Safe/clean/quiet areas of Manassas or similar? (Hampton, Reston: 2014, apartment)

[gblain]

I'm finally leaving apartment living and looking to buy a permanent place somewhere with a reasonable commute to Chantilly. Ideally I was aiming for something inbetween Reston, Fairfax, Clifton, or Centerville, but pickings are mighty slim. I'm looking for a 2 bed condo or townhouse under $300k, which seemed reasonable given the comps, but there's just not much on market now and most places seem to be large single family homes.

So I've started looking south towards Manassas, and there are lots of options there. But I'm very unfamiliar with the area (also dreading doing 28) and the biggest issue is some places look pretty sketchy. Prices are all over the place (lots of 3 beds for cheap), and it's hard to tell where the quiet/safe/clean areas are even with Google. I'm ok with a fixer-upper but questionable interiors only makes that problem harder. I looked at crime stats but I've been in some "safer" neighborhoods before are still loud/dirty/surprisingly overcrowded. Where can I look for boring Manassas?

I'm also considering Haymarket or South Riding, but there's very few 2 bed smaller units. Or Tyson's but it has the same unknown issue as Manassas. Basically, are there any lower-density, clean, quiet areas/neighborhoods anywhere with a commute to Chantilly to look at that aren't only single family homes? I really have no other factors needed besides it being a nice and safe area.

[Bigfoot424]

Retired LEO here and I know Manassas as well as anyone can. First off, "dreading doing 28" is a smart move. Just a horrible road that has been unbearable since it was a 2-lane road coming through Manassas to the FX line. You might look at what is available along Williamson Blvd in Manassas off 234 behind the Hampton Inn. That was still growing when I retired but was always a pretty nice and quiet area. Most of Sudley Manor is older but a quiet and stable area but there are a couple places I'd avoid. There are places along Sudley Manor as well near Ashton Ave that were nice and quiet as well but still has some areas to avoid. Do not look at anything along Coverstone Dr.
It might be easier to list areas you find something in as those familiar can chime in on them.

[kww]

what kind of condo fee are you okay with? Is your $300,000 taking into account a condo fee (from the lenders perspective, assuming you aren't paying cash)..

quick search shows a unit over in The Reserve in Manassas Park but you'll have 28 to deal with. those are newer, nicer from what i remember, decent size at just over 1,400. some of them are gated community and the walk to the VRE is nice for down the road selling/renting point

Stratford Condos over off Sudley Manor were good sized, looks like one avail at $240,000

There are a couple Centreville options too, but it'll again depend on the monthly condo/HOA fee

good luck!

[gblain]

How bad would the commute from the Yorkshire neighborhood to the new Wegmans in Chantilly be? It would still mean taking 28 but it's the north side of Manassas at least. Google Maps is useless now as traffic is way below normal.

Alternatively, how's Lake Ridge (near Woodbridge?). It's similarly priced but a lot farther, however it skips the major highways.

[Bigfoot424]

28 is a very heavily traveled road and when things return to normal it will be a bear to travel on. Even from Yorkshire. I believe Rt 28 was created by Satan himself. Lake Ridge to Chantilly I assume? Longer ride and 123 is no cake walk but I prefer it over 28. 28 to Chantilly is much closer with no traffic but if you work the normal hours then 28 could take as long if not longer then the ride from Lake Ridge. Plus, as someone who knows PWC far better than most people I prefer Lake Ridge over Yorkshire.

[NOVA_guy]

Originally Posted by Bigfoot424

28 is a very heavily traveled road and when things return to normal it will be a bear to travel on. Even from Yorkshire. I believe Rt 28 was created by Satan himself. Lake Ridge to Chantilly I assume? Longer ride and 123 is no cake walk but I prefer it over 28. 28 to Chantilly is much closer with no traffic but if you work the normal hours then 28 could take as long if not longer then the ride from Lake Ridge. Plus, as someone who knows PWC far better than most people I prefer Lake Ridge over Yorkshire.

Haha... truer words have never been spoken. I still have flashbacks from when I used to commute 28.


OP - Generally speaking, Woodbridge and Manassas are somewhat similar but one of the advantages Woodbridge has is Montclair and Lake Ridge, while your commute may not be ideal, LR is a very nice community so when you do a pro and cons list, it might be worth it.

[Bigfoot424]

Originally Posted by NOVA_guy

Haha... truer words have never been spoken. I still have flashbacks from when I used to commute 28.


OP - Generally speaking, Woodbridge and Manassas are somewhat similar but one of the advantages Woodbridge has is Montclair and Lake Ridge, while your commute may not be ideal, LR is a very nice community so when you do a pro and cons list, it might be worth it.

Agreed. And I lived in Manassas from 73 until 2014. I worked all over the county as a LEO to include Lake Ridge. While not crime free it does have a low crime rate.

[gblain]

In desperation I've also expanded my search north to Sterling. I know it really has a rough reputation, but how is the area around the Sterling Park Golf Club? There's lots of options but that makes me slightly suspicious to be honest. It doesn't look that bad on street view, and the commute going the other way on 28 shouldn't be as bad. But I had Sterling crossed off my list to start and I'm kind of doubting it's a good idea.

I'm still holding out hope something will pop up in Centerville, but I'm trying to look at all possibilities since I've only got a few months until me lease ends.

[Bigfoot424]

I'm not a fan of Sterling but others would be more qualified on what neighborhoods to avoid. I know the schools are well funded as my brother and family with an Autistic child lived there before having to transfer due to work. Not a cheap place to live but there is really nowhere cheap in NOVA. Here is one article I just found with various opinions on the place. It would put you closer to work which is certainly a major plus.

https://www.niche.com/places-to-live...un-va/reviews/

[oneasterisk]

I've lived in lake ridge and it's a nice area, but would not be a choice if I had to commute to Chantilly.