Gainesville started as a pit stop for stagecoach drivers along the Fauquier and Alexandria Turnpike, but today, this community of 18,000 is a destination brimming with commerce. Hundreds of retail chains, nationally franchised eateries and popular event venues draw in people from across Northern Virginia, known to locals as NOVA. “We have a suburban appeal intertwined with a rural character,” says Stacy Martin, a Realtor with Keller Williams Realty who lives in Gainesville. "There’s mountain views in the distance, and at night you can see the stars. You’re not getting woken up by sirens like you are in the cities in NOVA." Still, the area has plenty of city conveniences, including shopping complexes, public parks, a movie theater and a variety of restaurants. It also has several acclaimed outdoor spaces, such as the massive Conway Robinson State Forest and two meticulously designed championship golf courses. It’s also near several prominent Civil War battlefields, which are popular for hiking and picnicking.
Conway Robinson State Forest and popular golf courses in Gainesville
Gainesville's most prominent outdoor space is Conway Robinson State Forest, with walking, biking and equestrian trails winding through its more than 440 tree-filled acres. The pine plantation is one of the largest undeveloped state-owned tracts in NOVA. It's typically used for leisure activities, but once a year, the commonwealth closes the park to the public for a lottery hunt. Gainesville is also home to Leopold's Preserve, a 380-acre privately owned sanctuary with trails that pass through wetlands, meadows and forests. It's popular among hikers and bird-watchers. Two prominent 18-hole golf courses sit side-by-side along Lake Manassas: Stonewall Golf Club's public course was designed by renowned architect Tom Jackson, while Robert Trent Jones Golf Club's course is private.
History museum in nearby Haymarket
Gainesville residents are just over 35 miles from Washington, D.C., where national art, science and culture museums are plentiful. However, there are also a handful of historic places closer to home, including the Haymarket Museum, a small institution located in neighboring Haymarket's old town hall building. Exhibits highlight Haymarket's history dating back to 1799. In nearby Bristow, residents can find Jiffy Lube Live, a massive amphitheater that seats more than 25,000 and hosts major acts like Niall Horan of One Direction fame, country singer Luke Bryan and rock star Neil Young. During performances, residents can hear cheers from miles away and anticipate traffic on Wellington Road. Gainesville is also home to nearly a dozen houses of worship, including one synagogue.
More than 120 stores and eateries in Virginia Gateway shopping mall
Virginia Gateway is Gainesville's main dining and shopping area, housing more than 120 restaurants and retailers. This one-stop shopping destination spans over 1.3 million square feet along Linton Hall Road and U.S. Route 29 and is equipped with sidewalks, allowing shoppers to walk from store to store or to one of dozens of nationally franchised eateries. Among the restaurants is El Tio Tex-Mex Grill, a family-owned NOVA franchise known for its authentic cuisine. The Shops at Stonewall is a centrally located shopping center for residents on the west side of town, featuring a supermarket and national retailers.
Attractive prices for townhouses, single-family homes and private communities
While homes were built in Gainesville throughout the 20th century, mass development started after ground broke on the city's first townhome community in 1994. Most options fit into two architectural styles: Colonial Revival and contemporary New Traditional. Older homes are more affordable, ranging between $400,000 and $970,000. Newer builds start a little higher at around $580,000, but prices can quickly surpass $1.5 million. This is particularly the case for houses in the Haymarket, Lake Manassas and Broad Run Oaks neighborhoods. There are also several 55-plus neighborhoods, including the Del Webb and Robison Manor communities. Subdivisions of townhouses can be found throughout Gainesville. The median home listing price in the area is about $690,000, which is higher than the national median of $406,000.
Students can attend Prince William County schools
Students in Gainesville are zoned to the Prince William County Public School district, which serves over 89,000 students. Niche gives the district an overall A-minus rating, ranking it as the third-most diverse district in the state. Gainesville High School, which earns an overall B-plus rating, offers specific learning pathways for students to focus on areas of interest, like history and criminology or health and medicine.
I-66 borders the neighborhood
Gainesville's location next to Interstate 66 makes it easy for commuters to head toward D.C. “Gainesville has access to multiple counties,” Martin says. "Fairfax, Fauquier and Loudoun are all about 15 to 20 minutes away, which is important for different jobs and commuter routes." U.S. Routes 29 and 15 also run through the community, connecting it to several states along the coast. Public transit is readily available here, with OmniRide commuter buses picking up at stops throughout Gainesville and Manassas and dropping off at the Pentagon, Tysons Corner Metro Station and downtown D.C. For longer domestic trips, residents can head to Manassas Regional Airport, about 10 miles south, and for international travel, Dulles International Airport is 20 miles northeast.
Lower-than-average crime rates in Prince William County
According to FBI statistics, violent crime rates in Prince William County, where Gainesville is located, are lower than state and national averages. The same is true for property crimes in the county. Gainesville experiences all four seasons, including humid summers and chilly winters.
MJ leads RAZR Group, which services residential and development clients across the DMV. With a specialty in luxury homes sales as part of the elite REAL Luxury division - a division of only 0.7% of the most elite luxury agents in the nation's fastest growing brokerage - RAZR Group excels with proven and proprietary marketing tactics, negotiation strategies, and sales skills. RAZR Group is additionally well-versed in development, specifically in Washington DC, possessing compelling experience in all phases of development, including new construction, single family home rebuilds, condo conversion, and ground-up condo conversion. At any given time, RAZR Group has approximately 6-10 developments happening in DC.
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