So what is it that people don't like about Woodbridge/Dale City? (Arlington: renting, crimes)

[GreenGene]

Originally Posted by robbobobbo

Anyone remember Lorton's "Hillbilly Heaven"?

Yes! Lord, I haven't thought about that place in many years. I never went inside, and always wondered if the interior matched the exterior.

[ajzjmsmom]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

Is that just one particular school district...or just a lot of latinos everywhere throughout?

Most of the 2000 data and updates from there, seem to place things pretty evenly between black/white/latino.

Did it recently just shift significantly more Latino? Is that mostly Salvodorian beyond other Latino groups?

Didn't notice that heavily of a Latino population in data that is probably 5-10 years old. I'm interested in the area regardless.

On a side note, looking forward to the 2010 census results coming out sometime soon!

Sorry I was talking about the state where I grew up, not in this area. I was using it as a reference to say I would probably be less upset about living amongst Hispanics than maybe someone who isn't used to living around them would be, so I wouldn't call Woodbridge some of the names it gets called.

We don't live in Woodbridge we live further out, but when we were researching, I didn't see so much that there was an equal population between black/white/ latino, it seemed to depend on the school as to which race was the greater majority, these were my observations from Greatschools and I am not to sure how accurate it is.

Had we been able to find in Woodbridge, what we found in Stafford, we would have lived there and opened up more options for my husbands daily commute into DC.

[Bigfoot424]

I guess my problem with the two areas is that generally it's the two areas with the most crime in PWC. I realize it's also the area with the highest concentration of population but the fact remains. I worked the entire county as a former PWC police officer and there are certain areas I would never live or suggest for anyone to live and a higher concentration of these areas are in Woodbridge and Dale City. It's hard for me to pretend I didn't see/observe/experience what I did in these areas no matter how hard I try. I know also from experience that these areas have plenty of good people living in them and not everyone is a punk, thug, lowlife or whatever you want to call them. I also know from talking to many of these good people they wish they could get out of these areas or better yet, get the riff raff out of there which isn't always easy.
Mixed into these areas are some nicer neighborhoods that for the most part have stayed trouble free but I'm afraid that given enough time things will just blend into the current Woodbridge/Dale City but hopefully not.

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by Bigfoot424

I guess my problem with the two areas is that generally it's the two areas with the most crime in PWC. I realize it's also the area with the highest concentration of population but the fact remains. I worked the entire county as a former PWC police officer and there are certain areas I would never live or suggest for anyone to live and a higher concentration of these areas are in Woodbridge and Dale City. It's hard for me to pretend I didn't see/observe/experience what I did in these areas no matter how hard I try. I know also from experience that these areas have plenty of good people living in them and not everyone is a punk, thug, lowlife or whatever you want to call them. I also know from talking to many of these good people they wish they could get out of these areas or better yet, get the riff raff out of there which isn't always easy.
Mixed into these areas are some nicer neighborhoods that for the most part have stayed trouble free but I'm afraid that given enough time things will just blend into the current Woodbridge/Dale City but hopefully not.

I have been to Manassas...and driving through, I felt like I was in a New Jersey or somewhere. Just attitude.thuggishness out and about. I mean, its a small town, but has that element in it, it seemed.

I use to live in NYC, and always felt comfortable even in 'bad' neighborhoods in NYC....but when I would cross that NJ line...sometimes it felt that people in NJ 'had issues' or an inferiority complex or something. They seemed more interested to show how bad they were...whereas when I went to bad areas of Brooklyn or Harlem (which isn't really a bad area, just a bad name)...or Washington Heights (lived up there for awhile - has a high murder rate. Wouldnt live there now as I have family now). Anyways, people already accepted that they were 'tough', so seemed more interested to show their 'soft' side - or so it seemed.

Anyways, never having been to Woodbridge...but briefly driving through Manassas...I could feel that 'trying to establish we're tough' element. I suppose I'd have to get into the area and explore to really see how I personally felt though.

I also get the impression, Bigfoot, that you've spent a lot of time in both Woodbridge and Manassas, and it seems you have a Manassas preference. Is that right?

I also wonder...Woodbridge with all the military families/singles out and about. Does that enhance the 'tough guy' thing, or do a lot of military guys 'diminish' it. I mean, when you have real tough guys, than wouldn't the wanna-be tough guys just 'get over it'?

[Bigfoot424]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

I have been to Manassas...and driving through, I felt like I was in a New Jersey or somewhere. Just attitude.thuggishness out and about. I mean, its a small town, but has that element in it, it seemed.

Not sure how you felt the "attitude" if all you did was just drive through. The thuggish part I can see depending on where you drove. Fortunately, Manassas, like most any area, has the bulk of its problems located in certain and usually contained areas.

I use to live in NYC, and always felt comfortable even in 'bad' neighborhoods in NYC....but when I would cross that NJ line...sometimes it felt that people in NJ 'had issues' or an inferiority complex or something. They seemed more interested to show how bad they were...whereas when I went to bad areas of Brooklyn or Harlem (which isn't really a bad area, just a bad name)...or Washington Heights (lived up there for awhile - has a high murder rate. Wouldnt live there now as I have family now). Anyways, people already accepted that they were 'tough', so seemed more interested to show their 'soft' side - or so it seemed.

Anyways, never having been to Woodbridge...but briefly driving through Manassas...I could feel that 'trying to establish we're tough' element. I suppose I'd have to get into the area and explore to really see how I personally felt though.

Again, not sure how you felt this just driving through.

I also get the impression, Bigfoot, that you've spent a lot of time in both Woodbridge and Manassas, and it seems you have a Manassas preference. Is that right?

I've lived in Haymarket from 73-78 then in Manassas since. I did work all over the county due the job I had with the PD and yes, I do prefer Manassas. That said. I do not "Love" Manassas and would move from here in a heartbeat if I could. When the time is right I hope to either move to New Hampshire or at least out towards the area around Winchester, Va.

I also wonder...Woodbridge with all the military families/singles out and about. Does that enhance the 'tough guy' thing, or do a lot of military guys 'diminish' it. I mean, when you have real tough guys, than wouldn't the wanna-be tough guys just 'get over it'?

Not sure what you're saying here either. Woodbridge has a wide variety of people living there to include a large Hispanic population. No one group makes Woodbridge a less desirable place to live, IMO, but unfortunately the areas that I consider to be the worse are predominantly Black/Hispanic. Take that as you want on our society but the facts remain. Would I like to see this change? Of course I would. Who wouldn't. But until changes come I'll avoid Woodbridge and recommend the same to my family and friends. Or at least large parts of it.

[Caladium]

I'm only mildly familiar with Woodbridge but the times I've been there it seemed like a nice enough place. I felt safe visiting friends there. Some sections (for example, near the marinas) seem very nice. But even the "worst" sections seem ok to me, they just seem like lower income neighborhoods.

I look at it this way, every metro area has to have some area that's affordable, and as affordable areas go Woodbridge is fine, IMO. You'll find petty crime, dollar stores, a tiny bit of graffiti, but it's definitely much nicer than the lower income areas of DC or most other cities.

[Fairfax Mom]

TigerBeet - are you kidding? Most parts of NJ are not thuggish like NY - NY is as thuggish as you get - us NJ people made fun of how rough people were from NY. All these shows they have on tv now are really NY people acting like they are from Jersey.
I was in some Moms groups in Woodbrige and they all lived in gigantic McMansions with nothing going on in the streets as far as I could tell. I still cant figure out why Woodbridge is put down.

[Tiger Beer]

Okay, just trying to make sense of the Hoodbridge references....but it sounds like from the many subsequent posts, that it's nothing like that at all.

[michgc]

I went to my high school reunion in Pennsyvlania this past weekend. While I was there I met a few fellow classmates who live in NoVA. When I asked the one guy where in NoVa he lived, his answer was "hoodbridge." I had to laugh.

So I guess it's not just people on C-D who call it that.

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

Okay, just trying to make sense of the Hoodbridge references....but it sounds like from the many subsequent posts, that it's nothing like that at all.

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

Okay, just trying to make sense of the Hoodbridge references....but it sounds like from the many subsequent posts, that it's nothing like that at all.

Probably kids trying to sound cool. Out here in Loudoun County the kids who live in Lansdowne call Ashburn "the hood."