As a bedroom community to the nation’s capital, Alexandria is steeped in history. No one will ever let you forget that it’s the home of Mount Vernon, George Washington’s home. But it’s also like a suburb, with a lot more green space than DC, fewer tourists, and quieter streets. For those who work in Northern Virginia it's a heck of a lot more convenient, less expensive, easier for doggos, but also has a ton to do in the big historic commercial district, Old Town. The historic Potomac River not only divides the community from DC, but it provides a fun and vibrant waterfront to visitors and residents alike. Locals will claim that if you're choosing between Alexandria and one of the quieter neighborhoods of DC like Southeast, then you're far better off in Alexandria due to the better restaurants, better views, proximity to bars/nightlife, and cheaper living options. 

Indeed, there isn’t as much traffic as in DC, but there’s still a lot. Many folks in Alexandria commute to other places to work so traffic can get snarled during rush hour and Northern Virginia finishes high on lists of worst traffic in the country. There is a decent public transportation system, the Metrorail, that serves both the city and commutes out of the city, but driving in Alexandria can make you nuts.


It’s not DC

LookyLOO Review of Alexandria? 

Alexandria is definitely a modern city, but it is older than the United States and much of it has been meticulously preserved. The aptly named Old Town in particular is full of historical buildings that the founding fathers used to frequent such as Christ Church and Gadsby’s Tavern. King Street is a great place to walk around and indulge in some retail therapy. Dog-friendly Del Ray, just minutes from Old Town, is far more contemporary and is currently booming for families and young people.

Check out the [calendar of events](visitalexandria.com/events/) in Alexandria. 

We highly recommend visiting Alexandria and staying in the community in a [VRBO](https://vrbo.com/affiliate/p4JS4ZC) rather than a hotel to get a feel for what it's like to live among the locals. You can receive discounted fares on travel via our [partnership with Expedia](expedia.com/affiliate/9NZ8LBQ) as well.


 Like you’re in the past and the present

Lifestyle 

Alexandria is an amazingly livable city, with its own social and cultural experiences and is only 20 minutes to DC.  That combo is extremely hard to beat and makes it one of those best of both worlds experiences. 

Livable Proximity

Why You Should Move Here Now?

**cynicalibis**
1y ago
🦉🦉🦉

I love Alexandria for all of the reasons listed and have lived or worked in pretty much every corner of it. I don’t recall the best source for this info off hand but I recommend looking up the age demographic for the different zip codes as a general idea to see what may suit you best. I bought my garden condo at 40 and the average age for my neighborhood is something like 60, which I personally LOVE cause it’s super quiet, small enough to be familiar with your neighbors but big enough it’s not intrusive, and even the grumpy 80 year old neighbor that yells at me to get off his lawn still likes me because I reset his internet password for him and set up his landline.

I’m in kingstowne which will get you more bang for your buck square footage wise for working from home, but if you are younger it can put a slight damper on your social life. That said the slight damper for me just means it now takes fifteen minutes to get to my friends houses instead of five so that’s fine by me.

Winters here are like a nice spring day compared to the mid west.


For more reviews of what living in Alexandria is like from locals check out: [**The Reviews**](https://lookyloomove.com/locations/alexandria/reviews)


Reviews of Alexandria from Locals

**The Best Thing About Alexandria?**  It’s not DC

As a bedroom community to the nation’s capital, Alexandria is steeped in history. In fact, no one will ever let you forget that it’s the home of Mount Vernon, George Washington’s home. But it’s also like a suburb, with a lot more green space than DC, fewer tourists and less crime. The historic Potomac River not only divides the community from DC, but it provides a fun and vibrant waterfront to visitors and residents alike.

**The Worst Thing About Alexandria?**  The traffic

It’s true that there isn’t as much traffic as in DC, but there’s still a lot. Many folks in Alexandria commute to other places to work and so traffic can get snarled during rush hour. There is a decent public transportation system, the Metrorail, that serves both the city and commutes out of the city, but driving in Alexandria can make you nuts.

**How You Living?**  Like you’re in the past and the present

Alexandria is definitely a modern city, but it is older than the United States and much of it has been meticulously preserved. The aptly named Old Town in particular is full of historical buildings that the founding fathers used to frequent such as Christ Church and Gadsby’s Tavern. King Street is a great place to walk around and indulge in some retail therapy. Dog-friendly Del Ray, just minutes from Old Town, is far more contemporary and is currently booming for families and young people.

**Why You Should Move Here Now?** 

Alexandria is a nice place to live and it’s increasingly attractive to young families. It’s very pro-community, safe and has a lot to do. You’ll enjoy good restaurants, parks and schools. There are recent improvements throughout the city, especially in the West End. And, of course, DC is only 20 minutes away. 


Old Town is truly the center of Alexandria. If you crave an urban-ish environment with tons of bars, restaurants, theaters, and boutique shopping options you’re going to want to look at Old Town. No need for a car, with beautiful historic housing options for those with money but also some apartment and condo options that make it incredibly convenient for the post-college and pre-family community. 
- Old Town
- Eisenhower East


Young Professionals

Old Town

Old Town North is a more chill alternative to Old Town for those who want to live in the city, enjoy the amenities, but avoid the chaos and tourists that haunt Old Town. It has significantly more outdoor spaces, boating opportunities in the Potomac and you’re just outside Old Town should you crave the scene. 
- Old Town North


DINKs/SINKs & Families

Old Town North

North Ridge-Rosemont is a beautiful historic neighborhood with smaller bungalows and much larger Colonial Revival homes for younger and more established families. It is highly walkable to the Pizza, Tavern and cafe spots in the neighborhood. It is also home to some of the best elementary and high schools in the city. Potomac West is another good option. Safe, affordable and filled with community-centric neighbors, there are year-round beautification and clean-up events as well as several community gardens popular with parents and kids alike. 
- North Ridge-Rosemont
- Potomac West 
- Southwest Quadrant


Families

North Ridge-Rosemont

Alexandria

**balmooreoreos**
1y ago
🦉🦉🦉

Alexandria is one of, if not, the best area to live in the DC area, with the key caveat, if you’re living in the good parts. Tough to say without knowing your age, price range, etc. but best possible areas are Old Town, Del Ray and Beverly Hills.

If those are out of your price range, than it’s possible you will find other areas in NOVA that could be better than the cheaper parts of Alexandria. While some parts of Alexandria feel like a small town, it is actually pretty large with many different sections

Edit: the most broad advice I would give to someone coming to the DC area, who can afford it, aim for NOVA and MOCO inside the Beltway.

**cynicalibis**
1y ago
🦉🦉🦉

I love Alexandria for all of the reasons listed and have lived or worked in pretty much every corner of it. I don’t recall the best source for this info off hand but I recommend looking up the age demographic for the different zip codes as a general idea to see what may suit you best. I bought my garden condo at 40 and the average age for my neighborhood is something like 60, which I personally LOVE cause it’s super quiet, small enough to be familiar with your neighbors but big enough it’s not intrusive, and even the grumpy 80 year old neighbor that yells at me to get off his lawn still likes me because I reset his internet password for him and set up his landline.

I’m in kingstowne which will get you more bang for your buck square footage wise for working from home, but if you are younger it can put a slight damper on your social life. That said the slight damper for me just means it now takes fifteen minutes to get to my friends houses instead of five so that’s fine by me.

Winters here are like a nice spring day compared to the mid west.

**atomicitalian**
1y ago
🦉🦉🦉

Hi, I'm 38, from Ohio originally (I feel you on winters) and moved to ALX from DC a few years ago.

You are correct, the few winters I've spent here have been much more mild than anything we typically get back in the Midwest. That does come with hotter summers though. During the hottest days of summer you'll remember that you're technically in the south, but it's honestly not too bad. The worst days are only a little worse than the hottest days you'd be used to from Chicago. (I also used to live in Phoenix so I will never complain about a place being "too hot" again)

I live within walking distance of King Street in the Carlyle area of Alexandria. It's very nice and walkable here, mostly young professionals from what I can tell.

**bureaucracynow**
1y ago
🦉🦉🦉🦉

Old Town is one of the most, if not the most, walkable neighborhoods in NoVa. There are a ton of shops, grocery stores, restaurants, great waterfront parks, historical attractions, and other things to do. One thing to note is that you’ll want to really double check where you end up. Some places bordering Old Town may look like they’re near things but are weirdly not very walkable. For example, Potomac Greens neighborhood is close to Del Ray and Old Town but it’s pinned in by railroad tracks and the GW Parkway. The Potomac Yard neighborhood has a lot of townhouses and new apartment buildings but there are not many shops and restaurants nearby.

**Moving to Alexandria VA? Top 6 things to know about living in Alexandria, VA**

Alexandria, Virginia

Old Town-ish

Looklyloo Score: 94