Lorton

After the old Lorton Reformatory closed in 1999, Associate Broker for Keller Williams Capital Properties Ron Kowalski, who was just getting into real estate at the time, noticed a change happening in his area. Suddenly, the Northern Virginia suburb of Pohick was becoming a desirable place to live because home buyers no longer minded the idea of living next to an ex-prison on the other side of Interstate 95. “It's really taken a long time to get to this point,” says Kowalski. “Now, I don't get any pushback at all about prisons in Lorton because everybody knows they’re gone and this place is now a commuter’s dream.” Pohick is a community of primarily single-family homes that starts at the shores of Gunston Cove and ends at the town center. The area is shaped like an amorphous triangle formed by its borders of highways in the northwest, marshland in the south, and Fort Belvoir in the northeast. Within are a random network of residential streets where residents stroll along their midsized sidewalks to visit friends or admire their neighbor’s hydrangeas. But land is expensive in Northern Virginia, so homes in Pohick usually take the form of town houses, very large neo-colonials situated on a small lot, or medium-sized raised-ranches on a medium-sized lot. That translates into a higher price range than the national average, with a single-family home often selling around a median price of $810,000 while some town houses sell for anywhere from $300,000 to $750,000. As a part of Fairfax County Public Schools, Pohick students enjoy some of the Commonwealth’s best schools. Students may begin at Lorton Station Elementary, which receives a B-plus from Niche, then move on to South County Middle School, which receives an A from Niche. After another three years, students then move next door to South County High School, which receives an A-minus from Niche. The school does a great job accommodating the academic needs of students through many well-regarded programs, such as no-cost mental health teletherapy through a partnership with Hazel Health. High-achieving high school students can enroll in the school’s AP classes, which received a silver distinction for excellence in student outcomes on AP tests by College Board for their 2023 School Honor Roll. There are a number of places nearby where you can stroll on down for a drink or a nice dinner, such as the centerpiece Lorton Station Towne Center. On a Saturday night, locals head there to get their fix of hot wings and bread pudding at Hometown Grill and Bar or margaritas from Casa Tequila Bar and Grill. During the day, the center is a small hub for retail and essential services. “I call that area ‘New Lorton’” says Kowalski. “There's a lot of health care right there too, so my dentist is right in town.” And thanks to the town center’s VRE train station, commuters and day-trippers alike can reach D.C.’s Union Station within three stops. Kowalski also says that while the area is friendly to both commuters and pedestrians, “every once in a while, you need to get out of Pohick for big shopping or entertainment.” Fortunately, you won’t have to travel more than 3-miles to reach groceries at either an Amazon Fresh or a Lidl, but a Food Lion also exists in town for those looking to stay closer to home. For an afternoon outing, locals drive down to Mason Neck to enjoy the sights and sounds of any of its several nature trails and shorelines. But when you’re looking to stay in town, you can find walking trails, as well as amenities for sports such as basketball and tennis at Sheffield Park. Meanwhile, the neighborhood’s creatives attend lessons at Potomac Music, which also serves the community with youth summer camps and public concerts in Pohick. Indeed, Pohick has come a long way from its days of being known for little more than its proximity to an imposing prison yard. Today, it’s known for its amenities and proximity to 95. “20 some years ago, I moved in when the prison was still here and everybody told me I was crazy,” says Kowalski. “But here I am, we're doing just fine."