Manassas Park

Bloom Crossing offers locals a perfect place to stop and smell the roses. This quiet neighborhood, a Virginia suburb of Washington, D.C., is bounded by extensive forests and vast green spaces to the east; the historic city of Manassas Park lies to the west. “It’s a lovely little community close to Old Town Manassas, Fairfax and lots of shopping and dining options,” says Cindy Foss, a Realtor with Long and Foster Real Estate who has extensive experience in the area. “One of the best features of Bloom Crossing is its proximity to the Virginia Railway Express station.” Subdivisions carving out Bloom Crossing’s residential byways offer a range of housing options to homebuyers from townhouses to condos to an array of single-family homes. The cost of living makes the area especially attractive to homebuyers and commuters eager to enjoy a suburban lifestyle away from the hustle and bustle of the city. One pass through this neighborhood reveals streets lined with Federal-style homes, town houses, Contemporary and brick-front colonials. Most of the residential developments in Bloom Crossing occurred between the late 1990s and early 2000s, meaning that this Manassas Park suburb is equal parts modern and rooted. Homes here sit on nice-sized lots with manicured front lawns, private driveways and attached garages. Well-maintained sidewalks provide safe transit for dogwalkers and joggers. Home prices in the community average between $300,000 for a 2-bedroom, almost 1,500-square-foot condo and around $750,000 for a 4,000-square-foot modern Transitional Contemporary home with 5 bedrooms. Children in the community begin their education at Cougar Elementary, which serves prekindergarten through second grade. The school has a B rating from Niche and a 15-1 student-teacher ratio. From there, the young scholars move on to Manassas Park Elementary for third, fourth and fifth grades. This school has a C rating from Niche and a 14-1 student-teacher ratio. Manassas Park parents look forward to the two schools’ Literacy Run, an annual 5k and reading challenge that sows the seeds of scholarship. Manassas Park Middle School serves sixth through eighth grade. The school has a B-minus rating and a 13-1 student-teacher ratio. Manassas Park High boasts a solid B rating and an 18-1 student-teacher ratio. Hikers, bikers and birders flock to Blooms Park, located on the grounds of an old golf course. The green space’s 4 miles of trails meander through the area. With paved paths and benches throughout, the space is perfect for nature lovers. Signal Hill Park offers 10 acres of open green space for locals to exercise and play. The park features several sports fields, picnic tables and grills. Nearby Signal Bay Water Park's water slides, pools and lazy river make it the perfect place to be during Virginia’s hot summer days. The Chalk Festival, hosted by the Manassas Park Community Center, invites locals to transform the park’s pavement into an expressive community gallery. In March, Manassas throws its annual St. Patrick’s Day parade and festival. The historic Manassas Farmers Market is open on Thursdays and Saturdays from April to November. Recognized by Virginia Living Magazine as the Best Farmers Market in Northern Virginia, the market sells locally grown produce and handmade goods. Train enthusiasts of all ages and their friends and families look forward to the Annual Manassas Railway Festival. The celebration includes train rides, model railroad displays, vendors and live music. Bloom Crossing isn’t overgrown with shops and restaurants, but it does present a small bunch of local favorites. Preston’s Pub sits at the corner of the neighborhood’s lone strip mall and divvies out live music and gastropub fare. Also in the mall, Pollo Loco’s fire-grilled chicken and homemade lemonade make for a filling lunch or dinner. Grocery shoppers will find plenty of options in Manassas, including a Walmart Supercenter and Aldi's. Bloom Crossing is a car dependent neighborhood. Located 30 miles outside of Washington, commuters can easily access the city via Interstate 66. Dulles International Airport is 17 miles north via Virginia 28. There is a Metro station in Bloom Crossing. Washinton’s Union Station is a 1.5-hour commute.

Signal Hill, located in Prince William County and about 30 miles from Washington, D.C., is named for the Confederate Army military site where Confederate soldiers saw the Union Army attempting to cross Sudley Ford. This began the First Battle of Bull Run. Now, the battlefield has turned into a park, but Civil War history is everywhere in this community – on signs and in names of parks, creeks and shopping centers. The sprawling Signal Hill Park and the Bull Run Occoquan Trail provide outdoor escapes to locals. Cherish Green, local managing broker with Coldwell Banker Commercial Elite, says, “People move to Signal Hill because you can get more acreage as opposed to a more urban setting with townhouses and condos.” Indeed, the neighborhood offers homes in both established subdivisions and properties with picket fences and silos that are spread out from their neighbors. Residents can access open space for relaxing and exercising at 110-acre Signal Hill Park, with walking trails, a playground, several athletic fields, equipment for grilling and picnic pavilions. “There’s a lot of sports leagues for children and adults,” Green explains. “But my favorite part of Signal Hill Park is the waterpark; they have great stuff for all different age groups.” In the summer, families head to the Signal Bay Waterpark, where kids hit the waterslides and parents float down the lazy river. The neighborhood also borders the 400-acre Hemlock Overlook Regional Park, where warblers migrate in the spring and equestrians wander wooded trails. Named for a grove of hemlock trees, the park is part of Bull Run, a tributary of the Occoquan River that begins from a spring in the Bull Run Mountains. The Bull Run Occoquan Trail roughly follows the river and leads through over 5,000 acres of forest. On their hike or bike ride, visitors may see a whitetail deer or turkey run across the path or hear red-tailed hawks and bald eagles as they fly overhead. Founding Partner/Owner Operator Matt Megel with The CAZA Group/Keller Williams notes that this part of Manassas is not overwhelmingly expensive, but it’s still highly sought after. “It’s a great fit for homebuyers interested in large lot sizes and no HOA fees,” he says. Additionally, Green notes, “The homes are a bit older, built in the early 80s to the early 2000s. But people renovate the interiors, and there are plenty of options.” There’s a mix of homes in cul-de-sac neighborhoods and those spread-out communities with a bit of acreage. Potential homebuyers may find a three-bedroom ranch-style house for about $515,000. For close to $675,000, they can expect Colonial Revival and New Traditional homes from the late 1990s, and for $770,000, they can get a four-bedroom home in the same styles that are tucked into tidy subdivisions like the Cayden Ridge subdivision. There are also some brick ranch-style houses for $800,000 and traditional-style properties built in 2015 ranging from around $900,000 to $1.25 million. Students are zoned for Prince William County Public Schools. They can attend Signal Hill Elementary School, which gets a B from Niche, before Parkside Middle School, which receives a B-minus. Students can finish their public education at Osbourn Park High School, which earns an A from Niche and offers numerous specialty programs. They include the Automotive Program, the Biotechnology & Engineering Center, the Navy JROTC, the Practical Nursing program, the Pre-Governor’s School and Project Lead the Way Biomedical Science. The neighborhood’s commercial amenities are clustered around Liberia Avenue in various shopping centers. Residents can grocery shop at Harris Teeter, Aldi and Walmart or choose to eat out at one of the various restaurants. Paris Baguette is popular during lunch hour, with a variety of sandwiches, salads and pastries. Bella Vita Italian is a local favorite, serving authentic Italian cuisine. The restaurant has build-your-own pasta dishes, specialty pizzas and seafood. Many chain restaurants are also in this area, like Red Robin and Texas Roadhouse. Signal Hill is about 4 miles east of Old Town Manassas, with museums, galleries, small shops and restaurants. This part of Manassas is about an hour’s drive from the nation’s capital, and although the neighborhood is largely car-dependent, a bus service takes commuters between Manassas, the Pentagon and downtown Washington, D.C. The Manassas Park station is the closest Virginia Railway Express station, just outside the neighborhood, leading about 30 miles east into D.C. And when it’s time to fly, the Manassas Regional Airport is about 6 miles west.