Subjective Winchester (Arlington, Lynchburg, Manassas: cul-de-sac, foreclosures, loft)

[jacmadhel]

Hi,
I got some great info here before about my possible move to Winchester. I have other rather subjective questions.

1. It is hard to tell which living areas are the most desireable. We have looked online at Brookneil, properties up Apple Pie Ridge Rd, and what we have dubbed "foreclosure alley" on the East side of town near the country club. What are the personalities of these areas?

2. Schools. Which district as a whole is best? We have one in HS, MS and an infant. What is the preschool situation?

We were thinking that locations close to shopping would be good, but maybe not.
Thanks,
Kerry

[LynchburgLover]

Originally Posted by jacmadhel

Hi,
I got some great info here before about my possible move to Winchester. I have other rather subjective questions.

1. It is hard to tell which living areas are the most desireable. We have looked online at Brookneil, properties up Apple Pie Ridge Rd, and what we have dubbed "foreclosure alley" on the East side of town near the country club. What are the personalities of these areas?

2. Schools. Which district as a whole is best? We have one in HS, MS and an infant. What is the preschool situation?

We were thinking that locations close to shopping would be good, but maybe not.
Thanks,
Kerry

Not sure which area "near the country club" you mean. The city limits are at I-81. Inside the city, near the middle school, I could see a lot of problems.

But outside, in Frederick County, the area near the club is lovely. Oakdale Crossing is a large development just past the club on Senseny Road and is very stable. I could see further out Senseny Road and down Greenwood being at risk for foreclosures. There are a couple developments that have had problems with the developer. If you're looking that way, I'd stick with Oakdale Crossing.

It really depends; if you want a "city" neighborhood: Historic District and Meadow Branch are most desirable. "country-ish": out by Apple Pie Ridge or Stonebrook. "cul-de-sac": Oakdale. Obviously, price is a major qualifier.

Schools: again, depends on city or county. People in the city are passionate about John Handley HS. Historic District/Meadow Branch feed into John Kerr Elem. and Daniel Morgan.

county: I think James Woods, Millbrook, Sherando in that order. I don't know anything about the elementary schools.

Preschool: check out the one at First Presbyterian, seems very popular.

There's not a lot of housing close to shopping. The mall, Pleasant Valley Avenue area is very commercial. Creekside Shopping (Talbots, Jos A. Bank, Anne Taylor Loft etc) has a small development behind it near Kernstown Battlefield that is nice.

All depends on your price range. Talk to Colony Realty. (No, I don't work for them but they're old and established)

Good luck.

[jacmadhel]

[quote=LynchburgLover;12424434]Not sure which area "near the country club" you mean. The city limits are at I-81. Inside the city, near the middle school, I could see a lot of problems.

I guess I meant Country Club Estates. The city looks great, but I would rather have a bit more elbow room for our kids.

Another question-- I read a post about Staunton here and it charachterized the people living outside of town as camo-wearing year-round. I have nothing against the hunting lifestyle, my son likes to hunt, I am after a feel for a collective mentality in different parts of the Winchester area.
We are doing a quick visit this weekend. I hope that answers a few questions for us.
Kerry

[LynchburgLover]

You said "most desirable" -- and it is subjective -- country club drive may be named for the club but it's not really the country club crowd. It is less expensive and mixed. More blue-collar. The road behind the club, Oak Ridge Drive & Armstrong Circle and Oakdale Crossing are higher income/white collar types.

Winchester is predominately a blue-collar town but, as with any city this size, there is a small percentage of doctors, lawyers, business owners etc. The areas I listed above are populated by them. Once you are outside of those areas, it tends to be less educated and affluent.

Mostly it depends on your budget. Good luck.

[South Jersey Styx]

Originally Posted by jacmadhel

Hi,I got some great info here before about my possible move to Winchester. I have other rather subjective questions.

Hi Kerry, Welcome to Winchester! I just bought a house in the downtown historic district. Previously lived in DC, then suburban NoVA and decided to head west. So far, the town is great--the people are friendly and there seems to be lots to do like festivals, outdoor activities, and specialty shops. Plenty of shopping in the area unless you're looking for something more/specific.

Sorry can't help about school info as my little ones have grown up. But I hear great things about John Handley H.S.

There have bee some federal government agencies that have recently relocated in the area. And alot of us commute to positions in nearby counties. Thus saying, although the Winchester area has been of a blue-collar flavor, I believe that the demographics are changing. In our household, for example, all adults are in white-collar professional careers.

I am glad you're planning a visit because it's worth driving through and exploring these neighborhoods. If you like historic architecture then you'll really enjoy the town. Best of luck on your move!

[jacmadhel]

Hi All,
I guess we want a somewhat educated crowd socially and perhaps somewhat affluent (by my standards coming from western Pa). THe impression that we have from our research is that Winchester is a small city that has an up and coming culture. I don't need to live on the cutting edge.
Can't wait to visit. I'll be back with more questions after our visit OR we'll be moving to Texas.

[LynchburgLover]

I agree it is growing and changing. As South Jersey said, there are some Federal offices moving in and it's becoming popular for retirement. (Note that his family are white collar professionals and they live in the Historic District.) One wonderful thing about Winchester is the expanse of the Historic District -- it covers a very large section of the city and has a range of prices.

Unfortunately, winter's not the greatest time to visit Winchester. At least the infrastructure construction downtown is almost finished and this weekend is supposed to be warmer! I'm sure you've seen this Winchester VA - Events, Museums, Things To Do In Winchester Va, for Family Fun

And, don't judge it by the Apple Blossom Mall -- it's awful. Creekside Shopping Center on Valley Avenue (Route 11) is better. Unfortunately, as with a lot of small cities, the downtown has been hit hard by the recession. There are some empty storefronts but there are some fun restaurants (Thai Winchester is my favorite), a fabulous local artist (Eugene Smith) and a couple gift shops have survived (check out Simply Charming). There is an historic hotel, The George Washington, that was just renovated with a cute little restaurant, The Dancing Goat.

Texas? Well, that will certainly be different from Winchester!

Good luck whichever way you go.

[South Jersey Styx]

Originally Posted by jacmadhel

I guess we want a somewhat educated crowd socially and perhaps somewhat affluent (by my standards coming from western Pa). THe impression that we have from our research is that Winchester is a small city that has an up and coming culture. I don't need to live on the cutting edge.

You might want to try Middleburg, VA then. It's not far from the Winchester area, east towards Manassas. Lots of rich people over there including political power types and celebrities (i.e., Robert Duvall bought a ranch there and converted the barn to a tango floor!)

[South Jersey Styx]

Originally Posted by LynchburgLover

I agree it is growing and changing. As South Jersey said, there are some Federal offices moving in and it's becoming popular for retirement. (Note that his family are white collar professionals and they live in the Historic District.) One wonderful thing about Winchester is the expanse of the Historic District -- it covers a very large section of the city and has a range of prices.

Hey thanks for the compliment LynchburgLover! I have to add then, after reading the OPs last post, that our household would also fall under the category of "highly educated", more on the intellectual, academic side. I haven't met many people in Winchester yet but have friends of the same social circle come visit from DC and Arlington (and they definitely plan to visit more often especially during the festivals!)

As far as affluent types, everyone so far has been pretty down-to-earth so even the affluent folks that I know are approachable and friendly. When you visit Winchester, take a look at Fairmount Avenue and the western side of the Historic District at the mansions and grand houses there. I think that's the most affluent areas although there are lawyers, bankers, etc. throughout the town. If you're from western PA, I think there was a neighborhood in Pittsburgh called Squirrel Hill that had similar houses? Evenso, you may be surprised by the sticker price of houses in the NoVA area (you'd definitely get a bigger house in western PA than NoVA).

Originally Posted by LynchburgLover

And, don't judge it by the Apple Blossom Mall -- it's awful. Creekside Shopping Center on Valley Avenue (Route 11) is better. Unfortunately, as with a lot of small cities, the downtown has been hit hard by the recession. There are some empty storefronts but there are some fun restaurants (Thai Winchester is my favorite), a fabulous local artist (Eugene Smith) and a couple gift shops have survived (check out Simply Charming). There is an historic hotel, The George Washington, that was just renovated with a cute little restaurant, The Dancing Goat.

Yes, the Apple Blossom Mall is overdue for a facelift. I ate at Thai Wincheser (thanks LL for the recommendation!) last weekend (with my friends from DC/Arlington) and it was very good (although I've had better desserts elsewhere). I am hoping that the downtown area turns around, especially with all the preservation work being done, because it's really nice and the shops there already have the boutique/specialty store flavor found in many historic towns. The Dancing Goat has gotten great reviews so far, including an excerpt of Best Places to Eat in Washingtonian magazine.

[LynchburgLover]

Sorry to hear about the dessert -- their sticky rice leaves me licking the plate!

It's also a shame that Ayla Thomas is closing. It's a cute little gift shop on Kent St. near the Winchester Star. She opened it two years ago and between the economy and the street repair work, it struggled the whole time. (OP: go check it out -- everything's marked 50-60% off!)

Just curious, too, "South Jersey Styx" = lax?