Articles of interest to the site’s sponsor and articles by friends of Condo Alexandria. Doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with real estate or Northern Virginia
A friend gave us ticket to a visit to the White House Rose Garden this weekend, so Julie and I took the Metro into DC. Despite having been born and raised here, I'd never gone to the White House before. We took this opportunity to enjoy a nice Spring day and enjoy some of the sites of DC.
Julie at White House
Will at White House
Julie at White House
Will in front of White House
White House up close
Julie on White House Lawn
Porch of the White House
Julie at White House
Washington Monument as seen from lawn of White House
Will on White House Lawn
Julie on the lawn of the White House
West Wing of White House
Here are our tickets for the Spring Garden Tour at the White House
Will at White House
At White House
your Realtor Julie Nesbitt
Julie is a Realtor serving Northern Virginia
If you're thinking of buying or selling real estate in Northern Virginia, we hop you consider Nesbitt Realty. Call us at 703 765 0300.
Most of the bars and restaurants in Old TownAlexandria are located on Union St. and King St. There are a few that aren't on King St. or Union St. like Overwood for example, which is on North Lee. The restaurants and bars in Old Town Alexandria feature a wide spectrum of cuisines and atmospheres. There are hole in the wall bars (O'Shaughnessy's pub), karoake bars (Flying Fish), bars on the water (Fish Market, Union Street Pub, Chadwick's), and everything in between.
Union St Pub in Old Town on a weekday evening; if it were the weekend this bar would be jammed full of people from wall to wall
The nightlife at Flying Fish in Old Town during the weekend
The night life at the Rock It Grill Bar in Old Town
About the Author --- Aubrey Nesbitt is a native of Northern Virginia who attended Virginia Commonwealth University. He is a veteran of the US Army and helps his family business by providing informational articles like this one. In addition to photography and blogging, Aubrey provides administrative support for the office.
Oronoco Bay Park is a 4.5 acre Alexandria City park is located on the Potomac River at 701 North Lee Street. It has many entry points, the most obvious of which are at either the Madison or Pendleton Street entries or from the Wythe Street Plaza. The plaza entry is approximately in the center of the park, and there is also a sidewalk entry with trees and turf area between the Sheet Metal Workers of America building and the United Way building.
Oronoco Bay Park
The park was once known as "Texaco Bay" and before that it was owned by Standard Oil Company which was owned by John D. Rockefeller; however, the City acquired the property (and changed it to Oronoco Bay Park) in the early 1980's. Historically, the Alexandria area was inhabited by Indians when Captain John Smith sailed up the Potomac in the mid 17th Century.
The park hosts several festivals and events including the annual "Red Cross Waterfront Festival"---the largest Red Cross fund raiser in the United States. Private concerns may reserve and rent the park for their events as well.
walking path along the Potomac Oronoco Bay
This park is part of the linear park system along the Potomac. People can walk, jog or bike along the river path and enjoy the many sitting and picnic areas. There are wooden sun decks out into the river and a wooden boardwalk path that connects the path to the point where the bay and river meet near the Rowing Facility building.
Old Town Alexandria waterfront at Oronoco Bay
Here's a look at who you're dealing with when you deal with Nesbitt Realty. We are a family-business second, and a family first. We work together and play together.
Aubrey dresses up quite nicely. (Click the image to see the full measure of the man.)
Will Nesbitt
Julie and Will Nesbitt pause from property management to take a quick picture.
Thanksgiving at a sister’s home
Relaxing in Old Town
Will and Julie having fun!
Aubrey during his beatnik phase.
My Aunt Betty is proud of Nesbitt Realty.
Stuart Nesbitt can help you realize your real estate goals.
Still lovebirds after all these years.
Aubrey Nesbitt takes a picture of the rest of the family.
Will is attacked by a pirate!
Aubrey on the Skyline Drive
Aubrey at his aunt’s house
Stuart and Kim on Dickey Ridge in the Shenandoah National Forest
Will steals a kiss from his bride and top producing real estate agent!
Nesbitt Realty is a real estate brokerage serving Northern Virginia. Locals trust us because we provide the same services as a national chain realty but with a hometown touch.
Upton Hill Regional Park, located at 6060 Wilson Boulevard in Arlington, Virginia near the Arlington and Fairfax County line at the intersection of Patrick Henry Drive and Wilson Boulevard. Upton Hill offers local residents and visitors alike a versatile, wooded recreational commons in the heart of one of the most densely populated areas of Northern Virginia. The park features an outdoor swimming pool complex that includes a lap pool, a full-sized recreational pool, a separate kiddie pool, multiple water slides, and a children's water house with a huge bucket that fills up with water and empties out onto everyone in its path! The park also features a deluxe miniature golf course as well as batting cages that include baseball and softball both.
Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority
Although the park facilities are presently closed for the winter season, the park itself remains open every day for hiking, picnicking, and playing on the playground. The batting cages and mini-golf facilities will open for the season in March. The water park and swimming pool complex will opens Memorial Day weekend.
Upton Hill Regional Park is a great venue with a wide range of activities that provide fun for the whole family! In 2007, the Park's facilities underwent a $2 million renovation as part of the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority's effort to attract local residents and visitors to an innovative, public facility representative of both the area and the local governments' commitment to its community.
For more information or to set up an appointment call Nesbitt Realty at (703)765-0300.
Old Town Alexandria is famed for its quaint historical atmosphere. Englishman John Gadsby operated a tavern here from 1796 to 1808. In those days, the tavern was the hub of political, business and social circles in Alexandria. Thus,
Gadsby's Tavern is an important part of the 18th Century heritage of today's Old Town Alexandria.
Gadsby's has been a landmark in Alexandria since colonial days.
Today Gadsby's Tavern Museum is located on Royal Street, a few blocks from route of the King St. trolley. Admission is only $4 for adults and $2 for children. Children under 11 are FREE when accompanied by a paying adult. The museum consists of two buildings, a ca. 1785 tavern and the 1792 City Hotel.
While in operation, the tavern was the setting for dancing assemblies, theatrical and musical performances, and meetings of local organizations. Prominent patrons such as George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and the Marquis de Lafayette are part of the history of Gadsby's.
At the tavern you can journey back to the 18th-century in a place where famous historical figures and everyday people dined and slept. The museum helps educate today's generations about the history, architecture, decorative arts, social customs, food, and clothing of the 1700's.
There is a restaurant still in operation in the building. The tavern can be rented for weddings, banquets and any meeting where linen tablecloths and a post-colonial setting are appreciated. Please note some tour times are not available due to special events at the museum. Please call in advance or check the online calendar for more information.
Great Falls Library is located at 9830 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls VA. The library houses a collection of more than 70,000 items and has 9 Internet stations available for public use. The library provides free wireless Internet access.
The library has the following services:
Access Services --- Large-print books, magnifier, and ZoomText. Audio Loop available in the meeting room.
Display Cases --- 2 Children's Display Cases; one Community Display
Book Sale --- Ongoing, plus semi-annual sales in October and February.
The Arlington National Cemetery is recognized around the country and around the world, but nearby is a similar treasure from our nation's heritage: the Alexandria National Cemetery.
The Alexandria National Cemetery is located in the City of Alexandria VA
Arlington National Cemetery was featured in Gardens of Stone and numerous other feature films. This has no doubt added to Arlington's mystique and celebrity. Arlington Cemetery was carved from the farm of Robert E. Lee, a native of Alexandria. This is one of many connections between Arlington and Alexandria National Cemeteries.
The five acres of Alexandria National Cemetery are tiny compared to Arlington's 612 acres. Newcomers and those who don't know the history of the area may be surprised to learn that while Alexandria was a colonial era settlement, Arlington is a relatively new creation. (Check out Alexandria's best real estate deal ever!)
Alexandria National Cemetery predates the cemetery in Arlington and is in some ways the reason for Arlington's existence. Alexandria National Cemetery was established during the Civil War in 1862 as one of the original 14 national cemeteries.
The first four acres of Alexandria National Cemetery were purchased by the US government from what was to be Spring Garden Farm. By 1870, the United States purchased additional land to bring the cemetery up to its current size.
The first burials made in Alexandria National Cemetery were soldiers who died during training for the Civil War. Additionally, some casualties were sick or diseased soldiers from one of the numerous hospitals around Alexandria. The death and destruction wrought by the Civil War exceeded all expectations. It was evident that Alexandria National Cemetery would be woefully short of the needs imposed by the War. By 1864, Alexandria National Cemetery was nearly filled to capacity. In large part, the shortage of space in Alexandria led to the planning, development and construction of Arlington National Cemetery.
After the Civil War, improvements were made to the design of Alexandria National Cemetery and by 1871 the cemetery had added a fountain, a cobblestone avenue and graveled walkways. A wrought-iron rostrum, a small pond and a greenhouse were added as well. The primary building on grounds is a brownstone structure---the superintendent’s lodge. The lodge dating to 1870 is the oldest surviving building on the grounds. The lodge is constructed in a style and with materials popular from the era and perhaps best recognized in the the Smithsonian Institution's "Castle," and the U.S. Capitol floor and rotunda door frames.
Many of the graves at Alexandria National Cemetery date to the Civil War era
Like other national cemeteries, the Alexandria National Cemetery featured a "comfort station" built in 1887. This building is one of only a few such structures to survive to the present day. In 1927, the station significantly altered by adding a dining room and converting the facility into a kitchen/store room and tool-shed/toilet. The entire cemetery is surrounded by a wall of Seneca sandstone with River Blue Stone coping. (This is the same material used to build the superintendent's lodge.) Visitors gain entry by passing through a 12-foot wide ornamental cast-iron gate at the Wilkes Street entrance.
In the 1930's the flagpole was added and in 1995 the cemetery was added to the National Register of Historic places. There is no grave locator or kiosk on the grounds and the cemetery only has room for cremated remains and certain relatives of persons already buried at Alexandria National Cemetery.
Among other notable persons buried at the Alexandria National Cemetery are several "Buffalo Soldiers"---a nickname for several Cavalry Regiments of the US Army. Several African-American regiments of Buffalo Soldiers were formed during the Civil War to fight alongside the Union Army. Among these were the famed 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry and many United States Colored Troops Regiments. After the Civil War, the Buffalo Soldiers were established by Congress as the first peacetime all-black regiments in the regular U.S. Army. It is fitting that these soldiers are buried near Alexandria's African American Heritage Park.
Together with the African American Heritage Park the Alexandria National Cemetery makes up the eastern boundary of the Carlyle District.
Creative Commons License photo credit: CrimsonMage
The Potomac River is located on the east coast of the United States, and runs through Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C. before it empties into the Chesapeake Bay. It is over 380 miles long and wider than 11 miles at its widest point.
As it passes through Washington DC, the nation's capital, the Potomac passes the Washington Monument and the memorials of Jefferson, and Lincoln. Many consider the Potomac to be one of the most beautiful and bountiful rivers on the East Coast. The river is also widely regard its historic, scenic and recreational significance. Among the many who loved the Potomac was George Washington, who worked as a surveyor at many points along the banks of the river. George Washington's mansion
at Mount Vernon is on the Potomac.
Mount Vernon, George Washington's estate on the Potomac
The Potomac's source is a small spring at the Fairfax Stone in West Virginia. From there, the river gathers many tributaries, winding through the mountains and valleys of Appalachia. One of its most
dramatic turns occurs at Harper's Ferry where the Shenandoah meets the
Potomac.
At Great Falls, the Potomac tumbles down from the Appalachian Highlands to the sandy soils of the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Visitors from the colonial era to the modern era relish the views here. Today visitors at Great Falls
will not only marvel at the cataracts, but also the engineering efforts of those who sought to fulfill George Washington's dream of connecting the Chesapeake Bay to the Ohio River. The C & O Canal was only operational for a few short years, but remnants of the system are still functional at Great Falls Park.
Finally, the river flows almost 400 miles widening to over 11 miles as it reaches the Chesapeake Bay on the long, low, and barren peninsula named Point Lookout, Maryland. Before the US Civil War, Point Lookout was home to a few hotels and boarding houses, but during the war it was converted into one of the largest and worst of the Union
prisoner-of-war camps.
Fishers, anglers, boaters, sailors and kayakers all enjoy the Potomac.
The Potomac River has a watershed of 14,670 square miles including tributaries in Maryland (the Monocacy, Savage, and St. Mary's Rivers); in Virginia (the Shenandoah and Occoquan Rivers); in West Virginia (the South Branch and Cacapon Rivers); in Pennsylvania (Conococheague and Antietam Creeks); and in Washington DC (the Anacostia River). The Potomac cradles forests, battlefields, farmlands, mountains, parks, and cities. It is known to many as our Nation's River.
If you're searching for a home or condo in Northern Virginia with a view of the Potomac, contact Will Nesbitt with Condo Alexandria.
