Overview
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Old Town Alexandria is a lovely little neighborhood in Northern Virginia, about 6 miles south of Washington D.C. It is bordered on one side by the Potomac river, creating a lovely waterfront area that many bars and restaurants choose to utilize, in addition to the numerous strollers, joggers, and amblers that walk along it daily. It has bars, restaurants, and antique shops a-plenty, as well as numerous historic sites. In fact, it is considered a historic landmark, and is nearly 260 years old. Alexandria was part of D.C. but returned to Virginia in 1846.
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Old Town Alexandria offers the amenities of Georgetown without the hassles of living in the city. There's a great waterfront, a vibrant artist's community (anchored by the gallery/studio space Torpedo Factory), world-class restaurants, and historic spots like Robert E. Lee's boyhood home. The main drag here is King Street, which boasts block after block of shops, yoga studios, coffeehouses, and restaurants.
Old Town caters to the young and the single. Although there are families here, most of the residents are childless. Old Town boasts a population of approximately 150,000, with only 15% or so of those being under the age of 18. The average age in Old Town is around 34, with slightly more men than women living here.
Old Town is fairly affluent, with the average income being between $80,000 and $102,000. About 60% is white, 20% is African-American/black, 5% are Asian, 14% are Latino, and 1% are other.
For fine dining, Restaurant Eve is tops. Run by Cathal Armstrong and wife Meshelle Armstrong, Eve is one of the best restaurants in the country. Another fine dining stand-out is FarrahOlivia. Those wanting a more casual meal can try Eamonn's A Dublin Chipper (also run by Armstrong), one of the many chain restaurants (La Tasca, Five Guys) or standby's like Chart House. Bars run the gamut from upscale speakeasy PX (Armstrong again) to Gadsby's Tavern, where George Washington used to quaff a few before going home to Martha.
Almost half of Old Town residents are renters. Expect more space than you would get downtown, and more amenities, such as pools, plentiful parking, and on-site gyms.
Many of the buildings, however, are older, and do not have the newer amenities, paint jobs, etc that one would find living in a more urban setting such as D.C. or the nearby Arlington. Or, even, other parts of Alexandria. However, in Old Town you are walking distance to nearly anything you would need, nearby to several major highways without actually being near them, and if you work in D.C., it is a great area to live.
The metro runs right to the middle of Old Town on both the Blue and Yellow Lines, with 4 stops in Old Town alone. Additionally, Alexandria Union Station is served by both Amtrak and the Virginia Railway Express.
Old Town Alexandria is convinient to Regan Airport, and within an hour of Dulles, and approximately an hour and change from BWI.
Buses serving Old Town Alexandria include the DASH bus, Metrobus, and a free trolley service from the King Street Metro to the Waterfront and a water taxi from the National Harbor development in Prince George's County, MD.
Cabs are plentiful, and most of the Old Town entertainment center is walkable. Parking is tricky, especially on evenings or weekends, but there are plenty of lots if you can't find a metered space.
Craigslist is probably the way to go. And more than likely, rentals will be farther away from the hustle and bustle of King Street, so having a car will be more essential. Traffic is awful, so the further from King Street you can get the better. Make sure to test things like water pressure and appliances, as many of these places are older than in outlying communities.
Dogs rule in Old Town. Many bars offer doggie happy hours, the waterfront is great for cavorting with your pooch, and the Old Town Dog School is on hand to make sure that four-legged friends stay friendly.
Outdoor cats are probably in for a rough time...
Old Town offers stately rowhouses, wide sidewalks, world-class dining, great shopping, and history galore. There's also the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Museum and the Washington National Masonic Memorial, which towers over the city.
Alexandria has about 70 major parks and 30 recreation centers ready to serve all of your recreational needs.
Part of Mount Vernon Trail, a historic bike trail, passes through Old Town.
The Masonic Temple and Observation Deck.
Little Theatre of Alexandria.
Waterfront.
Jones Point Lighthouse.
Robert E. Lee's childhood home.
Market Square.
Numerous art galleries and historic places
And, of course, it is only 6 miles outside of Washington D.C. and an easy stroll to Georgetown, with all that that has to offer.
King Street is the heart of Old Town, with tons of quaint restaurants, bars, antique shops, pet stores, and boutiques located along it's tree-lined brick sidewalks. You'll also want to wander down towards the waterfront for spectacular views of the city.
Gyms range from Old Town Sport & Health to Capital Jiu-Jitsu Academy to Gold's Gym. Curves. Grocery stores include Trader Joe's, Whole Foods Market, and Safeway. Banking options include branches of Bank of America, Chevy Chase Bank, and Wachovia Bank.
The legendary T.C. Williams high school is here (home to a renowned football team, that was immortalized by Denzel Washington in Remember the Titans).
There's not much family life in Old Town, but there are several schools, served by the Alexandria City Public School system.
Some of D.C.'s top private schools are also in Alexandria, including St. Stephen's and St. Agenes School, Episcopal High, and Bishop Ireton.
There are also several nearby colleges. George Mason, the Northern Virginia Community College, the Virginia Theological Seminary, George Washington, and Virginia Commonwealth University School of Social Work.
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