Alexandria, VA

Welcome to Alexandria

Charming historic city on the Potomac River waterfront

Alexandria is a charming historic city located to the south of Washington DC on the Potomac River waterfront. This gorgeous city is packed with attractions and enchanting architecture. Old Town Alexandria’s pretty cobblestone streets are lined with many chic restaurants and retailers. Alexandria is also home to the nation’s oldest farmers’ market and the first President George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate.

Alexandria was first established on the banks of the Potomac in 1749. The city’s captivating architectural mix includes many well-preserved Colonial, Federal, and Victorian-style homes. Newer additions to the city’s real estate mix have been carefully designed to maintain Alexandria’s historic charm. These newer additions include elegant townhouses and condominiums with mesmerizing views across the Potomac to DC.

What to Love

Charming historical architecture and cobblestone streets
King Street shopping and dining in Old Town
Recreation along the Potomac River

Local Lifestyle

Alexandria regularly features on lists of the United States’ most charming small towns and best tourist destinations. This popular weekend getaway is also a captivating place to live. Alexandria offers a huge variety of options for shopping, dining, and entertainment. There is also scenic outdoor space to explore along the Potomac River. The Blue and Yellow Lines of the Washington Metro converge at King Street – Old Town Station, providing easy access into DC for commuters.

Dining, Entertainment & Shopping

Old Town’s King Street is a major shopping and dining destination featuring upscale boutiques, historic taverns, chic contemporary eateries, and live music venues. Red Barn Mercantile is a family-run boutique home décor store stocked with both vintage and contemporary pieces. The Hour specializes in vintage glassware. Here you’ll find many unique pieces of antique and midcentury barware and cocktail curious alongside art and jewelry. Myron Mixon’s Pitmaster BBQ serves championship quality meats from multi-time World BBQ Champion Myron Mixon. Signature menu items include smoked and pulled chicken, pulled pork, pork belly, sausage links, tender beef brisket, and baby back ribs. King Street’s eclectic dining options also include gourmet American comfort cuisine in the 1930s surroundings of The Majestic, flavorful French and Belgian pare paired with fine wines at Brabo Brasserie, Californian fare paired with Sonoma County wines at Sonoma Cellar, and authentic Italian meals and drinks at Mia’s Italian Kitchen. At the northern edge of Old Town, Haute Dogs and Fries on Montgomery Street offers an inventive menu of hot dogs ranging from ballpark classics to Asian-influenced fusion creations.

Things to Do

Alexandria’s picturesque Potomac waterfront offers lots of opportunities for recreation. Many companies offer sightseeing cruises taking in the historic architecture and landmarks of the Potomac River. The Torpedo Factory Art Center has transformed a former naval munitions factory into a waterfront arts space spanning three floors with 82 working studios and seven galleries. The signature Torpedo Gallery showcases rotating exhibitions of national and international artwork. Visitors can enter the factory’s art studios to see the creative process in action and ask questions to artists about their work.

The Mount Vernon Trail runs for 18 miles along the banks of the Potomac between George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Theodore Roosevelt Island. Along the way, this mixed-use hiking and bicycling trail offer captivating views of the Washington DC skyline. The Great Walks of Alexandria includes many other routes taking in this enchanting city’s rich history, exceptional architecture, public artworks, and gorgeous scenery.