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Miya Akiko Architecture Atelier. roofs and windows near wall behavior｜食堂の壁のはなれ、屋根と窓のある家.  Fukaya, Saitama. Japan. photos: Takumi Ota

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Hey Sleepy Buddy!!!

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http://iglovequotes.net/

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HOW TO MAKE CREAMY PEACH PIE

CREAMY PEACH PIE

Peach Pie is a must try summer delight of juicy, sweet peaches, baked into the most creamy and delicious custard and topped with a buttery streusel topping that melts in your mouth. Peaches are one of our favorite summer fruits!  We love them in everything from Peach Dumplings to fresh fruit Overnight Oats and of course in a pie! This creamy Peach Pie recipe is going to quickly become a favorite with a creamy base loaded with fresh peach flavor!

HOW TO MAKE CREAMY PEACH PIE

Creamy Peach Pie ranks high on my list of awesome desserts. This pie tastes like summer, filled with juicy and fragrant peaches that have been baked into the creamiest, silkiest custard. Topped with a buttery streusel topping with the slightest hint of cinnamon that works in harmony with all the fresh and sweet flavors. While I love a good old fashioned Peach Pie, this version I must say, is so much more scrumptious. Served with vanilla ice cream and fresh mint leaves, this will easily become your summer go-to dessert.

SHOULD I USE FRESH OR CANNED PEACHES TO MAKE THIS CREAMY PEACH PIE RECIPE?

I made this recipe with canned peaches, do not confuse that with peach pie filling. You can make this recipe with fresh peaches as well. I personally like to use canned peaches, because every slice is perfect, they are sweet and juicy and you can save time on peeling. The fresh peaches are equally delicious in this recipe, just make sure you use ripe peaches and that you peel them. Toss them in 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch.

CAN I USE FROZEN PEACHES TO MAKE PEACH PIE?

Yes, you can, but make sure you completely thaw them and drain all the excess liquid. I also like to toss them in 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch.

HOW DO YOU PEEL FRESH PEACHES?

To peel fresh peaches quickly and easily I use the same method I use for peeling tomatoes! Placing the peaches in boiling water for a few seconds and then plunging them into ice water makes the skins slide right off!

Bring a large pot with water to a boil.

Prepare an ice bath on the side.

Cut a small “x” on the bottom of the peaches.

Place peaches in the boiling water for 10-20 seconds or until the skin splits.

Remove with a slotted spoon and immediately place peaches in the ice water bath.

Use a paring knife to peel off the skin.

Like my favorite Apple Crumb Pie, I like to serve this delicious peach pie with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream!

CAN I FREEZE THIS CREAMY PEACH PIE?

Yes, you can freeze this pie. After you bake it, let it cool to room temperature. Wrap it tightly in aluminum foil, I also like to add a good layer of plastic wrap. The frozen pie will keep up to four months

PRINT RECIPE

SERVINGS: 10 SLICES

CREAMY PEACH PIE

PREP TIME:

15 MINS

COOK TIME:

55 MINS

TOTAL TIME:

1 HR 10 MINS

AUTHOR: CATALINA CASTRAVET

COURSE: DESSERT

CUISINE: AMERICAN

KEYWORD: PEACH PIE

Creamy Peach Pie is a must try summer delight of juicy, sweet peaches, baked into the most creamy and delicious custard and topped with a buttery streusel topping that melts in your mouth.

INGREDIENTS

One 9 inch pie crust

FOR THE FILLING

1 cup white sugar

1/3 cup all purpose flour

pinch salt

2 eggs beaten

1 cup sour cream

1/2 teaspoon peach extract

3 cans 15 oz each Sliced Peaches in juice or light syrup drain well

STREUSEL TOPPING

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

3/4 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup butter cold and cubed

mint leaves optional for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line the bottom and sides of a 9 inch pie plate with a pie crust.

FILLING:

In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of sugar with 1/3 cup of flour, and salt. Whisk to combine.

Add beaten eggs, sour cream and peach extract, whisk until well combined.

Add the peaches to the bowl, using a spatula, gently stir to combine, careful not to crush the peaches.

Transfer the filling to the prepared crust. Distribute evenly.

STREUSEL TOPPING:

In a medium bowl, combine both white and brown sugar, cinnamon and 3/4 cups flour. Stir to combine.

Add the butter, using a fork or pastry cutter combine the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Sprinkle the streusel over the creamy peach layer.

BAKE:

Bake in the preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes, or until lightly browned. If the crust starts to brown more than you prefer, place foil over the crust and continue baking.

Remove from oven and place pie to cool on a wire rack.

After completely cooled, refrigerate for at least 3 hours for the custard to settle.

Serve with vanilla ice cream and garnish with fresh mint leaves.

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Safest States: Here's Where Virginia Ranks

A new study of safety in Virginia considers factors including murders, assaults, and sex offenders/law enforcement per capita.

RICHMOND, VA — Virginia has a proud history as the birthplace of our country's founding fathers and Revolutionary War leaders, stellar public and private universities, and is ranked among the best states for quality of life, according to U.S. News. Some less positive notable facts about Virginia: Traffic is often a nightmare and drivers are aggressive. Despite those criticisms Virginia ranks high by the personal finance website WalletHub among the most-safe states in the country. A new study ranks Virginia at No. 19 on the list. SEE ALSO:

2018 Best Places To Live: 2 Virginia Cities, DC Make US News List

"In order to determine the safest states in America, WalletHub compared the 50 states across 48 key safety indicators grouped into five different categories," the study notes. "Our data set ranges from assaults per capita to unemployment rate to total loss amounts from climate disasters per capita." How did Virginia do? Here's a snapshot, with a rank of 1 being the safest and 25 being average:

25th — Presence of Terrorist Attacks

29th — Number of Mass Shootings

31st — Murders & Non-Negligent Manslaughters per Capita

10th — Forcible Rapes per Capita

5th — Assaults per Capita

10th — Thefts per Capita

29th — Sex Offenders per Capita

25th — Drug Abuses per Capita

32nd — Law-Enforcement Employees per Capita

23rd — Active Firefighters per Capita

35th — Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics per Capita

Vermont ranked No. 1 as the safest state in the U.S., and Mississippi came in dead last. These are the five safest states, according to the study:

Vermont

Main

Minnesota

Utah

New Hampshire

Here's a look at entire U.S. Hover over a state to see its rank:

https://d2e70e9yced57e.cloudfront.net/wallethub/embed/4566/geochart-safest.html

Source: WalletHub

You can read the full study and methodology here.

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Washington Capitals Claim Stanley Cup In Game 5

WASHINGTON, DC -- The Washington Capitals were one game away from being Stanley Cup champions heading into Game 5 in Las Vegas and the team finally snagged the trophy for the first time in team history. The Capitals beat the Las Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 on Thursday. For the Capitals, Thursday's game was No. 3,701 in franchise history, including regular season and postseason contests. "There is a lot on the line," says Caps defenseman Matt Niskanen before the start of the game. "I think everybody recognizes the opportunity we have, that we earned. The destination is in sight, but we have to stay focused on how we get there." "To be honest with you, I think most of us have never been in this position," team captain Alex Ovechkin said on the team website. "For me personally, I don't try to think about it too much, what's going on. I'm just trying to focus on different things, but it's hard. Obviously, it's hard." Ovechkin scored an early power-play goal and was the playoff MVP. He and his teammates are members of the city's first championship hockey team and Washington's first national champion in a major professional sport since the Redskins won the Super Bowl in 1992. Fans went wild when Ovechkin hoisted Lord Stanley's cup on the ice.

Washington Capitals

✔@Capitals

THE MOMENT WE'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR! WE GOT THE CUP! #ALLCAPS #STANLEYCUP

11:23 PM - Jun 7, 2018

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A Capitals viewing party drew tens of thousands to downtown D.C. Here's highlights of a live feed below. 7:46 p.m.:

DanTaylorPatch@DanTaylorPatch

They’re doing the wave

7:43 PM - Jun 7, 2018

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7:32 p.m.: The arena is packed. So is the area outside the arena. Fans ready to go.

Noah Frank

✔@NoahFrankWTOP

16h

Replying to @NoahFrankWTOP

Update: Still more than 90 minutes until actual hockey #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/34qjBkXP9s

Noah Frank

✔@NoahFrankWTOP

D.C.’s hottest club is the 400 level of Capital One Arena. It has everything: Roaming beer vendors, new Mystics fans, an entire wall of people taking photos of the crowd below pic.twitter.com/rDr4yFCQta

7:00 PM - Jun 7, 2018

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6:35 p.m.: Still more than an hour and a half before puck drop.

WAMU 88.5 IS #ALLCAPS

✔@wamu885

17h

The #ALLCAPS crowd grows... pic.twitter.com/NxQ9HMIduJ

WAMU 88.5 IS #ALLCAPS

✔@wamu885

And grows... pic.twitter.com/qdTt7bkrgX

6:00 PM - Jun 7, 2018

12

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6:10 p.m.: The scene outside:

Tim Barber

✔@ABC7TimBarber

18h

Replying to @ABC7TimBarber

Still lots of space pic.twitter.com/bu23v6I5Y2

Tim Barber

✔@ABC7TimBarber

Filling up. #GoCaps ! pic.twitter.com/Dvtfl1bapm

5:59 PM - Jun 7, 2018

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5:58 p.m.: Gettin' rowdy:

DanTaylorPatch@DanTaylorPatch

6:05 PM - Jun 7, 2018

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5:50 p.m.:  5:43 p.m.: Still more than 2 hours until puck drop but time is quickly running out to grab a seat … outside.

WAMU 88.5 IS #ALLCAPS

✔@wamu885

Choicest seats outside Capital One Arena already spoken for. #ALLCAPS

5:24 PM - Jun 7, 2018

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5:15 p.m.: More from outside:

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WUSA9

✔@wusa9

Caps fans are getting creative in celebration of the game! #ALLCAPS #StanleyCup @wusa9

4:49 PM - Jun 7, 2018

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4:42 p.m.: Already plenty of Caps fans at the Mystics game:

4:34 p.m.: Here's the scene at around 4 p.m. at Capital One Arena: https://youtu.be/fjwGlU8C0aA

2:57 p.m.: The line started forming at Capital One Arena a couple hours ago -- even though the Mystics game doesn't start until 4 and the Caps game is scheduled for 8 p.m.

Mackenzie@Mackenzie_OC2DC

The line is beginning to form at Capital One Arena! #StanleyCupFinals #LetsGoCaps #CapsYear @PoPville @wamu885 @ABC7News @nbcwashington

1:09 PM - Jun 7, 2018

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Mark Madden@MarkEMadden

Anticipation is building as fans begin to enter Capital One Arena! Go Caps! #ALLCAPS #STANLEYCUP #Washington Capitals

2:25 PM - Jun 7, 2018

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Top photo: LAS VEGAS, NV - JUNE 07: Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals carries the puck against the Vegas Golden Knights during the third period in Game Five of the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena on June 7, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) LAS VEGAS, NV - MAY 30: Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals skates against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game Two of the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena on May 30, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

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Washington Capitals 2018 Championship Parade: Everything We Know

The date, route, and start time are all up in the air, but there are some hints.

WASHINGTON, DC -- Now that the Washington Capitals have clinched the 2018 Stanley Cup by defeating the Las Vegas Golden Knights in Game 5, we can start thinking about parades. There's no official announcement yet on a championship parade in D.C., but a local official has given us a clue. Early Friday morning, D.C. deputy mayor Kevin Donahue tweeted a joke "official notice" for people who miss work due to celebrating the Caps' win to submit to their bosses. At the end of that form, signed "DC Government," he writes: "Your employee will also be taking a sick day next week for a victory parade."

View image on Twitter

Deputy Mayor Donahue@SafeDC

Attention #ALLCAPS & @Capitals fans: Some of you will likely be late to work tomorrow. If so, please feel free to use this official notice with your boss.

12:03 AM - Jun 8, 2018

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So at this point, we can expect the victory parade to happen next week, at least based on that tweet from someone you would think would have an idea. Exactly when is undoubtedly still being worked out by the D.C. government and will certainly involve coordinating schedules and working with the National Park Service. Going by recent victory parades, it could happen in the middle of a weekday. Both championship parades that happened in Philly this year -- in February for the Philadelphia Eagles and in April for the Villanova men's basketball team -- took place at 11 a.m. on the Thursday after the big win. Stay tuned to this story for updates once more details become available. Curious about what a past victory parade in D.C. might have looked like? Well, you can check out this footage from the 1988 parade celebrating the Redskins second of three championships. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6g8E2Mmn8w]LAS VEGAS, NV - JUNE 07: Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals kisses the Stanley Cup after the team's 4-3 win over the Vegas Golden Knights in Game Five of the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena on June 7, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

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The Merit School of Arlington: Now Hiring Teachers and Staff

Now hiring! What is more rewarding than inspiring, developing and molding a child’s future? Child care is a passionate profession, it demands a love of learning, a love of children, and a passion for intellectual and emotional engagement. We are looking for highly enthusiastic individuals capable of providing consistent care and education, to ensure a stable and nurturing environment for our schools in Arlington, Virginia.  Here is what OUR employees say… “A child’s love, laughter, smiles and hugs are plentiful. This keeps me returning each workday. The rewards keep coming when a child is finally able to achieve a developmental milestone in which you have worked hard to encourage them to learn. The training sessions available help make you a more successful teacher.“                                                                                                                                                      ~ Ms. Doris, Teacher Come grow with us!  We invite you to explore our company, call to ask questions about joining our team, meet our teachers, and see how we live out our motto "Learning in a Loving Environment." Complete the application online at http://www.meritschools.com/ca... or contact our Recruiting office for more details at (571) 402-3258. Our locations... Merit School of Arlington                               Merit School of Clarendon 2201 N. Pershing Drive, Suite K                     2311 Wilson Boulevard Arlington, VA 22201                                         Arlington, VA 22201                                                                                                     

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3 Things You Need to Consider Before Building a Home

Thinking of building the home of your dreams instead of buying one already on the market? Not so fast. There’s research to be done, and it’s vital to the success of your project. Consider these three things before planning out your dream home and affecting your financial security.

Remember Your Resale Value

While it’s important to have the home you’ve always wanted, it’s also important to realize that you might not live in it for the rest of your life. This is why you should always build a home with its resale value in mind. You want the most return on investment (ROI), which means making sure a few, basic features are checked off the list:

Make It Energy Efficient: Energy-efficiency is a huge consideration for home buyers today. And even if you never resell your new construction, it’s helpful to build a home that uses the least amount of energy to heat, cool and operate. This means putting in energy-efficient appliances, windows, doors and insulation. Talk with your builder about the energy-star rating of the materials he or she plans to use in your home, and insist on ones that meet at least the minimum standards for efficiency. Talk about Low-E window coatings, cool roof colors, radiant barriers and more before purchasing any materials.

Keep It Green: Aside from being energy-efficient, your new construction will maintain a higher resale value if it’s Green-Certified. Green materials are available in everything from flooring to water pipes to HVAC ducts. Using materials that are sustainable and easily sourced are earmarks of green construction, but it doesn’t stop there. How you develop your lot, how well you use your resources, whether your water system is efficient — these all count toward Green Certification. Visit the website of the National Green Building Association(NGBA) to learn more.

Stay Comparable to the Neighborhood: Your new construction should also fit with other homes nearby. You don’t want to build a million-dollar home in an area where the average home price is $250,000, for instance, because the less-luxurious homes will pull your own resale value down. It’s better to be a less-expensive home in an upscale neighborhood. This pulls your value up when it comes time to sell. Your home should not be over-improved when compared to other, similar homes in the neighborhood, or you’ll lose big on your ROI should you ever need to sell.

Stay Neutral: Yes, it’s your dream home, and you should have the features you’ve always wanted, but steer clear of odd, inconvenient or inexplicable designs when building your home. For the big considerations that are difficult or costly to change — things such as floor plans, driveway materials or roofing, opt for traditional layouts and finishes over customized ones because they’ll appeal to a wider audience when it comes time to sell. To add your own personal touches, use easy fixes such as wall color and decor. These are much easier and more economical to change out if the need arises.

Vet Your Contractor

Choosing the wrong contractor can be catastrophic to your plans when it comes to building your dream home. Aside from work not getting done on time or not at all, you could face costly interest charges and penalties from your lender should your time frame veer too far off-course. If you’ve never worked with a professional contractor before, it’s vital that you vet your home contractor thoroughly. The Federal Trade Commission offers sound advice on choosing a solid contractor if you’re not sure where to begin.

NEED TO FIND A PRO FOR YOUR CUSTOM HOME BUILD?

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Understand How Financing Works

Financing a new construction is very different from obtaining a mortgage loan in several ways:

Good Credit: Because there’s no existing structure to use as collateral, a strong, established credit history is vital. Interest rates are typically higher on these types of loans as well.

Plan Ahead: You’ll need to produce a realistic budget, a timetable for construction and a nicely detailed plan that outlines the project in order for the loan to be considered.

Bank Supervision: Expect to be a bit more micro-managed than a typical homeowner, at least during construction. Most home construction loans come with strings attached that require regular inspections by bank representatives to ensure that the money borrowed is being spent the way it was initially requested.

Loan Life Stages: Your short-term construction loan will roll over to a mortgage loan upon completion of the build and payment to the contractor.

Of course, there are other options for financing your new home.

Short-Term Construction Loan: Taking a short-term loan to pay for construction allows you to take a new loan once construction has ended. This route helps you shop around when it comes to comparing the best interest rates and terms.

Builder-Financed Construction: This simply means that the builder pays the costs of construction, and upon taking ownership of the home, you take a mortgage to repay them. However, you should be aware of potential pitfalls of being prematurely approved with this type of financing.

In a nutshell, it typically costs more to build a new construction than it does to purchase one already on the market. You should know this up front to feel your project was a success. Research is the name of the game when it comes to taking the plunge into home construction. Know what’s expected of you. Understand what you should expect from those assisting you, and leave plenty of room for setbacks and unexpected circumstances in order to have a successful build.

Related Resources:

Engineering the Future: The Educator’s Guide to Building and Construction

Excavation Contractors Dig up the Dirt

The Historic and Well-Built Craftsman Home

Checklist: Interview Your Deck Builder

Checklist: 5 Steps to a Resale-Ready Home

Working Well with Contractors: 15 Questions that Prevent Fraud and Ensure Satisfaction

Geodesic Domes – A Better Structure?

The Log Cabin: A Different Kind of Statement

Green Building Glossary

Log Homes

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Neighborhood of The Day, Day 16 Pleasant Plains

    Pleasant Plains is a neighborhood in central Washington, D.C. largely occupied by Howard University. For this reason it is also sometimes referred to as Howard Town or, less frequently, Howard Village. It is situated in the Northwest quadrant of the city and bordered by 2nd Street, and McMillan Reservoir to the east; Florida Avenue and Barry Place to the south; Sherman Avenue to the west; and Harvard Street to the north. It is flanked on the eastern side by the Washington Veteran Affairs Medical Center and Washington Hospital Center, and by the Columbia Heights and Park View neighborhoods on the west and north sides. Pleasant Plains, Howard University notwithstanding, is a residential neighborhood. A large portion of its residents are Howard affiliates, either students or employees. One of its major community anchors is the Banneker Recreation Center on Georgia Avenue, which reopened in July 2007 after a year of renovations. The adjacent Benjamin Banneker Academic High School has ranked among the 100 best public schools in the United States.

History

The neighborhood is a small portion of a large colonial estate named "Pleasant Plains," owned by the Holmead family. The property stretched from today’s Spring Road to Columbia Road, and from Georgia Avenue to Rock Creek. The estate was apportioned and sold off over the course of the 19th century and divided into suburbs until it was annexed by the city of Washington in 1878 and became neighborhoods of the city. Essentially, the Pleasant Plains neighborhood is the area of the Holmead estate that was not settled as part of Columbia Heights. (In 1918, the city returned the name "Pleasant Plains" to the entire area of the original estate, but this is a semi-formal name for the section of town and not a neighborhood in and of itself.) The 1879 Hopkins real estate map shows the Pleasant Plains subdivision being located south of Park Road, east of 14th Street, west of Sherman Avenue, and north of Florida Avenue. From Howard down to Florida Avenue was a black-only neighborhood known as Howard Town. Residents of the adjacent LeDroit Park neighborhood built fences to keep black Howard Town residents out, and the black residents then tore down the fences in protest. The fences largely came down in 1901, and blacks began moving into LeDroit Park, effectively ending the segregated Howard Town section.

Howard Town Center

In late 2002, Howard University and the District of Columbia began planning Howard Town Center, a $56 million mixed-use residential and retail project adjacent to the university campus in Pleasant Plains. Howard Town Center was plotted on the west side of lower Georgia Avenue - the neighborhood's major thoroughfare - between V Street and Barry Place NW; the land, owned by the District, was given to Howard University in exchange for a Howard tract on the east side of Florida Avenue NW that is currently used for surface parking. The development was designed to include 65,000 feet of retail (including a Fresh Grocer supermarket), 225 apartments (for market residents rather than university students), and a 7-level, 520-car parking garage. The university and city announced the project, and their selections for its developers, in April 2003. However, the announcement led immediately to a legal battle. Peoples Involvement Corporation, a tenant in the former Bond Bakery Building at W and Georgia (part of the tract the city was ceding to Howard for the project), claimed that it had been promised ownership of the Bond building in the 1970s. The city countered that there was no documentation of either a transfer of ownership or an intention to file one. In 2005, a judge in the D.C. Superior court found in the city's favor, and in December 2006, D.C. Councilmember Jim Graham introduced legislation (which passed the Council) to at last initiate the construction of Howard Town Center in Pleasant Plains in 2007.

Geography

The neighborhood is a rectangle, narrow east to west, positioned on the boundary between NW and NE Washington, about halfway between the center of DC and the Maryland border. The Washington Post listed the neighborhood's borders in 2009 as the area bounded by Park Road NW to the north, the south - Florida Avenue, east - Warder and Sixth Streets, and west - Sherman Avenue NW. The Civic Association recognizes additional area to the west - to 14th Street. The Washington Post's inclusion of the area between Warder Street and Georgia Avenue south of Park Road conflicts with the historical borders of neighboring Park View which includes this area.  

Education

In addition to Howard University and Banneker High School, the area also has the following schools

Harriet Tubman Elementary School

Park View Elementary School

Garnett-Patterson Middle School

Howard University Middle School of Math and Science

Roads

U.S. Route 29 is Georgia Avenue, which nearly bisects the area, runs north and south.

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Two Workshops Help You Master the Art of Managing Your Finances

For the past couple of years you may have noticed exhibits of fine art enlivening the lobby of Arlington Community Federal Credit Union (ACFCU) curated via connections made through Arlington Arts. Now, the credit union is bringing their financial expertise to share with artists — and anyone else in the community — through a pair of free financial workshops at Arlington Cultural Affairs!

Staying On Track: Money Management 101 — June 14 (6:30-8:30 p.m.) Who knew you were spending $50 a week on lattes? Identify your spending triggers and create a plan to curb spending, create healthy savings habits, and use automated tools to help you stay on budget.

Credit Basics You Need To Know — June 20 (2-4 p.m.) Whether you are buying a home or renting a car, access to credit has become increasingly important. Knowing what your credit report contains and understanding of how credit scores are calculated will put you in the best financing position.

The workshops are presented by the Arts Enterprise Institute, a program of Arlington Arts, in partnership with the Arlington Community Federal Credit Union (ACFCU). Please use the Cultural Affairs entrance on the south side of the building. Parking is limited at Arlington Cultural Affairs, 3700 S. Four Mile Run Drive. Additional parking may be found in Shirlington Village, a 10 minute walk from Cultural Affairs. For more information, visit http://villageatshirlington.com/parking. While the workshops are Free, space is limited and registration is strongly suggested. Registration closes at 5:00 p.m. on the evening prior to each respective workshop.

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Metro To Stay Open Late For Stanley Cup Game 5

WASHINGTON, DC — Metro will stay open late for Capitals fans watching Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Thursday night. The agreement is the first time the Metrorail system has ever extended hours for an away game, as the Caps stand one win away from their first-ever Stanley Cup championship. Metro will close at 12:30 a.m. Thursday, an hour beyond the regular weeknight closing time. The Capitals' parent company, Monumental Sports & Entertainment,shelled out the $100,000 needed to keep the transit system running late. After Metro's regular closing time, Caps fans can enter the system at three stations: Gallery Place, Metro Center (11th & G street entrance only) or Judiciary Square (F Street entrance only). All other stations will be "exit only." Thursday's last trains from Gallery Place-Chinatown are now scheduled to depart at:

Red Line to Glenmont 12:38 a.m.; Shady Grove 12:32 a.m.

Green Line to Branch Ave 12:28 a.m.; Greenbelt 12:48 a.m.

Yellow Line to Huntington 12:19 a.m.

The last trains from Metro Center will depart at:

Orange Line to New Carrollton 12:16 a.m.; Vienna 12:40 a.m.

Blue Line to Franconia-Springfield 12:28 a.m.; Largo Town Center 12:27 a.m.

Silver Line to Wiehle-Reston East 12:21 a.m.

In the event of overtime, Metro will provide any updates regarding last train times through arena announcements on Twitter (@wmata and @metrorailinfo) and via MetroAlerts email and text messages. To sign up for MetroAlerts, visit here.

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DC, Virginia Cities Make Best, Worst Staycations List

  WASHINGTON, DC — We know from published research that Americans don't always leave their homes when they take time off from work, whether they don't like to travel or can't afford to — a reality for about one-third of U.S. workers. If you're staying home, Washington, D.C., and several Virginia cities rank among the best for a "staycation," while others place among the worst, according to a new analysis. The personal finance website WalletHub took a look at affordable options for entertainment and relaxation in more than 180 cities. The results? If you live in Orlando, Florida; Honolulu, Hawaii; Chicago, Illinois; Portland, Oregon; or Seattle, Washington, you're pretty well situated. Among those cities, Orlando got the top food and entertainment ranking, Chicago, which ranked No. 3 overall, was No. 1 for recreation opportunities and Honolulu ranked fourth for rest and relaxation. Virginia Beach ranked highest among Commonwealth cities on the list at No. 14 overall with a sixth spot for rest and relaxation opportunities, with Washington, D.C., close behind at No. 17 overall and a second place for recreation offerings. Other Virginia cities on the list are No. 33 Richmond, No. 73 Norfolk, and No. 133 Newport News.But good luck if you live in Oxnard, New Jersey; Bridgeport, Connecticut; San Bernardino or Fremont, California; or Yonkers, New York. Those five cities bottomed out the ranking of WalletHub's 2018 list of the Best and Worst Cities For Staycations. Want some ideas of places to visit in Virginia? We've got you covered: Here Is The Most Beautiful Place In Virginia, Conde Nast Says and Alexandria Named One Of The South's Prettiest Cities. Or try these: Alexandria Named Best U.S. Travel Destination: Money Magazine or DC Area Is No. 1 Summer Travel Destination In The US: Report. For the study, the personal finance website compared the cities across three main areas — recreation, food and entertainment, and rest and relaxation — and then looked at amenities based on the number per capita and their affordability. Read more about the methodology. Earlier this year, a Project: Time Off study found that U.S. workers left 705 million vacation days on the table in 2017. Among them, 212 million days did not roll over to the next benefit year and were sacrificed, resulting in $62 billion in lost benefits. If those vacation days had been used for travel, the study found, the travel industry would get a $236 billion boost. You don't have to travel far to "get away." Debbie MacInnis, a professor of business administration and marketing at the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business, said the most important thing for people planning staycations is to settle on activities that will bring them the most happiness. "For many people, it's a mixture of things," she wrote in a statement accompanying the WalletHub study. A good balance, she said, is to divide time off between things you need to get done, things you want to do and things that inspire you. She also advised keeping the family budget in mind. "Look for free activities in the community or in the communities adjacent to yours," she wrote. Some other findings from the study:

Cleveland, Ohio, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, tied for first in the number of swimming pools per capita. Chicago, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Washington, D.C., rounded out the top five.

The cities with the most tennis courts per capita were Chicago; Richmond, Virginia; Norfolk, Virginia; Omaha, Nebraska; and New York, New York, respectively.

Four cities in Arizona — Gilbert, Tempe, Scottsdale and Peoria — tied with Warwick, Rhode Island, for the most golf courses per capita.

Five cities tied for the most zoos and aquariums per capita. They are North Las Vegas and Las Vegas in Nevada, Orlando and Miami in Florida, and Vancouver, Washington.

Five cities tied for the most ice cream and frozen yogurt shops per capita. They are Orlando and Miami, Las Vegas, New York City and San Antonio, Texas.

The most beer gardens per capita ranking saw another five-way tie among Portland, Oregon; Denver, Colorado; New York City; Oakland, California; and Washington, D.C.

New York City; San Francisco, California; Portland; Seattle; and Las Vegas all tied in the ranking of the most coffee and tea shops per capita.

The ranking of the most museums per capita saw a five-way tie between Yonkers; Jersey City, New Jersey; Glendale, California; Columbia, Maryland; and New Orleans, Louisiana.

The ranking of the most spas per capita saw a five-way tie between North Las Vegas and Henderson in Nevada, Honolulu, New York City, and San Francisco.

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DC, NoVA Weekend: Celebrate Fairfax, Wine On The Water​

If the Northern Virginia and DC areas aren't celebrating a potential Stanley Cup victory for the Capitals the second weekend of June, there will be plenty of other things to do. If you want to plan out the weekend, we've rounded up numerous events going on in your communities from Friday, June 8 to Sunday, June 9. Some are free. Some have a fee. Some of the larger attractions you'll find include: Celebrate Fairfax, Capital Pride, DC Jazz Festival, Tinner Hill Blues Festival, Taste of Springfield and March for the Ocean.

Friday, June 8

Capital Pride (through Sunday, June 10)

Tinner Hill Blues Festival (through Sunday, June 10)

Celebrate Fairfax (through Sunday, June 10)

DC Jazz Festival (through June 17)

Frank Lloyd Wright Birthday Picnic

Art on the Vine

Town Green Summer Concert Series: Vienna Idol

Tysons Corner Center Summer Concert Series: "The Legwarmers"

Unity of Fairfax Magical Mystical Movie Night: "I Am"

Beer Pop Up Weekend at 868 (through Sunday, June 10)

Girlfriend by Matthew Sweet and Todd Almond (through Sunday, June 10)

Columbia Pike Movie Nights: "Chicago"

Sounds of Summer Concert Series in Fredericksburg

Barry Manilow at Wolf Trap (through Saturday, June 9)

Golden Cinema at Farragut: "The Devil Wears Prada"

Summer Sunset Movie Nights at Mount Vernon RECenter: "Captain America: Civil War"

Crescent Cinema in Gainesville: "Paddington 2

Saturday, June 9

Old Town Arts and Crafts Festival

March for the Ocean

Wine on the Water

D-DAY Commemoration & French Market

Fort Ward Civil War Camp Day

The General's Tour – Robert E. Lee in Alexandria

Virginia Renaissance Faire (through Sunday, June 10)

Loudoun County Antiques Fair (through Sunday, June 10)

Reston Concerts on the Town Presents Blues Beatles

2018 Creek Fest

ROAMStock in Del Ray

21st Annual Cajun Festival at Breaux Vineyards

Belle and Sebastian at The Anthem

Shwayze & Cisco: 10th Anniversary Summer Tour

Columbia Pike Movie Nights: "The Color Purple"

Health & Fitness Expo At Maury Elementary

Sunday, June 10

Taste of Springfield

Stanley Cup Final Game 6 (if needed)

Roger Daltrey Performs The Who's Tommy (and Tuesday, June 12)

Night Riots with Courtship at U Street Music Hall

Northern Virginia FARE Food Allergy Heroes Walk

Vigil for Pulse Nightclub in Leesburg

Paint, Sip & Support Charity Fundraiser in Herndon

Mosaic District Films in the Park: "Wrinkle in Time"

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Top 10 Tips for a Smooth Home Buying Experience in Northern Virginia

We want to make it easy for you to close on your dream home! Read more for our top tips for having a smooth home buying experience in Northern Virginia. 1. Meet with your real estate professionals early Even if you’ve bought and sold a house before, start the process early. Talking with professionals well in advance of when you want to buy will help you be prepared. Meet with your real estate agent, title expert, loan officer or home inspector early in the process to know what they will need from you and to get a grasp on what the timeline and process will be moving forward. 2. Listen to the experts A good rule of thumb in any real estate transaction is to listen to the experts! Make sure you hire someone with experience. Or if it’s a friend you are hiring, make sure they have experts on their team that can provide you the good and bad on every property. No question is a bad question when you are trying to determine if you are going to buy your dream home. 3. Get pre-approved for a mortgage Definitely sit down with a mortgage lender before you see properties. A lender will ensure that you are looking for homes that you can afford. In addition, they will make sure you have the proper paperwork so that when you find your dream home you can close quickly. 4. Make a list of must-haves and would-likes The fewer must-have requirements you have for a new home the more options you will have. In addition, being flexible means that you can consider homes in your budget range that you might not have considered before. Great real estate professionals will let you know when your expectations aren’t realistic. 5. Make decisions quickly but not hastily In the greater Washington DC area, properties fly on and off the market. So, it’s best that when you see something you love you make a decision quickly and write up an offer. This will help you be able to secure a home that you want rather than lose out on it during the home buying experience in Northern Virginia. 6. Expect the unexpected during the home buying experience in Northern Virginia Expect that there will be something that comes up in your home inspection or something before closing is revealed about the property. Make sure that your timeline allows for a delay. That way you can ensure you know all potential issues with the home and you can request a credit or the seller to fix any issues. 7. Talk to your title and escrow company early The home title is one area in which a transaction could fall apart. Engage with your title and escrow company early in regards to the status of the home you’re looking at purchasing. A great title and escrow company will perform a thorough title search to see any potential issues related to the title of the property. Are there any liens? Any heirs on the title that aren’t the sellers you are negotiating with? Getting title insurance will protect you if there are past or future issues, and you only have to pay it one time at closing! 8. Perform a final walk-through Ensure that prior to closing you walk the property one last time. Sometime a large rainstorm or unexpected event can change the condition of the property. Generally, it is 30-60 days from the time that you put a contract down on a property to the time that you go to closing. You want to make sure that the property is intact and there is nothing visibly wrong before signing the paperwork. 9. Read the closing documents Your closing documents may seem daunting but be sure to read through them! This includes the interest rate, taxes and closing costs. Ask any lingering questions of your mortgage, real estate and title professionals before going to closing so that you are ready to sign when you go to the meeting. 10. Get the keys and enjoy your new home The final part of your home buying experience in Northern Virginia is enjoying your new home! Hire moving professionals for a smooth move. When your transition goes well, you can really enjoy your new space even if there are a few items left on your to-do list!

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GUIDE TO DC'S SPORTS SCENE

By Monumental Sports & Entertainment

Washington, DC’s sports teams are a blast to cheer for, any time of the year.

@pdiddypics

Washington Nationals See superstars like Bryce Harper (the 2015 NL MVP), Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg at the state-of-the-art Nationals Park in Capitol Riverfront. The stadium offers up magnificent views of the Capitol dome and Washington Monument along with one of the National League’s most exciting teams. Don’t miss the famous Presidents Race, which happens between the top and bottom of every fourth inning. Make sure to check the promotional schedule, as there’s always something fun happening at the ballpark. Nats games are a hot ticket in DC, so make sure to score your exclusive discount today. Just go to the single game tickets page, select the game you wish to attend and enter the promotional code VISITDC. D.C. United Did you know that D.C. United is one of the most successful soccer teams in the country? Catch a game at the historic RFK Stadium and see why. Winners of four MLS Cups, the squad takes the field from March through October. Extra points if you sit in the particularly boisterous “Screamin’ Eagles” fan club section. Grab some tickets and enjoy one of the best sporting atmospheres in the area.

Amer via Flickr

Washington Redskins DC stands awash in burgundy and gold during football season, when the beloved Washington Redskins take to FedExField in nearby Landover, Md. Winners of three Super Bowls in their decorated history, the team is led by head coach Jay Gruden, who led the team to a NFC East title in 2015. The ‘Skins regularly take the field in front of a packed stadium, and FedExField is home to one of only two marching bands in the NFL, a group that joyously plays “Hail to the Redskins” after every touchdown. The team’s loyal and raucous fan base means tickets can be hard to come by, but you can depend on Stubhub.com to provide options at different price points. Preseason games start in August. Washington Wizards Head to the Capital One Arena for a Washington Wizards basketball game to see All-Star John Wall in action. With plenty of ticket options, you can find the setup that works best for you. The arena is centrally located in DC’s bustling Penn Quarter & Chinatown neighborhood, so after the game you can grab dinner, check out a museum or relax with a nightcap at one of the neighborhood’s buzzworthy bars. The season runs from October through April.

Clyde via Flickr

Washington Capitals When things cool down for the winter months, be sure to catch Russian captain Alex Ovechkin (immortalized at the nearby Madame Tussauds wax museum), his fellow countryman Evgeny Kuznetsov and all-star goaltender Braden Holtby take the Capital One Arena ice for the Washington Capitals. The team has been particularly successful in recent years, bringing the city some of its best sports moments of the past decade. You’ll see throngs of fans Rocking the Red near the Capital One Arena on game days. A ticket to any section is a treat: there are no “bad seats” for a Caps game. Washington Mystics The Washington Mystics of the WNBA play from May through September. Head to Mystics Ticket Central to start planning an evening of hoops-themed fun. Washington Kastles At the moment, the most successful professional sports team in the city does its domination on a tennis court. The Washington Kastles have won six World Team Tennis titles, including five straight from 2011-2015. Stacked with stars and special guests (both Martina Hingis and Venus Williams have taken the court for the Kastles), you can watch the squad at Kastles Stadium in late summer. DC’s sports scene goes beyond professional action. Georgetown University’s basketball team, which plays in the Big East Conference, calls the Capital One Arena home, while George Washington University takes the floor at the Charles E. Smith Center as part of the Atlantic 10 Conference. DC College Sports:

American University

Catholic University

Georgetown University

George Mason University

George Washington University

University of Maryland, College Park