Back during World War II, Fairview Elementary School in Burke had a stamp drive to support our troops.
Fairview Elementary School, World War II Stamp Drive
Burke is very different today.
African Americans have been an important part of the Alexandria's history and vibrant community back to the city's founding in 1749. Both as enslaved people and as free men and women, African-Americans have contributed to the city's tapestry of life benefiting the community of Alexandria with rich economic and cultural contributions. Alexandria was a key city during the US Civil War and though Robert E. Lee is one of the city's sons, the city was quickly occupied by the Union and remained in Federal hands through-out the war.
After the war the city was segregated but a defining moment in the history of segregation in Alexandria occurred in 1939 when five young African-American men staged a "sit-in" at the city's segregated Queen Street Library. The young men brought focus to the issue of the inequality of educational opportunities and as a result Alexandria built the Robert Robinson Library in 1940. This library was used by African-Americans until desegregation in the early 1960's. Today, that structure is a foundational element of the Alexandria Black History Museum.
Alexandria Black History Museum
902 Wythe Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
Phone: (703) 838-4356
Fax: (703) 706-3999
In time, additional sites were added to the museum. At the eastern bound of the Carlyle District one will find the Alexandria African American Heritage Park. Next door to the Museum, the Watson Reading Room houses a non-circulating collection of books, videos, documents, and periodicals on African-American life and culture.
The African American Museum is a source of pride for all Alexandrians. The museum has a calendar of events and rotating exhibits, so check back even if you have already been to the museum. From Benjamin Banneker in Alexandria's earliest days, to Dr. Albert Johnson to Samuel Wilbert Tucker during the Civil Rights Movement, Alexandria is a focal point in that courageous and audacious journey that led to the diverse, vibrant and prosperous Alexandria of today.
Lyceum, 201 South Washington Street, Alexandria VA in 1968
Lyceum in Old Town Alexandria early in the 21st Century
The Lyceum is located on Washington St.
You might be surprised by the difference in how the Lyceum looked in the 1960's as opposed to today. Old Town is known for staying the same, but there has been a big change to the front of the Lyceum Art Center.
Nesbitt Realty can help you buy and sell real estate in 22206.The Grove at Arlington Ridge is a condo community located just of I-395 well inside the Capital Beltway. The location provides residents easy access to Pentagon City, Shirlington Village and downtown DC. This community has 1 Bedroom, 2 Bedroom and 3 Bedroom condos that feature:
Hardwood floors in living and dining rooms
Deluxe kitchens with stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, maple cabinetry and stainless steel undermount sinks with designer faucets
Ceramic tile in kitchens and baths
Maple vanities
In-unit washers/dryers
Designer lighting
Private balconies
Nine-foot ceilings
Plush carpeting in bedrooms
Crown molding in living rooms
Many condominums at the Grove have fireplaces. The Grove offers a full bank of amenities:
Internet café
Resort-style swimming pool
Expansive sundeck
Fully-equipped business center
State-of-the-art fitness center
Giant screen media room with surround sound
Direct access garage and controlled access entries
Clubhouse with billiards room
Storage available
Courtyard patio garden area with barbeque grills
Wellness Center with personal training, yoga, Pilates, massage therapy, Swedish massage and Thai massage
For some people one of the benefits of condo living is that everything is on one level. There are no stairs inside the unit of some condominiums. For those in wheelchairs, for the elderly or for those who just like life without stairs, this is a big advantage. But for some people, life on one level is just not enough.
Lofts and bilevel condominiums offer condo-style living, but don't limit life to just one level. One of my favorite examples of this is found in the top floor units at the Tiers of Manchester.
Chalet style condos at Manchester Lakes
The Tiers are "swiss-style" condominiums. Their roof lines echo the high-pitched roofs favored in Alpine cottages. In Switzerland these roof provide the pitch needed to get excess snow off the roof. But in Manchester Lakes, these roofs provide opportunities for dramatic overlooks in the condo itself.
Loft at the Tiers of Manchester Lakes
The pitch of the roof allows for high angled ceilings and the placement of a loft over-looking the living area.
Looking down from loft at Founder's Walk
It's difficult in a photograph to show how this brings a real feeling of spaciousness to the condo. The lofts here also provide bonus space for storage and closets under the eaves of the roof. The loft is easily accessed by way of a spiral staircase that only adds to the dramatic feel of these condos.
Spiral stairs to the loft at the TiersKingstowne has a good many condominiums with lofts, and the Tiers of Manchester and Eton Square are just two of my favorites. To check pricing and availability on these go to Tiers or Eton Square.
fireplace at the Sycamores
Lofts are dramatic and very appealing, but they aren't for everyone. Another alternative in you're looking for a multi-level condo is the townhouse style layout found at the Sycamores at Van Dorn.
The Sycamores is one of many garden-style condos in this area that offer townhouse-style floorplans in a garden-style condo. This gives you all the benefits of condo life (low maintenance, amenities) with the homey feel of a townhouse. In condos such as these, the bedrooms are upstairs, but the kitchen and living room are downstairs. In some condos like the Sycamores and Old Town Village, most or all units have a townhouse style unit. In other condos, such as Eton Square in Kingstowne or Worldgate near Reston, on the the top floor units have the townhouse-style unit.
Sycamore at Van Dorn
But there is yet one more way to get a multi-floor condo.
Rear of the Fountains condominiums at 301 N. Beauregard
Some high-rises offer units with multiple floors. For example the Fountains in the West End of Alexandria VA, has units that occupy two floors. The Fountains is also one of the most affordable condominiums in Northern Virginia and features a convenient location that is easily accessible via I-395 or public transportation. The Atrium in Arlington VA is a high-end condominium in Rosslyn that has dramatic two-level units with two-story windows.
There are plenty of choices these days. Contact us to find a property that will fit your tastes, budget, commute!
For more information or to set up an appointment call Julie at (703)765-0300.
George Washington Parkway is one of the greatest attractions that can be found on the West side of the Potomac River. Stretching along from Mount Vernon Estates, it passes through Belle View and Old Town, all the way up to north of Arlington.
Some of our favorite parks along GW Parkway include:
Theodore Roosevelt Island,
The LBJ National Grove,
Gravelly Point Park,
Fort Marcy,
Turkey Run Park
Jones Point Park at the Woodrow Wilson Bridge
Oronoco Bay Park
Ben Brenman park is close to Cameron Station
Oronoco Bay Park is close to Founders Park
Welcome to Pohick Regional Park
A skate park in Alexandria in the summer
Ornoco is one of several parks in Old Town Alexandria
Welcome to Bucknell Manor Park
Jones Point Park transitions into 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.
Here's another blast from Old Town Alexandria's past. This picture from 1926 shows 607 Cameron Street. The stately vehicle out front reminds one of the SUV's that are popular today.
607 Cameron Street in Old Town Alexandria 1926
Old Town is a mixture of old and new, with many homes dating to the colonial era.
207 Royal St N is in Alexandria
Torpedo Factory is in Alexandria
The view from the window at Cameron Mews
Carriage Works is in Alexandria
Carriage Works is in Alexandria
501 Duke St is in Old Town Alexandria
Nesbitt Realty can help you buy and sell real estate in 22314
Ladies waiting on Fort Hunt Rd, for the Fairfax County bookmobile
This is an interesting photo for a number of reasons. Firstly, I can't help but notice that something in the distance has caught the full attention of the dogs. Are the dogs a pug and a great dane? The child in the stroller is bundled up and braced for cold. The little red wagon is loaded full of books and another lady carries an armful of books. In the days before 100 cable channels and the Internet and video games and mobile phones and more, we read just a bit more.
I'd like to know exactly where this is on Fort Hunt Road. It looks a bit like the foot of Belle Haven, which would make the empty field Olde Belhaven Towne. But the hill doesn't look quite right for that location.
image courtesy of Harris Teeter
Foxchase Shopping Center is a recently renovated strip mall in West End Alexandria almost directly across the street from Forty Six Hundred (a high-rise condominium complex) and Mango Mike's (a casual dining restaurant and West End hang-out).
Foxchase is anchored by Harris Teeter, a high-end grocer. Other businesses at Foxchase include La Casa Restaurant, Hong Kong Express, General Dentistry by Dr. Paul Stasiewicz, Art Display Company, Rite Aid, Curves, Braids, Hana Tokyo Steak House, PNC Bank, Sleepy's, My Eye Dr. and more.
A 1960 view of Route One
Southern Fairfax County is located just south of Old Town Alexandria between the Beltway and the Potomac River. Although Rose Hill and Franconia and Springfield are in southern Fairfax County, when most folks think of South County, they think of New Alexandria, Groveton, Woodlawn, Mount Vernon and Lorton.
When you think of that part of the county there is only one road that could really qualify as "Main Street." Franconia Road and Telegraph Road and even the GW Parkway run long stretches through Southern Fairfax County, but Main Street would have to be Rt. 1.
