Burke Centre

What do you get when you combine 5,862 residences, 1,700 acres, 30 miles of paved paths, six ponds, five distinct communities and one lake? The answer: More than 18,000 happy neighbors. Tucked between Fairfax Station and Burke in Fairfax County, Burke Centre represents an innovative feat of 1980s urban planning that blossomed into an award-winning community recognized as one of CNNMoney.com’s best places to live in 2010.

Realtor and founder of The CAZA Group at Keller Williams in Gainesville, Matt Megel, grew up in Burke Centre. “What makes this community different is that it was one the earliest large-scale planned communities in Northern Virginia. They laid out five different communities, each with their own amenities, but in such a way that you still have one giant connected neighborhood.”

Each of the five mini-neighborhoods, Commons, Landings, Oaks, Ponds and Woods, features a series of “clusters” comprising similarly sized, styled and priced homes, creating close-knit pockets filled with mature trees and landscaping. For example, in the Oaks, you’ll find a group of late 1970s and ‘80s single-family modern colonials and split levels with 1,500 to 2,000 square feet and three bedrooms selling for $500,000 and $600,000. In the Woods, you could find several cul-de-sac streets lined with stately single-family homes built from the ‘80s through the modern day but with 3,000 to 5,000 square feet and four or five bedrooms, listing from $800,000 to $1 million or more. The Commons may feature a group of town houses with 1,500 square feet and three bedrooms, listing between $400,000 and $500,000. Finally, a condo cluster in the Landings will likely offer cozy spaces with 1,000 square feet or less, two or three bedrooms and price tags that start in the low to mid-$200,000s.

Megel, who actively sells homes here, remembers his childhood “hood” fondly. He says, “Our real point of pride is the trails. There are miles of trails that connect the communities, take you to the community centers, weave past fishing ponds and keep everyone part of the same network.”

Although Burke Centre boasts a prime Northern Virginia location near major interstates, commercial hubs, large-scale entertainment and Washington, DC, it boasts an active, outdoorsy community. Dog walkers pass daily along wooded paths, fishermen wind their way along trails to share tall tales at Lake Barton, and families find one another at the playgrounds and parks that pop up around every corner.

You can keep your crew active in more contained settings, as well—namely, at the pools, playgrounds and athletic courts hosted in each community. The neighborhood is also home to Burke Racquet and Swim Club and the Burke Centre Library, an ultra-modern facility with events for all ages.

After all this activity, you won’t need to travel far to fuel up—literally and figuratively. Burke Centre offers two fully loaded shopping centers, making many amenities walkable. In the center of the neighborhood, you’ll find a Shell gas station, Walmart, Giant, banking and tech services and restaurants dishing up everything from American and Indian to Mexican and Italian fare. To the northwest, the Burke Centre Shopping Center offers a Safeway, CVS, Kohl’s and fast food favorites like Chick-fil-A, Five Guys, Chipotle and McDonald’s. Or treat your family to Thai at Panisa Thai, where exceptional service, an elegant interior and the authentic flavors of Mussamun Curry and Thom Kha Soup are sure to please. Best of all, these centers are also home to dental and medical services.

For academics, Fairfax County Public Schools earn an A-rating from Niche and Burke Centre is home to two of their elementary schools, Terra Centre Elementary and Fairview Elementary. Terra Centre offers a fittingly innovative history, being one of only two schools in Fairfax in the 1980s to provide an energy-efficient, “underground” design. Megel recalls field days atop the school, which was covered by three feet of earth and solar panels. Redesigned in 2013, today, Terra Centre earns an A-minus rating from Niche. Students can also attend Bonnie Brae Elementary before heading to Robinson Secondary School and Robinson High School.

Although Burke Centre has evolved over the years, it has stayed true to its goal and provides a close-knit community. Megal says, “This neighborhood has kept its charm, even while moving forward.”