A choice location and woodsy feel make Marlan Forest (and its conjoined sister development Marlan Heights) a highly desirable address.

Set just across the George Washington Parkway from the Potomac River, Marlan Forest gives its residents easy access to the Mt. Vernon bike path for walking, running, biking and wildlife viewing.  It is bordered on the west by Ft. Hunt Road, which, along with nearby Route 1, provides abundant shopping opportunities.  Wilson Bridge is a stone's throw away, the Parkway connects commuters to Alexandria and other points north, and the area is served by the Huntington Metro stop.

The "forest" in Marlan Forest is more than just a name; it is a fact.  Builders took pains to spare as many trees as possible, and so today's residents are blessed with the luxury of towering old growth trees in and around their yards.  Homes tend to be beautifully landscaped, adding to the lush, green feel of the development.

Most of the homes were built in the '50's--a variety of ramblers, Colonials and Cape Cods, avoiding the cookie-cutter feel of some developments.  Prices range from $500K to just over $1 million, with an average price of about $800K.

Buyers are also drawn to the Fort Hunt/Mount Vernon area by the excellent Fairfax County Public Schools, county services and safety.

 

 

The nieghborhoods surrounding Fort Hunt Road are generally low-crime, high-income and well-maintained. Despite these commonalities, there are many differences between these neighborhoods depending upon the geology, location and builders in that neighborhood. This information is provided to give one an idea of the many choices offered along Fort Hunt Road, as well as give you an idea of what sort of activities are available here.

Neighborhoods

• Belle Haven -- Belle Haven is one of the Northern Virginia's most prestigious neighborhoods because of it's proximity to services, high quality of construction and commanding position near Fort Willard.
• New Alexandria -- Between the Belle Haven Country Club, Belle Haven Marina and Mount Vernon Rec Center, you'll find New Alexandria. This one little neighborhood includes garden apartments, cottages, houses, townhouses and luxury homes.
• River Towers -- River Towers is a one of a kind place near the marina, the Metro and shopping, but surrounded by 26 acres of park lands.
• Bucknell -- "Bucknell" includes both Bucknell Manor and Bucknell Hieghts, and is a neighborhood of Cape Cods, duplex townhouses situated on the uplands behind Fort Hunt Rd. Some of the most affordable homes along Fort Hunt Road are found in Bucknell.
• Villamay -- Villamay, Westgrove and Marlan Forest are situated half-way down Fort Hunt Road along the Potomac. The homes here are general upscale, but lacking pretension.
• Mason Hill -- Mason Hill was one of the last subdivisions to be developed along Fort Hunt Road and as such its homes are generally newer than most neighborhoods in the area.
• Hollin Hills -- Hollin Hills is yesterday's vision of tomorrow. This is one of Northern Virginia's most remarkable neighborhoods because of its unique setting and architecture.
• Hollindale -- Sometimes called Hollin Hall because if its proximity to the Hollin Hall Shopping Center. Hollindale is mostly traditional single family homes on rolling wooded lots.
• Waynewood -- Americana at its best. Tree-lined streets, churches and schools frame a community where families are welcome.
• Arcturus -- Estate homes, manors and luxury houses are most common along the Potomac in Collingwood and around Arcturus. There are a few more modest homes as well in Wellington and Collingwood.
• Stratford -- The last stop on Fort Hunt Road neighbors Mount Vernon. Large river homes with excellent views are found here.
• Area Shopping -- The area is well served by a wide range of shops and services.

 

The east bank of Little Hunting Creek is called Stratford Landing . Stratford on the Potomac is near the point where Little Hunting Creek enters the Potomac.

LIke Arcturus, this natural harbor was at one time a boaters' get-away: the perfect place for DC anglers to escape from the city.

There are few remnants of the fishing shacks here. One is more likely to find a multi-million dollar estate home.

Some homes on have piers and docks, many are have near waterfront exposure. Here's a list of what's available in Stratford Landing including both Stratford Landing and Stratford on the Potomac.

Designed by renowned architect Charles M. Goodman and developed by Robert Davenport in the late forties, Hollin Hills brought contemporary style to home construction in Northern Virginia.

The community of houses with large expanses of glass, sleek lines, and unusual siting has earned national recognition from the early fifties to the present.

Landscape designs for Hollin Hills homes were prepared by landscape architects Lou Bernard Voigt, Dan Kiley and Eric Paepcke to reflect the belief that interior spaces should flow into exteriors, and that grounds of one home should merge with the next, all in a park-like setting. These original concepts are still visible in the look of the neighborhood as a whole and in the individual homes.

Hollin Hills has won many awards, beginning with the Revere Quality House award from the Southwest Research Institute in 1950 and including two 1982 Test of Time awards from the Virginia Society of the American Institute of Architects, for houses on Stafford Road. Hollin Hills also is on the Fairfax County, Virginia, Inventory of Historic Sites. Search here for Hollin Hills homes.

No picture can really do this neighborhood justice.
It must be seen first hand. Call today for arrange a visit to local homes for sale.

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About the Author --- Will Nesbitt is the principal broker of Will Nesbitt Realty and maintains Condo 1 Alexandria. Will specializes in condos, townhouses and single family residences in Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax County, Crystal City, and Kingstowne. Will resides in Belle Haven Estates just outside Alexandria VA in Fairfax County.

This is wonderful neighborhood with easy access to parks, bike trails and jogging paths. These homes have generous proportions and ample lots.

Heading south, one will encounter Westgrove first. Westgrove's homes, many built in the fifties and sixties, are sturdy, brick homes with tasteful, colonial touches. Like much of New Alexandria, Westgrove lies below the uplands, but still well outside most of the River's floodplain.

Villamay homes are perched on the bluff, and many have wonderful vistas to the River and beyond the Potomac to Maryland. Villamay homes are often split level characterized by enormous rooms with a thoroughly modern feel.

Marlan Forest, as the name implies, is a bit more wooded than Villamay and Westgrove. The lots are large and most have towering hardwoods. The entire neighborhood is quiet, elegant and highly desirable. Check here for a look at sales and prices in Villamay, Westgrove and Marlan Heights.

Arcturus is a bright star in the night sky and a common name for sailing vessels, but it is known to area residents as that place north of the bend in the Potomac at Mount Vernon.

There are several natural harbors in and around Arcturus and at one time the area was a fisherman's get-away: the perfect place for DC anglers to escape from the city.

There are few remnants of the fishing shacks here. One is more likely to find a multi-million dollar estate home in Arcturus these days. Most homes by the Potomac have piers and docks. The wooded lands up above the river and along Fort Hunt Road have many large homes on quiet roads with little traffic.

Waynewood is (as they say) only twelve miles from DC but a world away from Washington. Most of the the residences in Waynewood are brick, siding or brick and siding.

Many of these homes have large level lots perfect for a game of touch-football or just big enough for a game of wiffle ball.

It's a place that was frozen in time and seems to recall what's best in America: tree-line streets, a prosperous middle class and families who are involved in the community.

While there are homes that are large, spacious and luxurious, for the most part Waynewood remains relatively affordable. Here's the latest offerings from Waynewood .

 Pictures don't lie. Check out this brand new listing at Belle View condos in Alexandria VA.

It's on Belle View Boulevard close to Belle View Shopping Center and George Washington Parkway. Belle Haven Marina is right around the corner.

Bamboo floors and tasteful paint make this a beautiful place to live. 

The kitchen is totally renovated and the landlord will leave the barstools for the next tenant. Granite countertops, brand-new cabinets and fixtures.

The first of three bedrooms.

The smallest of three bedrooms has a bike storage rack that the landlord will take or leave as the tenant wishes. There is additional storage downstairs!

The second bedroom has plenty of room for a queen sized bed and dresser.

The bathroom is mostly original but is in excellent shape. For more information about Belle View check out I love Belle View. To search what is for sale click Belle View.

The Neighborhoods of Fort Hunt Road

The nieghborhoods surrounding Fort Hunt Road are generally low-crime, high-income and well-maintained. Despite these commonalities, there are many differences between these neighborhoods depending upon the geology, location and builders in that neighborhood. This information is provided to give one an idea of the many choices offered along Fort Hunt Road, as well as give you an idea of what sort of activities are available here.

Neighborhoods

• Belle Haven --- Belle Haven is one of the Northern Virginia's most prestigious neighborhoods because of it's proximity to services, high quality of construction and commanding position near Fort Willard.
• New Alexandria --- Between the Belle Haven Country Club, Belle Haven Marina and Mount Vernon Rec Center, you'll find New Alexandria. This one little neighborhood includes garden apartments, cottages, houses, townhouses and luxury homes.
• River Towers --- River Towers is a one of a kind place near the marina, the Metro and shopping, but surrounded by 26 acres of park lands.
• Bucknell --- "Bucknell" includes both Bucknell Manor and Bucknell Heights, and is a neighborhood of Cape Cods, duplex townhouses situated on the uplands behind Fort Hunt Rd. Some of the most affordable homes along Fort Hunt Road are found in Bucknell.
• Villamay --- Villamay, Westgrove and Marlan Forest are situated half-way down Fort Hunt Road along the Potomac. The homes here are general upscale, but lacking pretension.
• Mason Hill --- Mason Hill was one of the last subdivisions to be developed along Fort Hunt Road and as such its homes are generally newer than most neighborhoods in the area.
• Hollin Hills --- Hollin Hills is yesterday's vision of tomorrow. This is one of Northern Virginia's most remarkable neighborhoods because of its unique setting and architecture.
• Hollindale --- Sometimes called Hollin Hall because if its proximity to the Hollin Hall Shopping Center. Hollindale is mostly traditional single family homes on rolling wooded lots.
• Waynewood --- Americana at its best. Tree-lined streets, churches and schools frame a community where families are welcome.
• Arcturus --- Estate homes, manors and luxury houses are most common along the Potomac in Collingwood and around Arcturus. There are a few more modest homes as well in Wellington and Collingwood.
• Stratford --- The last stop on Fort Hunt Road neighbors Mount Vernon. Large river homes with excellent views are found here.
• Area Shopping --- The area is well served by a wide range of shops and services.

Fort Hunt Road meanders from Rt. 1 south of Old Town at Huntington over about 5 miles to Mount Vernon. Fort Hunt Road runs generally parallel to the George Washington Parkway where it runs south from Alexandria to Mount Vernon. Where the GW Parkway runs along the Potomac at the river's edge, Fort Hunt road climbs up to the ridge described in detail here.

Fort Hunt is quilted with quiet neighborhoods that are among my favorite in Northern Virginia. From affordable cozy condos at River Towers and Belle View to the impressive riverside residences to Arcturus or ridgetop homes of Belle Haven, Fort Hunt has all that is great in America. I even love the middle America type neighborhoods of Bucknell Manor and Waynewood. In addition there are architecturally distinctive and important homes at Hollin Hills.

There are two schools on Fort Hunt Road: Belle View Elementary and Carl Sandburg Middle School. (My children attended both of these schools.) There are two nieghborhood shopping centers on Fort Hunt Road: the Belle View Shopping Center and the Hollin Hall Shopping Center. Fort Hunt Park, the road's namesake is at the lower end of the road.

The Collingwood Foundation's main building and grounds, which were once part of George Washington's River Farm, are south of Alexandria on the banks of the Potomac River, surrounded by woods and gardens. The mission of the foundation is to foster an appreciation of our American Heritage by sharing these facilities with all. There are three components to achieving this mission.

Firstly, the Collingwood Library on Americanism boasts a library of more than five thousand volumes on American heritage. Secondly, the Collingwood Museum is home to an eclectic collection of Americana. Lastly, the foundation opens the grounds to serve as a venue for weddings, corporate gatherings and other private events. are available for weddings, receptions and other private functions.

Collingwood, as the whole is generally referred to, is primarily dependent upon contributions from the public and income from third party events. Collingwood is comprised of a historic mansion between the Potomac and the George Washington Memorial Parkway. Today the property is approximately 8.7 but the property was once a part of George Washington's estate of his River Farm at Mount Vernon. Collingwood was purchased by George Washington in 1760. River Farm was the largest of the five working farms all of which were a part of his Mount Vernon estate. Collingwood's namesake was a member of the British forces at the Battle of Bunker Hill and in 1805 an Admiral commanding a portion of the British fleet in the Battle of Trafalgar.

The original house constructed in 1792 was a modest one, but in time there were at least three major additions to the house. From a small two-room house to its current condition as a colonial mansion the property has had many occupants and usages over time. Over the course of the last two and half centuries, Collingwood has been home to farmers, a ferry operator, airline crew members, and Intelligence School students. For a part of the 20th Century, Collingwood served up meals as an area restaurant.

But time took a toll on Colingwood and by 1977 it was no more than overgrown, neglected land and a much vandalized building that only hinted at the history found here. At that time a group of dedicated National Sojourners obtained the property. took possession of the property. Presently, the Foundation for Collingwood Library and Museum on Americanism, with offices for Headquarters National Sojourners, maintains and occupies the property.

Collingwood Library and Museum consists of a historic mansion that houses thousands of books and artifacts relating to the history of America. As part of George Washington's River Farm, our rich history had many of our founding fathers walking this land in our nation's infancy. Nestled on approximately 8.7 acres on the Potomac River off the George Washington Memorial Parkway in Alexandria, VA, Collingwood is available for conferences, retreats, business meetings and weddings.

River Farm is on Virginia's side of the Potomac River in Fairfax County just south of Alexandria. Originally together with nearby Collingwood, River Farm was a sprawling farm that was one of five farms that compromised George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate. Today, River Farm is twenty five acres of meadows, woods and landscaped gardens.

The gardens bloom all year from the daffodils and lilacs in early spring to the cherries and dogwoods of late spring. Magnolias in the early summer give way to the Crepe Myrtles in later summer. The asters of fall herald the brilliant fall foliage that promises a winter of holly and persimmon. The woods and river banks of River Farm provide habitat for many birds, including bald eagles and ospreys, as well as animals as small as lizards and as big as deer.

These and many other plantings make River Farm an excellent destination for a one day outing but also a lovely place to host an event. River Farm is open to the public from 9 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday, excluding national holidays. In addition, from early April through September 25 River Farm is open on Saturdays from 9 am to 1pm. River Farm organizes special events and children's programs throughout the year. River Farm's ballroom, patios and gardens are a great place for a spring wedding or corporate get-away.

River Farm

7931 East Boulevard,
Alexandria, VA 22308
Toll-free: (800) 777-7931

The headquarters of the American Horticultural Society is also at River Farm. The American Horticultural Society strives to inspire Americans to appreciate the vital connection between people and plants so that we might become become better caretakers of the Earth. Both experienced and novice gardeners may find the many publications of The American Horticultural Society very useful. Here are a few of their resources:

• The American Gardener
• Tres Fromme's "Gardening by Design" series
• AHS Gardening Books
• Book Recommendations
• Heat Zone Map
• Heat Zone Finder
• On-Line Gardening Catalogs

Fort Hunt Park consists of 105 acres located along the Potomac River in Fairfax County, Virginia, approximately 6 miles south of Old Town Alexandria. The Park is a part of the over 7,000 acres that make up the George Washington Memorial Parkway. The lands of Fort Hunt Park were originally a part of George Washington's personal farm and were became a military outpost and now serves as a picnic area and nature park.

So that all may better understand the history of Fort Hunt, the Park Service has begun research to uncover the names of the many veterans who served at Fort Hunt when it was a military outpost.

Fort Hunt Park was converted into a fortification during the Spanish - American War. In 1897 the fort was modernized for military operations. During War World II the fort was used as a top secret military intelligence outpost.

After both World War I and World War II, Fort Hunt was virtually abandoned due to military cutbacks. The National Park Service now adminstrates Fort Hunt Park a recreational park for public use. Fort Hunt has been a focal point of personal dramas of all kind throughout its history, but now it's dedicated to public recreation.

Hours are 7am until sunset year round for general use. From April - October reservations are needed to use some areas of the park. For information about homes and neighborhoods near and around Fort Hunt Road check out Fort Hunt Info.