5515 Bradley Boulevard

Shaded under towering trees along streets that invite bike riders, walkers and neighbors who actually know each other is the hidden neighborhood of historic Dowden Terrace secluded, yet accessible to some of the best shops, restaurants and schools in Northern Virginia. The elegant solid-brick rambler at 5515 Bradley Boulevard is a gem among more than 300 houses built in an eclectic mix of styles from traditional to contemporary. Whether you like mid-century modern or a touch of historic charm, this house is for you. A wood-burning fireplace flanked by built-in bookcases anchors one end of the living room, which opens to a formal dining room with a brushed-brass chandelier hung under a decorative ceiling medallion. The dining room leads to a sunlit den, study or home office you decide. The kitchen is updated with stainless steel appliances, undercounter lighting and a roomy pantry. Three generous bedrooms and two remodeled full bathrooms complete the layout. The floors are solid oak, and the windows feature plantation shutters. Attached is a two-car garage large enough for SUVs. The house sits on a three-quarter acre lot with a massive back yard sheltered by shady trees including a 200-year-old oak and a 100-year-old magnolia, along with azalea bushes ablaze with colors in the spring. The front yard is a carpet of grass maintained like a putting green. Dowden Terrace was once a dairy farm. Walter Dowden started building houses on his land in the 1950s. Today the neighborhood includes the eight-acre Dowden Terrace Park, with tennis courts, a basketball court and a baseball field owned and maintained by the Fairfax County Park Authority. Dowden Terrace also features a community, membership swimming pool and the wooded Holmes Run Parkway bike path. Although Dowden Terrace feels like a small, country village, it is close to some of the best restaurants in Northern Virginia, especially the Peking Gourmet Inn, made famous by presidents, Supreme Court justices and generals. The neighborhood is less than two miles to the nearest Trader Joes and a convenient commute into D.C. along Seminary Road and Rte. 395.