Herndon Va

[Pungodingy]

anyone from Herndon Va? or near there? My cousin just got a new job and needs to relocate, I told her I'd ask for recommendations on "good" areas and I'm hoping my Dis'ers will have the answers!

TIA!

 

[Christine]

I live in Northern VA but don't know a lot about Herndon.

This is an excellent website:

www.city-data.com/forum/northern-virginia

 

[Pungodingy]

thanks for the link!

Anyone else?

 

[Cmbar]

My sister lives in the Centreville area and her hubby works in Herndon. Lots of things to consider in the surronding areas. Do they need to know about school districts or stuff like that? Fairfax county has good schools. Loudon County is close to Herndon too, so not sure about that county, but everything in Northern Virginia has grown so much I don't know how to recommend an area! Sorry!

 

[disfan07]

We actually just moved from herndon, va after living there for 20 years.
Like everywhere else it has it's pros and cons.

We lived in fairfax county which has the third highest median income in the country. It can be very expensive to live there.

Where is she going to be working? Herndon and the surrounding area is a BIG place. Fairfax County alone has over a million people. The schools in fairfax county as a whole are wonderful. BUT...as with most places, there are a few schools that are not as good as the others.
If you get more information about what they are looking for and where she is working i could give you more information.

 

[brios86]

There are some not so nice parts of Herndon. I work in Reston so I drive through Herndon every day. I would consider moving out to maybe Ashburn, Leesburg, Lansdown in the next county over. It can be up to a 30 minute drive into Herndon. I actually lived in Herndon back in high school. I think there are some pretty good areas around the high school (Herndon High School) The not so nice areas (imho) are behind the old town part like Park Ave. Reston is a pretty nice area. Lots of wealthy areas. Centreville, Burke, Great Falls are other areas that might be good.
Like someone else already mentioned, its EXPENSIVE to live out here!

 

[locolala]

If your cousin is willing to drive a bit, Prince William County is excellent! That's where DH and I both grew up. It's easy to get to Herndon from places like Manassas, and there are some great houses there for good prices. The schools are pretty good, if she has gifted kids they have magnet schools for various subjects. I went to two of them (Center for Eviromental and Biological Studies, then I went to the Center for International Studies and Languages). It's really nice down there.. quiet, and the crime isn't too bad.

 

[Christine]

If your cousin is willing to drive a bit, Prince William County is excellent! That's where DH and I both grew up. It's easy to get to Herndon from places like Manassas, and there are some great houses there for good prices. The schools are pretty good, if she has gifted kids they have magnet schools for various subjects. I went to two of them (Center for Eviromental and Biological Studies, then I went to the Center for International Studies and Languages). It's really nice down there.. quiet, and the crime isn't too bad.

Just wanted to add that I live in Prince William County. The schools/centers referenced above aren't actually magnet centers nor are they solely for gifted kids. All kids apply to them from all levels and can make it in (with the exception of kids who are really struggling).

Prince William County High Schools each have a speciality curriculum within each school. This allows you the flexibility to sort of "pick" your high school that is outside of your base school. My daughter spent one year of high school at the Fine Arts school. Two of her classes where with Fine Arts kids and the rest of her classes were in the general part of the school. Another school does have a Biotech program. My son was accepted into this but decided to go to private school instead.

These center are interesting and a good option if you happen to move into a school zone you don't care for, but they are open to all and even non-gifted kids get into them.

 

[WDWDancer]

I just moved to the Reston Town Center which I LOVE...I work over in Herndon and it takes about 15 min to get there in the morning. I don't have any kids so I'm not any help with schools, but if she is looking for apartments or condo's I can give you an extensive list of one's that were nice, and in safe area's. How old is she? If she wants to e-mail me any questions I'd be happy to help her out...just pm me

 

[Tina]

I also live in Prince William county, but I would NOT recommend Manassas. I'm sure there are a few neighborhoods that are nice, but, overall, Manassas is not a good choice. If going to PW County, I would recommend Haymarket, Gainesville, or Bristow. They are all nice places to live. However, the commute to Herndon from this area is NOT nice. I live in Bristow and commute to Fairfax. It is a daily headache. If I were working in Herndon, I would live in Reston, Herndon, Ashburn (very nice!) or a nearby Loudon community.

 

[Christine]

I also live in Prince William county, but I would NOT recommend Manassas. I'm sure there are a few neighborhoods that are nice, but, overall, Manassas is not a good choice. If going to PW County, I would recommend Haymarket, Gainesville, or Bristow. They are all nice places to live. However, the commute to Herndon from this area is NOT nice. I live in Bristow and commute to Fairfax. It is a daily headache. If I were working in Herndon, I would live in Reston, Herndon, Ashburn (very nice!) or a nearby Loudon community.

I agree!

I live in the eastern part of PWC and wouldn't recommend the entire county to anyone working in Herndon!! It is a bear to drive west from here--way worse than my I-95 commute I believe! I would stick with Fairfax County. OP doesn't say whether or not their relative has kids, is looking for a home, what the schools are, etc. But, in general, you're always safe in Fairfax unless cost becomes a factor.

 

[locolala]

Parts of Manassas are good though, I lived down at the side of Manassas near Dale City and we never had issues. My dad commuted from Manassas to Herndon for 15 years and never complained, because we were able to get a nice house for a really good price.

Another thought, if she's willing to drive a little bit, Harpers Ferry WV is very, very nice. It's not too far at all, and it's absolutely gorgeous up there. My dad lives there now and loves it. He lives in a nice little house back in the woods, and his commute is actually much, much shorter now.

 

[Tina]

Parts of Manassas are good though, I lived down at the side of Manassas near Dale City and we never had issues. My dad commuted from Manassas to Herndon for 15 years and never complained, because we were able to get a nice house for a really good price.

How long ago was this? Either your father is a very patient man, or this was quite some time ago. I've lived in Bristow for about 12 years now. The traffic has gotten worse and worse as time goes on. I can make it to Fairfax in 45 minutes on a good day, but factor in rain or an accident and my commute can increase to 2 hours or more. Also, I think most of Manassas has gone rapidly downhill. Many businesses have closed and the gang population seems to have increased. A friend of mine bought a townhouse in a nice community near Manassas Park about 8 years ago. The neighborhood has gotten so bad now that she won't let her daughter play outside and many of the townhouses are vacant, in horrible shape, or filled with 15 to 20 occupants. Its very sad because with the present state of property values, she can't move.

 

[locolala]

Hmm.. I think we moved out of Manassas in 05 when my parents split up. I agree that the inner parts of Manassas are kinda bad, but the outlying parts are still quite nice. My FIL atill lives in the same neighborhood that my husband and I grew up in, and it hasn't changed at all. My dad was pretty fortunate that he can be flexible with his hours, since he is a big boss within the county gov't.

Sorry for the sort of OTishness! OP, is your cousin wanting an apartment or a house? The Fairfax Corner area is really, really nice. Tons of stores and restraunts right near by, a shuttle to the metro, and right off of the Fairfax County Parkway (takes you to Herndon) and right by 66. My mom lived there for awhile, they're really, really pretty inside!