Ask Val: Where To Live in Dunn Loring?

This regularly-scheduled sponsored Q&A column is written by Val Sotillo, Northern Virginia-based Realtor and Falls Church resident. Please submit your questions to her via email for response in future columns. Enjoy!

Question: I’m looking to purchase a home that’s less than a 10 minute walk to a Metro Station. What are the options around Dunn Loring?

Answer: The Dunn Loring neighborhood is one of the fastest changing areas in Fairfax County in a few short years. It is now a vibrant and walkable community with many different housing options to offer just a few steps from the metro.

Here’s what I love about the location:

Easy Commute

The Dunn Loring/Merrifield Metro is located between Interstate 66 at Gallows Road and it services the Orange Line which gets you to D.C. in about 25 minutes.

There’s also easy access to the Capital Beltway, I-66 and Route 50, making it convenient for public transportation and driving. And let’s not forget about cyclists! The W&OD Trail is in your backyard and it goes all the way from Shirlington to Purceville. The W&OD Trail has a maze of paths for hiking, biking, running and walking.

Everything Is Just Steps Away

You can walk to almost everything. From Home Depot, to Harris Teeter (this one has a wine bar, cheers), to a doggie day care, spa services, to the Merrifield Garden Center. You can also take a bit longer of a walk to the Mosaic District but I’ll cover that neighborhood in a separate column.

Here are some of my favorite food spots: Blackfinn Ameripub (great trivia, many tv’s for watching sports and live music), District Taco and the newest Peruvian restaurant Inca Social.

They also have a small dog park.

Bonus: There is free retail parking.

Housing

There are many different options from detached homes, townhomes and condos. I did a search within 0.75 miles from the Metro and there are only three properties for sale, ranging from a two bedroom condo, to a custom built single family home. You can see the active listings here.

Thirteen properties are under contract, ranging from a studio condo at $245,999, to a four bedroom custom built single-family house at $1.2 million.

In the past 6 months, 22 condos were sold for a median price of $359,950, 6 townhouses were sold for a median price of $617,000 and 7 single family homes sold for a median price of $700,000.

A few of my favorite affordable communities:

• Halstead at the Metro — Secure and modern building with great amenities such as 24/7 security, impressive indoor basketball court, fitness center, meeting room, party room, pool, concierge and garage.
• Wilton House — One and two bedroom condos, garage parking and a rooftop pool.
• Providence Park — A community with beautiful brick townhomes built in 1999. They have a garage, finished basement, fun playground and an area for pets. I previewed a listing there and you can see it on my video below.

If you’d like a question answered in my weekly column, please send an email to [email protected]. I hope to hear from you soon!

Val Sotillo is a licensed Realtor in Virginia, Washington D.C., and Maryland with Real Living At Home, 2420 Wilson Blvd #101 Arlington, VA 22201, 703-390-9460.