April, 2009:
Spring at the Carlyle House in Old Town Alexandria VA II
Historic Carlyle House in Old Town
Spring is at its zenith and so are the blossoms at the Carlyle House in Old Town Alexandria.
Julie and I stopped in to tour the gardens and I took a number of pictures. The Carlyle House is a historic piece of Alexandria’s colonial heritage and is a must see if you’re in Alexandria VA. I personally think the house is a little more impressive than George Washington’s Mount Vernon. The tour starts in the basement below the house and explores nearly every room in the finely-crafted and meticulously restored structure. John Carlyle was a contemporary of the likes of George Washington, Lord Fairfax, Henry “Lighthorse” Lee and General Braddock. This house is a key part of Alexandria’s colonial heritage and revolutionary past.
The tour starts with a slick-production that explains who John Carlyle was and why he is a person of interest. In this video presentation, paintings, computer-generated scenery and historians provide context and background for the Carlyle House and John Carlyle. My only regret on this tour was that we had the last tour at 4 pm on a Spring Friday, so the guide seemed to rush us through the house. He told me he was one of the authors of the history books on sale in the shop, but they had close the shop and I didn’t catch his name.
The dogwood is Virginia’s state flower rocks gently in the spring breezes on the north side of the Carlyle House. This side of the building is surrounded by a wall of brilliant white dogwood blossoms.
These pictures really don’t do the blossoms justice but they hopefully they’ll inspire you to visit the gardens before spring is gone.
Behind the Carlyle House is a mixture of formal and informal ornamentals, flowers, flowering trees and bushes.
This is a remarkable little enclave found right at the heart of Alexandria. It’s just two blocks from the waterfront and only block from King St. and a public parking garage.These photos only touch on the beauty of the gardens at Carlyle. Check out these photos for a close look at the blossoms that are found here.
Here are a few of the homes for sale at the Torpedo Factory, just behind Carlyle House.
Showing properties
1 - 1 of 1.
See more Torpedo Factory.
(all data current as of
5/17/2012)
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$575,000 : 115 Lee N #Bh-207, Alexandria2 beds, 2 full baths
Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.
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About the Author — Will Nesbitt is the principal broker of Will Nesbitt Realty and maintains Condo Alexandria. Will specializes in condos, townhouses and single family residences in Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax County, Crystal City, and Kingstowne. Will resides in Belle Haven Estates just outside Alexandria VA in Fairfax County. |
Carlyle House — Old Town in Bloom
These are the gardens of the Carlyle House in Old Town Alexandria in Spring of 2009. We stopped by to visit because it’s a great time to catch the flowers at their height. The weather was perfect, the crowds were very light and these pictures don’t really do the gardens justice. The gardens are intended to be somewhat accurate historically, but they don’t have any fruit trees, something which a colonial garden undoubtedly would have had.
This azalea bush was on fire. The foundation of the Carlyle House in the back of the photo gives texture and contrast to the blossoms.
Up close and in the sunlight they were dazzling.
The centerpiece of the garden is this lovely sundial with a formal surround of boxwoods and flowers. The brick paths and boxwoods feel very Old Town Alexandria to me.
This looked like crabapple blossoms to me, but the notices said there were no fruit trees in the garden.
Bluebells carpeted much of the garden.
I wish I knew my horticulture well enough to identify this beautiful flower that almost seem to glow.
The mixture of taller flowers and flowering ground cover was an effective way to add visual interest.
Around every corner were delightful blossoms like these.
At the foot of a crepe myrtle these lemonade colored flowers are in full bloom. The smell of nectar and the perfumes of flowers filled the entire garden.
I highly recommend a visit to this special place at the Carlyle House in Old Town Alexandria VA.
Showing properties
1 - 15 of 129.
See more Old Town.
(all data current as of
5/17/2012)
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$420,000 : 309 Holland Ln #232, Alexandria2 beds, 2 full baths
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$579,000 : 400 Second St, Alexandria3 beds, 2 full, 1 part baths
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$635,000 : 410 Royal St N, Alexandria3 beds, 2 full, 1 part baths
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$1,145,000 : 114 Cameron Mews, Alexandria3 beds, 3 full, 2 part baths
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$525,000 : 520 John Carlyle St #104, Alexandria2 beds, 2 full baths
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$314,999 : 1109 Pitt St N #1b, Alexandria1 bed, 1 full bath
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$598,950 : 628 Patrick St N, Alexandria2 beds, 2 full, 1 part baths
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$355,000 : 1201 Pitt St N #2c, Alexandria2 beds, 1 full bath
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$599,000 : 1250 Washington St S #402, Alexandria2 beds, 2 full, 1 part baths
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$825,000 : 537 Saint Asaph St S, Alexandria3 beds, 3 full, 1 part baths
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$1,250,000 : 1003 King St, Alexandria2 beds, 3 full baths
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$1,049,000 : 215 Wolfe St, Alexandria3 beds, 2 full, 1 part baths
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$2,975,000 : 208 Saint Asaph St S, Alexandria5 beds, 3 full, 1 part baths
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$619,900 : 718 Columbus St N, Alexandria2 beds, 2 full, 1 part baths
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$329,000 : 511 Bashford Ln #5, Alexandria1 bed, 1 full bath
Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.
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About the Author — Will Nesbitt is the principal broker of Will Nesbitt Realty and maintains Condo Alexandria. Will specializes in condos, townhouses and single family residences in Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax County, Crystal City, and Kingstowne. Will resides in Belle Haven Estates just outside Alexandria VA in Fairfax County. |
Cameron Run Regional Park — Great Waves, Batting Cages, Golf and more!
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Cameron Run Regional Park is an asset for area families and residents and a destination for those who don’t live in the area. The park has several recreational components including a waterpark, batting cages, picnic area, fishing, and miniature golf. Bring the family to enjoy any part or all of the fun. |
Great Waves Waterpark
Great Waves Waterpark is the star attraction at Cameron Run Regional Park. The waterpark opens this year on May 23rd and closes operations down on September 7th. The ocean might be hours from Northern Virgina, but you can catch a wave right here in Alexandria. The wave pool generates gentle waves that splash into the shallower part of the pool. The park has several twisting and turning four-story water slides. The play pool has shallow waters perfect for relaxing or for the younger members of the family. There is even a “tad pool” for toddlers and tykes.
Great Waves has a snackbar at the ready with a selection of snacks as well as pizza, hot dogs, and hamburgers.With an ice cream or a cold beverage you can spend your entire day right here in the water park.
Batting Cages
The batting cages at Cameron Run serve up softballs for beginners to whiff and experts to slug. If you’re ready for a challenge, they can crank the speed up and you can take on fast pitch softballs or hardballs that will challenge the best hitters. It’s a fun way to work on your game, or to just spend time with the family.
In early spring and late fall the batting cages are open in the afternoons from around 4 pm to around 9 or 10 pm. Through the summer months, the cages are generally open from about 10 am until 9 or 10 pm.The batting cages are closed in December, January and February.
Fishing
Cameron Run Regional Park is located on Cameron Run, a tributary of the Potomac River. Here at the park, a dam has created Lake Cook. Lake Cook is a part of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries’ Urban Fishing Program. The two acres of water in Lake Cook serve as a nice fishing hole for young anglers. The lake is stocked with trout, bluegill, bass and catfish. Fishing licenses are required for all fishers age 16 and older. The Commonwealth of Virginia requires an additional stamp for trout fishing and trout may only be fished in the winter. Boats are not allowed on Lake Cook.
Miniature Golf
How about a little putt-putt? Cameron Run has a tournament ready 18 hole miniature golf course at the ready. The course offers landscaped challenges and unique twists and turns.
Events
Cameron Run’s shelters and pavilions can be reserved and/or rented. Cameron Run also offers birthday packages for large parties. They now have catering available. For more information about pricing, reservations or hours, check the Regional Park Authority site.
Directions and Map
Map of Cameron Run Regional Park with nearby home prices
The park is located at:
4001 Eisenhower Avenue
Alexandria, VA 22304
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About the Author — Will Nesbitt is the principal broker of Will Nesbitt Realty and maintains Condo Alexandria. Will specializes in condos, townhouses and single family residences in Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax County, Crystal City, and Kingstowne. Will resides in Belle Haven Estates just outside Alexandria VA in Fairfax County. |
Fire at Huntley Meadows Park?
Huntley Meadows is a 4500 acre park in Fairfax County, but today the park service only maintains about 30 acres of meadows. The remainder of the park is following the natural life cycle of the land.
In the days before Columbus, Northern Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley were mostly a sprawling meadow, and even here on the East Coast we had bison herds. The meadows are not the natural state here though, and they were maintained by natives who burned and cut the forest from time to time to leave room for the big herding animals. Left on its own, the land here will slowly revert to a hardwood forest. In Huntley Meadows, visitors can explore this forest by way of many trails and paths.
The change to forest happens over time. When the meadows first fall fallow, weeds rush in. In a few years brambles and honeysuckle mix in with fast growing trees like locusts or cedars. Eventually the tree canopy grows so thick that the vines and undergrowth begin to die off. In dry months, this undergrowth becomes brittle and fires are easy to start. Left unchecked, nature will start its own fire to clear the undergrowth and to replenish the hardwoods as they grow.
The forests of Huntley Meadows are young. This is evidenced not only by the diameter of the trunks and by the types of trees that are tallest. It’s also evidenced by the duff, or undergrowth, that is heavy in parts of the forest. The park’s management recently ignited a number of controlled burns to clear up the duff and to help keep the forest healthy.
You’ll see signs of the fire along many paths in the park.
Huntley Meadows is also popular with birdwatchers. I found these feathers scattered along the trail. Perhaps a fox found a meal here? I am curious what type of bird this might have been.
Neighborhoods near Huntley Meadows
Here are a few resources for house hunters in Northern Virginia:
- Huntley Meadows — a map of the park with homes for sale nearby
- Kingstowne — condos, houses and townhouses for sale in and near Kingstowne
- Hayfield Farm — Single family homes near the Coast Guard station
- Woodstone — Townhouses and single family houses near Huntley Meadows
- Stoneybrooke — Single family homes between Groveton Hieghts and Huntley Meadows
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About the Author — Will Nesbitt is the principal broker of Will Nesbitt Realty and maintains Condo Alexandria. Will specializes in condos, townhouses and single family residences in Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax County, Crystal City, and Kingstowne. Will resides in Belle Haven Estates just outside Alexandria VA in Fairfax County. |
What a landlord can expect from a property manager
If you are a landlord, then you need a company you can trust to handle your operational responsibilities. Nesbitt Realty and Condo Alexandria have the experience you want in your property manager. Will has been a landlord for over 20 years and is a full service broker trained in property management. Will Nesbitt Realty and Condo Alexandria offers full service management for condos, townhouses and single family residential properties. Condo Alexandria is dedicated to maximizing your profits without sacrificing on service. Here’s some of what we do for you:
Lease Administration
Our brokerage will prepare your lease, find and screen tenants.
Rental Servicing
There are a lot of annoying details that landlords must deal with: unless they have a property manager. Our team handles billing, collecting, processing and servicing your rental accounts, staying on top of your cash flow.
Rate Analysis
Will Nesbitt Realty and Condo Alexandria will analyze the market and find the rental rates that will make you the most money.
Building Maintenance
Condo Alexandria and Nesbitt Realty keeps your properties in top operating order.
Marketing
Our strategy is designed to keep your occupancy and tenant retention rates at maximum efficiency.
Vendor Negotiations
We only deal with reputable handymen, landscapers, appliance repairmen and service people. We’ll negotiate you best deal and keep your rental operating smoothly.
