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Last week, I took a trip into the DC area. Manassas was one of the areas I went to, and it took me by surprise. Had more of a down-to-earth feel, a pleasant downtown, a ton of chain stores, as well as a ton of mom-and-pop stores, and some more creative ones as well.
It seems its low on the list because of schools not being as good, and a larger Hispanic population, which is apparently often mentioned as largely illegal? Speaking of which, whatever happened to that law that PW County authorities were rounding up the illegals? Did that ever occur, or have any actual enforcement behind it?
Nontheless, I did make it to the Manassas Mall, and probably at least 1/3rd Hispanic, more or less. The mall seemed fine to me. The entire area seemed to have pretty much every kind of store, and the downtown had an event going on, and certainly walkable.
Heard the property crime is a little high for Manassas compared to other Virginia cities.
Probably the biggest minus might be it's a bit far from the DC jobs. About one hour on the VRE. But otherwise, caught me by surprise to be a bit better than I expected based on what I'd previously read/heard about Manassas.
Speaking of which, Manassas Park and Bull Run, I couldn't distinguish exactly where they began and ended. What defines them separately from Manassas itself?
Additionally, what are other's impressions of Manassas' city center or downtown area?
I don't mind Manassas at all. I work nearby and often go to lunch in the downtown area. I like Mackeys and Philadelphia Tavern, for their classic bar food and cheese steaks. Also there are some really good authentic South American restaurants nearby.
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Speaking of which, whatever happened to that law that PW County authorities were rounding up the illegals? Did that ever occur, or have any actual enforcement behind it?
PWC police aren't rounding up anyone. They merely have the authority to check immigration status on everyone if you are arrested. So long as you keep your nose clean, they don't bother you.
Last week, I took a trip into the DC area. Manassas was one of the areas I went to, and it took me by surprise. Had more of a down-to-earth feel, a pleasant downtown, a ton of chain stores, as well as a ton of mom-and-pop stores, and some more creative ones as well.
It seems its low on the list because of schools not being as good, and a larger Hispanic population, which is apparently often mentioned as largely illegal? Speaking of which, whatever happened to that law that PW County authorities were rounding up the illegals? Did that ever occur, or have any actual enforcement behind it?
Nontheless, I did make it to the Manassas Mall, and probably at least 1/3rd Hispanic, more or less. The mall seemed fine to me. The entire area seemed to have pretty much every kind of store, and the downtown had an event going on, and certainly walkable.
Heard the property crime is a little high for Manassas compared to other Virginia cities.
Probably the biggest minus might be it's a bit far from the DC jobs. About one hour on the VRE. But otherwise, caught me by surprise to be a bit better than I expected based on what I'd previously read/heard about Manassas.
Speaking of which, Manassas Park and Bull Run, I couldn't distinguish exactly where they began and ended. What defines them separately from Manassas itself?
Additionally, what are other's impressions of Manassas' city center or downtown area?
Let me tell you a story. I moved to Manassas for a short time a few years ago and fell in love with that area. I honestly didn't want to leave but I had to move closer to the city to go to graduate school. It is a great place. I have heard a lot of bad things said about it, and many of those things should be warranted like schools and crime, but it's honestly not as bad as people make it out to be. It definitely has a very laid back feel to it and the downtown part of Manassas is a nice place to go when you want something to do without going to a major city to do it. The best part that I honestly like though is anything you are looking for, is basically right off of Sudley. Restaurants, shops, whatever, a lot of it's centralized so you don't really have to go far to find things. The only reason why I wouldn't consider moving back now is because I have children and I know I can put them in better schools in a different part of the area out there, but if you don't have kids, it's a great place and very inexpensive for our region.
As far as the illegals, they did indeed crack down. I was living there, literally right before they pass the law. From my times of going back and visiting doesn't seem like there is a huge difference, but I do believe it has made some changes. The problem with trying to enforce the law though, is it is very difficult legally going up to random people and trying to find out if they are legal or not. In order to catch these individuals they had to have a justifiable reason, like committing other crimes, suspicious behavior, etc. Given that I moved back to Prince George's County, I can tell you, when that law was passed, a lot of those illegal immigrants left that area and went to other areas, and even outside the state. Now I can't prove this beyond a shadow of a doubt but if you look at Oxon Hill, MD (which is the first town you get into when you leave VA from the Wilson Bridge) from that time to now, there has been a HUGE explosion of hispanics (not stereotyping but that is mostly who PWC were targeting, I do realize illegals come from other backgrounds) moving to Oxon Hill. I grew up near that area most of my life and I can tell you prior to that law, you would never see any hispanics, but if you drive there today, I would say they make up a good 30% of Oxon Hill and have all types of shops and restaurants there now.
Overall the thing that I would say about Manassas is your experience will be shaped by which neighborhood you live in. There are differences between the city of Manassas and Manassas in Prince William County. For the most part Manassas in PWC has better neighborhoods.
Bull Run from my understanding is the part of Sudley Road near Balls Ford Road near 66 and not too far from the Manassas Battlefield. Manassas Park is all the way on the other side of town off of 28 (on both sides).
Speaking of which, Manassas Park and Bull Run, I couldn't distinguish exactly where they began and ended. What defines them separately from Manassas itself?
Manassas Park is an independent city with defined borders.
Last week, I took a trip into the DC area. Manassas was one of the areas I went to, and it took me by surprise. Had more of a down-to-earth feel, a pleasant downtown, a ton of chain stores, as well as a ton of mom-and-pop stores, and some more creative ones as well.
could you give some examples of the creative ones? I havent been to downtown manassas in years, and when i visited it I had somewhat higher expectations than yours and came away a bit disappointed (bear in mind I was checking it out for quantness and vibrnancy as a day tripper, not, for homes, schools, etc) It just might be worth another day trip if its got a bunch of creative stores.i
Last edited by brooklynborndad; 08-29-2012 at 07:54 AM..
Location: Chapel Hill, NC, formerly NoVA and Phila
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I assume you want impressions from those who live in Manassas and those who do not. I do not live there and never did, so my perspective comes from someone who chose not to live in Manassas. But I have visited there many times. My dentist was there. My husband's job was there for 12 years, and I shopped there.
Since my husband worked there, we looked into Manassas as a place to live. While my husband thought it was okay, I did not like it. However, as with any other place, it has to be put into perspective as to where you're coming from. I do think it's hard to convey how nice or not nice a place is unless we know what you're used to.
Having said that, if you are a college-educated, white-collar professional who is looking for good schools and people in a similar socio-economic status, then Manassas would not be my first choice as a place to live in NoVA. If you are a single mom who just found a job in DC and needs affordable housing in the DC area, then I think it's acceptable.
Back in the day, Manassas used to be a rural area. Its reputation was somewhat ... When I moved to DC, it was still that way, but as cost of living in the DC area got higher, it began to grow out of its ruralness and attract people who could not afford to live closer in to the city. So, overall, the people who are living there are lower (not low) income than those who could afford places closer in.
The schools do not have a good reputation for the area. That may or may not be important to you. People will argue that a good student can get a good education in most schools. That may be true. But the fact is, the schools' test scores are lower than those in most other NoVA locales. I would guess that the percentage of students who go on to college is lower than at other NoVa schools.
Driving through parts of Manassas, you see some townhouse developments that look like they are falling apart - built in the 70's or 80's and not taken care of or not built well. This is along Sudley Road. There are also nice developments, too, but the rundown ones jump out at me when I drive through there.
The shopping, as you saw, is plentiful. If you like to be near big-box stores, then Manassas is great. The Costco is not nearly as crowded as the one in Fairfax. There is Marshall's, Target, Dollar Tree, Michael's, Wal-Mart, AC Moore, etc., and every chain restaurant and fast food place you can imagine. There are also some good independent restaurants such as Philadelphia Tavern, a great Italian place, and others. Plus there is a fabulous used bookstore called McKays. Honestly, unless you like to only shop at Nordstrom's, you probably never need to leave Manassas to go shopping or to eat.
The Old Town section of Manassas is very attractive. There are big, old stately homes. And the downtown, walkable section is quaint. There is a cute rail station and some railcars. And there are unique, independent stores. It makes for a nice afternoon of walking around. There is also a farmer's market in season. The city is the county seat for Prince William, so you have the courthouse there as well as the obligatory law firms and such. I really do like that area of town.
While some will say that crime is everywhere and no place is crime-free, there is no disputing that the crime rate in Manassas is higher than in many other locales in NoVa. I once looked it up compared to Vienna (where I lived) because someone said I was bad-mouthing Manassas. But facts are facts. And while I agree there is crime everywhere (of course), there is a higher rate of crime in Manassas than in other places in NoVA, like Vienna.
I can give you a few examples of incidents in Manassas that I or my husband experienced. I witnessed a fight in a parking lot in a strip mall. My husband had a homeless person camped out behind his office (living in the woods - this was before the economic downturn). He had a prostitute/flasher/transvestite I don't remember the whole story also near his office that his co-workers had to go to court about something he/she did. His co-worker who lives in Manassas had his home broken into (twice, I believe). Anecdotal, I know, but in those same 12 years, the only crime we experienced in Vienna was a few GPS units being stolen out of a couple of neighbors' cars (that were unlocked).
My bottom line for Manassas is this, if I didn't have the money to live someplace else, then I'd be OKAY living there. If I could afford to live somewhere more expensive, I would not choose Manassas. BTW, my husband now says after working there for 12 years, that he wouldn't want to live in Manassas either. He initially thought it was fine.
***This post represents my OPINIONS. I will admit that I am somewhat of a snob when it comes to schools and neighborhoods, for what it's worth.***
Last edited by FindingZen; 08-30-2012 at 10:24 AM..
Reason: watch the stereotypes...
could you give some examples of the creative ones? I havent been to downtown manassas in years, and when i visited it I had somewhat higher expectations than yours and came away a bit disappointed (bear in mind I was checking it out for quantness and vibrnancy as a day tripper, not, for homes, schools, etc) It just might be worth another day trip if its got a bunch of creative stores.i
Can't recall the names or what they were, but I got the impression coming south from Centreville.
After half a morning in places like Reston, Herndon, Sterling, Chantilly, etc. I mostly saw residential tucked away hidden away, and strip malls kind of sparingly in very strictly zoned area, etc.
As soon as I crossed into Prince William County, it just seemed like an explosion of everything suddenly accessable to all.
The creative ones, were actually businesses/stores, that looked like someone could buy or rent a building cheaply, and basically do anything they wanted with it. (As opposed the very corporate or very corporate-looking businesses on the Fairfax County line that looked like it would require more permits and restrictions).
I can't recall if they were actually creative stores, but just the impression that there was a lot more flexibility and less restriction with what kind of storefronts people were allowed to have.
It might have been solely the juxtaposion of the very sterile further out there Fairfax County into PWC. Whereas if I'd come across Manassas in another context, it might not have given off the same impression. It seems as Annandale has a bit less restriction to it compared to further west Fairfax County, so maybe Annandale to Manassas might not have the same effect.
It might have been solely the juxtaposion of the very sterile further out there Fairfax County into PWC. Whereas if I'd come across Manassas in another context, it might not have given off the same impression. It seems as Annandale has a bit less restriction to it compared to further west Fairfax County, so maybe Annandale to Manassas might not have the same effect.
annandale of course is subject to similar regs as the rest of fairfax (we DO have a "form based code" but AFAIK that impacts large new developments, not usage of stores)
what you are seeing is less deu to contemporary zoning codes than the legacy of A. post WW2 zoning, which tended to mandate seperation of uses B. post ww2 Consumer demand - in a region still dominated by what leinberger calls 'walkable urbanism" there was pent up demand for something different, including the benefits (such as they are) of seperation of uses (you will hear people saying " the suburbs are what they are because people LIKE it - which oversimplifies, IMO, but has a grain of truth that must not be ignored) Places like manassas, the village center of Annandale, etc are largely legacies of pre-WW2 development styles (though parts of Annandale and I suspect other parts of inner FFX reflect post war auto focused development but WITHOUT strict zoning ) Today mixed use areas are in greater demand in the market, and many jurisdictions in the region are attempting to accommodate that in one way or another - but the places where that is happening, being new (and desirable enough to justify the costs of redevelopment) tend to be pricey. Note - DC and MoCo are in the process of revising their post war zoning codes. I dont know if any NoVa jurisdiction has done this - FFX seems to prefer to use specific local zoning overlays (like the form based code for Annandale, and the Tysons Master Plan) while leaving the post war zoning in place in the rest of the county.
The only reason why I wouldn't consider moving back now is because I have children and I know I can put them in better schools in a different part of the area out there, but if you don't have kids, it's a great place and very inexpensive for our region.
But Oxon Hills wouldn't have better schools, right? I haven't heard of Prince William having good schools, but I think it's negative seems to be more based on the fact that someone is living so close to the superior Fairfax County schools without benefitting directly from them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pgtitans
As far as the illegals, they did indeed crack down. I was living there, literally right before they pass the law. From my times of going back and visiting doesn't seem like there is a huge difference, but I do believe it has made some changes. The problem with trying to enforce the law though, is it is very difficult legally going up to random people and trying to find out if they are legal or not. In order to catch these individuals they had to have a justifiable reason, like committing other crimes, suspicious behavior, etc.
The interesting thing about those laws, is that they seem to basically be the same as anywhere else. It's always illegal to be illegal, but most laws prevent authorities from solely profiling a person just because they are Latino. So it doesn't sound much different.
Maybe just the hoopla that the media was making made some of the community spread out. Either that or the U.S. continues to attract Latino immigrants in large numbers, and they are just growing throughout everywhere.
I assume you want impressions from those who live in Manassas and those who do not. I do not live there and never did, so my perspective comes from someone who chose not to live in Manassas. But I have visited there many times. My dentist was there. My husband's job was there for 12 years, and I shopped there.
Since my husband worked there, we looked into Manassas as a place to live. While my husband thought it was okay, I did not like it. However, as with any other place, it has to be put into perspective as to where you're coming from. I do think it's hard to convey how nice or not nice a place is unless we know what you're used to.
Having said that, if you are a college-educated, white-collar professional who is looking for good schools and people in a similar socio-economic status, then Manassas would not be my first choice as a place to live in NoVA. If you are a single mom who just found a job in DC and needs affordable housing in the DC area, then I think it's acceptable.
Back in the day, Manassas used to be a rural area. Its reputation was somewhat ... When I moved to DC, it was still that way, but as cost of living in the DC area got higher, it began to grow out of its ruralness and attract people who could not afford to live closer in to the city. So, overall, the people who are living there are lower (not low) income than those who could afford places closer in.
The schools do not have a good reputation for the area. That may or may not be important to you. People will argue that a good student can get a good education in most schools. That may be true. But the fact is, the schools' test scores are lower than those in most other NoVA locales. I would guess that the percentage of students who go on to college is lower than at other NoVa schools.
Driving through parts of Manassas, you see some townhouse developments that look like they are falling apart - built in the 70's or 80's and not taken care of or not built well. This is along Sudley Road. There are also nice developments, too, but the rundown ones jump out at me when I drive through there.
The shopping, as you saw, is plentiful. If you like to be near big-box stores, then Manassas is great. The Costco is not nearly as crowded as the one in Fairfax. There is Marshall's, Target, Dollar Tree, Michael's, Wal-Mart, AC Moore, etc., and every chain restaurant and fast food place you can imagine. There are also some good independent restaurants such as Philadelphia Tavern, a great Italian place, and others. Plus there is a fabulous used bookstore called McKays. Honestly, unless you like to only shop at Nordstrom's, you probably never need to leave Manassas to go shopping or to eat.
The Old Town section of Manassas is very attractive. There are big, old stately homes. And the downtown, walkable section is quaint. There is a cute rail station and some railcars. And there are unique, independent stores. It makes for a nice afternoon of walking around. There is also a farmer's market in season. The city is the county seat for Prince William, so you have the courthouse there as well as the obligatory law firms and such. I really do like that area of town.
While some will say that crime is everywhere and no place is crime-free, there is no disputing that the crime rate in Manassas is higher than in many other locales in NoVa. I once looked it up compared to Vienna (where I lived) because someone said I was bad-mouthing Manassas. But facts are facts. And while I agree there is crime everywhere (of course), there is a higher rate of crime in Manassas than in other places in NoVA, like Vienna.
I can give you a few examples of incidents in Manassas that I or my husband experienced. I witnessed a fight in a parking lot in a strip mall. My husband had a homeless person camped out behind his office (living in the woods - this was before the economic downturn). He had a prostitute/flasher/transvestite I don't remember the whole story also near his office that his co-workers had to go to court about something he/she did. His co-worker who lives in Manassas had his home broken into (twice, I believe). Anecdotal, I know, but in those same 12 years, the only crime we experienced in Vienna was a few GPS units being stolen out of a couple of neighbors' cars (that were unlocked).
My bottom line for Manassas is this, if I didn't have the money to live someplace else, then I'd be OKAY living there. If I could afford to live somewhere more expensive, I would not choose Manassas. BTW, my husband now says after working there for 12 years, that he wouldn't want to live in Manassas either. He initially thought it was fine.
***This post represents my OPINIONS. I will admit that I am somewhat of a snob when it comes to schools and neighborhoods, for what it's worth.***
I think this is a very fair analysis of Manassas and I definitely agree that perspective matters.
Last edited by FindingZen; 08-30-2012 at 10:26 AM..
Reason: updated previously edited quote
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