Green space, amenities and generations abound in Franklin Farm

Residents of the neighborhood say the shared community facilities can’t be beat. Those facilities include: 14 small playgrounds (or “tot lots”), six tennis courts, four pickleball courts, three basketball courts, 13 miles of trails, six ponds, two swimming pools and a community center.

According to the Franklin Farm Foundation, the neighborhood’s homeowners association, the neighborhood has more than 1,770 homes and 850 total acres — nearly 200 of which are open space.

The green space is what has kept Steckley in the neighborhood. She couldn’t imagine living without it, especially when the pandemic hit. Having nature in her backyard is what allowed her to stay healthy during the early shutdowns and beyond. She’s a fan of “forest bathing,” a practice of spending time in nature.

It is “important for people to have that. It reduces stress. I try to walk. I think it’s real important to do that sort of thing. … I feel very safe when I go out,” she said.

The green space isn’t accidental. Franklin Farm, which has 27 communities, was once the largest dairy farm in Fairfax County, owned by James Franklin and his family until around 1980, when he sold the land to a developer.

Although the neighborhood has seen new faces over the years, some residents, such as Steckley, have been there for decades. Now, their children live in the neighborhood with their kids.

“I can think of like four people who I grew up with who have since moved back also, and are raising their family, … so you’re seeing a lot of second-generation Farmers in the neighborhood who have come back,” said Ginny George, who grew up in Franklin Farm and, now married, lives there with her children. She also serves as the foundation’s community functions chair.

George isn’t the only one. Other families have also seen generations live in the neighborhood.

Kevin North and his wife are original Franklin Farm owners, buying their home in 1985 and moving into it in 1989 after renovations. He remembers how new everything was back then.

“It was really kind of a neat and exciting time, because … we were all of a similar age, we were all having kids at the same time, so there were just lots of children,” he said. “And it was just fun having everybody kind of growing up together — parents and kids — in the neighborhood when it was brand new. All of us were dealing with the same things.”

Now, North’s children live in the neighborhood. He and his wife spend their time taking their granddaughter to one of Franklin Farm’s pools. Regular pool memberships for residents cost $190 for an individual and $230 for a family. (Limited nonresident memberships are available for a higher price.)

George and her husband chose to expand their home when they had children, rather than moving elsewhere. She now helps put on the events that she always enjoyed, such as block parties, face-painting, movie nights and fall festivals, as well as holiday events, such as the Turkey Trot and Breakfast With Santa.

“It’s really funny, because all the things that you take for granted as a child, as a parent, [you’re] just so appreciative. I love having the pools and the tot lots and all the walking paths, and good schools and fantastic neighbors,” George said. “I just love that our house backs to mature trees, and we live on a cul-de-sac. We know the majority of our neighbors, and everybody socializes. It’s gone from being a great place to grow up in, to now raising our own family.”

Franklin Farm’s proximity to public transportation and stores also makes it desirable.

“It’s great to know that if you need to get downtown [to D.C.] or need to get someplace and you don’t want to drive, I literally can walk three minutes to the end of my street and catch the Connector bus to the Metro station,” North said.

George wishes there was a large indoor community space in the neighborhood.

“I would love for our neighborhood to have an indoor area, … so that we could have more community events and that they wouldn’t be so weather-contingent — more of a clubhouse room up at one of the pools. And I would love if we had a snack bar at our pool,” she said.

Overall, though, few Franklin Farm residents would want to live anywhere else.

“We have to applaud what’s right in the world these days, and I think this is one of those things that’s right in the world,” Steckley said.

Living there: The neighborhood is just off Fairfax County Parkway, close to Route 50. Franklin Farm is about 7.5 miles from Dulles International Airport.

Real estate agent Joan Reimann with McEnearney Associates said the typical home in Franklin Farm is a three-level, Colonial-style, single-family home built in the 1980s with approximately 1,700 to 2,500 square feet on the upper two levels and a finished basement. Lot sizes are approximately one-quarter acre.

“Many of the homes have been renovated with updated kitchens and baths, and an emphasis on outdoor space with inviting patios and screened porches,” Reimann said.

Real estate agent Casey Samson said that, since March 1, 28 homes have sold in Franklin Farm — 48 in the past year. The average sale price was about $950,000 until about June, when it fell to about $900,000. The average days on the market was seven.

Since March 1, 16 homes rented in Franklin Farm. The average rent is about $3,500 a month.

Samson said home prices are up 25 percent since 2020 and are selling at 119 percent of tax assessment, which is consistent with the rest of the market.

The most expensive house sold in the past year was a four-bedroom, four-bathroom, 3,800-square-foot Colonial with a two-car garage for $1.2 million. The lowest-priced house sold was a three-bedroom, three-bathroom, 3,800-square-foot Colonial for $600,000.

The lowest-priced house on the market is a three-bedroom, three-bathroom, 1,000-square-foot townhouse for $520,000. The most expensive listing is a six-bedroom, four-bathroom, 4,500-square-foot brick Colonial that is listed at more than $1 million.

The homeowners association fees range from $1,150 to $1,412 annually and are billed quarterly.

Transit: The closest Metro station, Wiehle-Reston East on the Silver Line, is about six miles away. The Fairfax Connector serves the neighborhood and takes residents to the Metro station.

Schools: Crossfield Elementary (pre-K to sixth), Navy Elementary (K to sixth), Oak Hill Elementary (pre-K to sixth), Carson Middle (seventh and eighth), Franklin Middle (seventh and eighth), Oakton High (nine to 12), Chantilly High (nine to 12).