In Fairfax, 'a forest in our back yard'

On the second Friday of every month, someone in Marlan Forest or adjacent Marlan Heights will be serving cocktails. Neighbors agree that this is one of the best developments in recent years -- the TGIF gathering. "I have met so many people through these. It's a great way to get people together," said Judy Hart, president of the Marlan Forest Citizens Association.

The association covers the 136 homes of the Marlan Forest and Marlan Heights neighborhoods, which lie on gently curving tree-lined streets. The neighborhood is in Fairfax County between the George Washington Memorial Parkway and Fort Hunt Road, about two miles south of Old Town Alexandria. The homes are mostly brick ramblers, Cape Cods and colonials, built from 1952 to 1956. Prospective homeowners purchased lots and then hired their own builders.

Because the trees were not clear-cut, the neighborhood retains an impressive number of large, old hardwoods. "This is called Marlan Forest, and we really do have a forest in our back yard," said Duncan Joy, who moved to the neighborhood with his wife, Patty, in 1977.

The average home sale in the past year was for $800,106, with prices ranging from $569,000 to $1.2 million. The size of most of the homes is roughly 1,560 to 3,500 square feet, situated on one-third to one-half acre lots. There are a few homes at the north end of Marlan Drive that are nearly 4,000 square feet on 0.68 to 2.21 acres.

The neighborhood owes its name to the wife and daughter of the developer, Lester Simpson, who lived in the neighborhood for a time, according to resident Gil McCutcheon. Simpson took the first three letters of his wife's name, Mary, the first two letters of his daughter Ann's name and with the first letter of his own name in the middle to form "Marlan," according to McCutcheon.

What's the difference between Marlan Forest and Marlan Heights? "Nothing, except that when we bought this property, Marlan Heights wasn't there," McCutcheon said.

The citizens association charges just $10 a year for dues, which helps defray the cost of the annual neighborhood block party, entrance lighting, membership in the Mount Vernon Council of Citizens' Associations and a contribution to the West Potomac High School alcohol-free/drug-free graduation party.

McCutcheon, who with his wife, Frances, paid $2,400 for a lot in the early 1950s, remembers the association's early days. You could count on 100 percent attendance at meetings, he said. Challenges such as extending the sewer to individual homes helped neighbors forge alliances. "That's what made the community come together," he said.

Residents had additional confidence in the long-term soundness of their houses since the developer and at least one of the builders constructed their own homes there. The builder of McCutcheon's three-bedroom brick rambler (with den and full basement) was John R. Peele. "He built quite a few and even constructed his own. He lived over on Marlan Drive. His house backed up to mine," McCutcheon said.

One group that has been extremely active through much of the history of the community is the garden club, said longtime resident Tom Hook. His wife, Kathryn, former president of both the citizens association and the garden club, was deeply involved in the daffodil shows the club held every year. "At one time, they had more than 40 percent of the people living in Marlan Forest/Marlan Heights as members," Hook said.

Many current residents say the parkway, with its 17-mile-long bike trail that runs from Mount Vernon to Theodore Roosevelt Island, was a major draw.

"What drew us to the neighborhood was the George Washington Parkway. My husband is a runner, and he said, 'I have found this wonderful neighborhood along the parkway as I was running,' " Hart remembered.

"We walk down to the parkway all the time. We used to bike, and now we walk a lot," said Sandra Gehring, a mother of two. She and her husband, Geoff Cherrington, were pleased to find a 5-bedroom rambler on a third of an acre close to the trail. "It was right where we wanted to be a block off the parkway," she said.

The location is also convenient for commuting to Old Town Alexandria and Route 1. The west side of the neighborhood lies along tree-lined Fort Hunt Road, which provides quick access to Route 1 and Interstate 495. "We've got easy access to D.C., the Wilson Bridge across to Maryland, and the Beltway," Hook said.

Residents say they don't typically walk to shopping or restaurants, but there are plenty of options that are very close by car. The nearby shopping centers include Belle View, Hollin Hall, Mount Vernon Plaza and Hybla Valley. "You have everything you can imagine nearby," Gehring said.

We've lived here 17 years, and I can't imagine living anywhere else," said Judy Hart.