Neighborhood Spotlight

Old Town (City of Alexandria), Virginia

Sitting along the Potomac River is the iconic Old Town, Alexandria. With 18th century homes and cobblestone streets, it’s easy to fall in love with this bustling, port city. History will surround you as you meander through many of the historic homes/museums such as Lee-Fendall and Carlyle House and gardens.

George Washington frequently traveled from Mount Vernon to Old Town, bringing his produce from his large farm to the Saturday Farmers’ market. At 260 years old, it’s the oldest Famers’ market in the US. While walking around, look for the signs around town stating, “George Washington slept here”, “George Washington ate here” and “George Washington owned this property”. Gadsby’s Tavern can boast not only George Washington celebrated his birthday there, but Jefferson held his Inaugural dinner.

 Old Town is a charming, vibrant town with many restaurants, local shops and coffee cafes. Recently, the city council voted to keep the lower two blocks of King Street as a pedestrian zone. It is lined with outdoor seating and the ability to spread out onto the street.

As a resident, you can partake in the offerings the visitors enjoy but it’s also easy to get off the beaten path and relish what makes living in Old Town so wonderful which for me is being able to walk around on off times when I feel like I’m the only one in town.

Dogs lovers abound and there is a lot of green space where your fur-baby can explore. My dog Quincy is keen on Jones Point where we have lots of room to roam. On rainy days, we can walk under the Wilson Bridge which protects us from getting too wet.

There are so many events in Old Town it’s hard to decide which ones to attend. My top three events for the rest of 2021 are: 

1)    The 50th Annual Scottish Day parade on Saturday, December 4. If you like pipes and drum bands, men in tartan wear, dogs, classic cars and, of course, a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus. The Scottish Day parade starts at 11am on S. St Asaph St. You can line up anywhere along the route which go North on St. Asaph, to Queen St and then makes a right (east) toward Fairfax St. From there it heads south toward King street to end in front of City Hall. Look for the large Compass balloons ~ mine included!

2)    The 21st annual Holiday Boat parade festivities start at the Waterfront park on December 4 at 2 pm with the boat parade beginning at 5:30 pm. There will be a pop up Port City Brewing Company beer garden and music/giveaways from 97.1 WASH-FM radio. The viewing area stretches about a mile along the waterfront to include Windmill park, Ford’s Landing City park, Founders Park and at the Waterfront Marina.

3)    Snow Globe Choral Series begins on November 20 at 8pm at the Carlyle House Historic Park. There will be pop-up outdoor performances throughout November and December at different locations around Alexandria. The performances are free, but donations will be graciously accepted. For additional details click here.