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CHARLOTTESVILLE’S Rugby Neighborhood: Good Then, Even Better Now
The Rugby area has, for many years, been one of the most sought-after neighborhoods in and around Charlottesville. Even the City wanted to call it her own, and finally succeeded in annexing the area into Charlottesville in 1961. For the ensuing almost 60 years, Rugby has nestled in between the University of Virginia and the downtown area, making the best of both.
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Geographically, the Rugby region encompasses the area north of the University, south and west of the Route
BY CARLA HUCKABEE
250 Bypass and east of Barracks Road shopping district. Just listing those borders hints at why this is such a popular neighborhood—easy access to the University, great shopping nearby, and a quick jump on the 250 Bypass to destinations further afield.
But there is so much more. Ignore for a minute what surrounds the neighborhood, and you’ll find that Rugby is still appealing for what it offers on its own. Homes of distinction and character with solid structures, mature trees, parks and schools; all combine to create a homey feel that is difficult to find anywhere else. Add in mostly owner-occupied distinctive single-family homes where owners tend to settle in and become a part of the fabric of the local community for many years, and you have a winning combination.
UVA, Obviously
There’s no talking about Rugby without mentioning its proximity to UVA. Walk, scoot, or bike there. That’s much of the attraction for neighborhood residents that work at UVA, but also for alumni or people who want that college town feel, without the more raucous environment of their undergrad years.
David Sloan, Partner with Sloan Manis Real Estate, says “Rugby personifies the three best characteristics of any great real estate deal—location, location, location. It is positioned very nicely between downtown and UVA, both of which are expanding and seemingly moving closer and closer together. There sits Rugby, right in the middle, and it’s not going anywhere.”
Because of the high real estate value already built into the neighborhood, it is not as threatened by University ex
pansion as some other neighborhoods might be. Jim McVay, REALTOR® with Roy Wheeler Realty Co., sees a “pretty firm line drawn that keeps high-density rentals typical in other University neighborhoods from encroaching into Rugby. This creates a unique environment in which families, professionals, and retirees enjoy easy access to UVA from their mostly single-family homes on well-groomed streets where neighbors know each other.”
Campus activities, football games, dining and being part of the bustling crowds at The Corner are all within walking distance of the Rugby area.
Inessa Telefus, REALTOR® with Loring Woodriff Real Estate Associates, is working with a client from Boston who is considering positions at Penn State University and UVA. As he compares the State College, Pennsylvania and Charlottesville live/work environments, the Rugby neighborhood is on his short list. Leaving a more expensive environment like Boston, he is likely to find that Rugby homes are easily within his price range. You can be sure that evaluating his commute time to UVA will also provide a strong incentive to consider Rugby.
Shopping, Restaurants, and Brioche?
Head west and you’re at Barracks Road, home to what’s been named one of the best shopping centers in the country. Head south and east and you’ll intersect with Main Street, Preston Avenue and all the unique dining and shopping that downtown has to offer. All of them are reachable by bicycle or foot, or in just minutes by car. But that might not be the only thing that drives home-seekers to the Rugby area. Telefus reports that she has more than once heard mention of proximity to MarieBette Café and Bakery from potential buyers. While it may not be the biggest driver to the Rugby neighborhood, it’s rewards like this that reinforce the decision to buy. Who wouldn’t want to take a stroll for a Saturday morning brioche feuilletee?? Or any number of other delectable indulgences nearby.
Character and Kid Friendly
One of the most frequent descriptors of Rugby is “a neighborhood with
character.” Manors, estates, and classic brick colonials are concentrated in Rugby. Literary history buffs may enjoy knowing that William Faulkner lived on Rugby Road while in residence at the University. Throughout, there is a distinct pride of ownership with beautiful landscaping and sidewalks along many of the tree-lined streets.
This is not just a neighborhood for the stuffy upper crust. Yes, prices are on the high side for Charlottesville, but that is to be expected given its location and all the nearby amenities. Families are also attracted to the neighborhood so their children can attend Venable
Lower Elementary and Walker Upper Elementary, with both schools scoring B+ by Niche.com.
The kids (and parents) also enjoy the neighborhood parks, especially since Greenleaf Park has the added advantage of water sprinkler features for hot summer days. Rambling McIntire Park, with its ever-improving amenities, is becoming more and more accessible to Rugby residents even though it is across the 250 Bypass.
When Telefus tours Rugby with clients she says, “They’re always pleasantly surprised how green and beautiful this neighborhood is, given how close it is to everything. Frequently, buyers will spend a lot of time looking out in the county and then realize that everything they want is right here in Rugby, without the drive!” If they work in Charlottesville, it becomes a quality of life calculation, and the Rugby area frequently comes out ahead.
Worth the Investment Because of Rugby’s nearly universal appeal, there is a lot of pressure on the market, which typically has very little inventory available. Telefus says, “Don’t blink.” Last month as she was preparing to list a property in the neighborhood, the word went out among agents. Even before the home made it to the MLS, there was a showing and an offer made and accepted. Then there was the home that listed for $995,000 and was under contract the next day. These may seem like isolated incidents, but only because the inventory is so low.
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EQUAL HOUSING LENDER
MCLEAN FAULCONER INC. Farm, Estate and Residential Brokers
RUGBY ROAD Great University neighborhood! 5-BR,5-full and 1-half bath home on .53 acre lot. Convenient to UVA, Downtown, and the 250 bypass. This home is loaded with character throughout. Gorgeous kitchen with soapstone counters, spacious family room with fireplace, hardwood flooring, finished attic, apartment or in-law suite in basement. 1-BR, 1-BA cottage. Level yard with garden space. MLS#589351 $1,195,000
Steve McLean| 434.981.1863|email: smclean@mcleanfaulconer.com 503 Faulconer Drive, Charlottesville VA 22903 www.mcleanfaulconer.com
STONE COTTAGE ON THE BEAUTIFUL FENDALL AVENUE
1840 FENDALL AVENUE • $975,000 Milton Grigg designed stone cottage in the heart of Rugby area on one of the most beautiful and quiet city streets. Extensively remodeled and renovated in 2012, including new kitchen, bathrooms, small sun room and laundry room. Features include high end finishes, top of the line appliances, including Scotsman ice maker, warming drawer, sub-zero wine fridge, many custom built-ins and closets for storage, hardwood floors through out, custom window treatments, beautiful outdoor entertaining space with a fireplace, flat and fenced yard with native plants and a garden shed. Staircase design is a signature of Milton Grigg. Owners have architect sketches for an addition and will convey with the house. MLS# 601465
Marcela Foshay REALTOR® (540) 314-6550 foshay.realestate@gmail.com
WWW.LORINGWOODRIFF.COM CAAR REAL ESTATE WEEKLY WWW.CAAR.COM
House Hunt with a Charlottesville Native House Hunt With A Rugby Road Native
office: 434.293.4319 text: 434.962.3100 courtneysargeant7@gmail.com Courtney Sargeant Selling Charlottesville Again & Again Courtney Sargeant Selling Charlottesville Again & Again Text: 434.962.3100 Phone: 434.293.4319
courtneysargeant7@gmail.com
Right now rates are low and home choices are plentiful. But no matter which way the market is leaning, it’s essential to work
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All of this demonstrates how important it is for a buyer to have a REALTOR® working on their behalf from their first interest in entering the market. A tight market works against a lone buyer. “Make sure you get a REALTOR® right away so you don’t miss the perfect house because it never made it to listing.”
Sloan advises, “It is difficult finding inventory in this neighborhood, and when you do, you’re going to pay for it. But history here has shown that it’s worth the investment.”
McVay worked with two families in the Rugby neighborhood to reposition family estates. Both homes were purchased by builders, completely remodeled, and put back on the market at a vastly higher price. “The neighbors were surprised at the builders’ success to get that kind of return on investment. But people coming from the West Coast or Northeast or even Northern Virginia, see prices that locals might feel are too high, and they don’t bat an eye.”
While that may make for a difficult entry point into the Rugby market, McVay sees it benefiting the people who decide to stay as well as those who decide to sell. “This market is encouraging for people currently living in Rugby. Strong and steadily increasing home values give owners confidence to invest money into their own homes. They’ll decide to go ahead with that update and remodel the kitchen and bathrooms; or add on to tastefully expand the square footage. Because they know they will enjoy the value while they live in it and reap the rewards when they sell it.”
The result is that the real estate value and demand both continue to rise, while pulling the edges of the adjacent neighborhood up with it
Telefus notes that some of the edge streets in or just outside of the “official” Rugby neighborhood enjoy most of the benefits, but may not have quite the same aesthetic appeal. Some of these streets may have newer homes that list at a slightly lower price point, giving entrée to a wider range of potential buyers, even though they may still be beyond the reach of first-time homebuyers.
Keeps Getting Better
The thing about truly great neighborhoods is that they almost always keep improving over time. Rugby is one of those neighborhoods. From investments that keep pace with the market, to upgrades in infrastructure, this virtuous cycle is playing out in Rugby. In 1985, Sloan bought a two-bedroom 900 square foot ranch in the Rugby area for $36,000. The house has since changed hands several times and most recently was sold in the mid-$200 thousand range. That may not be an exorbitant increase over 35 years, but it does show the ever-increasing value in the Charlottesville and Rugby area markets over time.
Physical improvements in and around Rugby will continue to make it more attractive, and more in demand. For the young and young at heart, a rad new Charlottesville Skateboard Park opened just across the 250 Bypass. Complete with concrete ramps, jumps and boxes, the park has an attendant that can also help with protective equipment. Since its opening, the Park has been a huge draw to boarders and other adventure seekers.
Chris Gensic, Parks and Trails Planner with Charlottesville Parks and Recreation, says, “Where you can go by bike from Rugby is about to change in a big way. The City has the money ready to build a multiuse trail entry from Sherwood Road into Western McIntire Park alongside Rugby Avenue. This 12-foot asphalt path will make for a smooth transition from Rugby to the north side of the Bypass and all that McIntire Park has to offer. This should be done by the end of October.” After the 250 Bypass Trail is finished at year’s end, nearly all points within a few miles north and east of Rugby will open up: to Hydraulic Road and 29 North, and to the John W. Warner Parkway Trail to Rio Road.
Once the Food Hall at Dairy Market opens this summer, you can add another dozen or so restaurants on Preston Avenue to entice Rugby residents out for a stroll or bike ride. And for potential employees of the two newest Dairy Market tenants, CoStar Group and Dexcom, Rugby may be a very attractive neighborhood in which to put down roots.
Rich in its history, promising in its future, Rugby is one of the unique city neighborhoods that gives Charlottesville its small-town appeal. With strong lines of defense to hold off being overrun by the adjacent University and downtown commercial districts, buyers who choose Rugby will reap all the benefits of its location and delight in its historic charm.
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Saturday, May 26th
EVENT SPONSORS: Blue Ridge Mountains Rotary Club PVCC – Piedmont Virginia Community College BENEFITS THE CENTRAL VIRGINIA BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS & THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS ROTARY CLUB Registration at 6:30 am Race begins at 7:30 am RAIN or SHINE Adults & Teens $30 Kids (2-12) $15 Convenient Registration - Race Day or Online Officially Timed Prizes in each age category! 5K Course PVCC, around Monticello High School athletic fields and campus, and back to PVCC. Family Event Runners and walkers welcome! SHOW YOUR SUPPORT SPONSOR THE RACE The Boys & Girls Clubs offers 50 unique programs that focus on youth outcomes in the areas of academic success, healthy lifestyles, and character and leadership. RACE DAY! RamblinRabbit5K.com Sponsorships, Race Details & Registration RACE DAY! Registration at 6:30 am Race begins at 7:30 am RAIN or SHINE 5K Course Paved course starting at PVCC, around Monticello High School athletic fields and campus, and back to PVCC. Runners and walkers welcome! Prizes For the top overall and top finisher in each age category! Adults & Teens $30 Kids (2-12) $15 FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY! Literacy Volunteers of Charlottesville/Albemarle (LVCA) is the primary local provider of free basic literacy and English language tutoring for adult residents who read or speak English at the 5th grade level or below. This year we are running for Saturday, May 23rd
Four legged friends welcome! - Bring your Pet (on a leash) to run the race - Participate or Spectate!
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MARCH 25 - MARCH 31, 2020 ISSUE 2912 503 Faulconer Drive Charlottesville · VA · 22903 p: 434.295.1131 f: 434.293.7377 e: homes@mcleanfaulconer.com
LA FOURCHE Historic c. 1788 gem in the heart of Keswick, restored and updated. Main house with attached tavern and party barn on 4 acres. Views of Southwest Mountains. Minutes to Charlottesville and UVA. MLS#587033 $2,150,000 Charlotte Dammann, 434.981.1250
BRAMBLEWOOD Stunning, 522-acre private sanctuary in the Southwest Mountains and heart of Keswick. Impressive grounds, farm, and manor home— built circa 2008—with the highest quality craftsmanship and materials and great attention paid to every unique detail. Over 14,000 finished square feet of gracious living space, with two other homes and a barn. MLS#595091 $6,700,000 Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076
www.BramblewoodVa.com
INGLECRESS Tucked on a private 4+ acre wooded, secluded lot minutes west of town this stunning Jay Dalgliesh designed 3-BR, 4-BA home with 3 FP, decks, screened porch and loads of charm and appeal. MLS#600218 $945,000 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863 WALNUT HILLS HISTORICAL Georgian Revival mansion built c.1878 by Gov. James Kemper on 373 splendid acres, offering guest cottage and a complement of farm buildings. Long frontage on Rapidan River. MLS#574009 $3,900,000 Will Faulconer, 434.987.9455 YELLOW MOUNTAIN A perfect combination of open fields and woodland with expansive long range views from several homesites on this 75+ acre estate parcel. Property shares a common border with Mint Spring Park. MLS#587056 $975,000 Charlotte Dammann, 434.981.1250
INGLECRESS Designed by Dick Shank of Shank & Gray Architects. First-floor master bedroom with bath. Second level contains 4 additional bedrooms and 2 full baths in sought-after, close-to-town location. MLS#581994 $965,000 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863 BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAIN VIEWS 248-acre property convenient to Charlottesville. Gently rolling land, streams, pasture, woods, and privacy. Numerous building sites, c. 1860, 3-bedroom 2-full-bath farmhouse. MLS#584740 $1,850,000 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863 RAGGED MOUNTAIN FARM West of Charlottesville, near Ivy, is this beautiful 92- acre home on elevated site with spectacular panoramic views of mountains, fields, and forest. This property is one of three preservation tracts of Ragged Mtn. Farms. MLS#595833 $2,475,000 Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076
VERULAM FARM Landmark country estate on 500+ acres just minutes from UVA. Classic manor home of timeless architecture and design. Complete renovation with formal and informal living spaces, 10’ ceilings, 5 bedroom suites, center hall, and spacious family room and kitchen. Lovely gardens, pool, 2-bedroom guest cottage, full equestrian facilities, and event barn. The farm is surrounded by over 2000 protected acres. MLS#597954 Andrew Middleditch, 434.981.1410
LOCUST HILL A winning combination of history, charming residence with guest cottage, and premier location in Ivy! C. 1766 cabin was the birthplace of the explorer Meriwether Lewis. Privately sited on 2.34 acres. MLS#600869 $1,495,000 Charlotte Dammann, 434.981.1250
503 Faulconer Drive Charlottesville · VA · 22903 p: 434.295.1131 f: 434.293.7377 e: homes@mcleanfaulconer.com
KENRIDGE Elegant villa offers easy living within walking distance to Farmington, Birdwood Golf Course and Boar’s Head Resort. Many stunning features including chef ’s kitchen, luxurious master bedroom suite & exercise room. MLS#588077 $945,000 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863 EDNAM Quality-built, spacious home priced to sell below tax assessment value!!! Brick home, 5 bedrooms, 4 full baths, including main level master suite. Walking distance of renovated Boars Head Resort. MLS#591365 $785,000 Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076 BLANDEMAR FARM ESTATES 25.4 acres with varying topography and amazing rock outcroppings. Unique design opportunities to create a stunning residence with magnificent views. Convenient to Charlottesville & UVA. Fiber optic available. MLS#593358 $554,000 C. Dammann, 434.981.1250
PLEASANT HILL Charming, circa 1850, beautifully restored, 3-bedroom and 2-bath farm house on 77 acres surrounded by pasture and forest providing a private setting on a lovely knoll close to the James River. MLS#585271 $585,000 Steve McLean, 434. 981.1863 QUAKER GLEN FARM 701 acres nestled against the Blue Ridge. Featuring 20 acres in apple orchards, perfect for a first-class vineyard. Convenient to Camp Hoover, Shenandoah National Park, and many fabulous hiking trails. MLS#588709 $2,795,000 Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076 RIVER LAWN Delightful combination of wood and pasture land with a spectacular bluff for a building site overlooking the James River. Property is under easement with the Virginia Outdoors Foundation. MLS#569753 $745,000 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863
MATTHEW MILL ROAD 11.12 acres, ideal tract for development into smaller lots as was done by neighboring property, Oxford Hills. Zoned R-1. County has indicated lots of 10,000 square feet possible. Public water available. MLS#598558 $400,000 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863 GLENMORE .75-acre lot on a quiet cut-de-sac near lovely Lake Lochen. There are many options on this corner lot. One of the few exceptional lots left with the location, size, and diversity of this lot. MLS#599250 $269,000 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863 TILMAN ROAD Lovely mature 2-acre parcel of land in the Meriwether Lewis Elementary School District. Wonderful views with privacy in beautiful rural setting. Great location just minutes west of Charlottesville and UVA. MLS#585959 $249,000 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863
EDNAM FOREST Large 1.5+ acre building lot in Ednam Forest. Build your dream home on this elevated, wooded lot located in a single family community, minutes from UVA and within walking distance to Boar’s Head Resort. MLS#598537 $289,500 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863 EXCEPTIONAL LARGE ACREAGE 2 private estate parcels in coveted Ragged Mountain Farm. Excellent building sites, beautiful Blue Ridge views in the Western Albemarle school districts. 84.79 acres: MLS#563174 $995,000; 100.22 acres: MLS#563171 $1,100,000 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863 WILMINGTON ROAD 2 wooded lots with no restrictions and approved for conventional septic systems. Located one mile east of Wilmington and surrounded by large farms. Perfect dream home location 10 min. to Palmyra. Steve McLean, 434.981.1863
