In Parkwood, a Lemonade-Stand Feel

Parkwood, a neighborhood of 1940s and 1950s houses where Kensington meets Bethesda, has benefited greatly from what has been built around it over the decades.

The houses, for the most part, are not imposing: brick ramblers and Cape Cods, with a few Colonials mixed in. Many had main floors of less than 1,000 square feet when they were built, though most have finished basements.

But the things that make the neighborhood stand out, its residents say, are its access to parkland (it is bordered by a branch of Rock Creek Park that has a paved biking-walking trail); its superior schools; and how it's just a hop, skip and jump south to the Capital Beltway.

Maryann Dillon, secretary of the Parkwood Residents Association, moved to Parkwood from North Kensington 4 1/2 years ago.

"We moved there for the schools," she said, adding, "The access to the park -- it cannot be overstated."

There are 783 houses in Parkwood, most built from 1948 to 1953.

When Holger Griebl moved to the neighborhood from Alexandria 15 years ago, "We felt out of place because everybody was close to 80, it seemed like," he said.

There are still many original owners in the suburb, but residents said that in the past 10 years, there has been a generational shift.

Danielle Sultan bought a house in Parkwood 13 years ago. "At the time, I was a single mom. I was able to find a home that was close, in a great neighborhood, with proximity to other main areas -- and this was more affordable than Bethesda."

Since she arrived, there has been a lot of turnover to young families. "It's a nice balance," she said.

Homeowners without children also find Parkwood attractive.

Ann Mahoney, Griebl's next-door-neighbor, moved from the District 10 years ago. She shopped in the District and Bethesda before choosing her $245,000 house in Parkwood. At the time, she worked at the National Institutes of Health, about 2 1/2 miles away.