Annandale

 

Annandale is a peaceful suburban community in Fairfax County, Virginia. Home to the D.C. area’s biggest and best selection of Korean restaurants, this community also has lots of beautiful scenery with rolling hillsides, stream valleys, and thousands of acres of parks and forests. Annandale is located around 13 miles southwest of D.C. near major highways, including the Capital Beltway. Settled in 1685, this convenient commuter town has tree-lined streets with homes from many different periods. The real estate mix includes historical and contemporary townhouses and single-family homes in a wide range of architectural styles.

Annandale is the unofficial Koreatown of Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area. There are close to 1,000 Korean-owned businesses within Annandale. This diverse community is home to residents from many countries and backgrounds. Many residents commute to D.C. via the Capital Beltway or Metro stations in nearby communities.

Downtown Annandale has authentic Korean eateries on almost every corner. Kogiya is one of the best local spots for Korean BBQ. Here, you can dine on marbled short ribs and tender pork belly grilled by chefs at your tableside. Yechon serves both Korean and Japanese dishes. This 24-hour restaurant’s eclectic menu includes hearty Korean soups and bibimbap and Japanese sushi and bento boxes. A&J Restaurant is an unpretentious family-run eatery serving delicious dim sum and other Chinese dishes. The Block is an Asian food hall packed with vendors selling all kinds of Asian street food. Grab a Hawaiian poke bowl at Pokeworks, Thai soups and noodle dishes at Roots, and a variety of tasty Taiwanese specialties at Balo Kitchen. You can round off your meal with sweet shaved ice at SnoCream Company and wash it all down with boba tea. Other international flavors are also represented in Annadale’s diverse dining scene. Silverado is a Tex-Mex spot serving a wide selection of fajitas and lots of other Mexican and Southwestern dishes.

Outside of the restaurant-packed downtown area, Annandale is covered with sprawling parks and forests. Local attractions include Green Springs Gardens, which features 20 themed demonstration gardens within a beautiful wooded stream valley covering 31 acres. The gardens also serve as an outdoor classroom with lots of workshops providing gardening tips. Green Spring Gardens was once part of an estate owned by the influential Moss family, and the family’s 1784 Georgian home still stands on the site. The gardens’ scenic landscape also features several gift shops selling seasonal plants and gardening tools. Wakefield Park spans 292 acres of verdant natural scenery. The park has miles of biking and hiking trails winding along creeks and through forests. It’s also a popular bird-watching spot with more than 30 species of migratory warblers. Mason District Park is a 60-acre neighborhood park with playing fields, tennis courts, picnic areas, and a playground. The park hosts a variety of events during the summer, including Arts in the Parks shows featuring children’s entertainers on Saturday mornings and Spotlight by Starlight concerts in the evening. There’s also a newly-renovated children’s playground at the smaller Annandale Community Park and lots of activities for local children to participate in at Hidden Oaks Nature Center.

Annandale is served by the Fairfax County Public Schools District.