Dale City or Lake Ridge 2011

[ChristineVA]

shjones,

If you are really intent on moving to this area and just aren't sure, I would strongly advise you to rent for a year. See how you like it, get to know the area and find the places *you* feel comfortable with. As a single person, who doesn't need some 4-bedroom dwelling, this should be easy and could save you a lot of heartache and/or regret in the future. Popping down for a visit/drive through is just not going to tell you enough of how it will be to live there.

[shjones]

Thank you MrsHunny. My friend moved in apartment complex two years in the 22191 area code. I believe it is called Longview but can not give me more details on surrounding area. All he has told me was that there are a lot of illegals in PW County. He and his family has never had any problems though either.

[Bigfoot424]

Whatever you do avoid Williamstown like the plague. Not all of Dumfries is bad and has to be avoided but this area should be marked off your list of options. I would live in the worst area of Woodbridge before living here. I realize your budget leaves you will less options but you can find something in Dale City/Woodbridge for this.

[shjones]

Thank you ChristineVa. I am just so tired of renting. I have been renting for the past few years and wasting money.

[Bigfoot424]

Originally Posted by shjones

Thank you MrsHunny. My friend moved in apartment complex two years in the 22191 area code. I believe it is called Longview but can not give me more details on surrounding area. All he has told me was that there are a lot of illegals in PW County. He and his family has never had any problems though either.

Longview isn't too bad an option. Just make sure you are away from the Bayvue Apts. It's an older neighborhood but overall not a high crime area. You'll see some police activity here more often then say a high priced area but it most definitely not a high crime area.

[oneasterisk]

To add to the list of places to avoid, stay away from Village Gate, Georgetown Village and Willowbrook. Also Williamstown is pretty far south IMO. I used to live in Triangle which is a little bit south of Williamstown and I thought it was way too far to commute to DC. I moved to Lake Ridge and now I wouldn't want to move further south than that if I had to work in DC daily.

Another thing to consider that if it's a foreclosure, be sure you have the funds to rehab it. Also budget on the high side because surprises inevitably creep up.

[GreenGene]

Originally Posted by shjones

I was just wondering if someone could give me an update on the crime in Woodbride. I am currently a PG County resident(which sucks) and I am currently looking to move into my first home. I currently work on Capitol Hill and would be commuting back and forth to DC.

In early 1981, my wife and I (and our two small children) moved from P.G. County (Laurel) to Dale City (22193), and we've been here ever since. Also, both my wife and I worked on Capitol Hill until our retirements almost 3 years ago, so we did the Dale City to Capitol Hill commute for about 28 years.

1. Crime - yes, there's crime here; there's crime everywhere. There are parts of Prince William County that are "better" than others depending on the standards applied. But there's no comparison between the two counties - on average, it's far safer here than there. As strictly anecdotal evidence, the Wikipedia page for P.G. County has a separate entry for "crime" in the table of contents; the page for Prince William does not.

2. Housing - others have suggested specific areas to avoid - I won't get into that. But in terms of Dale City, the further west you go (away from 95 in the direction of Manassas, or the higher in the alphabet the street name is), the newer the houses/townhouses are. I am unsure as to the availability of smaller homes in the area - the trend over the last several years has been to build BIG houses. But a real estate agent should be able to help you with that.

There may also be apartments/condos available at/near the intersection of Ridgefield and the Prince William Parkway.

3. Commute - we started commuting from here to Capitol Hill long before the HOV lanes were extended south of Springfield, long before VRE was an option, and long before Metro was extended to Springfield. So there are more commuting options available now; unfortunately, there's also lots more traffic.

Personally, I found carpooling to be the fastest/easiest/most economical method of commuting ... especially since my agency set aside a certain number of free parking spaces for employees in carpools - the more people, the more likely a carpool would be to get a spot. It helped that there were always plenty of people living in the area who worked at the same agency.

Vanpools are also a great option, and often they are eligible for and will accept the federal transit subsidy (if you work for the federal government).

I see that you're familiar with slugging - that's also a great option.

Originally Posted by shjones

I am single 20 something young woman with no kids, and looking for something just for me. ..... I want a diverse community with a mix of all racial backgrounds. I just do not want to put myself in a bad situation.

Although things have changed somewhat over the last 30 years, much of this area is still predominately a bedroom community (the place empties out during the weekday) populated by families. The closer you get to DC, the greater the likelihood of your finding other young singles. When you get out to this neck of the woods, it's mostly families. In other words, it's more Little League and dance recitals, and less bar hopping and taking in a show.

In terms of racial diversity, we've got it. See: Mapping America — Census Bureau 2005-9 American Community Survey - NYTimes.com

Just plug in a zip code and hit "go."

[stpickrell]

OP, I saw you mentioning condo communities in your post. Is there a reason you're not looking in South Arlington/South Falls Church/Alexandria, where there are 1 and 2 BR condos in your range?

The areas there range from "about equal to Woodbridge" to "better than Woodbridge" and you'd also have a much shorter commute.

[bmwguydc]

One other major variable to consider, especially if you plan to drive is BRAC. The new building off 395 and Seminary, not to mention relocations to Fort Belvoir could dramatically affect your commute from Lake Ridge/Woodbridge/Montclair. Of course, you could always switch to the train, but make sure that you're in proximity to VRE.

I know someone who used to live in Occoquan, and drove 95 daily to roughly the same area -- they went to North Cap, though, so it would add a few minutes. There were days when they were very happy not to have to go further than across the river, getting off at 123, even with a carpool. They moved to Alexandria, however, primarily because the commute was proving to difficult to juggle, despite having a nice place in PWC.

What you could do is pick some random days and stay at a hotel in the area, prior to buying, such as the Courtyard Marriott at Potomac Mills. That way, you could more easily gauge the difficulty in the existing commute. And, you could also explore the mass transit options from the area in real time, bus and train.

[shjones]

Thank you all. All of your information has been very helpful, I most appreciate it. Stpickrell I have just started looking in those areas you mentioned. And bmwguydc, that is a great idea to stay in random hotels in the area to gauge commute.