Most Affordable Family-Friendly Suburb
Is there a Washington DC suburb that has affordable homes, fantastic schools, great parks and playgrounds and is diverse and safe? There absolutely is and you’ve probably never heard of it. In fact, it probably isn’t even on your radar. It’s not for everyone though. This quote from a resident made me laugh: “If you’re single, you’ll die of boredom in a week. If you’re married with kids, you’ll never want to leave.”
Since the top question I get from people moving here is “Where are the great schools that have affordable homes,” today we are telling you about Burke, Virginia!
Make sure to stick around because you want to see this Disney-esque 888 acre park in the center of town with a hiking trail that ranks as one of the ten best.
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Burke, Virginia is an unincorporated community in Fairfax County. Burke does not tend to be a place that’s on the top of people’s radar, but you shouldn’t overlook this community. When buyers find themselves priced out of more well-known areas like Vienna, Tysons or Arlington, Burke often rises up as a possibility and for good reason! There are idyllic suburban neighborhoods in Burke. It is a nature lover’s paradise, best known for its parks and recreation activities and is very popular with families. You will find a good bit of conveniences and amenities in Burke, but Springfield, Alexandria, Fairfax, and Falls Church are all reachable in 15-20 minutes.
Location
Where is this little hidden gem? Burke is centrally located in Northern VA, which makes commuting and getting around to other cities easy. Burke lies north of Fairfax County Parkway, south of Guinea Road and west of Rolling Road. It is about 20 miles southwest of Washington DC.
Burke is a great area for commuters, especially if you work a hybrid schedule. You are not far from the highways and byways in most locations of Burke, which makes commuting to the business hubs like Tysons, DC, Falls Church, Alexandria, and Arlington easy.
If you work in Alexandria, Crystal City, the Pentagon, or in DC, you can take advantage of the Virginia Railway Express Train (VRE). It has two stops in DC, L’Enfant and Union Station, which are main hubs for many government buildings downtown. You would park at the Burke Center station. You can also jump on the metro at Union Station once you get off of the VRE if your work location isn’t right next to one of those DC stops. The VRE is a very nice way to commute and we have many clients and friends who utilize the VRE.
Real Estate
Like Melissa, Burke came of age in the 70’s. There is lots of 70’s and 80’s housing stock here. There are very few condos so we won’t discuss those.
There are a lot of house types here, but the prevailing house type is the center hall colonial. If you have a problem with center hall colonials, then the 1980’s called and they would like to have a word with you.
In the past six months, 220 homes and townhomes have sold. Of those, 130 were single family detached homes. The average price for those was $916,000. The median price was $888,000. The list to sold price ratio here is high – 104%.
The remaining 90 homes were townhomes. The average price on those homes was $619,000 and the median price was $625,000.
Activities & Fun
If Coolio sang a song about Burke, it would be called Suburban Paradise. All the fun is here! All of it! If you don’t like the suburbs, you will not like it here. One of Melissa’s friends grew up in Burke and when Melissa asked her what the best part of Burke was she said, “Well, leaving.” She’s very much a city-person with a local rockstar husband.
Burke Lake Park is one of the best parks in all of Northern Virginia. It is designated by the American Hiking Society as one of the top ten best fitness trails in the nation. The park and lake are spread out over 888 acres and have a ton of activities: ride the train around the park, ride the carousel, camping, biking and walking on a 4.7 mile trail around the lake, mini golf and frisbee golf, fishing, boating, and indulging in some really great ice cream at the concession stand. The park also has a ton of themed events, including Goblin Golf for Halloween, foraging for wild edibles, bug bingo, and more. Fun fact about Burke Lake Park – It was the original site slated for what is now Dulles International Airport.
Hidden Pond Nature Preserve is also another amazing park in the Burke area. They have a variety of curated Summer camps and programs. They also have weekend birthday nature parties that feature a hike in the woods and an interactive animal session. In October they have the Haunted Pond event that features campfires, a twilight walk through the woods, and scary and not-so-scary ghost story sessions.
If swimming and pool / tennis is your thing, there are a lot of options in Burke and Springfield right next door. There’s Old Keene Mill Swim & Racquet, Burke Racquet & Swim, Orange Hunt Swim & Tennis Club, plus many inside of the Homeowner’s Associations. Something to know about Burke is that the private pool clubs do not have the crazy wait lists you will find in other areas in the region.
Don’t miss the Go Ape Zipline and Adventure Park in neighboring Springfield! They have zip lines, obstacle courses, axe throwing, and a really cool outdoor version of an escape room. This place is so cool and for limited periods, they have zip lining and obstacle courses open in the evening for twilight events.
The Burke Lake Golf Center features 18 beautiful par-3 holes located in one of the county’s most pristine parks. The driving range is a great place for all skill levels, but is great for beginners.
Sky Zone Trampoline Park is also right on the border of Springfield and Burke, which is a great activity for everyone. I swear these trampoline parks improved my feelings about parenting ten fold. I loved sitting there reading a book or listening to a podcast while I knew the kids were basically bouncing around a giant padded room and burning off their energy.
Schools
People come for the schools. They are solid across the board. 7’s and 8’s on Great Schools and that includes the middle school which never happens. Usually that middle school angst brings their score to a 5, but not in Burke. Those tweens are paying attention and learning the things!
All kidding aside, the schools and the burbs – this is why people move here.
Food & Grocery Stores
Burke has many shopping centers spread throughout the area, but the most notable of them all is Burke Centre Shopping Center. It has so many stores but Kohl’s and Safeway are the two anchor stores. It has a very strong history in the community and has been a vital hub for Burke. Other grocery stores include Giant Food, H Mart and Lidl. You are also not a far drive from Whole Foods in Springfield and two Wegmans locations.
Dining options are plenty and feature many types of cuisines. Some of Michael’s favorites are Villa Bella, Lil Cow Cafe & Bistro, the awesome food court in H Mart, Chi Mic, and AmThai. One of the great things about Burke is that you aren’t far from so many restaurants in the neighboring areas, so you will never run out of options! One of Michael’s favorite bakeries in the area is The Swiss Bakery, which is technically a Springfield address but is right on the border of Burke. Their sandwiches are amazing and their fresh bread, desserts, and pastries are the best. They also have a small store front where they sell different imported goods and a lot of delicious chocolate!
The Burke Farmers Market is a great market and runs from late April until the end of December. It is on Saturdays and features so many vendors. They have everything from the typical veggies and fruits to sweets, premade meals, pastries, bread and so much more!
History time!
Burke was a critical and strategic area during the Civil War for both sides and therefore has made its mark in American history. Fun fact! On April 10, 1865, Fairfax County’s last shots of the Civil War were fired in a skirmish between Mosby’s Raiders and the 8th Illinois Cavalry at Arundels Tavern in Burke.
Burke is named after Silas Burke who was among many elected and appointed positions a local farmer, judge and sheriff.
Another fun fact, in 1951, Burke residents protested the siting of a new International Airport in the Burke area and won! The airport (known now as Dulles International Airport) was later built in Chantilly.
