November, 2008:
Hunting Creek Club neighborhood comparison
This is part of series of articles comparing the benefits of condos in close proximity to the Huntington Metro
If you need a balcony or patio in your condo, you’ve come to the
right place. All four of these complexes have balconies or patios in
most units. The Huntington Club, the Hunting Creek Club and Montebello
all have balconies, patios or verandas in every single unit. Now
obviously the new units have slightly more appealing balconies, but to
sort them from top to bottom, this comparison focuses on the views.
If a good view is something you absolutely must have from your condo
and balcony, you’re best chance of finding that view is at Hunting
Creek Club. Nearly every unit in the building offers a panorama over
the city or toward the Potomac. Some of these units have absolutely
breathtaking views. You must see them to appreciate them as 400 pixels
of cyberspace can’t approximate what you’ll see.
You’ll find good views at all the others. Many decks at Huntington
Club look toward the US Patent & Trademark Office, the Carlyle
skyline and the Masonic Temple at Shooter’s Hill. Montebello has many
pleasant views into and above the treetops. At the Midtowns you’ll
find a nice view here and there. So, it is possible to find good views
at any of the others. But at Hunting Creek Club you will consistently
find sweeping and pleasant views.
Huntington Metro Station
Huntington Metro Station (normally just called “Huntington”) is the last stop on the southern end of the Yellow Line. The south mezzanine of Huntington station is built into a hillside creating a unique panoramic view of Alexandria. The high rise along the tracks is the Midtown Alexandria Station.
Huntington Metro
Because of the hill, the station is elevated high above Huntington Avenue, but located below grade at North Kings Highway. The station is accessible via escalator access and via an interesting funicular elevator.
Yellow Line tracks at Huntington Metro
The lower entrance to the Metro is on Huntington Avenue at the foot of the Huntington Club. The bridge in this picture is the metrorail. The bus is one of many that use the Metro as a hub. Unlike many metro stations in Northern Virginia, Huntington has over 4,400 parking spaces accessible from both entrances. Because the parking is ample, many Huntington Club residents drive to Huntington and park in commuter garages.
How can I find the rental that suits my specific needs?
The goal is to find the rental that suits all of your needs, most of your wants and fits your budget. What’s the most effective choice to realize that goal? You can:
Do it yourself; or
Enlist the services of a rental agent.
If do it yourself, then you are in effect your own rental agent. That means you must rely on your own personal knowledge of the area and your own contacts to find your perfect rental. Of course, you could change your own oil, put in your own stitches and you could cut your own hair, too. The only difference is that you have pay for these services and a rental agent’s services are totally free to the renter!
A rental agent’s job is to listen to your needs and then help you identify rentals that meet your needs. rental agents typically have in depth knowledge of the community and they are often aware of market rates. It’s not uncommon for a “connected” rental agent to know of rental opportunities that are quietly listed and generally unknown to the public. A rental agent’s fees are paid by the landlord, so there is no expense to the renter.
It really is in the renter’s best interests to employ the services of a trustworthy rental agent.
The problem is many rental agents really only work for one landlord and thus only support their employer’s building(s). Any agent at an apartment complex will only show properties at that complex or at another complex owned by the same landlord.
Many realtors and real estate agents won’t deal with renters. Here’s why.
After all the fees are paid, a rental agent generally makes about one eighth of a single month’s rent for a rental. For a typical one bedroom apartment in the DC area the rental agent is often paid a paltry $160. (No withholding and no benefits.) So it’s tough to find a rental agent who cares about your needs. Additionally, many renters are oblivious to the benefits of professional assistance and don’t really take best advantage of the rental agent’s expertise.
Braddock Metro
The Braddock Metro Station is located at 700 N. West St., entrance at the North side Braddock Rd.
Braddock Road Metro serves the Yellow and Blue Lines
Residents of the Braddock Road Metro neighborhood are participating in a comprehensive re-planning of the blocks between the Metro Station and Route 1. There are already several condo communities at Braddock Metro, including Colecroft Station Condos and the Lofts at Braddock. Toward Rosemont and Del Ray, the neighborhood is mostly composed of upscale single-family detached homes.
Braddock Metro Station has relatively low Metro ridership. Near the metro there are acres of empty lots and warehouses in what was once an industrial area, but is now a highly sought after neighborhood. So, this neighborhood is poised for redevelopment. Residents, activists and
developers are working with local government to plan architecture, public spaces and parks, safe and pedestrian friendly streets, local retail and restaurants, transit, and a mix of housing types for all incomes.
The first train departs at 4:55am the Yellow Line terminus at Huntington Station, and the last train departs at 12:33am from Huntington Station. Braddock Metro is 7 blocks from the center of Old Town Alexandria, of Washington Street, and 5 blocks to the Potomac River.
Parking is available using SmarTrip cards, with 10 short metered spaces. There are 46 bike racks and 12 lockers at the station.
Metrorail fares:
$1.65 minimum
$4.50 maximum
Children’s fares:
Up to 2 children 4 years or younger ride free with an adult paying full fare.
Children 5 or older pay adult fares.
Seniors 65+ ride for half price of the regular fares.
View from Braddock Road Metro
Condo Comparison: Walk to Huntington Metro
This is part of series of articles comparing the benefits of condos in close proximity to the Huntington Metro
Hands-down, the easiest walk to the Huntington Metro among these
would be the Midtowns of Alexandria. From this building’s south lobby
one can see the buses coming and going. It’s literally only paces from
the Midtowns to the Metro. Just cross the street and you’re at the
Metro station.
The runner-up here is the Huntington Club. Admittedly the Huntington
Club bounds with the Metro station, so it is physically closer than the
Midtowns. But the Huntington Club is built into the hill at North Kings
Hwy and that means that residents have to walk up or down the hill to
enter the Metro system. It’s definitely a more difficult walk from the
Huntington Club than from the Midtowns.
Montebello is a short walk through Mt. Eagle Park to the upper level
of the Huntington Station. The walk is definitely longer than the walk
from the Huntington Club
The Hunting Creek Club is the furthermost from the Metro of the
group. Hunting Creek Club residents must walk about 4 blocks to the
Metro entrance.
A Real estate agent counts his blessings
Real estate agents work hard.
Well, let me rephrase that.
I work hard, and every successful real estate agent I know works hard. I put in long hours. I juggle multiple tasks. I self-motivate. But
sometimes, when you’re exhausted … sometimes when your motivator
needs motivation, you have to wonder if it is all worth it?
On a day after you run into a demanding renter — a client who
really won’t make you any money in the best case — makes unreasonable
demands on your time, you can feel a little worn down. Sometimes
transactions blow-up. Sometimes a real estate agent ends up working
late into the evening for the chance to make money … but doesn’t make
anything. I remember the days when crawled out of a warm bed on a
Saturday morning, and rushed to make an early appointment and then was
stood up.
But this isn’t a post about poor little me.
This is a thank you to God and to friends and family and life.
In a slowing market, I am busier than ever.
My phone rings all day long. And, I’m happy to work the long hours I
do. I don’t think there is any secret to my success. I just work hard
and try to take care of people. And, the best part is that when I take
care of people, people take care of me. Sometimes we forget that simple
truth, but I was reminded of that this Sunday.
Sunday evening, I was exhausted. My wife was not feeling well. I
wanted to go home, curl up and hide from the world for a few hours.
But, a client of mine wanted me to come to her new home at the Fountains condominiums. She had asked us over to share a meal and to check out the improvements she had made to the home.
I was too tired to have fun. I didn’t want to go.
I called her and told her this. She wasn’t very happy. She told me
she had been hard at work cooking and that her efforts would be wasted.
I told her my wife was not feeling well. (She wasn’t.) This client is
Brazilian, and she said that in Brazil she would have kept her thoughts
to herself. But here in the US, she was going to blurt out her
disappointment.
I groaned to myself. My wife is a gourmet cook. I’ve seen her silently suffer after she worked hard at preparing a meal that guests blew off. So I had no choice. Tired or no, I had to drag myself to the Fountains to meet my client and her husband.
Guess what?
It was one of the best dinners I’ve ever eaten (that my wife didn’t
make). It turns out my client is a wonderful cook and a generous host.
Her condo was tastefully decorated with items from Brazil, her
childhood, her familial roots in Austria and with interesting pieces
art from around the world. The meal was well-prepared with foods that
took time, love and effort to make the right way. While we enjoyed
foods from her Brazilian and European heritage, her husband put a
little Brazilian music on the stereo.
Then after dinner, her husband pulled out his guitar and played a
few classics in Brazilian and Spanish. He was amazingly talented.
While he sang, she translated. It was quite a performance. The best
part was when he played an original tune.
And to think what a fool I would have been if I hadn’t gone.
I was exhausted and needed some good food. The universe had carefully pre
pared
me exactly what I needed and I was about to walk away from it! This
only reinforces my belief that you should always do what is right.
If you do what is right, the universe, and God, will look out for you, providing exactly what you need exactly when you need it.
Tour of condos around $200,000 near Alexandria VA
This weekend I toured a number of condos with a client who was prequalified at around $200k. On her budget, she can afford a fixer-upper townhouse in a neighborhood like Bucknell Manor.
She briefly considered the idea of buying a duplex townhouse. The idea of a duplex in a quiet 1950′s neighborhood is quite appealing. The reality of owning that townhouse involves maintenance and upkeep that a young single gal probably wouldn’t enjoy.
So instead we turned to focus on one and two bedroom condos, preferably under $200k. She has a number of choices, all in decent neighborhoods and with an easy commute to Ft. Belvoir. Here’s where we stopped:
- Huntington Walk — Huntington Walk is a tiny little garden-style condo community on Rt. 1 across from Target. The units are very nicely priced and in good shape. The one she looked at had a nice new kitchen and a patio. The laundry is common, but the building is nice sturdy brick.
- Huntington Run — Huntington Run is the younger sister of Huntington Walk. The units are about the same size, which is to say, very generously proportioned. The unit has laundry in the unit, but the building is siding. Huntington Run and Huntington Walk are well within this client’s budget.
- Huntington Club — Huntington Club is at the Huntington Metro. The condo fees here are a bit high, but the condo fee includes all utilities, heating, cooling and cable TV. Huntington Club offers a good deal of space and many units are in very good shape here. Some of the beat-up units have remarkably small price tags.
- Midtowns of Alexandria — Sparkling, new, granite and fine cabinetry is what you’ll find
here. The roof-top deck is pleasant and the proximity to the metro is unbeatable. Easily the nicest of what’s in the budget for this client, the downside is the size: the Midtowns will offer a small studio for slightly more than what my client wants to spend. Of course, every unit in the Midtowns has laundry facilities in the unit. - Hunting Creek Club –Hunting Creek Club condos are hi-rise apartments with large balconies. Most units here have very pleasant views, hardwood floorsand large windows. Hunting Creek Club is in the middle of this client’s budget and she was taken by the views afforded by the one bedroom here. W hen buying a condo it’s important to remember that you can always change fixtures and wall coverings, but you can never change the view or the location. Hunting Creek Club has a laundry room on each floor. The unit that we viewed at Huntington Creek Club has a stunning view of the Potomac. The unit overlooks the Belle Haven Country Club.
- Hunting Creek Club is about 4 blocks from the Metro, close to Old Town and has easy access to the Beltway. Hunting Creek Club is right in my client’s budget.
- Montebello Condos
Montebello condominiums are hi-rises that sit on Mount Eagle at the Huntington Metro. The 37 acres of Montebello are surrounded by fences with 24 hour security roaming and at the gates. One of the big appeals of Montebello is the collection of amenities.
Montebello has an indoor and outdoor pool, hot tubs, sauna, work-out rooms, convenience store, dry-cleaning, bowling, billiards, ping-pong and more. Every unit at Montebello has a balcony and most of these balconies are enclosed with sliding glass doors. Montebello has a washer and dryer in the unit. Montebello is walking distance to the Metro and has a shuttle if you don’t want to walk. Montebello is at the upper end of my client’s budget. - Belle View Condos — Belle View is a gem on the Potomac. These brick garden-style condos are only a few steps from the Belle Haven marina and the Belle View Shopping Center. They have the feel of grandma’s house, most with hardwood floors, gleaming kitchens and windows on 2 or three sides. The exterior of Belle View is cute as a button and you can’t get a better neighborhood anywhere and for any price. Belle View has laundry in the basement. Belle View is a bike-ride from the Metro and from Old Town, but it well served by the Fairfax Connector.
A one-bedroom at Belle View is currently selling at around $210K, which is a little pricey when you consider the size. The price of Belle View puts it in the same category as Montebello and the Midtowns, but with a different value offered. - River Towers — Our last stop was River Towers. River Towers is nine-stories high and abuts Belle View condos. River Towers is unique in Northern Virginia because of its greenery. River Towers sits on 26 acres of land and is adjacent to a national park and a county park. The 1 bedroom units at River Towers are big and bright; many have brand new kitchens. The laundry room is on the first floor and has a dozen or more machines. The prices at River Towers are well-within this client’s budget.
- Olde Mill — Garden-style condos at the gates of Fort Belvoir at Woodlawn and Mount Vernon
We took in a lot over the weekend and set an appointment for a closer look on a future weekend. It’s a good idea to digest what was seen. And see how you feel about it after you’ve seen the properties.
I can think of a number of places that would also fall within this client’s budget and still offer a very reasonable commute to Ft. Belvoir. But I wanted to get her impressions of these places before going on a bit deeper.
Adams Center — medical museum in Old Town Alexandria
One of the many intriguing things about life in Alexandria is Old Town‘s assortment of highly specialized trade associations. One of these is the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS).
Ear Nose and Throat treatment and management is the oldest medical specialty in the United States. This specialty is practiced by otolaryngologists (pronounced oh/toe/lair/in/goll/oh/jists)—also known more commonly as “ear, nose and throat doctors”. ENT physicians manage and treat patients with diseases and disorders of the ear, nose, throat and related structures of the head and neck. Counting more than twelve thousand otolaryngolosist as members, the AAO-HNS is the world’s largest organization representing otolaryngologists.
The Otolaryngology Historical Society, a section of the AAO-HNS, was founded and dedicated to preserve the history of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery. This society is dedicated to the history of otolaryngology and to achieve that mission the society manages and administers the John Q. Adams Center for the History of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.
Found on Prince St. in Old Town, the Adams Center has extensive library, archival, and museum collections to provide educational for the public and professionals alike. The center’s collections chronicle and preserve the history of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery in the United States and Europe. One of the highpoints of the collection is the Rosalind N. and David Myers Hearing Aid Collection—a renown collection of ear-horns and an earpieces dating back to the earliest days of the specialty. The center also is home to many surgical instruments relating to medical procedures of the ear, nose, and throat as well as medical illustrations from the 17th and 18th century.
These and other artifacts, artwork and papers rotate regularly. The center is not just for eductional purposes but is also available for historical research. Rare books and manuscripts are collected here for that purpose but collected items that are in storage are available only by appointment.
The location is easily accessed via the King St. Metro. Parking in Old Town is sometimes tricky, but is available. American Academy of Otolaryngology
One Prince Street, Alexandria, VA 22314
703-519-1579
Open: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m
