Montclair

Just South of Arlington and Alexandria, River Oaks is a friendly, cost-effective neighborhood with a strong sense of camaraderie. ‘It’s a really good community and has a lot of HOA amenities,” says Bonita Love, a real estate agent with Weichert Realtors. “It’s just a great place to live.” Families, young professionals commuting to work, retired military, and more can all find their place in the area. River Oaks has plenty of housing options to satisfy people in every walk of life. There are several subdivisions of modern town houses with attached garages that can be found for anywhere from $250,000 to $450,000. Depending on the community, some even come with a homeowner’s association that has additional amenities like playgrounds or parks. If a single-family home is more your speed, colonials with large yards are rare but can be found for $600,000 to $750,000. For families moving to River Oaks, your child’s education is in good hands. Of the four elementary schools in the area, River Oaks Elementary boasts a B rating on Niche. Potomac Middle School is just as accomplished with above-average test scores. Most impressive, Potomac High School is recognized as a School of Excellence with its many offered programs, including the Cambridge Centre for the Mathematics and Physical Sciences and the CTA 4-year program where students can earn certifications in Cybersecurity. While River Oaks is a mostly residential area, people can still find their place in nature with Powells Creek. Just a quick drive out of the neighborhood, Powell’s Landing Park lets residents walk or bike along the sandy trails that follow the stream to the mouth of the creek. When residents are looking for places to shop, Southbridge Plaza is a great place to go. A Walmart Supercenter can take care of your day-to-day needs, and local restaurants like Wings Ways and Skrimp Shack can keep your hunger at bay. Take a bite of Skrimp Shack’s catfish dinner or sample their shrimp basket and see what all the rave is about. For better grocery options, Aldi and Food Lion are a quick trip across Route 1. If you’re looking for some weekend fun, travel North about 2.6 miles to Stonebridge Town Center and experience events put on for the Woodbridge and Montclair areas. According to Cindy Cajas, a realtor with Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc., the shopping center has quarterly events that bring the River Oaks community together. Put your cooking skills to the test during the summer chili cook-off and enjoy wintertime festivities such as a Christmas tree lighting and ice-skating rink. “They cater a lot to everyone in the community,” Cajas says. Gain a sense of belonging in River Oaks, where the community is celebrated and commuters are satisfied with the convenience and cost of living.

Whether you live in the Four Seasons area to be near large employers, close to Interstate 95 or bordered by a scenic national park and golf course, you’re likely to find a community that fits. Not only can you bike to trails within the 15,000-acre Prince William Forest Park, you’re also right by the freeway. Katharine Binkley, Realtor with Realty ONE Group Capital, says, “You can hop on 234 and 95 for commuting to the Quantico Marine Base, or use the new HOV lanes to head to the Pentagon or D.C. It’s a great location for government employees. Residents meet at the Dumfries commuter lot to carpool together.” The active 55-and-over Four Seasons community, developed between 2002 and 2010, is in the heart of the larger Four Seasons area. Says Binkley, “In Four Seasons, you have everything you need to live on one floor, and some have large basements. Yards are a decent quarter-acre or so, and the streets are very flat and walkable. It’s a lovely, green neighborhood, with trails for daily walks that also head to the clubhouse and pool.” On its curvy streets and cul-de-sacs, you’ll see a variety of home styles, many with a thickly treed backdrop. Expect to pay around $635,000 for a brick-front here with a basement and two-car garage. Across 234, residents in the Brittany neighborhood back to undeveloped forest and can walk to a neighborhood park. Says Binkley, “Brittany homes may be slightly more expensive because the houses tend to be bigger than in Four Seasons. Plus, it’s not age-restricted, so it’s a good choice for families.” Large 5,000-square-foot brick homes in Brittany can fetch $720,000. Just outside of these two communities, you can find bright condominiums built in the 1990s for around $275,000, and multi-gabled homes built in 2020 with large decks and high ceilings for more than $1 million. Closer to the Montclair Golf Club, you’ll see traditional three-bedroom homes built in the 1970s for around $625,000. Public-school students may start at A. Henderson, Dumfries or John F. Pattie elementary schools before heading to Graham Park Middle School. Older students move on to Forest Park High, which Niche gives an overall B+ grade. In 2020 and 2021, Forest Park High earned a College Success Award based on its commitment to preparing students for college. For recreation, Four Seasons community residents head the clubhouse to swim, play tennis or exercise at the fitness center. In Brittany Neighborhood Park, families enjoy a tot lot as well as basketball and tennis courts. And when the greater outdoors is calling, you can walk from Brittany to the Prince William Forest RV Campground, to hike or bike along Pleasant Road past historic cabins built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. If you prefer to take in the park’s beauty by car, you can enter its 12-mile Scenic Drive from Route 619. Resident golfers can tee off at the public Montclair Golf Club. Matt Collier, who manages the club’s membership, says, “Anyone living in the Four Seasons community or surrounding residential areas can join. And in addition to our beautiful 18-hole course, we have an indoor tennis bubble with four indoor courts and six outdoor courts, several of which are clay. We also offer a pool that’s open from May to September, and our restaurant is open to the public as well. Recently, we added a fireplace to our driving range where we’ll be hosting a s’mores event. Some of our fireside gatherings are private, but most are open to the public.” It’s easy to run errands at a host of retailers in Fortuna Center Plaza and Barracks Row, and stock up on groceries at Lidl and Shoppers close to home. Residents can jumpstart their day at Cuppi Coffee or dine at the comfortable Montclair Family Restaurant that Binkley calls “a really popular mom-and-pop spot around the corner.” Close to military and government hubs, and cradled by a National Park, Four Seasons offers suburban essentials and amenities with immediate freeway access.