Our piece on the best towns for top-flight universities and high-quality golf communities elicited an update from Jonathan Kauffman, who sells real estate for Old Trail, an interesting community near Charlottesville, VA. When I first visited Old Trail in 2007, I stumbled into the middle of a giant movie set, with hundreds of extras pulled from the local towns as well as a menagerie of animals large and small. Plopped down in the middle of the fledgling community was a five-story tall wooden ark. Old Trail, in its first few months, served as the set for the movie "Evan Almighty," starring Steve Carell (of TV's "The Office").
But Old Trail, it appears, is all grown up now, with its Hollywood fame well behind it. Jonathan reports that the promised Old Trail Village Center, within walking distance of every residence in the community, has opened a coffee shop, wine and tapas bar, beauty salon and gift shop. An Italian restaurant and expansive fitness center open next month.
I
liked Old Trail for its attempt to build an old-fashioned community with modern
appointments and its
harmonious mix of single-family homes and town homes built
around large rectangular parks.
With those parks, walking trails and the Village Center, the development
appeals to those trying to simplify their family lives and to be a little less
reliant on the automobile.
However, with Charlottesville and the University of Virginia about 20
minutes to the east and the beautiful Shenandoah Valley within view to the
west, there are still plenty of reasons to turn on the ignition.
The Old Trail Golf Course, which is about as close to a links layout as one will find in this part of the world, is fun to play, although the 18th was no pleasure with its steep and unseen downhill slope within tee shot range. That aside, community residents should not tire of it, and they will especially appreciate the mild member fees. The course is public and its modern clubhouse is a little small, but the intimate feeling inside (and out) is perfectly in keeping with the rest of Old Trail.
If you would like to see a video that Jonathan Kauffman put together to highlight Old Trail, click here. Also, I wrote a full report on Charlottesville's golf communities a few years ago and would be happy to send it; just click on the "Contact Us" tab at the top of this page and request it. Click that tab as well if you would like me to put you in touch with Jonathan.