How is the Brandy Station section of Manassas Park City? (Centreville: cul-de-sac, crime)

[johnathan581]

( I re-posted this because of a typo with the title)


Hello, I've been looking at some townhouses in the Brandy Station section of Manassas Park City.

Specifically the pocket that has Centreville Rd( rt. 28) to the West, Manassas Dr to the North, Conner Dr to the South and Euclid Ave to the East.

Want to know how is the area in terms of crime, and living conditions. I've been around at night and day, didn't see thrash or suspicous behaviors going around. oh, and for about how much does a 2 br townhouse is worth there now.

thanks.

[Bigfoot424]

It all depends on your budget. This is a lower income area and it shows. I would not live there although when I was much younger the wife and I lived in a townhome neighborhood that you couldn't pay me to live in now. If you're just starting out and your options are limited then this lower priced neighborhood is just about the same as many others in the Manassas area.

[johnathan581]

Originally Posted by Bigfoot424

It all depends on your budget. This is a lower income area and it shows. I would not live there although when I was much younger the wife and I lived in a townhome neighborhood that you couldn't pay me to live in now. If you're just starting out and your options are limited then this lower priced neighborhood is just about the same as many others in the Manassas area.

yeah, is lower income, but lower income = crime ?

I noticed that there are many Hispanics living there, ( I'm Hispanic myself) and is a working class neighborhood. Don't find nothing wrong as long as the place doesn't look like a dump and you don't have 10 people living in a 2 bedroom house.

I've gotten the impression on these forums that "Hispanic + working class=ghetto". Even if crime is very low and there is no thrash around.

I come from New York City, what I know as " ghetto" is a place filled with thrash everywhere, shoot outs at night, hookers waking the streets all day,junkies panhandling,eleven guys standing in a corner outside a bodega, grafitti everywhere.

That neighborhood looks far from a " real ghetto".

I was thinking about getting into Blooms Crossing more to the east, but I'm living by myself( i don't have kids), and my income alone can't afford a townhouse over there.

I'm thinking of settling in Brandy Station for the meantime, hope prices don't drop and pick up.

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by johnathan581

I come from New York City, what I know as " ghetto" is a place filled with thrash everywhere, shoot outs at night, hookers waking the streets all day,junkies panhandling,eleven guys standing in a corner outside a bodega, grafitti everywhere.

If the above description is what you're worried about, you'll be fine. There is no neighborhood anywhere in northern VA that fits that description. What may be labelled "ghetto" here (not by me, but by those who want to label something ghetto) would, in other cities, be considered a nice working class neighborhood. It's mildly run down and rough around the edges, but if you're from NYC you'll probably find its roughness laughable.

[Caladium]

Perhaps this should be a subject of a new thread? The OP simply wants to know about a specific neighborhood in Manassas Park, but this thread has derailed.

[South Jersey Styx]

Originally Posted by johnathan581

Hello, I've been looking at some townhouses in the Brandy Station section of Manassas Park City.

Quite a number of mixed reviews of this neighborhood on this forum, and as always, proves to be an interesting read . . .

However, take a look at the neighborhood, especially late at night on Fridays and Saturdays. One's idea of a "ghetto" is another's definition of "transition" and so one. Don't listen only to what's said here because people have different preferences and perspectives. You can always check out the crime stats and see for yourself if there's trash abounding, people loitering, gang signs, etc. Talk to neighbors if you can. And families with small children is a good sign.

Because of the housing problem, many people who couldn't get into homes can now afford to. However, alot of young professionals in this area still cannot buy in the neighborhoods they desire. A good friend of ours who is a manager for a govt contracting firm just bought his first house in the Sugarland neighborhood near Cascades. For many, this is the ghetto but for him it was a good purchase. Another friend (young professional tech-type) also bought in a transitional neighborhood. Anyway, who's to say that people will stay in the same house forever? Alot of people sell their first homes and upgrade to newer homes as they get older , have better incomes, etc.

BTW, cul-de-sacs are preferred by those who do not like traffic flowing constantly in front of their homes. Esp families with small children who play outside. My last home was on a cul-de-sac and frankly it really didn't matter to me whether it was on one or not. It was more quiet than a "regular" street although there was a drawback: any kind of loud noise would reverberate in our court. This included one neighbor who decides to mow his lawn in the front yard on 6am on a Sunday morning and another who bought a new motorcycle, loved tinkering it, installed a louder engine and enjoyed revving it up constantly (we did report him to the HOA). Anyway, good luck with your purchase!

[FindingZen]

Originally Posted by Caladium

Perhaps this should be a subject of a new thread? The OP simply wants to know about a specific neighborhood in Manassas Park, but this thread has derailed.

I would agree. Let's get back to discussing the Manassas Park neighborhood in question.

[e2ksj3]

I actually recently purchased a home in Manassas Park on the western side, which has similar demographics as Brandy Station (which is mostly hispanic and working class). I have to say I'm satisfied with the area. We are close to Dulles Corridor and I-66. There is a VRE station here and we aren't far from the Vienna Metro station. It's not perfect, but it's definitely a bargain for the NoVa area. The thing to remember about MP is that the taxes are a little higher here, but we get better and more services for our area, like our own police department. I think this is what keeps our crime down.