Who says Old Town has all the best restaurants? West End has several gastronomic pleasures and one of them is Yamazato. Yamazato Sushi & Spice is a Japanese-style restaurant serving sushi and teryaki at 6303 Little River Turnpike, Alexandria, VA 22312. It's across the street from Grand Mart, a popular international grocery store that specializes in Asian cuisine and hard to find specialties. The phone number at Yamazato is (703) 914-8877.
Since the Grand Opening in April 2002, their commitment to innovative, outstanding food and service has won raves from critics and earned a strong loyal following from their customers.
Yamazato has received favorable reviews from The Washington Post, Washingtonian Magazine and Zagat Guides. Most diners here are impressed not only with the sushi and sashimi, but also with the generosity of the portions. My wife enjoyed the sushi. I had some tasty teryaki.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office is in Alexandria VA not far from the King Street Metro. This section of Alexandria is called "the Carlyle District". While Old Town Alexandria is famed for its historic feel and colonial atmosphere, the Carlyle District is anything but historic and vintage.
The Carlyle District is the home to new shops and restaurants, high-rises filled with condos and offices. Carlyle District has is bustling but does not yet have that crowded and busy feel as the place is so new many of the homes and storefronts are still vacant. None-the-less there is plenty to see and do right here in Carlyle District. At the Carlyle Club and the Trademark Bar, you'll find upscale evening hang-outs. At places like Pizzeria Venti and Potbellies you can can grab a quick bite to eat. A newly-built Wholefoods grocery store serves the neighborhood. Of course, the real estate here is at a premium, but there is a price for convenience. If you're looking for something a bit cheaper you might consider Huntington or New Alexandria. Both are nearby and both have plenty of choices in housing.
The USPTO's glass cuts a striking profile in Alexandria's skyline.
Del Ray in Alexandria features a luxurious boutique condominium built by neighborhood resident Brian Thomas. And with the help of local architect Gavier Nichols and landscape designer Linda Hostetler, The Mosby became a successful creation out of a simple single family house. The Mosby was actually an old single family house that was turned into a boarding house and then abandoned after a number of subsequent owners.
The Mosby was actually named after a 120lb Golden Retriever a popular neighborhood fixture and most of all, Brian Thomas’ faithful companion.
The Mosby consists of the 3 units in the main level and 1 unit - the Penthouse.
Main Level:
3 units on the main level
Each have their own garage
Smallest unit is 1,550 square feet in floor space
Large Pergola covered deck
Small side patio
Private back porch
Penthouse or the 4th Level:
Without a garage, but with on site parking
2,300 sq feet in floor space
Vaulted ceilings
2 master suites
Large windows on all 4 walls
The original house was taken apart by hand and thus preserved the original hardwood flooring and cast iron claw foot tubs. The basement was dug out by hand as well. A formal garden also graces the landscaping of The Mosby Condominiums. With box woods, white hydrangeas and lovely white roses.
A flagstone walk along with stone pillars of the front of the building offers a warm welcome to owners and visitors. A large Japanese maple at the corner of Mt. Vernon and Alexandria Ave compliments the structure.
After a morning bike ride, a quick picture at the National Mall
When you leave the forest you can enter the wetlands.
A muskrat moved in and out of view here
Howdy, Mr. Turtle
Wildlife Sanctuary at Huntley Meadows Park
Huntley Meadows is a natural treasure for residents of Northern Virginia. The park is over 4500 acres of wetlands, forest and meadows in urban Fairfax County. I recently took a walk through the park and snapped a few pictures.
Opened in 2008 by David Gwathmey and Sheera Rosenfeld in Old Town, this wine retail shop / coffee shop / wine tasting bar carries the name Grape and Bean or just simply Grape + Bean. This Alexandrian treat is a part of what makes Old Town ultimately special. Providing exceptional service and excellent quality products, the place is also cozy, warm, comfortable and charming.
Grape + Bean = Cozy and Charming
Wine is offered by the glass and coffee by the cup along with cheese plates and coffee treats. Grape + Bean carry a food menu that is created for sharing.
Bottles of Wine and Pounds of Coffee
Wine is sold by bottle and coffee by the pound and serves as excellent gift baskets with a personal touch.
Earlier this spring affluent Falls Church Virginia still showed signs of difficulty in the real estate market. After posting continued gains in the median price of homes, the prices declined for three straight months. But that sharp decline was followed by a bounce that is back at the levels seen late last year.
Over the last year the average price per square foot of a 1 BR condo in Arlington VA has remain steady, with no statistically important increase or decline. Interestingly, but for a bump last Fall, the price per square foot of a 1 BR close mirrors the overall market.
Lawn and apple blossoms
Named after the Blue Ridge Mountains and just above Piedmont, Blue Ridge is a part of the Appalachians. Many tourists patronize Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive in Blue Ridge.
“Memories of a Lewis Mountain Man” portrays how unique culture and life was for “hill-billies” or mountain people in Blue Ridge before Shenandoah Park. Even today, remnants of the said “hill-billies” are being sought after by Appalachian hikers as they trek through the Shenandoah Park.
Apple Orchards are famous in the region but the industry is no longer booming as it was years ago. Yet again, White House Foods, a major apple juicer and product packager, still gets their supply of apples from this region.
At a recent meeting of the Urban Land Institute of Minnesota, Senior Fellow John McIlwain said "a new normal" will be created in the housing market over the next 10 years, and he marked the end of "the suburban century."
He noted that markets offering "a vibrant 24/7 lifestyle" will see the most robust activity, "net-zero-energy" units will become the norm, and the rental market will expand as homeownership rates fall to more historic levels.
Suburban town centers will gain popularity among those wanting an urban lifestyle without living in a big city.
Over the next decade, McIlwain said four demographic groups will fuel the housing market. He said older baby boomers increasingly are moving back to the central city, while younger baby boomers are finding it more difficult to relocate for jobs because they cannot sell their suburban houses. Meanwhile, millennials are more environmentally aware and will seek urban lifestyles, and immigrants who cannot afford large suburban houses to shelter multiple generations will increase demand for rentals.
With 1.5 million housing units per year needed to accommodate the shift to normal levels of household formation, McIlwain said zoning, financing, and regulations need to be rethought to meet housing demand.
Source: minnpost.com, Brad Allen (06/21/2010)
Based on several local surveys and performance reviews, here are the schools in Northern Virginia that have been recognized as the cream of the crop when it comes to quality education:
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
According to a Washington Post article, the following are the Top 5 elementary schools in Northern Virginia:
McKinley Elementary
School Vision: "The McKinley community envisions a strong and nurturing learning environment in which students demonstrate respect for self and others. Students meet established performance standards focusing on learning core subjects. The students have a variety of experiences that broaden their views of the world."McKinley Elementary is located in North McKinley Road, Arlington, Virginia. It ranks on the top spot of top rating schools in Northern Virginia, because 79% of the school’s students rated as “advanced” (the highest among three levels). The rating was determined through a series of state tests.
Key Center School
School Vision: "Key Center School creates an educational climate where diversity and individuality are celebrated and respected, and where all staff continually strive to maximize the potential of each student through increasingly higher expectations."Springfield City of Fairfax County is home to Key Center School, which ranks second on the list with 77% of its students in the “advanced” level (jumping from 64% in a span of five years).
Churchill Road Elementary
McLean, Virginia – along Churchill Road – is the location of Churchill Road Elementary, the elementary school snagging the third spot on the list with a rating of a 77% (from 55% in 2003).
Greenbriar West Elementary
Greenbriar West Elementary is located at Poplar Tree Road in the Chantilly Area of Fairfax County Virginia. It ranks 4th even as it shows a significant leap in its ratings from 47% in 2003 to 77% five years later.
Louise Archer Elementary
Located in Nutley Street, Vienna, Virginia, Louise Archer Elementary completes the top 5 list belting a 76% rating from 2003’s 64%.HIGH SCHOOLS
According to a performance review done by Northern Virginia Magazine, the following are the Top 5 high schools in Northern Virginia:
-150x150.jpg)
.jpg "USPTO")
-150x150.jpg)
-150x150.jpg)
-150x150.jpg)
-150x150.jpg)
Earlier this spring affluent Falls Church Virginia still showed signs of difficulty in the real estate market. After posting continued gains in the median price of homes, the prices declined for three straight months. But that sharp decline was followed by a bounce that is back at the levels seen late last year.
Over the last year the average price per square foot of a 1 BR condo in Arlington VA has remain steady, with no statistically important increase or decline. Interestingly, but for a bump last Fall, the price per square foot of a 1 BR close mirrors the overall market.
