Ask Val: Neighborhood Series — Fairfax City

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: What can you tell me about living in the City of Fairfax?

Answer: The City of Fairfax is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia, gets its name from Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron, who had five million acres of land located in Northern Virginia. It is home to George Mason University but it’s more than just a college town. The city is rich in history and its attractive blend of commercial, office, retail and residential properties combines the charm of a small town with the opportunities of a thriving urban area.

What’s Great About The City of Fairfax:

Location — Fairfax is located minutes away from Tysons. It has its own Metro Station (Vienna-Fairfax) and it’s the last stop on the orange line. It is located off of Route 50 and I-66, which provides quick access to Dulles Toll Road, 495 and can take you to D.C. in 25 minutes. You can get to Dulles Airport in 20 minutes. Overall, it’s a great location.

Great sense of community — Fairfax has a great sense of community and they do an excellent job at keeping residents informed with all their news, events and activities with their monthly newsletter.

Things to do — Parades, festivals, fireworks, concerts, farmer’s market, bingo at the Fire Station… you name it! A few of my favorite events are Celebrate Fairfax, and the upcoming City of Fairfax Fall Festival, a festival with over 400 arts, crafts, food vendors, children’s activities and three stages of music and entertainment for all ages.

You can visit Civil War sites such as Ox Hill Battelfield Park, enjoy one of the many parks and recreational areas including basketball, tennis and volleyball courts. Or take Fido to the brand new Fairfax City Dog Park.

Scooters and bikes are now available for rent to stroll around the city, just keep in mind that the City of Fairfax does not allow e-scooters or e-bikes on sidewalks or walking trails, but they are permitted on the road and in bike lanes.

There are endless dining and entertainment options, but a few favorites are The Auld Shebeen for drinks, live music, or trivia, Sisters Thai and Artie’s for great food.

Here’s a map with the best Fairfax attractions.

Housing

There are many different options for detached homes, townhomes and condos. Within the City of Fairfax limits there are 62 properties for sale, ranging from a 1 bedroom condo in Mosby Woods for $175,000, to a new custom built 5 bedroom single family home for $1,295,000. You can see the active listings here.

Seventy properties are under contract, ranging from a 1 bedroom condo at $179,900, to a new custom built, 5 bedroom single family house at $1,295,000.

In the past 6 months, 41 condos were sold for a median price of $220,000; 36 townhouses were sold for a median price of $646,500; and 149 single family homes sold for a median price of $575,000.

What’s Next For Fairfax City?

Amongst current developments, Point 50 is under construction (10412 Fairfax Blvd) with 48,199 square feet of retail space, including a grocery store under 30,000 square feet and 18,000 square feet of additional retail/restaurant space. Scout on the Circle is another development close to completion.

The city is definitely keeping up with the ongoing growth and development and continues to evolve to accommodate changing needs of residents and businesses. The City of Fairfax 2035 Comprehensive Plan was adopted by the City Council and it was developed around 14 content areas, categorized into the Land Use, Multimodal Transportation, Environment and Sustainability, Economic Development, and Community Services chapters.

Their goal for 2035, is to be a city with a close-knit community and a population that is diverse in its culture, demographics and lifestyles, that capitalizes on its location in the center of the growing region and with easy access to the nation’s capital.

I will keep you posted!

If you’d like more information, or would like a question answered in my bi-weekly column, please reach out 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, 4040 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite #10C Arlington, VA 22203, 703-390-9460.