The Northern Virginia food and drink scene never stays still for long. This week we've got three new openings worth knowing about — and three closings that tell a story about what landlords are doing to hospitality businesses in high-demand corridors right now.

Here's the full rundown.

The Openings

Hawkley Brewing — Herndon

Hawkley Brewing is opening this Monday, March 24th, at 257 Sunset Park Drive in Herndon. They're moving into the space previously occupied by Juicy Brewing Co., and they're hitting the ground running: 10 beers on tap at grand opening, canned beer for to-go, merch, and giveaways. If you're spending any time in the Herndon/Reston corridor this weekend, it's worth a stop.

Ovoka Farm Winery — Paris, Virginia (Fauquier…

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I've sold real estate in Northern Virginia for 22 years. I grew up here — literally in Lawnvale, a small community in western Prince William County off Catharpin Road — and I still live here today in Haymarket with my family. I've closed over $1 billion in transactions across every county in this region, and the single most expensive mistake I see relocation buyers make is treating Northern Virginia like one market.

It isn't.

It's five completely different real estate markets stitched together by highways, Metro lines, and the gravitational pull of Washington DC. Pick the right county for your lifestyle, commute, and budget and you'll love it here. Pick the wrong one and you'll be sitting in traffic on I-66 every morning wondering what went wrong.

…

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Speaker: Chris Colgan • Date: August 13, 2025

Overview

South Riding is one of the biggest neighborhoods in all of Northern Virginia with over 30,000 residents, and it's quietly one of the hottest markets in the region. My cousin lives here and keeps telling me to do a video, and once I started driving around, I understood why. This place has multiple pools, a golf course, concert stages, its own schools, and homes selling in an average of 8 days. It's basically a city within a city. This is a full area driving tour covering every section, price point, and amenity. (0:00, 5:16)

Key Takeaways

  • Median sold price around $850,000 with homes selling in an average of 8 days at 99.9% of asking price. (1:37, 2:00)
  • Townhomes sell in…

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Speakers: Chris Colgan, Peter, Vince, Mal • Date: December 22, 2025

Overview

I grabbed three agents from my team and we drove from the far western suburbs all the way to Old Town Alexandria, ranking every major area in Northern Virginia along the way. We've got Peter, who grew up in Haymarket and now lives in Falls Church. Vince, who grew up in the area and just moved to Strasburg. And Mal, who's newer to NoVA and brings an outsider's perspective. We hit Gainesville, Haymarket, Loudoun County, Leesburg, Ashburn, One Loudoun, Reston, Falls Church, Alexandria, and Arlington, giving honest grades and calling out what nobody else will tell you about each area. (0:00)

Key Takeaways

  • Gainesville: B to C+ range. Great variety and…

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Speaker: Chris Colgan • Date: March 28, 2026

Overview

Figuring out where to live in Northern Virginia isn't as simple as picking a spot on the map. NoVA has 2.6 million residents across roughly 1,340 square miles, and not all counties are created the same. If you don't choose right, you could end up with brutal commutes, higher taxes, and zero walkability. I've been selling real estate here for 22 years and lived in Northern Virginia my whole life. This is a full map tour breaking down every county, key neighborhoods, price points, transportation, taxes, schools, new developments, and who should live where. (0:00)

Key Takeaways

  • Northern Virginia has 2.6 million residents, 30% of Virginia's total population, spanning Fairfax,…

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I’m sure you’re wondering what makes an urban legend good. Well, it’s definitely not historical accuracy or true fact. What makes the greatest urban legends is the amount of extremity. Northern Virginia’s local myths are terrific because they’re out-there; they’re hilariously inventive and so obviously wrong. But, at the end of the day, these folklore tidbits really show just how creative (and sometimes dark) Northern Virginians can be. All in all, folklore like this is a testament to how much us silly humans want to resolve any local unknowns.  



Bunny Man Bridge 



"Bunny Man Hatchet" photo provided by KeeferC under Creative Commons Attribution-Share alike 4.0 international license

 

The legend of Bunny Man Bridge is the most famous of…

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Most people driving down Route 1 through Woodbridge have no idea what's sitting right off the highway. Nearly 2,000 acres. Two miles of Potomac River shoreline. A Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course. A VRE station under construction. And over 2,500 homes already sold.

Potomac Shores is not a concept. It's not a rendering on a sales office wall. It's a fully operational, phased master-planned community that's been building since 2014 — and it's at the point right now where the foundational infrastructure is done, the amenities are real, and the pieces that historically move property values are actively being built. I went out there recently with Stanley Martin Homes to walk through their two newest sections, and I want to give you the honest,…

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By Chris Colgan | Real Nova Network | March 24, 2026

Why it matters: Prince William County has a well-documented housing affordability crisis. A new rezoning proposal filed last week puts 149 workforce housing units on the table — on a site most people have driven past without a second thought.

The big picture:

According to Janani Jana, reporting for the Washington Business Journal on March 23, 2026, a D.C.-based affordable housing developer — Wellington Community Partners LLC, an entity of Wellington Development — filed a rezoning request with Prince William County to build a 149-unit multifamily project on a portion of a Woodbridge church campus. The site sits adjacent to Cheshire Station Plaza and the upcoming Quartz District mixed-use…

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According to Data Center Dynamics, a 130-acre community in Loudoun County is in discussions to sell to a hyperscale data center developer. Here's what that means for the Northern Virginia real estate market.

Why it matters: Data Center Alley in Ashburn, Virginia already processes an estimated 70% of the world's internet traffic. If this deal closes, it would represent one of the most significant residential-to-data-center land conversions in the region's history — and it's happening in a ZIP code where I regularly help buyers and sellers.

The big picture:

Data Center Dynamics reported on March 20, 2026 that the Regency neighborhood in Ashburn — a community of approximately 150 homes located off Waxpool Road and Ashburn Village Boulevard — is…

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If you are trying to navigate the Northern Virginia housing market right now, you might feel like you are getting mixed signals. Some people will tell you homes are flying off the market in days, while others complain that nothing is selling.

As a local expert—I'm Chris Colgan with Real Broker, Powered by Place, and I’ve been selling homes here for over 20 years—I can tell you exactly why this is happening. The Northern Virginia real estate market has officially split in two.

Depending on the type of home you own or want to buy, and exactly where it is located, you are facing completely different realities. Here is the breakdown of what is actually happening on the ground and how to strategy your next move.

The Hot Side:…

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