Long before Homer Simpson made the TV town of Springfield famous, before the Springfield Interchange was created or Slug lines came to town their was a small ‘country” highway stop fifteen miles outside of DC that would come to be known as Springfield Virginia.

In 1946 the developer Edwin Carr realized that their was a huge piece of undeveloped land, close enough to DC to be appealing to government workers who worked in town and that would provide space for larger homes than were currently available in Arlington or Alexandria. My parents were one of those families who decided that Springfield provided a chance for them to buy their first home. In 1955 they bought a brand new split level home in the Yates Village neighborhood of Springfield.

When we moved in to our new home there wasn’t much around us. The only grocery store in the neighborhood was a small store called Bon Foods, there was a drug store with a soda fountain and Fischers Hardware had been open a couple of years.

My parents thought about a bigger house in one of the new West Springfield neighborhoods but in the end they stayed in their original home for 45 years. When I bougt my first house in Kings Park my mother said “who would want to live all they way out there?”  Of course "out there" was less than 5 miles away.  Over the years my family moved around Springfield and lived in  Greentree Village, Springfield Oaks, and Charlestown to name a few. My kids laugh about the fact that we have lived in every zip code in Springfield and multiple generations of our family attended Fairfax County Schools.

Today Springfield is a bustling area with a wide selection of neighborhoods, dining choices and commuting options.   It's central location makes it a great choice for military familes with orders to Fort Belvoir, Pentagon, or the Military District of Washington. The new NGA facilty is bringing numerous defense contractors and government agencies to Springfield as well.

If a move to Springfield VA is in your future let's meet to talk about your options and whether buying a home is the right choice for you in today's market. If you are thinking about selling your home in Springfield VA give me a call at 703-346-2213.  With my personal knowledge of the neighborhoods and successful marketing strategies together we can put the SOLD sign in your yard.

For anyone looking to buy a home in Springfield Virginia you will hear the term "school pyramid" used to describe the schools that feed into the four local high schools.

West Springfield, Robert E. Lee, South County Secondary School and Lake Braddock Secondary School are the four high schools at the top of the pyramid for children living in Springfield neighborhoods. There are multiple elementary schools that feed each of these schools. There are also elementary schools in the Burke Centre community that also feed to Lake Braddock and South County as well.

The following chart shows you the current schools assigned to each the top schools in the pyramid.

Lake Braddock and South County both have middle schools as part of their "campus" and do not have a separate feeder middle school.  Detailed information about each school serving t Springfield VA neighborhoods can be found on the Fairfax County Schools site.

New to the Springfield or Fairfax County area?   Make sure you check out the Fairfax County Public School Website for information for the 2010-2011 school year.

Need to know which school your children will attend?  Enter your address in the Fairfax County School Boundary link to find out.

If you are still looking for a home in the Springfield VA area or anywhere in Fairfax County give me a call at 703-346-2213.  Not only did I attend Fairfax County Schools from kindergarten through high school graduation so did my children.  Let me show you the neighborhoods that meet the needs for your family. 

You can search for your new home by school with my automated home search tool.  For example Homes in West Springfield HS boundary*

If residents of the Landsdowne Community in Alexandria (VA) wanted to walk to Fort Belvoir they could. It is less than ½ mile to the Telegraph Road gate to the base and once inside Telegraph gate you are close to the golf course, PX and Commissary.

The Landsdowne community is a mix of townhouses and detached homes originally built by Pulte and Richmond America in the late 1980's. With just over 600 homes the community pales in comparison to its neighbor Kingstowne's 5800 hundred homes but residents aren't complaining about their small size. With their own community pool, tennis courts and tot lots residents of Landsdowne don't feel deprived.

Besides the close proximity to Fort Belvoir, owners in Landsdowne can also walk to the Landsdowne shopping center and the Kingstowne library. Only a few miles from the Franconia-Springfield or Van Dorn Metro Stations and with easy access to I-95 & I-495 owners who commute to the city or the Pentagon have multiple commuting options, including a Fairfax County Connector bus within walking distance.

When you need more activities you can head to the Lee District Recreation Center or the Greendale Golf Course both run by the Fairfax County Park Authority. The restaurants and movie theaters at Kingstowne are close by as well as historic Mount Vernon and Woodlawn Plantation.

Current Homes for Sale Landsdowne

If living in a smaller community with easy access to Fort Belvoir is on your to do list then give the Cindy Jones a call at 703-346-2213. Let me show you the through the Landsdowne neighborhood and close by shopping and commuting options. No hassle no pressure, just straight talk about whether buying a home is right for you.

The Sydenstricker School in Springfield VA was the last one room school house in operation in Fairfax County. It closed in 1939 but the building is still used today as a community meeting hall. The belfry contains the original school bell purchased in 1920's from the Sears Roebuck store in Alexandria.  The school was named after the first minister of the original Sydenstricker Church next door built in 1909. Rev. Syndenstricker was also the uncle of Nobel Prize Winner Pearl Buck the author of The Good Earth.

The school house is located on Sydenstricker Road and the Fairfax County Parkway just at the edge of the Orange Hunt Estates neighborhood.

Schools in Springfield VA and Fairfax County have come a long way since the Syndenstricker school closed.  Today you will find over 175,000 students enrolled in Fairfax County Schools.  Per the Fairfax County School website the country schools are comprised of "139 elementary schools (grades K-6), 19 middle schools (grades 7 and 8), 3 middle schools (grades 6-8), 4 secondary schools (grades 7-12), 21 high schools (grades 9-12), 8 special education centers, 2 alternative high schools, and 46 alternative programs.  Three of these schools are magnet schools: Bailey’s Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences, Hunters Woods Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences, and Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology."

Not a one room school house in the entire system today.

New to the Springfield or Fairfax County area?   Make sure you check out the Fairfax County Public School Website for information for the 2010-2011 school year.

Need to know which school your children will attend?  Enter your address in the Fairfax County School Boundary link to find out.

If you are still looking for a home in the Springfield VA area or anywhere in Fairfax County give me a call at 703-346-2213.  Not only did I attend Fairfax County Schools from kindergarten through high school graduation so did my children.  Let me show you the neighborhoods that meet the needs for your family. 

You can search for your new home by school on our automated search tool.  For example Homes in West Springfield HS boundary*


Not all listings may appear as some agents may not have identified the appropriate school.  Always check the information with the official Fairfax County School Boundary information.

Tucked just off the intersection of two major roads is the West Springfield neighborhood of Charlestown.  With tree lined streets, community parks and all brick towhnouses this neighborhood is worth checking out.

You don't find many communities with the pride of ownership you see in Charlestown. With an HOA that does all of the outside maintenance including a three year paint schedule, roofing, sidewalks, brick courtyard walls and front landscaping it keep your job as a homeowner to a minimum.

While the neighborhood is primarily made up of three level townhouses there are a scattering of two level homes mixed in to the 500 plus homes that make up the community.  For anyone who wants to be close to shopping, public transportation and recreation activities Charlestown has all three covered. 

Express service to the Pentagon (Metro Bus 18G)  runs through the neighborhood, the Fairfax Connector offers service to the Franconia-Springfield Metro and there are slug lines close by.   Shopping at multiple grocery stores is within walking distance and the back entrance to Lake Accotink Park is within a mile.

If you are thinking that now is the time to take advantage of low interest rates and lower house prices in the Springfield neighborhood of Charlestown then give me a call at 703-346-2213.  Find out why I called Charlestown home for a number of years and consider it one of Springfield VA best kept secrets.  No hassle, no pressure, just straight honest talk about our market and what is right for you.

Charlestown In West Springfield Homes for Sale

Floor plan illustrative of the Hermitage Floor Plan.
3 bedroom and den with aproximately 2600 square feet with three finished levels.

One of the great things about living in the Northern Virginia area is all of the things you can find to do on a weekend. You don't have to spend a fortunate in gas or days traveling to enjoy a few hours or a day out with friends or family.

Wander the grounds Arlington National Cemetery. The views from Arlington House, the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider and President Kennedy's gravesite are just a few of the sites that make Arlington National Cemetery a must on everyone's tour of the area.

Interested in Aviation History? The Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Center is the newest addition to the Smithsonian but not located in DC. The center which houses the space shuttle Enterprise is actually in Chantilly VA about 20 miles west of DC. You will also find the B-29 Enola Gay and an SR-71 (Habu) spy plane. With flight simulators and an IMAX theater at the center it is easy to spend an entire day within the walls of the center. It is free to enter the museum but there is a $15 parking fee per car.

Check out George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate on the banks of the Potomac River. Most visitors drive to Mount Vernon but you can also take a boat tour from Alexandria and arrive on the docks at the front of the house. It is easy to see why George Washington loved this property and why it is one of the most popular places to visit in the area. The grounds are impeccable, you can see the farm life as it was in the 1700's and be thankful that preservationists were able to keep Mount Vernon for all of us to see 300 years later.

The National Museum of the Marine Corps located just outside of the main gate of Quantico is the ultimate Ooh-rah" experience. Designed to resemble the flag raising at Iwo Jima the museum this museum is designed to make you understand what it means to be a Marine. With interactive exhibits you can feel as if you are right in the thick of the action. This is a great place to pay tribute to all current and past Marines and understand their place in our US history.

And of course if you want to cross the Potomac River the National Zoo is always a great place to spend an afternoon!

It isn't hard to figure out what the developer of the first Kings Park was planning when they laid out the plan for the community and the homes. With one look at the street names Thames, Victoria, Trafalgar and Cromwell among others you might think you have made a trip back to England. Then when you add the names of the five original models; King, Queen, Princess, Duke and Duchess, you realize absolutely there is a royal connection!

My family bought our very first home in Kings Park in 1981. Having just returned from five years overseas we were anxious to settle down for awhile and having grown up in Springfield it was an easy choice to make the original Kings Park our first "real home." We were attracted to the neighborhood due to the mature trees, green space parks, community pools and easy commuting to our jobs. With the gentle slope of our 1/3 acre lot we were able to set up a zip line between the top of the back yard and the back fence which became a neighborhood hangout for the under 5 age group!

Since Kings Park was first built over 40 years ago it has been popular with military families looking for easy access to the Pentagon and for families with children who want to attend schools in the Lake Braddock School Pyramid. You can walk or ride your bike through two different "back" entrances to Lake Accotink or stay in the neighborhood and play at the community park. 

At the same time that the original homes in Kings Park were going up at "end of Braddock Road" the developer also had their sights set on land just a little further west. In 1967 the deed to the land that would then become Kings Park West was approved by the county.

The royal theme continued with more names right out of the history books of England and with the addition of five new models; Essex, Regent, Baron, Cromwell and York, larger than in the original Kings Park neighborhood. Just as the first Kings Park had access to community parks Kings Park West also has Royal Lake and four community pools.

During the summer enjoy Braddock Nights at Royal Lake  free Friday night summertime concerts which are an absolute hit with everyone. Music ranges through swing, jazz, pop and rock. If you haven't seen your neighbors for a few days chances are you will find them there with a picnic basket and folding chairs. So if you are looking for two neighborhoods with royal lineage then take a look at Kings Park and Kings Park West. You may find your next home among the mature trees.

Homes for Sale in Kings Park
Homes for Sale in Kings Park West

If you are interested in learning more about Kings Park and Kings Park West or other local Northern Virginia neighborhoods give me a call at 703-346-2213.  We can meet for a cup of coffee and talk about your real estate needs. As a native of the area I can give you a tour not only a new place to call home but other areas of interest for you and your family.

Ths week is the Prince William County Fair.  The fair offers everything you could imagine from monster tractor pulls, beautiful baby contests, farm animal judging & all the rides you can imagine.  However for families with smaller children the Prince William County Fair could be a bit overwhelming.  Instead you might want to go the The Children's Farm in Manassas instead.

If you didn't know it was there you might drive right by it.  However it is one of the hidden gems your children will enjoy.  Children can visit the hand raised sheep, see chickens, turkeys, rabbits and peacocks.  They can also check out the potbelly pig and the goats.

This is a real farm so you need to follow some rules.  First of all just like a real farm you should be wearing closed toe shoes.  Yes take that as a warning to watch where you step.  Strollers need to stay in the car.  And it is only open a few hours on Thursdays so you need to plan your day to be able to take a tour.

The Chidren's Farm
14807 Bristow Road
Manassas VA

Open Thursday
1:30-3PM
4-7 PM
703-792-6465

If you haven't been stationed in Northern Virginia before one of the first things that you want to become familiar with are all the different commuting options available. Depending on the neighborhood you may have the option for an express bus, a metro ride, VRE or slug line. Many who "slug" in the morning take a bus home in the evening, so you are not stuck with just one choice of how to come and go.

Once you have an idea of your commuting options then we can take a closer look at some of the West Springfield neighborhoods that have always been popular with military personnel. This tour takes you down Old Keene Mill Road one of the main roads west off of I-95 South in Springfield.

One of those neighborhoods is the tree lined neighborhood of Cardinal Forest located in West Springfield. With well maintained homes spread out on large lots, the ability to walk to Accotink Park and express Metro bus (18G) service to the Pentagon this area has been a prime location since it was built in the late 1960's.

Just around the corner is the townhouse community of Charlestown. Built to reflect Colonial Williamsburg the all brick homes are well maintained by the homeowners and the association. The HOA is responsible for all of the exterior maintenance of the homes, including a three year paint cycle for trim, brick courtyard walls, roofs, front yard mowing and trash removal.

Just as with Cardinal Forest you can walk to all of the same recreation, shopping and commuting options. The largest model town houses the Concord and Hermatage have 2500 square feet of living space on three levels.

The final stop on this tour down Keene Mill Road is the neighborhood of Orange Hunt Estates. Orange Hunt also is on a direct bus line to the Pentagon and is only minutes away from one of the major slug lines and connector bus points in the area. Just like Cardinal Forest the homes in Orange Hunt Estates sit on large tree lined lots and have been maintained well over the years by the owners.

All of these neighborhoods are part of the West Springfield HS Pyramid.

So if you are looking for affordable neighborhoods in Fairfax County with loads of commuting options to the Pentagon, Fort Belvoir or other military bases in the area, consider these terrific neighborhoods. If your orders bring you to Northern Virginia this year give the Cindy Jones a call at 703-346-2213. If buying is not in your plans. Don't worry our team is happy to help you find a place to rent in any of these or other Northern Virginia neighborhoods as well.

Cardinal Forest in West Springfield Homes for Sale
Charlestown In West Springfield Homes for Sale
Orange Hunt in West Springfield Homes for Sale

Growing up my friends and I could ride our bikes from our homes in Springfield to Lake Accotink Park to spend a few hours exploring the paths throughout the park. Our family would enjoy a Sunday picnic on the grounds in the summer, my dad fished during trout season and we ice skated on the stream below the dam in the winter.

When my children were growing up the tradition continued with bike rides around the 3.75 mile path that loops around the lake and through the woods.   From our homes in Kings Park or later Charlestown we could also walk to the park and rent a canoe or paddle boat to spend a few hours on the 55 acre lake.  Now my children go to the park with their children to ride the carousel.

Every year Lake Accotink Park stocks the lake for trout fishing (VA fishing license required), hosts the annual cardboard boat regatta and provides a place to enjoy a picnic, rent a boat or treat children to a ride on the carousel. Many people don't realize that the small and rather unassuming carousel in the park is the oldest carousel in operation in Fairfax County.

Today after 45 years the park managed by the Fairfax County Park Authority is still offering Springfield families a place to enjoy a large expansive of green space free of charge. With a education center you can stop by and learn more about the wildlife that inhabits the park and use it as a starting point for the revitalized path that connections the park to the Daventry neighborhood.

If you are looking for a stop to enjoy a few minutes, a few hours or an entire day then check out Lake Accotink Park. It is a park that our family has enjoyed from when it first opened in 1965 and continues to enjoy today.

If you are interested in buying a home with access to the park give the Cindy Jones team a call at 703-346-2213. No hassle, no pressure, just straight talk about whether buying a home in today's market is the right choice for you.

Cardinal Forest Homes For Sale with Access to Lake Accotink

Charlestown Homes For Sale with Access To Lake Accotink

Daventry Homes for Sale with Access to Lake Accotink

Kings Park Homes for Sale with Access To Lake Accotink

Photos from Flickr under Creative Commons License.  Click photos for links to Flickr Photostream.