Church of the Holy Cross is situated on Gallows Road in Dunn Loring, Virginia, an unincorporated community of Fairfax County. Dunn Loring is a rapidly growing and transitioning area just 13 miles from Washington, D.C., and close to McLean, Vienna, and Fairfax City.

Local Development

A few minutes south of the church are the Merrifield/Dunn Loring Metro station and the recently-developed Mosaic District, one of the most exciting mixed-use developments in Fairfax County. It features high-end retail and dining, a Target department store, a Hyatt House hotel, the Angelika Film Centre, and apartment and townhouse residences.

A few minutes north on Gallows Road is the Tysons area, an important business district and home to the region’s largest shopping mall. Metro’s Silver Line has recently opened to serve the area. This entire area is undergoing a transformation and by 2050 is projected to be a walkable, sustainable urban center that will have as many as 100,000 residents and 200,000 jobs.

The Appeal of Fairfax County

Fairfax County offers residents a wide range of excellent employment opportunities, attractive housing options, an abundance of recreational opportunities, and proximity to Washington, D.C., with mountains to the west and beaches to the east. Fairfax County is the largest jurisdiction in the Washington area and has some of its most desirable residential communities. Business taxes fund some of the finest public services in the country: a well-run government, excellent schools, large libraries, and a beautiful park system.

Top-Notch Health Care

Fairfax County residents have access to excellent health care. More than 3,000 physicians practice in Fairfax County, which is served by many fully accredited hospitals. These include Inova Health System’s Fairfax, Fair Oaks, Mount Vernon, and Alexandria hospitals; Inova Hospital for Children; and HCA’s Dominion Hospital and Reston Hospital Center.

Quality Schools

The Fairfax County Public School System is consistently rated among the best in the nation. FCPS offers a robust, well-rounded education for grades K-12, including gifted and talented services, comprehensive special education services, English for speakers of other languages (ESOL), Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) curricula, and professional-technical studies. Students also have access to strong sports programs as well as the performing and fine arts.

Higher Education

Higher education has a strong presence in Fairfax County, with several institutions of higher learning. Fairfax is home to George Mason University, the largest university in Virginia and a nationally recognized research institution. Other local schools include Virginia Tech-National Capital Region, Marymount University, and Northern Virginia Community College.

Public Library

The Fairfax County Public Library system is the largest in Virginia, with a total circulation topping 13 million items a year. There are eight regional libraries and 14 community libraries, with more than 2.3 million items, including e-books and audio books, available for checkout. The Fairfax County Public Library offers a wide range of free events for all ages, including children’s story times, Lego clubs, book discussion groups, computer classes, e-book workshops, plant clinics, and even the chance to practice reading to a dog.

Parks and Recreation

With more than 23,000 acres in 421 parks, the Fairfax County Park system is well used and highly regarded. Parks are an essential element of life to residents of Fairfax County, about 80 percent of whom visit the parks each year to enjoy nature, historic sites, trails, sports, fitness, aquatics, programs, classes, and events. Fairfax County parks are accredited and nationally recognized for excellence with the prestigious Gold Medal for Parks and Recreation.

Other Points of Interest

Fairfax County offers residents a broad range of historical and entertainment options, including the National Air and Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center, George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate, Claude Moore Colonial Farm, and the National Firearms Museum. Wolf Trap, the nation’s only national park for the performing arts, is in Fairfax County.

The Area Faith Community

Church of the Holy Cross is fortunate to be part of a larger faith community that includes our neighboring churches: The Vine Methodist Church, Dunn Loring Community Church of God, and the Vietnamese Alliance Church. Our new rector will find a richly diverse network of church leaders to engage in professional collaboration. We are also blessed to be close to the Virginia Theological Seminary, in both location and relationship. VTS continues to be an invaluable resource for Holy Cross, providing speakers from its faculty and seminarian interns completing their field education, as well as lay educational opportunities for our parishioners.

Sources and further information:
http://wapo.st/1tLUjlq
www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks
www.fcps.edu
www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library
www.fairfaxchamber.org
www.fairfaxcountyeda.org/living-here
www.vts.edu
www.gmu.edu