Work at Quantico - Move to Manassas or Fredericksburg? (Woodbridge: real estate, rent)

[Who's]

Hello,

My husband and I are moving from Kentucky to Virginia for a new job at Quantico. We visited Fredericksburg with real estate agent and liked some pockets but are also wondering about Mannassas. Fred definitely has historical downtown that is an attraction but someone in Mannassas told us Fred is "redneck" (his words not mine). From what I saw, Mannassas didn't have much of a town center; it was more urban sprawl. We are a married couple with no kids but looking to adopt soon after we move.

We like to eat ethnic cuisine, play soccer, do yoga, walk dogs, attend cultural and sports events - pro soccer, museums, etc. We want to feel like we are part of a community but also live more upscale than down.

Thanks for any words of advice from locals.

[Bigfoot424]

There are many discussions on here already but here goes. It's Manasas also. Home of John Wayne and Lorena Bobbitt if you didn't know. At least it was when she did the deed.

Why don't you look even closer then either of these places? Ask your agent about the Montclair/Dumfries Rd area. Once you are a couple miles west of I 95 there are some very good neighborhoods to choose from. Low crime and much less traffic for someone working in Quantico. It's a reverse commute which Fredericksburg is not. Now this area does not have a Town Center but do you reall need one that close? Instead of Manassas you might also consider either Gainesville or Haymarket. Gainesville has a new shopping center with a town center setting. But the area along 234 (Dumfries Rd) would be a real good option.

[Who's]

Thanks for your reply. We drove around Fred with a real estate agent who also works at Quantico. He told us the commute is 35 minutes for him both ways. My husband was actually in the Dumfries area for work not too long ago and noted it was quite rural. We have lived in a 60-year-old farmhouse in the middle of nowhere and in a 7-year-old modern home right in the center of urban sprawl. Though we prefer the farmhouse charm, we prefer to have access to a town center, shops, restaurants, and commerce. I'll take a look at Gainesville and Haymarket.

[ChristineVA]

I would not deal with the F'burg to points north commute unless I had no other chiice. It certainly has great amenities but the commute is bad and there are routine incidents that make it horrible. I don't care for Manassas at all and the only way I would live there is if I worked close by. I live in Woodbridge right on the Montclair neighborhood border. Woodbridge and Manassas are two of a few detested communities on City-Data. I would def. choose Woodbridge over Manassas if I was working in Quantico. Very, very easy reverse commute.

I do think you might like the Montclair neighborhood in Dumfries. You can use all the amenities in Woodbridge. The "town centers" in the NoVA area are not like real town centers that you might be thinking of. They are basically strip shopping centers all clustered together.

[Bigfoot424]

Guess I should check my own spelling. It's Manassas. Duh. Have only lived here since 73.

[stpickrell]

Crime: Fredericksburg has had 471-720 violent crimes per 100k people between 2001 and 2008, and 4,208-5,125 property crimes per 100k people between 2001 and 2008. Manassas between 362-536 violent crimes per 100k and 3,029-3,178 property crimes. (Manassas Park, a separate city adjacent to Manassas, is lower than either.) Both are relatively high by Northern VA standards.

Schools: Manassas City Public Schools has a 3 of 10, Fredericksburg a 4, and Manassas Park a 6.

Culture: Fredericksburg (university town), then Manassas, then Manassas Park.

Commute: The distance is nearly the same. You'll either get choked in stoplights along the Prince William Parkway or choked in traffic on I-95.

OTOH, the Fredericksburg line HAS a stop at Quantico.

The sprawly areas are outside the city of Manassas, but have better schools and are safer. Remember, Cities are independent entities in Virginia, separate from any county, so they will have their own taxes, schools, etc.

About the only thing Manassas has an edge on Fredericksburg on, given your criteria, is safety, but that's just relatively speaking as neither is well-regarded as being safe oases.

[tgbwc]

Originally Posted by Bigfoot424

There are many discussions on here already but here goes. It's Manasas also. Home of John Wayne and Lorena Bobbitt if you didn't know. At least it was when she did the deed.

Why don't you look even closer then either of these places? Ask your agent about the Montclair/Dumfries Rd area. Once you are a couple miles west of I 95 there are some very good neighborhoods to choose from. Low crime and much less traffic for someone working in Quantico. It's a reverse commute which Fredericksburg is not. Now this area does not have a Town Center but do you reall need one that close? Instead of Manassas you might also consider either Gainesville or Haymarket. Gainesville has a new shopping center with a town center setting. But the area along 234 (Dumfries Rd) would be a real good option.

I agree. Check the areas/neighborhoods around Montclair off of 234. (Montclair, Ashland)It is just west of 95 and really not that rural anymore. Just past Spriggs Road is considered Manassas, but is only about 4 miles west of 95. It would be a skip and a jump to Quantico. It is close to shopping around Potomac Mills. Old Town Manassas isn't a bad place to walk around or go to dinner and it's an easy shot up 234 from there.

[e2ksj3]

Originally Posted by stpickrell

Crime: Fredericksburg has had 471-720 violent crimes per 100k people between 2001 and 2008, and 4,208-5,125 property crimes per 100k people between 2001 and 2008. Manassas between 362-536 violent crimes per 100k and 3,029-3,178 property crimes. (Manassas Park, a separate city adjacent to Manassas, is lower than either.) Both are relatively high by Northern VA standards.

Schools: Manassas City Public Schools has a 3 of 10, Fredericksburg a 4, and Manassas Park a 6.

Culture: Fredericksburg (university town), then Manassas, then Manassas Park.

Commute: The distance is nearly the same. You'll either get choked in stoplights along the Prince William Parkway or choked in traffic on I-95.

OTOH, the Fredericksburg line HAS a stop at Quantico.

The sprawly areas are outside the city of Manassas, but have better schools and are safer. Remember, Cities are independent entities in Virginia, separate from any county, so they will have their own taxes, schools, etc.

About the only thing Manassas has an edge on Fredericksburg on, given your criteria, is safety, but that's just relatively speaking as neither is well-regarded as being safe oases.

Actually I disagree on that one. If coming from Manassas, one can take Rt. 234 (which was recently widen to 4-lanes) to Quantico instead of the Prince William Pkwy. The drive actually isn't bad even with traffic lights. I would much rather take it over I-95, especially during the summer months when traffic on 95 is a parking lot.

Fredericksburg is a nice town, but it's kind of far out from everything else. Manassas is a lot closer to DC and close to the Vienna Metro station. Fredericksburg is like 50 miles from DC and 40 miles from the Franconia-Springfield Metro station.

[HereinVA]

Originally Posted by e2ksj3

Actually I disagree on that one. If coming from Manassas, one can take Rt. 234 (which was recently widen to 4-lanes) to Quantico instead of the Prince William Pkwy. The drive actually isn't bad even with traffic lights. I would much rather take it over I-95, especially during the summer months when traffic on 95 is a parking lot.

Depending on what part of Manassas, the 619 is another option. We live in Bristow, Dh works at Quantico. From the corner of Linton Hall/Sudley Manor Dr to the front gate at Quantico in Triangle takes approx 30 minutes via route 619. Beautiful drive through Prince William Forest, very few stop lights/signs!

[Who's]

All great ideas. We are not set in stone on Fredericksburg and will probably rent for about six months to get our bearings. I read on City-Data that Woodbridge has reached its max in growth but will definitely check out Montclair/Ashland. I realize NOVA is a pocket community model where urban sprawl takes the place of community centers. Currently we live in Lexington, Kentucky. There is much commerce here but I can still drive only 15 minutes to downtown on a Saturday morning to walk downtown, hit the Farmer's Market, then sit outside at the Bakery for a pastry and coffee. I have clients in Cincinnati and Louisville so am accustomed to driving 1 - 2 hours to get where I need to be on some days. Traffic in NOVA is terrible. We were there last weekend and Saturday a.m. going south on I-95 was like rush hour during the week on I-64.