Winchester: What's the "Catch?" (Manassas, Tysons Corner: how much, townhouse, neighborhood)

[Rhett_Butler]

Originally Posted by bmwguydc

The catch is time and money. Winchester is too far for most people to drive, that's why the prices are significantly lower. Geographically, it's in the northern part of the state, but it's the Valley, since NoVa (as in DC-centric and Dulles-centric) does not extend beyond Loudoun. Up to four hours (round trip) in the car, or car to train (MARC) or one of two buses that heads to Rosslyn/DC, is just not feasible for most people everyday, especially if they have a family. Winchester is over 50 miles from Dulles, and over 60 to Tysons. If you have to go Downtown, it's almost 70 miles to some parts of the city. Winter travel can be terrible from Winchester, too, so the time could easily extend beyond what would be reasonable. If one works in the Tri-State, Winchester market, then the problems narrow. But, for the majority of DC and Fairfax/Loudoun commuters, it's too far.

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Four hours is a bit of an exaggeration unless you're talking Fairfax.... Leesburg and Ashburn is an hour each way...

Still would rather commute right around the corner, mind you...

[cdmurphy]

I just got back from my very first trip to Winchester. (The kids were stir-crazy, and all this talk about it made me want to see it for myself.) I went via Route 50 and came home on Route 7 - definitely enjoyed the Route 50 way more, because I like Middleburg and Upperville. I left my house around 10 and saw almost no traffic in either direction once I got west of Route 15. Coming back, I left Winchester around 12:45 and it took just under an hour to get to Leesburg; that was driving right at the limit, with little traffic, but lots of rain. My personal opinion is that Winchester seems like Leesburg (historic area and suburban outskirts), with Charlottesville's pedestrian mall thrown in. Everyone was friendly, but I think most people in my neck of the woods are friendly too.

I can't imagine driving all the way to Tysons from Winchester, even if it's just a few days a week on a flex schedule. RestonRunner, I would recommend that you stay in Winchester overnight and do the drive at the time you would be doing it for real - there and back - and don't just do it once, do it a few days spread out over a couple of weeks. It sounds like a hassle but for a move like that it would be worth it to find out for sure. If money is an issue, you could try couchsurfing.org - there are members from Winchester (could also be a good way to meet interesting people there). That kind of a commute is draining. I did a three-hour a day commute for over two years, and I did not get to enjoy the wonderful community in which I live because the few hours I was home and not sleeping, I was tired and had to do house-related chores. It was awful. And that was with a flex schedule (every other Friday off) and working from a satellite office in Ashburn every Monday.

[Denton56]

Originally Posted by Rhett_Butler

Four hours is a bit of an exaggeration unless you're talking Fairfax.... Leesburg and Ashburn is an hour each way...

Still would rather commute right around the corner, mind you...

OP works in Tysons Corner.

[Rhett_Butler]

Originally Posted by Denton56

OP works in Tysons Corner.

Ewww... Yeah, you're talkin' at least 3 hours round trip in the traffic... Probably closer to 3 1/2.....

[South Jersey Styx]

Getting into this thread which is already revving up pretty juicy, but here it goes:

Here is my perspective from someone who lived in Sterling 20+ years, witnessed the growth and has now moved to Winchester.

By no means is Winchester a Paradise or Heaven on Earth. Do I like it better than Sterling? YES! So far, so good . . . now . . .

The Rub/Drawbacks/Concerns:

* Winchester is a Recovery Town. That means there are rehab centers, recovery centers, and half-way houses for [former] alcoholics and drug users. No, they're not everywhere. But ask a local and they can point them out to you. If you go to the downtown walking all at a certain time of day, you'll see the same folks (who, of course, know each other) just getting out of their classes and sessions. Do I feel these folks are a threat? Do I feel that Winchester is anything less because of this? No and no. I just hope these folks get better. But for some people wanting to move here -- this would be an issue for some.

* Some Neighborhoods are Questionable. Both with crime and with low-income housing/rental residents. Some neighborhoods are downright scary and ghettoey. Others have the do-nothing, hang-around low-life types that can be loud and annoying. I have 1 or 2 of these folks in my own neighborhood. Do I actually care? So long as their dog doesn't poop in my front yard and they're not blasting music 11pm at night then I don't care. I could care less about being surrounded by every single person who is not in the same economic and educational bracket as I am.

Do I feel unsafe in my house? Not at all. I don't have an alarm (might install one though), had locks changed (do this in every house I move into) and had a few deadbolts installed (keyless double cylinders b/c my exterior doors are historic with glass windows). I don't feel any less safe than I did in Sterling, VA.

* The Commute. As previously re-hashed -- yes, if you work in DC or the outskirts, the commute will be murder.

* Opportunities. Again, limited locally for now. Valley Health is up and coming and expanding with alot of healthcare positions. Fed agencies in the surrounding areas include FBI, Homeland Security, US Customs & Border Patrol, FEMA, and State Dept (not sure if its offices or a training facility only). I think more are on the way. Also, Harpers Ferry is only 30 minutes from here with some of the most breath-taking landscape/God's Country you can imagine. Hagerstown and Frederick, MD are an hour away.

Alot of people I know here work in Ashburn, Leesburg, Landsdowne, Chantilly, etc. so the commute is roughly an hour.

* Shopping. I think there's plenty here but who the hell shops so much that they miss Tyson's Corner or Dulles Town Center (which is a pretty lame mall anyway)? Honestly, there's plenty here and if I need anything "extra" I would make a day trip to Sterling or Leesburg. Or just buy off of the Internet.

* Weather. This past winter showed me that if there's any warning of storms, snow, and ice, leave immediately and get over that mountain! I got caught in one of the really bad storms (I was at Wegman's in Landsdowne) and I am telling you, it was terrifying driving back down the mountain. I swear, I thought it was a sheet of ice and I wouldn't be able to control my vehicle and would just slide down that mountain. Take this from a veteran Jersey driver who has been in all kinds of driving situations --including swamps, bogs, and all types of hail and ice -- it's no picnic.

Best Stuff (not to be redundant):
* people are super-friendly;
* neighborhood (depending now) community. People are friendly and helpful once you get to know them;
* things are cheaper, like gasoline, services, and building supplies/contractors;
* shopping (food and goods) are extremely close-by. I live in the Historic District so downtown is walkable for a cup of coffee, eating lunch, etc. But the stores on Pleasant Valley Drive are within 1-3 mi from my house and clustered together so shopping is a snap;
* fewer people/less crowds - nice and relaxing;
* real estate reasonable esp if you don't mind doing a little work yourself;
* fantastic architecture from the 1700s, Victorian, Arts & Crafts, etc. (the real deal);
* Very tactile, textural, environment;
* once you get home and on weekends, yes, you can sit on your front porch with hanging ferns and your mint julep (I do this), read a newspaper, and greet people walking by;
* yadda yadda anything else I forgot

Winchester isn't for everybody. I don't really like the suburbs and I grew up in a small, lumber mill town in South Jersey so I like this kind of living.

I am speculating that since sprawl in the DC-NOVA region is never-ending, that Winchester will become more and more attractive to young, working professionals, esp anyone who can secure employment at the aforementioned places above. I saw this happen in Sterling when there was nothing but fields and horse farms when I first moved there.

RR, if you ever want to visit Winchester, just PM me and I'll be glad to show you around. I think you should spend a little time out here and see if it's something you'd really like. We'll be more than happy to have you come visit!

[Ashburnite]

I think there may be pockets of "country living" even within DC suburbs. I was pleasantly surprised by how rural my friend's place in the Occoquan Forest community was. That's located between Manassas and Woodbridge and the houses are all in the woods and the neighbors were pretty friendly with each other. Plus it's right on the Occoquan River and the community has river access for kayaking, boating, fishing, etc.

That isn't exactly like Winchester but it made me notice that there are all kinds of neighborhood styles in our general area.

[bmwguydc]

Originally Posted by Rhett_Butler

Ewww... Yeah, you're talkin' at least 3 hours round trip in the traffic... Probably closer to 3 1/2.....

Yep, hence the four hour mark, I noted. It's great if you can be an hour away, or so, but beyond that, the traffic builds heavily into Tysons, DC, and Arlington/Fairfax.

[michgc]

I think South Jersey Styx gave a great summary of the town. We considered it as a place to live and how he summed it up is pretty much how I interpreted the town when we visited it on many occasions. We ultimately decided it wasn't for us - too far of a commute among a few other things. But it is a nice small city "away" from DC if that is what you want.

[South Jersey Styx]

Originally Posted by Ashburnite

I think there may be pockets of "country living" even within DC suburbs. I was pleasantly surprised by how rural my friend's place in the Occoquan Forest community was. . . .

I really like this area too. We go out there once in awhile to have dinner on the river and browse the shops.

[Ashburnite]

Originally Posted by South Jersey Styx

I really like this area too. We go out there once in awhile to have dinner on the river and browse the shops.

I didn't see shops, just the little neighborhood. Even better...