When you turn onto Waterway Drive in Montclair, Va., and drive down the spacious tree-lined parkway, you’ve entered another world. You catch glimpses of different home styles through the Bradford pear trees — Williamsburg colonials, split-levels, Victorians, ramblers and modern homes set off from the main road on well-kept streets. You see children riding bikes, families walking together, and fathers and mothers doing yard work.
Surrounded in all directions by a mixture of farms and new construction on the rolling hills of Prince William County, this self-contained and mature close-knit community makes you nostalgic for your youth — it is a well-planned suburban paradise. It’s home.
“I love it,” said 15-year resident Diane Daly. “It’s its own little small town.” She raised her family in Montclair and has enjoyed the connectedness. “When my kids were little and did something wrong, I knew about it before they got home.”
Montclair began construction in 1969 and features three beaches, a country club, a community center, pool and year-round activities including Oktoberfest, Fourth of July fireworks and parade, Halloween movie night and a holiday decorating contest. The three beaches — Dolphin, West, and Beaver Landing — are for residents only and have floating piers, roped-off swimming areas, and white sand.
“It’s very easy to make friends. People are constantly walking around. You smile and wave,” said Daly. “People walk their dogs — everyone knows the names of the dogs. You still hear people yell ‘car’ when one comes down the street.”
Homes carry affordable price tags — in the $300,000 to $500,000 range with the bigger models closest to the Lake Montclair waterfront. There are myriad styles to choose from and the neighborhood contains old and newer homes — reflecting the enclave’s gradual growth until its completion in 1990. The homeowners association is strict about residents keeping their homes well appointed and aesthetically pleasing.
“It’s a very nice neighborhood,” said Weichert agent Randy Huntley, an ex-Marine. “It’s like we used to say in the service — ‘do something nice to the foxhole every day’– and that’s what the people in this community do.”
“Working people live here — military, government workers, Secret Service,” Daly said. “There’s an Omnibus express that goes straight to the Pentagon, slug lines and VRE a few miles away.”
Forest Park High School sits within the neighborhood environs; its homecoming parade down Waterway Drive every fall is a community favorite. Younger children go to Alexander Henderson Elementary, named for Alexander Henderson, a merchant and friend of George Washington’s who settled into the Dumfries area in 1787 and became known as “the father of the American chain store.”
It’s not surprising that shopping is abundant and close by — especially if you include the proximity to Potomac Mills and Wegmans. The adjacent shopping center includes a Panera, Shoppers, Target and a Starbucks. Two Italian restaurants — Giorgio’s and Brothers — garner the most accolades for area cuisine.
“Everybody looks out for each other,” Daly said. “It’s a very cool place.”
