America's Most Historic City is not only historic as far as our history books can go, but also modern as far as the residents' lifestyle goes. Fredericksburg is the commercial hub of a rapidly growing region in north central Virginia, and is the largest city between Richmond and the Metro Washington area. You have made the right choice of choosing Fredericksburg homes for sale as your future home.

Tourism is a major part of the economy: approximately 1.5 million people visit the Fredericksburg area annually, including visitation to the battlefield parks, the downtown visitor center, events, museums and historic sites and in pre-formed groups. To further enhance tourism activities and businesses in this city, several commercial centers are also operating, with Central Park and Spotsylvania Towne Centre as the city's two major centers.

Central Park is a shopping complex located near the intersection of Interstate 95 and State Route 3. It is the second-largest mall on the East Coast as of 2004 with 2,200,000 square feet or 204,000 square meter of leased retail space. It also includes a Holiday Inn Select Hotel and a Hilton Garden Inn, with three more hotels scheduled to open in the next few years. The Fredericksburg Expo & Conference Center also opened, giving the Fredericksburg region its first convention center.

The center serves as the retail shopping and primary dining component of the 2,400-acre (10 km2) mega-development Celebrate Virginia, which uses the slogan "North America's Largest Retail Resort". Its major big box tenants include Ashley Furniture, Best Buy, Borders Books & Music, DSW Shoe Warehouse, Ethan Allen, Kohl's, Lowe's, Office Depot, Old Navy, PetSmart, Shoppers Food Warehouse, The Sports Authority, Regal Theaters 15, Target, Toys "R" Us, Walmart and Wegmans.

The Spotsylvania Towne Centre, on the other hand, is a mall located on Virginia State Route 3, less than a mile west of Interstate 95, and is just across from the Central Park shopping and dining complex. It is renovated and was formerly called the Spotsylvania Mall, with the renovation including an outdoor lifestyle center called "The Village." Its development plans include a 12-screen, all-stadium-seat theatre with approximately 2,000 seats, 16 lanes of bowling, 250 dining seats, upscale bars, a dance floor and a full-service restaurant.

The Mall anchor stores include Belk, Costco, Dick's Sporting Goods, two JCPenney stores, Macy's and Sears as well as over 150 specialty stores and restaurants. Other businesses include Express, Carzy 8, Papaya, Le Gourmet Chef, Hollister, American Eagle, Aerie, New York & Company, Christopher & Banks, Journeys, and Teavana.

There are other shopping centers in this charming city, so don't stop exploring. You'll find yourself in a timeless blend of the most fascinating of American heritage along with upbeat contemporary shopping, dining and entertainment. The city offers you the hospitality, variety and easy pace that make living memorable and relaxing like no other. You can walk to everything in this snug community of historic architecture and modern convenience. There is so much more to tell you and the city is welcoming you.