As a retirement location, the Washington, D.C., suburb of Fairfax, Virginia is close to ideal. In addition to having access to all the historical, cultural and educational attractions of the nation’s capital, the MetroWest neighborhood — home to The Providence Fairfax — is a pedestrian-friendly townhouse community with green spaces and playgrounds connected by bike paths and jogging trails. It has a fresh, charming, urbane feel about it, and it connects you to everything.
Fairfax is home to the renowned Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, the only one of its kind in the country. It’s easy to enjoy day trips to such fascinating sites as a local working farm and grist mill, the area’s colonial-era homes, or any of the many national heritage treasures like Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens, Woodlawn Estate, and Gunston Hall. There’s an extraordinary mix of music, visual arts, theatrical and other cultural opportunities as well.
Living at The Providence means having access to public and private golf courses, wildlife preserves, garden and nature centers, more than 300 miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trails, recreation centers, lakes, campgrounds, and athletic fields.
With 50 square miles of public parks, Fairfax County has some of the finest urban green spaces anywhere. The county is home to several national, state and regional parks, including Great Falls Park, Pohick Bay Regional Park and Mason Neck National Wildlife refuge, America’s first sanctuary for bald eagles.
Some of the best shopping on the east coast is in Fairfax County, including six of the D.C. region’s largest and busiest retail centers — Tysons Corner Center, Tysons Galleria, Mosaic District, Fair Oaks Mall, Reston Town Center and Fairfax Corner.
Together, Interstate 95, I-495 (the Capital Beltway) and I-66 create a network of highways that offer superb access to the entire Washington, D.C., region. Dulles International is the region’s main airport for domestic and international travel, with Reagan National offering nonstop flights to and from destinations less than 1,250 miles from Washington. There are 10 Metrorail stations on four Metro lines in Fairfax County, with the Vienna/Fairfax station just a half mile from The Providence.
Living at The Providence Fairfax will give you access to the area’s accredited hospitals and medical centers. These include the INOVA Health System, which runs five hospitals and two HealthPlexes in Fairfax County, HCA Virginia Health System, which operates two surgical centers, and Kaiser Permanente, which operates six medical centers.
