Ask Val: Neighborhood Series — Oakton

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 Oakton?

Answer: Oakton is a great place to live. According to a new set of rankings released by Niche, Oakton is the 8th best place to live in the state. The ranking looked at several factors, such as public schools, housing, diversity and family environment. Oakton received an A+ for its public schools, A for diversity, A+ for family environment and B for housing.

So What’s So Great About Oakton?

Location — The Vienna Metro is the last stop on the Orange Line. The station is located in Oakton, in the median of Interstate 66 at Nutley Street, which provides quick access to 495 and can take you to D.C. in 25 minutes. You can get to Dulles Airport in 20 minutes. It’s also less than 3 miles from the Town of Vienna and all its amenities. (Check my past column about Town of Vienna).

Shopping and Dining — The Oakton Farmer’s Market operates year round. Hunter Mill Plaza and Oakton Shopping Center have a great selection of eateries, including Chipotle, Luciano’s Italian, Old Peking, Yoko Japanese, Starbucks and other services include Giant, CVS, Wells Fargo Bank and a wide variety of medical offices.

It’s only a 5 minute drive to the thriving Mosaic District, offering many options for dining, shopping, fitness and entertainment.

Active Community — Oakton has plenty of parks for different activities: Oakton Community Park has a nice playground, Tattersall Park has quiet jogging and hiking trails, and Waples Mill Meadow Park is great for birding (who knew!).

The Oak Marr Golf Complex includes not only the challenging 1,456 yard, 9-hole par three golf course, with holes from 95-200 yards, but also a lighted 78 station driving range with target greens and covered, heated tees. And the Oak Marr Rec Center offers a gym with state-of-the-art equipment, group exercise classes, swimming pools, racquetball, spa, and many activities. Check the full calendar here.

If you have a dog, you can walk to Moorefield Park. The play area is shaded by mature trees and completely fenced in, providing a cool and safe retreat for dogs and their families. Water is available on site as well. All dogs must be licensed by the Town of Vienna or Fairfax County.

Housing

There are many different options for detached homes, townhomes and condos. There are 48 properties for sale, ranging from a one bedroom condo for $249,900, to a brand new 8,000 sq. ft., 7 bedroom single family home for $4,895,950. You can see the active listings here.

Twenty-nine properties are under contract, ranging from a 1 bedroom condo at $260,000, to an 8 bedroom single family house at $1,699,900.

In the past 6 months, 46 condos were sold for a median price of $290,900; 34 townhouses were sold for a median price of $523,450; and 88 single family homes sold for a median price of $900,000.

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.