Arlington, Virginia is only 26 square miles, but it has packed in a lot of new condominium buildings during the past 7 years despite its limited turf. I continue spending a lot of time getting to know these buildings as they are constructed. Though there are a lot of happy homeowners it is normally the negative comments that get posted. I want to take a moment to “rave” about a new condominium I am very fond of. In fact, if Sonia and I were in the market for a new home, it would be at the top of our list.
The Wooster and Mercer Lofts are located behind Café Asia on Clarendon Blvd., in between Courthouse and Rosslyn Metro Station in downtown Arlington. Wooster and Mercer epitomize solid construction and yet they play to your emotional side at the same time. Wooster is four levels of steel frame, cement and brick. With the cost of glass and steel on the rise, I have heard the opinion that it may not be feasible to ever build a condo of this size (non high-rise) with these materials.
Every single home in Wooster and Mercer has cherry and mahogany hardwood in every room except the bathrooms. Why has this concept taken so long to catch on? It is almost like asking people if they would like to add air conditioning as an option in their new car. Of course they want A/C and of course they want hardwood floors. I digress. The appliances and fixtures selections are also forward thinking. Sub-Zero refrigerators, Wolf ranges and Waterworks plumbing fixtures are all STANDARD. Just as we went from tapioca, to almond, to white, to black and then stainless steel appliance -- I think we are headed for commercial-grade appliances in the home. You might as well buy for the future so you are not playing catch-up in a few years when it is time to sell.
Style is a matter of opinion. I personally love the open loft feel, wrapped in windows with 10 to 21-foot high ceilings and exposed ductwork. I also love that they did it tastefully. The building has a contemporary energy about it, but you don’t feel like you are buying the middle-age-crisis Porsche convertible. They are homes you would feel comfortable entertaining almost any audience. Speaking of entertaining, some of the units have terraces fit for an outdoor party (many are also equipped for outdoor hot tubs).
Abdo Development is also involved in renovating the historic National Children’s Museum in DC. They decided to use the left over 130+ year old brick to outfit the interior of many units. Tugs at your heartstrings a little. From talking with one of the construction managers I also learned that Wooster and Mercer meet the qualifications for Leadership in Energy Efficiency and Design (LEED) green building rating. Being the first EcoBrokers in Arlington, I have been waiting for something like this to geek out about. Not only are Wooster and Mercer lofts environmentally friendly, they use products that will continue promoting energy efficiency for the life of the building. Some examples of how this rating is achieved: appliances that use less energy to cook food or wash clothes; heating and air-conditioning that maintain a constant temperature and go easy on your energy bills; windows that insulate heat in the winter and filter UV rays in the summer; plumbing that wastes less water to accomplish the same task; building supplies that can be regenerated.
The Wooster and Mercer Lofts also get my five star rating for offering high-end amenities and service while maintaining a relatively low condo fee. I think it will be interesting to compare and contrast the Wooster and Mercer Lofts with Turnberry Towers when they are complete. Will people mind the high condo fees and naked interiors of Turnberry?
I don’t have any affiliation with Abdo Development or the Wooster and Mercer Lofts. I’m just a local Realtor that thinks it is time to include some raves with all the rants. One of my clients just moved in to the Wooster and I would be happy to talk to you about our buying experience off-line if you are interested.
-Adam Gallegos (www.surfNOVAturf.com)
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