Just moved to Bristow and want advice (Manassas, Woodbridge: apartment complex, buying a house)

[jberrn]

My husband and I have just moved to Bristow (New Bristow Village) and bought an amazing home for the low 500's. I thought we were getting a good deal, especially coming from California, but now Im starting to regret our choice. I have just learned that our kids will have to go to school in Manassas (Ellis elementary), and not to Cedar Point or one of the other great schools that are just down the road (all PWC schools). How can they do this??I think its very unfair and Im wondering if anyone has heard anything about this changing anytime soon. Im so upset about it...we have only lived in this house for 2 months and I want to move already. Not to mention the large volume of hispanics that live in this one subdivision. They have 3 and 4 families living in one house! There are like 6 and 7 cars outside of the homes..it looks really trashy. Im not sure why I didnt notice it before we bought. Im really regretting not buying in Bramear area up the street, but didnt think the 1 mile up the road would make such a HUGE difference. Boy was I wrong. Any info on this problem would be greatly appreciated. I cant imagine that the school situation would settle well with too many families here.

[jessnboys]

Is New Bristow Village the new community just south of 28 on 619 (Bristow Road or Linton Hall Road depending on which part you're on)? If so, I guess 28 is the dividing line for Cedar Point. Was the builder vague about which school the kids in the community would go to?

One option you may want to consider is sending your children to a traditional school (still PWC schools, but you have to apply to get in). You can learn more here: Prince William County Public Schools although I think the application period was in the spring. Something to consider for next year if you're still unhappy with Ellis (and haven't moved).

Good luck,
Jess

[jberrn]

Hi,
Thanks for the advice..when you say traditional schools, do you mean private? And yes, we are the community off the 28 near Linton hall. As far as our stupidity for moving here without fully understanding the school situation, I was 9 months pregnant and my husband came out ahead of me to "check out the schools". There was some confusion and he was shown cedar point and told that ths would be where they would go. Oops....With all I had going on at the time with the baby and the move I just wasnt able to research it as much as I would have liked to. Well, thanks for the advice anyway.

[jessnboys]

Too bad about the confusion...I did check out Ellis' website and it looks like it draws from a variety of communities...new ones like yours (Bristow Village) and Independence and then older communities like Welllington (parts still very nice) and older ones on Rixlew that would not be in the "nice" category.

No, the "Traditional Schools" are two Prince William County schools that are run a little differently than the others. You do have to apply to them to get in, they have uniforms and a stricter code of rules. The curriculum is more "traditional" hence the name I suppose. But they are still PWC public schools. The western end of the county would apply to Pennington which is near Old Town Manassas and the eastern end of the county has Porter which is near Route 1 in Woodbridge. They do still get bussed, I believe, although you'd probably have to drive your kids to nearby bus pickup spot. Because of the competition to get in, and the fact that any discipline problem students can be booted out back to their neighborhood school, the student population is a good one.

Congrast on the new baby by the way! Do you have older kids too or is this a problem that is 5 years off? I'm SURE you'd be rezoned in 5 years. All of Bristow Road will probably be new homes by then. ;-)

BTW, beautiful single family homes in your development. Everytime I drive up 619, I look over at them.....they're so distinctive and classic. Very pretty.

Welcome to the area again and good luck with your neighbors! ;-)

[Tish Thompson]

Originally Posted by jberrn

My husband and I have just moved to Bristow (New Bristow Village) and bought an amazing home for the low 500's. I thought we were getting a good deal, especially coming from California, but now Im starting to regret our choice. I have just learned that our kids will have to go to school in Manassas (Ellis elementary), and not to Cedar Point or one of the other great schools that are just down the road (all PWC schools). How can they do this??I think its very unfair and Im wondering if anyone has heard anything about this changing anytime soon. Im so upset about it...we have only lived in this house for 2 months and I want to move already. Not to mention the large volume of hispanics that live in this one subdivision. They have 3 and 4 families living in one house! There are like 6 and 7 cars outside of the homes..it looks really trashy. Im not sure why I didnt notice it before we bought. Im really regretting not buying in Bramear area up the street, but didnt think the 1 mile up the road would make such a HUGE difference. Boy was I wrong. Any info on this problem would be greatly appreciated. I cant imagine that the school situation would settle well with too many families here.

jberrn,

I live down the road from you

In order for your kids to be at Cedar Point, you'd have to live in Braemar or Saybrooke. Even though New Bristow Village is a stones throw from Cedar Point, the way the school boundaries were redone last year changed the schools some kids go to. Unfortunately, the kids in New Bristow Village were never in Cedar Point's coverage area. Before going to Ellis, the kids in your community were at Nokesville Elementary.

As far as the multiple family situation and the cars REPORT IT! I hear what you posted from so many people (and worse)...and the only way things will change is when we speak out and take action. You can reach Prince William County's Neighborhood Services division at 703.792.7018. Tell them your concerns...they'll get you pointed in the right direction.

Just out of curiousity, is it the proximity to your neighborhood that led you to believe New Bristow Village is in Cedar Point's district??

[jberrn]

Thanks for the phone #, I think I will call and see if I can accomplish anything. I know a few people in the neighborhood that are complaining about the same things...maybe in numbers we can change things, who knows. I wasnt planning on having this kind of problem, especially so early on. My husband was actually shown cedar point by the realtor and was told that was the school. I know we should have checked it out for ourselves, but had so much going on....took her word for it, anyway. I really am shocked by the big difference a few miles can make, though. What area do you live in? You said you were up the road...are you in that pocket...Braemar, Kingsbrooke etc. (I know Im spelling them all wrong). If so, do you like it and what do you think those areas and schools will be like a few years from now? My husbands contract is up in 2 years and Im trying to figure out if we should leave the area or move up that way, such as to Braemar. Its so nice over there...but Im wondering how long it will be before the problems push over. Im sorry to go on and on about this..Im just really shocked by this problem and I want to make the right choice when the 2 years are up. My priority is for the kids. I have a 3 year old and a 3 month old. I know things may change with the rezoning in a few years, but it seems like there is an immigration problem here, too. Im soooo irritated by this whole thing!!!!! I love the house, too. Its really nice and a good size, too.

[HEATHER72]

Hmmm.. I'm not quite sure what the panic is as your kids aren't in school yet? As others have mentioned, I bet things will be rezoned. However I can't imagine the school being that bad. I came from New Mexico to Gainesville... NM had some of the worst schools in the country.

Well about the neighbor, I don't think it much matters where you live.. you never know who may move in next door. Don't let one house ruin it for you.

I think maybe everyone goes thru a phase of after buying a house as to whether or not they made the right decision. I know I do it all the time. lol I think oh what if I lived here or there.. but well we couldn't afford there and over there I didn't like that house, or those townhomes looked like an apartment complex.. scratch that off the list etc etc.

All I can say is enjoy what you have.

[jessnboys]

Since you have two years off until school, I wouldn't worry too much right now. A LOT can change around here in two years...I wouldn't be surprised if your neighborhood was rezoned...or you could always move up the road.

According to the PWC website: Prince William County Public Schools Web Site - Homepage Cedar Point currently serves children living in the following subdivisions: Braemar, Saybrooke, Victory Lakes, Ashley Ridge, and Sheffield Manor. Course, that could always change too. ;-)

Good luck with it all.

[HereinVA]

Originally Posted by jessnboys

Since you have two years off until school, I wouldn't worry too much right now. A LOT can change around here in two years...I wouldn't be surprised if your neighborhood was rezoned...or you could always move up the road.

According to the PWC website: Prince William County Public Schools Web Site - Homepage Cedar Point currently serves children living in the following subdivisions: Braemar, Saybrooke, Victory Lakes, Ashley Ridge, and Sheffield Manor. Course, that could always change too. ;-)

Good luck with it all.

Hmmm that website must need to be updated. I live in Victory Lakes, and I know that the elementary school we are zoned for is Victory Elementary, which opened in the fall of 2005. Children in Sheffield Manor also attend Victory.

Jberrn,
I'm sorry you are so frustrated with New Bristow village living. We moved to Bristow about a year ago, and looked at New Bristow village. The homes were beautiful, but we just didn't get "a good feeling" about the neighborhood in general, so we looked more at homes in Braemar and Victory Lakes and ultimately decided on a home in Victory Lakes. I agree with others not to get too worried about the schools as you still have a few more years before it will directly affect your kids, so much can change!

[jberrn]

Originally Posted by HEATHER72

Hmmm.. I'm not quite sure what the panic is as your kids aren't in school yet? As others have mentioned, I bet things will be rezoned. However I can't imagine the school being that bad. I came from New Mexico to Gainesville... NM had some of the worst schools in the country.

Well about the neighbor, I don't think it much matters where you live.. you never know who may move in next door. Don't let one house ruin it for you.

I think maybe everyone goes thru a phase of after buying a house as to whether or not they made the right decision. I know I do it all the time. lol I think oh what if I lived here or there.. but well we couldn't afford there and over there I didn't like that house, or those townhomes looked like an apartment complex.. scratch that off the list etc etc.

All I can say is enjoy what you have.

Unfortunately it is not just one neighbor..its every other house or so. As far as just having to "settle", I dont feel like we should have to do that. Other areas within a few miles are not this way, which is part of my confusion. In addition to the school issue, I wanted to get opinions on their neighborhoods and if they think things will change for them based on what they have noticed in their own neighborhood. I do understand that things cant be perfect and that there will always be that "one neighbor", but this is more of a problem than that.