Working in Dahlgren (Manassas, Fredericksburg, Falls Church: renting, condo, house prices)

[mem10]

I'm interested in taking a job in Dahlgren, VA. I'm trying to decide the best place to live for a decent commute while being close enough to DC to enjoy the big city ammenities(concerts, malls, sports, musuems, etc.)without being house broke. Probably like to stay under 300k. Any Advice?

Also, I have a wife and kid so family community and good schools are important. Other threads seem to lead to Fredericksburg. However, I'm not sure if the other threads capture the desire to be somewhat close to the DC. There seem to be other optons such as southern MD(La Plata, Fort Washington, Charles, Waldorf) Stafford, etc. Is Fredericksburg close enough to get to and from DC easily for weekend fun? What point up the 95 will be considered too far to make the commute to Dahlgren?

[stpickrell]

Originally Posted by mem10

I'm interested in taking a job in Dahlgren, VA. I'm trying to decide the best place to live for a decent commute while being close enough to DC to enjoy the big city ammenities(concerts, malls, sports, musuems, etc.)without being house broke. Probably like to stay under 300k. Any Advice?

Also, I have a wife and kid so family community and good schools are important. Other threads seem to lead to Fredericksburg. However, I'm not sure if the other threads capture the desire to be somewhat close to the DC. There seem to be other optons such as southern MD(La Plata, Fort Washington, Charles, Waldorf) Stafford, etc. Is Fredericksburg close enough to get to and from DC easily for weekend fun? What point up the 95 will be considered too far to make the commute to Dahlgren?

1. Southern MD is just as far away from DC as is Fredericksburg, plus it's more of a generic commuting pain than is Fredericksburg. I'm not sure what you'd gain from that, unless you plan to stay @ this job for a full career.
2. For under 300k, you'll need to settle for a TH or condo, at least inside the Beltway. If you want a SFH, yes, Stafford/Fredericksburg are close enough, although I-95 is subject to random traffic jams during the weekends.
3. Not sure what you mean by "good schools." ALL high schools in Northern Virginia will have a core group of students committed to success. It's just that at schools like TC Williams, JEB Stuart, Falls Church, etc., have a larger group of students who are, for whatever reason, not as committed to success. But by national standards, even the "bad" Northern VA schools will have decent SOL test scores and outstanding SAT/AP scores.
4. How long of a commute are you looking for?

[Vectorhead]

We were stationed in Dahlgren in the mid 90s. We lived in King George, but it was before our kids were school aged. We wouldn't live there now -- schools aren't very good.

Most people commuted from Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania/Stafford. Very few lived in southern Maryland. The commute for most of them was about 45 minutes, but it was a pleasant commute (predictable and not seething with traffic the way it is in NOVA). There were a few that commuted from further north -- I remember one from Quantico and one from Manassas. They were going against traffic, but it was a long drive regardless.

[mem10]

Originally Posted by stpickrell

3. Not sure what you mean by "good schools." ALL high schools in Northern Virginia will have a core group of students committed to success. It's just that at schools like TC Williams, JEB Stuart, Falls Church, etc., have a larger group of students who are, for whatever reason, not as committed to success. But by national standards, even the "bad" Northern VA schools will have decent SOL test scores and outstanding SAT/AP scores.
4. How long of a commute are you looking for?

Thanks for the good info. As far as schools are concerned, if Fredericksburg is considered part of NOVA then great. From reviewing other threads, it seems as if Fredericksburg has its own thing going. I could be wrong. Also the schools in Fburg seem to have a spotty rating according to GreatSchools.org. But for my sake, I hope that Fburg is part of the NOVA as far as academic excellence is concerned.

I think I'll be happy if my commute is under an hour.

[ajzjmsmom]

Originally Posted by mem10

Thanks for the good info. As far as schools are concerned, if Fredericksburg is considered part of NOVA then great. From reviewing other threads, it seems as if Fredericksburg has its own thing going. I could be wrong. Also the schools in Fburg seem to have a spotty rating according to GreatSchools.org. But for my sake, I hope that Fburg is part of the NOVA as far as academic excellence is concerned.

I think I'll be happy if my commute is under an hour.

We live in Stafford, however my husband does the daily commute into DC. Our next door neighbor does the daily commute to Dahlgren and he doesn't seem to mind the commute, there is a back way without having to access 95 and only a tiny portion of 1 to get to Dahlgren for your work schedule.

We looked at both Fredericksburg and Stafford and ultimately chose Stafford, I personally liked the schools better and we could get more house for our money. You have 2 different sets of school districts in the Fredericksburg area, you have Fredericksburg City schools and Spotsylvania Cty schools. The poster who said just about any schools in the NOVA are better when compared to alot of other schools in the nation, Stafford is now considered part of NOVA, while Fredericksburg is just on the cusp.

Not knowing where you are coming from and what you are accustomed to makes it hard to determine if it would be a good fit for you. Personally we love it, we are close enough that we can enjoy what DC has to offer if we chose to partake of it, but far enough away that we can also enjoy what we have found to be a more calm life. Really if you are willing to make the commute, it can be the best of both worlds.

While 95 can be a nightmare on the weekends, especially during the summer it is definately doable for what you are wanting to do, while living in Stafford. We find pretty much everything we need shopping wise between Stafford and Fredericksburg.

Not to sure of house prices here right now since we are renting. If I can be of more assistance please feel free to DM me.