June 2015

The Columbia Pike area is a blend of cultural diversity reflecting Arlington’s immigrant community with the best of ethnic restaurants, shops, businesses and housing.  Columbia Pike is a primary state highway in Virginia but it’s also a widely known corridor running 8 miles from Annandale east to I-395 at The Pentagon in Arlington.  It runs linear stretching 3 miles across south Arlington from Arlington Cemetery and Fort Myer in the east into Fairfax County at Arlington’s western border.  The Pike is Arlington’s Main Street, as envisioned by community-based efforts.  The Columbia Pike corridor has more than a quarter of Arlington’s population, 500+ businesses, and projected to add 7,300 residents, 3,900 homes, 7,000 jobs and 2 million square feet of

DC Condo Boutique team member Mansour Abu-Rahmeh represented the buyer of a penthouse condo located at 1211 Eads Street #2101, Arlington, VA 22202 in Arlington’s Pentagon City neighborhood.  This condo at the Bella Vista high-rise development features 3 BR / 2.5 BA / 2,956 SF of living space and closed on June 25, 2015 for $1,100,000 / $372 SF.  This unit conveyed with one parking space.

This penthouse condo is located in the tallest residential building in Arlington and offers panoramic views of the Potomac River, Kennedy Center and monuments. Bella Vista is located on Eads Street within walking distance of both Crystal City and Pentagon City.  Building amenities include a 24-hour front desk, outdoor swimming pool, sundeck, fitness room, sauna and clubroom.

Amazon.com ranks DC residents high on its annual list of “Most Well-Read Cities” in the nation this year.  Based on book sales, both print and electronic, the online retailer Amazon.com puts DC residents at the top of the country’s biggest readers at #1, but DC falls to #5 when the rankings take into account all books, magazines and newspaper sales.  Its annual list was widely published this month.

While DC ranks #5 overall on the “Most Well-Read Cities” list, it ranks at the top of the list (#1) for old-fashioned print book purchases.  Overall, Amazon puts Seattle, Washington at #1, followed by Portland, Oregon; Las Vegas, Nevada; Tucson, Arizona; then DC.  Amazon’s rankings were judged by sales data of total book, newspaper and magazine sale in print

One of Kalorama’s most famous and coveted buildings, 2029 Connecticut Avenue, has an enviable location and top building amenities.  Its residents live in one of DC’s most sought-after condo buildings in the Beaux Arts traditional styles that sits high on top of Connecticut Avenue enjoying sweeping views of the city.  It is an easy walk to the vibrant neighborhoods of Adams Morgan and Dupont Circle, and convenient to both the Dupont Circle and Woodley Park Metro stations on the Red Line.  Taxis frequently pass in front of the building on Connecticut Avenue.  Walk to restaurants and shops in Kalorama, and nearby Dupont Circle.  It enjoys close proximity to Reagan National Airport, the Kennedy Center and the White House.  Adjacent to the building, there is

Wealth in DC combined with enviable demographics explodes with endless possibility for luring upscale DC metro area residents.  While Friendship Heights---the neighborhood bordering Maryland and DC---has long been a bastion of luxury shopping in DC, newcomer CityCenter DC arrived downtown last year with a splash and has opened a group of high-end shops that will keep the well-to-do happy without having to make a pilgrimage to New York City or possibly even Friendship Heights.  High-fashion designer Dior has a store in Friendship Heights and plans to open one at CityCenter, so Friendship Heights may soon start to experience an exodus of exclusive international and fashion lines as they move further down Wisconsin Avenue to closer-in downtown.

It’s been

The elegant Kalorama neighborhood in northwest DC is a coveted address with tree-lined streets, beautiful views, historical charm and stunning Beaux Arts architecture.  Beaux-Arts architecture is a neoclassical architectural style that greatly influenced U.S. architecture from 1880 to 1920, mostly with decorative elements, deep cornices, flat roof, raised first story, grand entrances and staircases, and arched windows.  Kalorama is home to several embassies and walking distance to the Woodley Park Metro on the Red Line.  It’s close to Dupont Circle and Georgetown, and is a neighborhood where you can walk to many restaurants, shops, and a farmer’s market.  Kalorama is convenient to the White House, the Kennedy Center, Reagan National Airport and Rock

Modern new luxury condos, Parker15, are currently under construction in DC’s U Street Corridor at the southeast corner of 15th and V Streets, NW.  Located in the midst of the hot U Street neighborhood, the Parker15 condo building marries modern stylish California design elements with a historic culturally rich location.  Parker15 will be a 9-story building with floor to ceiling windows to bring in ample natural sunlight and take in stunning city views.  The area’s historic nature blends in well with new modern elements such as tan brick, glass bay windows and metal accents.  The U Street neighborhood enjoys abundant nightspots, dancing, dining, and shopping conveniently located with easy access to the Metro Green Line and bus routes, art galleries, more

The unique appeal of converted school buildings into townhomes and boutique condos has captured the imagination of Capitol Hill.  The former Edmonds School on Capitol Hill has been transformed into luxurious residences.  The trend of repurposed historic buildings has soared in popularity for urban dwellers.  The award-winning Edmonds School building, newly renovated last year, embraces authentic lofts, high ceilings and tall windows.  The blend of old and new is a staple in this highly sought-after location; Capitol Hill is a big draw for young professionals and mature couples who are downsizing, due to its central location and walking distance to Metro stations, restaurants, shopping and the U.S. Capitol.

The Edmonds School, located at 901 D Street, NE,

The Car Barn condominiums are in an historic building, formerly known as The East Capitol Street Car Barn, located at 1400 East Capitol Street in the Capitol Hill neighborhood.  The building’s architecture reflects a Romanesque Revival-style designed by prominent DC architect Waddy Wood in 1896.  It was built to store Washington’s streetcars for the Metropolitan Railroad Company.  A private developer more recently purchased the vacant property and developed it into a unique condo building.  The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

The Car Barn was completed in 2005.  It is home to 146 two-level one and two bedroom condo residences in three and four story historic brick buildings on East Capitol side.  The living area

For the second year in a row, the DC area again has won the title of the fittest city in the nation out of the 50 largest metro areas.  DC ranked ahead of Minneapolis-St. Paul, San Diego, San Francisco-Oakland and Sacramento.  The American College of Sports Medicine gave the DC area a score of 79.6 out of 100 points as part of the American Fitness Index’s annual report released in May.

This score makes DC the highest in the country, and beat its own score last year of 77.3.  The American College of Sports Medicine analyzes several factors related to health and fitness across 50 big cities.  Such factors include health behaviors, residential recreational facilities, chronic health problems, and built environment.  The report gave high marks to DC for its