In this week’s Neighborhood Spotlight, please join us today as we give you a full breakdown of Fairlington, one of the most desirable neighborhoods in Arlington, Virginia. 

No matter where you live in Arlington VA, there’s something unique to fall in love with! What do you love about your community? Let us know down in the comments below, so we can highlight them in a future Neighborhood Spotlight. 

And, as always, if you have any questions about Arlington real estate, please click here to contact the Keri Shull Team, Arlington’s #1 top-selling real estate team.

Where is Fairlington VA?

Fairlington is an unincorporated neighborhood in the southern part of Arlington, Virginia. It borders the similarly named Shirlington neighborhood and is quite close to Alexandria VA, Washington DC, and the business districts of Arlington. This location makes it a great place to live if you work in Arlington VA, in addition to being a wonderful neighborhood in its own right. 

The History of Fairlington VA

Fairlington is a sort of manufactured neighborhood, having been built specifically to house workers in wartime industries. Rather than organically developing arbitrary boundaries, Fairlington was conceived as a self-contained neighborhood. 

At the time of its initial construction — during the 1940s — Fairlington was a rental community. It was founded by the Defense Homes Corporation as temporary housing for those working at the newly built Pentagon.

Following the conclusion of the Second World War, the properties in Fairlington were sold to a private real estate group, who began renting them out as apartments. This continued until 1972 when the owners decided to convert Fairlington into a condominium development. At that time, Fairlington became the largest condominium community in all of Virginia — just 2 decades after being the largest project of the Defense Homes Corporation’s history.

What kind of homes are there in Fairlington?

When it comes to types of properties available, Fairlington is uniform, consisting almost entirely of townhome-style condominiums. This means that detached, single-family homes are exceedingly rare in the Fairlington community, as are the apartment-style units found in other Arlington condo communities. 

Owning and renting are about equally common in the Fairlington area. In general, owning a home in Fairlington is a good investment, as home values have been steadily going up all around Arlington for a while now. This means that people who buy a home in Fairlington now will likely have their home be worth more later — especially once Amazon’s HQ2 opens up in National Landing! 

Because of the size of the community and how fast the market moves in Arlington, it can be difficult to find and win your dream home in Fairlington. That’s why it’s so important to work with a real estate team that can streamline your search and help negotiate for you. In fact, the best thing to do is work with a team that can help find you off-market homes in Fairlington!

Communities within Fairlington

Unlike many other Arlington neighborhoods, Fairlington does not really have a collection of distinct condominium buildings. Instead, the area is divided into 7 smaller communities — Fairlington Arbor, Commons, Glen, Green, Meadows, Mews, and Villages — that all feature similar home styles. This lends a more cohesive atmosphere to the Fairlington neighborhood, making it feel more like a single large community, rather than a collection of unconnected condo buildings.  

Across the 322 acres and 7 village communities, there are 3,400 homes in the Fairlington neighborhood. 

All of the homes in Fairlington have access to lovely community amenities. These include community pools, clubhouses for the villages, exercise facilities, courts to play tennis and basketball, and plenty of walking trails that are perfect for enjoying the natural beauty of Fairlington and Shirlington. 

What makes people want to live in Fairlington?

Fairlington offers you the chance to be in Arlington without any of the things that sometimes turn people away from Arlington. The neighborhood is family-friendly, convenient for commuters, and has a relatively low cost for how much home you are getting. In general, the same buying power that would get you a 2 bedroom condo in North Arlington will cover a 3-story townhouse in Fairlington. Plus, homes in Fairlington tend to have generous outdoor spaces — which is more important than ever for some people who are outgrowing their homes after 2020.

Fairlington is also very convenient to shopping, dining, and working options across Northern Virginia. The neighborhood butts up against Shirlington, meaning Fairlington residents can easily enjoy the culture and cuisine of the Village at Shirlington. You can also get to North Arlington and Alexandria painlessly thanks to King Street and I-395, both of which run through Fairlington. 

If you prefer getting around by foot or bike, Fairlington is great for that too. There are sidewalks and bike lanes all throughout the community, so pedestrian and cyclist transit is easy and safe. 

Schools in Fairlington

Like other Arlington neighborhoods, there are a lot of great schools that serve Fairlington. Some top-rated examples include Arlington Traditional Elementary School, Gunston Middle School, and Wakefield High School.

What to do in Fairlington

Due to the structure of Fairlington’s community, most of the neighborhood is dedicated to residential homes. This means that a lot of the activities available are features of the villages, such as the community pool and sports courts. 

One of the most popular events in Fairlington is the Farmer’s Market that sets up each week at the Community Center. This market runs through the growing season and is a great place to get fresh produce and local products while supporting your community. 

As for other options for dining and entertainment, the nearby neighborhood of Shirlington has everything you could want within walking distance of the community. This includes the Village at Shirlington, with its wide variety of restaurants and shopping options — such as one of our favorites, Palette 22. 

How to find a home in Fairlington

Competition for homes in Fairlington can be pretty intense right now. Residents enjoy perks like:

  • A great “bang for your buck” when it comes to home appreciation 
  • Easy access to King Street, Quaker Lane, and I-395 make commuting a breeze
  • An intimate community atmosphere with public features like swimming pools, sports plazas, and play areas for families. 
  • Close proximity to Shirlington, Alexandria, and North Arlington

With the real estate market moving so quickly right now, and with the limited number of Fairlington homes on the market at any given time, you cannot afford to rely on inexperienced real estate agents and online search tools.

If you do, you might have serious trouble finding the right home now — but there is help out there! At the Keri Shull Team, we have hundreds of off-market properties that you cannot find online or anywhere else…and we want to give you priority access to these homes before they even go on the market!

And if you are selling a house in Arlington, it’s more important than ever to make sure you are taking the proper precautions to protect your investment. The best way to do that is to speak with a top-tier real estate agent and create a completely customized home selling strategy. 

So what are you waiting for? Just click here to schedule a time for a free, no-pressure consultation with one of our Real Estate Needs Analysts!