Gainesville? (Chantilly, Woodbridge, Fairfax: renting, buying a home, safe area)

[Candicem]

Hi. We currently live in Chantilly and we are renting. We are planning on buying a home next year (possibly early summer). We were thinking of South Riding which we do love that area, but I have found a new home community that is being built in Gainesville which is much bigger and cheaper. My concern is that we have 2 school aged kids (K and 2nd grade) and I was wondering how the schools are over there? We are in the Fairfax County part of Chantilly and their current school is amazing! We would buy a home right here, but it is more expensive in our current neighborhood. So, I was just wondering how the schools are over there and also if it's a safe area. My husband works grave shift at work and so I need to feel safe when he is at work. Thanks!

[HereinVA]

You don't mention which community you are talking about, so it's hard to say for sure--but in general the schools in Gainesville are very good.

Gainesville is very safe. I live next door in Bristow--very similar. My husband travels a lot for work so I am often home alone with the kids and always feel safe. I've gone for runs/walks in the early morning/late at night and had little-no concerns. It's important to take reasonable percautions whereever you live--but I don't think you need to go through any extraordinary measures in this area at all.

[Candicem]

ok well that sounds great. I love to run and it would be great to be in a neighborhood where I can do that and not worry too much. The community that I was looking at is the Somerset townhomes. We are going to go out there on Thursday afternoon and check out the area and take a look at the townhomes to see if we like it and even talk to them to see if they would have any that would start building late spring/early summer. We just don't want our kids to have to change schools mid year which is why we think it would be easier on them if we waited until June to move. Thank you for the information!!

[Bigfoot424]

Gainesville is a nice safe area. I saw it grow from a small community with almost nothing there from the early 70's to now a nice place to raise a family. There is an apt complex there in Somerset that had its fair share of issues before I retired from the PD in 09 but it certainly was nothing like a crack neighborhood or anything like that. The calls for service there were what you see in most every apt complex. RT 29 can get heavy at times with traffic but once you get to know the area there are some back roads you can use. Quite a few DR's offices have popped up there, a Cancer center, Wegman's and many other stores, especially in the complex at RT 29 just off 66.
Although my kids did not go to school in Gainesville I know the schools there are nice and safe and they have good reputations. You can't go wrong in either South Riding or Gainesville.

[marie5v]

Gainesville is quite safe. I haven't ever even seen a "bad" part of it. Look online for the school demographics, but they are probably pretty good since most people in Gainesville are professionals and as far as I know there is no large low-income or esl population that would cause difficulties for the school system.

[ChristineVA]

Originally Posted by marie5v

Gainesville is quite safe. I haven't ever even seen a "bad" part of it. Look online for the school demographics, but they are probably pretty good since most people in Gainesville are professionals and as far as I know there is no large low-income or esl population that would cause difficulties for the school system.

Okay, I'm going to say something really un-PC. I went to Gainesville for my very first visit yesterday. That was the whitest, most un-diverse place I've been to lately short of visiting my daughter at her university, which is about as opposite of diverse as one could get. I don't usually pay attention to that sort of thing but it was striking. Yet only 40 minutes from my house.

[spleuchan]

Originally Posted by ChristineVA

Okay, I'm going to say something really un-PC. I went to Gainesville for my very first visit yesterday. That was the whitest, most un-diverse place I've been to lately short of visiting my daughter at her university, which is about as opposite of diverse as one could get. I don't usually pay attention to that sort of thing but it was striking. Yet only 40 minutes from my house.

I'm not sure you can make much of a judgement on diversity on one visit. It actually is a pretty diverse area. As you can see from the student demographics report PWCS puts out, the elementary schools in the area are about 50-60% white, with 40-50% minority (Piney Branch, Buckland Mills (Somerset), Glenkirk, Bristow Run). http://facilitiesservices.department...a53bf3fcbdf8ed

Sure, there are higher levels of minorities in woodbridge, but compared to the US, Gainesville is very diverse. My wife and I really like the area and feel it is a good place to raise children. When we were looking, we looked at South Riding and it was more expensive and had pretty low flying aircraft when we visited. We ultimately chose Haymarket, but our second runner up house was in Gainesville.

[ChristineVA]

Originally Posted by spleuchan

I'm not sure you can make much of a judgement on diversity on one visit. It actually is a pretty diverse area. As you can see from the student demographics report PWCS puts out, the elementary schools in the area are about 50-60% white, with 40-50% minority (Piney Branch, Buckland Mills (Somerset), Glenkirk, Bristow Run). http://facilitiesservices.department...a53bf3fcbdf8ed

Sure, there are higher levels of minorities in woodbridge, but compared to the US, Gainesville is very diverse. My wife and I really like the area and feel it is a good place to raise children. When we were looking, we looked at South Riding and it was more expensive and had pretty low flying aircraft when we visited. We ultimately chose Haymarket, but our second runner up house was in Gainesville.

You are correct and I probably shouldn't have even mentioned it but it was VERY evident. I did mention it to my best friend who has family that have lived there since the 80s and she goes out there often and she said "Oh yeah." I do believe your stats that you posted but wow, it was a huge difference from, of course, Woodbridge where I live and the many other areas in Fairfax where I spend too much time!

[spleuchan]

Also, FYI Buckland Mills Elementary is very overcrowded (over 1,000 children). However, in 2 years a new elementary is suppose to open in Haymarket that will significantly reduce this.

[spleuchan]

Christine, you quoted me too fast, before I realized I typed "a great place to race children" instead of raise children