Downtown Fredericksburg

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.

Written By

Mary Katheryn Luther

Photography Contributed By

Caleb Jones

Video By

Curtis Newkirk