Eisenhower Square – Four-floor townhouses provide easy access to Old Town Alexandria

The Washington Post

May 8, 2018

An optional fireplace can be added to the great room, and a deck can be built off the back of the house. (Benjamin C. Tankersley/For The Washington Post)

Eisenhower Square is a new townhouse community going up on 12 acres in Alexandria, Va., short drive from Old Town Alexandria.

“We expect residents will come home from work, park their car in the garage and Uber to Old Town. Old Town will be your playground when you live here,” Andrew Cope, a sales manager for Toll Brothers, the developer and builder, said of the shopping, dining and entertainment offerings there.

When the development is complete in the next year-plus, it will include 11 buildings with six townhouses each, but one building will have seven. There will be 67 homes. Three buildings have been constructed and 18 townhouses are for sale.

Glass entry door, floating stairs: Two models are offered. Harper end units are 22 feet wide, and Colvin interior units are 20 feet wide. All homes are four levels, with a glass entry door on the ground level adjacent to a room that can be used as a study, lounge or additional bedroom. A double garage is in the rear of the house.

Upstairs is the main living level, which has an open concept layout with central kitchen, dining area facing the front, and great room in the rear. An optional fireplace can be added to the great room, and a deck can be built off the back.

Floating stairs between the third and fourth levels add spaciousness to the atmosphere. Two bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms are on opposite ends of the home. The master bathroom features double vanities, an enclosed toilet room and a built-in shower seat. A stand-alone washer and dryer are in a room in the hallway.

The loft level has a bedroom and adjacent bathroom in the rear, a lounge-like area in the center and a roof balcony facing the house front. An outdoor kitchen is optional.

Instead of the usual array of design choices offered to buyers of new homes, the Toll Brothers team is offering four color palettes — contemporary loft, transitional luxury, industrial chic and urban farmhouse. “So when you choose a color scheme, you’re buying a whole house,” Cope said. That means you’re selecting the tiles, countertops, cabinets, backsplash, wall trim, flooring and paint color.

Outdoors: A green space called Central Park is the centerpiece of the development. “Our homeowners will have this park as a view. We envision kids playing, Frisbee throwing and outdoor music concerts,” Cope said. “Benches and bike racks are being installed now,” he said, pointing to workers. “Rather than a small postage stamp back yard, we’ve gone with a large front yard for everyone.”

A large metal sculpture “will have a couple seats embedded on it, and we expect kids to play there,” said Meghan Chaney, another sales manager. “We’re super dog-friendly. We’re building a dog park on AstroTurf, so it’ll be easy to keep clean and will always look green.”

What’s nearby: The Alexandria Visitor Center at 221 King St. has maps and suggestions for places to visit. Walk or bike along the Potomac River waterfront and along residential streets to see the Colonial-style architecture. There’s a farmers market on Saturdays. Check out Del Ray, a residential community within Alexandria with its own personality. Visit Carlyle House, the home of Alexandria founder John Carlyle, and Gadsby’s Tavern Museum. If you want to meet an artist and buy a piece of art, head to the Torpedo Factory. There are dozens of restaurants to choose from for a relaxing drink and meal.

Grocery shopping can be done at Safeway (500 S. Royal St. and 3526 King St.), Whole Foods Market (1700 Duke St.), Trader Joe’s (612 N. Saint Asaph St.), Harris Teeter (735 N. Saint Asaph St.) and Giant Food (5870 Kingstown Ctr.).

Schools: Lyles-Crouch Elementary, George Washington Middle, T.C. Williams High.

Transit: The Eisenhower Avenue Metro station on the Yellow Line is a 10-minute walk.