Masonvale, an upscale apartment community neighborhood on George Mason University’s Fairfax Campus, celebrates its 10th anniversary with unprecedented availability. Masonvale provides lower cost housing to Mason faculty, staff and graduate students, as well as local public school teachers and Fairfax City and County employees.
Located on the east side of campus, Masonvale features 37 buildings housing 157 units with one, two and three bedroom layouts. The units were built to create a community feel, with easy access to campus and green space.
While traditionally there’s been a waitlist to live in the community, there are currently more than 30 townhouses and flats available to rent.
Jody Winter, executive director of Mason Housing Inc., suggested that the vacancies are most likely caused by fewer faculty, staff and graduate students feeling compelled to live close to campus during the coronavirus pandemic. Winter says the circumstances provide a chance for friends of the university, such as local teachers, to live in the community, whereas normally they would be lower on the priority list for housing.
“We are in unprecedented times, which provides a unique opportunity for eligible residents, including people who are affiliated with Mason, to get into one of the units,” said Winter. “In addition, we are offering promotions right now, which will bring the price down even more.”
Prices range from $1,685 for a one-bedroom apartment to $2,395 for a three-bedroom apartment with a garage, not including extra promotions being offered this fall.
“Masonvale creates a very appealing live, work and play opportunity for those who live there,” said André R. Kinney, director of real estate at Mason. “Residents are able to access work, arts, education, and health facilities on foot, and they can explore the many nearby opportunities via bike or public transportation.”
Marilyn T. Smith, senior advisor of information technology services at Mason, lived in Masonvale for five years after she moved to Fairfax from Boston in 2013. She describes it as “convenient and cost-effective.”
“The apartments were clean, comfortable and modern,” Smith said. “I met and befriended very nice people while I lived there.”
Masonvale got its start more than a decade ago, when the university was deciding how to better recruit faculty and staff. Knowing that the cost of living in Fairfax County can be prohibitively high, Mason decided to build its own upscale housing to give its workforce the option of below-market rents in a high-quality environment, and ease the transition to this high-cost area. Masonvale features a bucolic setting unlike many of the surrounding rental housing properties in Fairfax, said Winter.
Mason entered into a ground lease with Mason Housing Inc., a nonprofit entity established to develop and operate Masonvale. While Mason Housing Inc. owns and manages Masonvale, Lincoln Property Co. provides third-party management. The final units were completed 10 years ago.
“Masonvale isn’t just for newcomers to Virginia,” added Winter. “Faculty and staff have found it useful as they approach retirement or downsize for whatever reason. Masonvale is truly transitional housing in a beautiful setting.”
For more information, see www.masonvale.com or email masonvale@lincolnapts.com.