A city that spans 3 square miles
Manassas Park sits about 30 miles from the nation’s capital. The area can be confused with Manassas, about 4 miles away, but Manassas Park is its own city that spans about 3 square miles. It separated from the rest of Prince William County in 1975. “It’s a small little island with its own police department, fire department and school district,” says Cherish Green, managing broker with Coldwell Banker Elite. “Manassas Park has a little bit of a different vibe than the rest of Northern Virginia.” The city is home to the Manassas Park Community Center and the in-progress Park Central, a mixed-use facility aimed at transforming downtown. Additionally, its proximity to the Virginia Railway Express and Virginia State Route 28 makes navigating the DMV easy.
In-progress Park Central
Opened in 2022, Park Central is the name given to Manassas Park’s small downtown and includes a mixed-use development with civic, retail, entertainment and dining units. As it currently stands, the area has a new city hall, a public library, restaurants and a splash pad. “There are a lot of community events in the area,” Green explains. In the spring and summer, there’s a weekly farmer’s market, and numerous other seasonal events are held here throughout the year, including the Dickens Holiday Festival and Oktoberfest. The space is surrounded by the Village at Manassas Park, a condominium development, as well as newly constructed townhomes. Park Central plans to continue building, bringing in a movie theatre, more restaurants and a parking garage.
Monopoly houses
Homes in Manassas Park were primarily built in the 1950s. Locals call these properties “Monopoly houses” because these small Cape Cod and ranch-style properties resemble play pieces from the board game. Potential homebuyers can find one in the $300,000 to $600,000 range. As the neighborhood adapts to modern lifestyles with the creation of Park Central, a mixed-use plaza, so does its housing. Properties within The Village at Manassas Park, which features two-story contemporary condos, as well as newly constructed townhomes, typically cost between $480,000 and $540,000.
The Manassas Park Community Center and Bull Run Regional Park
The Manassas Park Community Center keeps residents active and connected. It has athletics facilities like indoor pools, gymnasiums and a fitness center; it also offers daycare services, instructional classes and recreation programs. Outside the community center building sits Costello Park, an open green space and, across the street is the Manassas Park Dog Park, with play spaces for large and small breeds. The neighborhood also borders the 1,500-acre Bull Run Regional Park, where locals wander well-maintained trails, including the nearly 20-mile Bull Run Occoquan Trail and the Bluebell Trail, named for the flowers that bloom in the spring. Residents can also go camping, fishing or picnicking here.
What’s happening along Centreville Road
Centreville Road is the neighborhood’s main thoroughfare, lined with restaurants, retailers, car dealerships and more. Residents can grab groceries from Megamart or eat out at spots like Columbus Grill, serving Mediterranean cuisine, and Ariana Bakery, which has authentic Afghan flatbread. The neighborhood is also about 4 miles from Old Town Manassas, where the streets are lined with quaint shops.
30 miles to D.C.
Residents can reach Manassas in about 4 miles. The neighborhood is about 30 miles from Washington, D.C., and locals can get there using the Manassas Park Virginia Railway Express station or by traveling U.S. Interstate 66. “A lot of people go to D.C. for fun,” Green says. In case of emergency, the UVA Health Prince William Medical Center is about 3 miles southwest. And when it’s time to fly, the Dulles International Airport is about 15 miles north.
Written By
Adreanna DeMarino
