Husband will be working in Dahlgren- where to live Fredericksburg or Waldorf? (Falmouth: crime, neighborhoods)

[liljdw]

My husband will be working at Dahlgren. We will be moving fall of 2010. I would like to get some opinions about where we should live. We have a two year old so we would need a nice, family area with good schools. I would also not like to just be out in the middle of nowhere. Waldorf has been recommended to us but it seems like that area may have a lot of crime compared to what i am used to. Also i coudn't find anything saying the schools are that great either. I did come across Fredericksburg so I am curious to see which area would be most recommended- Fredericsburg, Waldorf-MD, or somewhere else perhaps? Thanks

[Alicia Bradley]

Fred! I currently live up in NoVA proper, and I would die to live in downtown Fredericksburg (or Falmouth). I know next to nothing about Waldorf, but my experience living in MD was pretty bad (not that my experience living in VA has been super swell or anything). The suburban areas around Fredericksburg are supposed to be nice and safe and family-oriented and have acceptable pyramids and all good stuff, too.

[claremarie]

As you probably know, Dahlgren is kind of in the middle of nowhere. But Fredericksburg is a real (small) city, as opposed to Waldorf, which is essentially an far-out suburb of DC. No idea what sort of commute that would be for your husband. As far as crime and schools go, that usually follows demographics, so pay attention to the relative housing costs. If it looks like a great deal, there is probably a reason.

[ChristineVA]

I don't know what the commute would be like from either of the places; however, Fredericksburg has my vote hands-down. I work with a lot of people who live in both places and most people from Waldorf aren't overly crazy about their area. Crime is a factor there. I do know of some that work in Dahlgren and they seem to live near or in Fredericksburg.

[Vectorhead]

My husband was stationed in Dahglren several years ago (late 90s). The majority of the people who worked there lived in the Fredericksburg/Stafford/Spotsylvania area. It seemed that almost no one lived in Maryland. The commute isn't too bad -- Fredericksburg and Dahlgren are about 40 minutes apart, and traffic is nothing compared to NOVA.

[akorosdc]

When I went to college in Fredericksburg we always ran into Navy guys from Dahlgren at the bars. I'm not sure about the traffic, but it's mostly smaller roads until you get to 301. If nothing else, it's a pretty ride. If you live across the river near rt. 212 or 218 you'll avoid the traffic on rt. 3 through downtown (though the traffic usually isn't that bad through downtown).

[rubytue]

When I worked in Dahlgren (mid-late 90s), almost everyone live in Virginia. Mostly Fredericksburg/Stafford/Spottsy Co. There were some who lived in MD (Waldorf). Remember, if you live in Maryland, the bridge is toll bridge. You can get a monthly discount, but still you'll have a 30-min drive and a toll, as opposed to a 30 minute drive What I loved about Fredericksburg was my 35 mile drive took me 40 minutes. Not like the DC area LOL

[43north87west]

Fredericksburg has my vote as well. The drive between Fredericksburg and Dahlgren is not bad at all, and there is little traffic. It's a nice area too, plenty of options in terms of neighborhoods. There are a lot of amenities, tons of restaurants, etc. In my opinion, that area is the best choice.

[liljdw]

Thank you so much for the replies! I really think Fredericksburg would be better but my husband likes Waldorf since it is larger but I will let him take a look at this post and maybe he will change his mind! Also while looking around it seems as if there isn't a lot to do in Fredericksburg. We aren't coming from a large area but I would like to have a variety of options to chose from in entertainment. Thanks.

[akorosdc]

^^^ It is a small town, no doubt about that, but it isn't completely dead. It depends on what you like. There's usually live music at several of the restaurants/bars in the area throughout the week (that's what we usually did). For theater and concerts the college tends to host several throughout the year (open to the public). The town itself will have fairs, festivals, or other events. I really miss First Fridays, I don't understand why they don't do it up in DC (the art galleries all open up and offer free wine and hors d'oeuvres).

If you look at the Free Lance Star they usually have listings to give you an idea. Is there that much more to do up in Waldorf? Granted, I've only driven through, but all I remember seeing were standard strip malls.