manassas (Centreville, McLean, Fairfax: to rent, student loan, townhouse)

[gypsylawyer]

Hi All:

Looking to relocate from Atlanta to Manas. within 3-4 weeks due to new job. We need to rent a place in the best elementary school area (Grades 2 & 5). I see that Fairfax County has great schools but wanted to avoid a significant commute, and to have good access if I needed to get to the school from work for an emergency. What are the group thoughts on Manass. Schools? Any ideas would be appreciated/ Thx in advc.

[HEATHER72]

Rent in nearby Gainesville or Bristow.

[goldenmom7500]

Hi,

Check out:

GreatSchools.net and

Schooldigger.com -- Search and compare elementary, middle, and high schools.

To answer your question, Manassas schools are mixed - there are some that are great and some to avoid. I agree with heather that Bristow and Gainesville (as well as Haymarket) are the places most families are heading right now - all are new with loads of families and good new schools, some preferred to others.

Down the road from Manassas towards Fairfax, you first hit Centreville (in Fairfax County) so that would be the first recommendation in Fairfax.

But ... I never want to leave anyone with the impression that Manassas is not a nice place - but heading to these newer parts is a safer bet if you are a newcomer ...

[El General]

If you must live in Manassas; I would recommend G. Round Elementary. PWCS are no better. FCPS are. Battlefield HS is good by PWCS standards; better than OHS. SJHS has gone down the proverbial crapper in recent years and boasts a 90% minority enrollment. All Jr. High students attend Grace Metz in Manassas--Yikes!

[goldenmom7500]

Yes, we did Girl Scouts with a troop a Round last year and I must say it was the nicest group of moms I have ever met in my years as a mom (not that many, but still). If you will pardon the generalization, the moms in Bristow, Gainesville, and Haymarket are a bit more cliquish and snobby, even though I think they are living in a dream world - anyone with big money in the DC area is in Potomac, McLean, etc.

[jaywallace]

Originally Posted by HEATHER72

Rent in nearby Gainesville or Bristow.

I second this poster, Gainesville, Bristow or Braemar.

[goldenmom7500]

... of course Braemar is a neighborhood in Bristow; others include Saybrooke and Victory Lakes. I'm sure there are others I am forgetting.

[gypsylawyer]

Hi all!!

Thanks so much for the info. we are so exhausted and stressed, but etremely excited about relocating. Not sure if I mentioned it, (I tend not to mention husband now that we have children-OOPS) but Husband is graduating from Physician Assist. Masters program Dec 8. We will also be looking to rent for a while, since we both are grad school bums- (STUDENT LOAN people have found me:-} I MUST PAY THEM...)

Query: (1) What areas should I avoid in Centr.? (IF ANY); and (2) is the commute from Centreville to Manassa reasonable during peak hours? I will likely be working a straight 8-5 day.

Thanks in advance for all of your help.

[DavidS827]

Your best bet will be Gainesville, Haymarket or Bristow. Easy commute to Manassas and some of the best schools in NOVA.

[goldenmom7500]

Hi,

I think driving from Centreville to Manassas should be OK. You'd either go on 28 (Centreville Rd.) going south "against traffic" for what it's worth, or you'd go up 66W "against traffic" for what it's worth - in either case probably to 234. Or an alternate to the second option would be up 29, etc. I hate to quote a time without knowing exact locations, but it should be less than 30 minutes, and possibly a *lot* less. Now that I think about it, it really depends on where in Centreville so there could be a significant range of 10 minutes to 35 minutes.

In any case, I can't imagine that would be a bad commute at all.

I can't necessarily think of any bad areas of Centreville. On one side it does border along a part of Manassas that isn't great - Yorktown/Manassas Park (this would be heading down 28 South). But I'm racking my brain to think of any areas that aren't nice. I mean, it's possible I just haven't seen them. As much as I hate to say this, you can probably determine a lot by the rent. If it looks like a "great deal" then maybe there is a problem. But not always.

Oh wait, I pass a trailer park heading down Stone Road, but on the opposite side is a nice large townhouse community.

That's about all I can think of!!