Why So Few Guard Gated Communities? (Herndon, Fairfax: sales, low crime, neighborhoods)

[CAVA1990]

Are there any in NoVA? I can't think of any off the top of my head. Interesting that there are so many in low crime places like South Orange County, CA but not many around here where it's perceived there's more crime. Different mindset here?

[Deeman804]

Good Question! They have a ton in Miami. Their crime rate as a region is higher, but they have them in low crime areas of western Broward county (Ft. Lauderdale area) as well. I wonder why they aren't found around here. Are we that naive to think that criminals don't have getaway cars?

[LynchburgLover]

Loudoun has a few -- River Creek and Belmont Country Club. I think the Ritz Carleton development on Route 15 is supposed to be and there's always Leisure World.

It's very expensive to have guarded gates and most parts Fairfax where the wealthiest live have low crime levels.

However, everyone has a security system.

[normie]

I think crime level is higher in southern California than it is here. But maybe it isn't a crime issue, maybe it's about prestige. River Creek certainly doesn't have a crime problem... I think they have a guard to keep the looky loos away from the celebrities who live there.

[oneasterisk]

Because us Virginians have our own guns and don't need others to carry them for us... ;-)

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by normie

I think crime level is higher in southern California than it is here.

Maybe around L.A. but I don't think so in South Orange County where a lot of them are. I should amend this to "gated", not necessarily with a guard. Still don't seem to be a whole lot of SFH neighborhoods in that category. Also interesting that the ones mentioned here are further out where crime rates are presumably lower.

[normie]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

Maybe around L.A. but I don't think so in South Orange County where a lot of them are.

Hard to gauge, since there are so many different communities in both Nova and OC, but looking at city-data's statistics, Costa Mesa rates 247.5 on the crime index and Herndon rates 140.6 (higher means more crime, U.S. average = 320.9). I picked Herndon because it has more crime than any other city in the area, so if Herndon is lower I think all the others would be too.

Here are the city data stats:

Herndon-Virginia
Costa-Mesa-California

[CAVA1990]

Costa Mesa isn't where the gated communities are. Look at Laguna Niguel where there's a bunch - 69.0. I don't think crime has anything to do with it.

[Ashburnite]

Originally Posted by normie

I think crime level is higher in southern California than it is here. But maybe it isn't a crime issue, maybe it's about prestige. River Creek certainly doesn't have a crime problem... I think they have a guard to keep the looky loos away from the celebrities who live there.

River Creek has crime but it's mostly by teenagers. It's mostly a prestige thing.

[Margery]

There is a manned gated community near me, at the corner of Algonkian and Cascades Parkways in Sterling. It is called Falcons Landing and is for Air Force Retired Officers. There is a waiting list (it is $10,000 to be put on the list-refunded later). Sales are handled within the community, no Realtors, so I've never been inside.