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 […]
There are a lot of people around here who are passionate about meat, from Reid’s longtime butcher to a club that opens your mind (and stomach) to new cuts. This issue, we’re introducing you to the right people, places and dishes to satisfy any craving. Let’s meat! By Nathan Alderman, Joanna Breault, Shea Gibbs, Erin […]
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 […]
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 […]
By Celeste M. Smucker – If selling your home is a priority, you probably know our market is active and that inventory is scarce in many neighborhoods. Sellers may correctly interpret this information to mean their home may sell more quickly and at a better price than in years past. They may also believe all […]
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 […]
As I write this, it’s mid-August, and my vegetable garden has the crazy look it always does this time of year—overflowing its boundaries here, bare and shorn there, roiling with weeds in more places than not. We’re getting food out of it (zucchini, peppers, hey-need-some-basil?) but it’s not that pretty to look at, and it’s […]
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 […]
Horses and all things equestrian abound here in the Charlottesville area. From stables offering boarding, lessons, and trail rides to venues for foxhunting and polo, this community is a horse-lover’s paradise. Grace Ayyildiz of Free Union found her passion for horses at a young age. At 7 years old, she tried horseback riding at the […]
By Ken Wilson – Before there were pumpkin spice lattes and before we were old enough for apple brandy, there were pumpkin pies and apple crisps, cold cider on Indian Summer days and hot cider around the winter fireplace. Even more exciting, for a country boy or an outdoorsy girl, were the pumpkins ripening on […]
By Celeste M. Smucker – Do you long for a quiet, laid-back place loaded with unique amenities that is still near enough to Charlottesville to allow an easy commute? If so, the town of Scottsville, a diverse and scenic community a few miles south of town on Route 20, may be just the thing. Located […]
By Marilyn Pribus – Most people want The Perfect Home. Admittedly this is pretty much impossible since perfection is the enemy of the good. Often attributed to Voltaire, that aphorism holds a lot of truth, so let’s settle for nearly perfect. It may be that your home has many great qualities but there are still […]
By Ken Wilson – A person could spend all day poring over online menus, but a friend’s testimony that “I’m never eating anywhere else” is worth any number of five star reviews on Yelp. When the elated friend (“I could taste the butter!”) has just eaten a “Feuillete chicken”—tarragon chicken baked in puff pastry—at Patisserie […]
Charlottesville’s downtown has been a source of debate and controversy for nearly a century. Could the debate finally be coming to a close? For the first time in a long while, some agreement has emerged about how to balance downtown development—residential versus commercial, shared versus dedicated space and parking in particular. “The downtown area is […]
Will Richey didn’t set out to launch Charlottesville’s most influential restaurant group. But when he created Ten Course Hospitality, he did it anyway. “Is it planned, or is it sort of organic?” Richey says. “I guess it is sort of an organic process. As we are going, we’re always tightening up ideas, trying to find […]