Staford Virgina

[SQSAR]

I will be moving to Staford Virginia in a few months for work. I've never been to Staford and was wondering if anyone here knows much about the area with regards to places to stay away from when looking for places to live, etc, etc.

[defenestrate]

Stafford is between Fredricksburg and DC - real estate is pricy but the crime rate is pretty low in tat area. You might score a good price on an older country house but you will likely see a ard time finding a cheap place to live as the values are some of the highest in the nation. There are some very pretty areas there. I have relatives in te area on my mom's side. Don't live too close to DC and crime won't be too bad in general.

[OldSarSwmr]

SQSAR, Stafford County is a decent size and there is a large diversity available when it comes to lifestyle/living arrangements, Urban/Suburban to Rural. I agree with defenestrate about the cost of living, it definitely reflects Northern Virginia pricing.
I work at MCB Quantico, which is near the northern part of the county, just my opinion but you may want to avoid that area. The western/southwestern part of the county can be pretty rural, southern part borders the city of Fredericksburg and going east/southeastern along route 3 corridor is somewhat rural but becoming more suburban.

[Clip]

I was just up in that area last night, but I prefer the Virginia a little south of there. Too busy for my tastes, and no near ad much hospitality.

[SQSAR]

I was just up in that area last night, but I prefer the Virginia a little south of there. Too busy for my tastes, and no near ad much hospitality.

Yeah, I'm really not looking forward to leaving Colorado to move back east.

[jackknifeh]

My Dad taught at Stafford High for several years after retiring from the USMC. I graduated from Spotslyvania High. This was a LONG time ago and the area wasn't like it is now. It is MUCH more now as far as being built up. Don't really know what it's like to live there but I'm having memories. :) Unless something has changed there are all sorts of things to get into. Bad things as well as good. Being there until I was 21 years old we had two good concert locations. Capital Center and whatever the one in Richmond is called. :) In my day they would search you when entering and if you didn't have at least a pint of liquor on you you couldn't get in. :D This has probably changed. :mad: To indicate a timeframe I saw the Lynyrd Skynyrd "One More From The Road" concert. :D :D :D I thought the place was going to collapse. :D

Good luck in a new area. Packing and unpacking stinks but I always liked moving. One good thing about packing is getting rid of the junk you forgot you had. :D

[jackknifeh]

I will be moving to Staford Virginia in a few months for work. I've never been to Staford and was wondering if anyone here knows much about the area with regards to places to stay away from when looking for places to live, etc, etc.

You need to teach your keyboard how to spell. It's two f's. :)

[phillipsted]

I live a little north of there in Fairfax County, out near Dulles Airport. Stafford is a nice place to live - lots of families live there and then commute to work nearer to DC (or to other work locations like Quantico, Dahlgren, Ft. Belvoir, etc). As Dan noted, the southwestern parts of Stafford get pretty rural, while the north and east sections are more suburban. They've got decent schools and lots of stuff to do (e.g., museums, parks, nightlife). The traffic can be intense on the commuter routes, but the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) is a good commuting option if you are coming up to Northern VA or DC.

TedP

[SQSAR]

Thanks guys. I will be working in Alexandria so I'm expecting a pretty long commute. Looking for a more family oriented area, but **** that whole area is expensive.

[phillipsted]

Thanks guys. I will be working in Alexandria so I'm expecting a pretty long commute. Looking for a more family oriented area, but **** that whole area is expensive.

Definitely look at VREas one of your commuting options. That way you can sleep or read instead of jockeying for position on Interstate 95! The VRE stop in Alexandria is right on top of the Metro (the subway) - so you can go almost anywhere you need.

TedP

[xceptnl]

I have nothing to contribute to this thread, but I would like to make a shout-out post to all the fellow virginians for showing up to contribute. SQSAR, welcome to the commonwealth!

[KaliGman]

I am moving to the Stafford/Fredericksburg area due to a promotion. I have been working with an excellent realtor in the area and will be in Virginia next week to buy a home. You can PM me if you want to discuss the realtor situation, schools (if you have kids), commute, and other issues. In addition to the realtor, I have been talking to the people I will be working with, and they have given me a few tips.