Lake Manassas??? (Vienna, Gainesville, Haymarket: foreclosures, rent, crime)

[BrookeMadison]

I am thinking seriously about about moving to Lake Manassas from Dubai, UAE. Can anybody give me the scoop on this subdivison? or a decent gated community in Gainesville? I will be working in DC near Union Station or Farragut. Is it quicker to take the VRE from Manassas or the Metro from Vienna? Also what would commute times be into DC if I leave around 6 to 6:30am?

[VRE332]

Lake Manassas is awsome. There's a new Wegmans going to open in July in the neighborhood. Take the VRE 1 hour each way from Broad Run station to Union Station. Gated communities are like Dominion Valley or Piedmont in Haymarket. A monthly pass is about $205.00, free parking at VRE station. There's going to be a VRE stop in Haymarket in a few years.

[HEATHER72]

It takes 1 hr 15 minutes from Broad Run to Union Station via the VRE IF it's running on time. That's not including the time it takes to drive from Lake Manassas down to Broad Run and the walking from Union Station to your job. Could easily take 2 hrs one way. It's 1.5 hrs to DC from Gainesville via the Metro if no traffic jam.

Why set on a gated community?

[kevinm]

Always choose VRE over Metro. VRE has restrooms and less stops so the commute is quicker.

[BrookeMadison]

Thanks for the quick replies everyone. I have a few more questions...How often or not does the VRE run on time? Is there ample parking at the Manassas station (Broad Run)? What's the drive time from Lake Manassas to Broad Run in the morning? Does the train get crowded in the morning hours 6-6:30am? And of course the return trip back to Broad Run from DC around 5-6pm? I like the idea of a gated community just to have added security for what it is worth. Is Wegmans similar to a Harris Teeter?

[Azmordean]

Your commute into DC from Vienna on Metro will be much quicker, if only because it is far closer to DC. Also, it avoids the need to transfer to Metro at Union Station if your job isn't near Union Station. So, personally, I would choose Vienna. Commuting from somewhere like Manassas or Haymarket into DC every day is going to be VERY time consuming, even using commuter rail.

Then again, I hate commuting and consider anything over about 25 minutes unacceptable. Others have different views.

[VRE332]

Originally Posted by BrookeMadison

Thanks for the quick replies everyone. I have a few more questions...How often or not does the VRE run on time? Is there ample parking at the Manassas station (Broad Run)? What's the drive time from Lake Manassas to Broad Run in the morning? Does the train get crowded in the morning hours 6-6:30am? And of course the return trip back to Broad Run from DC around 5-6pm? I like the idea of a gated community just to have added security for what it is worth. Is Wegmans similar to a Harris Teeter?

Wegmans is more similar to Harrod's. Wegmans makes harris teeter look like the 7/11

[HEATHER72]

I say Wegmans looks like Vegas meets the grocery store.

[BrookeMadison]

Are there any downsides besides a long commute to living in Gainesville (Lake Manassas). crime etc. I am shocked to see the amount of foreclosures in Lake Manassas and of course the rest of the US. I just read on CNN for what it's worth that home prices prices in NOVA/DC are forcasted to fall another 13% this year. Perhaps I should hold of on the home purchase and rent for a while, however I would hate to lose out on these current interest rates. Strange times we are living in...

[HEATHER72]

Serious crime in Gainesville? No.