Arlington Magazine Mar/Apr 2021

SEBASTIEN COURRET-KNIGHT

202-615-2401

sebastien.courret@wfp.com

DANIEL BREWER

202-277-9099

daniel.brewer@wfp.com

A team built on reputation

When McEnearney Associates opened for business, we had one simple goal… attract the best real estate agents in the business so that we could provide the highest level of service to our clients. And for forty years, this goal has remained the same. Our Associates are the reason so many clients trust McEnearney. They are responsible for our enviable reputation. Congratulations to all of our Associates who made Arlington Magazine’s Top Producer list.

Left to Right: Susan Tull O’Reilly, Betsy Twigg, Sarcone Schneider Team, Taylor Chamberlin, Lisa Joy, Martha Floyd, Linda Murphy, Ann Duff, Sarah Picot, Chris Pritchard, James T. Kim, Jean Beatty, Robin Cale, Jillian Keck Hogan, Laura Schwartz, Lynn Hoover, Joan Cromwell, Jen Walker, Leslie Wilder, Ann Nichols, Anslie Stokes Milligan

CON TENTS

n FEATURES

COMMUNITY

46

Going, Going...Gone?

Skyrocketing home prices have shut middle-class buyers out of Arlington’s real estate market. Is there a solution?

PEOPLE

56 Music Man

For Classical WETA 90.9 radio host James David Jacobs, music has always offered solace, even in the darkest times.

HOME DESIGN

62

Shingle Minded

A custom new build embraces New England-style architecture.

70

Good Luxe

This home’s sumptuous interiors take a walk on the wild side.

94

Open House

An ultra-modern abode revels in natural light.

REAL ESTATE

104 Top Real Estate Producers

Looking to buy or sell a house? Here are the top-producing agents and teams in Arlington, McLean and Falls Church.

FOOD & DRINK

170 Plant Power

Meatless—it’s not just for Mondays anymore. Order these tasty vegetarian and vegan dishes from a restaurant near you.

ON THE COVER: The McLean home of Kara McCabe and Andrew Leblanc.

Photo by Diego Valdez.

HEALTHY

Enjoying spring blossoms and a quiet moment is a beautiful way to focus on what matters most. When you are ready to expand your family, Virginia Hospital Center is there for you, providing the best care during your pregnancy and all of the moments in your life. Keeping you healthy is what drives Virginia Hospital Center to be the best of the best. We are better together. Find an OB/GYN at VirginiaHospitalCenter.com/ob.

CON TENTS

n DEPARTMENTS

Around Town

Enjoy online concerts, author talks and play readings, and keep your fingers crossed for an outdoor arts festival in April.

18 Good Stuff

Pick-me-ups for weary teachers, a naturalworld champion and a hometown poetry anthology.

24 Familiar Faces

Imagine leafing through George Washington’s personal diaries. For Tom Albro, it’s all in a day’s work.

26 My Life

She wanted an all-American spring break experience. It was awful—and awesome.

127 Great Spaces

A tiny kitchen with a big personality.

128 Prime Numbers

Our expanded real estate guide compares five years of home sales data in more than 400 neighborhoods.

166 Home Plate

How Ed Hardy became the pierogi king of Arlington. Plus, a new biscuit shop, and carryout cocktail kits to shake or stir at home.

178 Shop Local

Brighten your life with block-printed housewares, customized denim or a handpainted portrait of your pet.

184 Back Story

Before the Pentagon was built, gamblers went there to bet on horses and hot rods.

letter from the publisher

The Missing Middle

AS YOU READ this issue of Arlington Magazine, you may experience cognitive dissonance.

On the one hand, we’re proud to publish an extensive, well-reported story by Alison Rice on an important topic facing our community. “Going, Going…Gone?” provides a deep dive into rising housing prices and the corresponding decline of affordable homes for middle-class buyers. In recent years, Arlington’s housing market has become largely out of reach for many buyers, such as teachers, police, firefighters and many health care workers, including those who are administering vaccines and treating the sick during this pandemic. There are racial disparities in the housing landscape, too. Some of the inequities are rooted in discriminatory lending practices and racist neighborhood covenants that were outlawed decades ago, but continue to have lasting effects. This reality raises some fundamental questions: What kind of community do we want to be, who do we want to include and what can we do about it?

On the other hand, you also will notice in this issue three stories on luxury custom homes. Just as we make a habit of covering complex community issues (and myriad other topics), we are also committed to writing about home design and architecture, whether in the form of a new build, renovation, condo, townhome, big space, small space, indoor space, outdoor space and everything in between. In other words, our goal isn’t to advocate for one form of housing or another. Rather, it’s to take our readers inside

beautiful spaces of all shapes and sizes to provide inspiration.

We aren’t blind to the awkward, perhaps uncomfortable juxtaposition of writing about the loss of affordable homes, while simultaneously covering beautiful new homes that command high price points. This magazine is a mirror to our community and our editorial choices reflect that role.

On the dining front, I recently observed on social media that my family’s dietary habits sound like the start of a joke: “A vegan, a vegetarian, a pescatarian and two omnivores walk into a bar…” As you might imagine, serving dinner in our house is a complicated affair, so I was thrilled with “Plant Power” by Jessica Strelitz. The story provides a terrific roundup of 11 local restaurants that serve tasty takeout dishes for vegetarians and vegans, as well as for carnivores who need a break from meat and potatoes. My family is making its way through the options, and I hope you will try them too.

Thank you for reading Arlington Magazine. I hope you find it informative, helpful and enjoyable, and we are grateful for your continued support. Also, we would love to hear from you. I can be reached at greg.hamilton@arlingtonmagazine.com and you can contact our editor, Jenny Sullivan, at jenny.sullivan@arlingtonmagazine.com.

Best,

Greg Hamilton Publisher

n contributors

Alison Rice

ORIGINALLY FROM: Minneapolis

LIVES IN: Rock Spring

ON THE JOB: Rice has written about housing and real estate for more than 20 years. She is currently the managing editor of Utopia, a website covering housing innovation. She also spent several years as a sixth-grade English teacher for Arlington Public Schools.

IN THIS ISSUE: Examines the alarming reality of Arlington’s “missing middle”— its dwindling supply of homes that middle-class buyers can afford—and how county leaders are seeking to address the problem.

TAKEAWAYS: “I was surprised by two things: the average square footage of new homes going up on teardown sites, and the lasting impact of racially restrictive covenants in North Arlington—how the diversity of certain neighborhoods is still shaped by policies that were abolished decades ago.”

CURRENTLY WORKING ON: “Attempting to carve out a home work space for me that isn’t the kitchen table.”

A FAVORITE ACTIVITY: “Biking to the Westover Farmers Market with my husband and two daughters to feast on Mama’s Donut Bites and Number 1 Sons pickles for lunch.”

FOLLOW ON TWITTER: @freshbrewedit

John Adam Wasowicz

ORIGINALLY FROM: Chicopee, Mass.

LIVES IN: The Mount Vernon area of Fairfax County, a mile from George Washington’s estate.

INSPIRATION: “I came to Washington, D.C., to work for one of my heroes, the late, great Edward W. Brooke, who served as attorney general for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and was the first Black man elected to the U.S. Senate post-Reconstruction. While I was working for him, I decided to get a law degree, which I earned in 1984, going nights at Catholic University.”

LEGAL NOTES: A former prosecutor and defense attorney, Wasowicz began his law career as an assistant commonwealth’s attorney for Arlington. He later entered private practice.

IN THIS ISSUE: Chronicles the inspiring and musical life story of Classical WETA 90.9 radio host James David Jacobs.

WRITING LIFE: Wasowicz is the author of the Mo Katz Mystery Series of legal thrillers, published by BrickHouse Books. Jacobs provided the musical notes for the audiobook version of the third book in the trilogy, Slaters Lane (which is narrated by fellow Classical WETA radio host Nicole Lacroix).

FOLLOW ON TWITTER: @AlendronLLC

PUBLISHER & PARTNER

Greg Hamilton

PARTNER

Steve Hull

EDITOR

Jenny Sullivan

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Susan Hull

ART DIRECTOR

Laura Goode

DESIGNER

Kari Mason

WEB PRODUCER

Erin Roby

DINING CRITIC

David Hagedorn

COPY EDITOR

Sandy Fleishman

WRITERS

Sydney Johnson, Rachael Keeney, Rebecca Morrison, Rina Rapuano, Alison Rice, Jennifer Sergent, Jessica Strelitz, John Adam Wasowicz

PHOTOGRAPHERS & ILLUSTRATORS

Stephanie Bragg, Skip Brown, Heather Fuentes, Stacy Zarin Goldberg, Allison Hardeman, James Heimer, Lisa Helfert, Darren Higgins, Erik Kvalsvik, Tony J. Lewis, Deb Lindsey, Rey Lopez, Sarah Marcella, Eman Mohammed, Robert Radifera, Hillary Schwab, Spencer Strebe, Diego Valdez, Michael Ventura, Brie Williams, Stephanie Williams, Stacey Windsor, Lloyd Wolf, Katherine E. Young

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Traci Ball, Kristin Murphy

FINANCE MANAGER

Jill Trone

AD PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

Meghan K. Murphy

MARKETING ASSOCIATE

Leigh McDonald

CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER

Onecia Ribeiro

Arlington Magazine is published six times a year by Greenbrier Media LLC © 2021 1319 N. Greenbrier St., Arlington, VA 22205

Subscription price: $19.95

To subscribe: Fill out the card between pages 64 and 65, or visit arlingtonmagazine.com.

For advertising information: Call 703-534-0519 or visit arlingtonmagazine.com.

Letters to the Editor: We want to hear from you. Please email jenny.sullivan@arlingtonmagazine.com

How to contact us:

Editorial: editorial@arlingtonmagazine.com

Subscriptions: customerservice@arlingtonmagazine.com

Advertising: advertising@arlingtonmagazine.com

Website: website@arlingtonmagazine.com

Arlington Magazine/ArlingtonMagazine.com

1319 N. Greenbrier St., Arlington, VA 22205

Phone: 703-534-0519

Sub-Zero, the preservation specialist Wolf, the cooking specialist Cove, the dishwashing specialist Find them exclusively at your local kitchen specialist.

S u p e r i o r p r e s e r v a t i o n , c o o k i n g , a n d d i s h w a s h i n g a p p l i a n c e s d e m a n d e x c e p t i o n a l s e r v i c e

A B W A p p l i a n c e s i s p r o u d t o p r o v i d e a b e t t e r w a y t o s h o p , i n s t a l l , a n d s e r v i c e e x t r a o r d i n a r y

S u b -Z e r o , Wo l f , a n d C o v e a p p l i a n c e s S c h e d u l e a p r i v a t e c o n s u l t a t i o n w i t h a s p e c i a l i s t a t o n e o f A B W ’ s s p o t l e s s e x p e r i e n t i a l s h o w r o o m s n e a r y o u

A r l i n g t o n a n d A s h b u r n , V A 3 0 1 - 5 8 9 - 1 4 4 5

H o u r s v a r y b y l o c a t i o n A B Wa p p l i a n c e s c o m

N o r t h B e t h e s d a a n d K e n s i n g t o n , M D

C o m i n g s o o n t o J e s s u p , M D !

AROUND TOWN

By Rachael Keeney

Laila Lalami *

What does it mean to be American? In her latest book, Conditional Citizens: On Belonging in America, Pulitzer Prize finalist Laila Lalami recounts her unlikely journey from Moroccan immigrant to U.S. citizen in her exploration of the rights, liberties and protections that are traditionally associated with American citizenship. This virtual author talk hosted by library director Diane Kresh is part of the Arlington Reads “Food for Thought” series. Free. Arlington Public Library; arlingtonva.libcal.com

Editor’s Note: At press time the following events were still moving ahead as scheduled. Check the latest status before you go. An asterisk (*) indicates that the event is all or partially online.

ART

MARCH 5-27

Give Me Shelter

Del Ray Artisans Gallery

The arrival of Covid-19 taught us that “shelter” is as much a state of mind as it is a structural dwelling. It can be a place of refuge—physical or psychological—from fear of the virus and its spread. But many now face the possibility of losing it as the crisis has nearly 40 million American renters at risk of homelessness. Artists consider the concept of shelter in many forms in this Del Ray Artisans exhibit. Free. 2704 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria, delrayartisans.org

APRIL 1-JUNE 10

Initium Novum: Humanity’s End as a New Beginning

McLean Project for the Arts

In this collaborative exhibit, artist Yuriko Yamaguchi and writer Mineke Schipper explore age-old myths and tales about the end of the world in an attempt to explore the new possibility of resurrection. Free. 1234 Ingleside Ave., McLean, mpaart.org

APRIL 24-25, 10 A.M.-5 P.M.

Arlington Festival of the Arts

If all goes as planned, Clarendon will host more than 100 artists and their wares (most of which will be for sale) at this beloved spring street festival. Admission is free. Near the intersection of North Highland Street and Washington Boulevard, Arlington, artfestival.com

We’re more than advisors; we’re here to bring your goals into focus. To build a richer life for you and your family, we start by matching our investment analysis to your customized plan. en, a er mapping out the future that works for you, we go there—together.

MUSIC

MARCH 12, 6 P.M.

The Chris Timbers Band

The State Theatre

Loudoun County native Chris Timbers has shared the stage with Tim Reynolds (Dave Matthews Band), Tad Kinchla (Blues Traveler) and John Scofield. Enjoy a sound that blends rock, blues, R&B and funk, with a dash of country, in this free outdoor show. 220 N. Washington St., Falls Church, thestatetheatre.com

MARCH 12-19

Arnaud Sussmann*

Wolf Trap

As part of Wolf Trap’s “Front Row” streaming concert series with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, violinist Arnaud Sussmann will perform works by Johann Sebastian Bach and Ernest Chausson. Free. wolftrap.org

MARCH 20

Hungarian Delicacies*

Gunston Arts Center – Theater 1

Pieces by acclaimed Hungarian composers Bela Bartok, Ernst von Dohnanyi and Franz Liszt have a distinctive style that blends classical composition with elements of folk music. This National Chamber Ensemble performance is a collaboration with Bowen McCauley Dance Co. The event will be livestreamed if in-person attendance is deemed unsafe. $18-$36. 2700 S. Lang St., Arlington, nationalchamberensemble.org

APRIL 21, 7:30 P.M.

Wynonna Judd

The Birchmere

PLANT A TREE

APRIL 17, 9 A.M.-NOON

Earth Day McLean

Gardening season is coming! Swing by the McLean Community Center to pick up some free saplings and pollinator seeds— while supplies last and on a firstcome, first-served basis—to help rejuvenate planet Earth and the local ecosystem. Free. McLean Community Center, 1234 Ingleside Ave., McLean, mcleancenter.org

women’s anger was a political catalyst. New York Magazine contributor Rebecca Traister (who has appeared on NPR, CNN and MSNBC) discusses how female fury has shaped key moments in history, as chronicled in her 2018 book, Good and Mad. This virtual author talk hosted by library director Diane Kresh is part of the Arlington Reads “Food for Thought” series. Free. arlingtonva.libcal.com

PERFORMING ARTS

STREAMING IN MARCH

The Princess and the Pea*

Creative Cauldron Learning Theater

Ensemble

See a classic fairy tale brought to life on the stage without leaving the comforts of home. The fabled story of a young prince’s quest for love and a young woman’s attempt to pass the queen’s bizarre test will be available to stream this spring. Check website for ticket prices. 410 S. Maple Ave., Falls Church, creativecauldron.org

MARCH 8, 7 P.M.

One-Shot*

Signature Theatre

The award-winning country music singer is primed to belt out some of her classic hits, as well as works from her newly released Recollections EP—which Judd recorded during her time in quarantine. $79.50. 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria, birchmere.com

APRIL 30, 8 P.M.

David Cook Race for Hope Benefit Concert

Jammin Java

The Race for Hope 5K in Washington, D.C., which benefits the National Brain Tumor Society, holds a special place in

American Idol winner David Cook’s heart— he lost his brother Adam to brain cancer in 2009. All proceeds from this performance will go toward Cook’s Race for Hope 5K team. $40-$50. 227 Maple Ave. E., Vienna, jamminjava.com

AUTHORS & BOOKS

MARCH 18, 7-8 P.M.

Rebecca Traister*

Good and Mad

Arlington Public Library

Long before Pantsuit Nation, the Women’s March and the #MeToo movement,

In 1999, a bigoted slur is spray-painted onto a video rental store in McLean, disturbing—and possibly outing—the owner and his employees. A life-changing film scholarship hangs in the balance as secrets are exposed in this riveting examination of race, sexuality and identity by playwright Andrew Rosendorf. This performance is part of SigWorks: Monday Night Play Readings, an initiative that highlights and supports the work of DMV and regional playwrights. Free. sigtheatre.org

APRIL 9-24

Difficult Conversations: Bridging the Divide

Creative Cauldron

Talking about race, gender identity, politics or religion can be uncomfortable in an era of polarization. This series of 10-minute plays by local playwrights aims to make such exchanges a little less so. Each performance will depict

an awkward dialogue between two characters; but the writer also will be asked to provide a 10-minute companion piece that reimagines the conversation as they would like it to happen. An audience discussion will follow each short play. Check website for ticket prices. 410 S. Maple Ave., Falls Church, creativecauldron.org

APRIL 19, 7 P.M.

Light*

Signature Theatre

A prodigal sister returns home and upends the lives of her devout younger sister, family friends and, most of all, the 11-yearold son she abandoned. The inevitable collision sparks a crisis in playwright Jarrin Davis’ intricate and suspenseful portrayal of one Black family’s journey of forgiveness. This performance is part of SigWorks: Monday Night Play Readings, an initiative that highlights and supports the work of DMV and regional playwrights. Free. sigtheatre.org

SEASONAL

MARCH 6, 12:30 P.M.

Ballyshaners’ St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Old Town Alexandria

Will the bagpipers and Irish dancers hit the streets of Old Town this spring? We may need some extra Irish luck, but so far the annual St. Paddy’s Day parade is on as scheduled. Free. Market Square, 301 King St., Alexandria, ballyshaners.org

APRIL 17-24

Garden Club of Virginia

Historic Garden Week Tours

Multiple locations

Take a road trip and feel rejuvenated at the sight of spring flowers. Tours will be held throughout the Commonwealth, from Virginia horse country to the coastal towns of the Northern Neck. See website for details and ticket prices. vagardenweek.org

ANNOUNCING NEW spring groups Endless Possibilities

good stuff n by

Sydney Johnson

Sarah Goldman photographing the Leighton family on their front steps

Positive Steps

Sarah Goldman and her husband had just moved to Arlington’s Tara-Leeway Heights neighborhood from South Carolina—on March 9, to be exact—when Covid sent all of Northern Virginia into lockdown. Goldman, a professional photographer, wanted to get to know her new community, and she wanted to help. She signed on to a viral photography initiative called The Front Steps Project and began offering pro bono portraits to local families in exchange for good-faith donations to area charities.

Being new and not knowing many of her neighbors, Goldman posted a notice on Nextdoor. Within two days she had about 100 interested families. A week later she was snapping photos from a safe distance outdoors—with many folks posing on their front steps.

“It felt good to do something—anything,” she says. “It kind of gave me a sense of purpose.”

In the end, she left nearly 200 families with a nice memento from their time in quarantine, while helping to raise more than $19,000 for local organizations such as the Arlington Food Assistance Center, Calvary Women’s Services and the Virginia Hospital Center Foundation.

One especially grateful couple was photographed while boxing up 25 years’ worth of memories as they prepared to move out of the Falls Church house in which they’d raised their kids. When their adult children stopped by to help them pack, they seized the opportunity to capture a family portrait to hang in their new place.

Some 500 photographers worldwide contributed to The Front Steps Project, raising more than $3.35 million for food pantries, animal shelters, hospitals and other causes across all 50 states and 12 countries. One of Goldman’s portraits is now featured in a book created by the project’s originators. sarahgoldmanphoto.com

Poetry in Motion

April is National Poetry Month and Arlington is a literary town. So here’s a new one for your reading list: Written in Arlington, an anthology of more than 150 poems by 87 hometown writers, edited by Katherine E. Young, who served as the county’s inaugural poet laureate from 2016 to 2018. Cover artist Anya Getter is also based in Arlington. So is the book’s publisher, Paycock Press, run by editor, author and poet Richard Peabody.

Young says she was inspired by the talent she encountered during her tenure as poet laureate and wanted to find a way to highlight local voices. Released in November, the collection covers a spectrum of themes. Some poems reference Arlington landmarks and history— including memories of a county cleaved by racial segregation.

“Anyone can read any of these poems and find something beautiful or touching or meaningful,” Young says. “The book does what I wanted it to do, which is create community—especially when we’re sitting inside during a pandemic and can’t [be together].”

Made possible with a grant from Arlington Cultural Affairs, the anthology is available for purchase at Trade Roots in Westover ($17.95) and online. katherine-young-poet.com

Arlington poet Aaron R. Whitehead, aka Aaron R.

Nurturing Nature

Alonso Abugattas usually spends his days amid the flora and fauna that make up Arlington’s ecosystems. During his three decades as a naturalist—the past nine as natural resources manager for Arlington County—he’s tracked wild turkeys, treaded through bogs, led preschoolers on wooded scavenger hunts and studied the building habits of carpenter bees. He’s happiest when his boots are muddy.

In December, however, Abugattas was sitting in front of his computer when he learned he was named a Regional Environmental Champion

by the D.C.-based Audubon Naturalist Society. The award was announced during the organization’s Naturally Latinos Conference, which was held virtually in 2020.

Though clearly an authority in his field, “he is also a very humble, very approachable person,” says Serenella Linares, a school programs manager for Audubon. “He helps build that sense of inclusion, that nature is for everybody.”

Abugattas is an instructor for five master naturalist chapters in Virginia, co-founder of the Washington Area Butterfly Club and a member of the

Virginia Herpetological Society’s identification team. His passion for nature is palpable.

“When you learn about one thing, everything else is connected to it,” he says. “I have this philosophy that it’s a nature puzzle. Everything fits together, and when you learn about one thing, you can’t help but learn about everything else.”

As we look forward to spring and an end to the pandemic, many Arlington families are eagerly anticipating a return to the woods, with Abugattas as a guide. Read his nature blog at capitalnaturalist.blogspot.com

Naturalist Alonso Abugattas

Love Notes

When Arlington schools shifted to remote learning last spring, Kenmore Middle School student Marlene Reyes noticed the toll the pandemic was taking on her teachers. She applied for and won a $250 grant from Peace First, a global nonprofit that empowers youth to cultivate a more compassionate world with tools like community support and startup funding. That’s how Reyes’ Jars of Appreciation project began.

“Several of my teachers would email us to check in on us, which was really sweet,” says the 14-year-old Westover resident. “I thought, What is something I could do to show them I appreciate them?”

With the funding, Reyes created 25 jars, which she gave to Kenmore teachers, as well as cafeteria, front office and janitorial staff. Each mason jar contained 101 carefully curated and colorful notes—a mix of the teen’s own words of encouragement and positive famous quotations—with a personalized tag tied around the top.

One of the very first jars went to her math teacher, who had gotten so frustrated during a virtual class that she cried in front of her students. Coincidentally, the first note the teacher read from the jar was an uplifting message about trying again.

“This has all been such a strange and hard time,” says

Reyes’ mother, Stefanie Cruz. “I’m so proud of her for taking the time to think about her teachers and how they are feeling, too.”

After the response to her first batch of jars was so positive, Reyes applied for and won a second $250 grant, which she used to expand her efforts.

Now she sells the jars through a website she built herself, and is donating 10% of the proceeds to a rotating list of nonprofit organizations. weappreciateyou.org

Marlene Reyes

T h i s d i v e r s e g r o u p o f l e a d e r s i s l e a r n i n g a b o u t A r l i n g t o n i n a

P a t r i c k A l g y e r , N o r t h e r n V i r g i n i a A p a r t m e n t A s s o c i a t i o n , R i c h a r d A r c h a m b a u l t , A r l i n g t o n

C o u n t y G o v e r n m e n t , M e g h a n C a p o z z o l i , G D I T , J a m i e D i n e e n , A r l i n g t o n T h r i v e , M a u r i n e

F a n g u y , A c c e n t u r e , M a r t a G r a y , C u l p e p p e r G a r d e n , B r i t t a n y G r e e r , R o s i e R i v e t e r s , N i c k

G r e g o r i o s , A v i s o n Y o u n g , G u a t a m G u p t a , T r u i s t , J o h n K a u f h o l d , G e n e r a l D y n a m i c s M i s s i o n

S y s t e m s , Z a k M a h s h i e , E x c e l l a , L i n d s e y M c C l e n a t h a n , A r l i n g t o n P a r t n e r s h i p f o r A f f o r d a b l e

H o u s i n g , J . P . M c M i c h a e l , A r l i n g t o n C o u n t y S h e r i f f ' s O f f i c e , B r o o k e O b e r w e t t e r , A m a z o n , M a t t

O w e n s , A r l i n g t o n C o u n t y P o l i c e D e p a r t m e n t , G r e g P o t t s , W M A T A , J i m m y P r i e s t a s , A c c e n t u r e ,

M i k e P r o c t o r , U n i t e d B a n k , C h r i s P r y o r , C o n g r e s s i o n a l S c h o o l , A m y S c h i n d l e r , A n i m a l W e l f a r e

L e a g u e , L e i g h T a n n e h i l l , C l a r e n d o n H o m e S e r v i c e s , P a t t y T a t r o , V i r g i n i a T e c h , T e l l y T u c k e r ,

A r l i n g t o n C o u n t y , B r a d W a r d , C h a i n B r i d g e B a n k , T i f f a n y e W e s l e y , A r l i n g t o n C o u n t y F i r e

D e p a r t m e n t , C i c e l y W h i t f i e l d , B r i d g e s t o I n d e p e n d e n c e , Z a k i y a W o r t h e y , L . L a m b C o n s u l t i n g

Rina Rapuano

One for the Books

Many a U.S. president’s personal keepsakes have landed in Tom Albro’s capable hands.

BOOK CONSERVATOR Tom Albro seems puzzled as to why his profession might be considered interesting.

Yet there are few people on Earth who can tell firsthand stories about working to preserve George Washington’s dia-

ries, Thomas Jefferson’s vast library, 12th-century documents and music manuscripts from the likes of Brahms, Beethoven or Bach.

If it weren’t for an article he saw in the early ’70s highlighting paper conservation at the Smithsonian Institution, Albro’s 28-year career at the Library of Congress might never have come to pass. Back then, he was driving a taxicab to put himself through school at American University, where he studied history.

familiar faces n by

| photo by Michael Ventura

“I didn’t even know that this field existed,” says the Arlington resident. He was intrigued and wrote a letter inquiring whether the Smithsonian offered any sort of apprenticeship program.

“They didn’t,” he explains, “but they referred me to the Library of Congress, where a group of English bookbinders had been hired...to set up a training program in book conservation and paper conservation. I was fortunate enough to stumble into it.”

One of Albro’s favorite professional memories is when the library came into possession of the contents of President Lincoln’s pockets the night he was assassinated. “This was not something that required restoration but required boxing and rehousing,” he says. “That was quite a thrill.” (In case you’re wondering, the collection included a pocket knife, a handkerchief, a $5 Confederate note and several elaborately folded newspaper clippings.)

When it comes to book restoration, Albro says it’s tough to choose a favorite project, although working on George Washington’s diaries was a definite career highlight.

“Those are interesting because they’re both dramatic and mundane, in the sense that George was very much the farmer. He was really concerned about the affairs on the farm…especially when he was away as general of the armies in the revolution,” Albro says. “It’s amusing to think of him basically helping to construct the origin of the United States of America at the same time as he’s worried about the peaches and the wheat. I just think that humanizes him very, very dramatically.”

Albro’s time at the Library of Congress wasn’t solely significant for his professional achievements. He also met his wife, Sylvia, there. “She restores prints and drawings, art on paper, that sort of thing.”

He retired from his career position in 2000 and now works independently with institutions, collectors—anyone who needs professional bookbinding and restoration.

“The large majority [of commissions] are from collectors of fairly bigticket items and institutions in the area,” he says of his freelance work. “The Library of Congress does have a conservation division, the National Gallery does and National Archives does, but there are places that don’t have the conservation services available, and so a lot of that comes in my direction.”

He says projects can vary wildly, taking anywhere from a few hours to 500, with fees ranging from several hundred dollars to around $5,000—“depending on how much damage there is, how big the book is and what the requirements of its restoration are.”

Tools of the trade include a bone folder—an implement formerly made of bone but now frequently made of Teflon—used for smoothing surfaces and folding fragile materials without leaving a mark. He also employs scalpels, tweezers, rulers and paring knives in his restoration work, and relies on Japanese paper and wheat starch paste to repair tears.

He says book lovers can protect their most prized volumes by keeping humidity levels in the 50% range, shielding books from direct sunlight and avoiding temperature fluctuations. But he recognizes that maintaining those conditions isn’t always possible. In some cases, natural disasters can make his work particularly challenging.

“If something’s been in a flood and laying in water for days or weeks, that’s probably going to be mush and not really able to be salvaged,” he says. “A book can come to [me] in a form in which the original material—the covers and everything—are basically not able to be used anymore. That doesn’t happen that often, maybe 5% of the time.”

For the most part, though, his years on the job have prepared him for just about any restoration hurdle one could dream up—including making a book from 1531 look as good as new.

“What I do is restore books to look pretty much the way they did when they were first bound,” he says. “That’s the interest of the collectors and the institutions.” n

Rina Rapuano is a food, travel and features writer based in Washington, D.C. Find her online at rinarapuano.com, @rinacucina (Instagram) and @rinarap (Twitter).

by Rebecca Morrison

Belonging to America

It was one of the worst moments of my life. And also one of the best.

EVER SINCE I was a girl in Iran, I loved the idea of America. I watched American movies and read American books. I coveted everything they represented: freedom, independence, equality. So when my parents sent me to an all-girl boarding school in California in 1984 (after my family had emigrated to Canada three years earlier), I thought I’d finally come home.

During college at Georgetown University, my ideas about America became more refined but my adoration didn’t wane. Even though I wouldn’t become a citizen for a few more years, in my heart I already belonged to America. And when my kindhearted friend Sofia asked if I wanted to go to Cancun for spring break, I jumped at the chance to experience the spring break I had seen in Hollywood movies.

By then it was 1991 and the Gulf War was in full swing, but the war was the last thing on our minds as we boarded the plane. Sitting in front of us was a pack of guys from New Jersey, already inebriated, on their way to making spring break decisions that would surely embarrass their parents. All were wearing sports logo-ed T-shirts (perfect for displaying their bulging biceps) and backward baseball caps, as is the way of the bro.

Rebecca Morrison (then age 20) at the Capitol in 1991

Upon arrival we quickly fell into our vacation routine: sleeping late, hanging out at the tourist-packed pool, then squeezing into a cab to go to dinner at Señor Frog’s, a smelly, sticky, testosterone-filled restaurant with yardstick tumblers of flavored margaritas bearing names like Frogasm and Red Headed Slut.

On the fourth day, one of the girls in our group decided we should go on a booze cruise. We’re going on a cruise? That’s a change from our nightly Señor Frog’s madness , I thought. How fancy!

I was very much mistaken about the evening’s events. The cruise was just Señor Frog’s, but on a boat.

When we got to the dock, we saw the horde of Jersey boys from the plane. They were in peak form— loud, rowdy and ready to tear it up. There were Jell-O shots as we sailed to a tiny island. Shortly after dusk, we gathered on the cold sand in front of a makeshift stage ready for the talent show, some of us tipsy and others completely wasted.

The emcee, a tall Mexican man with a youngish, clean-shaven face, asked in his heavily accented English: “Who wants to come up here and show us what they’ve got!?”

One of my friends suggested I volunteer, and in my buzzed state I must have thought it was a good idea, because I remember bouncing up onstage. The emcee said we’d be singing “New York, New York,” a classic Frank Sinatra song that was about to be butchered. This next part I remember clearly, and in slow cringe-inducing motion.

The three Jersey guys who’d joined me onstage were introduced and got a big round of applause. They did their rendition of “New York, New York,” each with his own flair of half-funny, half-embarrassing theatrics. When they finished, the crowd went wild.

I was the last to be introduced.

Zero Down Mortgages on homes up to $1 million* and $500 cash back at closing1

Visit our website to learn more. ArlingtonCU.org/mortgages

Loan and membership requirements apply.

Preapproval required. Limited time o er. Federally insured by NCUA. NMLS #477974

n my life

The emcee asked my name and where I was from. At that point I’d been in the U.S. for six years and felt like the all-American girl. But I wasn’t technically American, so I said, “Hi! My name is Rebecca and I’m from Canada.”

The emcee looked at me and, without skipping a beat, said, “No, where are you really from.”

I hesitated for a few seconds, and then said, “Well, ummm…I am originally from Iran.”

There was an awkward silence and then a few unseen “boos,” along with a barely audible spatter of claps.

The emcee, feeling sorry for me, tried to lighten the mood by saying with a chuckle: “Guys, it’s Iraq we’re mad at, not Iran!” Big help, I thought. Thanks for that. “OK, Rebecca, show us what you’ve got!”

In what can generously be described as a terrified out-of-tune voice, I began

singing—“Start spreading the…newssss. I’m leaving to-dayyyyyy…”—and robotically kicking my legs like a Rockette. Within seconds, I heard the first guy in the crowd shout, “Boo!”

He stretched out the word for as long as he had breath in his inebriated lungs. Then came the second and third “Boooooo!!”—each one louder than the last. Then another and another,

SPRING HOLIDAY MENU HAS ARRIVED #PBRBAKESMEHAPPY

The writer (center) with her friends during spring break, 1991

until there was a thunderous chorus of mostly “boos,” interspersed with “you suck” and “get off the stage.”

It felt like the world was about to consume me whole. I had seen myself as belonging, and then suddenly a torrent of voices violently shattered that image. It was soul-crushing.

Rage blazed through me like a forest fire. I had a choice—be defeated or fight back. It was a split-second decision.

I stopped singing and zeroed in on the guys who had started the booing, locking eyes with the one closest to the stage.

With one hand, I brought the microphone up to my lips. With the other, I pointed directly at his face and shouted— and I mean shouted—“F*** YOU!!!!”

Once the words were out of my mouth, I felt a rush of power. I quickly scanned the audience, serially pointing out every other person I had seen insti-

gating the hateful jeering. “F*** YOU! F*** YOU! F*** YOU!!!”

The crowd fell utterly silent. Then something surprising happened.

As I continued my prosecution of my tormentors, someone started clapping; then a second person, and a third.

Soon, the whole crowd had changed its tune and was cheering me on. I was still physically shaking from rage, but I felt exhilarated and vindicated. I had turned the tide.

The emcee, stunned but trying to get the train back on the track, rejoined us onstage. He asked the contestants to stand in a row and announced that the winner would be decided by the loudest applause. I didn’t win, but I came really close.

The minute I stepped off the stage my friends rushed over, horrified but also laughing at my reaction. As we boarded the boat, people in the crowd

started approaching me to praise my performance.

Then the ringleaders of the group that had booed me came up and either apologized in their own childish ways (“Hey, listen, sorry about that, you’re cool”) or put their arm around my shoulder and told me approvingly that I was a badass.

I’m still not sure if I made the right decision that night. Things could have gone very wrong.

But the experience showed me what I was capable of when mistreated. That’s the gift this country has given me—the strength to stand up for myself, as a woman and as an American. n

Rebecca Morrison is a freelance writer and host of “The Second Half,” a podcast about people’s stories. She lives in Arlington with her husband and two boys.

Welcome back, Arlington friends! We grew stronger in our time apart.

Let us help you lower your risk factors for optimal health.

Oral Health

Company Flowers & Gifts, Too!

JOHN AND MARNIE NICHOLSON

2107 N. Pollard St., Arlington, VA 22207 703-525-3062 | www.companyflowers.com

Marnie Nicholson started Company Flowers in a caterer’s basement almost 30 years ago. When her husband John retired, she sensed an available recruit and bought a retail shop. With a cadre of designers sticking with her for over 20 years, the shop—located in Cherrydale—has become an integral part of Arlington’s community.

Not content with the ordinary, Marnie always has a supply of provocative flowers, including twenty varieties of roses, summer bouquets freshly picked by Pennsylvania Dutch farmers, rare forest specialties uncovered by San Francisco “pickers” and Holland suppliers who assemble unique Dutch Bunches.

She’s also been the spark plug for the extensive, quirky gift shop that’s known for its cards, humorous napkins, plants, candles, fragrant soaps and lotions, glamorous kitchen towels, and an occasional tall patchwork giraffe or fuzzy llama.

TriVistaUSA Design + Build

MICHAEL

AND DEBORAH SAURI

"Every member of our team, from designers to our project managers, participates in our design process and brings their area of expertise to every project."

925 N. Garfield St., Suite 106 Arlington, VA 22201

703-243-3171

info@trivistausa.com www.trivistausa.com

How have husband and wife team Michael and Deborah Sauri of TriVistaUSA Design + Build managed to thrive in the competitive Arlington design/build market? “Creative solutions rooted in a deep expertise in resource-efficient building techniques, joined with an understanding of our sometimes-challenging zoning regulations—all the while having fun,” says Michael. “Oh, and best of all, our primary focus: We do cool projects for cool people.”

The Sauris are pretty cool themselves. Both are artists—Michael is a musician; Deborah is a designer. This provides them with a distinct advantage in their competitive industry. “Every project is unique—we don’t do cookie cutter,” says Deborah. “Although we see every project as an artistic opportunity, we believe form follows function. Our designs are a collaborative team effort. Every member of our team, from designers to our project managers, participates in our design process and brings their area of expertise to every project.

The Sauris’ reputation has grown alongside their award-winning business. Widely recognized for their expertise, they are sought-after speakers at regional meetings and national conferences and are valued business advisors to other companies in the U.S. and Canada. Michael has even recently been named president for the National Association of the Remodeling Industry Metro DC chapter. What has changed for the Sauris over their tenure in Arlington? As Michael explains, “Now we are given much larger and more complex opportunities to create entire new spaces for clients.” What remains the same is the artistic approach Deborah and Michael bring to everything they build.

Omega Wealth Management, LLC

FROM TOP LEFT:

LISA KIRCHENBAUER, CFP®, RLP®, CEFT®, ANDREA BRASHEARS-LUSK, CFP®, DAVIS GARDNER, CFP®, KATHY FRAKES, CFP®, CEFT® FROM BOTTOM LEFT:

CAROL KULMAYER, ANDREW MEHARI, CFP®, AND JARED JONES, CFP®

A diverse team of professionals with different perspectives that can help plan across generations and complex issues.

200 N. Glebe Road, Suite 730 Arlington, VA 22203

703-387-0919 www.omegawealthmanagement.com

For over 20 years, woman-owned Omega Wealth Management, LLC has been working with successful families and entrepreneurs to align their values, vision and wealth. Not content to just manage money for clients, Omega takes a deep look at each client’s strengths, lifelong goals, and financial and life resources to build a financial life planning strategy that is uniquely theirs. With a client-first, fiduciary and fee-only approach, clients can feel comfortable that the focus is on them. A diverse team of professionals with different perspectives can help plan across generations and complex issues.

Often financial planning can be seen as a destination, a one-and done-activity, but when blending life planning and wealth management, it becomes clear that it’s a journey with twists and turns, opportunities and challenges. Having a skilled “thinking partner” for guidance through significant life transitions, such as retirement, sale of a business, divorce and other possible sudden wealth events,

is critical. Being able to counsel clients in the anticipation stage of a major transition or to think years into the future can be the difference between missed opportunities and a successful transition. For sophisticated, complex families, the coordination of experts to form a virtual family office saves time and often money when the advisory team is working together on a family’s behalf around tax planning, cash flow, portfolio strategy, charitable giving and estate planning. Having someone who knows the client’s most important needs coordinating that effort can provide a great deal of peace of mind.

Vinson Hall Retirement Community

The pandemic has been a challenge, but our residents’ resilience has helped them adapt.

6251 Old Dominion Drive McLean, VA 22101

703-536-4344 www.vinsonhall.org

Conceived of by the Navy Officers’ Wives’ Club of Washington, D.C in 1959, Vinson Hall Retirement Community (VHRC) has been a place where kindness flourishes. Vinson Hall opened its doors in 1969, welcoming military officers and their families to enjoy a senior living lifestyle embodied by its values: dignity, security and friendship.

Since those early days, the commitment to kindness has never changed. In addition to kindness, there is a sense of fellowship that stems from the residents’ life experiences. Residents have always had a lot in common. Some have seen combat. Some have commanded troops or managed high-level government operations. They have supported their families and their communities through both joys and challenges. They are resilient.

The pandemic has been a challenge, but the residents’ resilience has helped them adapt. They have mastered new technologies to virtually attend

meetings, classes, religious services and even parties. The staff has supported residents by providing services to keep them engaged and safe.

Safety has been priority number one during the pandemic. In an effort to keep residents as safe as possible, the staff has worked hard to bring the COVID-19 vaccine in and, starting in late December, residents and staff began receiving it.

The VHRC Independent Living community is open to commissioned U.S. military officers and immediate family as well as leadership-level government employees, GS-14 or higher. Assisted living, skilled nursing, long-term nursing and memory care are open to the public.

Oakwood School

Oakwood Head of School Lane McIntyre, center, pictured with Oakwood students

Oakwood School has one of the most highly credentialed teaching faculty of any learning differences school in the D.C. area.

7210 Braddock Road

Annandale, VA 22003

703-941-5788

www.oakwoodschool.com

For 50 years Oakwood School, located inside the beltway and serving 1st-8th graders, has been committed to providing an exceptional education to bright students with learning differences.

Oakwood’s team of academic professionals creates an educational plan specific to each student, designed to build confidence and focus on each child’s strengths. The teacher-student ratio is 1:6 and, with over 80% of the faculty holding Master’s Degrees or higher, Oakwood School has one of the most highly credentialed teaching faculty of any learning differences school in the D.C. area.

Often students arrive at Oakwood with diminished self-confidence and wide gaps in their learning. A multi-sensory approach to engaging the whole child in their academic journey takes the time to fill in these gaps, paying specific attention to nurturing students and helping them to build their confidence. The school’s mission is to guide students to their

unique academic and social potential and supply them with the tools to carry them into high school and beyond.

One of the world’s most preeminent experts on dyslexia, reading and attention deficit issues is Dr. Sally Shaywitz, professor of pediatrics at Yale University’s School of Medicine and co-director of the Yale Center for Study of Learning and Attention. She said, “My husband and I have visited many schools for dyslexic students, and we have never seen another school that puts all the pieces together for students like Oakwood does.”

Whitestone Custom Homes

HERB AMAN

I am particularly proud to be trusted by my friends and acquaintances with the important task of building their custom home. Working with someone I’ve known since childhood inspires me to make sure everything is perfect—and that resonates in the homes that we build for speculative purposes, as well.

Arlington, VA 22207

703-244-2802

info@whitestonecustomhomes.com www.whitestonecustomhomes.com

Whitestone Custom Homes owner Herb Aman is a third-generation Arlington builder and takes great pride in carrying on the family tradition. His grandfather founded Broyhill Homes and built many homes here in the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s. “Growing up and raising a family of my own here, I know what families in Arlington want and need,” says Aman, “and I love contributing to keeping this town and the communities around us beautiful.”

The family-owned business is built upon four cornerstones—integrity, quality, service and value. Clients are not just buying a product, but a premium service. By working closely with clients and appreciating their individual personalities and lifestyles, Whitestone is able to incorporate personalized features that transform a house into a home.

Aman employs only highly qualified personnel who share his unwavering commitment to excellence and detail. He can be seen at each of his worksites

every day to ensure projects are running smoothly and being held to the highest standard. Seamlessly integrating the design and construction phases of their projects, Whitestone’s team of architects, designers, project managers, suppliers and selections coordinators are by clients’ sides every step of the way.

“I am particularly proud to be trusted by my friends and acquaintances with the important task of building their custom home,” says Aman. “Working with someone I’ve known since childhood inspires me to make sure everything is perfect—and that resonates in the homes that we build for speculative purposes, as well. I build every home as if it will be my own.”

Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley & Walsh, P.C.

Land Use & Zoning

Robert Brant, Associate Attorney; Nicholas Cumings, Associate Attorney; Andrew Painter, Shareholder; Catharine Puskar, Shareholder; Lauren Riley, Associate Attorney; Lynne Strobel, Shareholder; Kathryn Taylor, Associate Attorney; Martin “Art” Walsh, Of Counsel; Nan Walsh, Of Counsel

Real Estate Transactions

Timothy Clewell, Associate Attorney; Thomas Colucci, Shareholder; Mark Goetzman, Managing Shareholder; Michael Kieffer, Shareholder; Antonia Miller, Shareholder, Kathleen Harney Smith, Shareholder; Susan Truskey, Associate Attorney; Alysia Yi, Associate Attorney

Other Practice Areas

Wendy Alexander, Shareholder - Litigation; Charles McWilliams, Jr., Shareholder - Estate Planning and Business Transactions; Garth Wainman, ShareholderLitigation and Business Transactions

The firm’s four offices are in Arlington, Prince William, Loudoun and Winchester.

2200 Clarendon Blvd., Suite 1300 Arlington, Virginia 22201

703-528-4700

mgoetzman@thelandlawyers.com www.thelandlawyers.com

Established in 1983, Walsh Colucci is a mid-size law firm with a focus on land use and zoning, real estate transactions, litigation, business transactions, eminent domain and estate planning and administration. All types of organizations, landowners, and developers seek the advice and services of its attorneys and planners, who are recognized as some of the region’s foremost legal and planning talent. Many are deeply involved in regional civic and political organizations. These established relationships help clients achieve their objectives.

The firm’s founders built a solid base in the real estate community by representing Northern Virginia developers, builders, property owners, and financial institutions. The firm has been instrumental in the rezoning of Arlington Courthouse Plaza, the Fairfax Government Center, Laurel Hill (formerly Lorton Prison), much of Tysons Corner, redevelopment for major corporate tenant’s headquarters at PenPlace

and Metropolitan Park in Pentagon City, numerous other projects in Arlington County and countless mixeduse approvals throughout the region’s Metrorail corridors.

Walsh Colucci has maintained a strong commitment to the communities in which it practices, serving on chambers of commerce, community task forces, non-profits and other agencies’ boards of directors. The firm’s partners and employees place a priority on giving generously to charitable causes. They host an annual golf tournament fundraiser for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. The firm’s four offices in Arlington, Prince William, Loudoun and Winchester share a dynamic environment that promotes exceptional service and communication. As principals, associates, and land use planners work side-by-side to better serve clients, the cohesive atmosphere allows for efficient staffing, high-quality service and consistent respect for deadlines.

Wise Investor Group

BAIRD

FROM LEFT:

GREGORY S. SMITH, CFP®, CHFC®, CPWA®, CTFA, MANAGING DIRECTOR, SENIOR FINANCIAL PLANNER

CHRIS A. AIME, CFP®, MANAGING DIRECTOR, FINANCIAL ADVISOR

SIMON R.B. HAMILTON, MANAGING DIRECTOR, PORTFOLIO MANAGER

Investments should fit the client, not the other way around.

11951 Freedom Drive, Suite 1000

Reston, VA 20190

571-203-1600

www.thewiseinvestorgroup.com

Focusing on each client’s unique situation, the Wise Investor Group uses an in-depth planning process to drive their portfolio recommendations. They often say investments should fit the client, not the other way around.

This value-oriented philosophy determines every investment decision. A disciplined, research-based approach leads to building long-term, diversified portfolios of high quality, attractively valued companies that have the potential to provide positive returns with lower risk.

Some investors wonder if they are making a mistake being too conservative or too aggressive in their investing, but procrastination or being paralyzed by indecision can lead to bigger problems. A professionally balanced plan always feels better than no plan at all. This is true whether someone is just starting to build a career, at their peak or winding down.

For more than 25 years, the group has hosted the Wise Investor Show on WMALFM radio. It’s an outreach that offers

education and advice about financial planning, asset management, investment analysis, insurance and annuities.

The Wise Investor Group has guided clients through quite a few storms in the last 30 years, and the pandemic was no exception. Their focus was resolutely forward facing, with confidence in the long term. To ride out tough times, clients are advised to focus on what matters to their goals, not the latest news cycle.

It is no wonder the group has consistently been recognized as some of the nation’s top advisors by Barron’s, Forbes, the Financial Times and others.

Falcons Landing

LEAH DAILY, SALES AND MARKETING DIRECTOR

RESIDENTS TAKING A WALK NEAR THE POTOMAC RIVER, SPORTING THEIR 20TH ANNIVERSARY SHIRTS

The community has been everything the founders dreamed it would be, and more.

20522 Falcons Landing Circle

Potomac Falls, VA 20165

703-223-8491

info@falconslanding.org www.falconslanding.org

Like all great endeavors, Falcons Landing started as a dream—a dream to create a place where those who served their nation could relax and savor life to the fullest. It began with a group of retired officers who met regularly for breakfast at Andrews Air Force Base to talk about life, living in the area and issues of the day. Establishing the Air Force Retired Officers Community in 1986, they began a tenyear journey to make their idea a reality for the Washington, D.C. area.

The original board of directors visited communities across the country to determine what would constitute the ideal retirement community. They secured financing, a perfect site, and commissioned the design and construction. Falcons Landing was completed in 1996 and, for 25 years, the community has been everything the founders dreamed it would be and more. It is home to retired and honorably discharged military officers from all branches of service, their spouse or

surviving spouse, as well as senior level federal retirees, their spouse or surviving spouse. This year, two new luxury terrace home apartment buildings will open to new residents with four new floor plans ranging in size, all with outdoor living space. Also opening is Hillside House, a new stand-alone 18-unit memory care assisted living building. Both endeavors are the largest expansion projects at Falcons Landing since its conception. “It is important to remember our past, live in the present and look to the future, and we are doing that with this project,” says Leah Daily, Sales and Marketing Director. “We have continued to provide first-class service to our residents during this unprecedented year and we look with hope to the future!"

Town & Country Movers, Inc.

Town & Country is still very much a familyowned and operated business.

7650 Rickenbacker Drive

Gaithersburg, MD 20879

800-683-6683

www.townandcountrymovers.com

In 1977, founders Kevin and Dodi Bass never imagined that their small local moving company would eventually grow into a nationwide enterprise that handled international moves and also included a significant storage business. The most recent branch of the business is staging services, which launched in 2016. The company specializes in both residential and commercial moves, and it has developed a sub-specialty serving seniors who are downsizing and moving.

However, a founding principal that was very intentional has remained true: Fortyfour years later, Town & Country is still very much a family-owned and operated business, with offspring, a sibling and two nephews all in key positions. Kevin has always led the team with the belief that if customers are given a fair price and impeccable service, and their belongings are protected with care, they would recommend Town & Country to family and friends. For these reasons, the business is also a favorite of Realtors.

Regardless of what type of service customers need, they are given a free in-home estimate to ensure an accurate quote. Since no one likes surprises, we also can provide accurate over-the-phone or virtual estimates to meet everyone’s needs.

Town & Country Movers has been recognized throughout the Washington metropolitan area for quality services and exceptional customer care. Among those that have noticed are Angie’s List with their Super Service Award 12 years running; Washingtonian Magazine, Top 10 mover; DC City Paper, Top Storage Facility and Mover; and, most recently, the readers of Arlington Magazine voted Town & Country Best Moving Company in 2021.

Tbraces Orthodontics

HANI THARIANI DDS, MMSc

2501 N Glebe Road, Suite 300, Arlington, VA 22207 703-527-5654 | Office@tbraces.com | www.tbraces.com

For over two decades, Dr. Hani Thariani has served his communities by practicing orthodontics, and offering braces and Invisalign treatment. He is the only Harvardtrained orthodontist in Arlington, with a Certificate in Orthodontics from Harvard where he also earned his Master of Medical Sciences degree.

Dr. Thariani is the only VIP Diamond Plus Invisalign provider in Arlington, making him one of the most experienced Invisalign orthodontists in the D.C. metropolitan area and in the top 1% globally. In his twenty years of experience with Invisalign, he has treated patients as young as 7 and as old as 80.

His wife, Dr. Ladan Basiri, also a Harvard-trained dentist, works in the practice as an administrator and consultant. She is currently president of the DC Dental Society.

Brooke Tansill de Ferranti

FREDERICK J. TANSILL & ASSOCIATES, LLC

6723 Whittier Ave., Suite 104, McLean, VA 22101

703-288-0126 | brooke@fredtansill.com | www.fredtansill.com

Frederick J. Tansill & Associates opened in 1997 with core areas of expertise in fixed fee estate planning for individuals, including sophisticated tax-oriented planning for high-net-worth clients; probate, estate, and trust administration and disputes; pre-and post-nuptial agreements; asset protection planning; international estate and tax planning; offshore trusts; sophisticated charitable strategies; and closely-held businesses.

“Our firm is in a unique position in the marketplace because we have the sophistication and expertise of a big firm, but we operate in a small firm and familyowned environment with only three lawyers,” says Brooke Tansill de Ferranti. “We answer our calls and emails, responding in real time. We listen, are thorough and provide high-touch service. The many referrals we get from existing clients is the most flattering form of praise."

HILARY SCHWAB

Flint Hill School

Take meaningful risks. Be yourself. Make a difference.

3320 Jermantown Road

Oakton, VA 22124

703-584-2354

www.flinthill.org

Flint Hill School was founded in 1956 by Mr. Don Niklason, who wanted to replicate for others his own educational experience, which he credited with the scholarship he earned to attend the University of Virginia. What began with a senior high school class of five students now has, 65 years later, a student body of 989.

There are 250 faculty and staff with nearly 70 percent holding advanced degrees. The student-to-teacher ratio is 6:1. Its two campuses cover 50 acres. Since 2013, Flint Hill has been an Apple Distinguished School, a designation recognizing outstanding schools and programs worldwide for innovation, leadership and educational excellence. Head of School John Thomas, who began in that role in 2005, has guided many changes. Chair of the board of trustees, Pia Trigiani, says, “Under John’s leadership, Flint Hill’s accomplishments have been significant. We introduced our vision for every student: Take meaningful

risks. Be yourself. Make a difference.”

Academic offerings in robotics, cybersecurity and computer science have expanded. There have been significant strides in diversity, equity and inclusion. The school’s historic Momentum Campaign resulted in a new middle school building and renovated lower school. “John’s tireless support, encouragement and active presence have enabled Flint Hill to build upon its legacy and take it to new heights,” adds Trigiani, representing the board.

Inspiring students to think and learn without limits, Flint Hill supports all kinds of learning and cultivates each student’s passions. Academically, physically, socially and emotionally, students are encouraged to appreciate their own journeys, while cultivating the ability and confidence to blaze their own trails.

St. Agnes School

JENNIFER KUZDZAL, PRINCIPAL

2024 N. Randolph St., Arlington, VA 22207 703-527-5423 | registration@saintagnes.org | school.saintagnes.org

“Teach the children what they need to know for life.” These words of St. Julie Billiart that inspire the St. Agnes School community are especially poignant during these challenging times. Founded by the Sisters of Notre Dame in 1946, the school celebrates its 75th anniversary this year.

With its doors open to in-person learning during the pandemic, this Blue Ribbon school is thriving, demonstrating resiliency and creativity in crisis. The school is led by a diverse team of dedicated, adaptive and experienced teachers, guided by a children-first approach to education. Its mission is to educate students so that they become loving Christians, inspired learners, outstanding achievers, natural communicators and strong servants of God, setting each child on the path to succeed in a competitive world.

Grenadier, Duffett, Levi, Winkler & Rubin, P.C.

12359 Sunrise Valley Drive, Suite 230, Reston, VA 20191 649 S. Washington St., Alexandria, VA 22314 703-683-9000 | www.vafamilylaw.com

With over 50 years of experience, the lawyers of Grenadier, Duffett, Levi, Winkler & Rubin, PC understand the importance of personalized attention when it comes to sensitive family law matters. The firm exclusively handles domestic relations cases, including divorce, child custody, child and spousal support, and property distribution. They routinely negotiate both preand post-marital agreements, and they take great care in developing an individual strategy for each case.

Ilona Grenadier has been listed with Best Lawyers since 1983. Along with Grenadier, Benton Duffett and Lisa Levi were included in the 2021 edition of Washington D.C.’s Best Lawyers. Katherine Smith is included in the magazine’s 2021 “Ones to Watch” list. Four of the firm’s eight attorneys have earned the highest rating (AV-Preeminent) from Martindale Hubbell.

From Left: Carolyn M. Abbate, Benton S. Duffett, III, and Ilona E. Grenadier

STEPHANIE WILLIAMS

Stephen Krooth

CEO, DOMINION ELECTRIC SUPPLY COMPANY, INC.

“Dominion Electric is committed to being the best-in-class electrical distribution company of today and tomorrow."

5053 Lee Highway Arlington, VA 22207

703-536-4400 www.dominionelectric.com

In 1940, Meyer H. Sharlin began selling electrical supplies to contractors and homeowners in the Washington, D.C. area with just one employee, one truck and a small storefront at 4754 Lee Highway. His son Richard Sharlin would grow Dominion to become a fixture in the Washington metropolitan electrical and lighting market.

Richard continues to serve as chairman of Dominion Electric Supply Company, Inc., and his son Andy has worked for the company in sales since 1989. Richard’s son-in-law Stephen Krooth joined the company in 2012 as executive vice president. Now CEO, Stephen leads the company, investing in people, processes, technology and infrastructure to enhance the customer experience and build on Dominion’s strong foundation.

Now in its 81st year, Dominion Electric Supply Company, Inc. and its high-end residential lighting division, Dominion Lighting, continue to serve electrical

contractors, lighting designers, builders and remodelers from its 11 locations, including two distribution centers and three lighting showrooms.

In 2020, Dominion completed a major renovation of its supply counter, lighting showroom and corporate offices at 5053 Lee Highway. "The new Dominion Lighting showroom in Arlington offers a customer experience unlike anything currently in the market," states Krooth. "Further, it demonstrates that Dominion Electric is committed to being the best-in-class electrical distribution company of today and tomorrow."

West Financial Services

BACK ROW: KIMBERLY A. COX, GLEN J. BUCO

FRONT ROW: KRISTAN ANDERSON, BRIAN MACKIN

2010 Corporate Ridge Road, Suite 530, McLean, VA 22102

703-847-2500 | www.westfinancial.com

West Financial Services has built a firm dedicated to taking a conservative and ethical approach to growing and protecting clients’ wealth and prosperity. Since its inception in 1982, it has provided financial services on a fee-only basis, acting as a fiduciary for clients, offering financial planning, investment management and personal consulting services. Retirement plan consulting services help plan sponsors and trustees meet their fiduciary obligations.

Each member of the team embraces the importance of their role and what it means for clients, bringing them planning excellence, investment discipline and personal service. Though every client is different, there is a common theme: They come to West Financial Services when they are in need of support and coordination of various facets of their financial lives.

McLean Dental Care

DR. SAMUEL CAPPIELLO, DDS

DR. CECILIA GYLLENHOFF, DDS

6707 Old Dominion Drive, Suite 200, McLean, VA 22101

703-734-0100 | www.mcleandentalcare.com

"Our approach is not just one "tooth fix" at a time, but one life at a time," says Dr. Cecilia Gyllenhoff. "We embrace a holistic model of care." Since oral health is critical for overall health, the dentists at McLean Dental Care discuss nutrition and lifestyle habits with their patients. Compassionate, comprehensive care keeps patients looking and feeling their best.

Through continuing education, they provide optimum preventive, restorative and aesthetic care such as veneers, crowns, whitening, orthodontics, bonding and implants.

"We treat complex cases utilizing an interdisciplinary approach with top specialists and dental laboratories," says Dr. Samuel Cappiello. "We make sure we meet and exceed current standards of care, keeping up with the latest techniques and maintaining a state-of-theart office."

Greenspun Shapiro PC

FROM LEFT:

LIZA GREENSPUN YANG, PETER D. GREENSPUN, ANASTASIA KRANIAS, JONATHAN SHAPIRO (NOT PICTURED)

The attorneys of this Martindale-Hubbell AV rated firm handle all types of criminal and personal injury matters in all state and federal courts.

3955 Chain Bridge Road, 2nd Floor Fairfax, VA 22030

703-352-0100

info@greenspunlaw.com www.greenspunlaw.com

Greenspun Shapiro’s attorneys believe it is crucial for anyone accused of a crime or who is the subject of a criminal investigation to have experienced counsel vigorously protect their rights and ensure that the matter is fully investigated from the earliest stages. Their lawyers understand the relevant laws, know how to investigate and prepare the cases, and are skilled at presenting important information.

The attorneys of this MartindaleHubbell AV rated firm handle all types of criminal matters in all state and federal courts, ranging from reckless driving and DUI, to drug possession and distribution, to sex crimes and murder, including high profile and extremely complicated cases, such as representation of the so-called D.C. Sniper. Recently, they obtained not guilty verdicts in several difficult and contested murder cases, including a highly publicized not guilty by reason of insanity verdict, and in several extremely serious child sexual abuse

cases. Greenspun Shapiro attorneys are also experienced in negotiating favorable pleas with excellent sentencing results. The firm’s extensive trial practice also includes personal injury, wrongful death, expungements and more. Clients benefit from the integrity and hard-won reputation of Greenspun Shapiro attorneys, who are well known in the legal community for their experience, tenacity and dedication to their clients.

Greenspun Shapiro is also honored to work regularly with the National Alliance on Mental Illness Northern Virginia—including a recent fundraiser and matching donation that raised more than $45,000—as well as many local and state bar associations and foundations, helping to assure access to resources in the Virginia legal and mental health community.

Going, Going...

Gone? Gone?

Escalating home prices have shut middle-class buyers out of Arlington’s real estate market. Is there a solution?

By Alison Rice | Illustration by James Heimer

Bridget Obikoya knows how hard it can be to buy a house— any house—in Arlington on a middle-class salary. “Public servants don’t make a lot of money,” says Obikoya, who handles parking and site plan reviews as a design engineer for Arlington County. “I can tell you the opportunity to buy a house in Arlington is almost nonexistent.”

Almost. She lucked out in 2015 while looking at homes with her mother in Green Valley.

“A house was being sold for $490,000,” she recalls, “and I asked the owner about her side yard. She said, ‘That’s not my yard. That’s an empty lot.’ ”

Obikoya found the lot’s owner, called him and made an offer on the narrow

property, which he accepted after a second phone call.

Today, she’s serving as project manager on the construction of a 15-footwide shotgun-style home, which she designed herself with help from her architect sister and others.

“It was serendipity at its finest,” says Obikoya, a native of Alabama, where skinny shotgun houses are common. She expects to finish construction this spring and move into the new place with her mother and son.

She’s aware that her good fortune is a bit of an anomaly. Unfortunately, the chances of such serendipitous discoveries are quickly vanishing in Arlington, at least for moderate-income buyers. While housing has always been a hot

topic in the county, the price crunch for many is intensifying, thanks to rising incomes, the increasing pace of teardowns and skyrocketing sales prices for single-family homes.

WALK THROUGH just about any single-family Arlington neighborhood and you’ll see the telltale signs of the teardown trend. A “New Home Coming Soon!” sign stands in front of a modest brick rambler with uncut grass and a gutter dangling precariously from the roofline. Another yard previously bordered by azaleas and boxwoods is now filled with piles of excavated dirt and surrounded by plastic fencing.

On many streets, new houses soar three stories tall with five, six, even

seven bedrooms, and a price tag to match. “In our experience, a family comes to us and says, ‘We only want a 3,000-square-foot home,’ but they also want a home office, an in-law suite and a dining room. Before you know it, it’s 6,000 square feet,” says David Tracy, president of Classic Cottages, which built approximately 30 infill homes

in 2020, primarily in Arlington. “Our homes end up on the larger size, but we are only tracking what the market wants us to build. We would love to build smaller, but the market doesn’t reward that.”

He appears to be right. Over the past decade, builders and homeowners have torn down 1,245 single-family homes

in Arlington, many of them modestly sized at an average of 1,515 square feet. Dramatically larger homes have risen in their place, averaging 4,750 square feet with a sales price around $1.7 million, according to county data.

“What developers are currently allowed to do is what we’re getting,” says Russell Daneo-Schroeder, a principal planner with the county’s housing division.

As a result, the American dream of homeownership has become out of reach for middle-class Arlingtonians like teachers, nurses, first responders, restaurant workers and—ironically— many county employees.

Since 2010, single-family home prices have risen sharply in Arlington, jumping 45% from an average sales price of $744,484 a decade ago to nearly $1.1 million in 2019, according to a “Housing Market Pressures” report released by the county in July 2020.

“I can’t tell you the amount of people who have looked for a single-family house in Arlington and been frustrated,” says Obikoya, who also works as a real estate agent. “I have had clients with $500,000, and there’s not a house in the county for that—not even a teardown.”

The trend concerns county leaders, who worry about the impact of spiraling home prices on affordability, racial and economic diversity, and support for public services such as schools, transit and recreation. (Affluent residents have the means to choose private over public, whether it’s education, transportation or where they exercise.)

“Getting housing right is what makes us resilient in many ways,” says county board member Takis Karantonis, an economist and urban planner who was elected in 2020 after serving as executive director of the Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization from 2009 to 2016.

Amazon’s 2019 arrival in Arlington— where the tech giant is now building a campus in an area known as National Landing, with jobs that pay an average

Bridget Obikoya on the construction site of her new home in Green Valley

annual salary of $150,000—has only added to the market pressure. “One of the biggest problems with Amazon is that people with very high incomes are replacing people with moderate incomes,” says Karantonis. “That has consequences for a place that is bank ing on its diversity.”

In Green Valley, the historically Afri can-American neighborhood where Obikoya is building her house, Portia Clark is already seeing the effects.

“It’s rare that there’s anything in the neighborhood that’s affordable any more, between Amazon and the inves tors scouting,” says Clark, who’s lived in Green Valley for more than 60 years and currently serves as president of its civic association. “We were one of the last affordable neighborhoods in Arlington.”

Data support her observations. Home prices in Green Valley increased by nearly 15% in the past year, to an average of $677,727, according to data tracking from Bright MLS. Other South Arlington neighborhoods close to Amazon’s HQ2 have seen even steeper rises, with prices up nearly 16% in Douglas Park and 31% in Penrose.

Clark says rising home prices have affected community members in different ways. Kids who grew up in Green Valley can’t find a house to buy in their neighborhood. Adult children can’t afford to buy their childhood homes, or discover too late that their aging parents’ properties now have reverse mortgages on them, leaving those homes owned by investors, not family members.

“I have three grown children, none of whom are in a position to afford an $800,000 house,” says Clark. “What are people supposed to do? They can’t live in Arlington, so they go to Maryland or Woodbridge to find moreaffordable houses.”

To address the issue, the county board in 2019 approved the Housing Arlington Initiative, a multipronged effort exploring land use, financial tools

Old vs. New

Modest ramblers are being torn down and replaced by dramatically larger homes, transforming Arlington’s neighborhoods and boosting home prices.

Avg. Square Footage 1,515 4,750

Sale Price

*Arlington Magazine estimate is based on the average sale price for a two- or three-bedroom Arlington home in 2019. Source: Arlington County

A Booming Market

Home prices increased dramatically in nearly every Arlington ZIP code between 2016 and 2020.

Source: Bright MLS for Arlington Magazine’s Expanded Real Estate Guide (see page 128)

executive director of the Alliance for Housing Solutions

and partnerships, among other possible remedies. Its goal? To make housing more affordable in Arlington by boosting supply, diversifying the types of housing that are available, and preserving or expanding the number of affordable housing units.

“Housing is a critical workforce issue,” notes Scott Pedowitz, goverment affairs director for the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, which sees housing as an important pillar of economic development. “It’s important not just for workers, but for employers. They want to be in a place where employees at all different points in their career can settle in and find a place to live.”

WITH THESE CONCERNS in mind, county planners in 2019 began working on Arlington’s three-phase “missing middle” housing study.

The term, coined by California architect Daniel Parolek, describes essentially all of the different housing types that can be found on the spectrum between single-family detached homes and mid- to high-rise apartment buildings. Examples can include duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, row houses, cottage developments and other structures, according to Parolek, author of Missing Middle Housing: Thinking Big and Building Small to Respond to Today’s Housing Crisis.

“Missing middle” housing types are typically smaller and less expensive than single-family homes, making them more financially feasible for first-time homeowners and moderateincome buyers—folks who often make too little to be competitive in a tight market like Arlington, but too much to qualify for income-restricted housing programs.

These modest housing types are largely missing in Arlington. According to county data, 24% of Arlington’s 116,000 housing units in 2019 were single-family homes; 70% were multifamily apartments and condos (both high- and low-rise). Duplexes and

Michelle Winters,

The Glebewood development was built before a county moratorium on row-house construction that lasted from 1938 to 1965.

townhomes accounted for only 6% of the county’s housing stock.

“Arlington is very starkly missing the missing middle,” says Emily Hamilton, a research fellow and director of the Urbanity Project at George Mason University’s Mercatus Center. “In Clarendon, you walk a block from the Metro and you’re surrounded by single-fam ily homes.”

Michelle Winters, executive director of the Arlington-based nonprofit Alli ance for Housing Solutions, offers a similar observation. “Normally, a place this close to the [city] center would have more townhouses,” she says. “Glebe wood on 21st Road North has one of the last ones developed before the ban. It’s an example of what could have been.”

The ban that Winters is talking about is not recent. It dates to 1938, when Arlington County officials, concerned about fast growth and high density, prohibited the construction of row houses. (That moratorium would last until 1965.) The decision favored a more suburban style of development that was also profoundly unwelcom ing to Black residents.

During that same time period, build ers created racially restrictive covenants that prevented African Americans from

Arlington’s Housing Mix

Arlington’s housing landscape has been shaped by various policies spanning decades, including an emphasis on development along Metro corridors; a ban on rowhome construction between 1938 and 1965; and single-family zoning on 79% of Arlington land designated for housing.

Source: Arlington County

located in or near African-American communities in a practice known as “redlining.” (Red outlines marked such neighborhoods as “hazardous” on the federal Home Owners Land Corp. maps in the 1930s.)

These discriminatory practices were finally outlawed in 1968 by the Fair Housing Act, but their consequences

Housing Administration, meanwhile, refused to insure mortgages for homes

According to one research bulletin compiled for the county’s missing middle study, the areas of Arlington that are zoned primarily for single-family detached housing overlap with census tracts where at least 70% of the population is white, suggesting that “Arlington’s current zoning framework may not support the county’s goals for diver-

“Single-family zoning was explicitly identified as a tool to segregate localities when it was first introduced,” explains Hamilton of the Urbanity Project. “And it’s still the case, because there are income disparities across groups.”

That’s certainly true in Arlington, where the median household income for Black residents ($58,878) is less than half that of their white counterparts ($134,723).

The income gap is just one of the

many data points presented thus far by the county, which, as part of its missing middle study, has published five research bulletins and a historical overview of residential housing, planning and zoning in Arlington.

The study is still in the early stages of what is expected to be a two-year process, but residents are starting to pay attention. Approximately 150 people attended October’s virtual kickoff meeting, according to Kellie Brown, a section supervisor in Arlington’s comprehensive planning department, and 200 completed the county’s missing middle survey (which closed in December).

“The missing middle housing study is looking at how to address the housing gap between the targeted ‘affordable’ housing income range and million-dollar homes,” Brown says. “This is a real need. The study is looking specifically at how increasing housing supply and enabling construction of more housing choices—smaller than what is currently being produced through single-family teardowns and redevelopment—could be less expensive than the current limited options.”

It is a complex undertaking. For now, Arlington officials say they are focusing on the big picture, rather than setting specific missing middle housing targets.

“There are three ways we can achieve success,” Brown continues. “One, if we [view] this study as an opportunity to think about how changes in our neighborhoods could better reflect our community priorities; two, if we help people who are already in Arlington stay in Arlington; and three, by adding more housing choices so people can live closer to where they work and continue to support our economy and community.”

Going forward, the county plans to use public feedback, data and other insights to develop a list of priorities, potential new housing types and possible locations for that housing, with

“One of the biggest problems with Amazon is that people with very high incomes are replacing people with moderate incomes. That has consequences for a place that is banking on its diversity.”

—Takis Karantonis

points along the way for public comment, stakeholder review and board action. By late 2022, the county could then be studying Arlington’s zoning ordinance, general land-use plan and other essential policy documents to implement changes stemming from the missing middle study.

BUT ACHIEVING

all of those goals may be difficult in light of Arlington’s escalating real estate values.

Arlington continues to be a highly attractive place to live, which influences housing costs for existing and new construction of all sizes.

“It’s close [to D.C.], it’s where the jobs are, there’s a very good school system, there are lots of amenities, and it’s a pretty well-run municipality. Those are all the characteristics of a desirable location,” says David Tracy

of Classic Cottages. “But it does leave behind the people who don’t have enough wealth or income levels to buy a $2 million house.”

(Mortgage calculators suggest that a buyer would need an annual income of nearly $300,000 and a down payment of $400,000 to purchase such a home.)

The cost of land alone can be staggering, with even teardowns in Arlington selling for $700,000 and up.

In late 2020, a Lyon Village home with four bedrooms and one bathroom was on the market for $1,499,999. “Built in 1940, this will likely be a teardown as home is mostly original and outdated,” the listing said.

In home-building economics, land costs typically account for 20% to 40% of a new home’s sale price—and an infill market like Arlington tends to be on the high end. Such realities could

County board member

Takis Karantonis

Race and Affordability

Government “affordability threshold” guidelines recommend that households spend no more than 30% of their monthly income on housing. Rising home prices have made Arlington increasingly unaffordable for residents of color.

Source: Arlington County analysis of U.S. Census Bureau 2014-2018 American Community Survey data

push market-rate duplexes out of reach as a missing middle solution. “We’ve done a few duplexes, and a duplex today in the right neighborhood might go for $1.25 million,” says Pierce Tracy, vice president of business development at Classic Cottages.

David Tracy says the equation is more complicated than it may appear. Upzoning a parcel to allow a duplex or triplex could “make the underlying land even more valuable,” he explains. “You might build three units at $800,000 each, so if that’s someone’s definition of affordability, then yes.”

At the same time, the builders (they are half brothers) see opportunities for creative market solutions—depending on what the county decides to do. If, for example, Arlington were to allow duplexes and townhouses on smaller lots and busy streets without requiring a special exception permit, teardown properties on arterial roads could be transformed into owner-occupied missing middle housing, rather than investor-owned rentals.

“Allowing these developments on busy streets will kick-start these

lower-priced units of new construction while also preserving the character of the current neighborhood,” David Tracy says.

Lyon Village resident Jon Huntley, a senior economist at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and creator of the data website Arlington Analytics, has his own questions about whether duplexes are a realistic missing middle solution for Arlington.

After looking at assessed values for new-home construction and doing the math, Huntley projected that new duplexes would end up being priced affordably (i.e., with a sale price of $525,000 or less for buyers making the area median income of $117,000) in only six Arlington neighborhoods: Arlington View, Claremont, Columbia Forest, Fairlington, Green Valley and Shirlington.

“The market does not seem to generate units at the price points that advocates are looking for,” says Huntley, who published his research online and serves as a consultant to Arlingtonians for our Sustainable Future, a local group that is concerned about the effects of rapid

Escalating single-family home prices have also placed many Arlington neighborhoods out of reach for nonwhite buyers.

Source: Arlington County

urbanization. “The numbers I came up with are minimum values. In reality, they might sell for higher.”

County planners are familiar with the obstacles, but say this is the time to talk about all the options. “If you don’t have a conversation about possibly allowing other housing types, you’ll never get to the conversation about who can afford them,” says Richard Tucker, Housing Arlington coordinator with Arlington County.

The question of affordability “has hit a nerve for people,” says Winters of the Alliance for Housing Solutions. She stresses that there is a distinction between what she calls “big ‘A’ affordable” housing, which is restricted to people making a certain percentage of the area median income, and “small ‘a’ affordable” housing, which is simply priced at a level that middle-income homebuyers believe they can afford.

“Some people think that if something’s not capital ‘A’ affordable, we shouldn’t do it at all,” she says. “But that’s not how we are viewing the missing middle. We view it as a way to set the housing market back on the right track.”

TO SOME, THE ANSWER to Arlington’s housing problem seems obvious: Build more housing, perhaps loosen some rules and let the market push prices down.

“In super-constrained areas, everything gets more expensive over time,” says Hamilton of George Mason University’s Urbanity Project. “One thing that Arlington stands out as having done really well is planning around transit and allowing lots of multifamily development” along the Metro corridors. “Transit-oriented development has helped the D.C. region stay more affordable than areas like the [San Francisco] Bay Area, New York and Boston, where new housing supply has not been allowed to respond to the demand.”

But it may not be enough, given growth projections that have Arlington’s population surpassing 301,000 by 2045. “The corridors have delivered everything we want, but the region as a whole has underperformed,” says county board member Karantonis. “We are chronically supply-starved in terms of housing.”

Others disagree. “Arlington has been going full bore, adding housing supply for the last 20 years,” says Peter Rousselot, a retired lawyer and member of the leadership team at Arlingtonians for our Sustainable Future (ASF), which has expressed opposition to the county’s missing middle study.

In lieu of density changes it fears would only accelerate population growth, ASF is imploring county officials to reconsider zoning that currently allows extremely large single-family homes on small lots (a significant contributor to price hikes, as well as mature tree loss).

The group also supports the idea of housing vouchers or housing co-ops for county employees, and proposes the establishment of community land trusts to preserve green space. It favors a greater focus on remodeling existing buildings for adaptive reuse as an alternative to teardowns.

According to county data, Arlington produced a net 11,370 housing units from 2010 to 2019. Most (91%) were mid- and high-rise apartments.

“Arlington has done more than its regional fair share to provide housing, and given the cost of schools and other infrastructure, we don’t have the resources to keep doing that,” says Rousselot, who moved to Arlington in 1997 and has long been outspoken on county, school and political issues.

Another ASF concern is that continued urbanization—at the expense of parks and green spaces—will create even more impermeable paved surfaces, leading to more water runoff and increasing the risk of flooding. Rousselot points to flash floods in 2018 and 2019 that resulted in nearly $6 million in damages to county property and millions more to area homes and businesses.

He would like to see the county adopt more long-term planning tools that allow for quantitative and transparent analysis of new development proposals.

“There certainly has been and continues to be a housing affordability issue in Arlington,” Rousselot says, “but adding the so-called missing middle is not going to solve it.”

Some worry that Arlington may already have missed its window of opportunity to fend off a middle-class diaspora. “By the time we finish studying the issue and doing what we’re doing to do, what property is going to be affordable to buy with Amazon coming in?” asks Green Valley Civic Association president Clark.

“The county’s effort is laudable, but one might point out that it’s too little, too late,” agrees Matt Bakker, an associate professor of sociology at Marymount University, where he is studying historically Black neighborhoods. “Arlington has seen a fundamental transformation in the past two decades.”

Bakker doubts that simply allowing builders to construct more units—even ones that qualify as missing middle housing—will address Arlington’s goal of supporting diverse communities.

“The suggestion is that there is too much government regulation [of housing] and builders and developers can solve the problem we’ve created [with smaller market-rate homes],” he says. “It’s naive to see these actors as saviors for the communities who have been historically excluded from the housing market and now experience a real racial wealth gap as a result of discriminatory practices.”

Still, others believe that a little more zoning flexibility could open the door for housing innovation—particularly with smaller projects.

“Habitat for Humanity would love to do more work in Arlington, but they can’t make single-family homes affordable here due to the high land prices. They would benefit by spreading the land cost over several units,” says Winters of the Alliance for Housing Solutions.

She and Clark both point to a dearth of options for Arlington’s senior citizens, including older couples who are downsizing. When the county in 2019 began allowing accessory dwelling units (ADUs)—small cottages built next to primary homes on single-family lots—many hoped they would help ease that shortage by allowing elders and their caregivers to live next door to each other.

But demand for ADUs thus far has been muted, according to Classic Cottages’ David Tracy, whose company started an entire division dedicated to building the small homes. One significant constraint is the county’s 1.5story height restriction, which limits the buildable area for ADUs.

Arlington also maintains an owneroccupancy restriction that allows only one family to occupy a single-family property if the owner is not living on

site. “It creates a bit of a problem if someone needs to move for their job,” Tracy says.

WITH THE MISSING MIDDLE

study still in its first phase, it’s clear that Arlington has plenty to discuss as it explores its options.

“There are hugely different ways this could go,” Winters surmises. “There’s a broad approach, with a different type of allowed housing across the county, or a targeted approach where certain types will be allowed in certain areas.”

County leaders say they are looking forward to the conversations. “What we are talking about is tweaking many points of housing policy to address the housing shortage,” says county board member Karantonis. He hopes the missing middle study leads to

Complete

“an honest discussion and a common understanding that this is a problem. In a community where two-thirds or more are mostly affluent, we can easily have a disconnect.”

Karantonis emphasizes that the board does not expect any missing middle decisions to revolutionize Arlington’s housing market overnight. “The missing middle is just one piece of the puzzle of fixing housing in the modern era,” he says. “It takes a while to restore a market segment.”

In the meantime, Amazon recently introduced another puzzle piece in the “big ‘A’ affordability” category. In January, the tech giant launched a $2 billion housing equity fund with a goal of preserving or creating affordable homes in its three headquarters regions. The first round of investment

in Arlington included $381.9 million in below-market loans and grants to support 1,300 affordable homes (for families making 30% to 80% of the area median income) on the Crystal House property in Crystal City.

Whatever avenues Arlington decides to pursue upon completion of the missing middle study in 2022, Winters says she just wants them to be straightforward.

“The ideal outcome is that the solution is understandable, predictable and affordable so that the market can figure out how to use it,” she says. “Modestsized housing at modest prices would be a great outcome.” n

Alison Rice is a journalist living in Arlington. She has covered housing and construction issues since 2000.

Music

MAN

WETA

host

James David Jacobs has known tragedy and triumph. Music is his constant.

By John Adam Wasowicz | Photo by Skip Brown

Music is more than a passion for James David Jacobs. It might be his salvation.

It has certainly kept him sane during the pandemic as he makes the short walk from his Shirlington home to WETA’s studio on Campbell Avenue, where he works as a radio announcer.

When he isn’t serving up Bach, Beethoven and Brahms for your musical pleasure, he’s often creating music at home. He’s a master of multiple instruments, and a composer to boot.

Jacobs’ lifelong love affair with music began at an early age, sparked by the influence of an older brother six years his senior. “Ben played

bassoon,” he recalls of their childhood in southern California. “He was playing the Bach Cello Suites on bassoon, and one day he came home with a recording of Pablo Casals playing them on cello. When I heard that, I realized that was the instrument I needed to play.”

But first, Ben taught him how to play the recorder. Together they would perform recorder duets on the streets in a form of highpitched busking. It’s a happy memory from a youth otherwise marked by adversity.

Jacobs, now 59, was born in New York, the youngest of five children. His father, a World War II veteran who had been working in his family’s

clothing business, got an opportunity to strike out on his own in California. The family moved to Los Angeles when Jacobs was 5.

Tragically, his father died of a heart attack less than a year later, having spent his final months working long hours at a warehouse job that barely kept the family afloat.

Jacobs’ mother bravely took over the large family, drawing on her background as a singer and actress to try and get her kids into show business. As a result, Jacobs made his television debut at age 8 when he appeared on The Linkletter Show in one of host Art Linkletter’s signature “kids say the darndest things” bits. A few months later his mother

Jacobs on a rooftop in Shirlington

“Music gave me profound solace. It offered a source of beauty and order to which my dysfunctional reality could aspire.”

sustained irreversible brain damage in a car accident that left her cognitively impaired. Jacobs, who was also in the car, fractured his collarbone but was otherwise unharmed.

He was 13 and living with his mother in Berkeley, California, subsisting on government checks, when a social worker determined that he could no longer live there safely, making him a ward of the court. By then, he was studying music with Milly Rosner, a prominent local cello teacher who had offered him lessons for free after hearing him play in a school concert.

When Rosner heard that her pupil was in need of a foster home, she invited him to live with her. Jacobs is convinced that generosity not only saved his life, but changed his perspective.

“It opened up my world,” he says. “I got to hear, meet and work with a lot of great musicians.”

He attended Berkeley public schools, known at the time for their robust music program, borrowing a cello for his lessons at school. (To this day he remains a fierce advocate for public school music education, wanting all children to have the opportunities that were made available to him.) He remembers checking out stacks of records and musical scores from the library, reading the scores during lunch and recess the way other children read books.

“Music gave me profound solace,” he shares. “It offered a source of beauty and order to which my dysfunctional reality could aspire.”

He became an avid listener of local classical radio stations and dreamed of one day becoming a radio announcer.

Though cello was his primary instrument, Jacobs curiously picked up others—including double bass, trombone, viola da gamba (a type of bowed string instrument prevalent in the Baroque era) and shawm (an early form of oboe).

Jacobs at Wolf Trap in 2018 with Nina Bernstein, daughter of Leonard Bernstein

His first major professional job, at 20, involved playing many of those instruments for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, where he also appeared in plays. That’s when he made his first radio appearance, with the festival musicians, on A Prairie Home Companion.

Jacobs remained on the West Coast for another decade, piecing together a living, as musicians so often do. He joined classical chamber ensembles booked for weddings, taught private lessons and worked in record stores. He played and composed music for dance and theater productions, performed in both klezmer and rock bands, and toured as an orchestra member for ethnic dance ensembles. He helped produce concerts and served as a conductor for a children’s choir, a community reading orchestra, a Bach cantata group and a teen musical theater company.

“The largest live concert I ever performed in was at a sold-out San Francisco Civic Auditorium, where I was playing bass balalaika,” he says.

In retrospect, the wide variety of experiences helped prepare him for a career in radio. “While I certainly learned

a lot from the tremendous musicians I got to work with, I learned just as much from the children and amateurs that I worked with,” he explains, “the customers at the record store, the young couples hiring me to play for their weddings. They taught me what people who aren’t professional musicians get from music—what it means to them in their lives, how music feeds their souls. That’s what I keep in mind when I’m on the air.”

WHEN HE WAS in his early 30s, Jacobs moved back to New York, continuing the same kind of piecemeal existence he’d maintained in Berkeley. He worked at record stores and did temp work between gigs. He wrote music for The Living Theatre (an experimental theater company in the East Village); toured nationally with Maurice Sendak’s theater company, The Night Kitchen; scored documentaries for HBO and PBS; and played with Third Eye Blind on a 1998 episode of Saturday Night Live. He also performed in the off-Broadway show Woody Guthrie’s American Song

In 1999, everything started to change.

Concerned about financial stability and struggling with chronic tendinitis— which made it difficult to play gigs involving multiple instruments or hourslong performances—he accepted what he thought was a temporary substitute teaching job at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music. It turned into a fruitful eight-year journey.

Jacobs, adjusting a tiny cello for a young musician

Jacobs, conducting a mass cello ensemble in New York’s Dag Hammarskjold Plaza in June 2010

n music man

Shortly after his arrival, the conservatory entered into a partnership with WNYE—then a station operated by New York City’s Board of Education. Jacobs landed his first on-air job producing a weekly educational radio show for children called Sounds Like.

The station also hired him to host a live music and interview segment on Friday mornings. Soon, his were two of the station’s highest-rated shows, earning favorable mentions in The New York Times, like this one:

“Early in the first installment of his new radio show, James David Jacobs visits a friend who plays music on stones and pans. Mr. Jacobs’s goal is to teach how the raw sounds of nature become the cooked sounds of music.

“ ‘O.K., kids, you can try this at home, too,’ Mr. Jacobs says. ‘Just take all the pots and mixing bowls out of your cupboard right now and bang on them, and I am sure your parents will think this is wonderful.’ ”

His radio career was born.

Six years later, WNYE changed its format, prompting Jacobs to take a temporary job as the overnight host on WNYC - New York Public Radio. In 2010 he moved to Boston for a full-time position as a radio host and producer at the local NPR station, WGBH.

He arrived at Classical WETA 90.9 in Arlington in 2014, though he would spend the next four years commuting between Virginia and New York’s outer boroughs, where he taught music to teenagers in underserved communities.

“It was so wonderful to see [these kids] relating to classical music the same way I did as a child,” he remembers, “a demonstration of what one’s soul can produce no matter what is happening around you. As I was frequently the only white person in the room during these classes, it also served as a reminder that classical music belongs to everyone. It’s not white music.”

“Mozart seemed to think that humanity is divine exactly the way it is, warts and all.”

ASK JACOBS TO riff on famous composers and he instantly becomes animated.

Stravinsky “translated the chaos and dislocation of modern life into music in a way that gave us a language to reconcile the present with the past,” he says, “the barbaric and the sophisticated, the traditional with the ever-present now.”

He also loves Bach and Mozart, but for very different reasons. While he finds refuge in the former’s spiritual architecture, he considers the latter more relatable: “Unlike Bach, Mozart seemed to think that humanity is divine exactly the way it is, warts and all.”

A composer himself, Jacobs describes it as a form of problem solving. “I like having a limitation dictated by a situation,” he explains. “I have frequently written music for dance, theater and film, and for each assignment there was an externally imposed idea from which the music flowed.”

In creating his music, he says he uses the cello the same way an artist uses a brush or a writer uses words— drawing and expanding on a specific point of reference.

He once scored a documentary about an AIDS clinic (The Healers of 400 Parnassus, which aired on PBS as part of its POV series) by coming up with two four-note motifs that correspond to the four letters in AIDS and HEAL.

“As it turned out, they were the same four notes in a different order,” he says. “I adapted the motif to the various situations depicted in the film, watching

scenes over and over again to discover the rhythm, tempo and dynamics and adjusting the music accordingly.”

Another ongoing interest—one he inherited from his late foster mother, Milly Rosner—is producing performances by mass cello ensembles. “When I was 13, I played in an ensemble of 200 cellists [honoring] Mstislav Rostropovich for his 50th birthday, shortly after he defected from the Soviet Union,” Jacobs says. (Rostropovich, considered one of the greatest cellists of the 20th century, was music director and conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra in D.C. from 1977 until 1994.)

“Milly helped organize that. She would produce an annual Cello Bash with these large cello ensembles.”

Carrying that torch, he has organized outdoor cello ensemble concerts for the amateur music festival Make Music New York, and has conducted cello ensembles in Boston, Minneapolis and D.C.

He enjoys public speaking, too. In 2019, he introduced a performance of Peter Shaffer’s play Amadeus at the Folger Shakespeare Library with a lecture about the relationship between competitors Mozart and Salieri.

More recently, Jacobs just completed his second season of lectures for Levine Music, where he collaborates with faculty to preview school concerts, providing historical background and context around the music that is being performed, as well as interviews with student musicians, and short excerpts performed live.

One of his favorite composers is Claudio Monteverdi, an Italian contemporary of Shakespeare. He considers them to be equals in their respective genres.

He relates on a personal level to Beethoven—an obsession that was rekindled in December, when he produced a series of features for WETA about the nine symphonies in honor of the composer’s 250th birthday.

“I find it so inspiring that, despite his feelings of profound alienation in his world of deafness and social isolation, his works celebrate joy and brotherhood,” Jacobs reveals. “In revisiting the symphonies, I was astonished to discover how much he posed a question in one symphony that he would answer in the next one. They flow from one to another.”

Amid the pandemic, he’s found particular solace in Beethoven’s Quartet in A minor for Strings, Op. 132. “The piece contains material that was left on the cutting-room floor, so to speak, of his work on the Ninth Symphony, and is on the same exalted plane,” Jacobs explains. “The slow movement is a long hymn Beethoven called a Holy Song of Thanksgiving , in which he expresses his gratitude for recovering from a severe illness. The music is about healing and forgiveness, and plumbs the depths of those feelings in a way that’s unique in all art.”

Of course he has many loves, noting an affinity also for Handel, Brahms and Stevie Wonder.

Though he has played and listened to all kinds of music, he says he inevitably circles back to classical.

UNITED: TO ADVANCE CANCER CARE

“I find inspiration in classical music, the greatest of which reveals new depths every time one listens,” he offers. “There’s no better way to meet people and establish a community than through the music one is passionate about.” n

John Adam Wasowicz, an attorney and former Arlington prosecutor, is the author of the Mo Katz mystery series (BrickHouse Books). He met Jacobs while producing the audiobook edition of the third book in the series, Slaters Lane (2020), for which Jacobs provided the musical notes. That audiobook recording is narrated by fellow WETA radio host Nicole Lacroix.

• Multidisciplinary team approach • Highly specialized medical oncology, hematology, radiation therapy, orthopedic oncology/surgery, breast surgery, thoracic surgery, genetic counseling, palliative medicine and research

Robert Christie, MD, FACP John Feigert, MD Jessica Heintz, MD, FAAHPM (Palliative Care)

Keeran Sampat, MD

Patricia Rodriguez, MD

Felasfa M Wodajo, MD (Musculoskeletal Tumor Surgeon)

Designer Skip Sroka’s attention to detail is evident in the home’s crisp millwork and stair balusters, which he custom designed. The foyer lighting is by Hammerton Studio and the settee is from Bernhardt Furniture Co. ERIK

SHINGLE Minded

A custom new build embraces New England tradition with a touch of whimsy.

BY JENNIFER SERGENT

WHEN KARA MCCABE and Andrew Leblanc decided to build a new house in McLean—moving from Arlington to be closer to The Langley School, where their four boys are students—they hired GTM Architects, Artisan Builders and interior designer Skip Sroka to bring their dream to fruition.

McCabe then took advantage of the project’s extended timeline to do a deep dive for inspiration. “We lost her for three years,” jokes her sister Jennifer. “This was her full-time job!”

What emerged is an 11,500-square-foot home steeped in the shingle-style aesthetic that’s common to Cape Cod, where their mother lives, and more broadly to New England. McCabe and her siblings grew up in Lexington, Massachusetts.

But rather than lean on any Puritan notions of restraint, Sroka filled the interiors with a riot of color and pattern. The style is reminiscent of British designer Kit Kemp, whose whimsical hotel interiors in London and New York the couple enjoyed for years until the pandemic put Leblanc’s business travel on hold (he’s an attorney, and his wife sometimes joins him on trips).

“Growing up, everything in our house was white or beige or gray,” McCabe

n shingle minded

says. “We would go to Kit’s hotels, and she had these crazy patterns and color combinations that you’d never think would go together, but it felt like home.”

In choosing the interior palette, Sroka and project designer Elizabeth Shirey Bausch leaned heavily on coastal blues and greens that reminded the couple of New England. The family room’s breezy color scheme corresponds with a gallery of paintings that collectively reproduce a 1934 Census map of Cam-

bridge, where McCabe’s parents grew up. “They wanted it to be colorful, welcome, open and fresh, and they weren’t bound by anything,” Sroka says.

GTM president George Myers and principal architect Rolando Valdez didn’t have to guess what their clients wanted architecturally. Every picture McCabe had saved to her idea file featured a shingled home with double gables framing bay windows above a generous front porch.

The topographical contours of the site also shaped the design, prompting the architects to “bend” the house around so that it gently frames a pool in back while the three-car garage turns away from the street. “Shinglestyle houses often have plans that have angles and turns to them,” Myers explains. “It was all part of trying to create that old feel.”

Nevertheless, a modern family lives here, so the design is equally mind-

Left: The shinglestyle residence lives large, inside and out. The rear of the home features a covered porch and wraps around a wide patio with a pool and a fire pit.

Above: Kara McCabe relaxes in the sunroom on a sofa from her last house. The slipcovered coffee table is from Moss Home and the armchair is from CR Laine. Below: The family room has plenty of seating and a custom-designed bench/ottoman by Sroka. A console table fabricated by Mike Reid Weeks features a stone top by Marblex Design.

Top left: Storage lockers maintain order in the mudroom. Above: Outdoor furnishings by Dedon lend casual comfort to the screened porch. Right: The kitchen, by Lobkovich Kitchen Designs, features playful fabrics and colorful pendant lights from Rothschild & Bickers - London.

The front parlor’s bold colors and patterns were inspired by London designer Kit Kemp. The owners’ artwork hangs above a double fireplace that opens to a home office on the other side of the wall. Chandelier by Hinkley Lighting.

Left: Kara McCabe and Andrew Leblanc wanted their bedroom to include a large seating area where they could hang out with their kids. Artisan Builders constructed a classic fireplace mantel with a mirrored surround. Below: The tranquil master bath features a deep soaking tub and marble-inlay tile by Architessa from Artistic Tile (formerly Architectural Ceramics).

ful of the owners’ four boys, ranging in age from 10 to 14, plus two dogs. “The mudroom can’t be big enough,” says Myers, who also has four kids. “And I understand the notion of trying to make all the kids’ rooms a similar size—for me, it was like designing a house for myself.”

Sroka chose durable, stain-resistant fabrics for all of the upholstered furniture to make the entire house kid- and pet-friendly. Plus, McCabe says, “Every sofa has to be nap worthy! Nothing is stuffy.”

After the home’s completion in 2018, the family hosted numerous celebrations and holiday gatherings, making the most of its ample entertainment spaces.

But even more important are the intimate moments the design affords—from a cozy window seat outside Grandma’s guest room to the fireside seating area in the master bedroom, where the boys like to hang out with their parents.

“It was all about giving it a very special look,” Sroka says. “It is a forever-home concept.” n

Project Credits

GTM Architects gtmarchitects.com

Sroka Design srokadesign.com

Artisan Builders artisanbuilds.com

Lobkovich Kitchen Designs lobkovich.com

This page: Designer Zoë Feldman repainted the existing kitchen cabinetry and island base, adding a new backsplash by Clé Tile. Opposite page: A powder room goes wild with Cole & Son wallpaper.

Good LUXE

Rich

patterns and textures offer an antidote to boredom inside a classic home.

BY JENNIFER SERGENT | PHOTOS BY STACY ZARIN GOLDBERG

BY 2018, CRYSTAL HINNANT FERGUSON and Jeff Ferguson were frustrated. They’d hired two design studios to help them warm up the 10,000-square-foot home in Country Club Hills they’d bought two years earlier as newlyweds. But it still didn’t feel right.

Although each firm had delivered what they’d asked for—traditional interiors to match the home’s classic stone façade—the results were a letdown. “We played it safe,” Crystal says. “It didn’t excite me. It didn’t feel authentic, but I didn’t know what ‘authentic’ was.”

Enter designer No. 3—Zoë Feldman, whose fearless aesthetic sensibili-

ties and pattern play caught Crystal’s eye. “Bigger houses can be challenging to have a cozy feel, and she wanted a more casual, sophisticated kind of L.A. vibe,” says Feldman, whose firm is based in D.C. “We tried to keep the integrity of the [four-level] home so it still felt cohesive between the spaces.”

Feldman’s team started by dialing up the colors and patterns on the top floor (see page 74), transforming the space into a ladies’ lounge for Crystal—who during the course of the project became pregnant with the couple’s daughter.

“In spaces where you’re not living in them all the time, you feel more confident taking risks,” says the designer.

Hot-pink sectional sofa? Check. Genuine cowhide poufs? Why not.

Fellow designer Tenley Masson created sketchy watercolors of female figures to create a gallery wall behind the pink sofa. Feldman designed a wet-bar area along an empty wall, lining it with a graphic wall-covering and adding a fridge—which, in non-Covid times, will be used to chill wine for Crystal’s girlfriends, but for the time being keeps the sippy cups cool for little Elle.

The aesthetic softens in the master bedroom, where tonal touches of blue silk wallpaper and a painted ceiling offset an antique Regency chest and mirror paired with a tiger-print chair.

Above: Crystal and Jeff Ferguson with their daughter, Elle. Right: The spacious master closet is outfitted with custom cabinetry by Fry Woodworking. Opposite page: The master bedroom features China Silk Weave wall-coverings from The House of Scalamandré, an antique dresser from 1stDibs and a chair by designer Meg Braff. Carpet by Stark.

MICHAEL VENTURA (FAMILY)

Left: The ladies’ lounge is anchored by an AmericanEye sectional upholstered in hot-pink velvet, with cowhide ottomans from Room & Board. Miami wallpaper by Jupiter 10 accents the bar wall. Top: Custom pillows and upholstery dress up a CB2 daybed. Above: A Laine cabinet by Amber Interiors adds texture and interest to the third-floor landing.

Feldman replaced the family room’s original stone hearth with a sleek plaster fireplace surround. A linen-covered Bronson sectional by Croft House sits opposite a gold velvet Rua Ipanema lounge chair from Avenue Road.

“We love to sprinkle in organic patterns— an antelope rug, a dalmatian-print stair runner, leopard wallpaper in a powder room, and the tiger stripe on the chair in the master bedroom,” says designer Zach Stamatis. “It creates movement and it’s a great way to bring color into a space.”

On the main floor, Feldman gave the kitchen a face-lift with new backsplash tile and a dark coat of paint on the island (which previously was painted white). For material continuity in the open plan, she placed a custom plaster range hood on the kitchen side and a plaster fireplace surround on the opposite wall in the family room.

An adjacent breakfast niche only needed the right wallpaper to make the family’s existing table, chairs and banquette shine.

The sprawling basement lounge, which includes a wet bar and billiards table, is Jeff’s domain—but it needed more definition to keep it from feeling cavernous. The solution: custom carpentry in the form of paneled walls, built-in seating and an elegant fire-

place surround. An archway now frames an existing kitchenette to give it more presence. Feldman also added doors that separate the lounge space from a vestibule at the bottom of the stairs. “We tried to make it feel less like a basement,” she says, “and more like a proper room.”

At last, the Fergusons feel at home. “We love it so much more now, and it just feels right,” Crystal says. “I’ve not been able to host my girlfriends in my ladies’ lounge yet, but I do all my Zoom happy hours there!” n

Project Credits

Zoë Feldman Design zoefeldmandesign.com

Fine Point Construction finepointconstructiondc.com

Michael DiGuiseppe (wallpaper installation) Michaeld1964@gmail.com

Fry Woodworking @fry_woodworking on Instagram

The basement lounge features custom wall paneling and built-in furnishings designed by Feldman and built by Fine Point Construction.

Left: The wool carpet is by Stark and the cocktail table is from Perigold. Right: An arched entryway now frames the kitchenette.

CLASSIC COTTAGES

433 E. Monroe Ave., Alexandria, VA 22301

703-844-9936 | sales@ccottages.com | www.ccottages.com

BIO

Classic Cottages is a Northern Virginia-based custom home builder that builds primarily in Arlington County and provides turnkey solutions for families looking to build a new home. Whether families are looking to build a beautiful model home or a custom home from scratch, Classic Cottages can handle everything from concept to completion. Classic Cottages consistently blends classic community culture with innovative architecture and design through its skilled in-house acquisitions, sales, architecture, design and construction departments.

THE PROJECT

Working with Classic Cottages is a truly unique homebuilding experience as each custom home built is tailored 100% to the home buyers wants and needs. All aspects of building a new home are completed in-house, from drawing novel floor plans to selecting beautiful design features and finishes. Clients can even choose their home's furnishings, giving "move-in ready" a whole new meaning. Having all departments under one roof allows Classic Cottages to implement an efficient building process, communicate effectively between disciplines and create an easy-to-understand building experience for its home buyers. Over the past 10 years, Classic Cottages has mastered the artful balance of incorporating timeless beauty and everyday functionality within every room of a home, illustrating its mission of bringing classic elegance to modern living. Featured are snapshots of some of Classic Cottages' favorite custom spaces from 2020. For more information on how you can build a custom home with Classic Cottages, visit www.ccottages.com.

TRIVISTAUSA DESIGN + BUILD

925 N. Garfield St., Suite 106, Arlington, VA 22201 703-243-3171 | info@trivistausa.com | www.trivistausa.com

BIO

TriVistaUSA Design + Build provides innovative, award-winning designs to residences in Arlington, Falls Church, Alexandria and NWDC. Owners Michael and Deborah Sauri built their team around one mission: “Our thoughtful design builds fine living.” TriVistaUSA provides creative high-design solutions on time and on budget to achieve real solutions for their clients’ lifestyles.

THE PROJECT

This exquisite new build delivers an incredible family experience with “thoughtful design for fine living” in every detail. With seven breathtaking bedrooms and four-and-a-half baths, the home combines flow, function and form as you step inside the front door and are met with stunning lines of sight to the family room and porch ahead. Modern materials and fixtures come together to create a warm yet classic look in this stunning gourmet chef’s kitchen and open-floor-plan family room. The home also features 9’ ceilings, oversized windows and door casings throughout, and a custom staircase that leads to the most glorious master bedroom. No room was spared in the creation of this custom home, and the finished project most certainly shows elements of contemporary design and professional craftsmanship.

RED HOUSE ARCHITECTS

Robert T. Braddock, AIA Principal 1612 N. Fillmore St. Arlington, VA 22201 703-346-9819 | www.redhousearch.com

BIO

Red House Architects was founded in the Clarendon neighborhood of Arlington by Robert Braddock. After many years in architecture, he took the opportunity to start his own firm. Braddock combines a personal understanding of traditional Arlington homes (and homeowners!), with a strong sense for order and harmony in design.

THE PROJECT

Northern Virginia has an overabundance of brick homes that took their design inspiration from the physical shape of the brick. This particular home was one example – set in a neighborhood of mostly the same home, repeated. Our homeowners needed more space for themselves, their growing teenagers and their lovely dog, Sadie. But, more important, they needed something to improve the character of the façade and reflect their own personal vision of home. We opened up space for a kitchen / great room; expanded a master bedroom into a full suite; gave them a patio designed for entertaining; and remodeled the entry. But the real success was in reinventing the image of the home by adding depth and changing the proportions. Contact us if you would like to see what your home could become.

THE BRAMBLETON GROUP

Brambleton Welcome Center

42395 Ryan Road, Suite 100, Brambleton, VA 20148

703-542-2925 | info@brambleton.com | www.brambleton.com

BIO

Every great plan starts with an idea, and that’s how Brambleton began 20 years ago by Anthony Soave, the original Brambletonian. A master planned community, where residents will find a perfect work/ life balance and, quite simply, get more out of life.

THE PROJECT

Located in Loudoun County, Brambleton offers the best of both worlds with its convenient location between the big city and beautiful countryside. It’s just a short drive east into Washington to indulge in the cosmo lifestyle of the nation’s capital, or an equally short drive west for a rural escape to enjoy the great outdoors, rich culture and history of Virginia's landscape.

There are countless ways to enjoy living in Brambleton. A thriving, convenient Town Center puts you minutes to groceries, restaurants, doctors, gym and state-of-the-art library. Then there’s Brambleton’s award-winning neighborhood schools, over 18 miles of paved trails, pools, parks and recreation areas, annual events plus a weekly farmers’ market.

Brambleton's evolving home designs reflect the latest technology and hold lasting appeal. New in 2021, Tri-Pointe Homes offers urban-style townhomes in Downtown Brambleton, while our West Park neighborhood features new single-family homes by Tri-Pointe and Van Metre Homes within walking distance of schools and trails.

COUNTRY CASUAL TEAK

7601 Rickenbacker Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20879

1-800-289-8325 | info@countrycasualteak.com www.countrycasualteak.com

BIO

Country Casual Teak is the nation’s leading manufacturer of teak outdoor furniture. Our 40+ year commitment to the highest standards of quality, craftsmanship and customer service has earned us the trust of homeowners across the country. We are proud of our Maryland heritage, from our founding in Germantown to our corporate headquarters in Gaithersburg.

OUR WORK

Country Casual Teak manufactures beautiful teak outdoor furniture that transforms outdoor spaces. Our pieces range from classic designs, such as our Seneca and Calypso collections, to our contemporary selections, such as the Casita and Summit. Whether a dining set, Adirondack chair or poolside chaise, we take pride in knowing that our Grade A teak outdoor furniture, constructed with time-honored techniques such as mortise and tenon joinery, will last for generations to come.

PIERCE LUXURY CONDOS

SALES GALLERY LOCATION AT THE HIGHLANDS 1525 Wilson Blvd., Suite 150, Arlington, VA 22209 571-312-0724 | www.PierceShowcase.com

BIO

The Mayhood Company is the most reputable high-end condominium sales and marketing firm in the greater Washington DC area, having completed over 200 projects, and selling over 30,000 residences. Mayhood blends over 30 years of experience with today’s most exciting innovations to identify the best strategies for every project.

THE PROJECT

Rising 27 stories above Rosslyn, Pierce offers an unmatched level of sophistication and luxury living in Northern Virginia. As one of the only new luxury condominium buildings in the Arlington area, the residences at Pierce are in high demand and selling fast. Perfectly located in the vibrant community of The Highlands, each one- to three-bedroom Pierce condominium home features a lightfilled, wide-open layout with extraordinary designer finishes. Take in jaw-dropping views of the Potomac and D.C. skyline, and enjoy exclusive amenities like a luxe club room, resort-style pool, twostory fitness center and rooftop entertainment terrace. Experience the ultimate in convenience with easy access to high-end retail, dining and entertainment, Rosslyn Highlands Park, and only minutes from three Metro lines.

Now selling, Pierce construction is well underway for an August 2021 delivery. Visit PierceShowcase.com to learn more.

BOWERS DESIGN BUILD

703-506-0845 | info@BowersDesignBuild.com www.BowersDesignBuild.com

BIO

For 31 years, our architects, interior designers and construction professionals have focused on creating beautiful homes for each of our clients’ unique needs. Creative designs, coupled with our professional budget/project management approach, have garnered a loyal client base. The proof: 30% of our work is for repeat customers.

THE PROJECT

Our design/build process starts with truly understanding the client’s needs—both today and for the duration of their time in the home. This McLean couple wanted to turn their family house into their forever home. They love the large, wooded property, but they wanted to create a more modern, open home to take advantage of the lot views. A dramatic two-story rear addition was designed to bring the outdoors inside. Wrapped in hardwood, we created a warm, organic look on this new modern space. Inside, we chose natural materials that reflect the outdoors. The wood ceiling and stair railing complement the setting. The graining in the fireplace stone and light fixture design mimics tree branches, marrying the inside to the outside. All the materials we used in this renovation are thoughtful, functional and beautiful. This addition is now where the homeowners spend most of their time. Client satisfaction is our passion.

SIGNATURE DESIGN INTERIORS

1039 Sterling Road, Suite 104, Herndon, VA 20170 703-599-0648 | sandra@signaturedesigninteriors.com www.SignatureDesignInteriors.com

BIO

Signature Design Interiors is a full-service, turnkey interior decorating and Class A remodeling firm servicing clients in the DMV for 18 years. Our creative team designs, sources, manages and delivers signature designs that are beautiful, functional and tailored to each client’s preferences.

THE PROJECT

Our clients purchased a cape cod home in the Old Glebe neighborhood of Arlington. After falling in love with a pair of Aquazzura designer shoes and learning they teamed with British wallpaper company de Gournay to create a new colorway called "Amazonia," it became her design inspiration. Selecting a wallpaper to balance the feel of the Amazonia chinoiserie with the freshness of a garden instantly made her foyer special. The foyer opens into the formal living room, modeled after The Ivy Chelsea Garden restaurant in London, the couple’s favorite restaurant. We sourced Caprieze Copper Glaze leather to make a custom Chesterfield sofa and integrated their existing chair, a family heirloom. A rich drapery fabric balances the sofa and a wool area rug in salmon, gold, blue and green tones lightens the floor. The final touch is walls painted in a fresh, classic and modern paint color, Benjamin Moore Dream Catcher.

WHITESTONE CUSTOM HOMES

PO Box 7638, Arlington, VA 22207

703-244-2802 | info@whitestonecustomhomes.com www.whitestonecustomhomes.com

BIO

Whitestone Custom Homes is a family-owned business. Owner, Herb Aman, is a third generation Arlington native and currently resides in Arlington with his family. Herb has a real passion for making Arlington a beautiful place to live and a deep appreciation for the community.

OUR WORK

When you build a custom home, we understand that you are not only buying a product, but also a service. As an experienced custom home builder, Herb Aman and his team at Whitestone Custom Homes has the ability to control the quality of their workmanship to the highest standards. We employ only qualified personnel who are committed to upholding this high level of excellence. We strive to give the best possible service before, during and after the construction process.

We design each home to meet the individual needs of each client. We help you enjoy the process of selecting all the items in your house to give it your personal touch.

ZIMMERMANN HOMES

Falls Church, VA

203-313-9697 | ZimmermannHomes.com

BIO

Zimmermann Homes has consistently been voted one of the area’s Best Builders by the readers of Arlington Magazine. All homes come standard with upgraded products and building techniques that result in an energy-efficient, low-service and durable home. We are passionate about working together with our clients to build innovative homes that combine a level of performance and beauty that is tough to find elsewhere.

OUR WORK

Celebrating fourteen years in the design/build market, Zimmermann Homes has diligently earned a reputation for being a reliable and high-quality builder. To Zimmermann, the process is as important as the final product and the result is a well-oiled machine from start to finish. Clients can custom design a unique home with Zimmermann’s talented architect or choose from dozens of established plans. From there you shop and pick your finishes with a stylish interior designer and the install is overseen by a seasoned project manager who is an artist in his trade. Related documents are accessible via a shared cloud-based system and the team’s Realtor can assist with lot acquisition or even selling your old home. The end result is a onestop shop that often exceeds expectations. As a bonus, the owner is personally driven by energy independence, so all Zimmermann Homes come with products designed to help lower utility bills and use less energy!

PAUL’S BEST LAWN SERVICE

2880 Hartland Road, Falls Church, VA 22043 703-204-2826 | www.paulsbestlawn.com

BIO

Paul’s Best is a local, family-owned company focused on lawn rehabilitation and ongoing routine maintenance. Thorough in all aspects of our work, you simply can’t compare apples to apples in this industry and there is only one Paul's Best. We stand behind all the work we do, and the work speaks for itself.

THE PROJECT

This job had it all: pruning, planting, cleanup, grading, lawn prep with topsoil and amendments, installing sod, edging, and mulching. After finding a poorly installed drainpipe, we contacted the client, properly buried the pipe and installed a pop-up emitter. Many homeowners lump all companies in our industry as the “lawn guy with a mower and a truck,” assuming we all do the same quality work. The only difference between us is the price. Many think they can do this work as well as any company can, only needing help if they don’t have the time to do it. After all, it’s just yard work, right? Wrong. Our crews are masters of their craft, providing the highest quality service for clients who don’t accept mediocrity. Visit our website to view this 60+ hour job condensed into a 1.5 minute video and other examples of our work to see how we can help your property achieve its full potential.

PAOLA ONE DESIGN

Paola Amodeo, Design Principal + Owner 310-266-1985 | paola1design@gmail.com | paola1design.houzz.com

BIO

Paola is an Italian native and a twenty-year architecture professional, with an M-Arch from Michigan and a decade spent at a boutique Los Angeles studio. She has been published and won awards for local residential and commercial projects, like the Arlington Independent Media remodel.  Her work combines modern design with an ecofriendly reverence for existing homes.

OUR WORK

Clients come to P.O.D. for my creativity and passion. I filter their goals, preferences and budgetary constraints through a rigorous design process and synthesize them into a buildable design. I have a team of engineers and consultants and can offer extensive services such as home search consulting and a steady collaboration with the Arlington Green Home Choice program.

I bring technical knowledge and enthusiasm for chic, modern, and minimal design, combined with a respect for traditional homes.  Existing brick walls are structurally strong and beautiful, so they often become a feature in my projects thus saving some costs. The result is a cohesive blend of heritage and modern living.

Happy clients are my priority and to that end, I take an active role in job site meetings with contractors, fabricators and consultants until the design and my client’s vision are fully realized.

JORDAN DESIGN-BUILD GROUP

10856 Main St., Fairfax, VA 22030 | 703-485-8350 info@jordandesignbuildgroup.com | www.jordandesignbuildgroup.com

BIO

Jordan Design-Build Group provides boutique, turn-key home renovations across Northern Virginia and the D.C. metro region. Founded in 2009 by David Jordan, JDBG’s projects range from kitchen and bath remodels to full-home renovations and expansions. JDBG approaches each project with thoughtful design solutions, meticulous planning, quality craftsmanship and comprehensive oversight.

THE PROJECT

Typical of 1920s bungalows, the kitchen in our client’s Lyon Park gem was cramped and cut off from the rest of the house. The original layout did not suit a family that loves to cook together so they asked us to help their vintage home realize its full potential. Our reimagined design expanded the kitchen into an underutilized sunroom, opening it up to the adjacent dining room and creating a bright and updated space that now serves as the heart of the home. Enlarging the kitchen was a complex endeavor requiring structural interventions and exterior masonry work to ensure the reconfigured windows looked like they had always been there. The size of the kitchen was doubled, adding much needed prep space, pantry storage and a dedicated coffee nook. A show-stopping backsplash creates a striking focal point, and the sweeping honed countertops provide ample room for all the cooks in this totally transformed kitchen.

COMMONWEALTH RESTORATIONS

2430 S. Kenmore St., Arlington, VA 22206 703-525-5255 | office@commonwealthrestorations.com www.commonwealthrestorations.com

BIO

Commonwealth Restorations has been a leader in the construction and remodeling industry in Arlington for more than 50 years. We are proud to be a locally owned and operated business here in Arlington, and we love that our clients are also our neighbors. We strive to give back to the community that we serve and often sponsor and partner with Arlington-based organizations, including youth sports leagues, schools, events and charities.

OUR WORK

Whether you need help turning your existing home into your dream home or you need help with an addition, remodel or renovation, we have a team to meet all your building needs. Restorations, renovations, repairs, as well as new construction, are all part of our portfolio. Our in-house architecture and design team will work with you on every aspect of your architectural design, including guided product selection for all projects. Our unwavering goal is for an endto-end client experience that includes seamless communication, budgeting, staffing, on-site organization and solid, quality craftsmanship every time. We are constantly striving to provide a high-quality product to the customers we serve and to remain sensitive to the community and neighborhoods where we build. We strive to create spaces that clients are happy in for years to come.

ALAIR HOMES ARLINGTON

3100 Clarendon Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201 | 703-791-1317

Chad.Hackmann@AlairHomes.com | www.AlairHomes.com

BIO

Alair Homes Arlington provides custom home building and renovation in Arlington, Alexandria, Falls Church and D.C. Having lived and worked in the Arlington community for more than 20 years, Chad Hackmann, Regional Partner, has a deep appreciation and understanding of building in Arlington and the surrounding areas.

OUR WORK

Alair Homes Arlington takes pride in all our projects. From multimillion-dollar modern estates to 1940s renovations to budgetfriendly starter homes, we approach each project with the same level of care, workmanship and top-notch customer service. We understand the constraints of Arlington’s smaller home lots and love to help our clients create the home of their dreams. Alair Homes Arlington offers a unique approach with total transparency in pricing. Our highly trained and certified project managers empower clients with authority over their project from start to finish, using our proprietary Client Control™ system which is setting the standard in residential construction management. Whether homeowners want new construction, an addition, a whole-home or partial renovation, our clients trust Alair Homes Arlington to provide high-quality construction and a transparent process. Alair Homes Arlington’s industry-experience, process and professional contractors ensure not only beautiful homes, but also save homeowners time and money.

Open

By Jennifer Sergent

An ultra-modern abode revels in natural light.

HOUSE

Photos by Robert Radifera

Styling by Allison Hardeman

n open house

YURI SAGATOV’S LATEST HOME , in Waverly Hills, dares to think differently about how houses are fundamentally structured. The 5,900-square-foot plan is made up of four interconnected pavilions marked by huge windows.

“One thing I love about Arlington is the fabric of the architecture. It’s not a homogenous landscape like you would get further out in the suburbs,” says the builder, who has personally moved 15 times between North and South Arlington—including in and out

of seven homes he designed and built in the past 15 years. He likes to live in them while he’s finishing them to truly experience the marriage of form and function.

Sagatov and his wife, Michelle, a real estate agent, plan to stay in this one for a while since their children, Alina, 13,

and James, 11, are getting older and the property is within walking distance of Washington-Liberty High School. For that reason, Sagatov says he wanted the design to represent a “best of” showcase of his company’s modern aesthetic.

Top of mind was the evolution of open-concept living. “This pavilion de-

The Sagatov family relaxes in the dramatic conversation pit. The circular sofa is from RH Modern and the ottoman is by Phase Design. Yuri Sagatov made the neon art on the wall.

sign allows for an open plan but really creates separation between a lot of the spaces,” he says. Yet “there’s still connectivity” thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows that offer visual sightlines between the home’s four modules. Those enormous windows also enhance the interplay between indoor and outdoor spaces—another priority.

“We like the connection they create with the rest of the neighborhood, and the light is very important to us,” Sagatov says. “You can feel the time of the day.” (You can even feel it in the spa-like master bath and walk-in closet, thanks to large skylights and clerestory windows that channel natural light inside while maintaining privacy.)

Perhaps the biggest wow feature is the main level’s circular sunken lounge. Funkier than your typical living room, it centers on a massive, marble-lined conversation pit flanked by a wet bar and—you guessed it—dramatic windows. “A lot of the challenge in modern architecture is a lack of intimacy,” Sagatov observes. “Sinking the lounge makes it an intentional place to sit down and disconnect and have a conversation. Our whole family spends a lot of time in there.”

The kitchen is another key communal space. It anchors a rear pavilion that also contains dining and familyroom areas, with glass doors that open onto a pool deck. Appliances and storage are hidden behind sleek custom walnut paneling, and two spacious islands make it easy for people to cook and mingle without feeling crowded.

Sagatov was careful to design flexible spaces whose uses can change over time: A room currently serving as a home office could become a main-

White-oak ceiling slats have a softening effect in the dining area. The pendant lights are by Bocci and the table is from RH Modern. Custom sculpture by local artist Javier Cabada.

level bedroom if needed, and one of his children’s bedrooms could later morph into an in-law suite, reachable via the home’s elevator. “Making the home work and flex to the needs of the family is a critical component for me,” he says.

Like every residence he builds, this one is also supremely energyefficient and certified through the Arlington Green Home Choice Program. The house is heated and cooled with two centralized heatpump-driven HVAC systems, separated into four zones (one for each pavilion), and is well insulated to prevent air leakage.

It’s also passively designed to draw additional heat, via sunlight, in winter through its large south- and west-facing windows. (In summer, when the sun is higher in the sky, a faceted façade minimizes heat gain through the same windows.)

“This is a culmination of a lot of different houses that we’ve lived in,” Sagatov says. “As families grow up and priorities change, this just seemed to be a great spot for the next 10 years.” n

Project Credits

Sagatov Design + Build sagatovhomes.com

Scott Brinitzer Design Associates (landscape design) brinitzer.com

Below: The master bedroom features a custom designed bed, fuchsia accents and pendant lights by FLOS Lighting.

Right: The master bath is lined in Rosa Portogallo Portuguese marble with a soaking tub from Luv by Duravit.

TOP PRODUCERS

Looking to buy or sell a house?

Here are the top-producing residential real estate agents and teams based on home sales in Arlington, McLean and Falls Church that occurred between Nov. 1, 2019, and Oct. 31, 2020. The data was provided by local real estate offices. If you are a real estate professional and your office did not receive the survey, please email editorial@arlingtonmagazine.com with “top producers” in the subject line.

AGENTS | $5,000,000 - $7,499,999

Melody Abella

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Olivia Adams

Compass | Arlington

Eileen Aronovitch

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Johanna Baker

Compass | Arlington

Jay Barry Compass | Capitol Hill

Jeff Beall

RE/MAX Distinctive Real Estate

Jean Beatty

McEnearney Associates Realtors

Karina Beltran Srebrow Beltran & Associates Realty

Chip Benjamin

Long & Foster Arlington/Falls Church

Robin Bono

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Eric Broermann Compass | Logan

Lilah Bross

Century 21 Redwood Realty

Jeremy Browne

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Annabel Burch-Murton Compass | Bethesda

Marcia Burgos-Stone Redfin

Robin Cale

McEnearney Associates Realtors

Drew Carpenter

The Keri Shull Team

Rob Carter Compass | Logan

Joan Caton Cromwell

McEnearney Associates Realtors

Kara Chaffin Donofrio

Long & Foster McLean

Taylor Chamberlin

McEnearney Associates Realtors

Joshua Chapman

Compass | Arlington

Yon Chung

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Lee Cronin

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Vlad Dallenbach

Compass | Alexandria

Wendy Dean KW Metro Center

Grant Doe

Long & Foster Arlington/Falls Church

Claire Driscoll

McLean Weichert, Realtors

Lisa Dubois

RE/MAX West End

Ann Duff

McEnearney Associates Realtors

Jim Feagins

RE/MAX Allegiance

Martha Floyd

McEnearney Associates Realtors

Brittany Floyd KW United

Jonathan Fox Compass | Arlington

Kristin Francis KW Metro Center

Marybeth Fraser KW Metro Center

Nick Gashel

The Keri Shull Team

Elena Gorbounova

RE/MAX Allegiance

Paul Greenfield Redfin

Ben Grouby Redfin

Donna Hamaker Buck and Associates

Jacob Hamilton Compass | Alexandria

Susan Hand Compass | Arlington

Trent Heminger Compass | Chevy Chase

Lynn Hoover McEnearney Associates Realtors

Robert Hryniewicki

Washington Fine Properties

Ricardo Iglesias Buck and Associates

Jennifer Jo

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Erin Jones

KW Metro Center

Caitlin Kamerman

The Keri Shull Team

Jillian Keck Hogan McEnearney Associates Realtors

Lynn Kern

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Nadia Khan

The Keri Shull Team

James Kim

McEnearney Associates Realtors

n top real estate producers

Roy Kohn

Redfin

Tom Kolker

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Nicholas Lagos

Century 21 New Millennium - Arlington

Lex Lianos

Compass | McLean

Kristen Mason Coreas

KW United

John McNamara

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

John Mentis

Long & Foster Arlington/Falls Church

Linda Murphy

McEnearney Associates Realtors

Andrew Musser

KW United

Ann Nichols

McEnearney Associates Realtors

Will Oakley

RE/MAX Distinctive Real Estate

Marcella Oakley

RE/MAX Distinctive Real Estate

Ivana Pelikan

Long & Foster Arlington/Falls Church

Marga Pirozzoli

Compass | Arlington

Sean Ragen

KW United

Dixie Rapuano

RE/MAX West End

Joe Reef

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Tom Reilly

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Cindy Reynolds

Century 21 New Millennium - McLean

Mike Roschke

KW Metro Center

Kyle Russell

The Keri Shull Team

Lia Sanchez

The Keri Shull Team

Jeanne Scott

The Keri Shull Team

Ed Seroskie

RE/MAX Allegiance

What sets Monument Home Loans apart?

Our service. While our interest rates are quite competitive, our customer service is what sets us apart. From your first phone call until your final signature, our loan officers and processing team are fully accessible whenever needed, day or night, weekday or weekend. We also understand that mortgages should not be one-size-fits-all; that’s why we offer one of the widest arrays of mortgage products in the DMV, and work closely with each client to identify the program that best meets their needs and goals. As a result, we enable people from all walks of life to experience a smooth, predictable process that results in the best mortgage for their circumstances – and to have an experienced loan officer with them every step of the way.

Lori Shafran Yeonas & Shafran Real Estate

Audrey Shay Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Natalia Simonova

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Cristina Sison Compass | Arlington

Jenn Smira Compass | Logan

Melinda Solley The Keri Shull Team

Karen Sparks Century 21 Redwood Realty

Laura Steuart Compass | Bethesda

Morgan Stillwell Compass | Logan

Anslie Stokes Milligan McEnearney Associates Realtors

Crystal Street KW United

Dave Swartzbaugh McLean Weichert, Realtors

Susan Thomas Washington Fine Properties

George Torres Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Todd Vassar Compass | Logan

Jennifer Walker McEnearney Associates Realtors

Jane Webb Casey Margenau Fine Homes

Ashleigh Wehmeyer Compass | Arlington

Natalie Wiggins Redfin

Leslie Wilder McEnearney Associates Realtors

Dawn Wilson TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Susan Wisely Compass | McLean

Feven Woldu RE/MAX Allegiance

Gregg Zeiler TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

n top real estate producers

AGENTS | $7,500,000 - $9,999,999

Holly Amaya

Brock Realty

Julia Avent

RE/MAX West End

Andrew Biggers

KW United

Brian Blackburn

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Rachel Bleha

Compass | Arlington

Brittany Camacho

Century 21 Redwood Realty

Shane Canny

Long & Foster Arlington/Falls Church

Jonathan Chvala

The Keri Shull Team

Genevieve Concannon

Advon Group eXp

Jason Curry

KW Metro Center

Gabriel Deukmaji

KW Metro Center

Anne DiBenedetto

Compass | McLean

Bethany Ellis

Long & Foster McLean

Ruijing Fenny Hurwitz

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Alexandra Fielding

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Raya Fridental

Redfin

Monica Gibson

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Sue Goodhart

Compass | Alexandria

Dina Gorrell

Redfin

Katie Grieco

FASS Results Group

Nate Guggenheim

Washington Fine Properties

Brad Kiger

KW Metro Center

Brian Klotz

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

George Koutsoukos

Long & Foster McLean

Matt Leighton

Century 21 Redwood Realty

Toby Lim

Compass | McLean

Kevin Love

RE/MAX Allegiance

Craig Mastrangelo

Compass | Arlington

Jennifer McClintock

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Margaretha McGrail

Long & Foster McLean

Andrew Novins

KW United

Kelly Olafsson

RE/MAX Distinctive Real Estate

Keri O’Sullivan

RE/MAX Allegiance

Carole Pearson

KW Metro Center

Han Peruzzi

Long & Foster McLean

Sarah Picot

McEnearney Associates Realtors

Tim Pierson

KW United

Chris Pritchard

McEnearney Associates Realtors

Herbert Riggs

Compass | Alexandria

Scott Sachs Compass | Chevy Chase

Crystal Sheehan

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Matthew Shepard

KW Metro Center

Holly Tenant Billy

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Ken Trotter

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Susan Tull O’Reilly McEnearney Associates Realtors

Kris Walker

KW United

Zabrine Watson

Compass | Arlington

Richard Yoon

The Keri Shull Team

ARLINGTON MAGAZINE 2020 TOP PRODUCERS

Lilah and Eric Bross

Brittany Lambrechts Camacho

Karen Sparks

Diane Schline and Kristin Panzarella Sterling

The Battle Group / Orange Line Condo Team

(L to R): Miguel Moscol, Jr.; Shawn Battle; Matt Leighton; Lyndsay Evans and Mike Lanczycki (not shown in photo)

n top real estate producers

AGENTS | $10,000,000 - $14,999,999

Renata Briggman

KW Metro Center

Patricia Brosnan

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Tony Cammarota

RE/MAX Distinctive Real Estate

Jay Caputo

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Heather Corey

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Patty Couto

Compass | Arlington

Jon Dehart

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Tracy Dillard

Compass | McLean

Chris Earman

McLean Weichert, Realtors

John Eric

Compass | Arlington

Kathleen Fong

KW Metro Center

Dennis Furey

The Keri Shull Team

Will Gaskins

KW United

Mara Gemond

Redfin

Coral Gundlach

Compass | Arlington

Nicole Harding

FASS Results Group

William Hoffman

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Tyler Jeffrey

Washington Fine Properties

Erin Johnson

The Keri Shull Team

Susan Joy

Long & Foster Arlington/Falls Church

Anthony Lam

Redfin

Melissa Larson

KW Metro Center

Mark Lawter

KW Metro Center

Keith Lombardi

Redfin

Elizabeth Lord

Compass | Arlington

Katie Loughney

Compass | Arlington

Trevor Moore

Compass | Arlington

John Moore

Compass | Arlington

Jane Morrison

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Richard Mountjoy

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

David Moya

KW Metro Center

Chrissy O’Donnell

RE/MAX West End

Anshul Palli

The Keri Shull Team

Caitlin Platt

RE/MAX West End

Lauren Reardon

RE/MAX Distinctive Real Estate

Kathy Rehill

RE/MAX Distinctive Real Estate

Julie Rice

KW United

Heidi Robbins

Buck and Associates

Meg Ross

KW Metro Center

Natalie Roy

KW Metro Center

Diane Schline

Century 21 Redwood Realty

Melinda Schnur

KW United

Laura Schwartz

McEnearney Associates Realtors

Aaron Seekford

Arlington Realty

Debbie Shapiro

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Melissa Shelby Compass | Alexandria

Tania Squadrini Hosmer

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Jake Sullivan

RE/MAX Allegiance

Carol Temple

Coldwell Banker

Amy Vander Linden

Compass | Arlington

Natalie Vaughan

Compass | Arlington

Reid Voss

Golston Real Estate

Jason Walder

Compass | Arlington

Katie Wethman

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Tracy Williams

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

MEET THE 2020 RE/MAX DISTINCTIVE TOP PRODUCERS

TOP PRODUCERS

TYLER FREIHEIT LAUREN REARDON ERIK WEISSKOPF

TONY CAMMAROTA

MATT FOLEY

KELLY OLAFSSON

KATHY SULLIVAN

CHAMBERS THEORY TEAM LEFT TO RIGHT: TOMMY, BRIAN, LINDSAY, MARC, JEN, MARCI, JEAN, MARINA, DWAYNE & HEATHER

KEVIN CARTER

TYLER FREIHEIT LAUREN REARDON ERIK WEISSKOPF

TONY CAMMAROTA

MATT FOLEY

JEFF BEALL, ALEX BEALL & KATHY REHILL BEALL & REHILL TEAM

EMIL

CHAMBERS THEORY TEAM LEFT TO RIGHT: TOMMY, BRIAN, LINDSAY, MARC, JEN, MARCI, JEAN, MARINA, DWAYNE & HEATHER

KEVIN CARTER

TYLER FREIHEIT LAUREN REARDON

ERIK WEISSKOPF

TONY CAMMAROTA

MATT FOLEY

JEFF BEALL, ALEX BEALL & KATHY REHILL BEALL & REHILL TEAM

EMIL & CRISTINA SIMIONOV CASE REAL ESTATE TEAM

From left to right:

Tom Bauer, Snr - Supervisory Broker

KELLY OLAFSSON

KATHY SULLIVAN

MARCELLA & WILL OAKLEY THE OAKLEY GROUP

KURT & KRISTOPHER KUYKENDALL

CHAMBERS THEORY TEAM

LEFT TO RIGHT: TOMMY, BRIAN, LINDSAY, MARC, JEN, MARCI, JEAN, MARINA, DWAYNE & HEATHER

KEVIN CARTER

n top real estate producers

AGENTS

James Andors

| $15,000,000 - $19,999,999

Ted Gossett

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Christopher Audino

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Shawn Battle

Century 21 Redwood Realty

Libby Bish

The Keri Shull Team

Lee Brady

Casey Margenau Fine Homes

Bret Brock

Brock Realty

David Cabo

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Maria Fernandez

Compass | Arlington

Tyler Freiheit

RE/MAX Distinctive Real Estate

AGENTS | $20,000,000+

Sherif Abdalla

Compass | Arlington

Patricia Ammann

Redfin

Ruth Boyer O’Dea

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Karen Briscoe

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Billy Buck

Buck and Associates

JD Callander

McLean Weichert, Realtors

Karen Close

Century 21 New Millennium - Arlington

Elizabeth Conroy

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Candee Currie

Redfin

Mansoora Dar

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Megan Fass

FASS Results Group

Washington Fine Properties

Sheri Grant

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Lisa Joy

McEnearney Associates Realtors

Elizabeth Landeros

The Keri Shull Team

Geva Lester

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Diane Lewis

Washington Fine Properties

Lauren Longshore

The Keri Shull Team

Brian MacMahon

Redfin

Hunter McFadden

Compass | Georgetown

Rob Ferguson

RE/MAX Allegiance

Tom Francis

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Amy Harasz

The Keri Shull Team

Kay Houghton

KW Metro Center

John Jorgenson

Long & Foster McLean

Lilian Jorgenson

Long & Foster McLean

David Lloyd

Weichert, Realtors Arlington

Casey Margenau

Casey Margenau Fine Homes

Mark McFadden

Compass | Georgetown

Tori McKinney

KW Metro Center

Laurie Mensing

Long & Foster McLean

Casey O’Neal

Compass | Arlington

Aaron Probasco

KW United

Christine Rich

Long & Foster Arlington/Falls Church

Scott Shawkey

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Brian Siebel

Compass | Arlington

Conor Sullivan KW Metro Center

Ann Wilson KW Metro Center

Peggy Richardson

Washington Fine Properties

Michelle Sagatov

Washington Fine Properties

Jack Shafran

Yeonas & Shafran Real Estate

Betsy Twigg

McEnearney Associates Realtors

Theresa Valencic

Long & Foster McLean

Mike Webb

RE/MAX Allegiance

Steve Wydler

Compass | McLean

Dean Yeonas

Yeonas & Shafran Real Estate

Piper Yerks

Washington Fine Properties

From Left to Right: Karen & Dave Moya, Taryn Postlewaite, Conor Sullivan

Meet Our Top Producers

Brian Blackburn

Melody Abella

Melody has called Arlington home for over 25 years - and taught yoga here since 2005. When it comes to selling real estate, she delivers a high level of passion, strategic-thinking and luxury service regardless of price point. Clients say her calm yet assertive demeanor are what set her apart. She is a partner of the awardwinning Seward Group, and licensed in DC and Virginia.

For almost 20 years Brian has been helping clients realize their property goals. Tracking trends, developing relationships, and positioning clients for success has always been at the heart of my business. In this fast-paced market, buyers and sellers working with an experienced agent have a much higher rate of success. Experience is what gives both buyers and sellers a much deeper exposure to the market than just sifting through property listings without guidance. Licensed in Virginia and DC.

Jeremy Browne

Since beginning his real estate career in 2004, Jeremy has risen to be consistently ranked as one of the top 1% of agents in the area. Jeremy’s strong business acumen, negotiating skills, and unique understanding of the local market have been hallmarks of his success. His goal is to make every transaction as stress-free as possible and exceed his clients’ expectations with an exceptional service customized to their individual needs. Licensed in VA, MD, and DC.

Alexandra Fielding

m +1 202 579 5313 | alexandrafielding.ttrsir.com

As a life-long resident of the Washington area, Alexandra provides her clients with in-depth knowledge and understanding of the local markets. She brings a high level of energy, enthusiasm and personal attention to her work, and operates her business with integrity, wisdom and professionalism. Whether a client is looking to buy or sell a home, you will find Alexandra is extremely qualified to guide you to a successful and satisfying result. She values the confidence her clients place in her; she loves her work and it shows. As a result, much of her business comes from repeat clients and referrals.

Her specializations include buyer and seller representation, new construction, first time home buyers and investors. She is licensed in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, DC. Alexandra currently serves on two committees for the Northern Virginia Association of REALTORS®— Standard Forms Committee and Professionalism & Ethics Advisory Committee.

John McNamara

Jennifer Jo

m +1 703 489 0935 jenniferjo.ttrsir.com

Jennifer provides a luxury experience to buyers and sellers at all price points. Drawing from her many years as an Attorney and Adjunct Professor, Jennifer is a skilled advocate and extends expert advice. With access to the vast resources of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty and her cultivated network of contacts, Jennifer ensures her clients receive exceptional service at every step. Jennifer is the Real Estate Contributor to the Arlington Stylebook, a hyper-local lifestyle blog. She is also the 2021 Chair of the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors® (NVAR) Products and Services Advisory Group and has been recognized multiple times by NVAR as a Top Producer. Jennifer received her undergraduate degree from UC Berkeley and her law degree from American University.

m +1 703 395 2908 | johnmcnamara.ttrsir.com

John is known for offering concierge level service to his clients and customers and for going beyond what most expect from an agent. His over 30 years in marketing, negotiations, planning and execution bring an unprecedented level of knowledge and experience that is noticed by all his clients. Buyers and sellers have come to rely on his experience and guidance through these transactions, being among the most expensive and stressful experiences. He brings fresh perspective to each client and helps navigate them through the process and helps alleviate the stress and concern that most sellers and buyers feel. A resident of the area since 1981, he has witnessed the growth and expansion of the area and the demographic shifts that have transformed Arlington, Alexandria and the surrounding areas. He is licensed in VA and DC to offer the mobility needed here.

Natalia is a longtime resident of Arlington and Northern Virginia. She meets the challenges of today’s market with competence and excellent negotiating skills. She works tirelessly every day to be the trusted advisor her clients deserve, one who can help them navigate every potential roadblock to make their dreams a reality. Natalia develops an appropriate sales strategy for each client whether acting as a listing or buyer’s agent, working with investors or builders. It’s no surprise, then, that most of her business are repeat clients and referral-based. If you’re looking to buy, sell or just want ideas on how to get the most out of your investment, you’ll be in excellent hands!

Dawn Wilson

m +1 703 217 4959 | dawnwilson.ttrsir.com

Dawn is an industry leader who has been part of supporting and helping the Arlington community since 1993. Dawn’s background as a lawyer benefits her clients when it comes to negotiation. She has helped many clients buy and sell homes. Her clients are impressed with her skills, dedication, knowledge, responsiveness, and follow through. She knows how to position her buyer clients to achieve success even in a very competitive market, and she knows how to help her seller clients achieve their goals, no matter what the market is like. Her extensive network of contacts are an advantage for her clients. Adjectives that her clients use most often to describe her are: knowledgeable, diligent, considerate, friendly, hardworking, detail-oriented, smart, and thoughtful. Reputation. Integrity. Knowledge. It matters. Licensed in Virginia, Maryland, and D.C.

Boyer O’Dea & Grant

Ruth Boyer O’Dea and Sheri Grant m +1 703 338 2277 | m +1 703 405 1016 BoyerODeaGrant.com

The top-selling team in the Arlington brokerage, with over $70M in sales in 2020, Ruth and Sheri are proven producers. They are highly effective and hands-on agents who actively listen, tailoring their approach to consistently achieve their clients’ goals. Experts in marketing properties and naturals at connecting buyers with their perfect home — they are equally adept conducting and utilizing in-depth research which displays a broad knowledge of markets. Bringing a smart, curated approach to buying and selling, they position their clients for success. Expert, effective negotiators, their clients know them to be not only their trusted advocates and advisors, but also their new friends.

The Reef Team

Joseph Reef, Chris Weathers, Peter Nguyen m +1 703 981 8980 | SellingMetroDC.com

Dedicated, dependable and on top of the market are the main attributes of The Reef Team. With over 35 years of combined experience and over $250 million dollars in lifetime sales, Joe Reef leads the team along with Chris Weathers & Peter Nguyen. The Reef Team works hard for their clients to provide the ultimate concierge experience.

Edelmann Love Toregas Group

Lynn Kern, Jeff Love, John Edelmann, Alex Cernik, Chadley Toregas m +1 202 423 6900 | eltgroup.ttrsir.com

We have more than 70 years of combined experience selling real estate. Our group has continuously achieved our client’s goals and maximized the return on their investments. We listen, focus and are quick to deliver what our clients need. We provide friendly professional full-service brokerage with a smile—we offer our clients; home staging, minor and major renovation advice, recommend contractors, video tours, and use only professional photographers.

With our talented in-house design department, they design unparalleled advertising and marketing materials, and provide incomparable internet and social media exposure. All this on a global scale. In addition, we offer commercial real estate services including commercial property sales, buyer representation, retail/office leasing, with either landlord or tenant representation. We care about our community and support the great work at Arena Stage, College Bound, The Humane Society and the Edlavitch JCC of Washington DC.

We sell the most important home in the world-yours!

MELODY ABDELLA

BRIAN BLACKBURN

ROBIN BONO

JEREMY BROWNE

HEATHER COREY

ALEXANDRA FIELDING

BRIAN KLOTZ

JENNIFER JO JOHN McNAMARA

NATALIA SIMONOVA

KEN TROTTER

DAWN WILSON

EDELMANN LOVE TOREGAS GROUP

THE REEF TEAM

SHAPIRO TEAM

ALLIANCE GROUP

BOYER O’DEA & GRANT

n top real estate producers

Advon Group (4)

Advon Group eXp

Alliance Home Group (5)

Compass | Arlington

Bicycling Realty Group (2)

KW Metro Center

The Davenport Group (3)

RLAH Real Estate

Edelmann Love Toregas Group (5)

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Hoffman Real Estate Group (2)

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Homes From DeHart (2)

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Julia Avent Group (2)

RE/MAX West End

Kate & Ron Group (2)

Long & Foster McLean

The Lewis Team (2)

Washington Fine Properties

Alliance Group (6)

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Andors Team (2)

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

The Battle Group/Orange Line Condo Team (4)

Century 21 Redwood Realty

Beall-Rehill Team (3)

RE/MAX Distinctive Real Estate

Billy Buck & Company (5)

Buck and Associates

Boyer O’Dea & Grant (2)

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Capital Area Homes (10)

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Chrissy + Lisa (4)

RE/MAX West End

Close Co. (7)

Century 21 New Millennium - Arlington

Dutko|Ragen Homes & Investments (7)

KW United

FASS Results Group (8)

FASS Results Group

Loughney Residential (2)

Compass | Arlington

Marga + Justine (2)

Compass | Arlington

Metro Platinum Group (3)

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Meyers Benson Group (2)

Long & Foster McLean

Mosaic Residential (2)

KW United

The Novins Group (2)

KW United

Oakley Group (2)

RE/MAX Distinctive Real Estate

The Reef Team (3)

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Robert & Tyler (3)

Washington Fine Properties

Sarcone Schneider Team (2)

McEnearney Associates Realtors

Francis Real Estate Group (5)

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

The Gaskins Team (3)

KW United

Geva and Jane Real Estate (6)

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

HBC Group (11)

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Hive Residential (2)

Compass | Arlington

John Eric + Trevor Moore (2)

Compass | Arlington

Kay Houghton & Associates (2)

KW Metro Center

Keri Shull Team (60)

The Keri Shull Team

McFadden Partners (2)

Compass | Georgetown

The Mike Webb Team (3)

RE/MAX Allegiance

Moore Homes (2)

Compass | Arlington

Mountjoy Properties (3)

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Numbers in parentheses indicate number of team members

Shapiro Team (3)

TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Siebel Homes (2)

Compass | Arlington

Sison Homes Team (3)

Compass | Arlington

SRG Real Estate Group (3)

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Team Cathell (6)

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Tracy Dillard Team (2)

Compass | McLean

Treasury Homes (2)

Compass | McLean

Vassar Broermann Group (4)

Compass | Logan

The Wethman Group (9)

Keller Williams Realty McLean/Great Falls

Peggy & Stacey (2)

Washington Fine Properties

The Prendergast Team (2)

Washington Fine Properties

The Robert Ferguson Team (3)

RE/MAX Allegiance

Rock Star Realty Group (2)

KW Metro Center

Shepard Fong (2)

KW Metro Center

The Sherif and Ali Group (4)

Compass | Arlington

Talout International (3)

Long & Foster McLean

Thornett + Corder (2)

Washington Fine Properties

Three Stones Residential (2)

KW Metro Center

The Wilkes McLaren Team (3)

Washington Fine Properties

Wydler Brothers (9)

Compass | McLean

The Yerks Team (3)

Washington Fine Properties

ARLINGTON

LET OUR TOP REAL ESTATE AGENTS GUIDE YOU HOME

By pairing knowledgeable agents with intuitive technology, Compass delivers a modern real estate experience in Virginia and beyond. Contact one of our agents today to get started on your real estate journey.

703.266.7277 | compass.com

Individual Agents

Amy Vander Linden

Annabel Burch-Murton

Anne DiBenedetto

Ashleigh Wehmeyer

Brian Siebel

Casey O’Neal

Craig Mastrangelo

Cristina Sison

Herbert Riggs

Hunter McFadden

Jacob Hamilton

Jason Walder

Jay Barry

Jenn Smira

Johanna Baker

John Eric

John Moore

Jonathan Fox

Joshua Chapman

Katie Loughney

Laura Steuart

Lex Lianos

Maria Fernandez

Mark McFadden

Melissa Shelby

Morgan Stillwell

Olivia Adams

Patty Couto

Rachel Bleha

Rob Carter

Scott Sachs

Sherif Abdalla

Sue Goodhart

Susan Hand

Toby Lim

Tracy Dillard

Trent Heminger

Trevor Moore

Vlad Dallenbach

Zabrine Watson

Teams

Alliance Home Group

Hive Residential

John Eric + Trevor Moore

Loughney Residential

Marga + Justine

McFadden Partners

Moore Homes

Siebel Homes

Sison Homes Team

The Sherif and Ali Group

Tracy Dillard Team

Treasury Homes

Vassar Broermann Group

Wydler Brothers

JOHANNA BAKER

703.217.1681 johanna.baker@compass.com

Why do you love where you live?

Arlington’s history is my family’s history. I’m a ninth generation Arlingtonian and grew up hearing stories about the community’s evolution. I attended Arlington public schools and was even the director of the Arlington Historical Museum. I love the history of our county and all the amenities we share living here!

What are your favorite amenities in Arlington?

I feel fortunate that I’m raising my kids in a neighborhood that has the same feeling as when I was growing up, especially with all the green space. Pretty much anywhere you live, you can walk to a park. Our favorite is Rocky Run Park - it’s amazing and the kids love it!

MCFADDEN PARTNERS

703.216.1333

mark.mcfadden@compass.com

703.862.6840

hunter.mcfadden@compass.com

With almost three decades of experience, McFadden Partners has cultivated a legacy of top-tier service in the world of real estate.

“Highly recommend! The expertise combined with their supportive, professional and enthusiastic approach made for a fantastic experience. We can’t thank them enough.”

- Cariellen B.

Discover why their clients keep coming back and referring all their friends and family.

www.mcfaddenpartners.com

ASHLEIGH WEHMEYER

703.254.9761

ashleigh.wehmeyer@compass.com

As a West Point Grad, Army Veteran, Military Child and Spouse, Ashleigh has moved over 20 times, living in 18 different states, as well as Spain and Korea. She understands the stress and upheaval that can often accompany a move, be it across town or across the big blue ocean. She also understands the exhilaration of exploring a new town and the thrill and anxiety that often comes along with buying or selling a home. She’s been on both sides of the transaction and knows how it feels to sit at the settlement table. This also helps her know what buyers and sellers want and need from their agent.

CRISTINA SISON

202.812.3354

cristina.sison@compass.com

“I dream. I plan. I make it happen.”

Cristina Sison is one of America’s top 1% real estate agents nationwide, closing more than $300 million in real estate transactions for grateful clients over the past 20 years.

Cristina’s record of success in real estate is unparalleled, but it’s her dedication to community and her family that defines her. She is the president of the Philippine American Chamber of Commerce Metro Washington DC and partners with other Asian American chambers. She’s also a member of the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors and recipient of the Diamond Award.

SUSAN HAND

703.608.5056

susan.hand@compass.com

Committed to Exceeding your Expectations!

With over 20 years in real estate, Susan’s business has been built on client referrals. She takes great pride in being there for her clients every step of the way, whether they are first-time homebuyers or savvy investors. Susan’s job is to make sure that she protects her clients by utilizing her experience, knowledge, and skills throughout the transaction - before you even know you needed them. She aims to make the buying and selling process as fun, interesting, informative, and successful as possible.

ANNE DIBENEDETTO

703.615.1897

anne.d@compass.com

For over 3 decades, Anne has been committed to providing her clients with her unprecedented knowledge and expertise of the Northern Virginia real estate market. Anne is passionate about her business and is most proud of her long list of referral clients and proven results.

“Anne is a consummate professional in her field. Her advice on price and ways to make the house more marketable were invaluable. I can truly say that the service she provided thoroughly exceeded our expectations. Anne is by far the best agent we’ve ever worked with.”

- Mike B

ALLIANCE HOME GROUP

David Wolfe

Emily Vuono

Bob Jennings

Elyse Wander

Johanna Baker

Randall Lewis

SUSAN WISELY

Choose Wisely Group, LLC

703.927.3126

susan@choosewiselygroup.com

Susan’s award-winning success of the past 21 years stems from her deep knowledge of the local markets, extensive experience, hard work, strong negotiation skills and the ability to find creative solutions. She operates with the utmost integrity, delivering outstanding service to her clients.

“Susan is undoubtedly a true professional who goes above and beyond. She sold our home with 12 offers in two days. At the same time, she represented us in our new home purchase. Her coordination of the multiple parties, including recommendations for contractors to do renovations on our new home, was invaluable. Honestly, I cannot imagine the process running any smoother, we even closed on both homes the same day. I highly, highly recommend Susan, I’d never use anyone else.”

- Debby J

CASEY O’NEAL TEAM

703.217.9090 casey.oneal@compass.com

Casey has been a local realtor since 1985 and has lived in the Arlington Forest community for 39 years with his wife Colleen and family. Early in his career Casey developed a reputation as a straight shooter with his clients and realtor colleagues, providing professional guidance and courtesy to everyone involved with a transaction.

His team consists of realtors Joe Hurley and Jennifer Mitchell, both competent and caring agents who are strong client advocates. Susan Scott is the transaction and client care coordinator. Not pictured is Cherie Turner, virtual assistant from Jacksonville, FL.

MARGA PIROZZOLI & JUSTINE POPE

703.585.4844 marga.pirozzoli@compass.com

571.388.7359 justine.pope@compass.com

Marga + Justine provide reliable service in a relaxed manner, focusing on what matters most to serve their clients’ needs and to work to help bring people together. They have the tools, experience, and commitment to assist you with all of your home buying and selling needs.

JOHN ERIC + TREVOR MOORE

703.822.7400 office@johnandtrevor.com

John Eric and Trevor Moore are proud Washingtonians and residents of Northern Virginia with a combined 40 years of experience. The John Eric + Trevor Moore team is comprised of talented real estate agents, business minds, creatives, and designers. For them, treating clients like family is a guiding principle and a way of life for the award-winning team. John and Trevor are dedicated to listening intently, getting the details right, understanding clients’ needs and making their dreams come true. The JE + TM Team excels in helping clients navigate the ever-changing terrain of buying and selling in the DMV. When it comes to real estate, and in life, they have yet to meet a challenge they cannot overcome and, they do it with dedication, purpose and hard work; advocating passionately for their clients along the way.

Jennifer Sergent

Brie Williams

Kitchen Electric

IT’S IN THEIR NATURE for interior designers to stay current on the latest product trends and stash ideas for their own homes along the way. So Nicole

Lanteri was ready when she and her husband, Aaron Trent, bought a 1938 Colonial in Ashton Heights in 2018— tiny kitchen and all.

Some might go in with visions of demolition dancing in their heads, but Lanteri saw in the 9-by-12-foot kitchen an opportunity to create a culinary cocoon. Small spaces allow for splurges on expensive materials in small doses (something she often urges clients to do in powder rooms), which in this case meant Ann Sacks terrazzo floor tiles, retro-modern pendant lights from Roll & Hill, and custom Carrara marble countertops from Modern Marble & Granite in Alexandria.

The space being her own, Lanteri also indulged her love of color. She saved money on those wild, acid-green cabinets by purchasing an off-the-shelf product and having her cabinetmaker, Hector Garcia (G&G Construction, based in Annandale), make flat-panel replacement doors, painting them in Benjamin Moore’s semigloss New Lime. “I love a bright, happy space,” she says.

The cabinet bases feature stainless steel toe kicks, but when it came to appliances, Lanteri opted for white (in lieu of stainless steel) to visually enlarge the small space.

And the rose-colored Louis Poulsen pendant lamp from Design Within Reach? “At first, I thought it might be too much, but I just love the flow of it,” says the designer, noting how the light fixture echoes pops of pink found elsewhere throughout the house.

Because the kitchen’s diminutive footprint leaves no room for bar seating or an eat-in table, Lanteri and Trent use their dining room for every meal, and that’s just fine— particularly after 10 years in a loft-style condo.

“We had an open kitchen for so long that I was really excited about having a closed kitchen,” Lanteri says. “I wanted to leave the mess behind.” n

n prime numbers

Data provided by Bright MLS and MarketStats for ShowingTime as of Jan. 11, 2021. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Home Sales Trends

In more than 400 neighborhoods

WHICH

NEIGHBORHOODS

in our area are seeing the heaviest turnover or rapidly rising home prices? Where are properties selling the fastest? The following chart tracks residential sales for singlefamily homes, condos and townhouses. You’ll find figures indicating the number of homes sold, average sale price and average days on market in more than 400 neighborhoods in Arlington,

Falls Church and McLean from 2016 to 2020. Condo buildings are typically listed as individual subdivisions. The neighborhoods included had at least 15 total sales during the last five years. (However, the totals for each ZIP code reflect all sales in that ZIP code, not just the totals for the neighborhoods shown.) Because subdivisions entered into the Bright MLS database are not required

to follow a standard nomenclature, we have expanded the data set to account for misspellings and inconsistencies in many subdivision names. Real estate agents may also enter sales into the database retroactively, and as a result, some of the historical data may vary slightly from the data in previous years’ charts. A designation of “NR” indicates that no sales were reported for that year.

22201 ARLINGTON

22202 ARLINGTON

22203 ARLINGTON

22204 ARLINGTON

22205 ARLINGTON

n prime numbers

22206 ARLINGTON

22207 ARLINGTON

& Associate Broker

Rob Ferguson is as local as they come. A lifelong Northern Virginian with more than 24 years of Arlington real estate expertise, Rob knows the neighborhoods and the local market.

Let Rob show you how his clients become clients for life.

Rob Ferguson GRI

n prime numbers

22209 ARLINGTON

22213 ARLINGTON

22101 MCLEAN

22102 MCLEAN

22041 FALLS CHURCH

22042 FALLS CHURCH

22043 FALLS CHURCH

22044 FALLS CHURCH

22046 FALLS CHURCH

About Bright MLS — The Bright MLS real estate service area spans 40,000 square miles throughout the mid-Atlantic region, including Delaware, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and parts of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. As a leading Multiple Listing Service (MLS), Bright serves approximately 85,000 real estate professionals who in turn serve more than 20 million consumers. For more information, visit brightmlshomes.com

About SHOWINGTIME — ShowingTime is the leading showing management and market reporting technology provider to the residential real estate industry. Its showing products take the inefficiencies out of the appointment scheduling process, while its analytics tools help subscribers generate interactive, easy-to-read local market reports.

Lauren Reardon

RE/MAX DISTINCTIVE

Awards: Arlington Magazine Top Producer, 2019, 2020, 2021; RE/MAX Platinum Agent; Washingtonian Top Agent 2018-present; NVAR Lifetime Top Producer

1307 Dolly Madison Blvd., McLean, VA 22101

703-731-2313 | laurenreardon@remax.net laurenreardon.remax.com

Q: What is it like to work with you?

A: A recent client expressed it very well:

“Lauren is truly a skilled professional and gently guided me through the process of buying my first home. I called her frequently during our search and she always answered my calls and texts right away. After showing me several homes, she found me the house of my dreams in an extremely sought after location and in a competitive market. She knew it would go fast and she was ready to battle for me. Her team negotiated the purchase despite the multiple offers on the table. If you want an agent who really listens, treats you like family and flat out delivers, Lauren is your agent. She made my dream home a reality!”

Real Estate Agents

Steve Wydler

WYDLER BROTHERS OF COMPASS

Awards & Honors:

Arlington Magazine Best Real Estate Agent (9 consecutive years)

Bethesda Magazine Best Real Estate Team 2021

Washingtonian “Top Real Estate Agent” 2020

Voted Best Son by Mom

6849 Old Dominion Drive, Suite 400 McLean, VA 22101

703-348-6326

steve@wydlerbrothers.com www.wydlerbrothers.com

Q: How would you sum up your business philosophy?

A: We provide our clients with sound business advice and represent their interests with the highest level of professionalism, intelligence and integrity in the industry.

Q: What are the top three things you should know about Steve?

A: Here ya go...

1. Mediocre - Golfer

2. Good - Griller of Steaks

3. Best - Real Estate Agent (Undefeated 9 consecutive years, as voted by readers of Arlington Magazine)

P.S. If you call us and say “Hans smells funny," we’ll send you a gift.

Renata Briggman

THE ARLINGTON EXPERT KW METRO CENTER

Awards & Honors:

Arlington Magazine Top Vote Getter 2020 Arlington Magazine Top Producer 2019, 2020, 2021

Best of Washingtonian 2015-2020 Best of Northern Virginia Magazine 20162020

5 star ratings on Google, Zillow and Yelp

2101 Wilson Blvd., Suite 100 Arlington, VA 22201

O: 703-224-6000 | C: 703-217-2077 renata@thearlingtonexpert.com www.thearlingtonexpert.com

Q: What makes you different than other real estate agents?

A: My “before and after” transformations of my clients’ homes, which ensure they get the highest possible price. Too many sellers leave money on the table because their homes are not presented well. Many buyers can’t see past odd colors, clutter or lack of furniture. With a few simple steps, I help my clients make their homes look amazing and sell for top dollar—and the service is included in my listing fee.

Q: How has the COVID-19 pandemic changed what you do?

A: The biggest difference is the physical distance between me and my clients. It’s been quite difficult to not be able to shake hands, meet at a physical office, and see people’s faces and emotions. Everything seems so sterile now. But homes are selling and at higher volumes than before. Many people have been rethinking their lives and living situations, and deciding to move, so it’s been a very busy time for Realtors despite the pandemic.

Q: What are your interests outside of work?

A: I’m a mom of two amazing kids and we love having fun together. We’ve been doing a lot of hiking, skating, skiing, watching movies and we even RV’ed up the coastline of Maine this summer. I became my son’s Cub Scout den leader, and I’m organizing learning and adventures for 8-year-old boys! It’s been so challenging to be social and safe. When I’m not spending time with my children, you will find me reading, spending time with friends, drinking wine, hiking, journaling or riding my Peloton!

Karen Close

Awards & Honors:

Arlington Magazine Top Vote-Getter, Best Real Estate Agent 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020

5-Star Agent on Trulia & Zillow REAL Trends “Best Real Estate Agents”

Century 21 New Millennium 5904 Washington Blvd. Arlington, VA 22205

703-517-9477

karen.close@C21nm.com www.karenclose.com

Q: What should potential clients know about you?

A: My work history and the experiences I’ve had over the course of my career define who I am, and how I treat people. My philosophy in working with my clients is this is your life; this will be your home, not mine. Ultimately, I get to know my clients and listen to them carefully to determine exactly what it is they want. I then use my accumulated knowledge and experience to guide them.

A big part of what I add to the process is my ability to break what is a massive transaction into smaller, manageable pieces. That makes it far less daunting for my clients than if they tried to face the entire process all at once, on their own. In me, my clients have a partner who has been there before, who has their best interests at heart and who ultimately can help them achieve their goals.

Q: How would your clients describe you?

A: Here are actual examples of how my clients have so kindly described me:

“Caring, smart, responsive and savvy…”

“Knowledge of the local market is unmatched…”

“Professional, a good negotiator…”

“Clearly knows her profession and artfully guided us every step of the way with confidence to a successful result in a timely manner…”

“Smart businesswoman who works really hard for you…”

“A delight to work with and we will be friends now going forward…”

CLOSE CO

Sarah Picot

MCENEARNEY ASSOCIATES

Honors & Specialties: NVAR Top Producer - Platinum Arlington Specialist Relocation Trained

4720 Lee Highway, Arlington, VA 22207

703-525-1900 | spicot@mcenearney.com www.sarahpicot.net

Q: What brings you the most satisfaction in your work?

A: There is something so satisfying about creating manageable steps out of what might seem like an overwhelming process. There are many players and many moving pieces. Keeping track of it all and helping reduce the “to do” list until there is nothing left is very rewarding. Of course, seeing my clients' joy at settlement is the ultimate satisfaction.

Q: What is the biggest challenge you face?

A: Keeping everyone’s heads cool even when problems arise. I want to make clients happy and get them to the closing table with as few bumps as possible. When there are problems, my clients know I will work well with everyone involved to problem solve and get them to closing.

Q: What is your professional and educational background?

A: You name it, I did it! My degree was in English and drama, and I have been a professional dancer, Pilates instructor, pro athlete trainer, shoe model, DVD producer, author, small business owner and now Realtor.

Q: How has the COVID-19 pandemic changed what you do?

A: When people were hesitant to venture out, I had to make sure that buyers had a way to view properties as if they were there in person. So I started making videos with my phone, walking the property as if the client were standing there with me. Previous videos didn’t seem to provide enough realistic information to help a buyer decide whether to see it in person.

DARREN

Donna Hamaker, CRS

BUCK & ASSOCIATES

Awards & Honors:

Northern Virginia Association of Realtors, Lifetime Top Producer, Diamond Club

Arlington Magazine Top Producers 2020, 2021 Washingtonian Top Real Estate Agents 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020

Virginia Magazine Top Real Estate Agents 2018, 2019, 2020

Zillow 5 Star Agent

2519 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201

703-582-7779 | donna@buckrealtors.com www.DonnaHamaker.com

Q: What are your clients saying about you?

A: My clients, the Eisleys, shared their experience:

“From day one, Donna was supportive and communicative as we sold our home of 28 years, ensuring we felt confident about every step of the process. She had astute advice on how to update our home while considering our budget, and provided us with detailed research when pricing our home. She provided detailed steps that were easy to understand and individualized to our family’s needs. Thanks to her help with staging and her listing description, we got an amazing price for our house. Her enthusiasm and honesty really showed through every step of the way!”

Q: What is the one thing that your clients should know about you?

A: It’s not about me—it’s about my clients. It’s about really listening to what they are saying about their dreams, fears, wants and needs when it comes to buying or selling a home—or both! It’s important that my clients always do what’s in their best interest.

Q: What are your interests outside of work?

A: I enjoy giving back to the community with Doorways for Women & Families, Arlington Thrive, Homeward Trails Animal Rescue and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society—where I have been a candidate for “Woman of the Year.” I’m on the Board of Directors for the Arlington Chamber of Commerce and a member of Leadership Arlington’s Signature Class of 2015—both of which give me an “ear to the ground” to better serve my clients!

Natalie U. Roy

OWNER/REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONAL BICYCLING REALTY GROUP

Awards & Honors:

Arlington Magazine Top Producer 2019, 2020, 2021

Washingtonian Face of Arlington Real Estate, 2021

Washingtonian Top Producer, 2020

Arlington Sun Gazette Best Residential Real Estate Agent, 2020

Northern Virginia Magazine Best Real Estate Agent List 2020

NVAR Top Producer 2020

Licensed in Virginia, Maryland & Washington DC

2101 Wilson Blvd., Suite 100, Arlington VA 22201 703-819-4915 | 703-224-6000

homes@bicyclingrealty.com | www.bicyclingrealty.com

Q: How does the future look from your perspective?

A: My team at the Bicycling Realty Group (BRG) and I are looking forward to a bright 2021! While no one has a crystal ball, the resilience and adaptability that got us through the tumultuous year of 2020 will serve us well through 2021 and beyond.

Q: How has real estate changed recently?

A: As in so many areas of our lives, there is a new normal in real estate. In addition to major technology innovations, last year brought new safety concerns in the industry that will be with us until vaccinations have been completed. Masks, sanitizer, CDC protocols, social distancing and Zoom meetings are now the norm and will be with us for a while.

What hasn’t changed? BRG’s commitment to get a client to the finish line with a smile on their face. Technology cannot replace relationships. I believe that exceptional service + strict safety guidelines + latest technology = 2021 Real Estate success.

Q: How do you see current local market conditions?

A: Most experts anticipate more of the same 2020 market dynamics in 2021, specifically thin inventory and historically low interest rates. These market conditions strongly indicate a competitive seller’s market. My team and I will continue to offer unique community experiences, such as bike house hunting tours, even in the winter months. My love of Arlington is also reflected in a book I wrote with my husband, profiling Arlington’s 63 distinct neighborhoods. My mantra: When you buy a home, you aren’t just buying a building, you’re buying a place in the community.

Hive Residential

NATALIE VAUGHAN

JASON WALDER

Awards & Honors:

Arlington Magazine Top Producers 2019, 2020, 2021

Washingtonian Magazine Top Agents 2018, 2019, 2020

NVAR Top Producer Club, Platinum Licensed in VA and DC

3001 Washington Blvd., Suite 400 Arlington, VA 22201

571-232-2934

hiveresidential@compass.com www.compass.com/agents/hive-residential/

Q: What is your game-changing strategy for selling homes?

A: You’ve likely heard the saying “It takes money to make money.” Even in our very strong seller’s market, the old adage holds true. It’s been proven that buyers decide to buy a home in the first eight seconds they step inside its doors. That’s why many homes you see on the market are primped and primed to perfection in hopes of attracting the most buyers and offers. All that staging, painting and pristine flooring represent a significant expense for the seller. Here’s where our team is positioned to help: We can fund the cost of listing preparations via an interest-free loan directly to our sellers, thereby increasing the value and speed of the home sale. We start with an assessment of which updates will increase the home’s value the most, we then make recommendations for vendors, establish a timeline and, finally, manage the execution of repairs and pay the vendors directly. This is just one of the many reasons why our 2020 listings

sold at an average of 100.33% of the asking price.

Q: How do you represent your seller clients?

A: Our goal for seller clients is to make the sale process feel easy while making the financial outcome of their home sale spectacular. Buying or selling a home is usually the largest personal transaction an individual undertakes in their lifetime. While it can be filled with competition, stress and anxiety, we maintain that it doesn’t need to be that way. You’ll have our complete guidance and assurance every step of the way.

Katie Wethman

THE WETHMAN GROUP | KELLER WILLIAMS

6820 Elm St., Suite 100, McLean, VA 22101 703-655-7672 | Katie@wethmangroup.com www.wethmangroup.com

Q: How would your clients describe you?

A: Clients typically describe me as detailed and processoriented, and they often tell me at the end of the transaction that they can’t believe how easy and straight forward everything was. We pride ourselves on a well-documented process and our experience means that we’ve seen a lot of things and can troubleshoot transactions before things go wrong.

Q: What's an example of something in your professional life that you're particularly proud of?

A: I’m most proud of the outstanding team that we’ve built. Everyone approaches each client as if we’re taking care of our own family, and we give honest advice even if it means that we don’t get any immediate business. We’re confident that by doing the right thing, our business will continue to grow.

Jenn Burns

LONG & FOSTER MCLEAN, VA REALTY

1355 Beverly Road, Suite 109, McLean, VA 22101 O: 703-790-1990 | C: 703–835–3305 jenn.burns@longandfoster.com www.longandfoster.com/JenniferBurns

Q: What is the one thing that your clients should know about you?

A: Some people turn away from negotiating, but I lean into the process. I believe it to be an art form that requires a tremendous amount of empathy. The key to winning is knowing what is important to your client. I am representing my client, not myself.

Q: What makes you different than other real estate agents?

A: I have a strong eye for design, having assisted in the interior design of multiple residential, corporate and hospitality properties, as well as surviving numerous renovations. As a result, helping my clients visualize how to use their future space comes naturally to me. I remain in contact with my clients after closing, and I am always happy to pop by and look through home project ideas.

LISA HELFERT

Diane Lewis

THE LEWIS TEAM, WASHINGTON FINE PROPERTIES, LLC

Awards & Honors:

Arlington Magazine Top Producer 2019, 2020, 2021

Consistently recognized as Washingtonian Top Real Estate Agent

America’s Best Real Estate Professionals, Real Trends

Northern Virginia's Best Real Estate Agents 2020

1364 Beverly Road, Suite 100 McLean, VA 22101

703-973-7001

diane@lewisteam.com www.lewisteam.com

Q: How would your clients describe you?

A: "She is a joy to work with—she’s friendly, deeply knowledgeable of the area, always available to bounce ideas off of and genuinely interested in finding the best property for her clients at the right price.” "She is honest and direct, professional and knowledgeable, and fun to work with, too!"

Q: What can clients expect when working with you?

A: We will always tell you the truth. We are very honest with sellers about the value of their homes and the condition it needs to be in to get top dollar. We advise buyers on when they should or should not buy a home, and then we advise them on the correct price.

Q: What has changed in the real estate market since the pandemic?

A: Everything. People are changing the way they want to live. Buyers’ priorities include more space, home offices, home gyms and outdoor space. At the same time, sellers

are accelerating moves out of the area to take advantage of the strong market.

Q: What are your interests outside of work?

A: I love to travel and play tennis and golf. Before selling real estate, I worked for the U.S. Professional Tennis Registry in Hilton Head, SC, where I specialized in sports marketing and membership services. I’m now on the Board of Directors at the Washington Tennis & Education Foundation, and I support the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park, which helps young people gain acceptance to top colleges through tennis.

Ann Wilson

KW METRO CENTER FROM LEFT: ANN WILSON, SEAN WILSON Awards & Honors: NVAR Life Top Producers Club and Multi-Million Dollar Sales Club

Washingtonian Best Realtor 2015 - present Northern Virginia Best Realtor award, 2015 – present Virginia Best Realtor, 2018-2020 Sun-Gazette, Best Realtor, 2020 Real Trends Top 1000 Realtors nationwide

2101 Wilson Blvd., Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22201 703-328-0532 | ann@annwilsonhomes.com www.annwilsonhomes.com

Ann Wilson, an Associate Broker with GRI, ABR, CRS, CLHS and EcoBroker designations, is a licensed Broker in Virginia and a Realtor in the District of Columbia.

Q: What’s new at Ann Wilson Homes?

A: I am super excited that my son, Sean Wilson, just joined me in selling real estate! Sean has been working in real estate since he was in elementary school, often accompanying me to work. He not only learned, but assisted me as I built my real estate business. His apprenticeship prepared Sean to be a successful Realtor -- putting his entrepreneurial spirit, charismatic personality and passion for real estate to use (and maybe even giving me some competition as a top producer!)

Sean graduated from High Point University, where he received his B.S. degree in Entrepreneurship in 2019 and his MBA in 2020. He is a licensed Realtor in Virginia. A longtime resident of Northern Virginia, Sean has in-depth knowledge of the local market and is excited about using his insights to help buyers find their perfect homes in Arlington, Falls Church and McLean.

Q: What should your clients know about working with you?

A: Although buying and selling a home is a business transaction, it also can be a highly emotional and personal experience. Our clients appreciate our commitment, professionalism and loyalty in helping them through this process. We do everything we can for our clients, often coming up with creative solutions to their specific needs. We feel that a house must be "model perfect" before it hits the market, and we help our clients achieve that. Our ultimate goal is to maximize each home's potential and streamline the entire process.

ROCK STAR Realty Group

TORI MCKINNEY

Being a Realtor® perfectly blends Tori’s passion for Falls Church and finding clients their dream homes. Tori is ever so grateful for all of her ROCK STAR clients and the community that she serves. Call ROCK STAR Realty Group to help you find the home you LOVE!

KW Metro Center

2101 Wilson Blvd., Suite 100 Arlington, VA 22201

703-867-8674

Tori@ROCKSTARRealtyGroup.com www.ROCKSTARRealtyGroup.com

Q: How has the COVID-19 pandemic changed what you do?

A: As our clients are still moving, our services are essential and we have remained available for them every step of the way. We established a safe, hygienic protocol for showings and pivoted our operation to a virtual one. The health of our team, clients and family became our utmost concern.

Q: What makes you different from other real estate agents?

A: I once owned a concert production company, working with musicians from New Orleans to Ft. Lauderdale and Baltimore to D.C. In the music industry, a high level of organization and client service was expected to produce successful shows and to ensure the artists were taken care of including stocking their green rooms with the food and drink they requested. Surprisingly, I was never asked for green M&M's! Those experiences have now translated to my real estate career—I treat all of our clients like ROCK STARS!

Q: What are your interests outside of work?

A: I believe that our musicians make up the creative fabric of our community. Pre-COVID, I loved going to music festivals and concerts. Now, I watch watch shows while live streaming on YouTube and FaceBook. I also produce the Tinner Hill Music Festival in Falls Church, the premiere charity event for the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation which we postponed in 2020. This year, the Festival will kick off on August 21. We are looking forward to producing a safe and joyous celebration!

Home by Zimmermann Homes

Diane Schline

CENTURY 21 REDWOOD REALTY

1934 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201

703-258-9439 | dianep@c21redwood.com www.century21.com/real-estate-agent/profile/diane-schline-P25258087

Q: What sparked your interest in real estate?

A: I’ve been interested in architecture, houses in particular, ever since I was a kid. There’s an automatic emotion that’s invoked, whether good or bad, when you think about a place you’ve lived. I’ve always wanted to be a part of making those memories and emotions as positive as possible for other people.

Q: What do you think your clients are looking for in a real estate agent and what makes you the right fit?

A: I think most of my first-time clients expect to hire an agent who is experienced and knowledgeable, but they aren’t quite sure whether they’ll find someone they undoubtedly trust. That trust is the most important part of any connection I form with a client because it’s so important to me on a personal level. I think once they see that I am truly looking out for their best interests the entire process is more comfortable, and that’s a huge reason why I’ve had the opportunity to grow almost solely by referral and repeat clients.

The Michelle Sagatov Group

WASHINGTON FINE PROPERTIES

4100 Fairfax Drive, Suite 250, Arlington, VA 22203 703-402-9361 | michelle.sagatov@wfp.com www.MichelleSagatov.com

Q: Tell us a success story from 2020.

A: Last year I helped four clients navigate new construction. I helped them interview builders and review plans and spec sheets with the help of my husband Yuri Sagatov (who is also a builder). I assisted them throughout the whole process until they moved in. It was very rewarding to help my clients through the process of building their dream home.

My expertise and experience in building, construction, lot acquisition and real estate—honed through 20 years in the business—has been a great fit for many buyers who are looking to build their next home, but do not know where to start. I’m committed to my clients and work hard to put their needs first.

LISA

Heidi Robbins

BUCK & ASSOCIATES REAL ESTATE

Awards & Honors:

2020: Real Trends - Top 10 Small TeamVirginia

2018-2020: NOVA Real Producers Top 500

2017-2020: Northern Virginia Top Real Estate Agent

2014-2020: NVAR Top Producer /MultiMillion/Platinum Club

2014: PenFed Realty Rookie of the Year

2519 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA 22201

703-528-2288 x158

Heidi@heidirobbins.realtor buckrealtors.com/associate/heidi-robbins/

Q: Tell us about your personal background.

A: I’m a Maine native, and I have lived in Arlington for more than ten years. As a military spouse, I survived twelve moves. I have two daughters (both Yorktown grads). One is a recent graduate of Alabama and the other is a freshman at Penn State. We’re big college football fans!

Q: Why did you get into real estate?

A: Every single military family I help says that, without a doubt, PCS'ing (moving) to D.C. is the MOST stressful move they've encountered. That really says something, considering these folks are expert movers. Having done it twice myself, both times in-bound from Germany, I wholeheartedly agree. The cost of living, the competition for housing and the commute times are tough pills to swallow. This is where I come in -- I've been there, I've done this, I've got your back! I provide counsel about the D.C. metro area with real-time data on housing costs and commute times, as well as

the ins and outs of using your VA Loan entitlement. Many of my clients buy or rent sight-unseen. All my military business is 100% personal referral. I'm known in military circles as the "Arlington expert" for real estate.

Q: What do you like to do when you’re not working?

A: I enjoy traveling. My favorite trips include visiting Machu Picchu, skiing in the Alps and, of course, visiting my home state every summer. I also love baking. I watch the Food Network 24/7 and take professional classes to hone my skills. I'm particularly well known for my Whoopie Pie recipe, which is a Maine treat.

Kathleen Fong + Associates

KELLER WILLIAMS

KW Metro Center 2101 Wilson Blvd., Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22201 703-224-6000 | hello@kathleenfong.com | www.kw.com

Q: What are you able to offer your clients that other Realtors may not?

A: I have the eye to see the potential in a space. As the wife of an architect and the daughter of an engineer, I am always thinking about how a house can evolve to work with a client’s lifestyle. Also, my previous experience as a freelance photo stylist enhances my ability to focus on the details that matter most when you’re buying or selling a home.

Q: What can your clients expect when working with you?

A: Homes are my passion. Bringing the right person to the space that they need to recharge, connect and find peace is more than just closing a deal—for me, it’s personal. Relationships matter. My clients always have my undivided attention and get help with anything they might need.

James T. Kim

MCENEARNEY ASSOCIATES

3033 Wilson Blvd., Suite 250, Arlington, VA 22201 202-798-1781 | james@jamesyDC.com @JTKliving | www.jamesyDC.com

Q: What should potential clients know about you?

A: As a native Arlingtonian, I have unique insights into the local market. I put that expertise to work for my clients, together with equal parts hard work, attention to detail and passion. Whether you’re a first-time homebuyer seeking to win in a multiple-offer situation, a non-local client remotely navigating a luxury sale or an investor looking to maximize your return on a rental or development project, I can help you achieve your goal. The Arlington real estate market is competitive, innovative, techdriven and fun! Shouldn't your Realtor be, too?

Q: What do you do when you’re not working?

A: In my free time, I enjoy studying foreign languages and exploring different cultures, tasting my way through the D.C. food scene or belting out a ballad at a karaoke bar. (Let’s all be glad my real estate expertise is better than my singing!)

DARREN

The Chain Bridge Group

FROM LEFT:

LINDSEY HACKER, BECKY CULLINAN, LORI POLISKY

The Chain Bridge Group is built on character and competence. By knowing the client, knowing the home and knowing the process, we provide you and those you care about the real estate experience you expect from experts you trust.

4031 University Drive, Suite 500 Fairfax, VA 22030

703-477-7016

info@thechainbridgegroup.com www.thechainbridgegroup.com

Q: What differentiates The Chain Bridge Group from other real estate businesses?

A: As a referral-focused, employeeinvested, full-service real estate team, our success is predicated on the trusting relationships we build, not only with our clients, but with members of our team as well. We understand that buying or selling a home can be an overwhelming experience, and we remain by our clients’ side as zealous advocates from start to finish, helping them navigate—and hopefully enjoy—the entire process. Beyond listening to our clients’ wants and needs, we pay attention to their lifestyles and preferences. Learning about what is important to them allows us to empower them to make decisions that will best achieve their ultimate real estate goals.

Q: What should potential clients know about you?

A: We are a real estate team that strongly negotiates on our clients’ behalf to maximize the value of their lifetime investments. We attract great people

who are empowered to maintain a proper work/life balance, while feeling valued and important.

We want to get to know you and your family, and learn what you need and want in a home. You can trust us to find you what you need fast. We will make sure you feel confident and educated every step of the way. Whether you're getting ready to buy or sell, in the middle of the process or just looking for some answers, our top-notch skills ensure you get the best experience possible. It’s what we love to do!

Betsy Twigg

MCENEARNEY ASSOCIATES

"Advances are made by those with at least a touch of irrational confidence in what they can do."

—Lillian Hellman

4720 Lee Highway, Arlington, VA 22207

703-967-4391 btwigg@mcenearney.com www.betsytwigg.com

Q: What sets you apart from other agents?

A: Clients have said they appreciate that I respond very quickly to phone calls, emails and texts. Young clients, in particular, have told me that they thought real estate agents were a necessary evil until they experienced what I accomplished for them. I cringe when they describe me as "awesome," but I forgive them their hyperbole.

Q: How do you make use of new technology?

A: While I use new technology when working with buyers and sellers, there is no substitute for critical thinking. It is very easy to send documents to a client for electronic signature or to set up automatic searches that flood their inboxes with listings that do not meet their criteria. I ensure that clients know what they are doing and the implications before they sign documents and filter out the listings that are not of interest to them.

Q: What is an example of an effective idea you came up with that benefits the Arlington community?

A: When I began in real estate, my manager suggested that I compile a list of vendors who do work in homes and mail it to homeowners in an effort to develop business. Since then I have published an annual list of home service providers, now simply known as "The List." Through the years, The List has generated a large amount of business for me and is a well-known resource for homeowners. You can find it at BetsyTwigg.com/ Vendor-List.

Tracy Williams

ALLIANCE GROUP—TTR SOTHEBY’S FROM LEFT:

MONA KHORRAMI BANES, JANET MILLION, JOSHUA BAUMGARNER , TRACY WILLIAMS, HOLLY TENNANT BILLY, LIBBY GENSLER, GREGG ZEILER

Awards & Honors:

Specialist in residential sales, lot acquisition, land development and investments

Arlington Magazine Top Producer (Agent and Team) 2019, 2020, 2021

Washingtonian and NOVA Real Producers magazines “Top Producer” and “Top Agent” 2018, 2019, 2020

Real Trends, America's Best Real Estate Agents--Top 1% Nationwide 2020

6723 Whittier Ave., Suite 101, McLean, VA 22101

703-867-4309

twiliams@ttrsir.com www.dcarealiving.com

Q: What makes you different than other real estate agents?

A: While most real estate agents focus on residential sales, we offer a broader suite of real estate services including standard sale, lot acquisition, land development and investments. We also work with some of the area’s most prominent builders and have a unique insight into this ever-growing sector of the residential market. This broad range of experience and knowledge translates to a definite advantage for our clients, which is essential in such a competitive market.

Q: What is the one thing that your clients should know about you and your team?

A: We pride ourselves on being ahead of trends, understanding market dynamics and offering intelligent market data to our clients. We believe these are essential to helping our clients successfully navigate through any transaction, especially one that is likely their largest investment.

Q: What brings you the most satisfaction in your work?

A: The satisfaction of knowing that we’ve played a role in making many home buyers’ dreams come true! Many of our clients start the process with anxiety, but express their gratitude at settlement. Receiving referrals from happy clients is very gratifying.

Q: What is the biggest challenge in your job?

A: A lack of inventory is a challenge in this market; however, we have a wonderful track record of finding offmarket properties for our clients. Another challenge we often encounter is educating out-of-town buyers to the unique competitiveness of this market. Our clients are very trusting in our abilities as professionals to help them make a valuable investment.

Amy Vander Linden

COMPASS

Amy grew up in a military family that settled in Woodbridge, VA. A proud Penn State Alum, she's married to a Marine and together they have two children and one large yellow lab. She's been a licensed real estate agent since 2012 and with Compass since April 2019.

3001 Washington Blvd., Suite 400 Arlington VA 22201

703-864-9928

amy.vanderlinden@compass.com www.compass.com/agents/amy-vander-linden

Q: What brings you the most satisfaction in your work?

A: Making my clients' vision become a reality is what keeps me motivated in this business. The current state of the market is intense and requires strategy and creativity. I want to win on behalf of my clients—I care about their real estate needs like they’re my own. I'll make the necessary calls, do the specified marketing campaigns and negotiate like hell to make sure the outcome is the best or better than expected for them. Working alongside my clients to achieve their goals is something I'll never tire of!

Q: What's an example of something in your professional life that you're particularly proud of?

A: I'm proud of the balance I've achieved the last two years, particularly in 2020. Add a two-year-old and a pregnancy with a pandemic and a career in real estate, and you're sure to never have a boring day again! Learning (along with everyone else) how to balance work and home life has been a challenge that I've met. In real

estate, there are no days off, especially in a competitive market like ours. I worked through the entirety of both of my pregnancies and even the days at the hospital. But you better believe I spent more quality time with my kids this year than I ever could've imagined, and I loved it. Coming out of 2020 with my most successful year in real estate gives me more drive for the years ahead.

Coral Gundlach

REALTOR, CRS COMPASS

Awards & Honors:

Arlington Magazine Top Producer 2021

Arlington Magazine Top Vote Getter, Best Real Estate Agent 2020 Washingtonian magazine Top Agent 2020

3001 Washington Blvd., Suite 400 Arlington, VA 22201

703-200-3631

coral@sellwithcoral.com

www.sellwithcoral.com

Q: How would your clients describe you?

A: Some samples of testimonials received from my clients during COVID will answer this question better than I can: "Inimitable top-notch professionalism, warm and immediate communication, attentive guidance and detailed marketing strategy."

"Coral knows the Northern Virginia market, she knows what it takes to prepare, market, price and sell a house. And she knows how to be your therapist and friend every step of the way."

"She is calm under pressure and it is clear she is working for you—she has your best interests in mind."

Q: How has the Covid-19 pandemic changed what you do?

A: Keeping buyers and sellers safe while still managing to do business has been a challenge to us all, but I've worked out some great systems. All my listings have 3D virtual tours, videos, floor plans and professional photos. Because I encourage buyers to drive-by first to cut down on

unnecessary exposure, there are fewer live open houses. But when we do them, it's one or two people at a time, tours are by appointment only, there are no overlapping showings and only "decision makers" may be present. Many of my initial buyer consultations are conducted via Zoom or FaceTime. When I do go in sellers' homes to devise listing plans, I bring sanitizer and wipes, and require that all parties—including myself— wear masks and social distance. I use DocuSign for contracts and agreements, and closings are either virtual or socially distanced. More than ever, my job is being that voice of calm and reason during a chaotic time that helps you achieve your home buying or selling goals, safely.

Chrissy O’Donnell & Lisa DuBois

THE

CHRISSY & LISA TEAM | RE/MAX WEST END

710 W. Broad St., Falls Church, VA 22046

O: 703-596-5303 | www.chrissyandlisa.com

Chrissy: 703-626-8374 | chrissy@chrissyandlisa.com

Lisa: 703-350-9595 | lisa@chrissyandlisa.com

Q: What changes have you made to your business during COVID?

A: We already had flexible systems to work safely and remotely, but we quickly implemented protocols to provide a safe environment for all via virtual home tours, open houses with contactless sign-ins and even a drive-by pie giveaway for our clients!

As community-minded Realtors, we support local small businesses. We created the Chrissy & Lisa Community Cares Facebook group where members share information about their favorite establishments. Each month we delivered local treats to our clients to bring them some unexpected cheer. We also showered our neighbors with a little happiness through our complimentary photoshoots in exchange for donations to local food pantries, and food trucks that brought cookies, BBQ and smiles to many.

Our service extends beyond your transaction. The Chrissy & Lisa Team are Realtors with heart, serving our community!

Mary Ann Burstein

REALTOR®, COLDWELL BANKER REALTY

Old Town Historic District | 310 King St., Alexandria, VA 22314 C: 703-850-0360 | O: 703-518-8300 maryann.burstein@cbrealty.com | maryannburstein.cbintouch.com

Q: How do your clients describe you?

A: My clients describe me as a professional and a reliable problem solver who cares about their needs. They appreciate my knowledge of the local and global housing market. They would say that I am passionate about real estate and help my clients define their needs and realize their dream of homeownership.

Q: What should prospective clients know about you?

A: From a very young age, my parents instilled the values of getting involved and giving back to the community, and I reflect on this daily in my personal and professional life.

I believe it is important to be an active community member and civic volunteer. I have volunteered at Britepaths, Bailey’s Crossroads Community Shelter and NoVA Habitat for Humanity, and I am the vice president of Alexandria’s West End Business Association (WEBA).

Professionally, I serve as a volunteer leader for the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors® (NVAR) as the vice chair of NV/RPAC Campaign Committee and as a member of the Public Policy Committee.

Christine Fischer

MCENEARNEY ASSOCIATES

Awards & Honors: 2019 GCAAR Award Winner

Washingtonian magazine Best Realtors in the DMV 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020

Northern Virginia Best Real Estate Agents 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020

DC Modern Luxury Real Estate Award Winner 2020

4720 Lee Highway, Arlington, VA 22207

703-930-6349 | cfischer@mcenearney.com www.FischerRealEstate.com

Q: What is the biggest challenge in your job?

A: Helping people solve problems and achieve their homeownership goals.

Q: What brings you the most satisfaction in your work?

A: Helping people solve problems and achieve their homeownership goals. It’s both challenging and satisfying. But when we’re sitting at settlement or I’m popping by for a post-move visit and I see the smiles on their faces, all of the hard work fades away. It’s thrilling.

Q: What makes you different than other real estate agents?

A: Buying and selling are just part of the whole home ownership experience. My goal is to help my clients “Own Your Home Better.” We have a client program that incorporates quarterly maintenance reminders, annual property valuations, property walkthroughs—to prioritize maintenance or home improvement projects—and financial reviews to help them manage their largest investment. Because I stay connected to my community of clients and hear what their challenges are, I am able to advise them based on others’ experiences.

Q: How would your clients describe you?

A: My clients would describe me as knowledgeable, experienced, organized and professional. One client even told me that she loves my irreverent sense of humor.

Q: What are your interests outside of work?

A: I’m a dog lover—we have three rescue dogs aged 13, 9 and 1. I also love beaches and travel— often to beaches. Travel is challenging now so my husband and I are pouring ourselves into our dogs and into home improvement projects like everyone else! I also spend a lot of my free time playing board games. It must be my competitive nature.

Casey Margenau Fine Homes & Estates

With more than 30 years of experience and $3 billion in real estate sold, Casey Margenau uses his wealth of experience to ensure the financial success of his clients. Known for working with high-end clientele, his in-depth knowledge of the real estate market, professionalism and attention to detail have led him to the top of his field.

8478-A Tyco Road Vienna, VA 22182

O: 703-827-5777

C: 703-851-2600

Casey@Margenau.com www.Margenau.com

Q: What is the one thing that your clients should know about you?

A: They should know that it is not just me—I have developed a great team of people that help me look good and expand my bandwidth to get the job done.

Q: What's an example of something in your professional life that you're particularly proud of?

A: I had been with RE/MAX for 25 years before I outgrew them, but during that time I won every top award that they had, including the #1 Agent Worldwide five consecutive times. No one has ever done that. It’s a testament to the work I do for my clients.

Q: How has the COVID-19 pandemic changed what you do?

A: It really has not changed too much. Since 2006, we have done virtual tours of all our homes on YouTube, as well as 3-D tours and high-end photos, and we work the Internet better than most. So when everyone was trying to get their business online, we were already there.

The main change is that our office is a little quieter.

Q: What is the most significant change in real estate during your career?

A: Well, that is easy. When I started in real estate the MLS was just a few lines and no pictures. Now, it is open to all and includes pictures and video of every home. Consumers have all the data at their fingertips. More information in clients’ hands changes the role of the agent and makes having a good one much more important.

Laura Schwartz

MCENEARNEY ASSOCIATES

Awards & Honors:

Arlington Magazine Top Producer for 3 years in a row

Washingtonian Magazine Top Agent since 2015

Northern Virginia Magazine Top Agent since 2016

1320 Old Chain Bridge Road McLean, VA 22101

703-283-6120

laura@guidingyourmove.com www.guidingyourmove.com

Q: How do you stand out in the crowded marketplace?

A: I bought my first condo in 2007 in Clarendon and was so enamored with the process that I got my real estate license shortly thereafter. Since then I have sold over 250 homes, mostly by referral, all over the D.C. metro region, ranging from condos to new construction homes. I pride myself on passing on all of my knowledge of the process, the local area and homeownership to my clients. In a tight real estate market like the one we're currently in, I’m also creative in finding ways to help those looking to sell and buy make the process easier. My motto of "Guiding Your Move" is founded on the principle that you'll always get me for each step of the process, and I'll help guide you through all of the questions of buying or selling.

Q: What is your educational background?

A: I have a Masters Degree in Applied Economics from John Hopkins University. I am currently using that to prove to

my 3rd grader that I can teach him multiplication—if I can negotiate with him, I can negotiate for you.

Q: How would your clients describe you?

A: My clients generally use the words responsive and honest when describing me. Others may say finicky when it relates to details. But matching light bulbs matter, and clean towels and sheets matter. If a client doesn’t do it, I’m going to do it for them.

Q: What do you like to do when you’re not working?

A: Pre-pandemic you could find me at Nationals games or Maryland football games with my husband and two sons, but now you'll find me chugging coffee on my front porch, hoping for a minute or two of peace and quiet.

The Office of Robert Crawford & Tyler Jeffrey

Awards & Honors:

Arlington Magazine Top Producer, 2019, 2020, 2021 Arlington, Bethesda Magazine Top Producing Real Estate Team, 2019, 2021 Washingtonian “Best of” 2015-2020, Top Agents 2018 & 2020 Wall Street Journal Real Trends Top Agent 2015-2020

Modern Luxury Magazine Top Agent 2020

3201 New Mexico Ave., NW, Suite 220 Washington, D.C. 20016

202-746-2319 robert.crawford@wfp.com tyler.jeffrey@wfp.com www.robertandtyler.com

Q: What advice would you offer for someone just starting out in your profession?

A: Be sure to be authentic. There are a million ways to sell real estate, but the person who takes the time to identify their strengths, weaknesses, and develop a business that’s authentic to them will go far. You only have a moment to gain a buyer’s or seller’s trust, and inauthenticity is the fastest way to turn people off.

Q: How would your clients describe you?

A: They would say we are fast-paced, thoughtful and fun. This market requires hustle, but as agents we work hard to make sure to slow down and accurately assess every situation. No two deals are exactly the same, and each client relationship (selling or buying) requires a tailored approach to the market. All that said, you’ll be hard pressed to not find us joking around along the way. Buying and selling houses is exciting and fun, and we want to make sure our clients have a great time making their big move.

Q: What brings you the most satisfaction in your work?

A: Knowing that we’re helping our clients achieve a goal. If it’s buying your first home, expanding your rental portfolio or finding that forever home, it’s a big deal. For people to put their trust and hardearned money in our hands, it’s a huge compliment and one that we cherish. We love our clients and are so grateful for their continued trust and support.

Vassar Broermann Group

COMPASS FROM LEFT: ERIC BROERMANN, TODD

VASSAR

Awards & Honors: Top 20 Teams at COMPASS DMV Region 2020 Washingtonian magazine Top 100 Best Agents 20172020 Washingtonian magazine Platinum Producers 20162020

Real Trends Best Agents in America 2017-2020 GCAAR Platinum Team 2020 DC Modern Luxury Top Team 2020

1313 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20005 202-813-9339 | thevbgroup.com todd@thevbgroup.com eric@thevbgroup.com

Q: What brings you the most satisfaction in your work?

A: Our clients are why we do this. We can walk away from every sale knowing that each recommendation was made for the best interests of our clients. They trust us with one of the largest financial decisions of their lives - and we are grateful for that. Our real estate expertise allows us to skillfully advise our clients to make sound decisions about their real estate investments. We provide unmatched candor, customer service, and ethics to help our clients navigate the process. Through the years, we have represented many types of transactions including single-family houses, new construction, luxury condominiums, and everything in between.

Q: What are your professional and educational backgrounds?

A: [Eric] I went to Clemson University, majoring in Sociology with a concentration in Criminal Justice, and then went on to receive my commission in the U.S. Air Force. My jobs in the USAF cemented my organizational and leadership skills and my dedication to excellence. I also recruited for the U.S. Department of State before finding my calling in real estate.

[Todd] I earned a degree in political science from Wake Forest University and moved to D.C. in 2003 to pursue my J.D. at Catholic University Law School. Along the way, I studied in London and Krakow. I practiced law for a few years before following my passion for real estate, and I have never looked back!

Do Try These at Home

Nick Farrell, the spirits director for Neighborhood Restaurant Group (Rustico, Evening Star Café, Buzz Bakery), has conjured up a series of takehome cocktail kits for NRG Provisions, an online retail business created to serve customers during the pandemic. For the end of winter and into the spring, he’s devised two $38 mixology packs, each with supplies to make five cocktails. The Cran-Aperol Spritz Kit includes cranberry and rosemaryinfused Aperol, plus prosecco, Q club soda and garnishes of rosemary and dehydrated orange wheels. The Après-Ski Spritz Kit includes Amaro Pasubio (alpine blueberry amaro), Yzaguirre white vermouth, prosecco, Q club soda and dehydrated lemon wheels and blueberries for garnish. Orders must be placed a day ahead. nrgprovisions.com

The four-drink Mule Kit ($35) from William Jeffrey’s Tavern on Columbia Pike includes the spirit of your choice (say, for a Kentucky Mule, an Irish Mule, a Mexican Mule or a Dark and Stormy), plus house-made ginger syrup, club soda, lime garnish and even a copper Mule mug—while mug supplies last. williamjeffreystavern.com

At Falls Church Distillers, $40 gets you any of the seven craft cocktails on the menu as a 32-ounce kit in a mason jar (enough for four ample cocktails). My favorite is the Pepper Mary Kit, a riff on the bloody mary starring the distillery’s Frozen Falls Pepper Vodka—infused with pepperoncini and serrano peppers— plus a mixer containing horseradish, celery salt, black pepper, hot sauce and Worcestershire. The ensemble comes with four biodegradable/ compostable cups, a spice mix for the rims (chili powder, Old Bay and Tajin, a Mexican seasoning) and a bonanza of garnishes, including whole pepperoncini, cubes of cheese (such as havarti jalapeno), beef jerky, lime wedges and leafy celery stalks. Bacon bits can be added to the mixer upon request. fcdistillers.com

—David Hagedorn

Pierogies, Please

“I have a runaway hit on my hands!” chef Ed Hardy exclaimed soon after the December opening of Zofia’s Kitchen, a fast-casual restaurant specializing in both traditional and experimental variations on the Polish dumplings known as pierogies.

On a busy day, the Ballston Quarter eatery (housed in the former Cucina al Volo space) turns out 3,000 of them, and Hardy has had to staff up. “Pierogies are a humble, warming comfort food and underrepresented in the D.C. area,” he says. “We were in the right place at the right time.”

Hardy is from Richmond. He fesses up to having known little about pierogies until Arlington-based tech entrepreneur Nate Reynolds, a Chicago native, asked him to make them for a barbecue he was hosting. At that point, Hardy had recently been laid off from his instructor job at Cookology in Ballston and welcomed the challenge. The pierogies were

a hit, and a restaurant concept—a 50-50 partnership between Hardy and Reynolds—was born.

Zofia’s began operating as a ghost kitchen out of the Cookology space in September, then moved to its permanent brick-and mortar location shortly before its official opening on Dec. 11. Dumplings come eight to an order ($11.99 - $13.99) and are stuffed with a variety of fillings, with options such as loaded baked potato (mashed potatoes, chives, cheddar, bacon); sauerkraut and bratwurst; braised beef brisket; house-cured pastrami with provolone; mushroom and herb; “everything bagel” with scallion cream cheese and lox; whitefish and apple; and Maryland crab Rangoon. Accompanying sauces include horseradish sour cream; lemon-anddill sour cream; mustard cream; and bacon-onion butter.

Hardy’s menu also includes a few sandwiches, soups, salads and side

dishes—get the doughnut-shaped potato latke!—but pierogies are the main attraction.

The chef says he’s mindful of cultural appropriation and is treading carefully. “My cuisine is Southern, but I was exposed to Jewish diaspora cooking in New York City. I’m not Polish or Jewish, but I was a history major [at the University of Virginia]. I feel like I can be a student of it, do justice to it and introduce it to other people.”

Then again, he and Reynolds weren’t beyond a bit of marketing. They picked the name “Zofia” (which they thought sounded vaguely grandmotherly) from a list of Polish monikers while sharing a bottle of potato vodka.

Zofia’s pierogies are also available uncooked and frozen in packs of eight, or in larger quantities, by request. zofiaskitchen.com

—David Hagedorn

Beet pierogies with ginger and lemon zest at Zofia’s Kitchen

Peace and Biscuits

During his second tour of duty in Iraq in 2007, Jon Coombs drove over a roadside IED and spent the next two months hospitalized, his body riddled with shrapnel, his bones bruised and his brain rattled from the explosion. He was awarded a Purple Heart and redeployed to Iraq a third time in 2010. Cooking was a passion he discovered only later in life, after 23 years of military service.

“I like to say that I put down the rifle and picked up a spatula,” says the combat infantry veteran, now executive chef and general manager of Preservation Biscuit Co., a Southern-influenced breakfast and lunch café that’s aiming to open in Falls Church City in late February.

After his last tour in Iraq, Coombs landed at Fort Myer in Arlington, where he trained soldiers for state funerals and memorial observances at Arlington National Cemetery. During that time he enrolled at the Art Institute of Wash-

ington (then based in Rosslyn), taking night classes to earn a two-year associate degree in culinary arts.

“I wanted to cook,” says the Detroit native, who developed an affinity for Southern cuisine during his five years at Georgia’s Fort Benning. He retired from the Army in 2013 and spent a few months “cooking for free” at various D.C. restaurants to gain experience. By the time the pandemic arrived, Coombs was executive chef and general manager of Matchbox in Woodbridge. The restaurant closed in March

The Brekkie (egg, cheese, tomato, pickled onions and your choice of meat) on a biscuit

and he was furloughed, as was his coworker, Tricia Barba, then marketing director for the corporate brand. (In August, Matchbox Food Group filed for bankruptcy. The company has since reorganized under new ownership, but the Woodbridge location remains permanently closed.)

Barba, facing a precarious future, decided to chart her own course, and in August signed a lease on a Falls Church City storefront (102 E. Fairfax St.) previously occupied by a life coaching business. She called Coombs and asked how he felt about biscuits.

He spent the next three months perfecting his recipe—crispy on top, fluffy inside—and building a tight menu concept around the Southern staple. Together he and Barba arrived at a tagline for their new venture: flour butter love.

The house special, The PBC, stacks fried chicken, hot honey, candied bacon, cabbage, mustard and smoked-Gouda pimento cheese inside the eatery’s signature carb. “You almost need a knife and fork,” says the chef, 48, a married father of five who lives in Alexandria.

Other sandwiches feature sausage gravy, pulled pork, prime rib, and breakfast-y fillers like eggs, bacon and ham—which is funny in that Coombs personally follows a vegan diet for health reasons. “I have had to cheat just a tad to ensure the flavors are on point,” he confesses, though he does intend to introduce a few vegan dishes as the menu expands.

There are sides, including Caesar salad, yam tater tots, mac ’n’ cheese and coleslaw. And sweet concoctions too—shortcake-type desserts that layer biscuits with smothered apples or macerated strawberries and whipped cream. The shop will serve coffee from Swing’s Coffee Roasters in Alexandria.

Purists can also order biscuits straight up with a sampler of housemade jams. The current toppers include strawberry, blueberry and pineapple, but Coombs says he hopes to branch out with other seasonal flavors.

Ingredients-wise, everything is made from scratch, and “we plan to local source as much as possible from the DMV, local farmers markets and direct relationships with outlying farms,” he adds.

Could it be that the pandemic’s economic pain will give rise to a happier homespun venture? Barba is optimistic.

“Falls Church has such a lovely small-town feel,” says the entrepreneur/proprietor, whose café is in the

same strip with Bakeshop and Audacious Aleworks. “We are in a great, well-located space and the community has been so welcoming.”

Coombs, meanwhile, is in his element. “Being in the kitchen is consistent with my nature,” he says. “It’s structured. There is order. Except with cooking, no one is shooting at you or trying to blow you up. You are in your own zone.” preservationbiscuit.com

—Jenny Sullivan

Chef Jon Coombs

Chopped vegetable salad at Flower Child

POWERPlant

BY JESSICA STRELITZ

Meatless—it’s not just for Mondays anymore, and it’s so much more than rabbit food. If you’re cutting back on your carnivorous ways for health or environmental reasons (or if you’ve been vegetarian or vegan all along), you’ll find plenty of local kitchens serving plant-based snacks, mains and even desserts. Try these.

Flower Child

Fan favorites at this Tysons eatery in The Boro include The Mother Earth Bowl (ancient grains topped with sweet potato, portobello mushroom, avocado, cucumber, broccoli pesto, greens and red-pepper-miso vinaigrette) and the Glow Bowl (spicy

sweet potato noodles with bok choy, zucchini, jalapeño, shiitake mushroom, coconut milk and sunflower butter). Diners can add tofu to both, or to any of the other bowls or salads, for that matter. From the lengthy and often-changing list of vegetarian

sides, try the yuzu Brussels sprouts with golden miso, or the red-chili glazed sweet potato. A national chain, Flower Child specializes in paleo, gluten-free and vegetarian eats. // 1656 Boro Place, McLean (The Boro Tysons), iamaflowerchild.com

Spacebar and Galaxy Hut

The cozy sister eateries known for their grilled cheese and craft beer selections have long catered to diners looking for creative vegetarian and vegan eats. Even the house-made condiments served with sandwiches and tots (ranch, sweet mustard, aji-amarillo aioli, barbecue sauce and Russian dressing) are vegan. Galaxy Hut’s menu is completely vegetarian. Spacebar does offer a few meat add-ons for its grilled cheese, and the option of real meat or meatless proteins in sandwiches such as the Reuben, Cuban, meatloaf or cheesesteak, which are served on bread from The French Bread Factory in Sterling. Service at both locations is currently limited to online ordering and contactless pickup. // Spacebar, 709 W. Broad St., Falls Church, spcbr.com; Galaxy Hut, 2711 Wilson Blvd., Arlington (Clarendon), galaxyhut.com

Busboys and Poets

The menu at Andy Shallal’s literary café offers a host of plantbased choices. In Shirlington, popular options include nachos made with vegan cheese, vegan sour cream and black-eyed-pea salsa; crispy cauliflower tacos with garlic harissa and a side of cabbage-and-carrot slaw; and coconut-crusted tofu bites with plum-red-pepper sauce. Busboys serves a number of dishes that swap the meat for vegetable-based proteins, including a vegan version of tuna salad, plus various meatless substitutes for sausage, chicken and beef. The Shirlington café also has several sustainably made wines that are designated vegan, meaning they use no animal products as part of their refining processes. // 4251 S. Campbell Ave., Arlington (Shirlington), busboysandpoets.com

Vegan nachos at Busboys and Poets

Loving Hut

The Vietnamese-influenced menu at this Falls Church restaurant just off Lee Highway (it’s part of an international vegan chain) includes meatless spring rolls, dumplings, various renditions of stir-fry and several noodle soups—from pho to bún huế—plus a house special fried tofu dish in tomato sauce. Loving Hut also serves a variety of fresh fruit bubble teas and smoothies, plus vegan pastries and desserts, including doughnuts, cheesecakes and muffins baked on site. // 2842 Rogers Drive, Falls Church, loving hutfallschurch.com

True Food Kitchen

A new menu released in early January includes the Winter Immunity Bowl, a seasonal favorite featuring delicate lion’s mane mushrooms, farro, quinoa and a bevy of vegetables in garlic broth. And in the sandwich category: a roasted-squash-and-ricotta panini made with lemon ricotta and pickled red onions on a house-made pita. The health-focused restaurant’s two top sellers are both vegan—the Teriyaki Quinoa Bowl and the Ancient Grains Bowl. The bar serves up a number of alcohol-free drinks (try the Kale Aid, made with ginger, apple, celery, cucumber and lemon) as well as specialty teas and house-pressed juices. True Food Kitchen has an online app for pickup and delivery, and both area locations offer outside seating. // 4238 Wilson Blvd., Arlington (Ballston Quarter) and 2910 District Ave., Fairfax (Mosaic District), truefoodkitchen.com

Aracosia

There’s lots to love from the vegetarian menu at this Afghan restaurant in McLean (which, for households with mixed dining preferences, also has plenty of options for carnivores). Try the popular pumpkin dumplings topped with mint and cayenne pepper; risotto with eggplant and butternut squash; or Baadenjaan Chalou, a dish of roasted eggplant served with saffron basmati rice. In the fall, Aracosia—which also has a D.C. location and is sister to Afghan Bistro in Springfield—opened a large, heated and covered patio, conducive for dining al fresco in all kinds of weather. // 1381 Beverly Road, McLean, aracosiamclean.

Roasted squash and ricotta panini at True Food Kitchen

Pumpkin dumplings at Aracosia

Thanh

Son Tofu

Since 2003, this Eden Center vendor has attracted long lines of customers clamoring for fresh tofu and tofu pudding made from non-GMO soybeans, as well as fried tofu with flavors like lemongrass-chili-pepper and onion-mushroom, which you can order by the pound. In response to the pandemic, the shop launched an online ordering option for folks who wish to skip the constant line. Add a Vietnamese sticky rice dish (most are vegetarian), sweet chè (a dessert made with beans, tapioca, jelly, fruit and coconut cream) or a fruit smoothie to your order for a complete meal. // 6793 Wilson Blvd., Falls Church (Eden Center), thanh sontofuva.com

Bakeshop

Justin Stegall’s beloved sweets emporium offers a daily lineup of vegan goodies, including cookies, cupcakes and ice cream cookiewiches (check the store freezer for rotating flavors) at both its Clarendon and Falls Church City locations. Taro cupcakes and “Oreos in a Blanket” count among the best-sellers. The staff will also happily make cakes, pies and cupcakes to order. Vegan doughnuts are available only on weekends and sell out quickly. Watch the bakery’s social media feed for special vegan days when additional options, including cake slices, flood the menu. // 1025 N. Fillmore St., Arlington (Clarendon); 100 E. Fairfax St., Falls Church, www.bakeshopva.com

Troy’s Italian Kitchen

When Palak Vaidya and her husband-chef Neel (both vegetarians) took over Troy’s Italian Kitchen in 2019, one of their first orders of business was to bump up the menu’s plant-based repertoire. The tiny restaurant in Lyon Park now offers vegan pasta, vegan pizza and meatless wings (the latter counts among its most popular dishes). The vegan “chicken” tikka masala pizza is another hit, topped with creamy sauce, vegan cheese, a plant-based “chicken” protein, green peppers and red onions. The couple plans to introduce a breakfast menu in early 2021 with vegan options. // 2710-B, Washington Blvd., Arlington (Lyon Park), troysitaliankitchen.com

Bakeshop vegan doughnuts

Vegan wings at Troy’s Italian Kitchen

Rania’s Love Vegetarian Restaurant

This Falls Plaza newcomer opened a year ago, serving vegetarian Southeast Asian fare from a bright space decked out in flowers, butterflies and Buddha figurines. The meatless menu includes several Vietnamese pho and broken rice dishes (made with imitation fish sauce and a variety of pork and beef protein substitutes), as well as Thai curries and Thai-inspired hot pots that are perfect for cold weather days. Also worth a taste: the Goi Buoi salad made with fresh grapefruit, sesame, tofu, cabbage, onion and herbs. // 1106 W. Broad St., Falls Church

PLNT Burger

The newest addition to Spike Mendelsohn’s D.C.-area empire (which includes We, The Pizza; Santa Rose Taqueria; the healthconscious Vim & Victor restaurant inside The St. James sportsplex; and the Obamasanctioned burger joint Good Stuff Eatery) is everything you love about fast food, minus the meat. The former Top Chef contender’s plant-based burger chain has locations inside several Whole Foods Markets, with plans to expand to standalone eateries this year. PLNT Burger recently added breakfast sandwiches to its menu, but its meatless cheeseburger— featuring Beyond Meat patties—remains the star attraction. Don’t forget the crispy herb fries. // 1635 Boro Place, McLean (inside Whole Foods at The Boro Tysons), plntburger.com n

Jessica Strelitz is a food, wine and spirits writer. She lives with her husband and two boys in Falls Church.

PLNT Burger’s meatless cheeseburger

arlingtonartscenter.org/education/camp

shop local

SARAH

MARCELLA Throw pillows by Tulusa

Fine Print

Sue Henry’s path to entrepreneurship has resembled that of many working moms—trial and error until something fortuitously marries passion and industry. Five years ago, the Del Ray resident who studied sculpture and ceramics in art school found herself “sort of in between.” She wasn’t doing her life-size figurative sculptures anymore, and she had no idea what was next.

The answer, it turns out, was Tulusa, a line of handmade, blockprinted housewares, along with wearable art like shirts and face masks, all ranging from $18-$150. The name—it’s made up—is one Henry originally envisioned as a baby name for a girl until her husband vetoed it (they had two boys, anyway). So she recast it as a business moniker.

The whole venture started when Henry remembered some prints she had created about a decade earlier and stashed under a daybed in her family room. “I just started embroidering on top of the prints,” she says. I didn’t know anything about sewing or fabric.”

Soon, she had transformed about 20 embroidered prints into clutches and pillows, and decided to sell them at a holiday pop-up in her home studio. They sold out, so she built a website. The rest is history.

Henry’s creativity is currently trained on carving shapes into linoleum blocks that she uses to stamp patterns on linen, and sometimes directly onto painted walls. Three designs are most popular—a large feather, a pineapple flower and a chrysanthemum—but she continues to add new ones to the collection. “Less than a year ago, I introduced a pattern called Chimera, using all those blocks and usually some sort of animal, overlaying

pattern over pattern,” she says.

During the pandemic, she pivoted to face masks—making and/or outsourcing the production of her own designs to generate more than 13,000 masks by the end of 2020. She donated a sizable stash to homeless shelters and filled a contract order for 5,000 for the City of Alexandria.

“It was nuts,” she says. “I’ve never worked so hard in my life.”

For someone who claims to struggle with organization and planning, she has big goals for 2021. “I’d like to start making wallpaper,” she says. “I’m also going to be doing more upholstery fabric and yardage for curtains or chairs.” tulusa.com

—Rina Rapuano

Animal-print napkins and table runner by Tulusa

Sue Henry

Get the Picture?

It’s not often that the path to becoming an artist is kick-started by a dog-sitting gig. But the parttime job Alanna Rivera picked up in 2012 while studying literature and Spanish at the University of Virginia was just what she needed to remind her of how much she loved painting.

“I started doing pet portraits because I love dogs, and I was surrounded by them,” says the Arlington native. “I felt like I was waking up, almost. Everyone already identified me as an artist, but I didn’t identify as one myself.”

After college, Rivera dabbled in art on the side and spent time doling out career advice to high schoolers through the AmeriCorps program. Finally she mustered the courage to enroll in

a master’s degree program at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, focusing on social justice-based arts. “Even though it was really scary, and there wasn’t a lot of job security, I decided to take the plunge,” she says.

Rivera moved back to Arlington in 2017 and taught art in her own childhood preschool—an experience she now draws upon to teach art to neighborhood kids while juggling commissioned portraits of families and pets, as well as home exteriors and even antique cars. She also paints playful subjects ranging from mythical creatures to movie characters. Before Covid, she did occasional mural projects inside clients’ homes.

“I like having as much variety as possible because it makes me a

stronger painter and also keeps me from getting bored,” Rivera says.

Her acrylics on canvas range in price from $200–$500, but she also offers a smaller (6-by-6inch) portrait option painted with gouache (an opaque watercolor) for $50. She says she wants to keep her artwork accessible to all.

Though most of her portraits are based on a photograph, her style isn’t so much about copying the picture as it is capturing the essence of the subject.

“I want there to be a feeling conveyed, more than a look,” she says. “I think that’s more powerful for me than creating anything that’s photo-realistic.” alannarivera.com

—Rina Rapuano

Rivera works in a variety of media, including watercolor, gouache, ink and acrylic.

Formerly Phoenix House Mid-Atlantic

We sincerely thank our sta and board members who have gone above and beyond during the past 12 months, providing extraordinary service to our patients during these unprecedented times. The onslaught of COVID-19 did not will not stop them from continuing to save the lives of those su ering from substance use disorders. WE CELEBRATE YOU!

James Able

Elizabeth Aikins

Shanna Akanbi

Itunu Alao

Kevin Appel*

Mollie Anderson

Lacey Armstrong

Sarah Bailly

Robin Bankhead

Angela Bates

Godwin Bell

Esther Ben-Smith

Donnice Benford

Susan Bergmann

Scott Bishop

Cindy Blanton

Margaret Breeden

Kristin Burdge

Tawny Bush

Heather Campbell

Martha Castillo

Amber Chamberlain

Sam Chapman

Aimee Chase

Olivia Combs

Margaret Cook

Samuel Crosby

Mark Daniels

Aristacus Davies

Alyssa DeGrace

Lindsay DeGroot

Meetal Desai

Suzanne Didier

Cathy Dooley

Aynsley Downey

Gwen Dubuisson

Miguel Elias

Rachael Ellis

Victoria Fakilede

Uche Favour

Sean Fitzgerald

Haja Fornah

Michael Fragala

Anissa Frasier

Gabrelle Freeman

Carmen Getty

Banis Githinji

Scarlet Gleeson

Felicia Green

Chad Hackmann*

Omar Hargrove

Janice Harper

Jennifer Harris

Sandy Hart

Mark Hawkins*

Tracy Hawkins

Jeannie Hix

Nathan Houck

Crystal Howard

Edward Howard

William Howland*

Michael Hu

Lenora Johns

Tanya Johnson

Brittany Jones

Angela Kiker

George Knoerlein

Je rey Kost

Arlene Krohmal

Chris Kurt

Evelyn Lee

Tom Lee

Destiny Leonard

Justin Lowery-Clarke

Kylen Mahaney

Henry Majano

Aliya McCants

Sherry McClellan

Arthur McCoy Jr.

Russell McDowell

Veronica McFadden

Lisa McManus

Jason Mendez

Tim Mercer

Shaquita Miles

Tracy Hitt Millar*

Carey Minnis

Johne Mitchell

April Mooney

Katherine Moore

Ronieka Moore

Kathryn Nael

Col. Kathy Naylor*

Tsitsi Ndoro

Kimberly Newman

Edd Nolen*

Robin Norman *

Ohunene Ogunlade

Chimdinma Ojini

Babatunde Olamilehin

Kameron Orelien

Ola Osawaru

Taryn Overman*

Nohemi Pacheco

Samantha Parker

Karen Peck

Michelle Perry

Roland Perry Jr.

Michael Pitts

John Po enbarger

Richard Pope

Tyrone Poteat

Marci Prenger

Adrienne Quigley*

William Ramos

Carolyn Raufer

Jenn Reyes

Kerry Richard*

Millie Ri e

David Romano

Teresa Ross, M.D.*

Mark Sakran MD

Paul Scanlon*

Pattie Schneeman

Scott Schiavone*

Horace Scruggs

Carolyn Sheedy

Ethan Shore

Kevin Shuler

Grayson Smith

Jamal Smith

Linda Smith

Micheline Castan-Smith*

Cheryl Solberg

Susan Spies

Elizabeth Stamper

Julie Stinson

Shannon Strothers

Mavis Taintor*

Ashley Taylor

Debby Taylor

Felecia Taylor

Dominic Timm

Tim Todd

Thai Tran

Latasha Treherne

Keenan Twohig

Mark Tynes

Anita Vaughn

Kate Vitolo

Shawn Washington

Lindsey Williams

Marilyn Williams

Reggie Williams Sr.

Thomas Williams Jr.

Courtney Wilson

Anika Woodard

Earl Woodfork

Isaiah Woods

Marie Yiadom

Karen Young * Board member

We also wish to thank those who have left us and to those who have since joined our team!

Thank you to a generous donor who made this message of appreciation possible.

NCTR is a nonprofit behavioral health care organization, headquartered in Arlington, Virginia since 1962, specializing in the treatment and prevention of substance use and co-occurring mental health disorders, serving the National Capital area.

INSPIRING HOPE SINCE 1962

200 N. Glebe Rd. Suite 104 Arlington VA 22203 703-841-0703

www.natcaptreatment.org

COURTESY PHOTO

Customized denim by Scout & Indiana

It’s Personal

Emily Ullo Steigler launched Scout & Indiana in 2014, right around the time her identical twin daughters (those are their names) were born. She started with a line of T-shirts and onesies bearing the phrases “Rad Like Dad” and “Bomb Like Mom,” but soon expanded her repertoire to include customized apparel.

“I really like making things,” says the entrepreneur, who holds a master’s degree in medical illustration and spent a decade in that field before shifting her focus to clothing.

These days, she’s applying her talents to personalized denim jackets for kids and adults, hand-painted with whimsical motifs like dandelions, paper airplanes and song lyrics.

“My mom was a quilter and a sewer. She made jean jackets that were incredibly ’80s, complete with puff paint and glitter,” she says with a certain pride. “I basically took that idea and modernized it.”

At first, Steigler was buying and customizing new jackets, but she’s since begun modifying upcycled denim pieces from vintage wholesalers and fashion resale websites like thredUp. (Pieces are priced at $65 and up, though she offers a lower rate if you provide the jacket.)

“I don’t want to be wearing what

everyone else is wearing,” says the artist, who lives in Arlington Ridge with her husband and daughters. Her clients feel the same way.

Prior to the pandemic, Steigler sold her wares at pop-up events—notably, through the artist collective Femme Fatale DC—but more recently she’s been selling apparel online, via her own website as well as through local retail collaboratives like Steadfast Supply, Shop Made in DC, Gift &

Gather, and the soon-to-launch Shop Made in Virginia.

She’s now collaborating with Vienna-based screen printer Chitra Sharma of Noctiluna on a line of kids wear that includes tank tops, skirts, face masks and reversible bomber jackets. “It’s super small-run, one-ofa-kind stuff,” she says. “The pandemic has been tough. We’ve pulled each other out of the stress and had a really good time being creative.”

scoutandindiana.com

—Jenny Sullivan

Buck & Associates, Inc. Realtors® Since 1976

back story n

Winners

Track Record

Arlington’s riverfront was once a destination for horse and car racing.

TODAY IT’S HOME to the Pentagon, but around the turn of the 20th century, the riverfront area just north of National Landing was a seedy district known as Jackson City. A haven for drinkers, gamblers and daredevils, its attractions included, among other things, a half-mile-long racetrack near the foot of the 14th Street Bridge used for horse racing, and later, drag racing. Some even referred to it as a “Miniature Monte Carlo.”

In the 1890s, as Virginia lawmakers attempted to control a tide of gambling that had overtaken the commonwealth, corrupt legislators slipped in a loophole by creating an exemption for driving clubs and farming organizations. With that provision, the Jones family of Arlington was able to secure a charter from the Grange Camp Association of

Virginia to invest in the Jackson City racetrack, alternately referred to as “Alexander Island.” Soon, spectators were happily crossing the river from Washington, D.C., where horse betting was illegal.

Around the same time, a Gentlemen’s Driving Club (chartered in 1888) gave rise to Alexandria’s St. Asaph Racetrack, an operation backed by high-profile investors—among them Virginia Senator George Mushback, who had helped pass the pro-gambling loophole.

Located in Del Ray, St. Asaph was known to draw thousands of dollars on race days, raking in an estimated $150,000 (the equivalent of roughly $3.8 million today) per year. The lucrative operation was bolstered by a poolroom where gamblers could bet on

horse races in other jurisdictions via the establishment’s telegraph wires.

By 1895, the competing tracks in Arlington and Alexandria had reached an agreement to hold races on alternate days so as not to cannibalize business.

Two years later, horse racing was outlawed in Virginia, although the telegraph setup at St. Asaph allowed it to continue facilitating betting on out-ofstate races.

The scale of its operation eventually made St. Asaph a target of commonwealth’s attorney Crandal Mackey, who after being elected on a crime-fighting platform in 1903 had launched a crackdown on illegal bars, bordellos and casinos in Rosslyn and Jackson City.

In 1904 (after Mushback’s death), Mackey staged a dramatic raid on St. Asaph, backed by a posse with sledgehammers and axes who destroyed slot machines and other equipment. The poolroom quickly resumed business as usual, but Mackey eventually obtained 19 warrants against its owners, igniting an extended courtroom battle with some of the region’s richest and most prominent figures. Mackey prevailed in 1905 when the St. Asaph operation shut down for good.

It’s unclear why the Jackson City racetrack eluded Mackey’s “shotgun justice,” but it managed to disassociate itself from the reputation of its Alexandria counterpart, and in the early 1900s, introduced spectators to the thrills of car racing. According to one photo from the 1920s, the fastest hot rods of the time could reach speeds close to 50 mph.

The Jackson City racetrack eventually came under the Pentagon’s jurisdiction and is now the site of the Connector Parking Lot. n

This story was adapted from “Arlington’s Own Fast and Furious,” a blog post from the Center for Local History at the Arlington Public Library: library.arlingtonva.us/2020/12/10/ arlingtons-own-fast-and-furious/

in “Old Number 4” at the Arlington racetrack, circa the early 1920s

DISCOVER