Springfield VA
Location
Springfield comprises three different parts. West Springfield is west of I-95, and south of the beltway. The north end extends a bit north of Braddock Road and the south end goes just past the Fairfax County Parkway. Springfield straddles 95 and is both inside and outside the beltway. And then North Springfield fits right in between the two. There is no East or South Springfield.
The closest metro stop is Franconia-Springfield Metro.
History
The lands of West Springfield were once plantations and later, Civil War battlegrounds. In the 1850’s a railroad was built to connect this area with Manassas and then to Gordonsville. This encouraged growth in Fairfax County. New communities sprung up along the train line. During the Great Depression, FDR created the Civilian Corps of Engineers, which created parks in the area.
In more recent times…
In the 80s and 90s in Northern Virginia, Springfield Mall was the place to be. It had the best stores. It had a very long run as one of the premier malls in Northern Virginia up until about 15 years ago.
After suffering for a good amount of time, the town center has been transformed into a destination for dinners with friends, a night at Dave and Buster’s, awesome retail therapy, or a spot to see Cocaine Bear. The Target there is massive.
Springfield is divided because of so many highways but that division has given each area its own charm and personality. The neighborhoods are lush like Falls Church but so much less expensive! The different neighborhoods are all so nice to walk through and are full of Mid-Century touches in both the residential and commercial architecture. These were some of the first bedroom communities.
Real Estate
There are single family detached homes in a variety of price points in Springfield. You can find ranch or rambler homes in the $500’000s, but once you cross the $600,000 threshold, there are a lot more options. The sweet spot for prices here is $600,000 – low $800,000’s where the bulk of the homes are priced. Then there are a few homes in the $900’s and over $1M, but there are just a few of them as this is out of the price range for the majority of Springfield.
There are two types of townhomes in Springfield. First there is the “condo townhome” which is lower in price, but carries a condo fee. These live like townhomes but the condo is the style of ownership here, so the condo association would be responsible for repairs to the roof, for instance. And you don’t own the land beneath your townhome. These are priced in the $300,000’s.
In the other townhomes, which we would call “fee simple” you do own the land underneath. This style of ownership is more traditional of owning a home. The roof needs to be repaired? You have to do that on your own. But you’re still in a community association so you need to ensure it’s approved by the HOA. The fees are usually much lower than a condo fee, typically around $75 – $100 a month. These townhomes start in the mid $400,000’s and go to about $700,000.
Charlestown HOA off of Rolling Rd and Forrester Blvd, has the most beautiful brick townhomes with brick walls surrounding the backyards and many have curved staircases inside the home. They are large townhomes and the neighborhood is so lush and charming.
There are some traditional condos in Springfield, and they range from $200,000 to $400,000. Most of the condos in the area are garden style condos and consist of 2-4 floors. There aren’t many newer condo developments in Springfield, so the condos are in established communities with lush surroundings and generally have ample parking or access to street parking. You are more likely to find two and three bedroom condos than one bedroom condos, but they do exist.
Conclusion
We hope this gave you a great idea what living in Springfield is like. Be sure to check out our video on the Springfield Lifestyle too, where we cover all types of foods, fun and family information you need to know!
