The diverse Bailey's Crossroads surrounds busy commercial corridors
Bailey’s Crossroads receives its name from Hachaliah Bailey, who purchased 500 acres around the Leesburg and Columbia Pikes in 1837 with money he earned from touring with an elephant named Old Bet. His nephew went on to form the Barnum and Bailey Circus, but his son was the one to move to the then-rural area between Falls Church and Alexandria. The Bailey family would establish several local businesses, creating the foundation for a one-stop shopping area. Today, bustling shopping centers and high-rise condos sit near the well-known intersection, while quieter residential roads fill the rest of the neighborhood. The neighborhood’s plethora of apartments and condos made it a landing place for immigrants coming from Hungary, Cuba and Vietnam in the mid-20th century and, more recently, families from Hispanic countries like El Salvador, Peru and Bolivia. Today, younger professionals move into the condos, while residents looking for a comparably affordable single-family home near D.C. opt for the residential areas in Bailey's Crossroads.
Bailey’s Crossroads is situated between Arlington and Alexandria.
Pho & Grill has plenty of seating available so you can enjoy your food.
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International dining and retail line Leesburg Pike and Columbia Pike
Leesburg and Columbia Pikes are commercial corridors filled with recognizable stores and a diverse array of restaurants. “Peking Gourmet is the most well-known restaurant because that’s where George H.W. Bush used to go when he was in office,” says Blake Davenport, a Realtor with The Davenport Group at RLAH Properties, who has served the area for six years. Also known for its Peking Duck, Peking Gourmet Inn has served flavorful Chinese dishes since 1978. “Bailey's Crossroads is a cultural melting pot,” says Abdullah Alyamani, a real estate agent with Proplocate Realty who’s served the neighborhood for 22 years. He notes the area has a mix of Afghani, French, Thai and Chinese fare. Other popular favorites include Haifa Grill, a Mediterranean restaurant that serves shawarma, and Duangrat's Thai Restaurant, which offers curry and drunken noodles. If they want to grab ingredients to cook at home, residents have their pick of grocery stores, with Aldi, Giant, Trader Joe's and Target all within a mile of one another. There’s also Halalco Supermarket, a Middle Eastern grocery store with a hot buffet bar that carries halal meats. Crossroads Center and Crossroads Place are both large shopping plazas, where locals browse the racks at retailers like Old Navy or Marshalls or hunt for new home décor at World Market or T.J. Maxx.
The Chicken Place in Bailey’s Crossroads is a quick Peruvian restaurant.
Culmore Supermarket has a vast selection of food options for Bailey's Crossroads residents.
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The housing stock includes condos, townhomes and Colonial Revivals
Residents live in a combination of condos, single-family homes and rented apartments. Condos from the 1970s appear in brutalist designs with brick and concrete facades and usually cost between $260,000 and $420,000. Colonial-inspired townhouses from the late 1900s and early 2000s cost between $600,000 and $800,000. “Houses start around $700,000 to $850,000, which is affordable for NOVA single-family homes, especially given the location,” Davenport says. These properties, which sit on residential streets that are removed from the major thoroughfares, appear in Colonial Revival, ranch and Cape Cod styles. While home prices start around $700,000, large Colonial Revivals cost as much as $1.5 million.
Enjoy a little free library and seating area along a path in Bailey’s Crossroads.
Apartment complexes can be found throughout Bailey's Crossroads.
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Local parks and nature trails offer outdoor space to stretch out
Tiny pocket parks, like Crossroads Interim Park, offer benches to enjoy a quick snack, but there are also larger parks where kids can run around. Dowden Terrace Park has basketball and tennis courts and a ball field, and Bailey’s Park has a soccer field for youth sports matches. Skyline Park, which sits near the collection of condos in the southeastern corner of the neighborhood, has a playground and park benches to relax on the stretch of green space. Lillian Carey Park sits next to Holmes Run Stream Valley Park, where residents can unwind after work on the forested Holmes Run Trail.
Lillian Carey Park has a variety of amenities for every park goer.
Lillian Carey Park has two tennis courts.
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WMATA bus and Leesburg Pike serve the bustling community
Bus stops serviced by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority are throughout the neighborhood and take residents to other northern Virginia cities or Metro stations. While many live within walking distance of the shops and restaurants, Leesburg Pike is currently missing the necessary sidewalks and crosswalks to make the street safely walkable or bikeable. CASA, an immigrant advocacy organization, partnered with the Coalition for Smarter Growth to create the Safe Streets for Bailey’s Crossroads campaign to advocate for improved walking and biking infrastructure. The East Falls Church Metro station is a little over 3 miles northwest of Bailey’s Crossroads — the stop has a park-and-ride lot where commuters can leave their cars before they catch the Silver or Orange Line. Those who opt to drive can merge onto Columbia Pike to connect with Arlington Boulevard and travel about 9 miles northeast to Washington, D.C. Residents traveling the 8 miles to the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport drive southeast on Leesburg Pike before linking with Interstate 395.
Students are part of Fairfax County public schools
Students may begin at Glen Forest Elementary, which has a B-minus rating from Niche. Students progress to B-rated Glasgow Middle and B-minus-rated Justice High. The high school has career and technical education classes to prepare students to enter fields like marketing, consumer sciences, business and engineering. The Northern Virginia Community College's Alexandria Campus is close by for post-secondary or continuing education courses.
Students of Lincolnia enjoy the quality education offered by Glasgow Middle School.
Glen Forest Elementary is where learning becomes an exciting adventure for young minds.
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Bailey's Community Center hosts game nights and teen programs
Bailey’s Community Center supports neighborhood engagement with special programs and events. There’s a teen program during the summer where teenagers go to hang out and play games or work on crafts, and parents can enroll younger kids in specialized spring and summer camps. Year-round, there’s an open gym and computer lab, and residents enjoy mingling and playing games on the last Friday of the month during board game night. There’s also a senior center with groups for crafts, gardening, knitting and more.
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Video By
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