"Pretty little thing / sometimes you gotta look up / and let the world see / all the beauty that you're made of / cause the way you hang your head / nobody can tell / you're my Virginia bluebell / my Virginia bluebell." -- "Virginia Bluebell" by Miranda Lambert
Long Branch is a town in Virginia that's best known for the Long Branch Plantation, a historic family property built on 1,000 acres in 1811. It's a super tiny town located near Colonial Beach and is just outside of Fairfax, Virginia. The Rappahannock River runs through it, and it's right off I-95, which makes it super accessible. It's a very small and rural area. If you're planning to find an apartment for rent here, you have your work cut out for you! Housing is in high demand, and there is a super low vacancy rate -- which is usually the sign of a wonderful place to live!
If you're planning to move here, get started on your hunt early
"Pretty little thing / sometimes you gotta look up / and let the world see / all the beauty that you're made of / cause the way you hang your head / nobody can tell / you're my Virginia bluebell / my Virginia bluebell." -- "Virginia Bluebell" by Miranda Lambert
Long Branch is a town in Virginia that's best known for the Long Branch Plantation, a historic family property built on 1,000 acres in 1811. It's a super tiny town located near Colonial Beach and is just outside of Fairfax, Virginia. The Rappahannock River runs through it, and it's right off I-95, which makes it super accessible. It's a very small and rural area. If you're planning to find an apartment for rent here, you have your work cut out for you! Housing is in high demand, and there is a super low vacancy rate -- which is usually the sign of a wonderful place to live!
Moving to Long Branch
If you're planning to move here, get started on your hunt early. Houses are pretty hard to come by. Not only are there very few openings in apartment complexes, but there are also fewer rentals as opposed to homes for sale. If you have dreams of finding an all bills paid apartment, you might consider lowering your standards a bit in order to align yourself with the available supply of apartments here. They say you should give yourself four to six weeks to look for a place, but maybe eight to 12 weeks is more realistic for a housing market like this one. That's not to say that you won't be able to find an awesome apartment -- you will! It just might take a little more time than in places with more availability.
Once you've decided to move here, you're going to want to set up appointments with landlords to see the available condos for rent or rental homes that you're interested in. When you head out for your appointments with different landlords, be sure to bring along a folder with all the documents you'll need in order to rent. This includes a copy of your ID, your credit report, bank statements, pay stubs, letter of employment, rental application, references and anything else you think you might need to score your dream apartment. It's also a good idea to bring along your checkbook in case you do find a place you love!
Neighborhoods
Long Branch is a super small town, as we've already mentioned, but it does have a few distinct areas. Here are some of the different neighborhoods and a little more information about each of them.
Main Street: Living near Main Street means being in the center of all the action! Granted, there isn't too much action here in Long Branch, but you will be close to a couple of super pretty parks, as well as some great local restaurants, like Thailand Thai Cuisine. The Army Navy Country Club is right nearby and so is the Accotink Stream Valley Park! It's a pretty bustling part of town for a small city like Long Branch.
Braddock Road: This is the southernmost part of town, and if you live in one of these subdivisions, you'll be near the Police Headquarters, as well as the Long Branch Stream Valley Park, one of the prettiest spots in the city! You'll also be off Route 620, which can get you pretty much anywhere in the area in a flash.
Living in Long Branch
When you're itching to eat out in Long Branch, you'll have plenty of options nearby and within a short drive. Check out L'Auberge Provencale Bed and Breakfast, Sheetz and Ashby Inn & Restaurant. If you're itching to get outdoors, there's Sky Meadows State Park, GR Thompson State Wildlife Management Area and the regular old Bowling Green Country Club, where you can work on your swing.
