Questions about Stafford

[buffy9678]

The new Falls Run branch of the Central Rappahannock Regional Library is opening later this year off Rt 17, it looks beautiful. The library system is fantastic, I used to work for them before staying home with my baby--the staff is friendly and knowledgeable and they do a lot with a little budget. There just aren't enough libraries in the area (we need funding!), but the few that are here are first rate and nationally recognized.

I've lived in North-western Stafford for over three years and love it. I've never heard of any stigma with western Stafford although some neighborhoods aren't great looking. But even the not-so-great looking ones would be considered nice and low-crime when compared to parts of NoVa or suburban MD (I've lived and worked in these other areas too). Some of the nice North/western neighborhoods are Augustine, Amyclae, Berkshire, Hampton Oaks, Austin Ridge, Autumn Run.

I wish we had more shopping, too. Stafford Marketplace is nice off Garrisonville and we are an easy distance from Central Park/Spotsylvania Towne Centre. And not a bad drive from Potomac Mills, etc. I'd lived in Fairfax and PW Co, and wouldn't trade Stafford (thankfully I don't have to commute to DC though).

[NOVAmosquito]

We are planning to move to Stafford at the end of this Spring or beginning of Summer and am I hoping someone can address a few questions I have.
1. What do children do in the summer? In Fairfax county, there are lots of "pool clubs" that offer swim team and tennis - but you don't have to live in a certain neighborhood to join. I haven't seen this in Stafford. Are there any neighborhoods that offer pool/tennis/teams as part of a HOA?
2. We've looked at the Augustine neighborhood which seems to offer some of these amenities, but it's awfully expensive. Is it worth it? Any other neighborhood recommendations?
3. Any suggestions on the best schools? We were primarily thinking Brent or Winding Creek ES, Thompson MS and Mountainview or Colonial Forge HS. Are you happy with the school system?
Thanks for any and all advice!!

[FLgirl367]

Woodland pool is near Augustine but is actually located in a nice nearby (older) neighborhood. Check the Parks and Rec book link below for info on it.

Stafford Parks and Rec link (http://stafford.va.us/Parks/ - broken link).

Woodland Wahoos Swimteam site.

Curtis Park Swim Team
Curtis park is located in the Hartwood district.

The Parks and Rec Booklet (http://stafford.va.us/Parks/Activities_Booklet/asset_upload_file9_5213.pdf - broken link) is online. I'd start browsing that.

We take our kids to swimkids right now. We are equidistant from the Fredericksburgh and the Port Potomac sites.

We live on acreage, so I don't know a lot about the neighborhood amenities. The only school I haven't heard good things about is Moncure Elem. I've heard good things about all the schools on our side of the county (Stafford Elem, Stafford Middle, and Brooke Point High.)

A lot of children I know play soccer and tee ball through parks and rec.

If you are going to join a church, I'd look into some vacation bible school summer programs to get to know people as well.
Best of luck.

[Diplowife]

Hi! Stafford IS a city, and a nice one at that. We moved here in Nov. 2009 and are really, really happy with our choice. At the moment, I stay at home with my two elementary-school-age children and my husband commutes into DC every day for work.

We chose (North) Stafford for many reasons, including lower taxes, fewer renters, low crime, and stable development. With use of the HOV lanes, the work commute into Washington DC is less than an hour (but far more than that if you are just using I-95).

For us, Stafford is a perfect balance between suburban comforts and proximity to all that Washington DC has to offer. The schools and community cohesion are excellent; if you have children I would suggest going in for a tour of the school and asking about parental involvement in the PTO. We have lived all around the world and one consistent factor I've seen in the success of a school's environment is the involvement of the parents.

I agree with a previous post which indicated that there is not a lot by way of commercial development. There is a nice, relatively new shopping area with a Kohl's, Best Buy, Target, Ross, TJ Maxx, Michael's, Chili's, Applebee's, Shopper's Food Warehouse, Payless, Lowe's, 5 Guys, and more. All the stores are clean and tidy. There is only one movie theater in town. However, there is a brand-new hospital and a medical center under construction. Again, as for our choice we preferred to move to an "up and coming" area that still had plenty of green space but wasn't in the country!

There are many new housing developments including Augustine and Austin Ridge. Some older developments which are still quite nice are Park Ridge and Autumn Ridge; Autumn Ridge seems to be holding its value a bit better but it seems like the housing stock is comparable. Good luck in your search!