Prince William County (Alexandria, Manassas, Woodbridge: houses, live in, restaurants)

[NorthEast Coast 202]

What do you guys think about PWC?

To me it's the gateway to southern culture and classic American suburbia mixed in with "country". Woodbridge and Manassas seem to have a rivalry but both lack what the other has.

[Bigfoot424]

I've been in PWC since 73 but I'm not quite sure what point you are trying to make. It has its good along with its not so good. Want to be more specific?

[ChristineVA]

Well, I live in PWC (Woodbridge) and I don't notice any southern culture or "country." That may have been the case in the 70s and 80s, but those features have moved on down to Stafford and points south.

[HokieFan]

Originally Posted by ChristineVA

Well, I live in PWC (Woodbridge) and I don't notice any southern culture or "country." That may have been the case in the 70s and 80s, but those features have moved on down to Stafford and points south.

I get a southern culture/country feel around the Nokesville area - generally speaking, the areas along Rt. 28 south of the PW Pkwy. Even along the PW Pkwy between Hoadley Road and Liberia Avenue is countryish.

However, I don't really feel a rivalry between Woodbridge and Manassas.

[NOVA_guy]

There's not really anything southern about Woodbridge.

[PK12]

Depends where in PWC, I guess.

Woodbridge and Manassas are neither southern/country, nor classic American suburbia.

I consider them to be middle class exurbs of a major international city

[ChristineVA]

Originally Posted by HokieFan

I get a southern culture/country feel around the Nokesville area - generally speaking, the areas along Rt. 28 south of the PW Pkwy. Even along the PW Pkwy between Hoadley Road and Liberia Avenue is countryish.

However, I don't really feel a rivalry between Woodbridge and Manassas.

Do you mean "country" or rural. I've been in both of those areas and they are certainly more wooded with large parcels of land, the vibe is not "country" from the people who live there. I guess when the OP talked about southern culture and country, it was more of a vibe in the culture.

[HokieFan]

Originally Posted by ChristineVA

Do you mean "country" or rural. I've been in both of those areas and they are certainly more wooded with large parcels of land, the vibe is not "country" from the people who live there. I guess when the OP talked about southern culture and country, it was more of a vibe in the culture.

I don't know anyone who lives in that area so I don't know if the people are country. The area strongly resembles where I grew up which was rural/country. Large parcels of land with homes, farms, farmhouses, brick ramblers, barns about to fall in, horses, cows, llamas (or alpacas - not really sure which), etc.

Every time I drive through I appreciate the country feel that area has - too bad the commute would be unbearable.

[e2ksj3]

I live in Manassas, but I think the area is pretty much like the rest of Northern Virginia. Historically it is southern, but now very suburban and some rural areas with a mix of people from all over the world.

I don't know if there is much rivalry between Woodbridge and Manassas. In some places the two overlap, like the Hoadly Road area. I guess it more or so depends on where you work. I picked Manassas since it was closer to Dulles, if I worked in Alexandria, I would probably have moved to Woodbridge.

I do agree with you when you say one lacks what the other has. Manassas has a better historical downtown with shops and restaurants, while Woodbridge has Potomac Mills and an overall better retail scene, IMO.

[justtitans]

For someone who grew up in PG County and lives in PWC now, it definitely has a bit of a 'country feel'. The pace is a little bit slower and people are much more friendlier than they are closer to the city. I think it also depends on the part you live in too. I don't think places like Gainesville feels southern, but Old Town Manassas has that very classic colonial Virginia feel to it, that makes you feel less like you are in NoVA.