Local Private Schools Offer a Multitude of Options for Area Families
By Celeste M. Smucker – Parents wanting a private school education for their children have much to choose from in the Charlottesville area. If finding the right private school is a priority for your family, take time to review these overviews from a variety of local institutions describing the remarkable opportunities offered by each. Blue […]
Staunton Music Festival: Small City, Big Deal
By Ken Wilson – It’s a lotta music for a little city, but then the Staunton Music Festival is no local secret or merely local affair. With a hashtag #RethinkClassical and everything from a period-instrument performance of Handel’s rarely-heard operatic masterpiece Hercules to a concert performance of Kurt Weill’s “sung ballet” The Seven Deadly Sins, […]
The Shenandoah Valley’s Lively Cultural Life
By Ken Wilson – There is peace in the valley if that’s what you want—and plenty to keep you occupied when you don’t. Just “over the mountain” from Albemarle County is the storied Shenandoah Valley with all that lush countryside, and all those country places. Once so richly farmed it was dubbed “the breadbasket of […]
Historic Gordonsville: Enjoy It For a Weekend, Love It For a Lifetime
By Celeste M. Smucker – Imagine a quaint little town where you can browse interesting shops, view historic treasures, enjoy special events, and eat award-winning barbeque. Imagine a place where ghosts of people long dead make occasional appearances to delight visitors. If all of that intrigues, come for a visit to Gordonsville, a small town […]
Find The Right House For Your Pets
By Marilyn Pribus – Formally known as “companion animals,” the more popular term has long been simply “pets” and lots of folks have them. Recent figures from Statista—a website with thousands of statistics—show that millions of Americans share their homes with creatures. The most numerous household pets are actually fish, but since aquariums don’t much […]
Live in Greene County for Easy Commutes, Great Home Prices and Spectacular Views
By Celeste M. Smucker – Looking for a relaxed, country lifestyle but hate long commutes? Move to Greene County north of Albemarle for terrific views from your reasonably priced home. Then enjoy the easy, scenic commute to town. A host of outdoor and recreational activities including hiking, camping, fishing and golfing are a big part […]
Farmers Markets A Big Plus for Communities
By Marilyn Pribus – “I used to ask my students where their food came from,” says North Garden Farmers Market Manager Kathy Zentgraf. “’The grocery store,’ they’d reply, so I’d explain to them about where their meat and produce came from before it got to the grocery store.” Farmers markets, she notes, are a great […]
Vacation Every Day In Your Waterfront Home
By Celeste M. Smucker – Enjoying a waterfront lifestyle is high on the list of many home buyers searching for the perfect place to live. Fortunately, in our area, they have plenty to choose from ranging from a house on a local lake, to a home on the James River, to a rural property with […]
Playing in the Water: Messing About in Boats
By Ken Wilson – The air is hot, but the water is not. Paddle it, ski it, plunge a line into or just plain jump in—the cool, cooling water of our lakes and streams and rivers refreshes our bodies and our minds in the always, shall we say, atmospherically challenging Virginia summertime. Here are just […]
Daytripping in Central Virginia: On And Off The Beaten Path
By Ken Wilson – Tired of London? Sick of Paris? If a European vacation is unappealing (see your doctor) or out of reach, stick around and look around. It’s a truism that locals neglect what tourists take pains to visit, and Central Virginia is full of tourist destinations, not to mention lesser known historic and […]
Dreaming Big At IX Art Park
by Ken Wilson – The Wizard of IX can help your dreams come true. Independent filmmaker Brian Wimer was first the “instigator” of the IX Art Park, nestled between Monticello and Elliot Avenues in Charlottesville, then he was its “executive director,” and now he’s officially its “Wizard.” And why not? As Wimer notes with the […]
Independence Day 2018: Honoring History Where it Happened
By Ken Wilson – An Albemarle County landowner named Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence. James Monroe, had a place just up the road and James Madison, mentored by Jefferson and hailed as “the father of the Constitution” settled in nearby Orange County. These men made history—our American history—and their […]
Home Buyers Love Walkable Neighborhoods
By Marilyn Pribus – These days, people shopping for a new abode often have “walkability” close to the top of their list of wants. Especially as gas prices are again on the rise, the thought of not having to get out the car keys to go places you want to go is appealing. Walkability basically […]
The Hills are Alive: Wintergreen Music Festival
By Ken Wilson – They flock to the Blue Ridge Mountains every summer and they coalesce into something extraordinary. Experienced professional and aspiring student musicians join discerning music lovers at Wintergreen for four stimulating weeks of classical music, with a little bluegrass, Broadway, and what-have-you on the side. The resulting festival, says Artistic Director Erin […]
Moving Like a Pro
By Marilyn Pribus – Even when you’re moving to a wonderful new abode, the mechanics of getting your belongings from the old place to the new can be confusing, even overwhelming. Fortunately, practicalities have improved since our ancestors trundled belongings from one cave to the next. Unless it’s a do-it-yourself move, the place to start […]
Exceptional Courses and Spectacular Scenery Bring Golfers to Central Virginia
By Celeste M. Smucker – Golfers who love the mountains find plenty of ways to enjoy them along with their favorite sport when they live in our area. Not only can they select from a large number of exceptional courses with terrific views, but thanks to our mild climate, they can continue to play throughout […]
Sports Town: You Name It, We Play It
By Ken Wilson – Saturday morning checklist in a randomly chosen Charlottesville household: Don’t forget bat, mitt, shoes, and sunscreen. Saturday morning checklist in the house across the street: Don’t forget binoculars, beer, cooler, and sunscreen. Whether they’re out on the field or out $50 for the tickets, the average Charlottesvillian is somewhere on the […]
Buying or Renovating for the Long Term
By Celeste M. Smucker – Updating a home so the occupants can live there comfortably for the long term is a hot topic these days and is all about adding features that promote convenience, accessibility and ease. While once this concept was aimed at Boomers who wanted to stay longer in their homes, most of […]
Questions Every Buyer Should Ask Their REALTOR®
By Celeste M. Smucker– For most people, buying a home is a huge investment, and, whether you are a seasoned homebuyer or a first timer, it is important to find the right REALTOR® to guide you through the process. First and foremost is to find someone you feel comfortable with and who enjoys their role […]
Madison County: Close-In Living With a Host of Amenities
By Celeste M. Smucker – Madison County is acclaimed for its beautiful scenery and multitude of outdoor activities such as hiking, camping and fishing. It appeals to homebuyers who want an amenity-rich, rural lifestyle and those who value privacy at a reasonable cost. Easy access to the employment, shopping, educational, recreational and cultural benefits of Charlottesville […]
Visit Madison County for a Scenic Get-Away, Outdoor Activities and Fabulous Food
By Celeste M. Smucker – Planning a vacation trip? Madison County has it all: spectacular scenery, terrific food, outdoor activities for everyone and special events like the upcoming Hoover Ridge Hops Festival on August 18 and the Taste of the Mountains Main Street Festival on September 1. If you are on your way somewhere else, […]
Festival of the Home Coming Soon to IX Art Park
By Celeste M. Smucker – What are the latest trends in home decor, technology, renovation, building and finance? What would work best at your house? Wouldn’t it be great if this information was all available in one place? The good news is, it is when you attend the Blue Ridge Homebuilders Association’s (BRHBA) Festival of […]
Small-Scale Gardening
By Marilyn Pribus – “There are challenges in having a small garden space,” declares Stanardsville Horticulturist Karyn Smith, “but that doesn’t mean you can’t grow flowers, veggies, and herbs.” She points out that even a small balcony can offer enough room to play gardener. “Be sure to choose plants that won’t outgrow your space,” she […]
UVA: A Tradition of Service and a Powerful Economic Engine
By Ken Wilson – Quick, name the venerable Charlottesville institution that has a $5.9 billion annual local impact and can claim credit for 53 area startups in the last 12 years. Name the renowned and historic local institution that attracts smart kids from all 50 states and 148 countries, turns them out even smarter, and […]
Sipping Apples: Virginia Hard Cider
By Ken Wilson – Not so long ago, hard cider was stuff you bought at the grocery store and let sit around too long. Or maybe you’d put it out on the porch to ferment on purpose, checking it every once in a while as it developed that tang and that slightly alcoholic edge. Either […]
Pantops Homeowners Enjoy Convenience and Spectacular Views
By Celeste M. Smucker – A close-in Albemarle location, gorgeous views, convenience and lots of options: Pantops has it all. And thanks to Thomas Jefferson the area also enjoys a captivating and unusual name. One of Pantops’ earliest property owners, Jefferson is believed to have called the area Pant-Ops, Greek for all seeing. Was this […]
Local Habitat Focuses on Building Neighborhoods
By Marilyn Pribus – Habitat for Humanity® of Greater Charlottesville is all about having a home. In more than 25 years of local action, this remarkable effort has constructed more than 200 dwellings, living up to Habitat’s vision of eliminating homelessness and substandard housing by making adequate, affordable shelter a matter of conscience and action. […]