Stephen Judge, President of Seasons 52 fresh grill and wine bar recognized Tysons Corner “As the premier shopping destination in Northern Virginia, its blend of popular and upscale retailers provides a lifestyle environment compatible with the Seasons 52 concept.”

Seasons 52 offers a casual yet sophisticated dining experience.  Its guests enjoy a seasonally inspired menu as well as international, award-winning wines.  They also have a piano bar with an extensive drink menu.

Seasons 52 restaurant has a truly unique concept.  As its name implies, Seasons 52’s menu is based on the freshest ingredients from local farmers markets and the menu changes to highlight each of the four seasons.  They also offer weekly specials for every week of the year…that’s where the 52 comes into play.

Having a menu that is based upon the four seasons is not the only thing that makes Seasons 52 a unique fresh grill and wine bar. In addition to using only the freshest ingredients and natural cooking techniques — such as brick-oven cooking and wood-fire grilling — guests are also offered a truly tasty, low calorie menu.  Vegetables are caramelized to bring out natural flavors.  Oil and seasonings are used with precision to ensure great flavors.   All of these wonderful techniques result in a menu where no menu item contains more than 475 calories!

Another unique offering of Seasons 52 is the Mini Indulgences, a unique  Seasons 52 concept.  Mini Indulgences consist of desserts made with only the finest ingredients served in a shot-size glass, which allows the guest to experience the maximum taste pleasure with a minimum amount of calories.

Seasons 52 also offers Chef’s Table dining.  This is the ultimate dining experience.  The menu consists of five courses plus a Mini Indulgences dessert.  Each course is paired with a wine that compliments the course.

Located in the prestigious Tysons Corner Center, Seasons 52 would be the perfect place to host a business meeting.  The private dining rooms are fully equipped with audio-visual amenities.  They even offer an event planner to take care of all of the details to make your meeting a success.

Seasons 52 is just one of many restaurants in Tysons Corner, where restaurants are indeed plentiful.  They range from family-friendly restaurants to upscale restaurants that will satisfy the most discriminating diner.  So, the next time you are planning to eat out, visit one of the many restaurants in Tysons Corner.

I am Jeff Wu and I can assist you with all of your real estate needs.  Whether you are relocating to the futuristic city and growing business district of Tysons Corner, or if you already live here and are selling your house or purchasing your new dream home in Tysons Corner, McLean, or Vienna, please contact me at Agent Knows Homes.

This picture captures WDG Architecture's rendition of the future for Tysons Corner. 

WDG Architecture is part of the team for the Tysons Demonstration Project.

The vision of the project is to turn Tysons Corner into a community that offers a place to work, live and play; a community that is linked to the Washington DC Metropolitan District via the Metro's Silver Line to make for a community that is truly self-contained.

Any community that is self-contained must include a mix of residences and businesses.  It must be easily accessible both by transportation and walking.  Tysons corner will achieve this very successfully.

My past blogs have discussed the future growth with the construction planned for 1775 Tysons Boulevard office building and Tysons Tower.  In addition, construction is planned for Greystar's 25-story, 404-unit apartment complex. The Georgelas Group has plans to sell land at the intersection of Leesburg Pike and Spring Hill Road to Greystar.  Greystar in turn will build the apartment complex. 

Tyson West is another mixed-use development by JGB Rosenfeld is currently under construction.  It will include office space, a fitness facility, apartments, restaurants, a renovated Sheraton Premiere hotel and a Wal-Mart.  It will be located next to the Tysons West metro station.  The Wal-Mart store will be 79,000 square feet and will focus on fresh foods and groceries.

The future Tysons corner will indeed be a self-sustained city as well as a thriving business district.  It will have one of the best transit systems in the nation, and will no longer be a traffic congested nightmare. Citizens will be able to walk to work, home, entertainment and shopping.  

Fairfax County has plans for parks, schools and libraries, art and entertainment, as well as additional police and firefighters that we will be needed to sustain Tyson Corners growth.

I am Jeff Wu and I can assist you with all of your real estate needs.  Whether you are relocating to the futuristic city and growing business district of Tysons Corner, or if you already live here and are selling your house or purchasing your new dream home in Tysons Corner, McLean, or Vienna, please contact me at Agent Knows Homes.

First, Tysons Corner and the surrounding areas of McLean, Vienna andAlexandria suffered damage caused by the August 23, 2011 earthquake and 13 aftershocks.  Then in that same week, we were victims ofHurricane Irene.

The earthquake registered 5.9 and caused strong shaking but only moderate damage to buildings and cars. Fortunately, there were no deaths reported in Fairfax County from the earthquake.

One of the major problems caused by Irene was the extensive power outages caused by downed electrical lines.  This really created havoc since many traffic signals weren’t functioning.  Not only were many roads closed due to fallen trees, drivers also had to take extra precautions driving without traffic signals.  As if that wasn’t enough, the heavy rains also caused flooding. In view of the weather, the dedication of the Martin Luther King Memorial was postponed.

I hope all of you had the proper insurance coverage on your homes to pay for repairs to damages that were caused by the earthquake, hurricane, and flooding.

For most of us, our home is our most valued asset and we must take the proper measures to protect this investment.

As a Realtor and longtime resident of the Tysons Corner area, it is my obligation to inform all of you about the importance of catastrophe insurance.

Your basic homeowner’s policy does not provide coverage for damages caused by any natural disaster, with the exception of tornado damage.

Here are some tips on purchasing catastrophe insurance:

• Find out if you need catastrophe coverage by contacting the Virginia’s Bureau of Insurance.
• Make sure you have proper coverage, preferably replacement coverage.
• Check the insurance company’s rating.  Only choose a company that has at least an “A” rating.
• Shop around for the best premiums and deductibles.

I am Jeff Wu and I can assist you with all of your real estate needs.  Whether you are relocating to this area, or if you already live here and are selling your house or purchasing your new dream home in Tysons Corner, McLean,Vienna, or Alexandria, please contact me at Agent Knows Homes.

Tyson Corner is one of the largest business districts in the nation and continues to grow.  There is so much new construction going on and much more planned for the future, yet historical homes and sites are also located in this diverse Virginia area.

One such historical home “Maple Shade,” located in Vienna recently went up for sale.  It is a charming farm house that sits on almost 16,000 acres.  The house was built circa 1890 and the current owner knows all about the homes history.  The home actually has an official historical marker. It’s not often that a historical home goes on the market.

Historical districts such as Vienna’s Windover Heights Historical District contain a mix of both new and historical homes.  Many of these homes were owned by some of Vienna’s most prominent citizens.

While other homes are a part of Vienna’s history because they are the actually site where historical events took place.

New home construction or exterior renovations to existing homes in Windover Heights Historical District is strictly monitored and must be approved by their review board.  It is the review board’s intent to ensure that the new and the old maintain the areas historic ambiance.

If you would to visit a historic home in Vienna, the Freeman House was Lydecker’s store during the civil war.  To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the civil war, Freeman House will host a civil war exhibit.  The exhibit will be open Wednesday through Sunday from noon until 4:00 p.m.

In keeping with the historic theme, nearby Alexandria is home to the Gadsby’s Tavern Museum.  This historic site has an inn, that is now the museum and a tavern.  The tavern was first opened circa 1785.  The tavern now offers diners a casual but elegant experience and has an extensive menu.  It is open for lunch and dinner and also has a Sunday brunch.

Sadly, both of the Gadsby’s Tavern Museum buildings were damaged, especially the chimneys, by theearthquake that rocked the east coast the afternoon of August 23. The museum will be closed through August 28 while the damage is being assessed.

I am Jeff Wu and I can assist you with all of your real estate needs.  Whether you are relocating to this modern and historic area, or if you already live here and are selling your house or purchasing your new dream home in Tyson Corner, Vienna, or Alexandria, please contact me at Agent Knows Homes.  

Those of us who live and work in Tysons Corner are fully aware of the traffic congestion.  Sadly, the traffic situation has only gotten worse with the construction of the Metrorails four substations and the High-Occupancy Toll Lanes… HOT project construction.  Both of these projects, when completed, will help ease traffic congestion.  However, with all of the future growth planned for Tysons Corner, a long term traffic and infrastructure solution must be found to keep up with this growth. The question is who will be paying for Tysons Corner’s road and transit upgrade and infrastructure requirements that will come with this growth?

It is estimated that it will cost $1.7 billion and take approximately 20 years to make the road and transit upgrades.  We will need to widen roads, make buses more accessible, and build an urban street grid. 

Fairfax County officials are suggesting that Fairfax County residents pay $706 million for the road and transit upgrades.  This would mean that tax payers would be burdened with 42% of the cost to fund this project.  The remaining balance of $991 million, or 58%, would be funded by developers.

Needless to say, the  McLean Citizens Association  feels this is an unfair burden to tax payers.  They highly recommended to the Fairfax County supervisors that an equitable split would be 75% to the developers and 25% to the taxpayers for the road and transit upgrades.

This is only the beginning.  It is anticipated that Tysons Corner’s growth will increase jobs by 71%...from 113,000 to 193,000 jobs.  The majority of this growth is anticipated by 2030 and expected to continue through 2050.  In addition, residents of Tysons Corner are projected to grow from 18,500 to 193,000…this represents a 500% increase in residents.  Again, the majority of this growth is anticipated by 2030 and expected to continue through 2050.

With this anticipated growth comes a required need for additional infrastructure to support this growth.  We will need more police, firefighters, and emergency services to protect our citizens.  Our children will need parks, playing fields, libraries, and schools.  We must also account for sewage and water expansion.

The McLean Citizens Association pointed out that it is the developers that are causing the need for the additional infrastructes required to keep up with Tysons Corner’s anticipated growth; therefore, the developers should pay their fair share.  It was recommended that 75% of these costs be absorbed by the developers and 25% by the taxpayers.

It is essential that road, transit, and infrastructures be considered very carefully in order to sustain a city’s successful growth; and, financial costs should be allocated fairly to prevent a disproportional burden to tax payers.

In the meantime, until the HOT project is completed in 2012 and the Metrorail substations are completed in 2013, some solutions to ease your current commute to and from work are offered by Virginia Mega Projects .  Make sure you watch the video by Velma Booth, Senior Associate at Booz Allen Hamilton.

Currently, lunch hour traffic in Tysons Corner has been referred to as the third rush hour. There are several work-arounds.  On those stressful days when you don’t want to fight traffic, have your lunch delivered by one of Tysons Corner’s many fine restaurants that deliver lunch to your office. (Just order early.)  Or, why not walk to a nearby restaurant?

I am Jeff Wu and I can assist you with all of your real estate needs in Fairfax County.  If you are planning on selling your house or purchasing a home in Tysons Corner, Vienna or McLean, please contact me at Agent Knows Homes.

Most of my past blogs about Tysons Corner, McLean, and Vienna point out what's going on in this great area where people love to work, shop, and live. Tysons Corner is the "downtown" of Fairfax County, so what happens throughout the county is of great concern. As a lifelong resident and Realtor ® of Fairfax County, I want to take this opportunity to reach out to my fellow Fairfax County residents to lend a helping hand to many organizations that need volunteers. Whatever skill you have, there is an organization nearby that could use your services.

If you like retail, Inova Health Systems is seeking both adult and teen volunteers at all of their hospital locations to work in the gift shop.  For more information, please visit Inova Health Systems web site.  Also, The Treasure Shop in McLean needs volunteers to work in its thrift store that is part of the Navy Marine Coast Guard Residence Foundation. 

If you have children who love horses and are looking for a fun activity, Simply Changes Therapeutic Riding Center is looking for volunteers 14 years old or more with horse experience to lead horses during lessons. Even if you lack horse experience but love horses, the center will train you to sidewalk during lessons, groom horses, clean stalls and for special projects IF you are able to walk briskly for two to three hours at a time. Check out the You Tube video.

If you love cats and kittens, 4Paws Rescue Team has a need for a variety of volunteer positions. The most urgent need is for volunteers to help with cat care, including playing with them every day. They need help setting up adoption fairs, foster care, transportation, store, home visits, and voice mail.

Like to work with adults? The Shepherd's Center of Oakton-Vienna is looking for volunteers to provide services to people who are 50 and older.  They have a variety of volunteer positions from drivers to office assistance. Fairfax County also needs in-home caregivers, while Volunteer Solutions needs Meals-on-Wheels drivers and other support.  They have a special need for people who speak the language to work with Vietnamese Meals-on-Wheels.

Meanwhile, Vinson Hall Retirement Community needs "concierges" to aid with delivering and unloading residents' grocery bags, greeting and directing visitors, and working at the  front desk.  St. Mark English as a Second Language program in Vienna needs volunteers to teach computer classes and English classes. (You don't need to speak a foreign language for that.)

Have budgeting skills?  Our Daily Bread (ODB), a volunteer-based organization that works with low income residents in Fairfax County, needs helpers to serve as financial mentors and teach budgeting classes. They also need goods to fill their pantry with emergency food supplies.

These are just a few of the organizations that need volunteers.  Volunteer Fairfax can provide you with many others. Help make our area great.

In an April article by Liz Farmer that appeared in The Washington Examiner on line, planner Neal Payton stated, "New town center's success hinges on creating an identity."  He also had just one question for Tysons Corner and Montgomery County-"Who do they think they are?"

As a lifelong resident and top Realtor® in Tysons Corner, I would like to answer that question as it relates to Tysons Corner.

Tysons Corner is a thriving business center set in the middle of an affluent area with a strong customer base; as a matter of fact, we are one of the largest business districts in the nation.  The American Girl Store sure knew of Tysons Corner's identity, which is why we were selected as the location of its tenth store.  (My recent American Girl Store blog will tell you exactly why Tysons Corner was chosen for this honor.)  In the past, Apple chose Tysons Corner as the site of the first store outside New York City.

According to Mr. Payton, there are key questions that town centers need to ask to determine success or failure.  One of those questions is why work there?  Located near but not in DC, Tysons Corner has over 46 million square feet of office space with more on the way.  Though traffic congestion can be fierce, the destination is some of the largest corporations in the nation, including AT&T, Boeing, Booz Allen Hamilton, Capital One, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, Freddie Mac, Gannett (USA Today), Hilton Worldwide, IBM, MicroStrategy, The MITRE Corp., National Automobile Dealers Association, Northrop Grumman, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, SAIC, and Sun Microsystems. 

Other job options include employment in the one million square feet of industrial space or the hotel industry.  The 14 hotels in the area offer 3,900 rooms that serve the Tri-State area and employ thousands.

Workers are surrounded by many great restaurants for business lunches such as Busara Thai Cuisine and other international cuisines.  For those who want to get some shopping done during lunch, Tysons Galleria and Tysons Corner Center can fulfill all of these needs.  The area has over six million square feet of retail space, with 2.5 million of it in Tysons Corner Center alone. Both the shopping and workplace options are expected to increase when the current renovations to the city are complete. 

Traveling to and from work and during lunch will be a breeze once the Silver Line Subway is complete.  Tysons Corner will be the new home of four stations which will help the area become less dependent on the car and more walkable.

Why would you want to live here?  A better question might be: Why wouldn't you want to live here?  Tysons Corner and the surrounding cities of McLean and Vienna are wonderful places to live and raise a family - and things are getting better all the time. Aside from the plethora of work opportunities, shopping, and other amenities nice to have nearby, these cities have many beautiful neighborhoods that offer a wide range of homes that will satisfy even the most discriminating buyer's needs.

I would welcome the opportunity to show you these great neighborhoods and homes. I am Jeff Wu and I can assist you with all of your real estate needs in Tysons Corner, McLean or Vienna. If you are planning on selling your house or purchasing a home, please contact me at Agent Knows Homes.