Free Tree program & Biophilic Cities
Arlington County Government sent this bulletin at 09/06/2016 05:03 PM EDT
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Free trees from Arlington county
Biking in Arlington and DC
One of my most favorite things to do in my free time is bike. We are so very fortunate to have some of the best biking trails anywhere. Additionally, when biking in Arlington and DC there are many bike lanes (yes, drivers, when you see a bike painted in a lane, the bike has full access to that lane).
Here are some of the wonderful bike paths in the area courtesy of bikewashington.org:
Mount Vernon Trail: 18 Miles – PavedVery scenic trail that runs along the Potomac River to George Washington’s estate at Mount Vernon. Recommended ride for visitors.
Washington & Old Dominion Trail: 45 Miles – PavedThe W&OD (pronounced “wad”) is probably the best all around trail in the area. This is a rail trail between Shirlington and Purcellville, VA.
The Custis Trail: 4 Miles – PavedThe Custis Trail runs parallel to I-66 through Arlington, VA. It connects the W&OD trail with downtown Washington DC.
Capital Crescent Trail: 13 Miles – Paved/Crushed StoneThe very popular CCT is another great rail trail project. The paved section runs from Georgetown to Downtown Bethesda. The remain section has a crushed limestone surface.
Chesapeake & Ohio Towpath: 184 Miles – Natural SurfaceMy favorite trail in the area, it runs from Washington DC all the way to Cumberland, MD. Watch for future extension to Pittsburgh, PA!Rock Creek Hiker/Biker Trail: about 20 Miles – Paved
(On Road Sections)A loose collection of paths that were eventually linked together. Not too bad in Maryland, but the DC section does leave something to be desired. The DC on-road section is closed to traffic on weekends.
Sligo Creek and Branch Trails: about 20 Miles – PavedMaryland’s Anacostia Tributary Trails start near Mt Rainier, and provides connections to Wheaton, College Park, and Greenbelt.
North Bethesda Trail: 4 Miles – Paved
(On Road Sections)This trail provides an excellent commuter connection between Rockville and Bethesda.Metropolitan Branch Trail: (proposed)This trail will run north from DC’s Union Station to Silver Spring, Maryland along the west side of the CSX Railroad tracks.
To find out where many of the trails are and all the trail in Arlington along with Capital Bikeshare locations, go here:
http://www.bikearlington.com/pages/maps-rides/
Today, I was fortunate enough to ride from my home (in Overlee Knolls section of Arlington, near the East Falls Church Metro), along the W&OD, to the Custis, to the Mt. Vernon Trail where I took this photo just a bit past Roosevelt Island. It was one of the picture perfect days:If you have a favorite ride in the area, please share in the comment section below. Happy Trails!
Rabid Racoon found in Arlington
This from the Animal Welfare League Of Arlington (AWLA)
The Animal Welfare League of Arlington seeks information about any people or pets who may have had physical exposure to a raccoon that has tested positive for rabies. An animal control officer found a sick raccoon in a cardboard box left on the street in the 1000 block of North Manchester Street on August 23, 2016. The box also contained a plastic bowl of water. The raccoon was brought to the animal shelter where it was humanely euthanized. When it was sent for testing, the raccoon was positive for rabies. We ask that anyone who may have had contact or whose pets may have had contact with any raccoon in that vicinity, please call the League at 703-931-9241.
Street closures in Arlington, Va this Weekend
This News Release from the County:
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ARLINGTON, Va. – The Arlington County Police Department will close several streets around the Pentagon and in Crystal City on Saturday, September 10th for the 2016 Arlington Police, Fire & Sheriff Memorial 9/11 5K race. Listed below are the streets that will be affected. From 3:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.
From 5:45 p.m. until approximately 6:30 p.m.
From 5:45 p.m. until approximately 8:00 p.m.
In addition, street parking in the area will be restricted. Motorists should be on the lookout for temporary “No Parking” signs. Illegally parked vehicles may be ticketed or towed. If your vehicle is towed from a public street, call 703-558-2222. -30- Media Contact |
Gardening in Arlington, Va
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
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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.
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Animal SensesEagle 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.
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Northern Virginia Bird Club WalkJoin 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. |
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Open House N. Arlington Aug. 28 from 1-3
This is a beautiful 5 bedroom, 3.5 bath all brick home with an attached two car garage. Note the floor to ceiling large windows in living room and dining room. This spacious home is light and bright. Kitchen has been renovated. Lower level bedroom finished by current owner. Lower level has bedroom, full bath, large rec room (TV can convey) and storage too. It is hard to find this much space for the money just a couple of blocks to metro. Open 1-3 on Sunday August 28, 2016. Contact me at janejensen@comcast.net or 571-228-5656 or use contact form below with any questions or to get a private showing. 2321 N. Quantico St. Arlington, Va. 22205
Office desk can convey
Spacious Dining Room
Arlington, Va. A great place to live and work.
Press release from the County:
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Arlington, Va. June 2016 Real Estate Statistics
Here are the real estate statistics for Arlington, Va for June 2016. Note that these statistics are taken from MLS sales and will not include for sale by owner sales or person to person transactions.
Takeaways:
Total volume is down year over year. If we look a little deeper into those numbers we’ll see that the price of detached homes is up, while the number of sold homes is down. Inventory is also down year over year so this tells us that sellers are getting more for their homes during a time of reduced inventory. The reduced inventory of detached homes is keeping the total sold volume down more then the prices.
The same cannot be said for attached homes (townhomes and condos). While the # of detached units sold went up, the prices came down almost 10%. This is a signal to buyers that now might be a time where you can negotiate a bit on that condo if the unit is priced at or above recent market. Sellers should also be cognizant of this trend when pricing their home. If you are looking for a quick sale, consider pricing your home at or just below market.
Statistics are available for other Northern Virginia counties as well as Washington, DC. If you are interested in these numbers send me an email at janejensen@comcast.net or call 571-228-5656 and I will get you the stats.
Arlington, Va Real Estate Statistics for May 2016
Here are the real estate statistics for Arlington, Va for May 2016. 
So what does this mean? Here are some of my takeaways from these numbers:
-Inventory continues to be low. In May of 2016 there were 641 listings, down from 685 this time last year.
-Buyers continue to be active. If you look at the Days on Market, 113 sold listings sold between 1 and 10 days. Many of these were likely multiple offer scenarios. A total of 193 homes spent less then 30 days on the market.
-The average days on market has creeped up to 46 from 44 last year and the average sold price has actually dropped from $645,354.00 to $$633,667.00. Total sold volume is up to $186,931,646 from $185,216,524.
So what does all of this mean? It means that buyers are active but they are looking for value. If they spot a home that they feel is a good dollar value, they will buy it (or at least try to). To sellers this means..be strategic when pricing your home. The Average detached home sold for an inconsequential .27% over May of last year and detached (townhouse/condo) sold for a significant 2.07% less then last year. So if you want to sell your home in that less then 30 days time frame you might be wise to look hard at the comparable for your property and not price yourself above what buyers would consider a good value.
Need some help pricing your home to sell? Contact an expert. 571-228-5656. janejensen@comcast.net. I’m here to help.
Keeping Children Safe in Arlington
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.
Arlington Virginia Real Estate 