Fairfax City vs South Riding vs Brambleton

[PK12]

Brambleton and South Riding may have a lot of commonalities, since they are part of the far out suburbs of Loudoun County.

I personally would pick Fairfax City since it is more urban and walkable, and closer to DC.


And with all due respect, your question was idiotic to begin with, so it deserved a so-called smart ass response, that too between a dense, urbanized suburb and two exurbs.

no one here would be in a position to give you solid responses without getting a sense of your requirements.

[Novamom06]

I think without knowing your distinctive requirements, the best way to distinguish the neighborhoods is age of construction and amenities. Brambleton is still very much under development and the newest of the three. This gives you the newest floor plans and home designs. Brambleton's developer has done a really nice job with the overall landscaping and community amenities and it has a nice town center with a movie theater, Sport and Health club, dining and some shopping. It will be somewhat close to the new silver line metro that will be coming in a few years. If you have kids, the downside is that because the area is still growing the schools fill up fast and there is redistricting. But it is close to many kids activities throughout Ashburn and it takes about 10 min to get to the Dulles Greenway (toll road).

South Riding has been built out and areas of it are starting to show their age, but it is much closer to Fairfax than Brambleton (Brambleton being closer to the Reston area). So if you are looking to get to Fairfax, I would suggest a commute from South Riding. The community is pretty tight knit and established. A brand new shopping center called Dulles Landing will be opening this year and eventually rt 606 will be expanded to get you to the Greenway (and silver line metro) in about the same amount of time as Brambleton.

Fairfax City is older post war construction, mostly renovated, smaller single family homes with a college town feel (GMU). The area is probably not as homogeneous as the communities in Loudoun (generally younger families). Nice area if you want a true walking city with more adult activities and entertainment.

Another option in Loudoun is the Aldie/Stone Ridge area - zip 20105. Lots of new construction and opportunities there. The great thing about NOVA is there is something for everyone! I've lived in the area for almost 25 years, and in many of these communities so if you have any questions please let me know~!

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by tysonsengineer

Its NOVA, there really isn't much of a difference between any of them, the pricing differences are 100% based on psf and location.

That's not true at all! Fairfax City has a large college campus, is more urban than the other two. Those two characteristics give it a very different personality from the other two, and also means the population in that area skews younger. Brambleton and South Riding have a fair amount of similarities, yet they have their own personalities. Even small neighborhoods within communities can have different personalities. In the community I used to live (Cascades) the teachers at my kids school used to say they could usually tell the families that lived Sugarland Run from the families that lives in Lowes Island. Not that one was better than another, but they have differences and attract different personalities.

[dkf747]

There is nothing about Fairfax City that I would consider to be urban. It's closer to DC. The location is better than the other two, but it is suburb all the way. The other two are suburbs as well, but they are so far out that it is difficult to call them that.

[Fredesch]

Fairfax City has been around since 1805. Fairfax City is a city, it's own political entity and not part of a county and has the city form of government vs a county form of government. City of Fairfax, VA : About Us Fairfax City is built out and the area of Fairfax County surrounding Fairfax City is pretty built out. So you won't see shifting school boundaries like you will in Loudoun. You will pay a premium to live in FFX city over Loudoun County.

[jubalslyre]

I grew up in Vienna (VA) and have lived in Fairfax City for 13 years. Both Fairfax and Vienna have a great small-town vibe, (even though Fairfax is a city). Fairfax City has lower taxes than the county and wonderful services. In Vienna they pay town AND county taxes. During the crazy snows this winter, you could call the Snow Desk at the city and have them come and plow you out. One time a few years ago a snow plow pushed a pile of rock-hard ice in front of our driveway, and the city sent a backhoe to remove it within about 15 minutes! The Fairfax City police are separate from the county police, and they really know the neighborhoods and community. There is more of a mix of housing styles than in South Riding and Brambleton, which I tend to think of as huge subdivisions. Housing is expensive, but I think it has more variety and character with older historic houses mixed in with 50's ranches, cape cods, renovations and newer builds. The city has several nice community festivals including a Chocolate Lover's Festival at Old Town Hall in February, a Fall Festival, a 4th of July parade, and a Festival of Lights during the holidays. There are concerts and performances throughout the year at Old Town Hall and the new Sherwood Community Center. The old town area is small but charming with restaurants and shops and has quite a bit of history. It is also very convenient to Rt. 66, Rt. 50, Rt. 29, Rt. 123 and the metro, and the city has its own bus service (Cue bus) which is pretty cheap. We also have many shopping options with Fair Oaks Mall, Wegman's (garage parking for when it's raining!), Costco (although the Fairfax location is often mobbed - go early in the morning if you can!), Whole Foods, Target, Walmart, etc. Not to mention great schools and low crime. All in all, a great place to live. Let me know if you have any other questions!

[gomason]

My take.

Brambleton: If youre a middle aged mother, then you might like it. Otherwise, blah.

South riding: Worse than Brambleton and even more blah.

Fairfax: One of the few places in NOVA with character and has lots to do. (Also has a lot of young people unlike Brambleton and South Riding).

[spencgr]

Originally Posted by gomason

Fairfax: One of the few places in NOVA with character and has lots to do.

You are kidding, right? No character in Old Town, Del Ray, Leesburg, Clifton, or Vienna????

[Ralyks]

Fairfax city has lower taxes and more services included in your taxes than the other areas. There is more to do within walking distance. The traffic is quite bad.

Everyone is saying Fairfax City has more "young people." Outside of the GMU dorms, I'm not sure how true this is. The single family homes in Fairfax City are mostly populated by families or couples in the 35-45 age range. There are town houses with college kids, but those actually tend to be in Fairfax County and not Fairfax City (in that nameless, no-mand's land). Fairfax City's luxury condos are largely populated by retired people.

[midlifeman]

fairfax city is great because of GMU. You have access to the largest university in Virginia and all the amenities that come with it. Like the patriot center, center for the arts, sporting events, and even access to the facilities for a fee. Downtown is small but always has good events going on throughout the year. South riding and brambleton are breeding grounds for young couples.