• psst … I’m a Realtor! Thanks for stopping by my website. I would love to help you find your dream home and community in the Hampton Roads or Williamsburg area or to sell your existing home. This website is authored by local resident and REALTOR, John Womeldorf. John is known around town as Mr. Williamsburg, for both his extensive knowledge of Hampton Roads and the historic triangle, and his expertise in the local real estate market. His websites, WilliamsburgsRealEstate.com and Mr Williamsburg.com were created as a resource for folks who are exploring a move to Williamsburg, VA , Hampton Roads VA and the surrounding areas of the Virginia Peninsula. On his website you can search homes for sale , foreclosures, 55+ active adult communities, condos and town homes , land and commercial property for sale in Williamsburg, Yorktown, New Kent, Poquoson, and Gloucester, VA as well as surrounding markets of Carrolton, Chesapeake,Gloucester, Hampton, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth Mathews, Newport News Norfolk, Poquoson, Smithfield, , Suffolk, Surry, Va Beach, Yorktown and York County Virginia You can reach John by email John@MrWilliamsburg.com or phone @ 757-254-813

The Morgans chose New Town in James City County…

The “welcoming, charming people of New Town” in Williamsburg VA are among the reasons Ellen and John Morgan moved into the community a year ago. Ellen did online research when John accepted a call to become the senior pastor at Williamsburg Presbyterian Church. They were looking for a walkable, environmentally friendly neighborhood that would offer some restaurants for two foodies to enjoy. Realtor John Womeldorf (Mr Williamsburg) of Liz Moore & Associates led them to New Town. John claims they were “predestined” to live here. The Morgans new home in New Town

Ellen, the daughter of a Presbyterian minister, was born in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. John hails from Bucks County, Pennsylvania. They met in the choir at Grove City College in northwestern Pennsylvania. Ellen earned a degree in chemistry and works today as a technical consultant from her home office. After graduation they headed to Princeton where John earned his M.Div. Since then Ellen and John have lived in Minnesota, New Jersey and York, Pennsylvania where John served as a pastor in Presbyterian churches. Along the way their family grew with the addition of (now) 25 and 22 year old daughters and a cat. Both daughters are nearby – one in Washington, D.C. and the other in Baltimore. The cat, Cookie, is now 6. She is an indoor cat who decided to go “out" once the Morgans moved to New Town. Cookie was “out" for a week. During the search for Cookie, Ellen and John met many of their New Town neighbors.

John and Ellen Morgan

imageEllen and John spend two weeks each summer enjoying Chautauqua in New York State. Ellen grew up attending Chautauqua and introduced John to it. (Google Chautauqua if it is new to you!) Now John volunteers with religious services while they are there. A special feature of Chautauqua is the lack of automobiles – people walk or bike.

For eighteen years John has practiced the “Round Table Pulpit”. He has brought this program of collaborative preaching to Williamsburg Presbyterian Church. Fifteen congregation members meet once a week for six weeks to discuss the Bible text for the following Sunday. The sermon grows out of these sessions.

Both Ellen and John find ours to be a community of relationships and volunteering. Ellen notes that having our garages at the rear of houses keeps us from driving into the garage and walking into our homes without ever setting a foot outside our front doors. Because we cannot simply drive away from the front of our houses, we meet our neighbors. Perhaps good garages make good neighbors…

Their front yard view

By Betsy Darling

Reprinted from the New Town Crier

Read more about New Town here

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Charlotte Park in New Town in Williamsburg, VA now offers detached homes..

Charlotte Park is the newest neighborhood to be announced in New Town  in Williamsburg VA.
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charlotte park cottage

01grayfeaturedThis is a first-of-its-kind neighborhood for New Town. All previous neighborhoods in New Town ( Abbey Commons, Savannah Square, Chelsea Green have been attached/ town home neighborhoods. Home designs offered for the  detached single-family homes  will evoke the charm and allure of South Carolina’s coastal Low-country. The designs feature deep porches, steep pitched roofs, wide overhangs and dormers  in the true Southern tradition. Interiors are spacious, well lighted with plenty of windows, and just perfect for living family-style with hardwood floors and high ceilings.

UPDATE December 2011 

Nine detached homes are completed with four currently under contract and being built in Charlotte Park. . In the last 12 months, ( WMLS)  34 homes have sold in New Town .  This includes sales in Abbey Commons, Savannah Green, Foundation Square Condos and Bennington on the Green Condos. Nine. homes, town homes and condos are currently under contract making New Town neighborhood one of the most active in the Williamsburg VA/ James City County real estate market. As of today there are 33 active listings in New Town.

Oct 2010
Charlotte Park, New Town’s one and only neighborhood of detached, single-family homes is a certified success  Before the model home has even opened, four homes are already under contract. What’s the secret to this success? It’s a concept of going back home, back to the neighborhood, back to the rocker on the front porch, back to good old low country living where lemonade is a beverage of choice, neighbors have names, and kids have a yard to play in. Goodbye, MacMansion. Hello, Home Sweet Home.

Charlotte Park is a neighborhood of single family homes on tree-lined streets, all with front porches, and many options and floor plans to select from. Each home will overlook a green space or park, while alleys allow access to the rear of the homes and to the two-car garages. The neighborhood swimming pool, a walking path away, should be completed soon. Interiors offer such upscale amenities such as hardwood floors, granite countertops, cascades of natural light from many windows, and high ceilings are a few of the many architect-inspired innovations to contribute to the ambiance.

WMake New Twn Your Town, Williamsburg VAatch a short video showcasing the New Town area of Williamsburg VA

When completed, Charlotte Park will be a neighborhood of approximately 150 homes on tree-lined streets, all with front porches, and many options and floor plans to select from. Each home will overlook a green space or park, while alleys allow access to the rear of the homes their two-car garages. The neighborhood swimming pool, a walking path away, should be completed by summer 2012.

Interiors of the Charlotte Park homes offer such upscale amenities as hardwood floors, granite countertops, cascades of natural light from many windows, and high ceilings.

And the best amenity is that there’s absolutely no yard maintenance! Sell your lawn mower! What makes Charlotte Park so special and so in demand? The current homes under construction are designed by local architect Bob Magoon and the esteemed firm Allison Ramsey Architects, whose portfolio is an obvious call to action for more down home comfort and low maintenance. In the words of the architect, “We believe in making the spaces fit the family, rather than making the family fit into the spaces… in connecting indoors to the outdoors.”

Let’s take a tour. The Coosaw River Cottage offers  three or four bedrooms with a Master Suite on the first floor, an open and casual floor plan, an inviting front porch that longs for rocking chairs and swings, and an optional private screened rear porch are just a few of the many amenities that make The Coosaw a popular choice for young families as well as down-sizers.

Another home design is The Broad River Cottage. It has livability appeal galore with nine- or ten-foot ceilings, eight-foot deep porches, an open and very user-friendly floor plan, and a large rear deck perfect for entertaining.

This is a completely new style of home design for the Williamsburg area. It evokes a truly Southern essence, borrowed from the low country living of Virginia and North Carolina.

Albany

Each of the  homes will overlook  green spaces or park with large shade trees. The garages will be accessed by back alleys so no ugly garage doors will have to be seen from the front.

Phase 1 of Charlotte Park will feature 22 home sites. The homes will range in size from 1,500 sq. ft. to 3,500 sq. ft., and will have walking trails connecting the neighborhood to everything New Town has to offer. As with all of the other homes in New Town all yards and green spaces are maintenance free. Feeing you from the drudgery of yard-work. As of November 2011 prices  are starting in the $330,000’s .

charlotte park new town williamsburg va

Construction of the pool and clubhouse for New Town will hopefully be completed by next summer
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Cottage in New Town, Williamsburg VA

New Town includes mixed-use development, traditional neighborhood design, and pedestrian friendly attributes, as it seeks to recreate the sociable traits of places built 70 to 100 years ago. With these traits in mind, New Town homes sit close to the street and incorporate front porches and balconies to encourage interaction among residents. The community includes homes, apartments, commercial and retail space, along with a small private school and several town green spaces.

New Town has fully embraced the idea of “new urbanism”, where neighborhoods are designed to be diverse, accessible, safe, and self-sustaining. Careful planning and development integrates residential, commercial and green space, enabling residents to live in a pedestrian setting, and live, work and play right within their own community.

Green parks, trails and open spaces surround the condos, apartments, and townhomes and soon to be built detached homes in New Town. Walking trails will allow residents plenty of places to jog, walk and bike.

Click here to search DETACHED HOMES FOR SALE IN NEW TOWN

Click here to Search all Town Homes, Condos, and detached homes for sale in New Town

read more about real estate in New Town here 

Aerial View of New Town

Aerial Photo of New Town , Williamsburg VA

Location map of New Town:

newtownCl

john_circle-449-2 This post was authored by local resident and REALTOR, John Womeldorf.  John is known around town as Mr. Williamsburg, for both his extensive knowledge of Hampton Roads and the historic triangle, and his expertise in the local real estate market.  His websites, www.WilliamsburgsRealEstate.com  and   www.MrWilliamsburg.com, were created as  comprehensive resources about living in Williamsburg and Hampton Roads, with the hopes of selling a house now and again.  You can reach him at 757.254.8136 or John@MrWilliamsburg.com.

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Williamsburg VA Real Estate- New Town Spotlight

townhomesinnewtownva The New Town community in James City County/ Williamsburg, VA offers a unique combination of shops, entertainment, a vibrant office environment and a plethora of housing options to appeal to all segments of the population

New Town in Williamsburg, VA has raised the bar on complete living, meeting all of the needs of the community, businesses and residents alike.

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St Patrick’s Day Concert Williamsburg VA

Poisoned Dwarf is arguably the Peninsula’s most accomplished traditional Celtic band. The mostly instrumental ensemble features fiddle, whistle, flute, pipes, guitar and percussion — played in a format that respects tradition without being stifled by it.

POISONED DWARF poisoneddwardwilliamsburg

Playing Traditional Irish Music

5:30 – 9:30 p.m.

Tuesday, March 17th – $5 Cover

Where: The Corner Pocket (Williamsburg, Va.) New Town

Join Poisoned Dwarf for their annual St. Patrick’s Day party and performance at The Corner Pocket in Williamsburg, Va. Also lots of Irish food and beverage specials by Chef Jason Wade. Keep it in mind as you plan your St. Patrick Day’s celebrations. Check out the Poisoned Dwarf Band here

Address: The Corner Pocket, 4805 Courthouse St. Williamsburg, VA 23188 – In New Town   Check out the Corner Pocket here

757-220-0808

Location Map For the Corner Pocket in New Town

Map picture

Marcia Ball at The Corner Pocket in Williamsburg

cornerpocket Don’t forget – Marcia Ball performs at the Corner Pocket this Thursday!  Tickets are $25 – get them while they last!  Doors open at 6 pm.  For more information on Marcia Ball, visit her official websiteThe Corner Pocket is located in New Town., Williamsburg, VA

A few notes from her Bio:  The simple mention of a Louisiana or Texas roadhouse conjures up images of a crowded dancehall filled wall-to-wall with rabid music fans rocking to a hotter-than-hot band playing a smoldering blend of swampy R&B, jumping blues and heart-wrenching ballads. Pianist/vocalist/songwriter Marcia Ball brings that spirit to every concert she plays and every song she records. Her music is mixed with equal parts simmering soul fervor and two-fisted piano pounding. Between her deeply emotive vocals and her incisive, often poignant songwriting, Ball is in a class by herself.

Williamsburg VA- Foundation Square Condos

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Amazing… you can live in Foundation Square in New Town for as little as $914 per month (principal and interest on your mortgage payment) for the first year.  Now is the time to act!

During the first year, you’ll benefit from a 2% reduction on your rate.  You’ll pay based on the locked-in rate of 4.25% (4.603% APR).  For example, on a $299,900 luxury condo with 20% down payment on a 30-year $239,920 fixed-rate mortgage you would make:

12 monthly payments of $914 with an interest rate of 2.25%. 

This will be followed by 348 payments of $1177 with an interest rate of 4.25%.

Why wait when you can take advantage of the great interest rates & wonderful limited time incentives!

* Offer may not exceed maximum seller contribution limits established by lender.  Payments and rates listed above are based upon 1/16/09 SunTrust Mortgage Rates.  Payments and rates provided by Jolynn Musel, SunTrust Mortgage, 

Rates subject to change.  See below for SunTrust Mortgage Disclosure.

Foundation Square’s architect, Magoon & Associates,

recently won the Award of Merit by the

Hampton Roads Association for Commercial Real Estate

for their beautiful work over at Foundation Square!

call anytime for an appointment!   John Womeldorf/ Buyers Agent with Liz Moore and Associates at (757)  254- 8136.

Living in Foundation Square makes life easier!

Free yourself from the daily upkeep of house and yardwork!

Have the ability to leave for faraway destinations on a moments notice!

Tired of walking up steps all the time?  With direct elevator access from the private underground garage level to your residential floor, here you will find true one-level living.  There is even a generator dedicated only to Foundation Square that operates the elevators in case of a power outage!

Enjoy your own assigned deeded parking space in Foundation Square’s gated and private underground garage!

At Foundation Square, you will be living in the center of New Town!  Stroll down tree lined streets to fantastic restaurants, shopping, the bookstore, the movie theater, doctors, dentists and more!

Living in Foundation Square affords you the opportunity to focus your energy on where it should be… YOU!

Be it rock bottom interest rates or the possibility of no mortgage payments for up to the first six months, we will work with you to determine the most advantageous way to use the limited time incentives!  We look forward to speaking with you soon!

 

John@MrWilliamsburg.com

www.MrWilliamsburg.com

Williamsburg VA Trader Joes

trader joes williamsburg

trader joes williamsburg

Grocery Shopping Choices in the Williamsburg/ James City County Va area:

The Williamsburg area’s variety of food shopping options is growing . Having shopped at Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods  when we lived in Annapolis Md we are eager to see the store the Trader Joe’s Store here in Williamsburg finally open on September 26, 2008. While there is a store in Newport News that is about a 20-30 minute trek down interstate 64. It will be nice to have one only minutes from our home. There is another Trader Joe’s opening in Richmond Va on Sept 26th as well.

Do you work at Colonial Williamsburg as a costumed interpreter and want to win a prize?

You’ll be expected at Trader Joe’s. The independent grocery opens on Monticello Avenue near New Town today at 9 a.m. with a traditional (for Trader Joe’s, that is) lei cutting by store Captain Dan Maize and First Mate Danny Owens. Regulars at the Trader Joe’s in Newport News will recognize these two guys, as they’ve both been at that store since it opened.

To honor Colonial Williamsburg, customers who dress in colonial-style outfits during opening weekend will receive prizes.

 A few of the Newport News crew will be on hand to keep customers happy, shelves stocked and questions answered.

The celebration won’t stop with the lei cutting. The store promises raffles, a variety of tasty samples and free stickers and balloons for the kids.

The 12,000-square-foot store – the same size as the one in Newport News – will be open daily from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. Artwork at the store includes “local flair” that celebrates the rich history of the city, among them murals that feature the Governor’s Mansion, the Capitol, the Courthouse, Jamestown Settlement and the dock, the main sights of Colonial Williamsburg including a horse-drawn carriage taking tourists down Duke of Gloucester Street. One side of the store’s corridor features artwork from local elementary school students, which will rotate every month to feature new school art.

Another grocery store scheduled to open summer 2009 in New Town/ Settlers Market Williamsburg Va is a Wal Mart ” Neighborhood Market” . In addition there is a Harris Teeter Market being built across from the Kingsmill entrance on Rt 199 in the new Quarterpath Shopping Center.

The new Wal-Mart  Neighborhood Market is meant to appeal to a more upscale, health-conscious clientele. The two new choices come to a community that also has three Farm Fresh Stores,  the only two ( Richmond based) Ukrop’s stores in Hampton Roads,Two Food Lions Stores,  Fresh Market  and two ‘ Bloom’ stores that were converted from Food Lion Stores last year. The only two in the Peninsula area.

We always go there to find interesting food, Nationwide more and more shoppers are attracted to the eclectic, reasonably priced and healthy-lifestyle offerings at Trader Joe’s, giving the chain a strong cult following.

The Trader Joe’s chain has a unique position in the retail market. It doesn’t have a direct competitor because it is smaller and more specialized than a conventional store, but larger and more varied than a convenience store. Much of the store’s success is due to its private label brands, which take an interesting twist on familiar products such as macadamia nut popcorn, fresh pizza dough or a salsa making kit: fresh tomatoes, garlic cloves, a lime, a shallot and a jalapeno in one package. The stores also carry extensive selections of wine, liquor and beer at great prices.  Google ‘ Two Buck Chuck” to read an interesting story about their wine selling success.

They don’t offer everything which takes some getting used to. Produce and meat selection are minimal. It does have an unusual mix of organic and gourmet private label foods. While some other stores offer a  “one- stop-shopping” experience for essentials, Trader Joe’s stores requires that you make a special trip to purchase  imported cheeses, pita chips, frozen cheese enchiladas and inexpensive  bottles of Charles Shaw brand wine affectionately known in California as “two-buck Chuck.”

Although we don’t do the bulk of our shopping at Trader Joes’ we do have a list of about 15 to 20 things that we consistently buy there.

The chain was founded in 1958 in California by Joe Columbe  ,a Stanford business school graduate who started a small chain of convenience stores called Pronto Markets. Columbe changed the name of his stores to Trader Joe’s in 1967. The stores became mainstays in Southern California during the 1970s before expanding to other parts of the country. Aldi, a discount grocery chain based in Germany, bought Trader Joe’s in 1979 and has run the company since.

Coulombe’s goal was to create a gourmet store that would offer high quality food at reasonable prices. That balance was achieved by finding direct sources for products and selling them under company labels, a process that cuts out middlemen.

Trader Joe’s is  unusual in that 80 percent of the items in its store are private label, while most other retailers rely more on national brands made by outsiders.

The Hawaiian-themed decor and price labels that explain products give the stores a friendly vibe. Stores are also lined with chalkboard signs drawn by local artists. ”

Trader Joe’s offers  a wide selection or organic, gluten-free, vegetarian and imported products, as well as frozen prepared dishes. Samples are usually set out in the store.