Cul-De-Sacs And Chums in Blooms Crossing

Sharon Corbin and Patricia Reis moved to the Manassas Park community of Blooms Crossing in 1997 because they wanted camaraderie without a smorgasbord of recreational facilities they would never use.

Homeowner association dues are only $22 a month because there are no pools, clubhouses or tennis courts to maintain.

Blooms Crossing does have what Corbin and Reis were really seeking -- a place with neighborly cul-de-sacs, plus plenty of sidewalks for exercising their two dogs. "Everything we do is based around our dogs," Corbin said.

Reis, who grew up in a community with lively block parties, initiated that tradition on Heather Court 10 years ago. "It's one of the things that helped our cul-de-sac become so close," she said.

The cul-de-sacs are where children play and learn to ride bikes under the watchful eyes of several adults. Joan Petsopoulos, a resident since 1998, said there are about 35 children in the immediate vicinity of her court and the adjacent one.

Neighbors go on vacations with neighbors. "We're thinking of doing a Disney cruise next," said Petsopoulos, adding that her family has found its best friends in the neighborhood. "I would trust my kids with almost any of them."

It's that interaction that keeps Greta Dunn's family from fencing in the back yard, which adjoins those of several other families. Few people seem to mind as kids and dogs run through the yards.

Dunn and her husband moved to Blooms Crossing from California four years ago. "We never relied on neighbors before -- California wasn't like that," she said. "The day we moved in, the neighbors were out front, waiting for us."

Her family enjoys walking to the library or to nearby Signal Hill Park, with its sports fields and water park. "There are great hills for sledding, too," she said.

A small shopping center where her two young sons look forward to a favorite treat after getting haircuts is also within walking distance. General's Ridge Golf Course, a public course within Blooms Crossing, offers summer golf programs and county-sponsored junior competitions.

Cougar Elementary is also within the community. Petsopoulos said many children choose to ride the bus, even though the route takes 20 minutes while walking would take only five. "It's a social thing -- all their buddies are on it," she said.

The school, which runs from kindergarten through third grade, is only six years old but is undergoing major expansion. By November, a new preschool and a second elementary school are to be completed, allowing children to remain in the same area through fifth grade. Current fourth- and fifth-graders commute to Manassas Park Elementary.