relocating> How is Bull Run nowadays? (Alexandria, Burke: HOA, condos)

[unamsaying]

Hey guys!

Just wanted to know - I currently live in Burke and works near Fairoaks mall.
I am getting married soon and we were doing many different research... but we decided to go little safer with housing cost and dropped our limit to $300k, in case one of us goes out of work or something for few month and the other one can still maintain the cost of living overall.
We found a perfect house in Bull Run, right off the I66 exit - probably 5 minute drive once you get off... it's where the taco bell and all those mall area is, north western side of intersection between Sudley Manor Road & Ashton Ave.
I just wanted to ask - I know Manassas in general has infamous reputation - but is it really that bad to live in, especially in Bull Run area? To me it looked okay, compared to the rest of Manassas area that we've been to while house hunting - and my neighborhood looks rather safe with actually functioning HOA that maintains the neighborhood... and I really love the fact that I can get an actual townhouse rather than one of those townhouse-style-condo bull****. I am really against condo ownership, I'd go for fee simple anytime... which was one major reason that I turned down the newly built condos of Falls Grove about 10 minutes away.

Here are some major questions:

1. How is Bull Run area vs rest of Manassas?
My major concerns are physical safety/smaller crime rate/people/dog-friendlyness/possible redevelopment (resale value going up or at least stays same - rather than going down)... we don't have kids so we are not too much worried about that

2. Any vegan friendly restaurants here? I am not a vegan, but my fiance is.

3. What would be perks of living in PW County, compared to Fairfax County? and Cons?


Thank you!!!!

[Middlin]

I would definitely look at a site like spotcrime and see how comfortable you feel being so close to certain crimes.

[unamsaying]

I guess not too many people have much to say about that area?

[Bigfoot424]

Originally Posted by unamsaying

I guess not too many people have much to say about that area?

You just posted this am. Jeez. Give people a chance. While there are much worse areas in and around Manassas this area is far from perfect. But overall it really is not a high crime area. Most crime tends to stay in localized areas and where you're looking I always thought it was a decent area before retiring from PWCPD. What street are you looking at?

[unamsaying]

Originally Posted by Bigfoot424

You just posted this am. Jeez. Give people a chance. While there are much worse areas in and around Manassas this area is far from perfect. But overall it really is not a high crime area. Most crime tends to stay in localized areas and where you're looking I always thought it was a decent area before retiring from PWCPD. What street are you looking at?

Hey! Thank you for the reply, it's just that last two posts that I posted here usually were answered pretty quick... I guess you guys spoiled me a bit

The street is called Flager Circle - sounds like a good neighborhood to you?

[Bigfoot424]

Originally Posted by unamsaying

Hey! Thank you for the reply, it's just that last two posts that I posted here usually were answered pretty quick... I guess you guys spoiled me a bit

The street is called Flager Circle - sounds like a good neighborhood to you?

Close to Coverstone which blows but far enough away where you should see little to no issues. It's a nice area but will have an occasional quality of life call there but this can happen in the best of areas.

[unamsaying]

Originally Posted by Bigfoot424

Close to Coverstone which blows but far enough away where you should see little to no issues. It's a nice area but will have an occasional quality of life call there but this can happen in the best of areas.

Coverstone... thank you, I will make sure we keep ourselves distant from that area.
What about Barron Park next to Coverstone? It seems like the only green area around, and we have an active lab who loves to walk on green area... would it not worth going there, should I just drive bit further and head to Bull Run Park or something?

I knew that Georgetown South had some infamy, and now Coverstone... are there any other areas that we should watch out with?


By the way thank you so much for the info, very valuable since I had none to very little about this area...

[Bigfoot424]

Coverstone was a problem when I started in 79. Will always be a problem. Was a terrible crack neighborhood for years for the western end of PW. And with that I'd avoid Barron Park. At least at night.

[unamsaying]

Originally Posted by Bigfoot424

Coverstone was a problem when I started in 79. Will always be a problem. Was a terrible crack neighborhood for years for the western end of PW. And with that I'd avoid Barron Park. At least at night.

Thank you, sounds like you probably have saved my life since I like to walk at early night time around 7pm lol

Are there any dog parks around? Or any dog-friendly areas?

[gomason]

I used to live pretty much exactly at that intersection until a few years ago. I'd say that neighborhood and the area off of Hastings Drive are the best parts of Mannassas. I wouldn't worry about crime - some petty stuff like car break ins on the street. I don't think I've heard of anything serious ever in that area. Pretty dog friendly with walking trails.

That area is only getting more and more developed. I lived off of Sudley Manor before the bridge was built that connected to Bristow/Gainesville. It was amazing to watch the traffic on Sudley Manor skyrocket. It should be noted that the Virginia Railway Express is currently studying adding a train station on Sudley Manor or adjacent Wellington Road. That would be a huge resale boon to be able to advertise for trains going into Alexandria/DC within a mile.

The cons are just about everything: traffic is horrendous (depends how far youre commuting though I guess), schools aren't as good as Fairfax, and the restaurant/bar scene blows in comparison to Fairfax (im a foodie so this probably matters more to me than you). You get what you pay for though - there's a reason the housing is cheaper.