The ‘Old Town’ of Alexandria in Virginia is a historic community packed with boutique shops, restaurants and trendy bars. The icing on the cake is the attractive waterfront area which even has its own free arts centre in an old WW2 torpedo factory. The shops line around a mile of King Street which is easily reached on the Washington DC Metro system.
What’s really nice about this area is that most of the new buildings have been made to match the old ones, keeping the historic feel throughout the various streets. To be honest, we enjoyed looking at the houses as much as strolling through the shops. The feel of the place is relaxed and welcoming. It is reminiscent of nearby Georgetown but Alexandria is quieter and has wider sidewalks. We also liked that some of King Street has been blocked off to vehicles allowing free movement of visitors from one side of the street to the other.
At the waterfront, you can relax in Founder’s Park, dine at a restaurant with a river view or hop on the water taxi to The Wharf. The old Torpedo Factory arts centre (pictured above) is the one prominent building in Alexandria which is not in keeping with the traditional feel of the area. However, it’s historic in its own way and re-using a the building as an arts centre is a great way to preserve it for the future. The centre is free to visit and there’s a huge vintage torpedo to see in the entrance hall too.
Most visitors to Old Town Alexandria arrive at the King Street/Old Town Metro Stop. From there, you can walk down King Street to the waterfront or hop on one of the free modes of transport. There’s an Old Town Trolley which runs up and down King Street from 11am each day, or catch a DASH bus.
LOCATION & MAP
Old Town Alexandria is easily reached using the Washington DC metro system. The circular route of the free DASH bus links Braddock Road Metro Station with King Street Metro Station, travelling up and down King Street along the way.
MORE ON OLD TOWN ALEXANDRIA
Old Town Alexandria – Visit Alexandria
Old Town Alexandria – Wikipedia
The Best Places To Stay In Alexandria – Booking.com