Bren Mar Park

The first thing you will likely notice about Bren Mar Park is its location. And once you see that, it will be a hard place to divert your attention away from. If nothing else—and there is a lot else— “You’re close to literally everything,” says Realtor Scott Ford of Bella Casa Partners at KW United Alexandria-Kingstowne, who closely follows developments west of Alexandria. “You have immediate access to 395, the Beltway, 13 miles from downtown DC and even less to the Pentagon."

Situated in the vector that forms where Interstate 95 diverges to become 395 and 495, Bren Mar Park is a ribbon of homes built between mature trees, bordered to the east by a small creek that runs south through town. Its location, let alone its scenery, makes it one of the best-positioned neighborhoods to reap the benefits of major developments west of downtown Alexandria. Over the past few years, the neighborhood has seen a windfall of new builds including condos, town houses and apartment complexes, which surround a suburban tangle of cul-de-sacs hiding midcentury raised ranch-styles and split-levels on small, sloped yards. And those town houses and condos sell fast. While the median for single-family homes is around $620,000, some sell in the low millions. Meanwhile, the median for town homes is around $785,000, but many sell for above $800,000.

Though just outside of Alexandria, Bren Mar Park is under the jurisdiction of Fairfax County Public Schools, some of the Commonwealth's best. Many students begin their education at Bren Mar Park Elementary, which offers students a no-cost online tutoring program. From there, they move on to Holmes Middle School, the 2nd most diverse public school in Virginia according to Niche. Eventually, when they reach Edison High School, any student can apply for the county’s Academy program, which provides career development courses, such as fine arts, computer and medical sciences, or even marketing.

Aside from having excellent schools, much of what drives the area’s desirability is an ongoing redevelopment of the former Landmark Mall through the WestEnd Alexandria project. This project began in 2020 and will introduce a mixed-use community gathering area with retail and greenspaces built around a state-of-the-art hospital for Inova Health that will be fully operational by 2028. “The WestEnd has always been seen as an afterthought to Alexandria,” Ford says. “This makes the properties in that area more desirable, including resale.” However, the effects of this project will not be contained to the former mall. As Ford explains, there are many other benefits soon to come, such as improved transit access and an incoming tide of commerce along Van Dorn Street just east of Bren Mar Park.

But if you’re too eager to wait a few years, there’s lots to do in the neighborhood already. To the southwest is a collection of low-industrial buildings, some of which are occupied with retail spaces for artisan business owners, such as furniture builders and violin luthiers. There are also several restaurants here, such as JJ’s Deli, whose steak, egg and cheese breakfast sandwich is a morning routine for many locals. To the east of town, some residents head over to Aslin Brewing Company for an evening of beer and skee-ball. “They win a lot of awards, they’re not just some mom-and-pop microbrewery,” Ford says.

If you’re seeking a more peaceful outing, locals head to Bren Mar Park to stroll along its hiking trails while listening to the soothing sounds of a rushing creek. Young children can fool around on the park’s jungle gym or play a game of flag football in its open field while parents supervise from afar under the rentable picnic pavilion. The park is also home to a swimming pool and tennis courts that can be used upon applying for membership. But some locals also enjoy getting out of their usual surroundings to visit one of the many parks on the other side of 395 in Lincolnia, such as Green Spring Gardens.

“I’m excited about this area because I live here and it offers so many things already,” Ford says. “By 2030, it will be a very exciting place to live.”

Written By

Tom Jakob

Photography Contributed By

Anna Cheng

Video By

Curtis Newkirk