Neighborhoods in Fairfax/Prince William/Loudoun Counties?

[Anonymous]

22307/22308 - the neighborhoods along the GW Parkway en route to Mt. Vernon. You can get a 3 brm house in the $700-$800K range (or lower if you're willing to consider a townhouse/duplex). I really think of it as a hidden gem in this area and am glad we found it. People are very friendly and down-to-earth around here.

Neighborhoods have great community feel and are so nice for kids/families. Kids run and bike around our neighborhood all the time with their friends. Our subdivision regularly hosts neighborhood events like Halloween parades, ice cream socials, etc. and I see signs for similar events in the other neighborhoods around here all the time. We don't belong to a pool but there are several pools around if you want to join them (Hollin Hills, Little Hunting Creek, etc.). Elementary schools are good, middle school (Carl Sandburg) seems like a crapshoot but frankly middle schools seem to be the low point for all school pyramids, and West Potomac as the high school is fine.

You can easily bike to Old Town up the Parkway bike path. There are also a couple of nice little shopping centers off Fort Hunt Road, Belle View and Hollin Hall, both of which have Safeways and a variety of other eateries/shops/drugstores. Speaking of variety, the Hollin Hall center has a variety store that is absolutely adorable and one of the things I love about this neck of the woods (https://alexandrialivingmagazine.com/business/hollin-hall-variety-store/)!

And the commute to DC is way better than Manassas or the like! You just go up the Parkway (Old Town is a bit of a pain to get through but especially if you carpool it's not bad; there's an HOV-2 lane during rush hour) or you can drive/park at Huntington and take the Metro.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Check out Burke Station Square. Retail and restaurants close by and increasingly walkable with new paths. VRE directly across the street. Neighborhood pool is wonderful and the people are down to earth and kind

Hi neighbor! Another BSS resident who adores our neighborhood. We can afford more and originally planned on upgrading by now, but the neighborhood keeps us put because the people are so wonderful and the community is exactly how i want my kids to grow up!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:22307/22308 - the neighborhoods along the GW Parkway en route to Mt. Vernon. You can get a 3 brm house in the $700-$800K range (or lower if you're willing to consider a townhouse/duplex). I really think of it as a hidden gem in this area and am glad we found it. People are very friendly and down-to-earth around here.

Neighborhoods have great community feel and are so nice for kids/families. Kids run and bike around our neighborhood all the time with their friends. Our subdivision regularly hosts neighborhood events like Halloween parades, ice cream socials, etc. and I see signs for similar events in the other neighborhoods around here all the time. We don't belong to a pool but there are several pools around if you want to join them (Hollin Hills, Little Hunting Creek, etc.). Elementary schools are good, middle school (Carl Sandburg) seems like a crapshoot but frankly middle schools seem to be the low point for all school pyramids, and West Potomac as the high school is fine.

You can easily bike to Old Town up the Parkway bike path. There are also a couple of nice little shopping centers off Fort Hunt Road, Belle View and Hollin Hall, both of which have Safeways and a variety of other eateries/shops/drugstores. Speaking of variety, the Hollin Hall center has a variety store that is absolutely adorable and one of the things I love about this neck of the woods (https://alexandrialivingmagazine.com/business/hollin-hall-variety-store/)!

And the commute to DC is way better than Manassas or the like! You just go up the Parkway (Old Town is a bit of a pain to get through but especially if you carpool it's not bad; there's an HOV-2 lane during rush hour) or you can drive/park at Huntington and take the Metro.

This sounds lovely...but I can't find any houses there

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Check out Burke Station Square. Retail and restaurants close by and increasingly walkable with new paths. VRE directly across the street. Neighborhood pool is wonderful and the people are down to earth and kind

Hi neighbor! Another BSS resident who adores our neighborhood. We can afford more and originally planned on upgrading by now, but the neighborhood keeps us put because the people are so wonderful and the community is exactly how i want my kids to grow up!

This isn't necessarily in the "Square" but, thoughts? https://www.remax.com/va/burke/home-details/9107-wax-myrtle-ct-burke-va-22015/8035012705578850519/M00000309/VAFX2107856

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:22307/22308 - the neighborhoods along the GW Parkway en route to Mt. Vernon. You can get a 3 brm house in the $700-$800K range (or lower if you're willing to consider a townhouse/duplex). I really think of it as a hidden gem in this area and am glad we found it. People are very friendly and down-to-earth around here.

Neighborhoods have great community feel and are so nice for kids/families. Kids run and bike around our neighborhood all the time with their friends. Our subdivision regularly hosts neighborhood events like Halloween parades, ice cream socials, etc. and I see signs for similar events in the other neighborhoods around here all the time. We don't belong to a pool but there are several pools around if you want to join them (Hollin Hills, Little Hunting Creek, etc.). Elementary schools are good, middle school (Carl Sandburg) seems like a crapshoot but frankly middle schools seem to be the low point for all school pyramids, and West Potomac as the high school is fine.

You can easily bike to Old Town up the Parkway bike path. There are also a couple of nice little shopping centers off Fort Hunt Road, Belle View and Hollin Hall, both of which have Safeways and a variety of other eateries/shops/drugstores. Speaking of variety, the Hollin Hall center has a variety store that is absolutely adorable and one of the things I love about this neck of the woods (https://alexandrialivingmagazine.com/business/hollin-hall-variety-store/)!

And the commute to DC is way better than Manassas or the like! You just go up the Parkway (Old Town is a bit of a pain to get through but especially if you carpool it's not bad; there's an HOV-2 lane during rush hour) or you can drive/park at Huntington and take the Metro.

This sounds lovely...but I can't find any houses there

Here are a few just under $800K. These might even ultimately go for under asking given the current market, we are already seeing some price drops around here.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1501-Wake-Forest-Dr-Alexandria-VA-22307/51957838_zpid/
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1503-Cool-Spring-Dr-Alexandria-VA-22308/51985324_zpid/
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1014-Croton-Dr-Alexandria-VA-22308/51984502_zpid/ - this one is in the Waynewood Elem school district which people seem to really love especially

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:22307/22308 - the neighborhoods along the GW Parkway en route to Mt. Vernon. You can get a 3 brm house in the $700-$800K range (or lower if you're willing to consider a townhouse/duplex). I really think of it as a hidden gem in this area and am glad we found it. People are very friendly and down-to-earth around here.

Neighborhoods have great community feel and are so nice for kids/families. Kids run and bike around our neighborhood all the time with their friends. Our subdivision regularly hosts neighborhood events like Halloween parades, ice cream socials, etc. and I see signs for similar events in the other neighborhoods around here all the time. We don't belong to a pool but there are several pools around if you want to join them (Hollin Hills, Little Hunting Creek, etc.). Elementary schools are good, middle school (Carl Sandburg) seems like a crapshoot but frankly middle schools seem to be the low point for all school pyramids, and West Potomac as the high school is fine.

You can easily bike to Old Town up the Parkway bike path. There are also a couple of nice little shopping centers off Fort Hunt Road, Belle View and Hollin Hall, both of which have Safeways and a variety of other eateries/shops/drugstores. Speaking of variety, the Hollin Hall center has a variety store that is absolutely adorable and one of the things I love about this neck of the woods (https://alexandrialivingmagazine.com/business/hollin-hall-variety-store/)!

And the commute to DC is way better than Manassas or the like! You just go up the Parkway (Old Town is a bit of a pain to get through but especially if you carpool it's not bad; there's an HOV-2 lane during rush hour) or you can drive/park at Huntington and take the Metro.

This sounds lovely...but I can't find any houses there

Here are a few just under $800K. These might even ultimately go for under asking given the current market, we are already seeing some price drops around here.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1501-Wake-Forest-Dr-Alexandria-VA-22307/51957838_zpid/
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1503-Cool-Spring-Dr-Alexandria-VA-22308/51985324_zpid/
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1014-Croton-Dr-Alexandria-VA-22308/51984502_zpid/ - this one is in the Waynewood Elem school district which people seem to really love especially

ok - please excuse my ignorance, truly, as I'm new to the school system. But that first beautiful house has a ES with a 5? The 2nd house at a 6? The last house, yes, seemingly has a higher ranked ES but it is too small

[Anonymous]

Not pp, but familiar with the area. We're zoned for Waynewood which has been great for our families, but Stratford landing is well regarded in the area. Our kids have friends who go there both to the center and as part of the base school and the parents are very happy. I'm not as familiar with Belle View, but have heard similar.

[Anonymous]

PP again- the market around here will pick up in spring even more so than the rest of nova. This area has a lot of military, so there is tons of movement when orders come out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lake Manassas in Gainesville, Va. Beautiful gated community with good schools.

I live close to there. From the boundaries locator on PWCS website, it looks like that neighborhood is zoned for Buckland Mills elementary, Ronald Regan Middle school, and Gainesville High School--all great schools.
It will definitely take longer than 1 hour to get to DC though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lake Manassas in Gainesville, Va. Beautiful gated community with good schools.

Thank you! Parts of Manassas are still up and coming, right? So the area you're referring to must be very specific? Never been... Thank you!!

That’s not in Manassas. However highly recommend old town Manassas and the surrounding areas if you can deal with the schools.

Sorry - what do you mean? Lake Manassas isn't in Manassas? Definitely not willing to "Deal" with any schools. I want the best we can afford.

Re: the distance that some have mentioned...I'm willing to give a bit on the hour. An hour fifteen, etc. I'm assuming with this move that I will actually not be going in as much

Lake Manassas is in Gainesville, not Manassas.

Old town has lovely housing stock at a lower price point, good and responsive city government, and easy commuting to DC via the VRE. But the schools have lower ratings, primarily because of a lot of ESL students. You can't have everything.

[Anonymous]

If you'd like Prince William county and are willing to commute to DC via VRE, you could look into neighborhoods near the Broad Run VRE station.

Some are walkable to shopping centers, but more of a "strip mall" style, not really a "downtown" type feel.

Old Town Manassas and the city of Haymarket both have a more "small downtown" feel. Old Town Manassas will get you close the VRE, but schools not as good.
Haymarket will give you great schools, but not close the VRE and driving commute will be long and far.

[Anonymous]

I'd look at Ashburn near the new metro station, especially the Moorefield Station area. You could get a large TH within your budget, walkable to metro, elementary school, and some retail. More retail is planned, but it will probably be awhile, to be honest. But there are playgrounds and lots of areas to walk and be outside. Lots of kids out playing, families walking their dogs, ect. Nice HOA pools. Metro to downtown about 1 hour (train ride itself, not including waiting for train).

[Anonymous]

15:39 poster back again

In case you are interested in Prince William county, I will quickly explain "Manassas"

Certain parts of Prince William county are referred to as "Manassas." These areas are part of Prince William county, zoned for Prince William county schools, policed by Prince William county Police, etc.

There is also the "City of Manassas"--which is different. City of Manassas has it's own school system, it's own police force, it's own city government, etc.

There is also another city right next to Manassas along route 28, called "Manassas Park." That is also a completely separate city with it's own school system, own police force, etc.

Fun confusing fact: The high school for the city of Manassas is called "Osbourn high School." One (of the 13) High Schools in Prince William county schools is called "Osbourn Park High School.'
The two high schools are only about 2 miles apart.

AND...
Osbourn Park high school (remember, that's in "Manassas" that's part of Prince William county--NOT the city of Manassas) is literally right on the border of Manassas Park, the next street over is in Manassas Park.

I found this all very confusing when I first moved here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:15:39 poster back again

In case you are interested in Prince William county, I will quickly explain "Manassas"

Certain parts of Prince William county are referred to as "Manassas." These areas are part of Prince William county, zoned for Prince William county schools, policed by Prince William county Police, etc.

There is also the "City of Manassas"--which is different. City of Manassas has it's own school system, it's own police force, it's own city government, etc.

There is also another city right next to Manassas along route 28, called "Manassas Park." That is also a completely separate city with it's own school system, own police force, etc.

Fun confusing fact: The high school for the city of Manassas is called "Osbourn high School." One (of the 13) High Schools in Prince William county schools is called "Osbourn Park High School.'
The two high schools are only about 2 miles apart.

AND...
Osbourn Park high school (remember, that's in "Manassas" that's part of Prince William county--NOT the city of Manassas) is literally right on the border of Manassas Park, the next street over is in Manassas Park.

I found this all very confusing when I first moved here.

Wow - I definitely will need to read that a few times! I've been using Redfin, and filtering by school rating, to help me figure out the areas!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd look at Ashburn near the new metro station, especially the Moorefield Station area. You could get a large TH within your budget, walkable to metro, elementary school, and some retail. More retail is planned, but it will probably be awhile, to be honest. But there are playgrounds and lots of areas to walk and be outside. Lots of kids out playing, families walking their dogs, ect. Nice HOA pools. Metro to downtown about 1 hour (train ride itself, not including waiting for train).

+1.
Look at Broadlands. There are some areas that are walkable to restaurants/shopping etc and most of it is close to the metro and the Dulles toll road. 800k would probably get you a nice townhome.