Taylor Run Alexandria Neighborhood

Section: NVA Neighborhoods
Author: Susan Isaacs, Washington DC Real Estate Strategist

This triangle-shaped neighborhood is marked at its southeast corner by the iGeorge Washington Masonic National Memorial, which overlooks Old Town to the banks of the Potomac River. Taylor Run is a lovely residential neighborhood with a varied landscape and eclectic architecture, dotted with parks and woodsy areas.

About The Taylor Run Neighborhood

Taylor Run is a stream, parkway and neighborhood that joins Old Town, Rosemont and West End. Taylor Run real estate is characterized by its detached single family homes of varying architectural styles, featuring generous lots and tree-lined streets, and attached homes with charm and character. Three of the most expensive homes sold in Alexandria recently were located in Taylor Run.

The Taylor Run neighborhood is bounded by King St. from Scroggins Rd. to Callahan Dr., Callahan Dr. between King St. and Duke St., Duke St. between Callahan Dr. and W. Taylor Run Pkwy., W. Taylor Run Pkwy. between Duke St. and Janney’s Lane, Janney’s Lane to MacArthur Elementary School, and through the woods between MacArthur Elementary School and Scroggins Rd.

10-acre Angel Park is located along West Taylor Run Parkway and Taylor Run itself. The park offers a playground, picnic shelter, baseball field and basketball court. The Janney House, a historic home of a prominent Quaker family, is located in the northern part of the park.

Residents of Taylor Run enjoy seasonal events and an organic community garden. The volunteer run, no fee neighborhood association organizes park activities. Taylor Run’s parks and green spaces provide a tranquil retreat, while its location just 9 miles from Washington, DC offers convenient access for commuters.

History of Taylor Run

Taylor Run evolved from colonial farmland and tobacco fields into today’s leafy, residential neighborhood dotted with historic landmarks.

The surrounding area was agricultural, primarily used for tobacco farming in the 18th and early 19th centuries. By the mid-19th century, however, exhaustive tobacco cultivation had depleted the soil, leaving fallow or overgrown land.

In 1828, the Eastern Ridge Road was incorporated as the Middle Turnpike, when eventually became King Street. As transportation lines multiplied, the area transitioned from rural plots into a structured residential neighborhood bridging Alexandria’s West End, Rosemont, and Old Town.

Atop Shooter’s Hill overlooking the region, George Washington Masonic National Memorial construction began in 1922. The neoclassical landmark was dedicated in 1932 and still serves today as a visual anchor for the Taylor Run area.

Micro-Neighborhoods Within the Taylor Run Triangle

One micro-neighborhood of Taylor Run is George Washington Park, a hilly treasure trove of homes of various architectural styles located behind Shuter’s Hill and the Masonic Temple.

Another is Clover-College Park, a rectangular-shaped merger of two subdivisons running south of Janney’s Lane to Dartmouth Rd with a stem down Cambridge Road to Duke Street. College Park’s first stone houses on Yale Drive and Janney’s Lane were built during the 1930’s, while homes on the west side of Cambridge Rd were constructed in the 1940’s. In the early 1950’s, mid-century hones sprung up, notably 402 Cambridge Road, designed in 1941 by Milton Grigg, a noted restoration architect for Colonial Williamsburg and Monticello. The community was fully built out at 80 residences. Many of its streets are named for colleges and universities.

Clover was developed over two decades, beginning in the late 1940’s. The first homes built were on the east side of Cambridge Road in 1948. Cloverway, developed from 1948 to 1950, Skyhill (1950-53), and Crown View Drive, starting in 1955, with number 403 reportedly the first house on the street. Crown View, Dartmouth, Clovercrest and Vassar were completed in the 1960’s. Many of the later homes were designed in the Colonial style, with a sprinkling of ramblers and split-levels.

Today’s Clover-College Park neighborhood retains its mid-century feel. Its modern-day claim to fame is that the Gerald R Ford family lived at 514 Crown View Drive before Ford became the 40th Vice President and 38th President of the United States.

Taylor Run Triangle Schools

The public school feeder pipeline for Taylor Run generally depends on street address.

Douglas MacArthur Elementary School Public Grades PK–5

Naomi L. Brooks Elementary Public Grades PK-5

George Washington Middle School Public Grades 6-8

Alexandria City High School Public Grades: All 9th graders attend the dedicated Minnie Howard Campus, then move to the King Street Campus for grades 10–12.

Disclaimer

We are not attorneys, legal experts, investment counselors, or CPAs. The content on this channel is presented for informational purposes only and derived from reliable sources, but should not be considered legal, financial, investment, transaction or real estate practice advice. Susan Isaacs and Compass, their principals and/or representatives, do not guarantee or warrant its accuracy, completeness, or applicability to any specific real estate transaction. Homebuyers should read applicable D.C. law and code as part of their due diligence, and seek help from licensed, qualified professionals for interpretation and application to their specific transaction.

Rosemont Neighborhood

Section: NVA Neighborhoods
Author: Susan Isaacs, Washington DC Real Estate Strategist

The Rosemont neighborhood blends architectural styles like Craftsman, Arts And Crafts and American Foursquare with bungalows and colonials under a canopy of flowering trees.

About Rosemont Historic District

Rosemont Historic District is an exceptionally intact example of an early 20th century middle-class “trolley suburb.” There are 456 contributing buildings, including 336 residential, one school (now Naomi L Brooks Elementary, formerly Maury Elementary), one commercial building, and 118 private garages. The majority of the single family residences were built in the early 1900’s, primarily of Colonial Revival design but including other architectural styles and sizes of similar scale, most of which have maintained their architectural integrity to this day.

Even the original street layout of this planned community remains, designed according in alignment with the controversial ‘City Beautiful’ movement of the time. While the movement failed, the Rosemont Historic District thrived, shedding its restrictions in 1940 and gaining in popularity. Townhomes were added to the neighborhood on sub-divided plots during WWII to accommodate those who walked to work at the Torpedo Factory.

Rosemont shares amenities with its neighbors, and offers several of its own, including Blue Park (aka Hoff’s Run Park) and Beach Park (created on city-owned land behind the School and named for Maury’s 1954 principal Lillian Beach). Rosemont is known for its lush planting of trees, which include locusts, oaks, maples and dogwoods. When these trees are in color and bloom, it’s quite a beautiful sight.

Rosemont borders Taylor Run, Old Town and North Ridge, offering a variety of amenities and proximity to transportation, sharing Commonwealth Avenue and a zip code with Del Ray.

Rosemont Schools

Douglas MacArthur Elementary School Public Grades PK–5

Naomi L. Brooks Elementary Public Grades PK-5

George Washington Middle School Public Grades 6-8

Alexandria City High School Public Grades: All 9th graders attend the dedicated Minnie Howard Campus, then move to the King Street Campus for grades 10–12.

Disclaimer

We are not attorneys, legal experts, investment counselors, or CPAs. The content on this channel is presented for informational purposes only and derived from reliable sources, but should not be considered legal, financial, investment, transaction or real estate practice advice. Susan Isaacs and Compass, their principals and/or representatives, do not guarantee or warrant its accuracy, completeness, or applicability to any specific real estate transaction. Homebuyers should read applicable D.C. law and code as part of their due diligence, and seek help from licensed, qualified professionals for interpretation and application to their specific transaction.

Westover Arlington Neighborhood

Section: NVA Neighborhoods
Author: Susan Isaacs, Washington DC Real Estate Strategist

The Westover neighborhood is an urban village that rubs shoulders with Highland Park and is about a 15 minute walk from East Falls Church Metro station. This apron-shaped neighborhood is prized for its amenities and century homes.

One And The Same

“Westover Village” and “Westover” are the same neighborhood, located in Arlington, Virginia. Westover Village is the name you’ll hear most often, but Westover is the neighborhood’s official name. The Westover Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.

What makes the Westover Historic District historic? It’s a well-preserved example of mid-century urbanism, a walkable community with buildings constructed between 1939 and 1957. Many single family homes here were built in the Colonial Revival style and the neighborhood also includes twin houses, duplexes, and multi-family garden apartments, which are included in Phase 1 of the County’s Historic Resources Inventory (HRI). Arlington designates local historic districts to help preserve important remnants of the community’s heritage, development, and cultural history.

Farm To Urbanburb

Westover wasn’t always a charming little “urbanburb.” It started out as Duke Torreyton’s farm. Duke’s farmhouse stood where the middle school is now located. Subdivison was inevitable, and in the early 1900’s an acre of land could be bought for sixty cents. There were no lot size restrictions, people could buy as much or as little land as they could afford. The railroad went through, and there was a stop at Torreyton’s farm. The subdivisions of Highland Park, Overlee Knolls, Tara and Lacey Forest developed, but the farmland which was to become Westover remained largely unchanged until Washington Boulevard (Rt 237) was built. In 1940, Mace Properties fully subdivided the land and that is the year when the majority of Westover’s homes were constructed. Some of the characteristics of homes built in Westover Hlls (south of Washington Blvd) reflected pre-WWII concerns; for instance, basements were built like bomb shelters.

The neighborhood was developed in five phases from 1939 through 1957:

• Westover Apartments

• Westover Hills

• Keene’s Addition to Westover

• Westover Park

• Mason’s Addition to Westover

What will you find in today’s Westover Village? There’s a ‘60’s throwback shopping center where you can enjoy homemade ice cream or live music and beer, a hardware and variety store that has anchored the neighborhood since 1948, when it began as a five and ten cent store, a community center, boutique organic market, a “truly local” farmer’s market open Sundays from 8 AM to 12 PM May-November and 9 AM to 1 PM December-April. a barber shop, flower shop, post office, pharmacy and more.

Westover’s Claude A. Swanson Junior High School is ranked #33 for middle schools in the state and #3 in Arlington County public middle schools. the neighborhood also boasts a Westover Library, and four-acre Westover Park, which offers a picnic shelter and tables, playground, two diamond fields, lighted basketball courts, a sand volleyball court and a rectangular field. Bon Air Park and Custis Trail head border Westover Park.

Westover House Hacking

STR (Short Term Rentals)

You can operate a short term rental in Arlington County, but there are requirements, rules & restrictions, fees and taxes.

Here, STRs are also known as ‘accessory homestays’, which require permits and compliance with local ordinances. You’ll need an accessory homestay permit from the County Zoning Department and an Arlington County business license.

In 2016 and 2017, the county adopted rules for accessory homestay businesses in order to protect the character of its neighborhoods, reduce barriers for owners who wish to run a short-term rental business in a legal and responsible manner, implement safety requirements to ensure that a STRs comply with zoning, building, fire and other safety codes to protect public health and safety, property values and neighborhood character, and provide a mechanism for enforcement:

• Adopted amendment (December 10, 2016)

• Adopted revisions (January 28, 2017)

STR enthusiasts should also remember that local jurisdictions such as cities, counties and states, unincorporated areas and individual HOAs and condo associations can impose their own restrictions on short-term rentals.

Arlington regulations say that short-term rentals must comply with Arlington’s zoning laws, which may impact where and how properties are rented.

Westover Conservation Plan And The Missing Middle

Adopted in 1964, the Westover Neighborhood Conservation Plan strives to maintain the character and quality of the neighborhood, with emphasis on providing a place for all income levels to live, work and play.

In 2025, Westover land is primarily zoned R6, for single family homes on 6,000 SFT lots, which translates to 0.1377 acres (roughly 13.8% of an acre). This allows for 7 homes per acre.

RA14-16 zoning for the remainder of residential properties in Westover is intended for construction of apartments and townhouses with a density limit of 14-24 units per acre, but also allows single family homes.

In 2024, Arlington County ran The Missing Middle Housing Study, to learn how new housing types could help address Arlington’s housing supply shortfall and fill in gaps.

The study was undertaken in Fall 2020, and executed in three phases. At its conclusion, Arlington adopted the plan ... and was promptly sued by by local residents and advocacy groups claiming that the policy violates zoning procedures, lacks adequate environmental consideration, was approved without adequate study of impacts on adjacent neighborhoods and did not involve sufficient public consultation.

At first, the ruling went against the county. In September 2024, a Virginia Circuit Court judge struck down Arlington’s “Missing Middle” zoning policy, finding that the Arlington County Planning Commission violated procedural requirements and failed to adequately consider environmental impacts and compliance with tree canopy requirements.

The very next month, the same circuit court judge, David Schell, gave a green light to developers who had received approval from the county for their projects prior to the lawsuit’s filing and conclusion. It was an awkward concession that seemed more like an effort to stave off lawsuits than a genuine attempt at fairness. The judge ruled that those developers can continue with their projects, but they must place a notice in land records indicating that future landholders are making a gamble ( ARLnow ).

Should county’s appeal fail, Schell noted, future occupants of the properties might have to move, and future property owners might have to change the nature of the buildings. “You’re taking a huge risk, in my humble judgment, if you’re building a sixplex or a fourplex while the case is pending in the court of appeals,” he said.

The legal battle over Arlington County’s Missing Middle housing policy, officially known as the Expanded Housing Options (EHO) ordinance, has grown into a complex, multi-year saga. The lawsuit was filed by a resident group called Neighbors for Neighborhoods after the County Board unanimously adopted the plan in March 2023.The litigation has shifted back and forth between multiple courts, primarily focusing on procedural legal issues rather than the actual merits of the housing policy.Timeline of Key Court DecisionsSeptember 2024 (Ordinance Voided): The Arlington County Circuit Court ruled in favor of the homeowners. The judge declared the EHO ordinance void from the beginning (ab initio), citing improper procedural studies regarding infrastructure (such as stormwater and sewage) and an unlawful delegation of authority. This ruling immediately halted all EHO permit approvals, leaving 45 projects in legal limbo.June – September 2025 (Ordinance Reinstated): The Virginia Court of Appeals reversed the Circuit Court’s decision on a procedural error. The appellate panel ruled that the lower court erred by failing to include independent developers (like Wilsons Ventures) as “indispensable parties” who had active permits and a direct financial stake in the outcome. Because these parties were excluded from the original trial, the ruling was overturned.October 2025: Following the appellate victory, Arlington County officially reopened the EHO permitting process, putting the Missing Middle policy back into active status for new and pending applications.

Current Status in 2026

May 19, 2026: The Virginia Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal by the homeowner group “Neighbors for Neighborhoods”. The high court is reviewing whether developers (such as Wilsons Ventures) were necessary parties that should have been included in the initial lawsuit. The court is not yet ruling on the underlying merits of the zoning law itself.

The policy remains active while the Virginia Supreme Court reviews the appeal, they denied a request to freeze development. Arlington County is actively reviewing, approving, and constructing EHO projects. Over 59 active projects are listed on the county dashboard.

The case is expected to proceed before the end of the year. If the Supreme Court upholds the appeals court, the entire case will be sent back to the local Circuit Court for a brand-new trial that includes all the developers. If they overturn it, the ordinance could be voided again on procedural grounds.

Westover Alexandria Schools

Cardinal Elementary School Public Grades PK-5

Swanson Middle School Public Grades 6-8

Yorktown High School Public Grades 9-12

School attendance zones change some include street-by-street exceptions depending on address. Always consult the official APS School Boundary Locator provided by Arlington County GIS.

Disclaimer

We are not attorneys, legal experts, investment counselors, or CPAs. The content on this channel is presented for informational purposes only and derived from reliable sources, but should not be considered legal, financial, investment, transaction or real estate practice advice. Susan Isaacs and Compass, their principals and/or representatives, do not guarantee or warrant its accuracy, completeness, or applicability to any specific real estate transaction. Homebuyers should read applicable D.C. law and code as part of their due diligence, and seek help from licensed, qualified professionals for interpretation and application to their specific transaction.

Northern Virginia Featured Neighborhoods

Section: Neighborhoods
Author: Susan Isaacs, Washington DC Real Estate Strategist

WHERE DO YOU WANT TO THRIVE?

Inside The Beltway

All neighborhoods in Arlington County, Alexandria City and Falls Church City sit entirely inside the Beltway.

Beltway Split

Fairfax County and Independent Cities are split ‘inside’ and ‘outside’ the Beltway. Inside, you’ll find Annandale East, McLean (eastern portions), Seven Corners, Bailey’s Crossroads and Lincolnia.

Straddling the Beltway are Tyson’s Corner, McLean (section close to Great Falls), Idylwood, Great Falls, Pimmit Hills.

Just outside the Beltway are Rose Hill, Vienna, Merrifield/Dun Loring, Annandale, Franconia, Sherwood Hall, Hollin Hills, Hollindale, Belle View, White Oaks, Westgrove and Huntington.

The NVA Experience

Inside or just outside the Capital Beltway, roughly 15 to 20 major recognized communities, towns, and census-designated places (CDPs) offer high quality of life , great amenities and easy proximity to Washington DC.

Featured Neighborhoods

Arlington

One of few U.S. urban ‘unitary’ forms of government, implemented in 1932. It operates under the County Manager plan, combining typical county and city services into a single centralized administration.

The 26 square miles of Arlington are a “continuous, contiguous and homogeneous community” with no incorporated towns or cities within it’s borders, just many great neighborhoods! Here are our Featured Neighborhoods in Arlington:

Clarendon

• 40-45 blocks include the neighborhoods of Ashton Heights, Clarendon-Courthouse, Lyon Park + Lyon Village

• Bordered by the Ballston and Rosslyn

• Highly walkable

• Retail, dining and entertainment options

• Mix of housing options

• 11th Street Park + Clarendon Central Park

Go

Crystal City

• An urban village redesigned for Amazon HQ

• Underground corridors connect retail spaces, offices and residential buildings

• Home of a large number of defense contractors, including the US Dept of Labor, U.S. Marshals Service + Pentagon satellite offices

• Reagan Washington National Airport runs along the eastern portion of Crystal City

Go

Cherrydale

• N Arlington neighborhood est. 1893

• Envied mix of residential architectural styles

• Six parks; Cherry Valley Park, Stratford Park, Cherrydale Park, Oakgrove Park and 18th St N and N Lincoln St Park

• The neighborhood is prized for its charming architecture, home values and proximity to Virginia Square and Ballston Metro stations.

Go

Pentagon City

• Unincorporated neighborhood in SE Arlington

• Less than a mile from the Potomac River

• Single-family homes and highrise apartments

• Home to The Pentagon, Fashion Centre at Pentagon City

• Pentagon Row offers 300,000 SF of retail space and 502 residential units

• Four parks; Virginia Highlands Park, Grace Murray Hopper Memorial Park; Metropolitan Park and Prospect Hill Park

• Pentagon City’s Metro station

Coming Soon

Ballston

Ballston-Virginia Square are urban villages that share borders, amenities + a civic association, but claim separate and distinct histories and identities.

Virginia Square

• Busy business district

• Mixture of residential options

• Parks with picnic areas and athletic fields

• Main branch of the Arlington Public Library

• Arlington Arts Center

• Campuses of George Mason University and The George Washington University

• Virginia Square Metro station

Ballston

• High-density housing

• Local farmer’s market

• Retail and restaurants

• MedStar Capitals Iceplex

• Ballston Metro station

Coming Soon

Rosslyn

• Urban village and unincorporated area on a bluff above the Potomac River

• The neighborhood includes North Rosslyn and Radnor/Ft. Myer Heights

• Fortune 500 companies, national media outlets and government contractors

• Retail, entertainment and dining scene

• Green public spaces

• Cycling and walking trails; Custis Trail, Mount Vernon Trail, Potomac Heritage Trail

Coming Soon

Lyon Park

• Neighborhood and historic district, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003

• Among the first Arlington County suburbs

• Wide variety of architectural styles, including1920’s Craftsman-style bungalows to Colonial Revival-style buildings dating from the 1930s and ‘40s

• Three parks; Lyon Park, Clay Park and Fillmore Park

• Excellent access to Clarendon Metro

Coming Soon

Potomac Yard

• Part of National Landing

• Straddles SE Arlington County + NE Alexandria

• Shopping center, mixed-use development

• Detached + attached SFH and condos

• Virginia Tech Innovation Campus

• Potomac Yard Metro station

• 24-acre Potomac Yard Park

Coming Soon

East Falls Church

• East Falls Church is an urbanburb in West Arlington County. Part of the Falls Church, Fairfax County neighborhood for 60+ years, East Falls Church was reincorporated into Arlington County in 1936

• Metro stop opened in 1986

• Single-family homes, townhouses, condos and rental apartments near the East Falls Church Metro station

• W&OD and Custis Bike Trails, Benjamin Banneker Park, East Falls Church Park, Madison Manor Park and Tuckahoe Park.

Go

Shirlington

• Created from a 27-acre former shopping center

• Mix of single-family homes, townhouses and apartments that extend into Alexandria City

• Active, street-front retail center

• Public plaza and public art spaces

• Two parks; Shirlington Park + Shirlington Dog Park

Coming Soon

Westover

• Urban village between Ballston Metro Station and East Falls Church Station

• Plotted in 5 phases, and built between 1939 and 1957

• Keene’s Addition and Mason’s Addition followed

• Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006, Westover Historic District contains 383 contributing buildings and one contributing site

• Single family homes, twin houses, duplexes, and garden-style apartment buildings. Detached homes in a variety of architectural styles typical for Arlington County

• Weekly farmer’s market

• Westover Park

Go

Alexandria

Independent Alexandria City is nationally recognized for its rich history and beautifully preserved 18th and 19th century architecture. In Old Town, Alexandria’s famous historic district, blocks of quaint historic homes line brick and cobblestone streets. Storybook stuff. The King Street Mile business district features 200+ independent restaurants, galleries and boutiques, historic museums. There’s always something new, and old favorites don’t disappoint.

The waterfront was reinvented between 2011 and expansion of that renovation continues today. But in 2018 it really came into its own as the tall ship “Providence” arrived and Waterfront Park opened with a public art installation. That feature changes every year, and it’s a social media hot spot. Torpedo Factory art center offers galleries with work by local artists, and maker studios. There’s also sidewalk entertainment, and an expansive marina with dining venues both on and aside the Potomac.

Recognized as one of the most charming downtowns in the U.S. How could you get bored?

The King Street Metro Station serves Old Town and surrounding neighborhoods.

Throughout Alexandria City, you’ll find neighborhoods filled with homes of nearly every type, size and architectural style.

Find your place in one of Northern Virginia’s most popular neighborhoods. Old Town, Taylor Run, Del Ray and Rosemont offer exceptional lifestyles and unique characteristics in the Alexandria housing market. Select a neighborhood to learn more:

Taylor Run

• Detached single family homes

• Generous lot sizes

• Parks

• Schools

• Sense of community

• Proximity to Metro & Amtrak

Go

Old Town

• Picturesque

• Historic rowhomes

• Proximity to waterfront

• Shopping and dining

• Trolley

• Proximity to Metro & Amtrak

Go

Del Ray

• Artsy

• Wonderful mix of home styles

• Proximity to Potomac Station

• Shopping and dining

• Saturday farmer’s market

• Unique shops and dining

Go

Rosemont

• Small town feel

• Tree-lined strees

• Craftsman, Arts & Crafts and bungalow homes

• Pivotal location

• Access to two Metro stations

Go

Disclaimer

We are not attorneys, legal experts, investment counselors, or CPAs. The content on this channel is presented for informational purposes only and derived from reliable sources, but should not be considered legal, financial, investment, transaction or real estate practice advice. Susan Isaacs and Compass, their principals and/or representatives, do not guarantee or warrant its accuracy, completeness, or applicability to any specific real estate transaction. Homebuyers should read applicable D.C. law and code as part of their due diligence, and seek help from licensed, qualified professionals for interpretation and application to their specific transaction.