West Springfield, VA

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 West Springfield commuting options then we can take a closer look at some of the Fairfax County neighborhoods that have always been popular with military and civilian 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. 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.

The new NGA facility in Springfield is within 5 miles of all of these neighborhoods and Fort Belvoir is under 10 miles away. 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 Fort Belvoir, NGA or the Pentagon or other military bases in the area, consider these terrific neighborhoods. If your orders bring you to Northern Virginia this year give Cindy Jones and CJ Realty Group 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.

Thinking of buying a home in the Northern Virginia area? Wonder what the cost of owning that home and commuting in the area might cost you per year? Transportation and housing affordability are a big part of the buying process. The Urban Land Institute has developed a calculator to help show how these costs vary among different locations.

One of the first decisions that Northern Virginia buyers look at is whether they should buy a home "inside or outside" the beltway. Commuting is a big part of that decision. The calculator gives you a chance to play with the numbers and compare costs at a number of locations.

"The Housing + Transportation Calculator was developed to help individuals, households, planners, and municipalities understand the true costs of housing and transportation, as well as how these costs can vary from place to place."

Just enter an address you are considering buying and the calculator will bring you back costs associated with housing and commuting in that area.

If you are relocating to Northern Virginia give Cindy Jones and CJ Realty Group a call at 703-346-2213 to discuss your housing needs. We can help you find the home that best suits your needs.

Call Cindy Jones at 703-346-2213 to see this great home today!

Photo Gallery Description Are you looking for a new place to call home? Then this nice three level colonial in the West Springfield neighborhood of Terra Grande should be on your must see list. When you walk in the front door you notice the new hardwood floors that cover the entire main level of the home. A large bright living room and full size dining room are perfect for entertaining. The family room offers a wood-burning brick fireplace, access to the eating space in the kitchen and sliding glass doors to the deck. The kitchen has been updated and features new cabinets, corian counters and stainless steel appliances. The upper level has new carpet and feature four nice size bedrooms all which will accomodate full size beds. Two bathrooms with neutral tile complete the upper level. The walk-out level basement is unfinished but clean and neat. Perfect for storage or to finish the way you like. The Terra Grande neighborhood is within a few miles of the Lorton VRE station and the Springfield Metro. It is only 5 miles from the main gate of Fort Belvoir and two miles to the new National Geospatial Intellegence Agency Headquarters. This home is a regular sale and eligible for VA, FHA and the $8000 first time home buyers tax credit (qualification required). If you are ready to take advantage of the low interest rates and low prices then put this home on the list of properties to visit. Features Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 2.5 Parking Spaces: 2 Year Built: 1980 Subdivision: Terra Grande Garage Size: Double School District: Lee Square Footage: 1798 & basement Agent Name: Cindy Jones Broker: RE/MAX Allegiance Location 8411 Chillum Court Springfield VA 22153 Powered by vFlyer.com vFlyer Id: 2412867

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
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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.

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