Manassas-good neighborhoods vs. iffy ones? (Sudley, West Gate: sale, apartment complex, foreclosure)

[ngadude]

Originally Posted by Bigfoot424

It's become a higher crime area over the years. More so then I would like to live in. Most all of Manassas is culturally and racially diverse.

I lived in Point of Woods from 1983 - 2008. Actually, I still own a townhouse there but it is under contract and if all goes well go to closing on 3/25.

Quite frankly, the neighborhood changed a lot in that time. And, it has seen its fair share of crime. There's a lot of just broken glass, graffiti, and so on from the end of the neighborhood down toward Stonewall Park.

Yes, it is diverse so if you are looking for that, you'll definitely find that. BUT, there have been problems with overcrowded townhouses. The one next to me at times had 15 people living in it. I complained to City of Manassas and for awhile they were very good about getting it cleaned out, but later on became not so good. Also, my townhouse got broken into - and it had to be by someone who noticed my car was not parked out front one night - as I was very very good about having lights go off with timers and so on. I am fairly sure it was one of the occupants of one of the overcrowded townhouses on my block.

Anyway, all of those things made me move out in 2008. I rented my house out for a year, but did not like being a landlord. The property management company picked someone who in the end, did not pay the last 3 months' rent and had to be evicted. They trashed the place on the way out - it was in pristine condition before they rented, with new carpet, new paint, etc.

In short, I'm kind of glad I should be free of the property on 3/25.

Would I recommend Point of Woods as a place to live? Well, not really - but as other posters have said, the place is changing fast. The house next to me - eventually foreclosed and now there appears to be someone nice living in it. Mine may be being bought by an investor - it is very hard to tell though what the buyer's intentions are. I sort of don't care, I'm happy to sell and get money out of it, and be done with Point of Woods.

The last few years I found it a very noisy place to live, people coming/going all hours of the day and night - honking horns in the middle of the night because they were waiting to pick someone up and don't feel like ringing a doorbell. Loud music sometimes playing in the middle of the night!

I wouldn't recommend it as a place to raise a family, to be quite honest.

Really, I'm glad to be out of there. It was a great neighborhood for the first 15 years or so I was there. The last 10 years, not such a great neighborhood...

Hope that helps. Sorry for the long reply. Bigfoot24 kind of summed it up well, I think.

[ngadude]

Originally Posted by marchar123

The neighborhoods are safe. What are looking for in a neighborhood? The area is diverse - 50% Hispanic, 25% White, 15% Black, 10% Asian.

Maybe 10% Asian in some places. Not in Point of Woods. My wife is Chinese - but I'd say she was one of a very few Asian (even if you include people from India and places like that) in Point of Woods. Point of Woods - if it is 3% Asian it is a lot. I would bump up the Hispanic number to maybe 55% actually. There's a lot of overcrowded townhouses there so the Hispanics may not be in 50% of the townhouses, but they definitely account for more than 50% of the population.

For the Manassas area as a whole those statistics might be more accurate.

[ngadude]

Originally Posted by Bigfoot424

I'd steer clear of Point of Woods. Is Paradise the ones off of Plantation Lane? If so, pretty decent area.

I'm glad you said that - as I know you have law enforcement background from other posts you've written on here in the past. Really, Point of Woods used to be a great place to live for the first 15 years I was there. The last 10 years? Not so great.

Again, I can't really recommend it as a good place to raise a family. I think there are lots better places, for a similar price as far as either buying a house or renting one, in the Manassas area.

I don't really know much of the Plantation Lane area - it looks nice, but that's my only knowledge of it - just passing by it all the years I was living in Point of Woods.

[Bigfoot424]

Originally Posted by ngadude

I'm glad you said that - as I know you have law enforcement background from other posts you've written on here in the past. Really, Point of Woods used to be a great place to live for the first 15 years I was there. The last 10 years? Not so great.

Again, I can't really recommend it as a good place to raise a family. I think there are lots better places, for a similar price as far as either buying a house or renting one, in the Manassas area.

I don't really know much of the Plantation Lane area - it looks nice, but that's my only knowledge of it - just passing by it all the years I was living in Point of Woods.

Many years ago Point of Woods was the place to live. It still has plenty of good people but overall the neighborhood has declined to the point I wouldn't live there.

[adolpho]

My parents live in Wellington and I drove a bus for the City of Manassas between 2006 and 2008. I substitute teach there, when I am in the area. The whole Liberia Rd. area has deteriorated as much if not more than any part of the City. Stonewall used to be real nice. There is a large gang problem through there. It is about 2/3 Hispanic, and of those, 3/4 are Salvadoran, and they were certainly a cause of much more than their fair share of trouble on the bus.

If I could get a SFH in Wellington for about 160K (they are 230+); I would consider that if my commute was closeby, otherwise I would be looking elsewhere. In fact, I have an offer in a home in a much better location in Central Phoenix,; a small 2/1 936 sf, built in 1949, on a 7450 sf lot. 39,900.

[Dazed&Confused]

Thanks to all for your help! I will be ruling out Point of Woods!

[ngadude]

Originally Posted by Bigfoot424

Many years ago Point of Woods was the place to live. It still has plenty of good people but overall the neighborhood has declined to the point I wouldn't live there.

Indeed, when I bought my townhouse new there in 1983 it was the place to live. But now, it no longer is a good place to live as you say. There are still some nice people there, but unfortunately a lot of undesirables have moved in - mainly those who rent and live 10-15 to a townhouse. It is changing quickly though - as many townhouses have sold lately - but are being bought by investors. Depending on what they do with them, that could help the neighborhood or make it worse - if they also rent to 10 or 15 people at a time. All I can say is, I'm glad to have moved out in October 2008 and after renting for a year (and that being sort of a disaster) i'm happy that my townhouse is under contract and ready to go to closing on 3/25. Too bad what happened to Point of Woods, but maybe somehow the neighborhood will improve again.

[ngadude]

Originally Posted by Dazed&Confused

Thanks to all for your help! I will be ruling out Point of Woods!

I think that's the wise choice. I hate to be so negative about it - but I can't really recommend it as a place to raise a family, and I also wouldn't recommend it to anyone I know - even someone who is single. It just isn't the place it used to be, unfortunately.

[Dazed&Confused]

Oh Lord no. The last thing I want to do right now is buy a house. I'm not even sure what area I want to be in yet. Thanks for the suggestion anyway.

[Tish Thompson]

What he said, but for no other reason than I think Paradise is prettier than Point of Woods. Paradise is off of Sudley Manor, headed toward Bristow.

Originally Posted by Bigfoot424

I'd steer clear of Point of Woods. Is Paradise the ones off of Plantation Lane? If so, pretty decent area.