Guide to Alexandria VA
Real Estate and Neighborhoods of Alexandria, VA
Alexandria dates back to the colonial era and many of the neighborhoods of Alexandria reflect that heritage. However, Alexandria is also home to newer and relatively new neighborhoods like the Carlyle District and Kingstowne. To learn more about these or other neighborhoods in Alexandria VA, surf through the tabs here. Alexandria is a highly livable city with enviable amenities, culture and attractions. The Commonwealth of Virginia considers Alexandria an "independent city" which means that Alexandria is not in any county. However, parts of Northern Virginia have an Alexandria postal address, but are actually in Fairfax County. All this can be confusing for newcomers to the area, but we try to simplify this in our guide by organizing things so they make sense for the home buyer. You won't have to be a Virginia jurisdictional authority to find the home you want to buy, but start here for a primer on Alexandria.
The Eisenhower Valley describes the area found along Eisenhower Avenue. The eastern end of Eisenhower Ave, closer to Old Town and the USPTO, is known as the Carlyle District. At the western end of Eisenhower Avenue one will find warehouses and businesses such as FedEx and UPS who appreciate easy access to the Interstate. Click Eisenhower West to search property at the west end of Eisenhower, near the Van Dorn Metro station.
On the east end, where Eisenhower Avenue approaches Old Town, you'll find the United States Patent & Trade Office and the high-end high-rise neighborhood of the Carlyle District. The USPTO is a complex of five buildings that accommodate more than 7,000 federal employees. Residents of the Carl/guide/home-search/live-at-the-metro/yellow-line-metro/eisenhower-metro-station/trict have easy access to the Hoffman Town Center at the Eisenhower Metro. The Carlyle District is an intriguing place to live because it's so close to the charm and amenities of Old Town, but is new and modern. Click Carlyle District to find properties listed for sale here.
Del Ray is one of Alexandria's older neighborhoods. Del Ray was founded in 1894 as a "streetcar suburb" to Washington, DC. Most of Del Ray was built from the 1890's to the 1950's and retains that small town charm despite being so close to the center of the universe.
Quaint streets with brick or stone homes are found on streets that branch off from Del Ray's arteries. At the heart of Del Ray is the main street: Mount Vernon Avenue. This where you'll find a hometown mix mix of shops, restaurants and hardware stores. Braddock Road Metro serves Del Ray and condos such as Colecroft are available here. Click Del Ray for a map of Del Ray and for listings of properties for sale in Del Ray. Or, click Del Ray for listings for sale in the Del Ray subdivision of Alexandria. Del Ray is served by the Yellow and Blue Lines at Braddock Rd. Metro Station.
Many people feel that Old Town is the heart of Alexandria VA. As the name implies, Old Town is the oldest part of Alexandria, a port in colonial times. Historic Old Town Alexandria is found along the Potomac, just inside the Woodrow Wilson Bridge and then north toward Reagan National Airport. Old Town is served by the King St. Metro and the King St. trolley. With over 100 restaurants, shops, boutiques, coffee shops, ice cream houses and more, there's always fun to be found in Old Town.
Old Town feels small town, upscale and touristy. For most folks there is a bit of prestige attached to an Old Town address. There are two high rises near the waterfront at the Alexandria House and Port Royal. Some folks call the Torpedo Factory condos the "flagship Old Town" because of their fantastic location.
Old Town Alexandria has many townhouses, row houses and a smaller number single family homes. Click Old Town to search listings of properties in Old Town Alexandria.
The Commonwealth of Virginia organizes is organized into counties and county-like jurisdictions called "independent cities" or just "cities". Northern Virginia has several independent cities and the City of Alexandria is one such independent city. The City of Alexandria borders Fairfax County, but Alexandria is not in Fairfax County.
However, to make things especially confusing for newcomers and for folks hunting houses, there are large parts of Fairfax County that have an Alexandria postal address. These areas of "Postal Alexandria" are most definitely part of Fairfax County and are not in the City of Alexandria. Most of these areas are found in the Lee and Mount Vernon Districts of Fairfax County. In general, postal Alexandria is more suburban than addresses in the City of Alexandria, but this is not always the case. A few neighborhoods in Alexandria of Fairfax County include:
Locally, "Alexandria" generally refers to greater/postal Alexandria, while "City of Alexandria" refers to the jurisidiction of the City of Alexandria.
The West End of Alexandria is a mixed bag. Condos and high rises abound in "Condo Canyon" near Landmark and Lincolnia. But single family and townhouse development from the 1950's and 1960's is also found tucked on side streets and around unexpected corners. The homes around and near Seminary Road are regarded by many as stately and highly desirable. Another interesting neighborhood in the West End is Cameron Station. Cameron Station is a newer development of townhouses and condos, but the stylings and architecture imitate the best of Old Town. Cameron Station is relatively close to both Landmark Mall and Old Town.
The West End is well connected to Washington DC via I-395. The West End is the newest and largest part of the city. The West End has a diverse selection of restaurants and shops as well as Landmark Mall and several fine hotels. Fort Ward Park and Museum is found in the West End of Alexandria.
Click West End for a glance at what's for sale and to see a map of the West End.
