Leesburg or Warrenton? (Manassas, Fairfax, Gainesville: houses, schools, restaurants)

[UrbanQuest]

Which is an overall better town? Schools, activities, aesthetics etc..

[bmwguydc]

The schools in the Leesburg area tend to be a bit better than Faquier County, so if the school system is a deciding factor, I would go with Leesburg. Leesburg also has more going on, and a larger population, as opposed to Warrenton. Both are great areas, and Warrenton would have the edge in terms of value, if that's a consideration.

Leesburg is a mix of the historic downtown area and new planned communities between Leesburg and Ashburn, and Leesburg and the areas closer to WV. It's increasingly suburban, whereas houses in Warrenton tend to be set on larger parcels of land, even in the developed communities.

[lovemy4kids]

That's a tough choice.
Leesburg is definitely more developed and you'll have EVERYTHING you could want within 15-20 minutes drive, including the airport. Pretty expensive though, and traffic is heavy.

Warrenton is a little bit more isolated though it has grown in the past few years and has alot of amenities nearby, including some pretty nice restaurants. Warrenton has a small town feel, better traffic and is closer to the blue ridge mountains if you like that kind of stuff. Drive 20-30 minutes North towards Gainesville/Manassas and you'll have everything you'll need. Great wineries everywhere too.

You may want to also consider Haymarket - highly rated schools, right off 66, and close to just about everything you'll need. It's 15-20 minutes closer to Dulles/Fairfax/DC than Warrenton.

[tarp]

Leesburg without a doubt, but you should also consider something closer in because you will find yourself driving into Fairfax County constantly for amenities that you will not find in Leesburg.
Warrenton is even more rural.