By Ken Wilson – We gather in the dark to see better in the light. Revelation and apprehension, moral suasion and informed reflection . . . cinema expands our knowledge, clarifies our thinking and moves us to action for our own sakes and our neighbor’s. Opening our eyes, it opens our hearts—or just our mouths […]
By Ken Wilson – It has Blue Ridge views and Starr Hill brews, and it has a treasured piece of Virginia history, Crozet does. And it’s ready for its close-up. Quiet, lovely, and only a 15-20 minute drive from Charlottesville, the little town known for the railroad overpass, the old train depot, and the pizza […]
By Celeste M. Smucker– What do you do if you love all that is Charlottesville, but also want to live close to or on a beautiful body of water? Or maybe you appreciate the mountains and country living, but find your perfect job in Richmond. If you can relate, discover the benefits of living […]
By Marilyn Pribus – When Eric Dahl, his wife, Jill, and their sons moved north from Florida, it’s no coincidence they bought a home at Lake Monticello where his two brothers already lived. Dahl is now Fluvanna’s Deputy County Administrator/Finance Director. “Jill and I really like the nature aspects of Fluvanna rather than the hustle […]
By Ken Wilson – Nature XXVII, Autumn The morns are meeker than they were, The nuts are getting brown; The berry’s cheek is plumper, The rose is out of town. The maple wears a gayer scarf, The field a scarlet gown. Lest I should be old-fashioned, I’ll put a trinket on. – Emily Dickinson You […]
By Marilyn Pribus – Volunteers are at the heart of any community from folks giving time to their church or children’s activities to those helping victims of domestic violence or injured wild creatures. In fact, the catalog of local volunteer efforts is nearly endless from Little League, Boys and Girls Clubs, thrift stores and food […]
In a part of the Shenandoah Valley where history is prized especially deeply, just outside the village of Brownsburg, a relocated log cabin called Briar Hill is full of a special sense of the past. It embodies its own history dating back to the turn of the 18th century, when it was originally built on […]
Like many people on the hunt for real estate during the housing bubble of the last decade, Mark Otis was being priced out of the market. So when he saw the old Esmont post office come up for sale on Craigslist in 2007, he took notice—both because it was a rare property he could afford, […]
Rob and Amylynn Johnson bought a Cape Cod on a quiet Albemarle street in 2012, knowing they’d give it a major renovation at some point. Not only was it not quite the house they wanted, but Rob is the owner of Green Mountain Construction, and the couple aren’t the type to shy away from a […]
Transforming the building that now houses Patisserie Torres was “almost like an archaeological dig,” says architect David Timmerman with BRW Architects. It was a yearlong process just to renovate the exterior of the 1820s building on the corner of Third Street NE and the Downtown Mall—a building that has seen its share of change and […]
By Celeste M. Smucker – The exciting lineup of Charlottesville’s best new construction continues this weekend—Saturday and Sunday, October 13 and 14 from noon to 5:00 p.m.—at the Blue Ridge Homebuilders Association’s (BRHBA) 55th Annual Parade of Homes. The event features 27 homes from 16 builders plus three design centers. Whether or not you plan […]
One of the first things that catches your eye when you walk onto the patio of Meriwether Springs Vineyard & Brewery is the teepee. It’s made of gray canvas, about seven feet tall, and it’s flanked by a play castle and an assortment of balls, hula hoops, and Frisbees. Beyond this is a footbridge crafted […]
For proponents of raw milk, there’s simply no substitute: “No other health food is so easy and so complete to consume,” says Robby Lisenby of Sweet Land Farm. Fans of unpasteurized, unhomogenized milk from grass-fed cows say it contains more enzymes, fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals than processed milk, that it boosts immunity through its […]
Birthdays are always special, but growing up in Priya Mahadevan’s family of nine, birthdays came with an extra privilege: choosing the day’s menu. “We always asked for this lentil and vegetable stew called sambar, with roasted potatoes and masala vadais, which are a fried lentil snack,” Mahadevan says. “Payasam (also called kheer) was the dessert […]
If the word “catering” makes you think of starched napkins and green bean almondine, here’s another side of the business: casual oyster roasts, where guests can slurp down the seafood along with Southern sides like cornbread and Brunswick stew. Ted Anderson, of Anderson’s Catering, says oyster roasts (and their cousins, pig roasts and crawfish boils) […]
When Mark Thompson took his leave of Starr Hill Brewery in February of 2015, it felt like a changing of the local craft beer guard. Thompson was replaced as Starr Hill’s head brewer by then 29-year-old Robbie O’Cain, and other local new kids, anchored by Champion and Three Notch’d brewing companies, were growing at a […]
By Celeste M. Smucker – The Blue Ridge Home Builders Association (BRHBA) announces its 55th Annual Parade of Homes featuring the best of the best in new construction. Visitors are invited to attend the Parade the first two weekends in October—October 6 and 7 and October 13 and 14—from noon to 5 p.m. The 2018 […]
By Celeste M. Smucker – The term “green” gets a lot of attention these days and can describe environmentally friendly activities of all kinds. When it comes to real estate it usually means investment in products and services that make your home healthier, more comfortable and more energy efficient. Not only does investing in green […]
Matthew Bousquet hasn’t been in Charlottesville for very long—the Michelin-starred chef from San Francisco was hired to head up the kitchen at the newly reimagined Clifton hotel this summer—but he’s already discovered the city’s secret sauce: our abundance of fresh, local ingredients. This fall, Bousquet is particularly glad to use Autumn Olive Farms’ pork in […]
If you think that the end of summer means it’s time to put away the hiking boots, think again. Fall and winter in Virginia are fantastic seasons to walk in the woods—for 15 minutes or a whole day. It’s easier to see the mountains we live among when the trees aren’t fully in leaf, and […]
When Lara Call Gastinger posts a page from her natural journal on Instagram, it routinely garners a few thousand likes. “Lush life!” comments one follower on a recent post. “How wonderful your talent,” says another. “Gorgeous.” “Wonderful work.” In the photo, a drawing pen—the printing worn off its shaft by Gastinger’s hand—lies in the center […]
Albemarle County’s natural beauty and biodiversity attracts plenty of explorers, and lots of them like to keep track of what they find. iNaturalist.org, an online site (and mobile app) developed by UC Berkeley graduate students in 2008, links scientists and naturalists who want to learn more and share what they know, and plenty of observers […]
Enjoying nature is free, but gearing up for a camping trip or extended hike can become an expensive proposition, especially when choosing quality equipment. Erin James and Seth Herman, outdoors enthusiasts who met in Charlottesville in 2010, have addressed that problem (and more) with their new outdoor gear and clothing consignment shop, High Tor Gear […]