Moving to NoVA end of December-Gainesville/Haymarket/Bristow

[gigilive]

Nursepractitionermom ...how did things work for you. I lived in Miami and Broward County. In Orlando now.
Loved it but ready to make a move where I can return to earning money.nice salary.

Son wants to go to school in DC or George Mason. Let me know how things are working out for you.

Any apartments close to walking distance to college there?

[Nursepractitionermom]

Originally Posted by gigilive

Nursepractitionermom ...how did things work for you. I lived in Miami and Broward County. In Orlando now.
Loved it but ready to make a move where I can return to earning money.nice salary.

Son wants to go to school in DC or George Mason. Let me know how things are working out for you.

Any apartments close to walking distance to college there?

I moved back my start date a bit so we move in mid-January. We have found a fantastic 3 bedroom TH in Bristow and are very much looking forward to our new home. I am not yet very familiar with the NoVa area so I can't comment on what's around GMU but I imagine all schools have apartments within walking distance. My oldest son also wants to pursue a degree up there, so we'll be touring the schools soon. It's such a beautiful area, full of opportunities and endless things to do! Best of luck on your decision! I'll post updates on our experience!

[Bigfoot424]

Originally Posted by gigilive

Nursepractitionermom ...how did things work for you. I lived in Miami and Broward County. In Orlando now.
Loved it but ready to make a move where I can return to earning money.nice salary.

Son wants to go to school in DC or George Mason. Let me know how things are working out for you.

Any apartments close to walking distance to college there?

If Mason then why not living on campus?

[Hesky]

Originally Posted by Nursepractitionermom

Hello,
I just received a job offer in the Manassas area and will be moving to NoVA from Miami at the end of December. I have family in Warrenton/Gainesville and have started looking in the area for a great place for myself and my 12 year old son (I have an eldest in college, who will be visiting on breaks). For the time being, I am looking to rent. My son is in 7th grade and I am most concerned about his well-being and adaptation. He is a sweet, smart boy, currently in gifted classes, plays the piano, and very much interested in computers (not much of an athlete). I am hoping for a great middle school and a family-friendly neighborhood. We also have 2 older rescue dogs (medium/large) who are friendly and mellow. In terms of a place, we’d like a 3/2 townhouse with a finished basement (coming from Miami, this is a HUGE draw for my son and, I figure, a great place to accommodate visitors) and maybe a small patio. A garage would be great too but I can do without that. Ideally, I would like minimal carpet due to allergies. I’d also like to stay below 2K per month. Any pointers, suggestions as to where this mom can find a wonderful neighborhood where my son can build some great friendships? We are so looking forward to this wonderful adventure, at the same time I am nervous!

Finding houses with minimal carpet is really hard in this part of the country. My wife and I despise carpet, but 99% of the houses we looked at when we were looking for a house had some or a lot of carpet. I would simply reserve a few thousand dollars to remove the carpet, that's what we did. Otherwise your pool of candidates shrinks really fast.

[Nursepractitionermom]

Originally Posted by Hesky

Finding houses with minimal carpet is really hard in this part of the country. My wife and I despise carpet, but 99% of the houses we looked at when we were looking for a house had some or a lot of carpet. I would simply reserve a few thousand dollars to remove the carpet, that's what we did. Otherwise your pool of candidates shrinks really fast.

It was definitely a challenge to find a place with minimal carpet but we did find one where only the top story was carpeted (where the bedrooms are located). The other 2 stories are hardwood, so that worked out well.

Although I can see how carpet may be a warmer option in cold climates, I still don't quite get the wide appeal. Carpets retain so much dirt and dust, they stain easily, are hard to fully clean and disinfect regularly, plus they have to be replaced fairly often. Definitely not the friendliest option for households with kids/pets/ allergy sufferers.

[Hesky]

Originally Posted by Nursepractitionermom

It was definitely a challenge to find a place with minimal carpet but we did find one where only the top story was carpeted (where the bedrooms are located). The other 2 stories are hardwood, so that worked out well.

Although I can see how carpet may be a warmer option in cold climates, I still don't quite get the wide appeal. Carpets retain so much dirt and dust, they stain easily, are hard to fully clean and disinfect regularly, plus they have to be replaced fairly often. Definitely not the friendliest option for households with kids/pets/ allergy sufferers.

Trust me, I agree with you wholeheartedly. The only place where I can stand having a carpet is in a home office because of its sound reduction properties. But there are alternatives tot hat, which unfortunately tend to be more expensive.

[Tzimmerman]

Hello Nurse Mom, You are going to love it here. We live in Bristow... My 13 Y/o is in Middle school at Marsteller... Our 16 Y/O goes to Brentsville in Nokesville. The school system is pretty unique here in PWC. The high school are magnet schools with specialties. Jada our eldest... is in a Cambridge program. Our your daughter wants to go to Osbourn Park for the Bio-Mechanical engineering. We will tour all the schools and she will apply the begging of the year. At Marsteller Middle Hannah is in Adv. science, math, language arts. The schools are great a working with the individual student. You really can't go wrong.

[Nursepractitionermom]

Originally Posted by Tzimmerman

Hello Nurse Mom, You are going to love it here. We live in Bristow... My 13 Y/o is in Middle school at Marsteller... Our 16 Y/O goes to Brentsville in Nokesville. The school system is pretty unique here in PWC. The high school are magnet schools with specialties. Jada our eldest... is in a Cambridge program. Our your daughter wants to go to Osbourn Park for the Bio-Mechanical engineering. We will tour all the schools and she will apply the begging of the year. At Marsteller Middle Hannah is in Adv. science, math, language arts. The schools are great a working with the individual student. You really can't go wrong.

This is so wonderful to hear, thank you! We are a bit nervous but mostly excited. My son really loved Marsteller when we visited and I am so happy to hear so many great reviews from parents. During our visit, the wonderful counselor gave us a tour and explained about all the great programs. My son is coming from the International Baccalaureate here in Miami, which is similar to Cambridge. I am glad to hear that Cambridge is an option in the area. We will definitely look into it!