o inaugurate a new series on “Old Towns” throughout the Piedmont, we proudly feature Old Town Manassas; if you haven’t visited there lately, you don’t know what you’re missing. But first, some thoughts on what the name “Old Town” means. In today’s world of shopping malls both large and small, the designation “Old Town” has come to signify something special. With its unique shops, galleries, and restaurants, Old Town Manassas is a good example. To visit Old Town Manassas one must journey inward to the innermost heart of town, to the core of the city that was there first. Nearly all roads in the greater Manassas area lead the visitor to this beating heart and to the sort of shops and restaurants many of us knew as children and continue to search out today—where after a few visits you’ll be recognized by shopkeepers or by favorite waiters who want to provide personal service to someone they care about.

In some respects the story of Manassas is a tale of two cities. Dismissed by some people as Northern Virginia suburban sprawl, yet another bedroom community characterized by traffic and noise, Manassas has long suffered from a bit of an image problem. The other, perhaps more appropriate view of Manassas is of a town rich in history and more grounded in the old Piedmont than its Northern Virginia neighbors. A native son born and raised in Manassas, Mayor Harry Parrish II would most likely prefer the second image of his city. Parrish sees the Manassas Museum as the centerpiece for tourism in his town. He points with pride to the museum’s eight sites: Liberia, an historic plantation home, Civil War forts, a railway depot, an African American heritage site, an early industrial building, the preserved home of a well known Washington, D.C. architect and long-time town resident, Albert Speiden, and the Manassas Museum itself. “The Manassas Museum system brings the stories of the Northern Virginia Piedmont region to life,” says Parrish.

Mayor Parrish also speaks with excitement of The Harris Pavilion at the corner of West and Center Streets. In warmer weather this venue offers lunch hour jazz concerts, Saturday night dances, Sunday afternoon ice cream socials, wine festivals and other activities. In winter months the pavilion is transformed into an open-air ice-skating rink and is adorned with small white lights. In the mayor’s words, the Pavilion helps “provide that long ago look and small community feel.” The vision of Manassas resident Loy E. Harris, the Pavilion does call to mind the old-timey bandstand that served as a gathering place in small towns of a bygone age.

Reflecting the architecture of this earlier time, the buildings of Old Town Manassas have been carefully re-imagined to appeal to all kinds of visitors. This new vision has not come easily; rather, it has required lots of energy, hard work, money, and patience as well as a conviction—an almost spiritual faith—that what is being preserved is worth preserving. Mayor Parrish points to the dogged determination and hard work of people like Harris, Walter Delisle, and Dave Flack (all now deceased), as well as former Mayor Marvin Gillum— people who, according to Parrish, prodded and pushed to make things happen. Parrish also gives much credit to several organizations, including Historic Manassas, Inc., the Center for the Arts, and the Old Town Business Association, for bringing new life to his city.

Like other Old Towns throughout the Piedmont, Old Town Manassas is unique and rewards the visitor with something that can’t be found anywhere else. If you want Banana Republic and The Gap, go to Tysons Corner. You won’t find either of them here. You also won’t find someone’s aging grandmother dozing in her rocking chair on the front porch. For better or worse, that Manassas is gone.

Since most of the attractions of Old Town Manassas cover no more than a few city blocks, the best way to explore is on foot. Good news up front: parking is a breeze with the brand new five-story parking garage located hard by the railroad tracks and across from the old train station on Battle Street. Completed this past summer, the facility is convenient to all shops and restaurants in the neighborhood.

First-time visitors would be well advised to begin at the old Southern Railway train depot (between West and Battle Streets) now updated as a Visitors Center but still serving as an active stop for both Amtrak and the Virginia Railway Express. While you will find lots of information in the form of pamphlets and brochures on all things Manassas, be sure to pick up the “Guide to Shops, Services, and Parking” which provides a list of businesses and includes a map for those seeking guidance.

So, if Grandma’s not in her rocker, where is she? Perhaps she’s out learning to salsa in one of the popular dance classes offered at the Candy Factory; or maybe she’s taking art lessons at one of the galleries in town; or she could be at her yoga class; or ice skating at the Harris Pavilion or…well, you get the point. As City Manager Lawrence Hughes says, “There’s something for everyone in Old Town.”

Shops

After leaving the visitors center at the train station one of the first shops you’ll see is The Things I Love directly across the tracks where shop owner Joanne Wunderly has assembled a noteworthy collection of home accessories and gifts. Formerly housed in one of the oldest storefront buildings in Old Town, the shop’s rooms then reflected the décor one might expect to find in a structure housing a millinery shop in the front room with the other rooms serving as a private residence. Wunderly has re-created that vision in her new location. The visitor can easily imagine enjoying a cup of tea by the fire in the front parlor, then exploring the rest of the house from the dining room, to bedrooms, to the kitchen, the laundry room, and even the back porch. Moving from room to room the visitor discovers treasures around every corner. Holidays are always celebrated here. Not to be missed: Wunderly’s Valentine’s Open House on February 2, complete with special gifts, plenty of desserts, and a chocolate fountain.

A block away, and serving as something of a cornerstone to the Old Town retail experience, The Opera House Gourmet and Gifts at the corner of Center and West is the dream of longtime resident, Jan Alten now in her eighth year as owner. Alten does all the buying and has put together an inventory that reflects her discerning eye as well as her flair for creative design. “I try very hard not to buy things that will be seen elsewhere and purposefully seek out unique items . . . in wines, gourmet food items, and gifts,” says Alten who is especially proud of her extensive inventory of Virginia-made foods and wines. Other popular items include gourmet chocolates and coffees, unusual glassware and serving pieces, table linens, lamps, jewelry, and custom-created gift baskets. “We have created a welcoming atmosphere that allows customers to leisurely shop, enjoy a cup of coffee—maybe a cookie or two,” says Alten who clearly takes pleasure in her role as shopkeeper.

Almost directly across the street from The Opera House Gourmet is Allyssa Bryn Accessories. With a newly remodeled entrance of marble and glass, Alyssa Bryn does its part in dressing up the neighborhood and boasts a line of ladies’ and children’s fashions, accessories and gifts that doesn’t disappoint. Owners Lisa and Bren Compton, a mother and daughter-in-law team are proud of their large selection of Vera Bradley, Brighton (jewelry, bags, and shoes) and Pandora. They also feature memorable gifts and elegant home accessories—all displayed in uncrowded elegance. Named for Lisa’s granddaughter (and Bren’s daughter) Allyssa Bryn has recently expanded with a second shop at Lansdowne.