Living in the downtown district of Bethesda boasts of apartments and condominiums offering convenience and luxurious living.  Potential condo owners can experience the variety of floor plans offering one, two, or three bedroom with various living spaces at an affordable price.  Potential Bethesda condo owners can enjoy the following benefits including: being within close proximity of Bethesda metro station, taking the Bethesda Circulator, and enjoying the Capital Crescent Trail that runs through downtown Bethesda for biking and jogging.

Bethesda Maryland also has special events for its community and its residents. Every second Friday of the month, Bethesda has a Bethesda Art Walk showcasing artwork locally, nationally, and internationally to art enthusiasts at various downtown Bethesda galleries.  Bethesda has other special events such as “Play in a Day” offered in the spring, a literary festival in the summer, summer concert series, fine arts festival, outdoor movies in the summer, Taste of Bethesda and Farmers Market in the fall.

There are also two hundred plus community dining and restaurants options providing a diversity of cuisine, delis, bakeries, sandwich shops, coffee houses, ice cream, yogurt and gelato, and cafés.

Bethesda is also home to several attractive landmarks and places including: Walter Reed National Military, The Writer’s Center, National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, and the National Institutes of Health campus that one can absolutely enjoy.

The Bethesda community has received media attention including the following notables listed below:

• CNN Money noted that Bethesda MD is number one as a top earning town
• Forbes reported in 2009 that Bethesda MD is one of American’s most livable cities
• Total Beauty rated Bethesda MD as “Best Teeth-Cities”  – number three.
• The book “ The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” authored by Ann Brashares  takes place in Bethesda, Maryland

Overall, living in the downtown bustling can provide a unique experience to its residents and potential residents offering the charm and beauty of dining, entertainment, and its conveniences to luxury residential living.

If your interested in learning more about some of the awesome listings that exist near DC click HERE or just enter your information into the box on your right and an expert real estate agent will get in touch with you ASAP!

There are a lot of awesome things going on right now in DC. Here are just a few of the news items and events that you need to know about.

DC Area- National Harbor Restaurant Week: Do you like dining out at various restaurants? National Harbor Restaurant Week is coming  to the DC area October 3-16, 2011. Enjoy the cuisines of American, Chinese, Mexican, Seafood, and much more. During this time period, enjoy gourmet prix-fixe for $20 and dinners for $35.

DC Northwest- Taste of DC: Taste of DC is a festival that is held in DC(October 8-10, 2011) offering food, wine, beer, and entertainment. Taste of DC mission is to provide experiences of food while bringing the community together. For more information visit the Taste of DC website.

DC- Oktoberfest: Oktoberfest is a 16-18 day beer festival that is held annually in Munich, Germany. Oktoberfest event focuses on beer, food, and dancing. One of the places that will hold Oktoberfest is Biergarten Haus(1335 H Street NE).

DC NW- Most Expensive Office Space: In a recent study by Jones Lang LaSalle, there were five most expensive office spaces across North America.  DC was listed as number five with the most expensive office space located at Pennsylvania Avenue in northwest DC. Jones Lang LaSalle noted the office space is “$80 per square foot” and it is expensive because it is home to dozens of law firms.

DC- Mortgage Rates hit an all time low: According to Freddie Ma in the Week of September 26th morgage rates in the DC area hit a low of 4.01% for a 30-year mortgage and 3.28% for a 15-year mortgage. What does this mean for the potential home buyer?

If you want to take advantage of these low mortgage rates and take part in these awesome DC area happenings then just enter your information into the box on your right and a DC real estate expert will get in touch with you asap!

Image Credits: dcmetrocentric.com

Mezza Luna’s décor is a modern amalgam of industrial styling and welcoming softness. The restaurant has a warm color palette, exposed ductwork, rounded lighting fixtures, rectangular column-posts, and hardwood flooring with well placed white table-cloths and dark-wood seating for elegant dining. The sports bar is sizable and offers an excellent place to watch sporting events. The sports bar area also includes a variation of seating arrangement so it makes a perfect location for meeting up with a group of friends or an intimate one on one get together.

Having been recognized as Open Table’s “Diner’s Choice Winner in 2010”, Mezza Luna definitely has a variety of Mediterranean cuisine options serving an array of  cold and hot tapas, salads, Panini’s, pastas and entrees. The restaurant has happy hour from Monday through Friday starting at 4:00pm and running until 7:00pm.  Different drink specials are priced at four, five, and six dollars (wines and beers). Besides happy hour drink specials there are five dollar happy hour foods. The hummus served with grilled pita is particularly good. The popcorn shrimp served with salsa verde is also excellent.  Also on the Mezza Luna happy hour menu is: chicken tenders, jalapeno poppers, cheeseburger sliders, mozzarella sticks, BBQ wings, Caesar salad, and calamari fritti served with marinara sauce.

Mezza Luna also provides other features to its customers including: outdoor seating, NFL brunch on Sundays during football season, carryout, and the ability to host private parties for up to two hundred  people.

So if you are in the mood to enjoy some food, music, sports, or just socialize, stop by Mezza Luna Mediterranean restaurant (lounge, tapas, and bar).

Hours: Monday-Friday: 11:30am-11:00pm, Saturday: 5:00pm-11:00pm

Image Credits: yelp.com

Upon entering this dimly-lit space, customers are embraced by the modern interior feel with a small bar, a flat screen television near the bar area, a warm wall palette, abstract artwork, wall decorations, brightly colored bar stools with silver pub tables, hardwood flooring, and lighting that brings an intimate ambience.

The Brookland Café motto is “Eat Good, Connect, and Drink Up”. This motto holds true as it offers a variety of menu options, a café mural, and an inn for travelers.

The menu options at the Brookland Café include appetizers of fried plantains ($3), spinach dip ($6), chicken tenders ($8), and much more. On their menu selection, the café also include soups, salads, Caribbean food, soul food, lunch specials, sandwiches and wraps, platters, burgers, wings, and vegan and vegetarian dishes. One of the vegan dishes that really do not taste like a vegan dish is the Vegan Mock Shrimp Basket. Priced at $9, this dish includes plump shrimp that is fried in vegetable protein batter and served with homemade pepper fries and cocktail sauce.

Photo Courtesy: Luciana Vegan Kitchen website

Besides the wonderful menu selection at the Brookland Café is a painted mural called “A Survivors Journey”. On the outside building of the café, this mural is represented to “raise awareness of domestic violence in the DC area and spreads a message of hope and healing”.

The other attractive feature that Brookland Café brings to the community is the Brookland Inn which is located at 3742 12^th Street NE. For those who are traveling to the area, the Brookland Inn is considered more of an apartment style or guest suites having one or two bedrooms. The Brookland Inn is appointed with modern amenities that include wireless internet access, flat screen television, complimentary continental breakfast, and business desks. Some rooms of course might include a kitchenette, a couch, a fireplace, or even a Jacuzzi tub.

The Brookland Café definitely offers a vast number of services (food, mural, and guest suites) to the community. The café also offers other community driven events including: “Vegan Wednesday” from 4pm-11:00pm, “Saturday Wine Tasting”, and other events that support the Brookland neighborhood and DC area which can be found on their Facebook page(eatatbcafe).

So if you happened to be in the Brookland neighborhood and enjoy vegetarian, vegan, or even regular food, check out Brookland Café.

Photo from Sam Hurd Photography Website

Herndon-Metro Future Plans to become more bicycle friendly
DC has become known for its pedestrian and bicycling friendliness. Well, it seems like Herndon, Virginia is looking have that “pedestrian and bicycling” feature in their area. Fairfax County Times reports that “the Town of Herndon is working to convert the town’s side of the future Herndon Monroe metro station into a more urban-style neighborhood that is oriented to pedestrian and cyclists, as well as drivers” Do you think this can be pulled off considering that the area is more suburban? or Should they just wait until the Silver line (metrorail station) comes, which will be 2016 to implement a more pedestrian friendly area?
Source: Fairfax County Times

Do you want a Free Home Energy Assessment?
The District of Department of the Environment is offering DC homeowners an opportunity to receive a free home energy audit. This program promotes energy efficiency assessments to see how well the home is performing. The audit also provides suggestions on how to improve your home’s energy.
Source: District of Department of the Environment (DDOE)

Free Performances at the Kennedy Center
The Kennedy Center provides free performances every day at 6:00pm. Check out different genres of music at the Kennedy Center which is located at 2700 F Street, northwest Washington, DC
Source: Kennedy Center

Are you happy in the state you live in?
Live Science identified ten states that most people are “the happiest” in. Maryland was listed as one of the happiest states to live in. Why?, you might ask. According to Live Science, Maryland and the other nine states listed could be based on work environment, access to health, a safe place to exercise and walk, or overall community satisfaction.
Source: Live Science

Old Town Alexandria, Pentagon City, Crystal City, and DC offer accessible shopping, dining, entertainment, and public transit to the Potomac Yards community. One of the beauties of living in Potomac Yards luxury townhomes is that is it adjacent to Potomac Yards shopping center that features Target, Best Buy, Barnes and Noble, the theatre, Old Navy, and much more.

Potomac Yards luxury townhomes, which is located on Route 1-Jefferson Highway, is an eclectic mix of modern and cosmopolitan feel with a historic charm. The architectural structure of these townhomes resembles much of the homes in the Alexandria area having a federal architectural feel with red-brick cobblestones.

It was such a great pleasure to go on a hard hat tour (Saturday, August 20, 2011) as Cammie spoke about the new developments of Potomac Yards luxury townhomes and condominiums. Here are a few conversation pieces that Cammie spoke about on the hard hat tour….

Q: What townhome are we touring?
A: We are touring a not so-completed model townhome that is located at 2309 Main Line Boulevard.

Q: Why did you choose this area?
A: This land was going to be used for the football stadium but it was a great idea to use this land to build a mix use of residential, commercial, and office space.

Q: Can you describe some of the exterior features of the Potomac townhomes?
A: The architectural style will mimic the style of Alexandria homes. The townhomes will include a private roof terrace, deck, or balcony. In addition to, there will either be a one or two car garage with garage door openers for each home.

Q: What are some interior features for Potomac Yards townhomes?
A: Some will include 10’ ceilings on the main living level, classic oak staircase off main level, hardwood flooring throughout main level, marble vanity tops, enclosed glass shower with tiled seating, a pedestal sink in the powder room, granite counters in the kitchen, and energy star appliances in the kitchen

Q: I noticed these are nearby Washington, DC and the airport. How sound proof are these homes?
A: We have a STC Rating Requirement that protects these homes from hearing sounds when a plane flies over.

Q: What else will be included in this community?
A: There is going to be a park in this area. The park will include a stage, a waterfall, tennis, and much more. The beauty of this is that the City of Alexandria will maintain the park as the residents do not have to maintain it.

Q: What is the price range of these homes?
A: They range anywhere between $400K -$800K+

Q: I noticed that most of these homes are still being constructed. When will all of them finally be completed?
A: We are hoping for all of the townhomes and condominiums are completed by November 2011.

Interested in these new developments from Pulte Homes? If that is the case, check out this home that is nearby the model home that I went on tour to view having four bedrooms, 3 ½ baths priced at $830,740 with its location at 2313 Main Line Boulevard Unit #275.

For more information, call 1-877-852-6636 or contact a DC CondoDomain agent.

Source: The dialog are pieces of Cammie’s conversation as we went on a hard hat tour for at least 30 minutes.
Photo Courtesy of New Home Directory Pulte Homes in Alexandria, VA

Kelsey Gardens Gets Raze
Bye, Bye to the vacant Kelsey Gardens as new development will kick in soon on the 1500 block of 7^th Street.
Source: Renew Shaw
Source: Washington City Paper

Dedication Memorial for Martin Luther King Jr.
The memorial and dedication for Martin Luther King Jr., a civil rights leader, will have its kickoff at the National Mall near the Tidal Basin on Monday, August 22, 2011.
Source: Dedicate The Dream

US Post Office Plan to Close At Tech World
There is a quite a buzz going around about the closings of US Postal services through the United States. In this case, USPS posted an announcement indicating certain locations to be closed particularly in the DC Metropolitan area. This particular location will be at the Tech World which is located at 800 K Street. Where will the people that live in this area actually go for postal service?

Five Most Walkable DC Homes.
This week we are spotlighting the five most walkable homes in DC with a price range of $800k to a cool million.

Showing properties 1 - 5 of 25. See more city of Washington real estate.
(all data current as of 2/4/2012)

1. $859,500 : 616 E St Nw #1150, Washington
   
   3 beds, 3 full, 1 part baths

   Home size: 1,672 sq ft
2. $885,000 : 2600 Pennsylvania Ave Nw #303, Washington
   
   2 beds, 2 full baths

   Home size: 1,250 sq ft
3. $849,000 : 3251 Prospect St Nw #R-318, Washington
   
   2 beds, 2 full baths

   Home size: 1,074 sq ft
4. $897,500 : 1177 22nd St Nw #1b, Washington
   
   1 bed, 1 full, 1 part baths

   Home size: 1,247 sq ft
5. $879,000 : 1125 11th St Nw #702, Washington
   
   2 beds, 2 full, 1 part baths

   Home size: 1,550 sq ft

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

For more information about DC Condo Domain, call 1-877-852-6636, or search more of our listings.

Photo courtesy from nj.com

Listed below are five condos that shows an international, contemporary, or beaux arts style in its architecture.

Address: 1401 Q Street NW #602
MLS:# DC7665056
Price: $1, 399,900
Bedroom: 2
Bath: 2
Location: Logan Circle
Square Feet: 1,568

Address: 3303 Water Street, NW #E-6
MLS:# DC7665150
Price: $1,999,000
Bedroom: 2
Bath: 2
Location: Georgetown
Square Feet: 1,848

Address: 4301 Military Rd NW #401
MLS #: DC7657113
Price: $1,500,000
Bedroom: 2
Bath: 2
Location: Chevy Chase, MD
Square Feet: 2,019

Address: 4301 Military Rd NW #Ph04
MLS:# DC7658411
Price: $1,499,000
Bedroom: 2
Bath: 2
Location: Chevy Chase, MD
Square Feet: 1,582

Address: 1414 22nd St NW #42
MLS:# DC7665786
Price: $1,099,000
Bedroom: 2
Bath: 2
Location: Dupont
Square Feet: NA

Next week’s edition of million dollar plus homes will showcase six more lovely condos in these sought-after neighborhoods.

For information about these fabulous listings, call 1-877-852-6636 or contact a DC Condo Domain Agent.