Burke Vs. Woodbridge (third party candidates also encouraged) (Reston, Manassas: renters, buying a home)

[hendrix32]

Renting in Reston after relocation last summer. Love it, but are open minded about other NOVA suburbs that might be worth buying a home/townhome in. Original thought was to rent for a year while figuring out what neighborhoods might be to our liking, but that has proven to be a daunting task. Plus, we have sticker shock like WHOA.

Could someone please enlighten us on Burke (Fairfax Co), and Woodbridge (PWC)? Specifically interested in:

1. Whether the communities have a "feel" (follow up: what kind?)

2. Are there walking trails and wooded hiking/biking areas? Playgrounds? Which one is more "safe? (meaning, if you go out during daylight hours, you can feel secure of your physical body and possessions assuming you are a reasonable individual who is alert to their surroundings)"

3. does anyone have any insight on the commute to DC? (Currently, Working Spouse takes silver to Federal Triangle. Home Spouse would like Working Spouse's commute to stay around that duration of time, so they can see the kids during the week . Working spouse is open to all options.)

We honestly don't care about "better" schools, as we can assure you either county is "better" than where we moved from.

Is there anything else that might be useful to know about the differences/similarities here? Are there any other towns or 'burbs worth checking out?

Thanks in advance!

[ChristineVA]

I probably can't answer your specific questions, but I will say this as a person who lives in Woodbridge and likes it:

If you have a choice between Woodbridge and Burke, go with Burke. Location, location, location is always the better investment. Plus Burke is a nice place. The only reason I would choose Woodbridge over Burke is if you have to buy a shack or something awful in Burke. I see no reason to go farther south if you don't have to.

[NOVA_guy]

Originally Posted by ChristineVA

I probably can't answer your specific questions, but I will say this as a person who lives in Woodbridge and likes it:

If you have a choice between Woodbridge and Burke, go with Burke. Location, location, location is always the better investment. Plus Burke is a nice place. The only reason I would choose Woodbridge over Burke is if you have to buy a shack or something awful in Burke. I see no reason to go farther south if you don't have to.

Agreed.

The further North the better.

You'll get bigger bang for your buck in Woodbridge but you'll get home faster in Burke.

[johnsonkk]

It depends on what part of Burke to determine if it's faster. Traveling along Old Keene rd during rush hour can take another 15 once leaving 495 or 95 - easy if there is a slightest burb in traffic.

Having lived at both locations, there are more outdoor areas in Burke. Depending on the neighborhood, SFHs give a better vibe than townhouses in Burke due to so many renters in the townhouses.

Woodbridge will also depend on "where" to give an assessment on commute pain. Horner commuter lot makes every commute option look better - slug or bus. If yo live just west of 95 in Woodbridge, you can get at least $200,000 more for your money. SFHs in nicer Woodbridge areas often run between $350-$500k while in Burke, I'm not sure you can still get a SFH for under $500. If you're considering Burke, I'd go with the VRE. It's your quickest to Triangle.

[ChristineVA]

Originally Posted by johnsonkk

It depends on what part of Burke to determine if it's faster. Traveling along Old Keene rd during rush hour can take another 15 once leaving 495 or 95 - easy if there is a slightest burb in traffic.

Having lived at both locations, there are more outdoor areas in Burke. Depending on the neighborhood, SFHs give a better vibe than townhouses in Burke due to so many renters in the townhouses.

Woodbridge will also depend on "where" to give an assessment on commute pain. Horner commuter lot makes every commute option look better - slug or bus. If yo live just west of 95 in Woodbridge, you can get at least $200,000 more for your money. SFHs in nicer Woodbridge areas often run between $350-$500k while in Burke, I'm not sure you can still get a SFH for under $500. If you're considering Burke, I'd go with the VRE. It's your quickest to Triangle.

Yep, this is all true. There are areas in Burke that are WELL off the beaten track. But the VRE is a GREAT option into the DC area and I know someone who does that each day from that area. Of course, you can do that from Woodbridge too but it's not quite as sweet.

johnsonkk is also spot on about the various commute times. Woodbridge is a BIG place. It encompasses three exits off of I95. I happen to live at the third exit down but I am very close to the exit. I can get on I95 in a snap, no backups, no matter what time. There are people who live WAY up Old Bridge (my parents are them) and it's quite a slog (depending how far up you are) to get to I95 or home after exiting I95. A long time ago, I almost bought there but today I thank god I didn't (even though it's a very nice place). My mother has been retired for 2 years and just last week she had to make a commute during rush hour and said she had forgotten just how bad Old Bridge is.

So you really need to think about what you're doing if you buy in Woodbridge.

For the Burke area, you are pretty far off major highway access, and Old Keene Mill can be brutal due to the lights and all the busyness of that road. People who live off the Parkway seem to fair better but it's not really Burke at that point.

[NOVA_guy]

The thing about Woodbridge that's annoying is the best/nice parts tend to be along the most congested roads and further from 95 like going towards Hoadly, Old Bridge and Minnieville which only adds on to your commute.

As ChristineVA said, Woodbridge is a huge area, spans like 3 or 4 zip codes so which specific part you're interested in is super important.

[Oldhag1]

We love living in Woodbridge. I live near the PWC HWY/Old Bridge intersection. My daughter took the Omni bus to DC when she stayed with us and found it took her about 1 hour from door to office. Everyone is right - the Old Bridge to 95 part of the commute is about 1/3 of your commute time. However, my husband has a colleague who lives off route 1 near Port Potomac and it can be worse, I would not voluntarily live there. Another colleague of his lives in Montclair and it's a toss up between, since they opened the HOV lanes, now all depends on the time of day. We do have friends that live in Burke who work in the same building that about 3/4 of the time takes longer than my husband, but I am not sure exactly what part they live in.

I will tell you, though, the everyday errand running around is far easier, not to mention quicker, for me than my friends who live in Fairfax County. Oh, and gas is cheaper, as well as property taxes. The bottom line is that it is cheaper to live here all around.

I think you have a realistic grasp on the school situation. While PWC schools might not be ranked as highly as Fairfax County schools, they are still superior than the vast majority of schools in the nation. I'm a retired teacher who still subs, I have only found 2 elementary schools and 1 middle school that I would think twice about living in the area served by it. I will admit I would fork over money for a private school before I sent my kid to that middle school.

[tgbwc]

All of the above mentioned areas have their pluses. Would you consider West Springfield zip codes of 22153 and 22152? We used to live in Woodbridge near Occoquan Elementary, zip 22192 and liked it. It was easy on/of 95 and very easy to do local errands. This was from '94-'00. My commute, partially up 123, improved when they widened that road. With an expanding family we then moved to the Ashland community which is near Montclair and Forest Park HS. Part of the community has a Woodbridge address, but most of it has a Manassas zip although it's only about 4 miles off of 95. We liked it enough, but our commutes to Springfield were long and got old, so about 7 years ago we moved to W. Springfield. Out of the three this is our favorite neighborhood.

[boyd888]

I don't know as though anyone would say Woodbridge is better than Burke and the other more northern areas, but if you can't afford to live close to DC, it's not like Woodbridge is worse than Burke. Realistically many people live in PWC because they can't afford Fairfax County and there's nothing wrong with that as plenty of development has been occurring in PWC to support the population.

Commute wise, if you aren't driving, could be a wash depending on how close to the VRE/express bus/slug lines you are. Personally I would choose Burke and if you can afford Burke nearby Springfield should also be considered as well (same price range).

[jeff22152]

To the OP:

I second the suggestion above that you take a look at West Springfield along with Burke. They are adjacent to each other and extremely similar -- if not virtually identical.

Burke and West Springfield are decidedly suburban. Their "character" is defined by well-established SFH and townhome neighborhoods with shopping centers along major roads and at key intersections. Communitues are generally 30-50 years old. Most homes and townhomes are well-maintained. There is a notable military presence due to the proximity of Fort Belvoir and reasonable commutes to the Pentagon.

Burke and West Springfield both cater to families. As such, there are ample outdoor and other recreational opportunities that are considered safe. Check out the Fairfax County Parks Authority for details.

Commute times into D.C. vary; however, this is where West Springfield has a slight advantage over Burke, given that it's a bit closer to I-95, I-395, and the Beltway. Several express bus routes connect the area to the Pentagon via the HOV lanes on I-395. Slugging to the Pentagon, Rosslyn, and D.C. is popular with many commuters. Pickup points are easily accessible from West Springfield and most areas of Burke.

I have not lived in Woodbridge. However, I would prioritize Burke and West Springfield for the same reason that others have given above. Good Luck.