Gardening in Arlington, Va

Leave a comment August 30, 2016 realestatehomepro

I am an avid gardener. I will post some photos of some of the plants I have in my yard shortly. In the mean time, I will be checking out this native plant sale. You should too. This news is courtesy of Arlington Parks and Recreation.

AUGUST 30, 2016

Want to make your yard welcoming to local birds, bees and butterflies? Plant native and they will come! You can view the order form online at here. Order today and pick up your plants at Long Branch Nature Center on Sat. Sept. 17, 1-4 p.m. Rain date is Sun., Sept. 18, 1-4 p.m. Questions, call 703-228-6535.

Why Plant Native? Native plants are local to our area so tolerate our crazy weather, they don’t need a lot of care once establish and they provide food and habitat for our local species.

Why Plant in the Fall? Fall is the best time of year for planting. It’s when most plants are focusing on growing and expanding their roots, which in turn helps them to come back strong in the spring. Plus, fall’s wet, mild weather means less watering is needed on your part to keep plants alive and thriving.

Habitat Restoration – Volunteer!

Help increase native species diversity right here in Arlington at Gulf Branch Nature Center Sat., Sept. 10, 2-4 p.m. Work parties are held monthly and are making a real difference, with the return of ferns and wildflowers, and the animals that depend on them, in areas once covered in destructive invasive plants. No registration required. Call 703-228-3403 for more information.

Animal Senses

Eagle eyes, rabbit ears, catfish whiskers…how do animals use their senses differently or the same as humans? Join us on Sat., Sept. 10, 1-2 p.m. at Long Branch Nature Center. We’ll do experiments and games to examine how animals use their senses in nature hike challenges. Details here. Register online or call 703-228-4747. Select activity #612926-D. Only $5 per person.

What’s a Teen to Do?

There are lots of fun and rewarding things for teens after school this year. Teens will have fun, make new friends and develop skills. Consider afterschool clubs at HB Woodlawn, Williamsburg and Kenmore and drop-in programs at Arlington Mill, Gunston, Lubber Run and Thomas Jefferson Community Centers. Learn more here or contact OFT@arlingtonva.us. Questions? Call 703-228-0945.

Cricket Music

Join us on Tues., Sept. 6, 1–2 p.m. at Gulf Branch Nature Center to learn about crickets, the masters of autumn music. We will explore the cricket life cycle, habitats and listen to an orchestra of six-legged musicians. Details here. Register online or call 703-228-4747. Only $5 per person.

Northern Virginia Bird Club Walk

Join members of the Northern Virginia Bird Club on Wed., Sept. 7, 8:30–11 a.m. for an informal walk through Long Branch Nature Center at Glencarlyn Park in search of resident and migratory birds. Experienced and beginning birders welcome. Bring binoculars and field guides if you have them. Details here.Register online or call 703-228-4747. Use activity #612946-A. This event is free.

Arlington, Va. A great place to live and work.

Leave a comment August 2, 2016 realestatehomepro

Press release from the County:

Arlington Celebrates Winning Year of Attracting, Retaining Businesses

53 deals in FY 2016 adding or keeping businesses in County
More than 4,200 jobs
Almost 2 million square feet of office space

Arlington businesses grew over the past fiscal year, with the County showing strong results in attracting and retaining companies.

Arlington Economic Development reports that its new marketing efforts and strategically targeted resources netted 53 new business or business retention deals in Fiscal Year 2016. Those deals represent nearly 2 million square feet of office space and the creation or retention of more than 4,200 jobs. In Fiscal Year 2015, the County closed 35 such deals, representing nearly 1.2 million square feet of office space.

County Manager Mark Schwartz, who has made economic development his top priority, calls the new numbers “an encouraging sign that our ‘all-hands-on-deck’ effort is working to fill office vacancies with vibrant businesses that are coming to or staying in the County. There’s more work to do but we’re clearly making progress.”

Schwartz also thanked the County Board for its commitment, through additional budget resources, to keeping and adding Arlington businesses.

New and expanding companies

Grant Thornton, Amazon Innovation Center and George Washington Medical Faculty Associates are among the larger employers attracted to large office spaces in Arlington. Some of the new, fast-growing technology firms putting roots down in the County are Shift, Phone2Action and Basket.

Excited to announce @Phone2Action will bring 142 new jobs to @ArlingtonVA and the Commonwealth of VA #NewVAEconomy pic.twitter.com/Cs6bhCXFRn

— Terry McAuliffe (@GovernorVA) July 7, 2016

Established businesses that have seen the benefits of calling Arlington “home” include Opower and Sands Capital Management.

We’re thrilled to announce the expansion of Opower HQ in Arlington County. Great to see you again, @GovernorVA! pic.twitter.com/eQIDZUvkQT

— Opower (@Opower) February 9, 2016

Businesses that have expanded in Arlington include Bytecubed and Snagajob.

“This year’s success in business investment is very telling in terms of the kinds of businesses that have chosen Arlington as their home,” AED Director Victor Hoskins said. “It’s truly representative of Arlington’s shift into a technology and professional services hub.”

The successes are all part of Arlington’s “Way Forward” strategy of focusing on working with regional partners, proactive marketing, providing strategic incentives and offering key infrastructure improvements to prospective businesses. That approach is setting Arlington apart from other regions in terms of providing its business community with the resources and tools it needs to grow for the future.

Arlington Economic Development

Arlington Economic Development, part of Arlington County Government, is dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of an economically competitive and sustainable community, and the creation of exciting, diverse and amenity-rich places. AED provides visionary leadership and superior services to Arlington’s business and arts community, its tourism industry and its real estate development.

This week AED was recognized with a Virginia Association of Counties (VACo) Achievement Award for its innovative Startup Arlington competition. The contest challenges tech companies to make their pitch for 3-months of free office and living space, plus legal advice and mentoring, in the County. The winning business, Montana-based Oppleo, a cyber security firm, relocated to Arlington last November and is still in the area.

Media Contact

Cara O’Donnell, 703-228-0854

View this release in our newsroom

Keeping Children Safe in Arlington

Leave a comment June 16, 2016 realestatehomepro

Of course, you already know that you need to stop for a stopped school bus. Now you know that if you don’t…you’ll get caught. Keep children safe. This from Arlington County:

School Bus Stop Arm Enforcement Program Restarts on July 1, 2016

Arlington, Va. – Beginning July 1, vehicles that illegally pass an Arlington Public Schools (APS) bus that is stopped for students are at risk for receiving a traffic ticket through the school district’s CrossingGuard School Bus Stop-Arm Safety Camera Program. The county’s program was temporarily paused while the state legislature passed legislation improving the operation of the student-safety focused program.

More than 20 Arlington school buses are outfitted with the CrossingGuard system, supplied by American Traffic Solutions. The system is used to reduce the number of vehicles that wrongfully pass stopped school buses and endanger children walking to or from the bus.

APS operates 165 buses that transport about 10,000 students to and from school each week. During the first four weeks of this school year, the CrossingGuard Program recorded 216 school bus stop arm violations across 19 days of operation.

The CrossingGuard school bus stop-arm safety solution mounts cameras and sensors on the side of the school bus. When the stop arm is deployed, the sensors automatically detect a vehicle illegally passing the stop arm in either direction or captures video of the violation including the vehicle’s license plate. The video is then reviewed by the Arlington County Police Department for approval prior to a citation being issued. In Virginia, the penalty for a stop-arm violation will warrant the vehicle’s owner a civil penalty of $250.

CrossingGuard is a completely automated, turnkey system that allows school bus drivers to focus on what is most important – the safety of their passengers. Answers to frequently asked questions about the program and Virginia traffic laws pertaining to school bus stop arms are available on the APS website at www.apsva.us/stoparmcameras.

Metro Work starting tomorrow on Arlington Orange Line

Leave a comment June 3, 2016 realestatehomepro

This is a message from Arlington Alert

METRO SAFETRACK

TRAVEL DISRUPTIONS ALERT

Who: Metrorail riders, and commuters and visitors who travel on the major roadways within Arlington County.

What: Metro SafeTrack severe service disruptions. Metro lines affected by SafeTrack maintenance work are expected to be extremely crowded, especially during rush hour. Expect significantly longer wait times. All commuters will be significantly affected due to the influx of additional traffic from rail riders who have resorted to driving to work.

When: 13 days between June 4 and June 16, 2016.

Where: Orange and Silver Lines. Metro will be running continuous single tracking at all times between the Ballston and East Falls Church stations. Orange Line trains between Vienna and Ballston will only operate every 18 minutes. Silver Line trains will operate every 18 minutes.

Why: Metro is performing accelerated track work on certain sections of the system for weeks at a time, in order to improve safety and reliability.

Information and resources: Download the ‘My Arlington’ App and use the ‘Alerts’ tab for updated Metro notifications. For more information visit https://topics.arlingtonva.us/safetrack/.

In my Yard-Photos from Arlington, Va.

Leave a comment May 26, 2016 realestatehomepro

Spring is here! Here are some photos from my yard for your viewing pleasure. Spring brings a plethora of big, beautiful bright flowers all over Northern Virginia. These are in my yard. Know what they are?

Dogwood

Azaleas!

Japanese Honeysuckle after the rain.

Allium

Clematis-Beautiful!

Spider Wort-These come in White too

I love free stuff. Bike to work day in Arlington

Leave a comment May 20, 2016 realestatehomepro

Today is Bike to Work Day all over the USA. Washington, DC and Arlington, Va are two of the more bike friendly areas I’ve travelled to. Happy to be living here. Great trails and bike lanes and so many people bike that drivers do look out for bikers. I registered for Bike to Work Day with my home stop being the East Falls Church Metro. I live about 1/4 mile walk and 1 mile bike ride (if I take the trails instead of the road. I went over to pick up my T-shirt and to my delight also got a new water bottle. And then…..I registered my bike with the Arlington County police and look what I got…..for Free! Been thinking about getting one of these since I’m riding in DC more and I’ve seen thieves just snip the cable type lock I usually use. And now I have one…..for Free! I’m pretty sure that even if you haven’t registered if you head over to one of the Arlington stops and register your bike you’ll get yourself a lock. woohoo! Life is good.

What is that in the sky

Leave a comment May 20, 2016 realestatehomepro

It looks familiar but it isn’t something I’ve seen in the morning sky for a very, very long time. Could it be? Could it be? Maybe it is. The Sun, the Sun!!!!!! And it’s Bike to work day in Arlington, Va and the rest of the USA. Go get ’em.

My Check in for #BTWD2016 is the East Falls Church Metro. Where’s yours? And…yes, that’s a dinosaur bell/horn on my bike. Don’t judge. 🙂

Bike to Work Day is Coming.

Leave a comment May 14, 2016 realestatehomepro

Bike to work day is coming. It’s on Friday May 20th. What a great opportunity to get on your bike and explore a commuting alternative. Here in Arlington, Va we are fortunate to live in a very bike friendly community. Shirlington is the trail head for the very popular W&OD trail (other end is in Purceville), and also access to Four Mile which intersects with the very popular Mt. Vernon Trail. Many folks also enjoy a trip to Maryland (Bethesda) via the Capital Crescent Trail) DC is also full of of bike lanes and bikers are every where. If you register for Bike To Work Day and select a Pit Stop you will be eligible for food, fun and prizes. Go here to register:

http://www.biketoworkmetrodc.org

For anytime information on bike trails, maps, and any other questions you might have go here:

http://www.commuterconnections.org/commuting-resources/bicycling-resources/

Happy Biking.

On The bike trail today May 14, 2016

6238 22nd Rd. N. Arlington. $699,000. 3 beds/2baths. Near Metro and Westover

Leave a comment March 31, 2016 realestatehomepro

Great little house in a cul-de-sac that is just .5 to the East Falls church Metro and .75 to the popular Westover Shopping Area which includes a library, hardware store, Westover Beer Garden, Lebanese Taverna, Lost Dog, The Italian Store and More. 3 beds, 2 baths, finished lower level + plenty of storage. Nice fully fenced back yard. This home will be priced at $699,000. You will want to see this. janejensen@comcast.net. 571-228-5656