In DC: Entrepreneur Ted Leonsis and his wife, Lynn, bought a two-bedroom, three-bath condo on Prospect Street in Georgetown for $2.6 million. The 2,753-square-foot home is in Wormley Row, a new development of condos and townhouses. An AOL executive for many years, Leonsis is, among other things, owner of the Washington Capitals.
Steven VanRoekel, a top Federal Communications Commission official, bought a six-bedroom, seven-bath home in Kalorama for $6.1 million. The house has a banquet-size dining room, library, and pool. A former Microsoft executive and strategist for Bill Gates, VanRoekel recently was named the FCC’s managing director.
Washington Post writer Robin Givhan bought a two-bedroom, two-bath condo in the Landmark Lofts, a new building near H Street, Northeast, for $800,000. The corner unit has 12-foot ceilings and a balcony. The building has a rooftop pool, 24-hour concierge, and fitness center. A fashion writer, Givhan won a Pulitzer Prize for criticism in 2006.
Developer Dave Pollin and wife Kirsten bought a six-bedroom, six-bath house on Kalorama’s Wyoming Avenue for $4 million. A master suite fills the entire second floor and has three fireplaces. There’s also a separate carriage house. Pollin is cofounder of the Buccini/Pollin Group, a real-estate firm.
National-security expert Kurt Campbell and wife Lael Brainard sold a five-bedroom, five-bath Colonial on Western Avenue in Chevy Chase DC for $1.1 million. Campbell, who was at the Pentagon during the Clinton administration, cofounded the Center for a New American Security, a think tank.
Writer Amanda Ripley bought a five-bedroom, four-bath Federal-style rowhouse on 28th Street in Woodley Park for $1.1 million. Built in 1916, the house has a two-level artist studio and an in-law suite. A writer for Time magazine, Ripley is author of The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes—and Why.
In Virginia: Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall bought a five-bedroom, seven-bath home in Leesburg for $1 million. Built in 2008, the 5,600-square-foot house has a four-car garage. The Redskins signed Hall, a Virginia Tech graduate, to a $55-million, six-year deal in February.
Conservative pundit Ramesh Ponnuru and his wife, April, a public-policy executive, bought a five-bedroom, four-bath Colonial on Childs Lane in Alexandria for $895,000. Featured in House Beautiful, it has a greenhouse and hot tub and backs onto a creek. Ramesh Ponnuru is a senior editor for National Review. April Ponnuru is executive director of the National Review Institute, a think tank tied to the magazine.
In Maryland: Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and wife Mona bought a six-bedroom, six-bath Colonial on Algonquin Avenue in Bethesda for $1.5 million. The new house, which originally listed for $2 million, has a wraparound porch and copper roof. Locke is a former governor of Washington state.
Peter Keisler, a top Justice Department official under President George W. Bush, and wife Susan bought a six-bedroom, five-bath Colonial in Chevy Chase for $2.6 million. Built in 1916, the house has a hot tub and two-story garage. Bush several times nominated Keisler, now a partner at the law firm Sidley Austin, to be a federal judge, but Senate Democrats balked at confirming him.
Some sales information provided by American City Business Leads and Diana Hart of Sotheby’s International Realty.
This article first appeared in the October 2009 issue of The Washingtonian. For more articles from that issue, click here.
