Need some neighborhood info about S. Manassas\North Woodbridge please (Dale City: day care, affordable houses)

[buzzardman]

Ok...looking to purchase a house in the right in the vicinity of Hoadley Road\Prince William Parkway, Victory Ridge development.

Need some information on what the neighborhood is like.

Some background info:

Currently live in Franconia, which we like, as it's convenient to wife's commute near the Pentagon - she chooses to drive and prefers it.

I'm currently living in NYC but will be relocating.
We have kids; they are living in with the wife and attend a private school in Franconia that goes to grade 8. It's our intention to have them continue to go there, being dropped off and picked up as we commute to work.

I'll establish a few things here:

Yes, I'm familiar with the fact that most of the area around DC is one big suburban sprawl. Coming from NYC (Queens), don't really like it, but don't hate it and sort of accept it.

Springfield\Franconia is nice enough, but basically in our range 400-500,000; in that area, that buys, if you're lucky; one of the larger townhouses, an older home ( more in springfield and getting less convenient) and the shorter commute and nicer\more convienient malls. And good schools, from what I can tell; but we went private anyway.

Yes, we understand that the commute from North Woodbridge\South Manassas is 60-90 minutes. Coming from the NYC area we are quite familiar with the cruel geography\math that the bigger more affordable houses go with the longer commutes.




Sorry for the long first post, background info, but here are the questions:

From what we can see driving around the area (specically close to where we might live) it seems like a nice enough neighborhood, solidly middle clase etc. Any issues, things to know about that neighborhood?

Which HS is that neighborhood zoned for? Is there a HS that we might want to avoid, due to it being zoned in with a bad neighborhood?

These are long distance questions; kids are 4 and 7 and again, our intention is to have them stay in private school until 8th grade.

Also, how are the Grade and middle schools for that area?

Also, just a general assesment of the area\quality of life...etc. Looks to me an area that is on the upswing due to a large amount of building of good quality homes; sort of being the next area to be developed along I95.

I know there are places with more of a "town feel" or are generally considered "better" neighborhoods; but not everyone can drop 650,000 for house...or more.

So, looking for an assesment of the area; particularly what seems to be "Southern Manassa"\border of "North Woodbridge" - forgive my outsider nomenclatures.

Without it turning into a total pissing contest between Nitrovic and Nemesis16; who nonetheless seem to have some valid information to share.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can provide any sorts of insights - all welcome.

[buzzardman]

Where's the love...

[bluiznsmilez]

I just relocated from San Diego (military) but I am originally from Buffalo,New York and Erie, PA (hometown). We purchased in Manassas where our money went way further than anywhere else we saw. We purchased an amazing home for 370k (5 beds, 3 baths,pool, jacuzzi, full basement on 1/3 acre). My husband and I commute together to work and he rides the VRE home. I drop him at the Reagan Building and head to the Navy Yard. I leave early enough that traffic is irrelevant. The VRE is about 2 minutes from our house, and a Christian academy is about 5 minutes from that. I don't know anything about it though. Two of the schools in Manassas are consistently on the top 100 highschools list so I nixed private school. My middle schooler goes to Parkside Elementary, and I like it alot. Manassas is nice, more out of the way than Woodbridge.

[GreenGene]

To find out what schools serve that area, see the PWC school website.

If the Victory Ridge development is close to Hoadly/Pr. William Pkwy, your wife's commute doesn't have to be 60-90 minutes. I'm in the western end of Dale City (not that far from Hoadly), and until we retired in March my wife and I commuted to Capitol Hill every day. We carpooled and used the HOV lanes, and it was generally 45-50 minutes door-to-door ... but we both have lead feet!

[EMTnest]

In terms of schools, PW county has some very solid elementary schools (Westridge, Springwoods etc.). Students have a choice in high schools with their specialty programs so you can pretty much attend HS out of your zoned boundaries (they provide express bus service - central pick up points but you have to get your student to the pick up point). It is the middle schools where choices are iffy especially if you don't want to do the special programs in middle school (IB, Math & Science, Language). I would definitely try to get a place zoned for Benton Middle which does not have a specialty program so you need to be zoned for that school.

[pmbva]

I have lived in that area for the past 4 years and love it. You can check the schools by going to Prince William County Public Schools Web Site - Homepage and searching find my school. You put in the address of the home you are thinking of buying and the schools will come up. All schools are close by and very good so the kids will have a short bus ride.

[EMTnest]

Benton Middle is on Hoadly Road

[buzzardman]

Thank you all for your responses.

From the realtor; here is the info I got:

King Elementary
Beville Middle
Hylton High
Now, my oldest is still 7 years away from HS and a lot can happen to any area, good and bad, in that time, but I got mixed messages on Hylton high by reading the board, but deciphering message boards is a little tricky sometimes.

Again, we are going to keep him and my daughter in a private school in Franconia due to continuity\quality\day care reason - but does anyone have any specific information regarding those schools - recent experience, good and bad

bluiznsmilez - the Christian Academy 5 miles up - what is the name, what grade does it go to and what is it's reputation. Remember, we we might be is on the Northern Woodbridge\South Manassas area - specifically it's on Hoadly Road near a large Mosque

As far as commute - thanks for input. Regardless of where I'll be commuting to, there will always be two kids in the car as far as Franconia, so that will let one of\both of us use HOV - but then there is 10 mins navigating the local roads in Franconia. Good to hear the commute is generally 50-60 mins.
Is 6:45 am early enough on I95 to beat most of the build up from Woodbridge? What we've noticed is that at Franconia, leaving before 7:20, the traffic is tolerable, after that, it gets worse

Thanks for the input so far, looking foward to more insights on the area

[GreenGene]

Originally Posted by buzzardman

King Elementary
Beville Middle
Hylton High
Now, my oldest is still 7 years away from HS and a lot can happen to any area, good and bad, in that time, but I got mixed messages on Hylton high by reading the board, but deciphering message boards is a little tricky sometimes.

Those are the schools the kids in our neighborhood attend. It's been a while - our "kids" are now 28 and 31 - but the youngest attended Beville, and both attended Hylton, and we were pleased with the schools at the time.

Originally Posted by buzzardman

Is 6:45 am early enough on I95 to beat most of the build up from Woodbridge? What we've noticed is that at Franconia, leaving before 7:20, the traffic is tolerable, after that, it gets worse.

I'm not sure that, in 27 years of making the commute up 95, I ever left as late as 6:45.

But after 6:00 it's HOV only, and so by 6:45 all the people who crowd in there just prior to 6:00 should be long gone. And you can access the HOV lanes in several places:

Shortly after getting on the entrance ramp to 95 from Dale Blvd;
Immediately after getting on the entrance ramp to 95 from Opitz Blvd;
Directly from the Horner Road commuter lot; or,
Directly from Rt. 123 (Pr. William Pkwy to Old Bridge to right on 123 - access HOV lanes on the left).

[ChristineVA]

Originally Posted by buzzardman

Thank you all for your responses.

From the realtor; here is the info I got:

King Elementary
Beville Middle
Hylton High

Again, we are going to keep him and my daughter in a private school in Franconia due to continuity\quality\day care reason - but does anyone have any specific information regarding those schools - recent experience, good and bad

I don't think Beville and Hylton are that great anymore. Hylton was the premiere or best high school when I moved here 14 years ago. Now the best are Forest Park and Osbourn Park. As another poster said, all the high schools now have specialty programs so, if your grades are good, you can apply to one of the specialty programs and go to the high school you want.

bluiznsmilez - the Christian Academy 5 miles up - what is the name, what grade does it go to and what is it's reputation. Remember, we we might be is on the Northern Woodbridge\South Manassas area - specifically it's on Hoadly Road near a large Mosque

I know exactly where this is as I often go to the Harris Teeter over there. One thing you've got to think on in that area. Because there is so much building out that way, you now have to deal with heavy traffic going down Old Bridge to hit 95 or the Prince William Parkway. Both are VERY heavy when they didn't used to be.

As far as commute - thanks for input. Regardless of where I'll be commuting to, there will always be two kids in the car as far as Franconia, so that will let one of\both of us use HOV - but then there is 10 mins navigating the local roads in Franconia. Good to hear the commute is generally 50-60 mins.
Is 6:45 am early enough on I95 to beat most of the build up from Woodbridge? What we've noticed is that at Franconia, leaving before 7:20, the traffic is tolerable, after that, it gets worse

I work at the Washington Navy Yard and I leave my house at 5:20 a.m. and I am at my desk at 6:00 a.m. Last year, when I was dropping my daughter off at her bus at 6:00 a.m. and getting a slug and into the HOV lanes, I was having a tough time getting it. It gets VERY heavy, very quickly. I would count on a rough commute leaving the Hoadly area at 6:45. First you will have at least an approximate 10 mile commute to hit 95. It is not gridlock but that will be a rough 10 miles. Then there's the 95 stuff but will be a breeze if you are HOV at that time.