Neighborhood Spotlight: Riverside Gardens, once part of George Washington’s river farm

Sponsor September 8, 2022 at 12:00pm

Neighborhood Spotlight is a recurring column covering both the City of Alexandria and Alexandria in Fairfax County. This monthly column is sponsored and written by the Seward Group of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty.

Riverside Gardens is sought-after by buyers looking for a beautiful, tree-laden community with neighborhood schools and a conveniently located recreation center.

Once part of Washington’s River Farm, this 219 home community tucked between Fort Hunt and Riverside Roads was built by Clarence Gosnell Inc., who had previously developed Westgrove and Waynewood in the 1950s and other communities throughout the area. The first home in Riverside Gardens was purchased in March 1963 and the last house built was in 1966.

Typical of many of the subdivisions built during the post-war years, Riverside Gardens features a variety of home styles divided among split levels, split foyers and colonials.

The larger split level, the Sweetbriar, and the two split foyers (the Oxford and the Portsmouth) are the most plentiful; the Lexington is the smallest split level, and the Haddon is a bit larger split level. The Carolina, is a handsome two-level colonial, which is in shorter supply.

The benefit of these simple designs is the ability to maximize the finished square footage in very economic ways, perfect to accommodate a growing family, but not so voluminous that empty nesters feel the need to downsize.

Below, please find a chart that illustrates closed sales in the Riverside Gardens neighborhood year to date for 2022. August figures are not available at the time of this publication.

Average sales price YTD is $847,450, noting there were only a few closed sales since the beginning of 2022. There is one active listing (a Carolina) currently listed at $924,900.00.

Please note:

DOM (days on market) and CDOM (cumulative days on market).

Among the many attractive elements of Riverside Gardens is the proximity of both public elementary and middle schools. Children can easily walk the short distances. Stratford Landing Elementary on Riverside Drive, Carl Sandburg on Fort Hunt Road and Fort Hunt Elementary on Fort Hunt Road are the middle and elementary school options. West Potomac High School is a short school bus ride away along Fort Hunt Road.

Riverside Gardens includes the homes on the streets in the original Riverside Gardens development, which include Old Stage Road, Hackamore Lane, Stirrup Lane, Hitching Post Lane, Buckboard Drive, Stable Drive, Bridle Lane, Sulky Court and Masters Court.

The subdivision also includes residents on Pilgrim Court, Lombardy Lane, and portions of Riverside Drive, Elkin Street and Fort Hunt Road.

Having a neighborhood swim and tennis facility is also the life-blood of any community. The Riverside Gardens recreation center is tucked away on Buckboard Drive and provides an entire summer of activities for young and old — all within the confines of the subdivision.

The community hosts neighborhood events throughout the year. These old-fashioned gatherings are what attracts buyers to the neighborhood. Indeed, Riverside Gardens is a peaceful oasis in the middle of hustling and bustling South Alexandria. Riverside Gardens is the perfect representative to showcase all that the wonderful Fort Hunt Community symbolizes for its residents.

The community has an active and informed civic association. The Riverside Gardens Citizens Association represents the residents of the subdivision.

The RGCA board is made up of a president, vice-president, immediate past president, secretary, treasurer and a board of directors. Meetings are held on a bi-monthly basis between September and June. Most meetings are held the third Wednesday each month at St. Aidan’s Church. If you are interested in joining the board or in assisting with RGCA events please contact a board member.

About Seward Group: We are award-winning real estate agents with TTR Sotheby’s International Realty. Lyssa Seward, Melody Abella, Anita Edwards, Laura Catron, Gina Wimpey and Elaine McCall make up our team. We offer our clients Full-Spectrum Concierge Real Estate Service at all price points, assisting with every step of the process from beginning to end. We are licensed in Virginia, D.C. and Maryland with TTR Sotheby’s International Realty. Seward Group’s main office is in Old Town Alexandria.