Fredericksburg

If you live in Fredericksburg’s Celebrate neighborhood, you don’t have to decide between rich history, art-filled or outdoorsy weekends, because it’s all there. With homes located less than a mile from the Interstate 95 exit, all these activities are a short drive away. Although the Fredericksburg Regional Transit does have a bus line running along Warrenton Road, residents’ best bet is to drive themselves around since homes are just far enough away to warrant a car. Celebrate is “sort of out of the way,” Realtor John Moulds of Belcher Real Estate LLC says. A subdivision of streets fanning out occupies the northeast corner of this community, known as Celebrate Virginia North. Uniform lots with equally modest yards and single driveways interconnect; you’d be hard-pressed to find a cul-de-sac in this 55-plus community. The senior housing is “tucked off to the side, without the noise or traffic,” says Moulds. As young as the late 2000s, Prairie and bungalow styles average 1,400 square feet. These two-bed two-baths range from $400,000 to about $575,000. A bit farther west is a sparser grouping of single-family homes without age restrictions, fetching between $275,000 and $500,000. Students in Celebrate can attend Harrison Road Elementary School, rated C-plus by Niche. When kids graduate to Chancellor Middle just down the road, they will have extra support from a 24/7 student tip line used to report and discourage bullying. Chancellor Middle is also rated B-minus by Niche, as is Chancellor High School. These Chargers work hard, with just over half of its students graduating with an advanced diploma. Don’t be discouraged about traveling to experience the outdoors in Celebrate. Lake Mooney, a.k.a. Rocky Pen Run Reservoir, is right in your backyard off Greenbank Road. In addition to providing water for Stafford County, it also provides bass, catfish and panfish for the discerning fisherman. For even more outdoorsy activities, head over to Motts Run Reservoir. Set just southwest of Celebrate, this Reservoir has over 11 miles of trails for the biking enthusiasts and four for the hikers. If aquatics are more your thing, canoeing, boating and kayaking are also popular here. The beautifully reflective waters make it a great spot to grill, sit and watch the passersby. For a park that claims to be picnic-friendly, it certainly has the views to back it up. Don’t forget to visit the nature center before you leave. If you forgot to pack a lunch, grab a burger from Five Guys just up the road. There’s also a Chick-fil-A if you’re craving nuggets. Local business 6 Bears & a Goat Brewing Company offers a wide selection of beers and appetizers for a chill afternoon spent with friends or family. Plan accordingly, and you can catch some live music while you’re there. Groceries are also within reach, with Giant just two miles away. After getting your weekly produce and meat, fill up the tank at their gas station. Just a stone’s throw from Giant is an ALDI for anything else you’d need. Head over to the Lowe’s on Warrenton Road for DIY and general home supplies. O'Reilly Auto Parts is next door for the odd car part or advice. Although Celebrate’s parks are a big draw for locals, there is just as much to happening indoors. The Riverside Center for the Performing Arts presents matinees and evening shows, depending on the day of the week. Their talented crew brings seasonal and topical pieces to life onstage, like Miracle on 34th Street. With 25 years under its belt, the Center has reproduced many classics such as A Chorus Line, The Wedding Singer and West Side Story, to name a few. Sit, enjoy the show and have an entrée for a special evening. For those looking to settle down near all the action of Fredericksburg but less of the noise, consider Celebrate.

Downtown Fredericksburg, a Virginia city located about 50 miles from Washington, D.C., is a sleepy college town, historic village and thriving commuter community all rolled into one. The city’s prime location along the Rappahannock River made it a key pre-Revolutionary War port, and it was a significant Civil War site thanks to its location near both the nation’s capital and Virginia’s capital city of Richmond. Today, the neighborhood is heavily influenced by nearby University of Mary Washington – a public liberal arts college that grew from a teachers’ college to a state university – and its access to D.C. and Northern Virginia via Interstate 95 or the commuter transit service the Virginia Railway Express. And Mary Washington Healthcare, the largest health system in the region, is transforming the city into a medical hub. The downtown area includes a historic district that reflects its Colonial roots, as well as quaint shops and trendy eateries. Church spires dot the skyline, and the banks of the Rappahannock River beckon at Downtown Fredericksburg’s edges. Period colonial- and farmhouse-style houses line the streets. Some houses are surrounded by old-fashioned white picket fences; others have rustic stone borders characteristic of 19th-century streetscapes. Industrial chic town houses and condos add a modern touch to the downtown area while blending in with the historic aesthetic. The village-like ambiance extends to main streets that are commercial and business hubs filled with storefronts, restaurants and historic attractions. Sidewalks extend throughout downtown, making it pedestrian- and tourist-friendly. “Walkability is great downtown, and there is a good mix of housing – everything from historic to condos,” Ruthie Buck, real estate agent with Edmiston Team, says. Homebuyers looking to step back in time can find a circa-1840s Greek Revival-style house with four bedrooms and multiple woodburning fireplaces for between $1 million and $1.2 million. A 1930s simple farmhouse-style house lists for between $450,000 and $500,000, while a 1970s colonial goes on the market for roughly $400,000 to $450,000. A recently built condo can sell for between $850,000 to $900,000. Students enroll in Fredericksburg Public Schools, which partners with the local newspaper to feature a student each month. Young learners attend either Lafayette Upper Elementary School or Hugh Mercer Elementary, where students can participate in special events celebrating multiculturalism and Flag Day. Niche gives Mercer an overall grade of B. Sixth through eighth-grade students have the opportunity to participate in a gifted program at Walker-Grant Middle School. Students go on to attend James Monroe High School, an International Baccalaureate World School with a B grade from Niche. Downtown Fredericksburg provides the very latest in restaurant trends, as well as tried-and-trued staples. Orofino on Caroline Street serves traditional Italian fare, including pasta, antipasti and pizza. You can also take a cooking class or two here -- or sample some house wine at tasting events. At the casual pizza joint Benny Vitalis, customers feast on large slices and 28-inch pies. Hyperion has a menu of standard coffee and espresso drinks, but the caffeine pit stop also mixes up a specialty concoction – a blend of homemade chocolate milk, espresso, fresh banana and peanut butter syrup. If your style is more sweet milk than steamed milk, check out Carl’s, a frozen custard stand that has been doling out delightful desserts since the 1940s. Downtown Fredericksburg’s primary outdoor recreation space, the nearly 4-acre Riverfront Park, faces the Rappahannock River and has event space, a play area and public Wi-Fi. It also hosts a water feature and one of the city’s noted bronze otter statues, part of the Otter-ly Amazing campaign that placed small replicas of the river mascot across the city.

If you’re looking for plenty of elbow room between houses and a reasonable commute to Washington, DC, Highland Home may be just the place. This suburb of Fredericksburg, between 3 and 10 miles from downtown depending on which side you live on, has been experiencing a growth spurt. According to Heidi Jerakis, a Realtor for BHHS Pen Fed Realty who has sold several homes in the neighborhood, “The community has always been a little more rural, but recently, so many builders have gone in and had success in that area.” Today, you can find many types of homes, whether you’re looking for ranchers in a subdivision canopied by mature trees, new construction in developments with amenities and sidewalks or multi-acre plots set back on secluded country roads. Pricing is trending up, like everywhere, Jerakis says, but competitive with surrounding counties. “Generally, pricing tends to be $100,000 less for a detached single-family home in Stafford County than it is in Prince William County,” she says. “There's more value here.” Townhouses typically sell in the low- to high-$300,000s. Although a new construction single-family estate-style home with a pool and almost 5,000 square feet can go for more than $1.8 million, the median single-family home sales price in the area is $460,000, and a house of 1,000 square feet or less can still be found in the $200,000s. Kids in Highland Home attend Stafford County Public Schools, like Ferry Farm Elementary School, rated B-plus by Niche; Dixon-Smith Middle School, rated B; and Stafford High School, rated B. Students at Stafford High can take Career and Technical Education courses in topics like marketing, health and medical sciences, and business and information technology to prepare for post-secondary education or to enter the workforce upon graduation. A cluster of parks along the Rappahannock River offers unique amenities to those looking for some fresh air. River Road Park is situated on the river's sandy beaches, great for fishing and dipping your toes in the water. St. Clair Brooks Park has a skatepark for the more athletically inclined, and John Lee Pratt Memorial Park has tennis and pickleball courts and an 18-hole disc golf course. As far as a facility with pools and recreation, “There’s also one of the largest YMCAs on the East Coast in the neighborhood,” Jerakis says. “It offers the right things for people who are living in that area. A lot of people utilize that gym since it’s less expensive.” Giant Food and Weis Markets are two major stores in the area where you can fill up the fridge; they’re within minutes from the more concentrated subdivisions on the west side of the neighborhood but may be up to 8 miles away from the more rural homes. For most other shopping and dining needs, residents travel to neighboring areas. “Highland Homes is growing, but they haven’t brought in the commercial component yet,” says Jerakis. “There are a couple of shopping areas, but it’s more limited. Someone living there would typically have a 15-minute drive to Central Park, which offers any kind of chain retail facility you can imagine. It’s also the same distance to downtown Fredericksburg, which you’d choose for more of that historic ambiance and independent restaurants.” Other essential services for prospective buyers: The closest hospital is Mary Washington Hospital, about 8 miles from the center of the neighborhood, and the nearest major airports are Dullest International Airport and Richmond International Airport, both about 70 miles away. Jerakis says there are a lot of military and government employees in Highland Home, and the Virginia Railway Express, or VRE, is an important feature of the area; the Leeland Road Station is within minutes of many homes. Additionally, Interstate 95, between 5 and 10 miles from homes in the neighborhood, has added new Express lanes recently, which is making a tremendous difference for the commuter. “Between the VRE, the use of the Express lanes, commuter vans — all of those combined are making this area more accessible and not so crazy of a commute to the person who works in DC,” she says.

Central Fredericksburg offers homeowners a convenient home base in the heart of it all. “Central Fredericksburg is a perfect location for newer homes in the middle of town with easy access to Interstate 95, historic downtown Fredericksburg, and tons of shopping,” says Chris Ognek, Broker/Owner of Q Real Estate and Central Fredericksburg resident. Central Fredericksburg’s housing inventory primarily includes single-family homes and town houses from three main subdivisions: Great Oaks, Idlewild, and Altoona Village. “Altoona Village is more of an established community tucked away right near Interstate 95,” says Michelle Wilson, Realtor/Owner of Michelle Wilson Realty Group and local resident. “But you wouldn’t know it because the lots are wooded.” Homes here are all unique from each other and mostly built in the 1970s. Idlewild is an award-winning community that was established around 2005 and offers a variety of house types: town houses, detached homes with attached garages, and detached homes with detached garages, which were meant to mimic the style of downtown Fredericksburg. Idlewild homes are primarily on small city-sized lots, while Great Oaks offers homes in the middle, with fewer amenities but larger, quarter-acre lots. Depending on the subdivision, house hunters can find a three-bedroom town house starting around $375,000 or a four-bedroom single-family home starting around $400,000. Students attend Fredericksburg City Public Schools, typically starting at either Hugh Mercer Elementary School or Lafayette Elementary School, then proceeding to Walker-Grant Middle School and James Monroe High School. James Monroe High, rated B by Niche, offers a Career and Technical Education program; some students may even be able to earn industry credentials upon graduating. For a bit of fresh air, residents can head to Alum Spring Park, closest to Central Fredericksburg, to walk the trails and take the kids to the playground. A few miles farther is Old Mill Park, Fredericksburg’s most popular green space. Situated on the Rappahannock River, visitors can enjoy waterfront views and launch a kayak or canoe from the boat launch. While here, take the opportunity to stroll through historic Downtown Fredericksburg and get an ice cream cone at Carl’s Frozen Custard. If you reside in Idlewild, homebuyers may find themselves with additional outdoor amenities. According to Wilson, “Idlewild has a clubhouse with a pool, so the community puts on numerous events there for adults and families,” she says. “There is a swim team, three tot lots, tennis courts, and a community gym. You can walk all the way to downtown Fredericksburg on one of the paths. It’s a great community for families, professionals, and people who want to stay active.” Central Fredericksburg does have a major commercial thoroughfare, Route 3, that bisects the neighborhood, providing quick access to breakfast at Silver Diner, home improvement supplies from Home Depot, and late-night snacks at fast food chains like Cookout. But it’s when you take Route 3 to down to the opposite side of Interstate 95 where the retail corridor really gets interesting. “On the west side of Interstate 95, that’s where I call it ‘Retail Heaven,’” Ognek says. “You have retail centers with every imaginable chain store, restaurants — all of it is right there.” Spotsylvania Town Center and Central Park Plaza alone boast 250+ retailers and restaurants. Get all of life’s necessities at Walmart and Target, amuse the kids at Fun Land of Fredericksburg or Regal, shop for clothes at Macy’s and Belk, and go out for a meal at Park Lane Tavern, known for its British pub fare. With its fantastic parks, shopping, and dining, a wide variety of home types, and proximity to Interstate 95, it’s no mystery why Central Fredericksburg residents love their location. Says Ognek, “What I tell people is I’ve been in every neighborhood in Northern Virginia, and that’s where I choose to live.”

New Post is a growing Fredericksburg suburb packed to the brim with activity and recreation. “New Post is a more rural area, but there’s a lot of new construction going on,” says Tracey Farmer, Realtor with Century 21 Redwood Realty and a local expert in Spotsylvania County real estate. She notes many commuters to Washington, DC, have been moving to the area as of late. “They get more house and a lot of times more land for their money,” Farmer says about the area. Though one pocket of the neighborhood closest to Downtown Fredericksburg has smaller 1940s and 1950s homes with price tags on the lower end of things — a three-bedroom, one-bathroom bungalow with 1,000 square feet goes for around $275,000 — most of the housing was built from the late 1980s to today, with plenty of new construction underway and a median single-family sales price of $501,000. Subdivisions are well-planned, with winding streets, some with sidewalks and some without, and home styles like Colonial Revival; most have one- or two-car garages. Kids in New Post attend Spotsylvania County Public Schools, like Lee Hill Elementary School, rated B-minus by Niche, Thornburg Middle School, rated C, and Massaponax High School, rated B-minus. Massaponax High offers gifted and highly-motivated students the opportunity to participate in a four-year Commonwealth Governor’s School program, a challenging course of study where students spend half a day at their regular high school and half a day at their assigned Commonwealth Governor’s School site. Recreation is around every corner in New Post. Cosner Park, on the Rappahannock River, offers 11 acres to traverse, athletic fields, and a playground. Book a tee time Fredericksburg Country Club, which boasts an 18-hole course, pool, and tennis facilities, or simply head to New Post Golf Range to work on your drive. Athletics are a way of life in New Post — Fredericksburg Football Club has a large facility and programs for youth of all ages, the Publix Virginia Soccer Training Center serves the youth soccer community, and Fredericksburg Field House offers adult leagues in soccer, volleyball, and more. Haven’t worked up a sweat yet? There’s also a rock-climbing gym, batting cages, and an axe-throwing venue, all within minutes from home. If athletics aren’t your thing, maybe history is: New Post is home to many Fredericksburg Battlefield sites that tell the story of the area’s role in the Civil War’s Battle of Fredericksburg in 1862. Interested in trains? The Rappahannock Railroad Museum is open on Saturday mornings and offers a 45-minute open-air train ride on restored equipment. Into aviation? Shannon Airport is one of the most historic airports in the nation, offering a café with a view of the runway, a museum, and a roster of special events. And speaking of events: Fredericksburg Fairgrounds and all the fun it provides is also just minutes from home. Tidewater Trail/Bus-17 is the main commercial thoroughfare in the neighborhood, from which most subdivisions branch off. Get your groceries and other necessities at The Shops at River Club, which features Weis, CVS, and Starbucks. The dining scene consists of a few mom-and-pops like Strangeways Brewing, which serves up craft beers and light fare from their indoor tasting room and outdoor biergarten, and Perfect Pollo, which serves up fresh-from-scratch Peruvian and Tex-Mex cuisine. Of course, getting to the shops and restaurants in Downtown Fredericksburg is a 3-mile drive up Bus-17, and Fredericksburg’s greatest retail hub is only about 5 miles away at Spotsylvania Town Center and Central Park Plaza, which boast more than 250 additional shops and restaurants. Other need-to-know services for potential homebuyers: The nearest major airports, Washington Reagan National Airport and Richmond International Airport, are both about 50 miles away, and the nearest hospital, Mary Washington Hospital, is only 5 miles away. Commuters aren’t far from the Virginia Railway Express, known locally as the VRE, which runs all the way to DC’s Union Station. New Post falls halfway between the Spotsylvania and Fredericksburg stations, so most homes are within about 3.5 miles of either one. Interstate 95 is about 5 miles away from New Post.

Bellvue offers a convenient place to call home, where residents can both have their slice of suburbia and enjoy everything that historic Downtown Fredericksburg, just 5 miles away, has to offer. The neighborhood has something for everyone, housing-wise. “Bellvue has an array of different types of homes,” says Tracey Farmer, Realtor with Century 21 Redwood Realty and a local expert in Spotsylvania County real estate. “There’s some new construction and a lot of older homes. You can find houses from 900 square feet to more than 3,000 square feet, and a range of prices.” House hunters can find a mix of residential streets and more formal subdivisions dotted with 1950s Cape Cods and cottages, 1970s ramblers and split-levels, and contemporary and brand-new construction town houses and single-family homes. Prices range from the low $200,000s for a three-bedroom townhouse to the upper-$600,000s for a six-bedroom home on a large half-acre lot. Kids in Bellvue attend Spotsylvania County Public Schools, like Spotswood Elementary School, rated C by Niche, Battlefield Middle School, rated C-plus, and Massaponax High School, rated B-minus. Massaponax High offers students the opportunity to participate in a four-year Commonwealth Governor’s School program, a challenging course of study for gifted and highly-motivated learners. Students in the program spend half a day at their regular high school and half a day at one of the six Commonwealth Governor’s School sites. Many opportunities for recreation are accessible from Bellvue. Take Lafayette Boulevard to get to City Dock Park, where residents can enjoy waterfront views or launch a kayak or canoe. Alum Spring Park is about four miles from homes, and offers walking trails and playgrounds. Residents can join the Spotswood Swim Club in the summer, or an adult league year-round at Fredericksburg Field House such as flag football, soccer, or volleyball. Bellvue is also minutes from the Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center, which memorializes the area’s Civil War battle of 1862. History buffs can spend many hours exploring the National Park Service’s walking trails and historic sites recognizing Fredericksburg’s role in the war. Lafayette Boulevard and Route 1 are the two main commercial thoroughfares in the neighborhood from which most residential streets branch off. Get your groceries and other necessities at either Weis Markets or Four Mile Fork Center, home to ALDI, Dollar Tree, and Ollie’s Bargain Outlet. There are plenty of places to grab a bite, whether it be fast food like Chick-fil-A, McDonald’s, or Taco Bell, or mom-and-pop restaurants like Lafayette Diner or Jimmy the Greek. Fredericksburg’s greatest retail hub is only about 5 miles away at Spotsylvania Town Center and Central Park Plaza, which boast more than 250 additional shops and restaurants. Other important services are close at hand, too; Bellvue is within 5 miles from Mary Washington Hospital, and the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU also has a multispecialty center within the neighborhood. Getting around Bellevue by car is easy. Commuters can take the Virginia Railway Express, known locally as the VRE, all the way to DC’s Union Station; the Fredericksburg station is a straight shot from the neighborhood, about four miles down Lafayette Boulevard. Interstate 95, the neighborhood’s western border, is also easy to hop on and off. If you’re looking for a neighborhood where convenience is key and opportunities to all of Fredericksburg’s major attractions are all around, consider buying in Bellvue.