Where would you live and why? (Chantilly, Manassas: home, neighborhoods, buying)

[mrSouth]

Haymarket, Gainesville or Woodbridge?

[ashbrn4]

Why do you ask and what are you looking for?

[DavidS827]

I vote for either North Gainesville or Haymarket as they are basically one in the same....but my vote is biased because that is where I currently live. However, I am a life long resident of NOVA, so I know the entire area very well. The schools here are as good as any you will find in Loudoun or Fairfax and there is very little (if any) crime. They just broke ground on what will be a state of the art hospital in Haymarket, they are building a new library and there are at least 2 town centers that should be completed within the next 3-5 years. I also like the protection from sprawl that the Rural Crescent provides...the Rural Crescant is a conservation effort that requires that each home have 10 acres associated with it. That's not to say that each home has a ten acre lot, just that if you have a small lot (say 1/2 acre or less) your community will have a tremendous amount of common grounds for the neighborhood to use. To my knowledge, there isn't another area in NOVA that can say that.

[vasinger]

Well I wouldnt want to live in northern virginia again to save my life. But I would go with haymarket. It has a lot of character.

Woodbridge is very vanilla.

[ashbrn4]

The commute from all 3 is a pain. I work in Chantilly with people who live in all three and they all have commuting stories. Hmmm, I-66 or I-95 in bumper to bumper traffic. I'll stay in Ashburn.

[EricD]

I wouldn't consider gainsville or haymarket until I-66 is done being widened... until then, traffic is just going to be a mess. Last I saw they were pretty far along though, so it may be worth buying now, and putting up with the commute until they finish.

Woodbridge isn't that great (east of I-95) maybe if you go to the Lake Ridge area or something... but at least some jobs are moving more that way, so you might be able to shorten your commute. (I'm assuming you work in or near DC)

[Michelle Boyle]

I would say Woodbridge, Lake Ridge to be exact. As long as you stay West of 95. I love it here! Great schools, Great neighborhoods, close to great shopping ect. Actually, they are opening a Wegmans across from Potomac Mills next year, and there is a Harris Teeter, and a bunch of other great stores, restaraunts ect. going along Prince William Parkway between Lake Ridge and Manassas. Besides the traffic on 66 is worse than 95, and only going to get even worse, as they start developing more.

[ashbrn4]

Woodbridge has it's share of problems. The schools aren't that great. I know a couple of people that used to teach there and they had lots of stories. Haymarket and Gainesville both have much better schools. 66 is not worse that 95. I use 66 to 234 to avoid 95 when heading south to Fredericksburg to visit family. Gainesville is getting a Wegman's soon and is an easy drive to plenty of shopping and other amenities. Woodbridge is also very congested and will only get worse.