Linton Hall

Live music and walkable parks, all without leaving the neighborhood—that’s Braemar, Virginia. This planned community in Bristow offers convenient suburban living with multiple music venues, community activities and easily accessible shopping and dining.<br><br>Braemar consists of nearly 3,000 homes located close to Interstate 66 in Bristow, Virginia, and was recognized as the 2012 Large Community of the Year by the Community Associations Institute. This planned community was built between 1996 and 2008 and is managed by the Braemar Community Association. “The community offers many different styles of homes,” says Daliya Funes, Braemar Community Association’s Covenants Administrator. “From duplexes to single-family homes to condos, there’s something for everyone here.” Gridded streets ending in cul-de-sacs and well-maintained sidewalks lead residents home in Braemar. Houses here include colonials with three to five bedrooms and two to four bathrooms. Most houses have attached garages and some have fenced yards. Single-family houses here tend to sell for $600,000 to $800,000, and town houses range in price from $400,000 to $500,000. <br><br>Students in Braemar attend schools in the Prince William County Public Schools district, rated the 7th best school district in the Washington DC metropolitan area by Niche. A student may attend Cedar Point Elementary School, E. H. Marsteller Middle School and Brentsville District High School, rated B minus by Niche. The BDHS Tigers are known for their exceptional graduation rate of 96.6%, with 86% of graduates going on to higher education. <br><br>When the school and workday ends, there’s plenty of outdoor space in Braemar for locals to get active. Nearby Clareybrook Park offers basketball courts, walking trails, a playground and a covered area with picnic tables. Additionally, Braemar Nature Trail on the north side of the neighborhood provides locals with ample hiking trails, perfect for taking the dog for a walk. Plus, live music venue Jiffy Lube Live is under a mile away and seats 10,000 people, with 15,000 more in lawn seating. Go see your favorite musician without having to travel to the big city! In the winter, locals head to LaserTag2You for a spirited game of laser tag or take kickboxing classes at 9Round Kickboxing Fitness. <br><br>In addition to nearby entertainment, the Braemar Community Association hosts regular events for residents. “People love living here especially because of all the events hosted for the community,” says Funes. “We host pottery and painting classes, candle-making classes, fundraisers for local community organizations and holiday parties. We’ve got this year’s Halloween Trunk or Treat coming up, and in November is our annual Turkey Trot. There’s never a lack of activities in this community!”<br><br>Getting groceries and running errands is as convenient as can be, with Harris Teeter, CVS, multiple banks and plenty of restaurants located at the nearby Bristow Center Shopping Mall. There’s even an Urgent Care and an orthodontist in the open-air mall, so locals can take care of their health without leaving their neighborhood. When you’re hungry, grab a slice at Tony’s New York Pizza, or treat yourself to a jelly donut at Duck Donuts next door. Locals enjoy The Black Sheep for a dinner out, with specials including cauliflower steak, braised short ribs and baked lobster mac & cheese. After dinner, head to Farm Brew LIVE, the live music bar next to The Black Sheep offering craft beer and live local music. There’s even the 2 Silos food truck, ready for a post-concert late-night snack!<br><br>Between the concert venues, parks, shopping and community events, locals have their choice of activities in Braemar.

Bridlewood is an outer D.C. suburb where neighbors are friendly and housing costs average less than half the price per square foot in D.C. “When we first moved out here 25 years ago, it was very affordable, and that’s why we chose it,” says Kate Downes, a longtime Bridlewood resident. “There’s lots of different types of people, and it’s very neighborly. The kids will all gather and ride their bikes and play, and people are out with their kids talking to neighbors.” Though the neighborhood is primarily residential, residents enjoy the area’s ideal placement less than 40 miles east of D.C. and west of the Shenandoah Mountains and convenience to major entertainment venues and shopping centers. Housing developments branch out from Linton Hall Road and sit along winding cul-de-sacs throughout Bridlewood. Equestrian-inspired street names like Tackhouse Loop and Filly Court naming horseshoe-shaped loops are a nod to the area’s history as a stagecoach horse changing stop along the Fauquier and Alexandria Turnpike. Most homes were built in the 1990s in two-story, contemporary and new traditional styles on quarter-acre lots. Single-family homes are priced between $700,000 and $800,000 and have brick or wood facades, two-car garages and four or five bedrooms. Townhouses have three or four bedrooms and cost between $500,000 and $600,000. Downes notes that only half the neighborhood has sidewalks, but “everyone’s always walking and biking, so drivers are conscious of people in the street.” The neighborhood does have an HOA, which regulates that structures like sheds and playgrounds must not be visible from the street, and additions like fences must be approved before construction. “They keep the community standards high, but they’re not just looking for things they’re going to ding you on,” Downes says. Most students in Bridlewood begin at Piney Branch Elementary School, which earns a B-plus grade from Niche. Although the school is just outside the neighborhood, Linton Hall Road, a busy, four-lane highway, separates it from the homes there. “They either take the bus or drive, but that helps build the community aspect because everyone has to walk to the bus stop,” Downes says. Students progress to Gainesville Middle School, which earns an A-minus, and Gainesville High School, which is not yet rated by Niche. The high school opened in 2021 and is just across University Boulevard from the middle school. It has a covered outdoor amphitheater, criminal justice lab space, and dedicated gaming and building trades classrooms. “There are block parties, and Halloween is huge,” Downes says. “People are out, and adults are dressed up with their kids walking the whole neighborhood.” The Bridlewood HOA hosts seasonal events for kids, including an annual Easter egg hunt, Halloween parade and visits from Santa. Access to Bridlewood’s community pool is free for HOA members whose dues are up to date. “Kids will ride their bikes to the pool, and from the age of 12, kids can be there alone. There’s a lifeguard on duty,” Downes says. “You can also rent out the clubhouse after hours and have a pool party.” The Jiffy Lube Live Concert Venue is also just 2 miles from Bridlewood. This outdoor amphitheater can hold over 25,000 people and has hosted acts, including Janet Jackson, Snoop Dogg and Iron Maiden. The Promenade at Virginia Gateway Town Center is a shopping development off Linton Hall Road with a Regal Virginia Gateway movie theater, restaurants like CAVA and Firebirds, and grocers including Target and Giant Food. “Anything you need, you can get now in the Gainesville area,” Downes says. Her favorite restaurants nearby are The Qui Korean BBQ and BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse. She also recommends 2 Silos Brewing Company, a popular local hangout that hosts live music on its stage. “That’s the fun, 20-something crowd, but people can bring their kids or dogs too,” Downes says. The Promenade also has a splash pad where kids can play while parents enjoy a coffee or drink from Trummer’s Coffee and Wine Bar. During the summer, the Promenade also hosts children’s concerts and performances. Rollins Ford Park is a recently constructed park with a jungle gym, soccer fields and basketball courts. The playground incorporates fun designs like a farmhouse-style play structure with a tall metal slide and a shelter shaped like a cardinal. Bridlewood is about 4 miles east of Robert Trent Jones Golf Club and Stonewall Golf Club, both overlooking Lake Manassas (the county’s drinking water source). Families take pictures among the rows of colorful blooms at Burnside Farms, a tulip and sunflower farm about 5 miles south, and pick pumpkins at COX farm, about 13 miles northeast. Bridlewood is about 40 miles, or a 45 minute drive, from Shenandoah National Park, which has trails for hiking and biking and campgrounds with views of the mountains. Bridlewood is about 36 miles west of downtown Washington, D.C., which drivers can reach on Interstate 66. Those commuting into D.C. may also drive to the Vienna Metro Station, about 20 miles east, and ride the rest of the way into the city. The nearby University Boulevard Park and Ride and Balls Ford Road Commuter Lot also offer carpooling around the area. Dulles International Airport is about 23 miles northeast, and UVA Health Haymarket Medical Center is the closest hospital, 5 miles north. Bridlewood has a CAP Index crime score of 1, indicating a very low neighborhood crime risk.

Glenkirk Estates is one of Gainesville’s newest suburbs, developed in the last twenty years. “The locals talk about the two sides, the new side and the pool side,” says Matt Megel, a Gainesville resident, Realtor and founding partner of the CAZA Gainesville team at Keller Williams. “The new side was the last to be developed by [the home builder] Drees and has the most expensive properties in the area, going over 1 million.” The pool side's homes are still new, but relatively older as far as the neighborhood's development. It's also convenient for residents who want to walk to and from the community pool on hot summer days. The neighborhood comprises 575 single-family homes and hosts an HOA-maintained community pool, as well as a small business plaza called the Shoppes at Glenkirk. Residents here are also minutes from the larger Virginia Gateway shopping center, Jiffy Lube Live for concerts and Conway Robinson Forest for nature hikes. Glenkirk Estates appeals to buyers seeking new millennium homes close to Gainesville's attractions, and a decent driving distance from northern Virginia and D.C. employers. The north side of Glenkirk Estates has the community pool and some of the neighborhood’s older homes, built from the late ‘90s through the mid-2000s, ranging between $675,000 and $850,000. On the other side of Rollins Ford Road is the south side, or “new side,” which has larger homes built within the last ten years, usually selling for $900,000 to well over $1 million. “There were probably somewhere around 3-4 different builders that worked on this community between [2005 – 2015],” says Megel. “[There’s a] decent variety of home sizes and privacy of lots, [with] no townhouses or condos.” Craftsman and colonial-style homes often feature multi-car garages and spacious lawns. Sidewalks are consistent, and quick trips within the neighborhood can be accomplished on foot. The Shoppes at Glenkirk is a small retail strip conveniently within the neighborhood. It features diners like Nankar Peru, which offers authentic Peruvian dishes like Lomo Saltado, with savory smoked steak, crispy onions and fresh tomatoes. There’s also Pizza New York Margherita, which offers New York and Sicilian-style pies baked in a brick oven. There are offices for primary care physicians and dentists and a KinderCare building. Virginia Gateway is one of Gainesville’s bigger shopping centers, just 2 miles north of Glenkirk Estates. There’s a Giant and BJ’s Wholesale Club for groceries and big-box retailers like Target, Lowe’s and Hobby Lobby on the center's north end. Further south is The Promenade, which offers a Main Street mall experience. Sidewalks weave between upscale retailers and restaurants like Uncle Julio’s, Firebird’s Wood Fired Grill and Bar Louie for a burger or beer. Folks from all over the neighborhood head to the Glenkirk Estates Community Pool to cool off in the humid Virginia summers. There’s also a playground just outside the pool clubhouse. A mile west of home leads to Rollins Ford Park, a rustic, farm-themed playground for kids. The Prince William Golf Course is close to Rollins Ford Park and offers wide, open fairways, private lessons and date night clinics to tee off with a partner. A 4-mile drive north leads to Conway Robinson State Forest, with numerous forested trails popular for hiking and mountain biking. Locals can reach Jiffy Lube Live in minutes; this outdoor amphitheater regularly hosts concerts and draws crowds from all around Virginia. It has hosted chart-topping artists like Green Day, Kiss, Rush and Jimmy Buffett, as well as rallies for presidential nominees like Barack Obama back in 2008. Guests can purchase shaded seating close to the stage or get lawn tickets and set up a picnic blanket, Woodstock-style. Prince William County Public Schools serves Glenkirk Estates for education. Glenkirk Elementary and Gainesville Middle both have A-minus overall ratings from Niche. Gainesville High is one of the county’s newest schools, as it opened its doors for students in 2021. Glenkirk Elementary is home to the Knights and groups kids into “castles” where they join their friends in earning points for being safe, responsible and respectful. Glenkirk Estates residents are car-dependent and can quickly access Lee Highway and Interstate 66, at the interchange just 3 miles north. These highways lead to D.C. in 37 miles, which takes 45 minutes to an hour, depending on traffic.

Kingsbrooke is an organized suburb with plenty of greenery within the Linton Hill area. What was once rural farmland and forests is now an established community with amenities like a tennis court, pool and clubhouse, managed by the Kingsbrooke Homeowners’ Association. Mary Beth Eisenhard is a Kingsbrooke resident and founding member of the Eisenhard Group with Long & Foster Gainesville. She says, “People want to be able to be able to relax and unwind at the end of the day. They don’t want non-stop traffic—they want to be able to say, ‘I love where I live,’ and that’s exactly what this neighborhood provides.” Homes here are priced from $430,000 to $1 million, varying by square footage and lot size. A walk through Kingsbrooke reveals wide, sidewalk-lined streets and neatly manicured lawns shaded by mature trees. About one-third of the homes here are townhouses, usually at the bottom of the price range, which Eisenhard says provides an excellent price point for new homebuyers, young families or folks wanting to downsize but stay in the neighborhood. Three-level townhouses often feature an attached one-car garage, three bedrooms, and just over 2,200 square feet, and they go for around $500,000. Built primarily in the 1990s, the neighborhood is well-established and populated with single-family colonials with single or double front-facing garages, priced from the low-$600,000s up to $900,000 and averaging around $700,000. On the lower end are well-maintained homes with four or five bedrooms and up to 3,000 square feet. On the higher end are four or five bedrooms, three or four bathrooms and up to 6,000 feet or more, often with luxury upgrades and finishes. Prince William County Public Schools serve the area for education. Students here can attend Bristow Run Elementary School, located at the neighborhood’s entrance and walkable for many, features an active Parent Teacher Association and a B-plus rating from Niche. Then there’s Gainesville Middle School and Patriot High School, which both get A-minus ratings. At Gainesville Middle, students can participate in various school clubs and activities ranging from athletics to arts to robotics. Kingsbrooke is also within a few miles of George Mason University’s Science and Technology Campus, which specializes in STEM studies and offers research opportunities. Kingsbrooke provides a pool complex with something for everyone. In addition to being home to the 250-plus member Sea Lions swim team, the complex offers tennis courts, a playground and a clubhouse. While the pool is a popular summer cool-down, the clubhouse hosts events year-round like the fall festival and Trunk or Treat, winter Cookies with Santa, spring Easter Egg Hunt, summer Doggie Swim Day and food trucks during the warmer months. To the east is the Broad Run Trail Loop, a small hiking area that cuts through the neighboring community of Braemor, with forested walking paths and views of a churning creek. A couple of miles west is Prince William Golf Course, a public club that has been operating for over 50 years. The nearest retail center is the Shoppes at Glenkirk in neighboring Glenkirk Estates. Folks get their morning cup at GodShot Coffee. There’s also Pizza New York Margherita or Peruvian charbroiled chicken at Nankar Peru. For more variety, a five-minute drive north leads to the Virginia Gateway Shopping Center in Gainesville, with a Target and Lowe’s. Just beside Virginia Gateway is The Promenade, which delivers a Main Street mall experience. It features upscale retailers like a Regal Cinema and night-out restaurants like Uncle Julio’s, Firebird’s Wood Fired Grill and Bar Louie. Jiffy Lube Live is also in Gainesville and is an amphitheater that regularly hosts concerts from nationally touring artists, seating over 25,000 people. Folks can also head to Hylton Performing Arts Center to catch opera or a play. Residents in Kingsbrooke likely need a car to get around. Linton Hall Road takes locals to Route 28, Route 29, or Interstate 66 in minutes. Folks can reach D.C. after a 44-mile drive east on I-66, taking a little over an hour. Folks can take domestic and international flights at Dulles International Airport, a 23-mile drive north of home.

Morris Farm comes from Dr. Douglas "Doc" Morris, a 19th-century physician known for sharing his homegrown vegetables with patients. Today, the Morris farmhouse is the hilltop centerpiece of Meadows at Morris Farm, a 660-home master-planned community developed in 2004. The neighborhood prioritizes its natural landscapes and green spaces as a tribute to the old Morris Farm's agricultural roots and because of the county's specific zoning laws. In the late 1990s, Prince William County established the Urban Growth Boundary, which would allow the development of communities like Meadows at Morris Farm and preserve the rural landscape of county land west of James Madison Highway and Vint Hill Road, now called the Rural Crescent. As a result, residents can have walkable streets and spacious suburban lots at home while being minutes away from nature preserves or tours of Virginia Wine Country. Residents can also commute to D.C. or northern Virginia employers within an hour along Interstate 66. Spread over 268 acres; the neighborhood is defined by mature trees, gently sloping hills and wide-open spaces, offering what Matt Megel, a Morris Farm local, Realtor and founding partner of The CAZA Group at Keller Williams, describes as "breathtaking views from every direction." It's normal to see neighbors walking, biking and jogging along 4,000 square feet of paved pathways and nature trails on the conservation land in the south end of Morris Farm. These trails begin at Meadows at Morris Fam Community Center, with a clubhouse and pool open to residents in the summer months. Further north is Peacock Park, a shady pocket park for kids to run free, with a playground and benches. A fishing pond and Broad Run Creek on the neighborhood border attract amateur anglers, and the large meadow next to the community pool hosts fall football games, summer celebrations, and winter sledding. Prince William Golf Course is a public golf club just a mile south that offers lessons and intermediate fairways for golfers of different skill levels to enjoy. The neighborhood's development began in 2004 and included four different builders, each lending their architectural influence. Today, Megel describes six different housing styles and says, "The real selling point of this diversity is that it opens the neighborhood up to a wider range of buyers." Homes are typically priced between $610,000 and $900,000, varying by square footage and lot size. Styles include Colonial Revivals and Craftsman-style homes, townhouses and duplexes. Morris Farm has consistent sidewalk infrastructure along grid-patterned streets, and many residents are attached to "courtyard" green spaces that serve as common areas, like Peacock Park. "[Morris Farm is] a lively community in terms of integrating," says Megel. "We have tons of community events, including monthly food trucks and movie nights at the pool in the summer. Our Halloween celebration brings past residents back to the neighborhood. Christmas decorations are incredible. We have an annual Easter egg hunt, and the list goes on." Locals are also a 5-mile drive from Jiffy Lube Live, one of Virginia's biggest outdoor venues, regularly hosting standup comedians and chart-topping musicians. Virginia Gateway is a 10-minute drive north for day-to-day shopping and outings and offers a Giant, BJ's Wholesale, Target, Lowe's and Hobby Lobby on the center's north side. On the south side is The Promenade, a walkable Main Street mall that hosts upscale retailers, health and beauty services, a 14-screen Regal Cinema and restaurants like Uncle Julio's and Bar Louie. 5 miles west is The Winery at Sunshine Ridge Farm, a locally owned vineyard on the banks of Lake Manassas, where locals can sample wine and gaze at Lake Manassas, or host private events. As for academics, Morris Farm is home to Glenkirk Elementary School, which earns an A-rating from Niche. Middle schoolers can attend Gainesville Middle, which is rated an A-minus. At the B-plus-rated Gainesville High, teens can participate in the Pathways to Global Citizenship program with their choice of focus on mathematics, world language and culture, history or science. Residents tend to be car-dependent, as no major public transit system is nearby. Route 66 is a few minutes north of Meadows at Morris Farm and leads to Washington, D.C. after a 30-mile drive. Gainesville is less than 3 miles north for folks who want to shop at Virginia Gateway, while Dulles International Airport is 24 miles north.

Nestled in the landscape of northern Virginia is Villages at Saybrooke, a neat collection of houses and townhouses surrounded by bustling activity. <br><br>Planned, wide, winding streets ending in cul de sacs hug the western side of this suburban neighborhood. As you pass through, you’ll notice most bungalows and foursquare houses have similarly sized lots, each with a driveway accommodating at least one car. Street parking is feasible here, and the condition of the sidewalks makes for a nice morning walk with a furry friend. $600,000 will fetch buyers a single-family bungalow, complete with grassy lawns and at least three bedrooms. Townhouses are more in demand, however. “They are the go-to for first-time home buyers here. You can still get one in the $400,000 to $500,000 price range with a cap of $600,000,” says Realtor Guillermo Salmon of Samson Properties. The price range is a driving factor for former DC and Falls Church residents to make the move into this community. Townhouses come standard with a minimum of three bedrooms and tiny lawns with room for a decorative tree or shrub to accentuate the Colonial Revival aesthetic. <br><br>Kids in the Villages at Saybrooke attend Victory Elementary, which Niche rates an A-minus overall. The school also earns an A grade for diversity. When they reach E. H. Marsteller Middle, a B-plus school, kids will learn in an environment where the student-to-teacher ratio is 16-to-1. Rounding out the list is Patriot High, an A-minus school that boasts AP course enrollment of 32%. <br><br>At the southern end of the community sits Bristoe Station Battlefield Heritage Park. This historic area hosted the Battle of Bristoe Station in October 1863. As a Certified Wildlife Habitat, you’re bound to see some unique critters when you visit. If you’re up for a trek, stretch your legs along the two-mile Trail Loop. This trail stretches along the park's circumference, where you can hike, run and even horseback ride. Bring your pups for a walk, too, as it’s dog-friendly. <br><br>For your weekly deli meats and produce, grocery stores are no more than a mile away. You can use the OMNIRIDE transit service, but driving your own car is a more convenient way to get around. Take a quick drive to Harris Teeter down Fitzgerald Way. If you forgot an item, stop by the Safeway on the other end of the neighborhood, which is equally close. Bath and kitchen needs are covered, too, with a Target located just off the highway interchange. Fast food chains appear occasionally, but the real gems are the locally-owned restaurants and bars. Pop into Tony’s New York Pizza for a quick slice, made fresh. A short way past Target is 2 Silos Brewing Co. You’ll find not just beer on tap but live music and a playground for kids as well, so all can have fun. “When you live here, you’re in the middle with shopping, restaurants and movie theaters all around you,” says Salmon. Live shows are a local draw as well, with the Hylton Performing Arts Center nearby. Take your pick of events ranging from veterans virtual guitar workshops, to chamber orchestral performances, to ballet. <br><br>With so much to do nearby, it’s no wonder home buyers are snatching up townhouses in the Villages. Be sure to catch a live performance or roam the park when you visit.