Leesylvania

Leesylvania is a waterfront suburb in Woodbridge, about 20 miles south of Washington D.C., in southeastern Prince William County. A diverse environment with a sought-after school district and not so far from the capital and Northern Virginia tech sector jobs, it attracts young professionals and families. “We have a lot of military transplants,” says Paul Almeida, a Realtor with Samson Realty, who has spent two decades selling homes around here. “It feels upscale, kind of ‘foresty.’”

Surrounded by a bay, a river and a couple of creeks, Leesylvania is never too far from beautiful views and wildlife. Once known as Neabsco, named for one of those creeks, the community’s present name derives from Leesylvania Plantation, the Civil War-era home of Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s grandfather. That land is now part of Leesylvania State Park, which overlooks a residential neighborhood composed mainly of Colonial-style homes, split foyers and raised ranches. Home size here reflects the period a house was constructed. “Houses were built at different times, and the homes reflect when they were built. You have homes that were the larger ones of their day. Now, they are older single-family homes, and you’ve got newer homes that are the five thousand square foot homes,” Almeida says.

The median home price here is around $670,000, with prices generally averaging anywhere from about $400,000 to $850,000. Town homes offer a slightly better bargain, starting around $550,000 to $600,000.

Students attend school in the highly-rated Prince William County Schools District, which Niche rates A-minus and ranks as the third most diverse in the state, 10th best for athletics and 17th best overall school district out of 131 statewide. Students enroll in Leesylvania Elementary, Rippon Middle School and Freedom High School.

Leesylvania is home to a few parks, including the 508-acre Leesylvania State Park, which borders the Potomac and offers a variety of land-based and water-based activities as well as lookout stations that provide breathtaking views of the river. Parkgoers can hike, picnic and fish. You can rent a canoe or a kayak if you’d like. If you’d prefer to stay on dry land, try the trail, which features 20 fitness stations. There’s a boat storage area, a visitor center and a gift shop as well.

Back in the overall mix, you’ll need a reliable place to shop when you're not out on the river boating or hiking one of the trails. You can tend to your shopping needs in Woodbridge proper. That’s where you’ll find your major retail shops. At I-95 near Dale Blvd, you’ll see Wegmans and the town center built around it. Those kinds of shopping amenities are difference makers when it comes to liking or loving a neighborhood. “I’ll give you an example,” Almeida says. “My wife loves Wegmans. And when we were looking, she said, ‘I still want my grocery store to be Wegmans.’ So, if a certain store is close by, it makes a difference. You get that higher, upscale feel. People like that.”

For a grander shopping experience, head a mile or two away and get a consumption buzz at Potomac Mills Mall, which has many of your favorite retail outlets.

Next to shopping, people may like nothing more than dining. Find familiar eateries clustered there in Woodbridge, or go with something more local like Del Campo, which serves an array of fresh fajitas, tacos, tortillas, enchiladas and more. Or venture just a few minutes further north to the Occoquan Historic District to dine at The Secret Garden Café. “It’s American fare done perfectly every time,” Almeida raves. “The food. The service. And it’s not like a super high price point.”

As much as you’ll find to do in Leesylvania, you can expand your dining opportunities with a short drive north to D.C. With highways all about, getting from place to place isn’t an ordeal, but it’s a task that will occupy your time. “Nothing’s super close. There is public transit, but it’s not like New York, where you’re jumping on a train and going everywhere. You are driving for the most part,” Almeida says. U.S. Route 1 and Virginia 610 quickly become familiar to motorists. Or commuters can ditch the steering wheel altogether and hop a ride on Virginia Railway Express into Washington, D.C., making Leesylvania a viable alternative to living in the pricier, more northern suburbs or city.