Putting the Accent On Community

Chatsworth Hosts Regular Gatherings

Chatsworth Park's nearest neighbors are strip malls and other apartment complexes, but grassy strips and small trees along the complex's streets give it a green touch, and there's a nearby walking trail.

John and Rosalind Duckett try to take a stroll around the 576-unit Manassas community every day. "It's very safe here. You can walk on Chatsworth Drive or in the surrounding neighborhood," John said.

Devon Minnis gets much of his exercise at the complex's gym. He confers with his brother, a former Marine, on the best workout regimens with free weights and other equipment. "It's not your standard bike and treadmill," Minnis said. "I was really psyched about that."

The fitness center's large windows look out over the pool area and the pond beyond. Residents who come to workout or to watch movies at the media center can bring their children to play in the kids' room just across the hall.

The complex's staff schedules regular activities for residents. "They had a family day, which I loved," Liza Morales said. It included face painting, a moon bounce and other activities for kids, she said. "It was a wonderful all-day experience, a very nice thing."

The last event of the day was an outdoor screening of the movie "Night at the Museum."

"It was cool. It was like a little drive-in movie theater," Minnis said, with people watching from their cars as well as from lawn chairs.

Morales teaches at the nearby elementary school. She said she sees some of her students when she takes her boys Niko, 10, and Isaac, 6, to the swimming pool behind the club house. "It's kid-friendly around here," she said.

"We did a lot of looking around at apartments," before settling on Chatsworth, she said. She and her husband, Israel, a Marine, had owned a house before moving to Chatsworth, so they were used to more space and found it difficult to find the right place. "This one I immediately knew was the one," she said.

"The landscaping was very well-kept. It was clean, a quiet neighborhood," she said. "I found it very tranquil, very quiet."

Morales said the staff is "very accommodating" and made her family feel at home. "The new staff has made big changes, big improvements," she said.

The complex has changed hands a few times since it was opened in stages in 2001 and 2002. It is now owned by Stellar Advisors of Rockville and since June 2007 it has been managed by the Bozzuto Group, the original builder and manager. It's Bozzuto's third rental community in Manassas.

The Ducketts have been at the property through all of the changes. They moved there in 2002 and have just signed a lease for another year. Their daughter helped them find the property when they were looking for a one-level apartment to replace their multi-level house in Haymarket.

Rosalind said she was impressed by the swimming pool, the exercise room and the size of the bedrooms. They have room for their belongings, including John's books and collections, such as the collection of miniature Navy aircraft.

One of the couple's favorite places within a short drive is the Manassas Airport. "I love to be around planes," Rosalind said.

"Manassas Airport is our hangout," said John, who volunteers at the Freedom Museum on the airport grounds. They like to eat at the restaurant there. "The whole front is glass. You can see the whole airfield," he said.

Annette Amerman and her sister Cheryl were also looking for a ground-floor apartment, and in a location between their jobs in Fairfax and Quantico. "One of the main factors was not making either of our commutes any longer," Annette said.

Being so close to the Route 234 bypass and Interstate 66 "made it an ideal location," she said. "We thought it was really clean, the apartments were good-sized and it was affordable for us."

The sisters liked that they got to choose an accent color for some of their interior walls. "It's a really light yellow. It brightens the whole room up," Annette said.

Overall, "The staff was really responsive," she said.

The complex is close to an array of retail establishments. Within a mile or two, there are restaurants and clothing stores in strip malls. Bull Run Plaza and Sudley Manor Square are less than a mile away. A Wal-Mart Supercenter is scheduled to open nearby soon, and a major retail development has been started near the intersection of Sudley Road and Route 234, said Tara Tabri, Chatsworth's property manager.

The complex's management has reached out to these local businesses. Residents receive a "community club card" that gives them discounts or perks at restaurants, a day-care center and a credit union. Baskin Robbins gives a free scoop on Mondays; Thai Taste gives 20 percent off the bill. There are seven businesses accepting the card now, and 17 will do so eventually, Tabri said.

Chatsworth offers rent specials to full-time employees of local schools, government offices and businesses, including George Mason University, Lockheed Martin, Micron, Comcast, Novec, Inova Hospitals, BAE Systems, Northrop Grumman and Harris Teeter. Eligible tenants get 50 percent off the application fee and the first year's amenity fee, as well as 3 percent off market rent.