About Virginia’s Economy

Virginia has highly diversified economy based upon many sectors including agriculture, manufacturing, technology and government. Traditionally agriculture was the mainstay, but farms now follow other sectors in employment and income generation. Tobacco, Virginia's historic cash crop, is still the leading agricultural product in Virgina. But, grains, corn, soybeans, peanuts, sweet potatoes, cotton, and apples (especially in the Shenandoah Valley) are all important. Wine production is a new and growing sector and has gained some importance; but the major sources of agricultural income are now poultry, dairy goods, and cattle, raised especially in the Valley of Virginia. Virginia's access to the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean mean that the marine products play an important role in Virginia's economy. The Chesapeake Bay is especially rich in shellfish such as oysters and crabs. In addition to marine resources, Virginia has mineral resources. The most important mineral in Virginia is probably coal. But Virginia also produces stone, cement, sand, and gravel. Virginia hosts several important transportation hubs. Roanoke is a center for the rail transport equipment industry, and a high proportion of the nation's shipyards are concentrated at Hampton Roads , especially in Newport News . Norfolk is a major U.S. naval base, and Portsmouth is a U.S. naval shipyard; Hampton is a center for aeronautical research. Northern Virginia is sort of a Silicon Valley East. Northern Virginia is one of the largest concentrations of computer communications firms in the U.S. In addition many government contracting firms and national non-profit associations are headquartered in Northern Virginia. Tens of thousands of Virginians work in government, especially in the District of Columbia or in nearby “Beltway” suburbs of Northern Virginia, including Arlington, Alexandria, Falls Church and Fairfax County. Other leading industries include tourism and the manufacture of chemicals, electrical equipment, and food, textile, and paper products. Virginia is for lovers!

King Street Trolley — a great way to get to know Old Town Alexandria

king street trolley logo
King Street Trolley
Around Old Town Alexandria, parking can sometimes be a hassle, (unless you want to pay to park in a garage), but a great way to explore Alexandria is to take the Metro to King St. and then hop a ride on the King St. Trolley. There is no charge to ride the trolley, and it makes stops about every two blocks between the King St. Metro and the Potomac. The Trolley was designed to complement service by the National Harbor's new Water Taxi. The National Harbor is located across the Potomac in Maryland and is the site of a brand new convention center. The convention center and many restaurants are already open in this brand new area landmark. Additionally boat service is available up and down river from the Strand in Old Town. The length of this circuit can be walked in about 20 minutes, so many choose to take the trolley to the Potomac and then walk back to the Metro through Old Town.
King Street Trolley
Trolley at King Street
The Trolley makes it final stop before returning to the Metro near the Torpedo Factory. Just as the name implies, the Torpedo Factory was torpedo factory in the early part of the last century. Today the Torpedo Factory Art Center is a world-renowned art center with three floors of open studios and galleries. Here, one can observe artists and purchase original artwork. The Torpedo Factory Art Center is on the Potomac waterfront. Street musicians and entertainers play nearly every night weather permitting, and tourists and locals alike enjoy walks down by the waterfront.
Train arriving at King Street Metro
A train arrival at busy, convenient King Street Metro
The trolley runs its route from 10 am to 10 pm every day. A printable map is available for those who know nothing about the area. For more information or to set up an appointment call Stuart at (703)765-0300.

Belle Haven Country Club

  The Belle Haven Country Club is located near the intersection of Fort Hunt, Route 1, and I-95/I-495.  Situated near Belle View Condos, River Towers, Montebello, Hunting Creek Club, and Midtown Alexandria Station it's within easy reach of the Huntington Metro.  It's beautiful greens are accentuated by many offerings
Belle Haven golf course
All roads lead to the bunker
  • Catered weddings and social events
  • Outdoor and Indoor Tennis
  • Outdoor pool
  • Fitness center
  • 18 holes and over 6900 yards
For more information or to set up an appointment call Stuart at (703)765-0300.

Green Spring Gardens

Green Spring Gardens and Horticultural Center in Annandale is an inspiration for gardeners and a destination for tourists and visitors. Whether you are local or just visiting Northern Virginia, Green Springs Garden is quiet get-away to be seen. Green Springs features a valley centered over a wooded stream. The naturalist plant gardens showcase native species while the green houses are filled with tropical plants. Green Spring Gardens feature a wide variety of trees, shrubs, vines, perennials, annuals, bulbs, and vegetable. Check out the horticultural reference library or visit the gift shops to stock your own library. The Garden Gate Plant Shop has plants, gardening gloves, collectible china, wind chimes and other gift ideas. Green Spring's grounds are open dawn to dusk every day of the year. The Horticulture Center is open Monday through Saturday, 9 am to 4:30 pm, and Sunday, noon to 4:30 pm. The Horticulture Center is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's holidays. Park grounds are open from dawn to dusk..
For more information or to set up an appointment call Stuart at (703)765-0300.

Sunset At Carlyle Towers

Sunset at Carlyle Towers

Carlyle Towers is located in the Carlyle District near Old Town Alexandria in Alexandria VA. There are three towers in this community, each one with different views of the city, the Potomac or the Monument. In the summer Alexandria is green and full of tourists, life and bustling with happy people. Carlyle Towers is conveniently located between the Eisenhower Metro and the King St. Metro. To check the prices and availability of listings at Carlyle Towers, just click the link! Carlyle Towers is about 10 years old now, and most units are in top condition. Some units in Carlyle Towers have already been refurbished and upgraded with touches like new hardwood floors and crown molding. Some even have new kitchens and bathrooms. Where will you spend your sunset?

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For more information or to set up an appointment call Stuart at (703)765-0300.    

The differences between cities, counties, towns and unincorporated settlements in Virginia

For many, especially those who are new to the area, the system of jurisdictions that we have in the Commonwealth of Virginia can be confusing. This is especially confusing in Northern Virginia, where Virginia intersects with Washington DC and the State of Maryland. Fortunately I have a fresh bottle of CONFUSION-B-GON to spray liberally as needed.

Around our nation's capital

Let me start with my single-biggest pet peeve among newcomers: the term "DC proper". I have seen this term used regularly on a site that claims to provide local information. That information is provided by people using anonymous handles. Anonymous handles should be your first clue not to completely trust the information you find. At any rate: there is no such thing as "DC proper". There are three main jurisdictions here: Virginia, Maryland and Washington DC. It is very common to live in Northern Virginia or Suburban Maryland and work in DC. Virginia is as different from DC as New Jersey is from New York. With a wink and a smile I have to inform you that just because you thought your job was transferring to Washington doesn't mean that you're moving to DC proper or improper.

Virginia jurisdictions

One of the keys to understanding Virginia real estate for a property search is to understand the differences between towns, counties and cities. In Virginia, as in most other states in the US, a county and an area administer below the state-level by local / county government. Counties are often rural areas, but Fairfax County has over a million residents and has very little rural land left. Fairfax County aside, a county may have one or more towns within it's borders. In Virginia a town, no matter how many people live in that town, is part of a county and is managed by the county. In Virginia, towns often have governments but these governments are subordinate to and part of the county where the town is found. In addition to counties, Virginia has a fairly unique concept called a city. A city is like a county, except it is more urban than rural. For example Falls Church and Alexandria are both cities. Cities, unlike towns, are not subordinate to counties. Cities are independent and operate on a level similar to counties. This can be particularly confusing in Fairfax County. Fairfax County is a large mostly urban county and it surrounds Fairfax, an independent city. So the City of Fairfax is surrounded by Fairfax County, but it's not a part of Fairfax County. Falls Church, Alexandria and Fairfax are all cities. Manassas and Manassas Park are both cities, and both are surrounded by Prince William County.

Real estate is sorted by county

It's important to understand this system of administrative organization because land tax records are stored by the county or city. Because tax records are organized by the county or city, real estate property searches are often sorted by the administrative jurisdiction. For a newcomer it can be a little difficult to tell the difference between Fairfax and Fairfax County, between Manassas and Manassas Park and Prince William County. Another point of confusion is Arlington. Arlington is a city in a practical sense, but Arlington is a county. Herndon, Vienna and Clifton are all towns located in Fairfax County, which mean that these towns have local governments subordinate to the county. Springfield is much bigger than Clifton, but Springfield is not a town. Another curious case is Crystal City. Crystal City is located in Arlington County. Interestingly, Crystal City is not a city nor is it a town!

Unincorporated settlements

Which brings us to the next point of confusion in the area. There are many unincorporated neighborhoods, villages, towns and settlements in Northern Virginia. Unincorporated just means there is no local (i.e. town) government. Rather than having a town government, an unincorporated town is managed by the county. Springfield, Annandale, Bailey's Crossroads, Mclean Tysons Corner and Reston are just a few of the many unincorporated towns in Fairfax County. In places like Springfield this can be a little confusing because without a town there is no formal border between Franconia and Springfield and thus no hard and fast distinction between the two. In addition, with the near completion of Kingstowne, Franconia-Springfield is now home to one of the largest planned communities/subdivisions in the area. Kingstowne is considered a town in and of itself by many.

Post office address

To make matters even more confusing for newcomers, there is the matter of the post office. The postal address of a property is not always an indicator of the jurisdiction of a property. For example, many addresses in Fairfax County have an Alexandria address. Service from the Alexandria post office has no bearing on the county or city of the address in question.

Confusion-B-Gon guarantee!

Well, that's the last of this bottle of CONFUSION-B-GON. If you're still confused, no worries. Contact Nesbitt Realty. Tell us what you seek and we'll find the property for you! For more information or to set up an appointment call Stuart at (703)765-0300.

What parks are near Old Town and Belle View?

A bench right across from the biking / running / walking trail
A bench right across from the biking / running / walking trail
One of the single greatest attractions on the west side of the Potomac River is the George Washington Parkway. This parkway stretches along from Mount Vernon Estates through Belle View and Old Town up north of Arlington.  Along the shore are scattered a bevy of parks from Theodore Roosevelt Island, the LBJ National Grove, Gravelly Point Park, Fort Marcy, and Turkey Run Park.  The GW Parkway even boasts a view of a rare Bald Eagle and its nest on the Belle Haven Country Club just south of Old town.  Learn more about great boons to property in Northern Virginia.

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  For more information or to set up an appointment call Stuart at (703)765-0300.  

Ronald Reagan National Airport in Crystal City / Arlington

National Airport
Main concourse of Reagan National Airport
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, formerly Washington National Airport, is on the Potomac River across from Washington DC. Along with Baltimore Washington International and Dulles International, Reagan National is one of three major airports serving the Washington Metro area. Reagan National is easily my favorite of the three airports for a number of reasons. Dulles and BWI are massive sprawling airports with shuttle buses and mobile lounges. Reagan National barely has enough room for the runway. I always like smaller airports. They feel like they are scaled to human beings. There is plenty of security at National, but it seems to move along more smoothly than Dulles or BWI. Dulles and BWI are outside the Beltway at the periphery of the Washington Capitol Area.  Reagan National is at the heart of everything, wedged at the confluence of DC, Alexandria and Arlington.  For me, it's a long drive just to get to BWI or Dulles, but Reagan National is here, and it's accessible by Metro. Reagan National is a station on both the Yellow and Blue lines. Extended parking is available at Dulles or BWI, but on the shuttle bus, the ride from the parking lot to the terminal seems like a mile or more.  At Reagan National, extended parking is at my house.  Because instead of taking a shuttle, I can take the Metro to the airport. The runway is short at Reagan National, and it launches planes up over GW Parkway and at the Washington Monument, requiring a steep climb and a hard left on take off. Some folks find this terrifying, but I have to admit I love it.  I know it's a safe path, because planes take off here day and night, so I sit back and enjoy the abrupt take-off and turn. Reagan National is open 24 hours a day 7 days a week, although many ticket counters and restaurants in the airport close during off-hours. Reagan National is located within the Commonwealth of Virginia, but it has a Washington DC address to identify the airport's location more easily for travelers. The Perimeter Rule and the High Density Rule affect flights at Reagan National. Under the Perimeter Rule, nonstop aircraft flights are limited to a range of 1,250 miles or less. In 2000, Congress permitted the FAA toNational Airport allow six round-trip flights to points outside the perimeter. The High Density Rule (or "Slot" rule) limits the number of landings or takeoffs allowed in an hour. The rule affects Reagan National because of the Airport's limited airfield capacity. Reagan National is located in Arlington County near/in Crystal City. It is most easily accessed from the George Washington Parkway. There are a good many condos and homes in the Crystal City area and they're all just a metro stop away from Reagan National.  The take-off and approach to Reagan National is down the Potomac, so that area residents get very little noise or fly-over from the jets at Reagan National. For more information or to set up an appointment call Stuart at (703)765-0300.

Living near the United States Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria VA

US Patent and Trademark Office The United States Patent and Trademark Office is located in the Carlyle District of Old Town Alexandria VA. The USPTO is one of Alexandria's top employers and a magnet for sharp, well-educated folks from across the country. Commuters have easy access to the USPTO because it's located a few blocks from Alexandria's King Street Metro and just inside the Capitol Beltway. The mission of the USPTO is to protect the interests of inventors of intellectual property, while providing for the good of the nation and the market. The Carlyle District and Old Town have many upscale shops, restaurants, hotels and restaurants. Young patent examiners may have a hard time finding an affordable residence in Old Town or the Carlyle District, but have many choices close by in Huntington, New Alexandria and the West End of Alexandria. For more information or to set up an appointment call Stuart at (703)765-0300.

Homes for sale at Victorian Hills

Nestled between King Street (Route 7) and West Braddock Road in Alexandria VA, Victorian Hills dates back to the late 1960s.  These beautiful single family homes are a rare find.  With ample size lots and a secluded feel granted by trees with history this community combines being close to the heart of Alexandria without the metropolis feel.  The colonial style construction gives a comforting air that can only say "Welcome Home".

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For more information or to set up an appointment call Stuart at (703)765-0300.