Nesbitt Realty can help you buy and sell real estate in Franconia.
An old part of Franconia, Guilford can be found intersecting both Kingstowne and Rose Hill. While many communities have begun to flow with these modern times, Guilford has managed to maintain its idyllic feel.
Guilford can be found north of Telegraph Road, east of South Van Dorn Street, west of Rose Hill Drive and south of Franconia Road. It is characterized by small, disconnected homes situated in large land areas (half-acre lots are quite commonplace), with some homes occupying as much as two lots.
Not much of a transportation hub, it would be odd to find pedestrians and vehicles clogging the streets of this town – thus, it is safe to say that Guilford is a relatively quiet community.
Some of the community establishments found here are Thomas Edison High School found in the northeast area, which is also the location of a post office. The Greendale Golf course and Washington Golf’s driving range can also be found in Guilford.
As a means of entertainment, Guilford citizens often make their way to Kingstown’s strip mall for a movie or to King Street Blues for a drink or two.
Mid-rise condos have 4 to 8 floors. High-rise condos are 9 stories or more. Most high-rise condos are located near the center of the city, which may provide a better commute to work. Most condos also include a variety of amenities, including laundry services, pools, convenience stores. Some condos even small grocery stores located within the building itself.
For many, especially those who are new to the area, the system of jurisdictions that we have in the Commonwealth of Virginia can be confusing. This is especially confusing in Northern Virginia, where
Virginia intersects with Washington DC and the State of Maryland.
Fortunately I have a fresh bottle of CONFUSION-B-GON to spray liberally as needed.
Around our nation's capital
Let me start with my single-biggest pet peeve among newcomers: the term "DC proper".
I have seen this term used regularly on a site that claims to provide local information. That information is provided by people using anonymous handles. Anonymous handles should be your first clue not to completely trust the information you find.
At any rate: there is no such thing as "DC proper". There are three main jurisdictions here: Virginia, Maryland and Washington DC.
It is very common to live in Northern Virginia or Suburban Maryland and work in DC. Virginia is as different from DC as New Jersey is from New York. With a wink and a smile I have to inform you that just because you thought your job was transferring to Washington doesn't mean that you're moving to DC proper or improper.
Virginia jurisdictions
One of the keys to understanding Virginia real estate for a property search is to understand the differences between towns, counties and cities. In Virginia, as in most other states in the US, a county and an area administer below the state-level by local / county government.
Counties are often rural areas, but Fairfax County has over a million
residents and has very little rural land left.
Fairfax County aside, a county may have one or more towns within it's borders. In Virginia a town, no matter how many people live in that town, is part of a county and is managed by the county. In Virginia, towns often have governments but these governments are subordinate to and part of the
county where the town is found.
In addition to counties, Virginia has a fairly unique concept called a city. A city is like a county, except it is more urban than rural.
For example Falls Church and Alexandria are both cities. Cities, unlike towns, are not subordinate to counties. Cities are independent and operate on a level similar to counties.
This can be particularly confusing in Fairfax County. Fairfax County is a large mostly urban county and it surrounds Fairfax, an independent city. So the City of Fairfax is surrounded by Fairfax County, but it's not a part of Fairfax County. Falls Church, Alexandria and Fairfax are
all cities. Manassas and Manassas Park are both cities, and both are surrounded by Prince William County.
Real estate is sorted by county
It's important to understand this system of administrative organization because land tax records are stored by the county or city. Because tax records are organized by the county or city, real estate property searches are often sorted by the administrative jurisdiction.
For a newcomer it can be a little difficult to tell the difference between Fairfax and Fairfax County, between Manassas and Manassas Park and Prince William County. Another point of confusion is Arlington. Arlington is a city in a practical sense, but Arlington is a county.
Herndon, Vienna and Clifton are all towns located in Fairfax County, which mean that these towns have local governments subordinate to the county. Springfield is much bigger than Clifton, but Springfield is not a town.
Another curious case is Crystal City. Crystal City is located in Arlington County. Interestingly, Crystal City is not a city nor is it a town!
Unincorporated settlements
Which brings us to the next point of confusion in the area. There are many unincorporated neighborhoods, villages, towns and settlements in Northern Virginia. Unincorporated just means there is no local (i.e. town) government. Rather than having a town government, an unincorporated town is managed by the county. Springfield, Annandale, Bailey's Crossroads, Mclean Tysons Corner and Reston are just a few of the many unincorporated towns in Fairfax County. In places like Springfield this can be a little confusing because without a town there is no formal border between Franconia and Springfield and thus no hard and fast distinction between the two. In addition, with the near completion of Kingstowne, Franconia-Springfield is now home to one of the largest planned
communities/subdivisions in the area. Kingstowne is considered a town in and of itself by many.
Post office address
To make matters even more confusing for newcomers, there is the matter of the post office. The postal address of a property is not always an indicator of the jurisdiction of a property. For example,
many addresses in Fairfax County have an Alexandria address. Service from the Alexandria post office has no bearing on the county or city of the address in question.
Confusion-B-Gon guarantee!
Well, that's the last of this bottle of CONFUSION-B-GON. If you're still confused, no worries. Contact Nesbitt Realty. Tell us what you seek and we'll find the property for you!
For more information or to set up an appointment call Stuart at (703)765-0300.
The feeling of space is the first thing that hits you when you visit Mount Vernon Grove. The large homes in this area have lots of green space, which makes for wonderful gardens and plenty of room for the kids. The houses were built in the 1970's, in a classic colonial style, but over the years have been upgraded. Many include features such as garages, attractive flooring and some appliances.
Mount Vernon Grove is situated a short distance from the Old Mount Vernon road, nestled in a beautiful part of Fairfax County.
Established in 1974 with a mission to reduce homelessness, increase community support and promote self sufficiency, the Good Shepherd Housing and Family Services is operated by a multi-denominational board of directors and staff managing over 70 housing units. Good Shepherd Housing and Family Services is located in the Mount Zephyr Business Center at 8305 Richmond…
Northern Virginia has several independent cities and the City of Alexandria is one such independent city. The City of Alexandria borders Fairfax County, but the City of Alexandria is not in Fairfax County. Fairfax County is not in the City of Alexandria. However, there are large parts of Fairfax County that have an Alexandria postal address. The Alexandria area which is outside of the City of Alexandria can be roughly categorized into the following areas:
For real estate in Alexandria VA contact Nesbitt Realty
Lower Alexandria — so-called because the area south of Old Town Alexandria is downriver from Alexandria. (Lower Alexandria is sometimes called “South Alexandria”.) Lower Alexandria includes the Fairfax County Districts of Mount Vernon and Lee.
Franconia — Franconia is mostly in Lee District. Some residents of Franconia have a Franconia address but many homes in Franconia have an Alexandria address. Rose Hill is one of many communities in and around Franconia
Alexandria West — Not to be confused with West End Alexandria (which is in the City of Alexandria), Alexandria West includes many inside the Beltway but outside the City of Alexandria residences such as the homes of Bryn Mar.
Here's an interest local tidbit for newcomers. Fairfax County surrounds the City of Fairfax. Locals generally refer to the county as “Fairfax County” and the city as “Fairfax”, but Alexandria uses the opposite nomenclature. “Alexandria” generally refers to whole of the Alexandria area, while “City of Alexandria” refers to the jurisdiction of the City of Alexandria.
3 of Top 10 Wealthiest Counties Are In Northern VA
The nation’s wealthiest counties are all suburban retreats outside of large cities, according to an analysis by Forbes magazine.
The data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau, which examines the average incomes in 1,889 counties.
Of the top 25, 19 of these counties are on the East Coast – just outside of New York City, Washington, D.C., and Baltimore. Williamson County, outside of Nashville, Tenn., and Forsyth County, outside of Atlanta, are the only Southern counties on the top-25 wealthiest list. California has only two of the wealthiest counties, Marin and Santa Clara.
Here are the top-10 wealthiest counties on the list:
Loudoun County, Va.
Fairfax County, Va.
Howard County, Md.
Hunterdon County, N.J.
Somerset County, N.J.
Fairfax (city), Va.
Morris County, N.J.
Douglas County, Colo.
Arlington County, Va.
Montgomery County, Md.
Source: Forbes, Francesca Levy (03/04/2010)
Julie Nesbitt
Julie Nesbitt knows the back trails and by-ways of Northern Virginia real estate.
Established in 1974 with a mission to reduce homelessness, increase community support and promote self sufficiency, the Good Shepherd Housing and Family Services is operated by a multi-denominational board of directors and staff managing over 70 housing units. Good Shepherd Housing and Family Services is located in the Mount Zephyr Business Center at 8305 Richmond…
On the evening of December 1st 2012 Old Town Alexandria hosted the annual boat parade of lights. The event featured several pleasure boats decked out in festive lights making rounds in the Potomac. Just past the Torpedo Factory, Old Town features a strip right on the water similar to a board walk; this area attracts street performers, locals, tourists, amongst others. As seen in the photos below the strip provides a great view of the water, the distant Woodrow Wilson Bridge, and National Harbor.
Old Town Alexandria features a robust night life. Along King Street there are several restaurants which also serve as bars in the later hours. Union Street intersects King Street and serves as a pick up stop for the free trolley. Old Town Alexandria is serviced by the King Street metro station.
Mai Thai features waterfront views
Mai Thai is located right across from the Torpedo Factory
Popular bars in Old Town Alexandria Virginia include Chadwicks, Union Street, Flying Fish, Light Horse, Fish Market, O’Connells, the Lizard Lounge and Murphy’s
The parade of lights lasted from 4pm to 830pm
Old Town has several boat taxi’s
Old Town has distinct historic brick laid sidewalks
Charter House in Old Town is located right on the water
Jefferson Manor Park is located just off Telegraph Road near the US Capital Beltway.
Jefferson Manor is a community of well-built townhouses located in Fairfax County Virginia in close proximity to the Huntington Metro. These homes were built in the late 1940's and early 1950's when one could expect a sturdy brick and mortar construction with hardwood floors. The original kitchens are smaller than modern kitchens but most homes here have a fully renovated galley kitchen and in some cases an addition to the kitchen.
Jefferson Manor Park provides green space for the community. Jefferson Manor is served by Mount Eagle Elementary School, Twain Middle School and Edison High School.
Established in 1974 with a mission to reduce homelessness, increase community support and promote self sufficiency, the Good Shepherd Housing and Family Services is operated by a multi-denominational board of directors and staff managing over 70 housing units. Good Shepherd Housing and Family Services is located in the Mount Zephyr Business Center at 8305 Richmond…
Established in 1974 with a mission to reduce homelessness, increase community support and promote self sufficiency, the Good Shepherd Housing and Family Services is operated by a multi-denominational board of directors and staff managing over 70 housing units. Good Shepherd Housing and Family Services is located in the Mount Zephyr Business Center at 8305 Richmond…
Burgundy Manor is a quiet neighborhood, located just outside the Capitol Beltway, with a mix of single-family homes that will appeal to a wide range of budgets. Residents can enjoy visiting the local farms nearby. Many homes here were built in the sixties and seventies, and many of these have upgrades and additions. Some pockets of Burgundy were built much more recently.
Many of the properties are located within walking distance of the Huntington Metro Station, but even if you arrive by car there are over four thousand parking spaces on site. Burgundy Residents have their own community center that features a kitchen, grills, and an outdoor patio.
Burgundy Manor is part of Fairfax School District and its residents attend Clermont Elementary, Mark Twain Middle School, and Edison High School. The Burgundy Farms Country Day School is also located nearby.
