Stafford Va. (Fredericksburg, Quantico: homes, theater, university)

[C9Vette]

I had a friend who lived here. How is the area? Can one retire here ? weather? costs of living?

[mpier015]

You may want to post this in the Northern Va forum

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by C9Vette

I had a friend who lived here. How is the area? Can one retire here ? weather? costs of living?

Stafford is more the outer edge of the DC Metro area. You certainly can retire here but I'd consider it an expensive place to retire.

It does snow in winter, so you are not escaping winter. The usual hot and humid summers, but nice fall and spring weather. If you can afford it, there are interesting places along the river.

[slowlane3]

Very fast-growing Stafford County attracts families who commute with difficulty to the D.C. metro area, and feel they cannot afford expensive homes in the closer-in suburbs to the north. The VRE Commuter trains stop near Stafford, although the fare is expensive. It is also a close commute to the Quantico Marine Corps Base.

The colonial city of Fredericksburg just south of Stafford, has some historic charm, a university, a dinner theater, antique shops, and Civil War sites, but is plagued with heavy traffic at times, due to people from throughout a several-county radius regularly converging on its shopping malls and services on Route 3, just west of I-95. Not to mention the hordes of interstate travelers on I-95 itself.

Are you moving to be near your children?