Potomac’s River Falls is a neighborhood of around 500 homes situated on 800 rolling acres. It is bounded by MacArthur Boulevard to the west and south, and Brickyard Road on the north and east. Falls Road is the closest major road to the northwest. The zip code is 20854.
Amenities
River Falls has a community-owned clubhouse with a pool and tennis courts, a playground, basketball court and athletic fields. Proximity to the C&O Canal National Historical Park makes it easy to enjoy hiking, biking or kayaking. There are three community associations—one for the recreational facilities, a civic association and a homeowners association. The nearby shopping centers at Falls and River roads have all the necessary retailers: grocers, gas stations, coffee shops, restaurants and carryout places.
Vibe
Family-friendly. Residents agree that it’s a great place to raise children, with wide, safe streets for them to walk and ride bikes on their own. The clubhouse hosts a summer camp for kids and offers swimming and tennis lessons for all ages. Halloween is busy with lots of trick-or-treaters, there’s an annual July Fourth parade and residents enjoy many other community events at the clubhouse and fields. The schools are Carderock Springs Elementary School, Thomas W. Pyle Middle School and Walt Whitman High School.
Housing Stock
Development of the site started in the early 1960s, and the colonial-style homes were constructed between 1968 and the early 2000s. The older houses are on half-acre lots, and the newer section is a mix of single-family residences and townhomes on smaller lots. There is one multifamily structure, with 13 moderately priced units.
Landmark
The Old Angler’s Inn is just down the road from the MacArthur Boulevard entrance to River Falls. The legendary restaurant, which dates to 1860, offers a variety of experiences, from a post-hike lunch on the patio to a more formal meal in the restaurant.
This story appears in the July/August issue of Bethesda Magazine.