If you are headed to Fort Belvoir and are looking for a reasonably priced townhouse community where the developer left green space and clustered courtyards then check out Springfield Oaks in Fairfax County. 

 

 

 

Situated on 18 acres of wooded and gently rolling terrain the 382 townhouses in Springfield Oaks are only 5 miles from Fort Belvoir.  The community is also within 5 minutes of the Lorton Station VRE, 15 minutes to the Springfield Metro or you can catch a Fairfax Connector or Metro bus at either entrance to the community

 

Having owned a townhouse myself in Springfield Oaks I knew how well the association worked to keep the neighborhood up to date and they have recently completed a brand new tot lot.   The neighborhood is divided into two sections crossed by Alban Road. Both the upper and lower sections of the neighborhood share services including twice a week trash pickup, community leaf cleaning and snow removal.

 

Every year the community sponsors events to bring the neighbors together including ice cream socials, Easter egg hunts and Halloween parties. If you need a lesson on Oak tree species all you have to do is drive through the neighborhood and look at the street names including, Blue Oak, Chapman Oak and Pin Oak to realize how many types of Oak trees there are.  

The only down side of living in a neighborhood full of Oak trees is the annual dropping of acorns.  Though the squirrels are fat and happy!

 

 

 

If you are headed to Fort Belvoir check out www.militaryrelocationnews.com or Fort Belvoir On-Line Relocation Guide for more information. Feel free to drop me an email or give me a call to chat.  If you are in the area we can meet for coffee and talk about about whether this is the right time for you to make a move. No hassle, no pressure, just straight talk about the home buying process property in today's market.

©2008 Cindy Jones"Fort Belvoir Relocation-Watch Out for the Falling Acorns in Springfield Oaks"

Greentree Village located in West Springfield seems typical of many of the townhouse neighborhoods in the area. Brick front townhouses backing to trees and grassy islands slow traffic down for the kids to be able to play safely. Across the street from the neighborhood is one of the 380 parks maintained by the Fairfax County Park Authority. A Fairfax County Connector bus stop is at the entrance to the neighborhood, within 15 minutes is the Springfield Metro, close by shopping and great schools put the neighborhood in a central location.

But there is more to this terrific little neighborhood than houses, parks and transportion links.  The neighborhood also contains a little mystery as well.

Tucked behind the basketball court protected by a wrought iron fence are three gravestones from the 1800's. One has the name Addison Keen and another one with the name Clarintine V.   Close by you can also see a broken headstone for W. Keen. Unlike other historic graveyards in the area there are no markers to explain how these final resting places ended up in this location.

For those of us who grew up in the area the name Keen/Keene is easily recognized. The main road running through Springfield is Keene Mill Road and directly behind Greentree Village runs Keene Road. So what part of the history of the area did the Keen family bring to this particular area? First of all there was a mill on the Pohick Stream that runs through the area and records show it was owned by William Keen. An 1850 census of the area shows that William Keen was 35 years old, married and his occupation was miller.

This is where history takes a mystery turn. In 1855 William Keene was convicted of murdering another local man by the name of Hall.  Now local history disagrees as to whether William Keen was legally convicted of the murder but he was sentenced to death by hang. Over the following years additional information came forward that perhaps there had been jury tampering which led to his conviction. In 1858 his death sentence was commuted to 10 years in prison by the governor of Virginia. However it is unknown what actually happened to him. Prison records were lost when parts of Richmond was burned during the Civil War. It is not known whether William Keen died in prison, was released or walked out along with all of the other prisoners in 1867.

Whatever the story it makes living in one of the 124 townhouses in Greentree Village just a bit more intriguing. So as you are wandering through your neighborhood in Fairfax County take a closer look around. There is an amazing amount of history tucked in very unusual places.

In the past few months two of my military buyers have decided to call the Charlestown subdivision in West Springfield home.  Having owned a home myself in Charlestown for a number of years, knowing the schools, the commute to either the Pentagon or Fort Belvoir and the local shopping, helped me give them the inside scoop on the neighborhood.

One of the benefits of the Charlestown neighborhood is the outside maintenance that the HOA provides.  Besides the lawn care, trash pickup and snow removal the HOA also paints the exterior trim of the townhouses on a three year cycle, replaces the roofs when needed and the brick walls that run around the perimeter of the backyards.  Homeowners are responsible with their next door neighbor to maintain the shared garden sheds and wood fences that run between the units.

 

Commuting to the Pentagon is as simple as stepping outside your door and walking 2 to 3 blocks to Forrester Blvd.    If you aren't picked up by a commuter looking for slugs then you can grab the 18G Metro Bus.  If you take the 7:18 bus you will be at the Pentagon at 7:50.  How great is that?  If Fort Belvoir is your destination then the commute is also 30 minutes or less depending on stoplights!

Charlestown is located in the West Springfield HS Pyramid, both the elementary school and HS are within walking distance.  Want to shop?  If you are just going to get a few essentials you can walk to the Giant or Whole Foods, we used to do it all the time and while you are at the shopping center you can stop by Starbucks, Austin Grill or Chicken Out for bite to eat. 


For those in the know Lake Accotink Park has a back entrance off of Carrleigh Parkway.  Years ago the only way to get into the park from the neighborhood was to take a dangerous walk across the railroad tracks.  Fortunately the Fairfax County Park Authority built an enclosed pedestrian bridge so now you can ride your bike or walk to the park safely.  Once at the park there is a 3.75 mile trail around the 55 acre lake for you to run, bike or walk.

If you have orders to the area call an agent who specializes in military relocation to Northern Virginia.  Let my team put our knowledge of the area to work for you.  We've been in your shoes numerous times and know how to help you make a smooth transition to your new home.

 

©Cindy Jones.  All Rights Reserved.  "Charlestown-A Springfield VA Neighborhood Welcomes You Home"

The Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) team has continued to put in place the plan for moving over 21,000 military and civilian jobs to Fort Belvoir by 2011.  Popular neighborhoods close to Ft Belvoir including Kingstowne, Lorton and Springfield are already beginning to see some of the changes to the infrastructure that will help accommodate the huge influx of new personnel.

For buyers who are part of the relocation the opportunity to purchase homes in popular neighborhoods close to the base has never been better.  With lower prices and the VA home loan program being one of the few 100% financing programs available, military and eligible civilians are finding good buys throughout the area.

Recently one of my clients decided this was a great time to buy an investment property close to Fort Belvoir and found tenants who were relocating to the area as part of the BRAC program.  With the wide variety of homes available including foreclosures, new and resale homes there is a home to meet the needs of just about anyone. 

With plenty of shopping nearby, highly rated schools, wonderful parks, historical landmarks and easy access to DC the area is posed to take off when the new personnel arrive. 

If you have orders to Fort Belvoir as part of the BRAC program give me a call at 703-346-2213 to discuss your needs. 

 

 

 

 

Copyright © 2008 By Cindy Jones, All Rights Reserved. "Fort Belvoir Neighbors-Gearing Up for Big Changes"

It is happening every day in dark alleys throughout Northern Virginia.   Fun is happening away from the glare of the hot summer sun.  How can it be?  It is easy when you let your eyes adjust to the darkness and spy a group of adults tossing a grapefruit size ball at miniature pins in a game of duck pin bowling or a party full of little bowlers keeping the ball in the lane with the rubber bumpers covering the gutters.

 Back in the day bowling alleys had the reputation of being smoke filled buildings with greasy fries and hot dogs as the main attraction.  My dad wouldn't let me go the bowling alley a few blocks from our house because that was where the "Fonz" characters hung out.  Ironically that same Springfield bowling alley eventually became the Long & Foster Real Estate office where I worked in for 3 years. 

Fast forward to today and you will find a new breed of bowling alley with plenty of fun for everyone.  When the weather in Northern Virginia gets muggy everyone starts to look for ways to find entertainment inside and bowling is a great alternative to the wave pools and better for you than a bucket of buttered popcorn. 

When my kids were growing up we used to hit the Bowl America Lanes in Burke on oppressive days and discovered it was a great way to pass away an afternoon.  We even hit a bowling alley in the UK on a rainy day and discovered cosmic bowling.  Nothing like a lime green bowling ball glowing under black light to pick up your spirits!

In Northern Virginia you can find bowling alleys scattered throughout the area and most of them offer a wide variety of activities for all age groups.  Kids are never disappointed by a gutter ball with the blow up bumpers and with the automatic scoreboards no one can be accused of miscounting the remaining pins.  So try something different and head to your local bowling alley.  

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 Fairfax County neighborhoods that have always been popular with military personnel. This tour takes you down Old Keene Mill Road one of the main throughfares 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. Having lived in and owned a townhouse in Charlestown for five years I can personally attest to the popularity of the neighborhood and the convenience for commuting to DC. 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.

Close by is Huntsman Lake, South Run Community Center and Burke Lake Park. Our family called Huntsman Estates home (connected to Orange Hunt Estates) home for seven years and would ride our bikes from our house to Burke Lake Park and back, a perfect 11 mile loop to enjoy on a nice day. 

 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 me a call. I've been through the best and worst of military moves and know how stressful it can be.

If buying is not in your plans. Don’t worry I am happy to help you find a place to rent in any of these or other Northern Virginia neighborhoods as well.

 

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

As an Associate Broker with RE/MAX Allegiance in Northern Virginia and native of the area I can assist you whether you are buying, selling or renting a home anywhere in Northern Virginia. For more information about the area or my services you can check VaRealEstateTalk or my Northern Virginia website.

Search all homes available in the Northern Virginia area.

 

 

Ask the residents of Northern Virginia who drive through the Springfield "mixing bowl" (video link) everyday and they may tell you that an airport would be preferable to the 50 ramps and 20 lanes they deal with everyday.  Ask a tourist driving through and you can bet they would rather be flying over than trying to navigate their way through the maze.  In 1945 this same area was the location of a 3,000 foot long unpaved runway as part of the Springfield Airport. 

The tiny airport offered fuel and maintenance facilities for small aircraft.  One of the mechanics at the airport in the late 1940's was Charlie Kulp who is best known in our area for his acrobatic flying in the Bealton Flying Circus which still operates today and is a great place to go and watch the amazing flying acrobatics.

Our family moved to Springfield in 1955 and by then there were no traces of the airport visible in the area.  By looking at the map that was included in the book "Virginia Airports" it was easy to see that the location of the airport is where the neighborhood of Springfield Estates was built. 

Unlike the nearby community of Burke which was the proposed original site for Dulles International Airport, Springfield Airport was never designed to be more than a small airfield and only was in existence for seven years.

Learn more about all of the Abandoned and Little Known Airfields in Northern Virginia

 

 

 

Today pilots who fly small aircraft have a choice of airfields scattered throughout Northern Virginia including four local public airports and another 64 throughout the state.   

Manassas Airfield
Whitman Strip in Manassas
Stafford Regional Airport
Leesburg Executive Airport

Photo credit:  Abandoned and Little Known Airfields website

If you are interested in learning more about getting around our area or need help finding your next home in  Northern Virginia give me a call.  As a native of the area I can show you not only your transportation options but great neighborhoods, shopping options and historical sites in our great area. 

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

As an Associate Broker with RE/MAX Allegiance in Northern Virginia and native of the area I can assist you whether you are buying, selling or renting a home anywhere in Northern Virginia. For more information about the area or my services you can check VaRealEstateTalk or my Northern Virginia website.

Search all homes available in the Northern Virginia area.

 

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  the neighborhood 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.  This year the community is starting the redesign process with the Fairfax County Park Authority to revitalize the community park to bring it up to date with the activities of today's family.  One of the original pools in the community was closed (Royal Pool) and the land will now be incorporated into the expanded 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 and in 1968 the first homes were completed.  The 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 neighborhood had access to community parks Kings Park West also has Royal Lake and four community pools.

 

During the summer both Lake Accotink Park and Royal Lake host 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.

Other Fairfax County Neighborhoods You Should Consider

Greentree Village
Springfield Oaks
Cardinal Forest
Fairfax Station

If you are interested in learning more about Northern Virginia Relocation, local neighborhoods or things to do give me a call.  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.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

As an Associate Broker with RE/MAX Allegiance in Northern Virginia and native of the area I can assist you whether you are buying, selling or renting a home anywhere in Northern Virginia. For more information about the area or my services you can check VaRealEstateTalk or my Northern Virginia website.

Search all homes available in the Northern Virginia area.

If you live in Springfield Oaks in Fairfax County you are lucky to have found a neighborhood where the developer left multiple pockets of green space and built a community clustered around courtyards to keep cut through traffic to a minimum.  Situated on 18 acres of wooded and gently rolling terrain 17 miles south of Washington DC this townhouse development is in a prime location for homeowners who commute to DC or any of the nearby military bases.

 

 

My clients Phil and Maria decided last year when his orders brought him to the area that Springfield Oaks was a great place to put down roots with their new son.  Phil had just returned from a tour of duty in Iraq and managed to arrive home just in time.  Their son was born just a few days later.  They were drawn to Springfield Oaks due to the great location, easy access to the metro, slug lines and shopping.  Important for those late night diaper runs!

Having owned a townhouse myself in Springfield Oaks I knew how well the association worked to keep the neighborhood up to date and they have just completed a brand new tot lot  which Phil and Maria look forward to using with their son.  The neighborhood is divided into two sections crossed by Alban Road.  Both the upper and lower sections of the neighborhood share services including twice a week trash pickup, community leaf cleaning and snow removal.

 

Every year the community sponsors events to bring the neighbors together including ice cream socials, Easter egg hunts and Halloween parties.  If you need a lesson on Oak tree species all you have to do is drive through the neighborhood and look at the street names including, Blue Oak, Chapman Oak and Pin Oak to realize how many types of Oak trees there are.

 

 

Of course the only down side of living in a neighborhood full of Oak trees are the annual fall of acorns.  But if that is all you can find wrong with a nice neighborhood of 382 townhouses a few blocks from Lorton Station, less than 5 miles to the main gate of Fort Belvoir or where you can catch a Fairfax Connector bus at one of the entrances to the neighborhood then I think it is okay.

 

If you are moving to Northern Virginia and would like to learn more about the area, give me a call.  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.

A few related post on Fairfax County Virginia
Welcome to Fairfax County
Back to Nature in Fairfax County
Helmets On-Kickstands Up-Lets Go for a Ride
Learning a New Language in Fairfax County Schools

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

As an Associate Broker with RE/MAX Allegiance in Northern Virginia and native of the area I can assist you whether you are buying, selling or renting a home anywhere in Northern Virginia. For more information about the area or my services you can check VaRealEstateTalk or my Northern Virginia website.

Search all homes available in the Northern Virginia area.

 

 

 

 

Fairfax County Relocation-Welcome to Fairfax County Virginia

Greentree Village is what you might expect to see in a community in Fairfax County, Virginia.  Located in West Springfield, the neighborhood seems typical of many in the area. Brick front townhouses backing to trees and grassy islands slow traffic down for the kids to be able to play safely.  Across the street from the neighborhood is one of the 380 parks maintained by the Fairfax County Park Authority.  A Fairfax County Connector bus stop is at the entrance to the neighborhood, within 15 minutes is the Springfield Metro, close by shopping and great schools put the neighborhood in a central location.  However the neighborhood also contains a little mystery as well.

Tucked behind the basketball court protected by a wrought iron fence are three gravestones from the 1800's.  One has the name Addison Keen and another one with the name Clarintine V.  Close by you can also see a broken headstone for W. Keen.  Unlike other historic graveyards in the area there are no markers to explain how these final resting places ended up in this location.

For those of us who grew up in the area the name Keen/Keene is easily recognized.  The main road running through Springfield is Keene Mill Road and directly behind Greentree Village runs Keene Road.  So what part of the history of the area did the Keen family bring to this particular area?  First of all there was a mill on the Pohick Stream that runs through the area and records show it was owned by William Keen.  An 1850 census of the area shows that William Keen was 35 years old, married and his occupation was miller.

This is where history takes a mystery turn.  In 1855 William Keene was convicted of murdering another local man by the name of Hall.  Now local history disagrees as to whether William Keen was legally convicted of the murder but he was sentenced to death by hang.  Over the following years additional information came forward that perhaps there had been jury tampering which led to his conviction.  In 1858 his death sentence was commuted to 10 years in prison by the governor of Virginia.  However it is unknown what actually happened to him.  Prison records were lost when parts of Richmond was burned during the Civil War.  It is not known whether William Keen died in prison, was released or walked out along with all of the other prisoners in 1867.

Whatever the story it makes living in one of the 124 townhouses in Greentree Village just a bit more intriguing.  So as you are wandering through your neighborhood in Fairfax County take a closer look around.  There is an amazing amount of history tucked in very unusual places. 

More posts on Faifax County Historic Places.

©2008. All Rights Reserved. Cindy Jones
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

As an Associate Broker with RE/MAX Allegiance in Northern Virginia and native of the area I can assist you whether you are buying, selling or renting a home anywhere in Northern Virginia. For more information about the area or my services you can check VaRealEstateTalk or my Northern Virginia website.

Search all homes available in the Northern Virginia area.