Great Falls Chase in Potomac Falls/Sterling 20165 (Arlington, Reston: apartment, townhouses)

[virginiarenter]

My fiance and I are in our early-mid 20s and relocating to the Sterling/Great Falls area. We have found a few nice townhouses in the Great Falls Chase neighborhood, which is a bunch of townhouses and single family homes governed by an HOA. It's in Potomac Falls (20165) right off of Algonkian Parkway and near the Great Falls Plaza (which has a Bloom supermarket, Subway, Rite-Aid).

The neighborhood looked pretty safe and decently maintained, and the homes looked to be no older than the 1990s. Is this considered a safe and nice area in which to live? I am also curious what part of Sterling this is considered. I know it is Potomac Falls...but is it also Cascades, Lowes Island, Sugarland Run? I am new to the area and not sure what all of these places really include. Thanks!

[LLD]

just a quick aside and my apologies if this is being too "nosey" :-)..... if you are early-mid 20's I think you would find Arlington and Falls Church to be more "happening" than the Sterling area. Unless you are moving that far out for price (or your jobs are there) ..... have you considered living closer to DC?

I have a colleague who lives in Sterling and grew up in Potomac Falls. They really enjoy it out there but they are near 40 and his wife is a stay at home mom. They moved there because they could get a much bigger house for the price and wanted a typical suburban neighborhood. I don't know the exact section of Sterling they live in. I have heard there are good parts and not so good parts in Sterling -- but that is true of many of the areas in and around DC.

[virginiarenter]

Hi,

I would love to live closer to DC, but my fiance's job requires that he be in the Sterling area and price is a bit of a concern. I noticed that we could get a much nicer apartment or townhouse in Loudoun than in Fairfax for the price. I had heard that Sterling Park was the "bad" neighborhood of the area, but I'm not sure if Great Falls Chase is located there or even where it is.

[Margery]

Great Falls Chase is on Algonkian Parkway, which changes into Fairfax County Parkway once it crosses Route 7, so it is a great area for commuting. It is in Potomac Falls. It is not a part of Cascades or Lowes Island but it does have its own community pool and is an attractive, well kept community. It is close to a small strip mall so you can walk to a grocery (Blooms), restaurants, bank, Rite Aid, etc, from the townhouses. It is very safe, I don't remember ever hearing anything bad about it. I live right across the road in Lowes Island and I go to Blooms very often. As far as activities for young people I can't comment but there are many restaurants and night spots close by, and there is Algonkian Park within a couple miles which has a public golf course and Potomac River access for boating or fishing. There are also walk/jog paths throughout the area so you will have plenty of opportunities to meet people.

[blossom4792]

I'm commenting as a lay person here, but I think that's a good area. I think (again, I'm a non-expert; lived in Reston in the 90s, visited friends in Sterling and Potomac Falls from McLean, etc.) but I always had the impression that anything on the river side of route 7 was good ... not to state the inverse, per se.

[normie]

This is a very nice neighborhood, and IMO a smart investment. Properties there have held up well in this market because it's a desirable neighborhood. The only downside for you may be that not too many people in their 20s live there. Some young people hang out at Velocity Five (next to Bloom) or you might want to join something like a hiking club.

If you like hiking or kayaking, you are in a great neighborhood. There are all kinds of trails and several parks within walking distance.

[getlanny]

Hi,

We are a young couple living in the Great Falls Chase. It is a nice and desireable neighborhood with good schools nearby. That is why we chose to live here. The surrounding neighborhood is safe too. there is the big algonkian park nearby, lowes island golf course. The shopping center is within a 1 minute walk. The mall is a skip and a hop away. There is a very nice Golds Gym opening up close by. The only downside is there is not much of a night life in the area. This is definitely more of a grounded, family type of living than a fun party couples place.