Benefits of Living in Dunlora

The entrance gate at the front of Dunlora Drive

So...Yesterday I briefly talked about our search for a home and some of the great things that led us to buy a house here in Dunlora...But there are other great things about living here as well.  First, the location.  I love being close to downtown Charlottesville.  I mean, that's where all the really terrific restaurants, shops and theatres are.  Granted, I'm biased as  I'm lucky enough to be able to be actively involved with Live Arts, and am even in an upcoming production.  But I digress...the shopping is amazing, and even if the Meadowbrook parkway (county side) weren't open, it would still be only 10 minutes (with traffic) to downtown.

The pedestrian mall is such fun.  The amazing shops feature some truly amazing local artists, as well as unique boutiques that offer gifts, clothing, and other goods and services.  I truly adore the Pedestrian Mall as well, as it is dog friendly.  While I also have two felines, I like to bring my dog downtown.  I can have coffee, tea, a meal or a fantastic glass of wine while sitting outside and enjoying the weather, meanwhile, my pup can sit next to me begging for whatever I am eating, or indulging in...I don't share my coffee, tea or wine with her, but sometimes will give her a taste of my lunch or snack.  Despite her many years of obedience training, and her Canine Good Citizen, she is still poorly behaved in that she jumps up on people, but I think it is also a breed specific behavior inherent to Italian Greyhounds.

We're also close to Hollymead Shopping Center on 29 North.  It is also about 10 to 15 minutes (with traffic).  Kohl's, Target, a Harris Teeter as well as other shops are up there, and it has Vinny's, my favorite italian restaurant here in Charlottesville...Granted, it is very family friendly and small and, well,while not gourmet, it is fantastic eating.

Dunlora also has trails maintained by a committee with a budget granted by the HOA Board of Directors.  These volunteers enjoy hiking, biking and running as well as nature and the trails are well marked.  When a resident moves in, we have a welcoming committee who gives our new neighbors a directory with the paths clearly marked in it.  I will say, that having purchased a home that had been vacant, some of my "neighbors" were using our back yard and stairs to access these trails, which I didn't like...who likes strangers trespassing through their yard?  Not me, and when I kindly asked one couple to please, the next time, use the marked trails, they vociferously told me to "f... off" which was not very neighborly, in the least.  Then they proceeded to speak negatively about me to their neighbors...really?  This kind of thing happens everywhere, and since then, we seem to have made an unspoken peace and people no longer traipse through my back yard...wonder if it was perchance me cleaning my son's rifle while sitting on my deck stairs?  Gotta love Virginia and their gun laws...

Other than this, there is a beautiful club house and pool.  The pool is open from Memorial Day through Labor Day, and it can be rented out to the residents for pool parties, but lifeguards must be present.  Talk to the management company about this too and make sure you get the name and number of the local representative of the company that manages the life guards, just in case the weather  turns and you are still planning on having a pool party.

Dunlora also has public gardens where vegetables can be planted as well as soccer fields.  A professional grade tennis court (the association recently renovated the tennis courts to bring it up to this level) is also maintained by the association and is free for residents to use.

All in all, the neighborhood is wonderfully located, beautifully maintained, and for the most part, incredibly friendly.

We love it here in Charlottesville, and our neighborhood is a fantastic place to live.  I'll write more later...

Living in Dunlora

As a relatively new resident to Charlottesville, we looked at every neighborhood known to mankind within the area. From Greene County to Fluvanna, and then within Albemarle County. How were the schools? Frankly, this didn't help, as ALL of the county middle and high schools are excellent...we have a middle school age child. So, once we met with every principal, every guidance counselor, had a tour of the three middle schools (Jouett, Sutherland and Burley - We determined that Western was too far, well, west) and the two high schools (Monticello and Albemarle), it was important to find the right neighborhood.

Now, I'm not saying anything nasty about any of the neighborhoods we didn't choose, but something about Dunlora just felt right from the moment we first drove through. It is heavily wooded, with abundant wildlife. The homes are not cookie cutter, and the pride of homeownership is apparent in the way that the homes are maintained. Then there is the cost of the homes themselves.

At first, we didn't think that we'd be able to find a home within our price range. Then we were fortunate that there were two in the neighborhood on the market within the neighborhood in our budget when we were really ready to buy. We'd sold our home in the Washington, DC area and were living in a 2 bedroom apartment. Not enjoyable. We were determined to find the right neighborhood and the right house. We were lucky. The house that we bought had been vacant for over two years and the price had fallen by 50%. This was AWESOME!! What a deal!

Dunlora is all that we wanted in our home. The neighbors are welcoming and very friendly...something that was missing in my old neighborhood in the Washington, DC suburb where we had lived previously. The location is awesome, as it is less than 10 minutes from downtown and the University, and yet, the same distance from the shops located up at 29 North in the Hollymead Shopping Center. We are near to the mall, churches, and shopping. What more could a gal ask for?

Then there's the fact that there are TONS of kids. We love this aspect as it is important for our only child to be able to find friends to hang with. There just so happen to be several.

Overall, the welcome we've found in our new neighborhood has supported me fully throughout my husband's deployment. Also, the new friends and social gatherings I've been fortunate enough to enjoy have really made life in Charlottesville so much more than I imagined.