· A Nov. 1 Where We Live article about the Amanda Place neighborhood in Fairfax County incorrectly described how Rosetta Brooks and her late husband, Arthur, acquired their land. They bought it from his father, not his great-uncle.
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From Family Home to Friendly Neighborhood
Amy Waldron is vice president of the homeowners association and a resident since 2002 of the small neighborhood, which is home mostly to young families.
(Photos by Susan Straight for The Washington Post)
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Homeowners association fees are $732 a year and cover services including landscaping and trash removal. Administration of the neighborhood is handled by a volunteer board of six members, along with Quantum Real Estate Management, a Bethesda company.
"It's a very diverse neighborhood, but mainly professionals," Sweet said. He and his wife had wanted to live in a neighborhood relatively convenient to the District for cultural and sports events, but also close to big-box stores and with plenty of parking. "You get the feeling of being away from everything when you come in because [the developer] left a fair amount of trees," Sweet said.
It's a 10-minute, pedestrian-friendly walk to a strip shopping center across Cedar Lane from the entrance to the neighborhood. There's a florist, drug store, drycleaner, fast food, bank, market, pet salon, barber and some low-rise office space there.
Compared with other homes they saw in the area, Sweet said, they found the space and breadth of the house appealing. "Some of the other ones we saw in similar price points were very vertical," he said.
The location is a major draw for many residents. "We're a stone's throw from 66 and 495, so if you're having company, it's easy to get to -- we're not far from the highway exits," Sweet said.
"We can drive a mile, get on the Metro and not have to worry about parking," he said.
The Amanda Place subdivision was built on land that five generations of the Brooks family have called home. Rosetta Brooks moved there with her late husband, Arthur Brooks, in 1980. His great-uncle sold him nearly an acre for a dollar, she said. That great-uncle originally had about 21 acres, she said.
Brooks doesn't know who Amanda was, although she's often wondered. "I don't know of any Amanda in the family," she said.
The family parceled out the land to children and grandchildren until there were eight homes of relatives and one household of non-relatives, Brooks said.
Brooks said growing up among family was peaceful and secure. People tended to mind their own business, but "when it came time for help, everyone was there -- everyone pitched in," she said.
When a developer approached residents to sell their homes, the other households decided to take the offer. Rosetta Brooks decided to stay.
"I could have gotten a lot of money, but I couldn't have what I have here -- the peace I have," she said.
The new neighbors have been friendly. "Everyone sort of knows one another," she said.
She has a swimming pool and garden. Her son and his wife built their own home behind hers five years ago, and her grandson is growing up there. "It was better that I keep this legacy for my son and grandson. And I'm glad I have," she said.
