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].

Some of the hardest times allow opportunities for people to stand out as local heroes. John Wood, the owner of 29 Diner, is one of those heroes. The diner was declared a Virginia Historic Landmark in 1992, but has been open since 1947. The current owner, John Wood, took ownership of the diner in September 2014 (happy 6 years, John!).

The menu features your diner favs: breakfast, fried foods galore, burgers, sandwiches, kids menu and a surprise section of BBQ platters. They also have a pretty tempting milkshake menu.

Eating at the restaurant not only supports the historic diner, but also allows John to keep doing what he’s been doing since the pandemic started. He turned the dining room into a free food pantry for at risk members in our community.

He allows them to come in, 7 days a week from 8a.m.-8 p.m., and get free hot meals, non-perishable foods, refrigerated foods, household items and healthcare items. The restaurant also has a food truck deliver and serve free meals. To date he has served 38,000 free meals. You can donate via PayPal to [email protected]. There is also a GoFundMe page.

As if that wasn’t enough….

John has also taken over the construction of the Rustic Love Vienna signs, which has now been featured here on Tyson’s Reporter as well as ABC7.

As a reminder, Rustic Love Vienna was created by a local Vienna family as a way to help raise money for the food insecure and provide them meals and grocery deliveries. The signs are made by volunteers and people can order specific colors and donate what they want. All proceeds go to feed local families in need.

To order now, follow John on Facebook and look out for his posts. His recent orders have sold out quickly and you’ll notice those little heart signs popping up all over Vienna. Know that every one of them raised money to feed someone.

If you have someone who wants to jump in and help, he’s also looking for volunteers to join in the construction at the Diner.

You can find food and heroism at 10536 Fairfax Boulevard, Fairfax, VA 22030.

Photo via 29 Diner Facebook

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].

While I mourn what would have been the start of the school year, I find myself with 2 weeks to go and looking for things to do with my kids to make the most of the rest of the summer.

One of the COVID-friendly activities I’ve found we can still do is mini golf. Even better if I can pair it with something else to make it last longer. If you’re looking for places for mini golfing, here are some suggestions:

1. Oak Marr (Oakton) — noon to 8 p.m. There’s also a driving range if you get tired of putting!
2. The Magic Putting Place (Manassas) — which is right next to Nathan’s Dairy Bar for fabulous ice cream (closed on Monday).
3. Upton Hill Mini Golf (Arlington) — which also has batting cages and is near Westover, which has Toby’s Ice Cream and many other lunch options.
4. For future reference — there is also Jefferson Falls (Falls Church) which is near Mosaic, however it is under construction at the time of this writing. They also have a full 18-hole golf course.

Have any ideas to share? Please spread the wealth! Drop a comment below or please post on the Facebook page for Tysons Reporter!

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].

I do not have a green thumb. I do not know what kind of tree is in your yard or when a specific plant will bloom.

My husband jokes that my wedding vows included NOT doing yard work. He’s not wrong. With that said, I know others are far more skilled and much more invested in how their yard looks. There are lots of places around to buy plants and get advice on what to do with them!

This is also a really easy way to increase your curb appeal. Some of these places also have blogs if you’re looking for specific content or weekly tips on how to maintain your garden, yard, shrubs, etc.

Merrifield Garden Center: Multiple locations — Merrifield/Falls Church, Fairfax and Gainesville. Here’s their blog of Tips and Inspiration.

DePaul’s Urban Farm: 2599 Chain Bridge Road, Vienna. Follow their Facebook page for daily updates. They offer an outdoor nursery for shopping, along with some produce and treats inside.

Four Seasons Flower Market: 6808 Elm Street, McLean. Open from April through December, this outdoor market carries annuals, perennials, veggies, pumpkin & Halloween décor, wreaths, garden supplies, soil and more.

Wolf Trap Nursey: 9439 Leesburg Pike, Vienna. Gardening, plants, Bonsai, flowers, garden accessories, and soil, fertilizer, etc.

Krop’s Crops: 11110 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls. A seasonal 20 acre farm locally owned, that offers plants, produce and offers seasonal activities.

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

Has all of this time at home finally given you that “time” you’ve been dreaming about?

I know I spent April, when I was home most, organizing every closet we had out of boredom. I’ve seen many posts around social media showing people doing the same — finally purging all of that stuff you never actually needed. I’ve also seen people wondering if donations are still being accepted during this time of COVID-19.

If you’re tackling a summer clean out, please consider donating your items to these organizations:

• Community Cares Vienna — Collecting food donations for food insecure families and coordinating efforts for clothing for families
• Buy Nothing Project: Give away things for free
• Share of McLean
• Unique Merrifield
• Goodwill in Fairfax
• Habitat for Humanity in Herndon
• Freecycle
• Vietnam Veterans of America — you can schedule an online pick up at your home. They especially need clothes in addition to household goods
• GreenDrop — They support National Federation of the Blind, Purple Heart, American Red Cross, and can provide you with a drop off location or scheduled a pick up at your home

Photo via Community Cares Vienna/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.

Born during the pandemic, one neighborhood is having kids create little rustic wood signs with a base color and a heart out of wood. They are pay-what-you-want, contactless pick up, and all proceeds go directly to the Vienna VA Foodies group, who has been providing meals and grocery packs to local families in need.

There is currently a waitlist for a sign, which you can find here through Google Sheets. Pick your base sign color, heart color, send payment via Venmo, Paypal or cash at pickup.

You’ll start noticing these around town! Know that each sign went to help feed someone.

You can also follow along on their Facebook page.

Photo via Rustic Love Vienna 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.

It seems like everyday a new “for sale” or “for lease” sign goes up somewhere around town.

It’s hard to keep up with what’s coming in, going out, or going up. Some plans get denied, some you’ve never heard about get approved, and others have got PR teams who blast about upcoming changes. There’s a Facebook group for Vienna, called the Vienna Development: Open Discussion, which is a good place to start.

There are multiple resources online if you are curious about a specific project:

• Town of Vienna
• Fairfax County Land Use Planning and Interactive Map
• McLean Office of Community Revitalization
• City of Falls Church Development Projects
• Tysons Partnership for Development Projects

Don’t see something listed? You can always email me and I’ll do some digging for you!

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

I have heard from so many clients and friends that would have otherwise drew a hard no in the sand about having a pool in their backyard, that the pandemic has changed their opinion on that.

Many are now considering either installing a pool or moving to a home that has a pool existing. I don’t blame them — with the run on blow up pools from Amazon and Target, you’d think we’d have a shortage on water now, not toilet paper!

If you’re thinking of building a pool, here are some basic concepts to think about:

Town of Vienna

• Don’t forget that 25% lot coverage which applies to the deck of the pool, HOWEVER, coping/surrounding walkways of under 5 ft from the edge of the pool will not be counted towards the lot coverage
• Pools must be at least 10 ft from any side or rear lot line, and is measured from the edge of the actual pool; also must be at least 20 ft from any alley line
• Can only be in the rear yard
• A permit is required through the Town

Fairfax County: Vienna and McLean

• Require a building permit, plumbing permit and electrical permit
• Pool can be in rear or side yards, and lots that are over 36,000 sq. ft. can even have the pool in the front yard
• Mechanical pool equipment must be contained within 10 ft of width, and at least 5 ft from any lot line
• If you have well and septic, you’ll need at least 20′ from them for the pool

What do you think about having a pool now? With these blistering heat days, coupled with 45 minute times slots at the public pools, would you consider installing a pool now?

Now, the age old question of resale value.

Most people think if you have a pool, it’s a deal breaker for many people. I think maybe that’s true, but you’ll also find a group of buyers who want the pool. And honestly, if the pool is old and needs work, it might be cheaper to just fill it in than deal with upkeep. I’ve told clients before, you build a pool to enjoy it, not to sell the house. It’s not like a kitchen renovation where you’re adding value. Someone else will come in and love the pool too.

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

We’ve all been home for 4 months now and last week, we got a little burned out of the monotony of juggling work and kids and now the heat, and we all decided we need a day of fun!

We took a day off and packed up a beach bag, threw the kids in the car, and hit the road. If you’re like me, and need a change of scenery, here’s a list of potential places to visit if you’re looking for sand and water!

Some COVID-19 friendly tips:

• Bring enough food and water for yourselves.
• Try going on a week day if possible. Obviously all of these will be busier on a weekend.
• The Virginia State Parks will require face masks inside any building (i.e. visitor centers).

Colonial Beach, VA: 90 minutes away from Tyson’s, easy parking, on the Potomac River so very few waves, shallow water, fishing pier. Cute snow cone and ice cream spot (try the chocolate éclair ice cream!).

Aquia Landing Park, Stafford, VA: About an hour from Tyson’s, there’s a fee for access, popular fishing spot and beach for swimming.

Sandy Point, Annapolis, MD: An hour drive from Tyson’s, Sandy Point is a popular beach for a day just before the Chesapeake Bay Bridge with lots of space for distancing, sand and water.

Mason Neck State Park, Lorton, VA: This small hidden gem is located under an hour from Tyson’s and offers fishing, canoe and kayak rentals (call ahead for a reservation), swimming and walking trails.

Lake Anna State Park, Spotsylvania, VA: About 2 hours away, sand and water for swimming and playing, camping grounds for overnight stays, no tents allowed on the beach, lots of walking trails.

Calvert Cliffs, Lusby, MD: Located about 90 minutes from Tyson’s, Calvert Cliffs is a Maryland state park featuring fishing, swimming and walking trails. $7 per car day use for Virginia state plates.

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

Summer is here, or at least the calendar says it is, which means it’s great weather for family photo shoots.

There are so many beautiful places around Tysons that lends itself well to family photos. I haven’t gone through the necessary steps to see which location may require extra paperwork and/or fees for on site photos, so make sure you check that!

Also, your photographer may know of secret spaces they like to use that are free. But here are some ideas to get you started:

1. Meadowlark Botanical Gardens — both inside and out!
2. Colvin Run Mill
3. The LOVE sign on the W&OD Trail at Northside Park
4. Seneca Creek Park Peony Field
5. Scott’s Run Nature Preserve
6. Great Falls Park
7. Cherry Hill Park (Falls Church)
8. If you like water, you could also try one of the Creeks: Wolftrap Creek, Pimmit Run, Scott’s Run

Have you taken photos somewhere not mentioned? Please share with others in the comments below!

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

It’s finally time for the return of the farmers market!

The Vienna one opened this Saturday, while Falls Church is still on Saturday, McLean is on Friday and the Mosaic District is the host for Sundays.

Each market will have their own vendors, some overlap, but all will generally follow the same rules:

• Wear a mask
• Go early to avoid a line — they’re limiting the number of people inside the market at a time
• You can’t pick your own produce — we found fruit to be pre-packaged, and the veggies were taped off so the vendors will pick for you what you order
• There are plenty of spaces to step aside and eat/drink whatever you buy in comfort
• Bring a credit card instead of cash

I know for my family, we partly go for the ambiance — beautiful weather, sometimes live music and someone cooking break fast for you. We were still able to feel that way this past Saturday at the Vienna market, and again at the Sunday one in Mosaic.

Here are some of my favorite vendors:

Vienna

• Green Heart Juice — Liquid Gold for adults, Summer Crush for kids
• Call Your Mother Bagels — Amazing everything bagels
• Mama’s Donut Bites — Apple Cider Donuts: they didn’t have the truck, but they did have a stand
• Savagely Good — Cinnamon Rolls
• Almond Croissant at the Falls Church City Market (there are several baked good vendors, but there’s one in particular that has the best croissants, also sold at Mom & Pop at Mosaic)
• McCleaf’s Orchard — Fruits and veggies
• Crepe Shop at the Vienna Market — My kids LOVE this place for breakfast. They have egg crepes, as well as savory or dessert crepes.
• Swirly Girl Creamery — Cheese

Photo by Jakub Kapusnak/Unsplash