Needing information on Woodbridge (Dale City, Manassas: apartment, rental, condo)

[c3daddyo]

Hello all,

I have been offered a position with General Dynamics in Woodbridge. I will be moving from Florida if I accept the position.

Here is what I need. Currently I am paying $1300 a month for a 3 bedroom apartment. Would like to find a rental house with 3 or more bedrooms. Can I rent one for less or about the same? What is average utilities cost? How are the schools? Are there any schools for special needs children? Is it cheaper to rent in the surrounding areas and drive in to Woodbridge? What is there to do for teenagers after school hours? Is there a good church to attend?

Any recommendations and comments are welcome. I need this info ASAP, because if I take the job, they are asking me to start on Jan. 8th. Looking forward to hearing from some of you, soon.

[DavidS827]

There are approximately 30 homes in Woodbridge and the surrounding counties (Fauquier and Stafford) that are for rent at $1300 or less. At first glance, the homes in Fauquier seem to be the nicest ones. That county is to the west of Prince William (the county Woodbridge is located in) and is mostly rural, so there wouldn't be a lot to do for a teenager. Prince William is probably the best of the ones I have listed for that. It has the most shopping, moveis, ect. The schools here are great, so don't worry about that. I don't know about special needs schools , someone else may be able to chime in. I would estimate utilities to be about 200 - 250, but will depend on whether the house has gas or electric or both and how many square feet it is. There are also plenty of churches, so i'm sure you'll be able to find one that suites your needs.

Good luck and Merry Christmas!

Dave

[c3daddyo]

Thanks for the information. And Merry Christmas.

[PMguy]

I have lived in Northern Virginia for much of my adult life. Moving farther out as developers have taken much of the undeveloped land and paved over it. I currently live mid Prince William County on acreage near the Fairfax County line along the Occoquan River. I have many friends that have moved to the Woodbridge area and love it. $1300 in rents in this area will most likely afford a Townhome or condo.
The village of Occoquan is delightful for restaurants’, specialty & antiques shops. If that is appealing, you also have a small town to the west called Manassas offering pretty much the same. If you like river activities, you have both the Occoquan and Potomac rivers nearby for boating, fishing, and water skiing. And you can still get into DC for evening shows, fine dining or weekends at the museums.
As with any metropolitan areas, there are good sections and there are some that are not so good. But on the most part there is plenty to do, local recreation centers, pools, and schools offer great programs for kids. This area is affordable compared to Fairfax and inside the beltway but not as affordable as Stafford and Fredericksburg. Be prepared, prices are high and traffic is horrible

[delmarva]

Woodbridge has always been the armpit of Northern Virginia. Traffic, strip malls, trailer parks, poor schools. Throw in waves of illegal immigrants hanging around your local 7-Eleven and intoxicated GIs speeding up and down Rt 1 between Ft. Belvoir and Quantico. Rt 95 is a nightmare made worse by Potomac Mills. Avoid at all costs.

[jessnboys]

Just wanted to clarify that yes, parts of Woodbridge are like what delmarva said above... strip malls, bad schools, trailer parks but it is predominantly east of Route 1. Having said that, the building that is going on there is crazy and gorgeous homes are being put up all over that area that are close to a million dollars. Belmont Bay, River Oaks, the new Cherry Hill development... all beautiful but definitely surrounded by areas in need of revitalization. Woodbridge is HUGE though and west of Route 1 and 95 are some really nice areas divided by not so nice Dale City.

The northern part has called itself Lake Ridge (even though it is part of Woodbridge) and has beautiful homes, tons of mature trees, homes on the Occoquan river, great schools, wonderful sense of community. South of Dale City (again still Woodbridge) is Montclair (22026) which is similar to Lake Ridge (beautiful homes, mature trees, 3 great elementary schools) and is centered around a lake with beach access and golf course.

Plus as you head west towards Manassas on the Prince William Parkway, there are a number of beautiful communities and they're still building more. Down on 234, the Manassas zip code comes close to Montclair with the community Ashland which is only 10 years old and just recently finished building. Beautiful new homes, some trees, great elementary school. Finally, there are tons of new home developments in and around this area. Saratoga Hunt, Lake Terrapin, Winding Creek Estates. All Woodbridge but nothing like what's off of Route 1.

The Woodbridge area encompasses the entire eastern portion of Prince William County so very hard to generalize based on the sh!@#t on Route 1.

[Michelle Boyle]

I would have to agree with jessnboys. I live in Lake Ridge, and it's beautiful here. Yah, you don't have to drive far (ie. route 1) to find some less than desirable neighborhoods, but in general it is a great place to live. There is also a lot of redevelopment going on along the route 1 corridor. So to say that Woodbridge is an armpit, is an insult. There are many great neighborhoods in and around that area.