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Old 07-31-2007, 09:15 AM
 
3,650 posts, read 9,481,430 times
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We moved here from NJ one year ago and bought in Fairfax on the downside of the boom - (paid way too much - but we sold our house in NJ for big bucks) - but anyway -
We have two boys - 3 and 4 yrs old so schools are important to us.
My husband works in Springfield -
The problem is I am not happy with our house - it is old and too small. We rushed into buying too fast - should have rented.
I know if we go South or West we can get more house for then money.
But after reading this forum - it seems no one likes Manassas or Woodbridge. Is it really that bad in PWC?

BTW - I really love Stafford and Frederiksburg but feel that might be too far a commute? Do you think so? I dont want my husbandn to die on the highway either - it seems there are accidents nevery day.

Are their any neighborhoods you can recommend not too far from Springfield with good schools, newer homes, with nice friendly neighbors and just a tiny bit less crowded than Fairfax?
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Old 07-31-2007, 03:46 PM
 
73 posts, read 298,777 times
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You may find this thread helpful for Springfield:

"Bad" Areas of Springfield? Any input??

Good luck!
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Old 07-31-2007, 07:21 PM
 
3,650 posts, read 9,481,430 times
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Well - the problem is I dont want to live in Springfield at all.
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Old 07-31-2007, 07:54 PM
 
Location: Washington DC/Northern Virginia
21 posts, read 77,724 times
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I don't know what help this would be to you, since I'm really new to the area myself, been in the DC/NOVA area for about 6 months. However, I can tell you that my boss lives in the Stafford area, and loves it there. However, the commute is indeed, from what I've heard, a long one...at least to DC, where we work. It might be a bit easier to Springfield. Sorry I couldn't be of more help.....
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Old 07-31-2007, 09:23 PM
 
141 posts, read 754,666 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fairfax Mom View Post
Well - the problem is I dont want to live in Springfield at all.

Hi,Fairfax Mom, you helped me with another thread re: Woodbridge, so I have a quick question for you.. If you don't mind me asking...
Is there a reason that you are shying away from Springfield?
I am looking for a neighborhood that is family-oriented since we have a young son...

Thanks for any input...
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Old 07-31-2007, 09:43 PM
 
3,650 posts, read 9,481,430 times
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Well, I attended the Fairfax County board of supervisors meeting and they were talking about a severe problem of people living several famlies to a house in parts of Springfield - former nice little ranch houses turned into boarding houses and even bordellos!! I was shocked.

Parts of Springfield look very bad to me - like the area near the Springfield Mall - I would be afraid to walk around in the daylight - nothing would probably happen but you never know.

I know that parts of Springfield are nice but I dont want to buy in a town that has negative connotations. When I lived in NJ I was in Ewing which is right next to Trenton and it was hard to sell even though we lived in a safe area - the town had a bad rep.

If you have the money and want to stay in Fairfax Cty. - home prices have fallen so much you can probably get the kind of house that I wanted but could not afford - Burke is a great family area - so is Fairfax - Fairfax Station is even better - very affulent and not as crowded.
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Old 07-31-2007, 09:52 PM
 
141 posts, read 754,666 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fairfax Mom View Post
Well, I attended the Fairfax County board of supervisors meeting and they were talking about a severe problem of people living several famlies to a house in parts of Springfield - former nice little ranch houses turned into boarding houses and even bordellos!! I was shocked.

Parts of Springfield look very bad to me - like the area near the Springfield Mall - I would be afraid to walk around in the daylight - nothing would probably happen but you never know.

I know that parts of Springfield are nice but I dont want to buy in a town that has negative connotations. When I lived in NJ I was in Ewing which is right next to Trenton and it was hard to sell even though we lived in a safe area - the town had a bad rep.

If you have the money and want to stay in Fairfax Cty. - home prices have fallen so much you can probably get the kind of house that I wanted but could not afford - Burke is a great family area - so is Fairfax - Fairfax Station is even better - very affulent and not as crowded.
Fairfax Mom, this was a great help. My husband (who has been against Springfield throughout this entire search) was leaning over my shoulder when I read your reply..and he was thrilled to read your respone

Thanks.. This helped a lot.. This forum is amazing
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Old 07-31-2007, 10:04 PM
 
12,022 posts, read 11,525,189 times
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You might ask if someone knows the Clifton area. It's a 12 mile commute to Springfield, but much of the drive is on Fairfax Co Parkway and Keene Mill Rd. Their elementary schools appear to be very highly recommended. Centreville HS is not a very highly regarded high school however, average perhaps. The town is a little beyond the congested towns of Fairfax, Manassas, etc. so I doubt you'll find much of the fears of overcrowding, day laborers, and such. I'm inferring this from the fact there's very little in the way of immigrant representation in their elementary schools. (My personal opinion is that Asian representation in schools should be viewed as a positive so long as there's not a gang problem.)

Clifton Schools
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Old 08-01-2007, 04:50 PM
 
17 posts, read 67,203 times
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Default I'm in Fairfax too

I live in Fairfax City as well, in one of those little old houses in an older neighborhood. I've lived in this house for four years and in the Fairfax area itself for over 25 years. My ex-husband lives in a neighborhood right at the intersection of 123 and Burke Centre Parkway. We bought the house in 1983 and it's a great neighborhood with great schools. It's called Fairfax Club Estates, and right next to it is MiddleRidge. The elementary school is Bonnie Brae and the middle school and high school are Robinson, and there are several wonderful pre-schools in the area as well. This area is well situated in accessing the Fairfax County Parkway, and Burke Centre Parkway goes right into Springfield as well.

I would suggest contacting a Realtor. I'm not one myself, but I've worked in the industry for two decades and these folks know about the neighborhoods in this area like no one else does. It's their job and as professionals (at least the ones I know well), and they can show you neighborhoods and communities that you might not otherwise know existed. I stumble across neighborhoods I didn't know existed even after 25 years here. Best of luck to you, Fairfax County is a good place to raise kids - I've raised 3 of them here.
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Old 08-01-2007, 04:55 PM
 
142 posts, read 566,433 times
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If you do happen to look around Springfield, anything inside the West Springfield HS district is pretty good. It is a renown school in the County. Most of the neighborhoods there are established with some new homes sprinkled throughout. If you don't want your children to go to the same schools as the kids from overflowing boarding houses, you should avoid Lee HS because the northern section of its district are the troubled neighborhoods of Springfield. I would definitely recommend Ffx Station and Burke. You should only be cautious of the parts of Ffx Station (e.i. Crosspointe, Barrington) and Lorton because they feed into overcrowded elementary and South County Secondary schools.
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