About Lorton's Laurel Hill

This guide is geared towards "new" Lorton. Lorton neighborhoods have been around a long time. In fact the Lorton area has plenty of history that goes all the way back to our early famous neighbors, George Washington and George Mason. There are older neighborhoods which are just as popular today as they were when they were built in the 50's, 60's and 70's. Over the last 10 years a "new" Lorton has emerged which has brought a renewal to southern Fairfax County.

Most of the "new" Lorton growth came about when the DC Correctional Complex in Lorton was ordered closed in 1998. With just over 3200 acres the prison complex gave Fairfax County developers an opportunity to create an entire new vision for the land and its usage. With a Virginia Rail Express Station already in place in Lorton (1994) the area was poised for growth.

On the west side of I-95 multiple neighborhoods were carved out of the prison grounds, along with parks, schools, golf course and arts center. The largest of the neighborhoods, Laurel Hill has 700 homes built by Pulte or Centex Homes. In addition to Laurel Hill, other neighborhoods that have grown out of the redevelopment of the old prison land include Laurel Crest, Laurel Highlands and the over 55 community of Spring Hill.

To the east of I-95 a new town center Lorton Station has grown up around the VRE station. Currently featuring multiple restaurants and a pharmacy more stores are slated to open next year. Just down the road Lorton Market offers a large Shoppers Food Warehouse, UPS store, emergency medical center and banking. All of shopping options make it easy for homeowners to stay in the neighborhood for just about everything they need.

In 2006 the new South County Secondary School opened and the Laurel Hill Elementary School opened in 2009. The Laurel Hill Golf Course an 18 hole championship course operated by the Fairfax County Park opened in 2007 and with a 9000 square foot club house it has become a terrific place for Lorton residents to gather. Bike paths and walking trials connect different sections of the community and also connect with the Fairfax County Cross County Trail

The jewel of the redevelopment is the Lorton Workhouse Arts Center. Officially opened in September 2008 the site has retained the old brick Lorton Prison buildings and revamped them into a blend of artist's studios, classroom and performing arts center. Proposed new stores and restaurants will round out the neighborhood making once was depressing area the newest "it" place in Northern Virginia.

With it's convenience to Fort Belvoir, easy access to I-95, community VRE station and community amenities it is easy to see why the "new" Lorton has become a re-development success in Fairfax County. If you are interested in learning more about relocating to the Lorton area give me a call. We can meet up for coffee in Lorton Station 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.

Lorton VA Homes For Sale

A Tour of Lorton Homes and Amenities

Cindy Jones and CJ Realty Group are happy to announce the settlement of our listing at 8183 Paper Birch Drive in the Laurel Hill neighborhood of Lorton VA.  This closing was our 30th Department of Defense Homeowners Assistance Program (HAP) settlement.  This home garnered multiple offers and sold for 15K over list price.  I've had the pleasure of working with the former owners of this Lorton home on three transactions over the last 7 years. 

Laurel Hill is one of the new communities in Lorton that was built after the closing of the former DC Reformatory located in Lorton for almost 100 years.  Lorton Virginia has a rich history that dates back before the Revolutionary War.  The current Pohick Church located in Lorton was completed in 1774 yet was established in 1732 by George Washington's father.  This is one of multiple historic sites in or nearby Lorton.   Current day Lorton is located only a few miles from Fort Belvoir making it a popular area for military families moving to the area.  Lorton also offers multiple commuting options for owners who head into DC or other regional work centers in Northern Virginia.

If you are looking to buy or sell your home in Lorton Virginia give Cindy Jones and CJ Realty Group a call at 703-346-2213.  Let our knowledge of the area and success in selling homes in Lorton work for you.  If you are a military family eligible for the Department of Defense Homeowners Assistance Program (HAP) give us a call to talk about your options to sell your Lorton home.

If you have been looking for a large detached home in the Laurel Hill section of Lorton Virginia then Cindy Jones and CJ Realty Group have one about to hit the market. 

This home features a two story family room, a screened in porch and a fully finished lower level just for starters.  Add the 4 upstairs bedrooms, the first floor office and a few other goodies and you have close to 3800 finished square feet.  The Laurel Hill community is one of the new Lorton VA communities built starting in 2004 and is close to Fort Belvoir and NGA in Springfield.  The community offers easy access to I-95 and the Lorton Station VRE is only a few miles away.

The home will be on the market in the next few days and will be shown by appointment only to accomodate the current residents busy schedule.  If you have any questions give Cindy Jones a call at 703-346-2213.  This one shouldn't last long priced at $575,000.

If you are relocating to the area and want to know just a little more about Lorton VA here is a quick neighborhood tour off the area.

When Golfweek ranked Laurel Hill at #15 among the 50 best U.S. municipal courses in the May 2009 issue, many people began to learn just how lovely it is to be living in Lorton, VA near Fairfax County's Laurel Hill Golf Club. Located at 8700 Laurel Crest Drive near South County Secondary School and the new Laurel Hill Elementary, the course lies within one mile from I-95, three miles of the Fairfax County Parkway (7100), and six miles of the Capital Beltway (I-495). A picturesque public golf course with a clubhouse, pro shop, restaurant and meeting and banquet facilities, Laurel Hill Golf Club is anything but a typical “muni” course.

For those who wouldn’t want playing golf at Laurel Hill to entail a long commute, here are a few neighborhoods very close to the course. Residents of these communities around Laurel Hill Golf Club would readily tell you that they are worthy of a closer look by golf enthusiasts who are considering a move, buying a second home or simply seeking investment property near Washington, DC -- and a great golf course.

The two closest neighborhoods to Laurel Hill Golf Club, bounded by Hooes Road, Silverbrook Road and Laurel Crest Drive, are Laurel Hill and Spring Hill. Laurel Hill is a vibrant community of relatively new detached homes and townhouses by two builders, Pulte and Centex. (Tip: Some Laurel Hill homes are “greener” than others not by being closer to the golf course but by a special construction method called Pulte Home Science; feel free to ask me for more information about these rare green homes in Fairfax County.) The large Laurel Hill homeowners association clubhouse and pool is sometimes the location for multi-neighborhood events like town hall meetings with local officials and swim meets with the Laurel Hill Tritons. Directly across Silverbrook Road from the Laurel Hill community is Spring Hill, an active adult community with a clubhouse, detached homes and soon-to-be-built condominiums by Pulte. Other close-in neighborhoods are Laurel Highlands, Callaway Green and Crosspointe.

For people who love this golf course which offers sweeping vistas yet “lies lightly on the land”, finding a home nearby may become a pleasant priority. The next closest course on Golfweek’s top 50 list, at #34, is a four-hour drive away in Harleysville, PA. Northern Virginia and DC-area residents and visitors alike will appreciate that Laurel Hill Golf Club has a service which lets subscribers schedule tee times up to 14 days in advance or even same-day. (A subscription currently costs $26/year and is available by calling 1-877-447-5358; reserve tee times up to 48 hours in advance at 1-877-776-3272, 24-hours a day. Laurel Hill Golf Club telephone, 703-493-8849.) So even if you’re just in the area for a short time, consider visiting Laurel Hill to play one of the top golf courses in the country or perhaps just to take in the views and some iced tea at the clubhouse!

Lee Ellis, REALTOR, e-PRO grew up near a great municipal golf course and still lives near another one, and plays tennis. For information about how you can find a property near Laurel Hill to suit you to a tee or about details on reusing this article, please don’t hesitate to call, write or send a text message.

People seeking grocery stores near Laurel Hill in Lorton, VA have plenty of options, and many are in new shopping centers with an array of retail outlets. And that’s a good thing because newer neighborhoods like Laurel Hill, Spring Hill and Laurel Highlands are attracting many residents and making South County the fastest growing part of Fairfax County, VA.

Laurel Hill features detached single family homes by two builders, plus one and two-car garage townhomes, so that's approximately 700 kitchens with pantries and refrigerators to fill! Here’s a rundown of the closest places to stock your Lorton, VA kitchen:

The closest large grocery store to Laurel Hill, about 1.5 miles drive from the Laurel Hill clubhouse, is Shoppers Food Warehouse. 9409 Lorton Market ST. Lorton, VA 22079. Tel. 703-372-2601.

The next closest grocery store to Laurel Hill, just more than a 2-mile drive is Bloom. 7760 Gunston Plaza Drive. Lorton, VA 22079. Tel. 703-550-9166.

On Route 123, the Giant grocery store anchors a shopping center and is walking distance to many homes in the Crosspointe and Crandall Run neighborhoods. 8941 Ox RD. Lorton, VA 22079. Tel. 703-690-5000.

For those who like speciality foods, Balducci's offers epicurean delights in Old Town Alexandria, complete with ready-made entrees, sides and a catering menu. Safeway has stores on Old Bridge Road in Lake Ridge, VA and on Old Keene Mill Road in Burke, VA. The Trader Joe’s closest to Laurel Hill is in Springfield, VA along with another Giant grocery store and a CVS pharmacy in the same plaza, and some Lorton resdients may prefer to shop at the Trader Joe's in Old Town Alexandria. Visible from I-95, the new Wegmans store in Woodbridge, VA is at the heart of swank new commercial and residential developments; watch for another Wegmans near Telegraph Road and Beulah Road which will serve residents and visitors of Lorton, Fairfax Station, Fort Belvoir and Kingstowne. There’s a Whole Foods in Springfield on Old Keene Mill Road and another store in Old Town Alexandria, VA on Duke Street with an underground parking garage and close enough for those arriving at the King Street Metro.

Laurel Hill residents who crave really fresh produce, jams, salsas and handmade confections can opt for the new Lorton farmer’s market, held Sundays, May 3 to October 25, 2009 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 8990 Lorton Station Blvd., Lorton, VA 22079. It occupies part of the parking lot for the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) commuter train, and kids of all ages get a kick out of watching and hearing the trains go by while strolling among the vendors’ booths.

It's become quite fashionable to have reusable bags for hauling groceries, and, Laurel Hill homeowners are keeping up with this trend. Most grocery stores sell their own store-branded resuable bags -- in case one forgets to bring bags, of course. Online stores carry versatile designer grocery bags (often made from recycled materials), and one can always just reuse existing bags by keeping them handy for routine and unscheduled grocery shopping trips. Since eating well is so important, you may also want to peruse books like the “Eat This, Not That” series by David Zinczenko and “In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto” by Michael Pollan before heading to the store, to help you make good choices for your nutrition. And remember that old advice: don’t grocery shop on an empty stomach!

Happy grocery shopping!

Lee Ellis, REALTOR, e-PRO, finds fresh foods in Fairfax County and likes to share flavors and recipes with neighbors. For tips about grocery shopping in Lorton, VA or for using content in this post, please contact Lee. To find homes for sale in Laurel Hill, Spring Hill, Laurel Highlands and surrounding Fairfax County and Washington, DC communities, feel free to use the no-obligation home search tools at HomeInNOVA.com.