There's far more demand for housing in the DC area than supply, especially in urban, walkable neighborhoods. When enough new homes aren't being built close in, the region sprawls further out. In response, new developments on the fringes are adopting urban qualities.
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View from a porch in Embrey Mill. All photos by the author. |
In the Before & After Cafe on Apricot Street one recent Saturday, craft beer was on the menu and the soundtrack included Modest Mouse and Death Cab for Cutie. Outside, light snow fell on a deck with brightly colored Adirondack chairs and an edible garden. Across the street were smart-looking rowhouses and craftsman-style houses with ample porches.
This could be a scene in a trendy inside-the-Beltway neighborhood like Brookland or Del Ray. Except the cafe's empty, the street dead-ends a few blocks away, and the
blue water tower overlooking it all says "Stafford, Virginia." This is
Embrey Mill, a new planned community being built 60 miles south of DC that promises "a comfortable place at the end of your commute focused on creating a simpler, better way to live."