Charlottesville Expert: Lifestyle in Charlottesville Blog

This page serves as an archive of posts related to lifestyle in Charlottesville, VA and surrounding counties. Do you see a horse farm in your future? Rolling hills on a new country property? Or do you love the rich history that is a cornerstone of living in our neck of the woods? If so, check this page often! We love to boast about our area.

Is Virginia wine country?

Much is made of Thomas Jefferson’s dream of producing fine wines in Virginia and especially his failure to do so. How happy he would be to learn that 200 years later Virginia is the 5th leading state in America in wine production and the Monticello AVA that includes...

Curb appeal

The first carriage to pull into the circle drive in front of Frascati in 1823 was very likely bringing James Barbour and his wife, Lucy, to the just completed home of his brother, Phillip Barbour. Certainly the carriage would have slowed, the lathered horses catching...

Is Charlottesville, Virginia a good place to retire?

I wrote this article about my parents in 2014. They are both gone now but I find myself in those same happy shoes these days, enjoying the fruits of our labor and feeling blessed to have wound up in such an extraordinary place. I would love to help you find your last,...

Is it expensive to keep a horse in Virginia?

Few places in America are as naturally suited for horses as Virginia’s Piedmont. Rich, well drained pasture, four distinct seasons and a thriving equestrian culture and history make the Charlottesville area ideal for the equine enthusiast. People often ask, is it...

Frascati and Orange County, Virginia

Orange County was established in 1734 and was the largest county that has ever existed in America, "The states of Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and West Virginia were once part of Orange County. Over time, its boundaries have contracted to an elongated county of...

Farms for sale near Charlottesville

If you are considering purchasing a farm near Charlottesville or any of the surrounding counties you may be contemplating having a horse or two, maybe some chickens perhaps planting a vineyard. Ten acres would probably be plenty of land for that but you’ve just fallen...

Charlottesville Real Estate

Charlottesville Real Estate covers a lot of ground. From a four story condo with panoramic Blue Ridge views, to an historic plantation with roots to Thomas Jefferson, it’s all here. We are situated at the foot of the Blue Ridge mountains, Virginia’s Piedmont, and home...

New kid in town?

When you’re 29 there are still a lot of new things that might be coming your way. The years were longer then and the end was not in sight. My 29th year with my birthday just a week away in May, 1982 found me driving through the night in my camper topped 68 Dodge step...

Now you need a tractor!

When I first looked at Firefly Farm in 1985 its 13 acres were overgrown with broom sage, vicious blackberries, and two foot tall cedars. I had walked it, carefully avoiding rusty barb wire fencing, truck parts, rows of abandoned dog houses and a three sided barn that...

What are horse farms like in Charlottesville?

Is Virginia’s Piedmont horse country? You bet! With five active hunts, Olympic caliber trainers, some of the best equine vets in the country and all the assets any breeder, trainer or hobbyist could ask for, this is natural horse country.It’s no wonder that the...