I like that it is minutes away from George Mason University. Students will find this helpful when trying to save money and avoid hefty parking and commuting cost. Fairfax has had a long reputation for good schools and strong jobs. I like that it has a unique mix of old and new homes. You can tell that the city has evolved to accommodate its commuters by adding public transportation with buses and commuter stations to access the metro.
The city itself seems to have easy access to grocery stores, shopping centers, restaurants, and gas stations. I had an opportunity to ride around the area and I must admit that I felt safe. That is always a nice feature when selecting a neighborhood to live in. I saw plenty of families walking down the streets enjoying the beautiful weather. It’s the kind of city that has a lot to offer and a lot to love.
Fairfax has a lot to love
Fairfax has long been a Northern Virginia favorite for a number of reasons. Great schools, shopping, strong job market, and safe neighborhoods have kept steady residents. Fairfax is home to George Mason University and top producing public schools. The county has launched major projects to revive its historic district with great success and the economic vitality is strong as a result. There are a number of places to choose from if you’re in search of a new home.
I like that it is minutes away from George Mason University. Students will find this helpful when trying to save money and avoid hefty parking and commuting cost. Fairfax has had a long reputation for good schools and strong jobs. I like that it has a unique mix of old and new homes. You can tell that the city has evolved to accommodate its commuters by adding public transportation with buses and commuter stations to access the metro.
The city itself seems to have easy access to grocery stores, shopping centers, restaurants, and gas stations. I had an opportunity to ride around the area and I must admit that I felt safe. That is always a nice feature when selecting a neighborhood to live in. I saw plenty of families walking down the streets enjoying the beautiful weather. It’s the kind of city that has a lot to offer and a lot to love.
I like that it is minutes away from George Mason University. Students will find this helpful when trying to save money and avoid hefty parking and commuting cost. Fairfax has had a long reputation for good schools and strong jobs. I like that it has a unique mix of old and new homes. You can tell that the city has evolved to accommodate its commuters by adding public transportation with buses and commuter stations to access the metro.
The city itself seems to have easy access to grocery stores, shopping centers, restaurants, and gas stations. I had an opportunity to ride around the area and I must admit that I felt safe. That is always a nice feature when selecting a neighborhood to live in. I saw plenty of families walking down the streets enjoying the beautiful weather. It’s the kind of city that has a lot to offer and a lot to love.
Huntley Meadows is a 4500 acre park in Fairfax County, but today the park service only maintains about 30 acres of meadows. The remainder of the park is following the natural life cycle of the land.
In the days before Columbus, Northern Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley were mostly a sprawling meadow, and even here on the East Coast we had bison herds. The meadows are not the natural state here though, and they were maintained by natives who burned and cut the forest from time to time to leave room for the big herding animals. Left on its own, the land here will slowly revert to a hardwood forest. In Huntley Meadows, visitors can explore this forest by way of many trails and paths.
The change to forest happens over time. When the meadows first fall fallow, weeds rush in. In a few years brambles and honeysuckle mix in with fast growing trees like locusts or cedars. Eventually the tree canopy grows so thick that the vines and undergrowth begin to die off. In dry months, this undergrowth becomes brittle and fires are easy to start. Left unchecked, nature will start its own fire to clear the undergrowth and to replenish the hardwoods as they grow.
The forests of Huntley Meadows are young. This is evidenced not only by the diameter of the trunks and by the types of trees that are tallest. It's also evidenced by the duff, or undergrowth, that is heavy in parts of the forest. The park's management recently ignited a number of controlled burns to clear up the duff and to help keep the forest healthy.
You'll see signs of the fire along many paths in the park.
Huntley Meadows is also popular with birdwatchers. I found these feathers scattered along the trail. Perhaps a fox found a meal here? I am curious what type of bird this might have been.
