginia peanuts are also on sale.

Trees can be purchased between 2-8 p.m. during week days, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. on Saturdays, or 10 a.m.-8 p.m. on Sundays.

Those in Vienna could also shop at the Optimist Club of Greater Vienna’s Christmas Tree Sale at 359 Maple Ave E, outside of the Giant grocery store. All profits go towards supporting students in local schools.

Sale hours for the Optimist Club’s sale are 2-8 p.m. during weekdays, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. on Saturdays, or 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on Sundays.

Two churches in McLean are also hosting Christmas tree sales.

The Saint John Academy’s Christmas Tree Sale is located in the parking lot in front of the St. John the Beloved Catholic Church at 6422 Linway Terrace. In addition to trees, the sale will include wreaths and garlands.

The Trinity United Methodist Church at 1205 Dolley Madison Blvd is also selling Christmas trees in the church lot.

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: Is there any new development within walking distance from the Vienna Metro?

Answer: Metro Row at Vienna station is a great option, located just south of the Vienna/Fairfax GMU Metro station.

Built by NVR Inc., it’s a 16-acre community with 141 luxury townhomes. They started Phase One in 2016, and they currently are on Phase Two, with expected delivery date for May/June 2019. There are only 18 home sites still available.

The Homes

Metro Row has been a favorite community for our clients because they deliver a spacious, luxury new townhouse at a great value. Now that they’re well into construction on the second (and last) phase, I thought it would be a good time to check in on what’s left and tour their latest models. Here’s what I like:

• Sizes vary from 2,283 to 2,695 sq. ft. and they accommodate up to 4 bedrooms and 3 and a half bathrooms. The first level can either be an in-law suit or a family room. Very practical use of space.
• My favorite units have access from the main level to a covered back porch with gas fireplace and private backyard. They are great for entertaining!
• The powder room in the model home had a glass tile accent wall and I think that’s an awesome idea you can also apply to the other bathrooms. See video below!

Location, Location, Location

Metro Row is located in a rapidly growing part of Fairfax. Consider these facts:

• Located 0.6 miles from the Vienna Metro (Orange Line makes downtown D.C. just 20 minutes away).
• Easy access to I-66 and 495.
• Walking distance from Pan Am Shopping Center, where you have everything you could possibly need: get groceries at Safeway, watch sports at Glory Days, your daily coffee at Starbucks, pet supplies at Pet Valu, many international restaurants (California Shabu Shabu offers a fun dining experience!) and many other services such as gas station, banks, UPS Store and fast food.
• About a mile from the upcoming mixed use development Scout on the Circle, which will have small shop retail, and a 54,000 sq. ft. Giant Food.
• A 5 minute drive to the thriving Mosaic District, offering many options for dining (True Food and B Side are some my favorites!), shopping, fitness and entertainment.
• 21 miles from both Reagan National Airport and Dulles Airport.

Price

The townhomes at Metro Row start at $759,990, and go up to the mid $900’s, depending on the finishes selected. The HOA fee is $111 (will decrease to $89 a month by community completion) and it includes common ground maintenance, snow removal, trash removal, recycling, grass cutting and landscaping.

As for incentives, they offer up to $20,000 off quick move-ins and a special gift in the model home valued up to $2,500.

If you would like more details about Metro Row, schedule a tour, explore more neighborhoods, or if you’d like a question answered in my weekly column, please send an email 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.

Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in McLean. Reach the office at 703-790-9090.

If you’re like me, you love the magic of holiday light displays but don’t have the motivation to do it yourself. We love driving our kids around to look at the amazing light shows people put together. Some even have their own radio station to coordinate lights and music!

It’s still early in the season, so some more houses might make the list later this month. Here are some early favorites:

Vienna

10203 Lawyers Road — Lawyers is a busy road, so you’ll have to drive slowly by because there’s nowhere to pull over, unless you go to the street across from the house (Galloping Way).

117 Hickory Circle SW — This display is set to music (instructions are posted in the front of the house on the cul-de-sac or at the back in the shopping center). Make sure you see both sides of the house. Follow their Facebook Page for details. The show runs 5:30-10 p.m., Sunday through Thursday and 5:30-11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

117 Kingsley Road SE — This location is blow up heaven! They have so many favorites on display including Disney characters, Santa in a sleigh being pulled by his reindeer suspended mid-air above their roof and more. Plenty of street parking so you can easily take a walk by the house.

1801 Beulah Road — This house has an amazing front yard that is completely decked out, including a mailbox for “Letters to Santa!” I’m not sure where those letters go, but this Christmas décor is stunning! There’s a pull off and a street across from it (Chestnut Farm Drive) if you want to pull over to take it all in.

2438 Cedar Lane — Beautiful and abundant light display, including a dancing tree of lights. No music from what I could tell, but beautiful.

2528 Drexel Street — The Ni Family Light show is one of the hits of Vienna. There’s plenty of street parking to pull over and watch. They have a playlist that accompanies the choreographed light show. They’re doing a repeat show of 2017 before they launch the 2018 playlist. The show runs 5-10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 5-9:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday.

Honorable Mention — The Vine Church (2501 Gallows Road) The Ni Family also helps with this light show, which has over 10,000 pixels (it’s huge!)

McLean

7815 Birnam Wood Drive — The show runs 7-9:30 p.m. on weekdays, 6-11 p.m. on weekends. Completely covered in lights, even the lawn has light displays and blow ups.

6530 Heather Brook Court — Show runs from 5 p.m. to midnight daily. There is a start button and a radio station to listen to music while watching the light show. The display includes lights and tons of blow ups.

Remember, don’t go on the lawns! Stay on the sidewalk or the street and enjoy the display safely.

Are there any homes that were missed? Any other neighborhoods in the area worth a visit? If so, leave a comment with details.

Tysons East has been in the spotlight a lot lately.

Apple is eyeing Scotts Run, a development in Tysons East, as a potential new office location. Greater Greater Washington just profiled the neighborhood, calling it a “glitzy, suburban” area that may someday be a haven for “creative class” professionals.

Like we did with Tysons Corner Center mall and Maple Avenue in Vienna, we’re using Fairfax County’s aerial photography maps to explore the history of the still-expanding Tysons East.

The earliest photography in 1937 shows the area as plots of farmland. The first development at the site was Pimmit Hills, built in the 1950s as a home for veterans of World War II and the Korean War. The photography from 1953 shows the neighborhood still in development, and by 1960 it had taken the general shape it still exists in today.

From there, the story of Tysons East’s development moves north. In the 16 years between 1960 and the photography from 1976, the area north of the Pimmit Hills exploded with new development. The construction of the Capital Beltway in 1964 and the construction of the Tysons Corner Center mall in 1969 helped spur new development in the area.

The aerial photography from 1990 shows continued growth in the area. In 1985, the Dulles Toll Road was extended from the Beltway to I-66, completely surrounding Pimmit Hills and the Tysons East development with major highways.

The largest change between 1990 and 2017 is the redevelopment of the smaller office buildings into major corporate campuses.  Photography from 2017 shows areas of the Capital One complex, like the Capital One Tower, still under construction. Professor Stephen Fuller, Professor of Public Policy at George Mason University, said the complex is likely to be an anchor for new development in Tysons East.

Photo (7) via Google Earth

Unless there’s ice on the ground, if you drive past Ken Lawrence Park (8008 Jones Branch Drive) just north of Tysons Galleria on a weekday around lunchtime, expect to see a soccer game in progress

Even with near-freezing temperatures and gusty winds Wednesday, the only changes on the field were bulkier cold weather gear — for some — and the normal net goal replaced with two cones. A few players wore shorts.

Nearly every weekday for two decades, the unofficial group has gathered in one place or another around Tysons to play during work breaks.

“It’s good soccer here,” said Daniel Duran, carefully watching for the ball to make its way across the field to him as he spoke. “It’s very high level. Everybody here has been playing soccer for years. It’s a passion.”

For most of the group’s 20 years, the playing field was in Spring Hill, but Duran said when the Ken Lawrence Park opened four years ago the group moved there.

Players come to the game from throughout the region. Some are there during a mid-day break, leaving after a while to head back to their 9-5 job. Others like Duran, who works as an Uber driver in the Bethesda area, come to the games before starting work.

Duran said there are roughly 60 players in the group, but only 22 people can play at any given time. Show up after the 22 mark and you’re out of luck and have to play on another field.

Carlos Terejos has been playing with the group for seven years. He said that winter weather typically results in a reduction in active players, but the games still go on.

“In winter time, most people take off,” said Terejos. “But it keeps me in shape.”

Every week the Eli Residential Group scours our network for off-market and pre-market homes to give home buyers and investors access to properties they can’t find anywhere else online. If you are interested in a property you see here or have specific needs you cannot find on the market, please reach out to us at [email protected] to talk to a real person, not an automated response system.

If you are a homeowner, investor, builder or agent who would like your off-market or pre-market property featured for a half million local readers on PoPville, ARLnow or Tysons Reporter, please email us at [email protected].

Three-Home Investment Package
Two homes in Sterling, Virginia and one in Manassas, Virginia

Description: One owner selling three investment properties in Northern Virginia with established tenants and strong rental income. Will sell individually or as package for a discount. All detached homes. Two 3 BR/2 BA, one 5 BR/2 BA.
Price: Low $300’s – mid $300’s each OBO
Courtesy of RLAH Real Estate

To view all of our off-market or pre-market properties, visit the off-market section of our website. We add new properties every week.

The Eli Residential Group is a real estate team with RLAH Real Estate, (703) 390-9460, operating in Virginia, Washington, D.C. and Maryland. Contact the team directly at [email protected].