About Springfield's Charlestown

They say that fine wine ages well. The same thing can be said for the townhouse neighborhood of Charlestown in West Springfield. Maybe it is the all brick construction or the tree lined streets that make it standout from other area neighborhoods. It might even be the residents of the neighborhood who have a strong home owners association which even maintains the exterior of the townhouses. But whatever the combination it has worked well for 40 years.

Anytime you read an MLS description for a Charlestown townhouse you will find out about the surprise inside. The first is the "dramatic curved staircase." The staircase are eye catching when you open the front door and provide a terrific open two story foyer that agents forget to mention but an owner will point out to your right away.

Another surprise for anyone exploring the neighborhood for the first time is the size of the townhouses. Though there are a few two level townhouses (rarely available) and the three level homes range in size from approximately 1900 square feet up to a whopping 2700 square feet. The Concord model has 4 bedrooms on the upper level, a den as well as living, room dining room and eat-in kitchen on the main level and a full basement that can often boast a legal additional bedroom as well.

Despite the feel of seclusion you get in the Charlestown neighborhood you are in fact only blocks away from two large shopping centers. One features a Whole Food Market and the other a Giant Grocery store. There are plenty of places to eat with both chain restaurants like Austin Grill or Chicken Out and smaller local haunts like Milano's. If you need to commute to DC you can walk outside your front door and catch a metro bus directly to the Pentagon or a Fairfax County Connector to the Springfield Metro Station. The home is only a few miles away from the new NGA building in Springfield and approximately 20 minutes to Fort Belvoir.

For families with children the neighborhood falls in the West Springfield HS Pyramid. Younger children can walk to Cardinal Forest Elementary School and older kids skip the "cheese mobile" and walk to West Springfield High School. The intermediate school is Washington Irving and though it is in walking distance many kids elect to take the bus.

One of the biggest treats about living in Charlestown is the back door access to Lake Accotink though Carrleigh Park. Either by bike or by foot you can enjoy a few minutes or a few hours walking on the paths that will take you to the lake, the oldest carousel in Fairfax County or around the 3.75 mile loop.

In a time when older neighborhoods have been altered to a point beyond recognition having a neighborhood such as Charlestown maintain its original character and charm is a surprising treat. If you are interested in learning more about the neighborhood give Cindy Jones and CJ Realty Group a call at 703-346-2213. Let me show you why my family called Charlestown in West Springfield home.

They say that fine wine ages well. The same thing can be said for the townhouse neighborhood of Charlestown in West Springfield. Maybe it is the all brick construction or the tree lined streets that make it standout from other area neighborhoods. It might even be the residents of the neighborhood who have a strong home owners association which even maintains the exterior of the townhouses. But whatever the combination it has worked well for 40 years.

Anytime you read an MLS description for Charlestown you will see somewhere the words "dramatic curved staircase." Having lived and owned a townhouse in the neighborhood I would have to say the word dramatic is a bit much but they are eye catching when you open the front door and provide a terrific open two story foyer that agents forget to mention but an owner will point out to your right away.

A big surprise for anyone exploring the neighborhood for the first time is the size of the townhouses. Though there are a few two level townhouses (rarely available) and the three level homes range in size from approximately 1900 square feet up to a whopping 2700 square feet. The Concord model has 4 bedrooms on the upper level, a den as well as living, room dining room and eat-in kitchen on the main level and a full basement that can often boast a legal additional bedroom as well.

Despite the feel of seclusion you get in the Charlestown neighborhood you are in fact only blocks away from two large shopping centers. One features a Whole Food Market and the other a Giant Grocery store. There are plenty of places to eat with both chain restaurants like Austin Grill or Chicken Out and smaller local haunts like Milano's. If you need to commute to DC you can walk outside your front door and catch a metro bus directly to the Pentagon or a Fairfax County Connector to the Springfield Metro Station. The home is only a few miles away from the new NGA building in Springfield and approximately 20 minutes to Fort Belvoir.

For families with children the neighborhood falls in the West Springfield HS Pyramid. Younger children can walk to Cardinal Forest Elementary School and older kids skip the "cheese mobile" and walk to West Springfield High School. The intermediate school is Washington Irving and though it is in walking distance many kids elect to take the bus.

One of the biggest treats about living in Charlestown is the back door access to Lake Accotink though Carrleigh Park. Either by bike or by foot you can enjoy a few minutes or a few hours walking on the paths that will take you to the lake, the oldest carousel in Fairfax County or around the 3.75 mile loop.

In a time when older neighborhoods have been altered to a point beyond recognition having a neighborhood such as Charlestown maintain its original character and charm is a surprising treat. If you are interested in learning more about the neighborhood give Cindy Jones and CJ Realty Group a call at 703-346-2213. Let me show you why my family called Charlestown in West Springfield home.

Earlier this week I posted the Charlestown in West Springfield VA Community Profile.  Today we are going to look at 2011 sale in the neighborhood.

The first thing to remember about any neighborhood is there are a variety of home styles and finishes which will impact the sales price of any home.  If you are thinking about selling your home in Charlestown remember that a market report will not necessarily be the sales value of your home.  To date in 2011 there have been 12 sales in the neighborhood.  For the same time period in 2010 (January to September) there had been 17 sales.  This tracks with the rest of market data for the West Springfield area.  The price range for sales from low to high is almost identical so values appear to be holding from 2010 to 2011.

The Charlestown neighborhood offers West Springfied commuters a variety of options.  An express bus to the Pentagon runs through the neighborhood, there is a slug line within a few blocks and a Fairfax Connector bus heads to the Franconia-Springfield Metro Station.  It is in an ideal location for anyone headed to work at the new National Geospatial Intellegence Agency in Springfield and is an easy commute to Fort Belvoir. 

If you are intrested in learning more about the Charlestown neighborhood in West Springfield give Cindy Jones and CJ Realty Group a call at 703-346-2213.  Let us show you why this neighborhood should be on your must see list.

View Current Listings in Charlestown in West Springfield