Yoga, Poker, Wine and Cheese: The Community Building Events of Area Condos

• November 9, 2009

by Katie Knorovsky

Clarendon 1021, courtesy of ArlingtonCondo.com

In many condo complexes, socializing among owners is resigned to breezy chitchat by the mail slots, and maybe eggnog in the lobby come December. But at some DC-area resident communities, a built-in social calendar goes hand-in-hand with condo fees and board meetings.

We checked in with a few likely suspects and were struck by the variety of offerings — on-site yoga classes, hobby-based clubs, and the standard festive outings and parties.

At The Lacey, for instance, the end of summer meant a couple weeks of rooftop yoga for residents. Now that it’s a little too chilly for al fresco Downward-Facing Dog poses, yoga is being offered in one of the development’s vacant units. We would be remiss if we did not talk about the “breakfast-in-bed” service (admittedly not necessarily social but too unique not to mention), a service where Lacey residents can order room service from the next-door Florida Avenue Grill.

Shirlington Village in Arlington hosts an annual holiday Condo Crawl, when residents volunteer to host neighbors for 20-minute blocks of time, resident Ginger Harden told UrbanTurf. Residents have also organized a food drive for the nearby Arlington Food Assistance, plus fundraisers for various charities including a poker night to raise money for leukemia research. The community also hosts an Academy Awards party in the common TV room.

At the Clarendon 1021 high-rise, residents mingle at social events like pumpkin-carving for the kids, wine and cheese nights, and a large annual rooftop pool party that attracts about 100-200 revelers each year.

Carlyle Towers in Old Town, Alexandria organizes many activities to engage its residents, from clubs for knitting, investing, and poker to dinner events, huge holiday parties, weekly yoga classes in the entertainment room, and summer water aerobics classes in the pool. Informally, a dog-walking club meets daily for convivial strolls and neighborly pooch bonding.

Obviously your new home choice will depend much more on the type of unit rather than the community-building events that are available at different developments. However, the idea that you could do yoga on the roof or play poker with fellow residents may tip the scales in favor of one unit over another.

1 Comment

1. Aaron P. said at 1:23 pm on Tuesday November 10, 2009:

   I moved into Parker Flats in LeDroit Park about a month ago and instantly made a new group of friends through the various social activities we host.  We have weekly happy hours in the courtyard, Sunday coffee time in the lobby, go on various trips around the area, and recently had a pumpkin carving and pet costume show.  We even have our own Facebook page to help keep everyone in the loop!