Winter coming on

2007-11-22-dscn1471 Originally uploaded by martin_kalfatovic

The berries are coming out around Colonial Village

30 Years ago...

Just over 30 years ago, on October 14, 1977, Mobile Corp. purchased the Colonial Village complex from the original developer, Gustave Ring. Colonial Village was all rentals at the time and a two bedroom unit rented for $210 and a one bedroom for $160.

A Happy Fourth of July!

The fireworks on the National Mall are easily visible from near Colonial Village. A short walk over to the Marine Corps Memorial provides one of the best views of the show. Even just stepping out on to Wilson Blvd. will provide flashes of fireworks over the Washington Monument. One drawback to being so close is that residents run the risk of not finding parking if they leave during the day and come back before the end of the fireworks. Summer also brings botanical fireworks to the grounds of Colonial Village!

At the movies!

Long term residents of Colonial Village probably remember the Wilson Theatre at 1720 Wilson Blvd. The theatre, which seated over 600, closed in 1978, but later saw a brief revivial showing Bollywood films in the 1980s. In June 1939, the Wilson was presenting Richard Dix in "Man of Conquest". Today, of course, we have the nearby, not not nearly as convenient, AMC Courthouse 8 at the Courthouse Metro. The multiplex probably seats as many people (or more) than the old Wilson Theatre and offers more choices, but whether the movies themselves are better ... well ... that's a matter of taste! See a bit more information on the Wilson Theatre at Cinema Treasures.

Only Connect ...

The Washington Post today (June 3) had an interesting article on neighborhood blogging, "Blogging on the Block". The Post interviewed a number of local neighborhood bloggers to see how and why they started, the type of material that they covered and other such topics. The thing that most interested me about the article was the following quote:

Want to vent? Make a community connection? Or even, dare we say it, make a difference? Neighborhood blogs -- an ever-evolving mix of journaling and journalism -- are an increasingly popular forum for helpful, often constructive discussions of the uber-local sort.

In Colonial Village where many of the residents work odd hours or just don't run into each other often, new tools such as blogs, listservs, webpages, allow them to connect in new and better ways. So just as a reminder, don't forget that you can find out more about - and connect to - our community at the following spots:

• Colonial Village I
• Colonial Village II
• Colonial Village III
• Yahoo Groups: Colonial Village

As Evelyn Waugh enjoined at the start of his great novel - Howards End (1910) - "Only connect ..."

Gustave Ring (1910-1983)

Twenty-four years ago this month, on May 3, Gustave Ring died. Ring, as many Colonial Village residents know, is responsible for the creation of our community. In 1935, Ring was already a noted developer in the Washington area when he came up with the innovative idea of a large complex of garden apartments in Arlington. Funded through the Federal Housing Administration, Colonial Village's eventual 1,052 units was a model development in both the Washington area and the country. Ring created a number of other developments, including the Ring Buliding (in Washington) and the Woodmont Country Club. In addition to his career as a builder and real estate developer, Ring kept a thoroughbred racing stable.

Colonial Village continued to hold an important place in Ring's portfolio until 1977 when he sold it to Mobil Corporation. It was this sale, and the eventual designation of Colonial Village as Arlington County Landmark and entry on the National Register of Historic Places, that led to the formation of our three condominium associations, the co-operative, and the two rental organizations.

Colonial Village Magnolias

One of the great pleasures of Colonial Village is the flowering of the magnolia trees (primarily Magnolia grandiflora though there are a few other varieties around) scattered around the grounds. Late spring and early summer see the grounds decked with the magnificent blooms; later, as the blossoms mature, the cones form and soon the ruby red seeds begin to pop out of the cones.

A look back to cooler days!

May 26, 2007 As we hit our first 90 degree day of 2007, I thought I'd give us a little cooling relief with a picture from around Colonial Village from January 2005 when things were a little chillier!