History
of Alexandria, VA
Courtesy:
Wikipedia
The first
settlement was established in 1695 in what was then the British Colony
of Virginia. Around 1746, Captain Philip Alexander II (1704-1753) moved
to what is south of present Duke Street in Alexandria. His estate, which
consisted of 500 acres, was bounded by Hunting Creek, Hooff’s Run,
the Potomac River, and approximately the line of which would become Cameron
Street. Since it was felt that the Potomac River was a good place for
a prosperous town, there was a petition submitted to the Virginia legislature
on November 1, 1748, that the "inhabitants of Fairfax (Co.) praying
that a town may be established at Hunting Creek Warehouse on Potowmack
River," as Hugh West was the owner of the warehouse.
Since this
was amidst his estate, Philip opposed the idea and strongly favored a
site at the head of Great Hunting Creek. It has been said that in order
to avoid a predicament the petitioners changed the name of the new town
from Belle Haven to Alexandria, in honor of Philip’s family. As
a result, Philip and his cousin Captain John Alexander (1711-1763) gave
land to assist in the development of Alexandria, and are thus listed as
the founders. This John was the son of Robert Alexander II (1688-1735).
Lots were being sold for the town of Alexandria by July 1749, though it
did not become incorporated until 1779.
In 1755,
General Edward Braddock organized his fatal expedition against Fort Duquesne
at Carlyle House in Alexandria. In April of 1755, the governors of Virginia,
and the Provinces of Maryland, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and New York
met to determine upon concerted action against the French in America.
In March
1785, commissioners from Virginia and Maryland met in Alexandria to discuss
the commercial relations of the two states, finishing their business at
Mount Vernon. The Mount Vernon Conference concluded on March 28 with an
agreement for freedom of trade and freedom of navigation of the Potomac
River. The Maryland legislature, in ratifying this agreement on November
22, proposed a conference among representatives from all the states to
consider the adoption of definite commercial regulations. This led to
the calling of the Annapolis Convention of 1786, which in turn led to
the calling of the Federal Convention of 1787.
In 1791,
Alexandria was included in the area chosen by George Washington to become
the District of Columbia. A portion of the City of Alexandria---namely
known as "Old Town"--- and all of today's Arlington County share
the distinction of having been originally in Virginia, ceded to the U.S.
Government to form the District of Columbia, and later retroceded to Virginia
by the federal government in 1846, when the District was reduced in size
to exclude the portion south of the Potomac River. The City of Alexandria
was re-chartered in 1852.
During the
War of 1812, Alexandria surrendered to a British fleet in 1814 without
a fight. As agreed in the terms of surrender the British looted stores
and warehouses of mainly flour, tobacco, cotton, wine, and sugar.
From 1828
to 1836, Alexandria was home to the Franklin & Armfield Slave Market,
one of the largest slave trading companies in the country. By the 1830s,
they were sending more than 1,000 slaves annually from Alexandria to their
Natchez, Mississippi, and New Orleans markets to help meet the demand
for slaves in Mississippi and surrounding states. Later owned by Price,
Birch & Co., the slave pen became a jail under Union occupation.
The City
of Alexandria became independent of Alexandria County in 1870. The remaining
portion of Alexandria County changed its name to Arlington County in 1920,
which ended years of confusion.
Return
to Virginia
Over
time, a movement grew to separate Alexandria from the District of Columbia.
As competition grew with the port of Georgetown and the Chesapeake and
Ohio Canal fostered development on the north side of the Potomac River,
the city's economy stagnated. In addition, many in Alexandria hoped to
benefit from land sales and increased business from the federal government,
which had no need for the land south of the river at the time. Also, its
residents had lost representation and the right to vote at any level of
government.
Alexandria
was also an important port and market in the slave trade, and there were
increasing talk of the abolition of slavery in the national capital. Alexandria's
economy would suffer greatly if slavery were outlawed. At the same time,
there was an active abolition movement in Virginia, and the state's General
Assembly was closely divided on the question of slavery (resulting in
the formation of West Virginia some years later by the most anti-slavery
counties). Alexandria and Alexandria County would provide two new pro-slavery
representatives.
After a referendum,
voters petitioned Congress and Virginia to return the area to Virginia.
The area was retroceded to Virginia on July 9, 1846.
American
Civil War
At the opening of the American Civil War, the city was occupied
by Federal troops and remained so until the end of the war, making it
the longest held city during the war. Fort Ward, built for the defense
of Washington, DC, was located within the boundaries of modern Alexandria.
Great excitement
throughout the North was caused by the killing of Colonel Elmer E. Ellsworth
on May 24, 1861, by Captain James W. Jackson, a hotel proprietor, from
whose building Ellsworth had removed a Confederate flag. After the establishment
of the state of West Virginia in 1863 and until the close of the war,
Alexandria was the seat of the Restored Government of Virginia also known
as the "Alexandria Government." Also, buildings at Virginia
Theological Seminary and at Episcopal High School served as hospitals
for union troops. Bullets, belt clips, and other artifacts from the civil
war have been found in the area well into the 20th century.
20th
century
In 1930, Alexandria annexed the Town of Potomac. That town, adjacent
to Potomac Yard, had been laid out beginning in the late 19th century
and incorporated in 1908. Pope John Paul II visited Alexandria when he
was known as Karol Cardinal Wojtyla. He was guided by a Polish Catholic
priest from St. Mary's Catholic Church in Alexandria. This was in 1969
and 1976. In 1999 the city celebrated its 250th anniversary.
Back
To Top - Alexandria, VA - Community Profile
Neighborhoods
in Alexandriva, VA
Old
Town
Old
Town, in the eastern and southeastern areas of Alexandria and on the Potomac
River, is the oldest section of the city, originally laid out in 1749,
and is a historic district. Old Town is chiefly known for its historic
town houses, art galleries, antique shops, and restaurants. On the northern
limits of Old Town is the remnants of a historic, predominantly African
American community known by its inhabitants as "The Berg". Today
the Berg’s most prominent landmarks are the James Bland Homes (built
in 1954) named after an African American musician and songwriter and Samuel
Madden Homes, named after the first African-American pastor of the Alfred
Street Baptist Church. Built in 1945, the 260-unit public housing complex
covers several blocks in what is now Old Town Alexandria. Over the years
the historic roots of the Berg’s name were lost, and many assumed
it referred to the monolithic, iceberg-like buildings of this apartment
complex. The Berg was mentioned in the movie "Remember the Titans"
which dramatizes the integration of city public schools in the 1970s through
the creation of T.C. Williams High School. Some remnants of the Berg remain
today, but the majority of Old Town has long since given way to gentrification.
Old Town is laid out on a grid plan of substantially square blocks.
Market Square
in Old Town is the oldest continuously operating marketplace in the United
States and was once the site of the second-largest slave market in the
U.S. Today it contains a large fountain and extensive landscaping, as
well as a farmers' market each Saturday morning.
Arlandria
Also known as Little El Salvador or Chirilagua, this area is
well known bustling enclave of Salvadoran, Honduran, and Guatemalan immigrants.
Many Latinos moved to this area after the destruction of a nearby old
apartment complex that has now turned into all brand new condos and townhomes.
Arlandria consists of a couple of apartment complexes concentrated on
the border between Arlington and Alexandria on W. Glebe Road. Centered
around Mount Vernon Avenue and West Glebe Road, it is home to nearly twenty
Hispanic owned bakeries, restaurants, salons, and bookstores.
Del
Ray
The area to the northwest of Old Town, formerly in the separate
town of Potomac, is popularly known as Del Ray, although that name properly
belongs to one of many communities (including Hume, Mount Ida, and Saint
Elmo) in that area. The communities of Del Ray and St. Elmo originated
in early 1894, when developer Charles Wood organized them on a grid pattern
of streets running north-south and east-west. Del Ray originally contained
six east-west streets and five north-south. All were identical in width,
except Mt. Vernon Avenue, which was approximately twenty feet wider. St.
Elmo, a smaller tract, was laid out in a similar pattern, but with only
four east-west streets and one running north-south.
By 1900,
Del Ray contained approximately 130 persons, and St. Elmo 55. In 1908,
the tracts of Del Ray, St. Elmo, Mt. Ida, and Hume were incorporated into
the town of Potomac, which by 1910 had a population of 599; by 1920 it
contained 1,000; and by 1928 it had 2,355 residents.
The 254 acres
comprising Del Ray were sold to Charles Wood in 1894 for the sum of $38,900,
while St. Elmo, made up of 39 acres, was purchased for $15,314.
The community,
while diverse, has experienced substantial gentrification since redevelopment
began in Potomac Yard in the mid-1990s. The area has future development
plans for condominiums, parks, and a fire station with affordable housing
on upper floors. Del Ray now boasts many new restaurants and shops.
West
End
Alexandria's
West End includes areas annexed from Fairfax County in the 1950s. It is
the most typically suburban part of Alexandria, with a street hierarchy
of winding roads and culs-de-sac. The section of Duke Street in the West
End is known for a high-density residential area known to locals as "Landmark"
and for its concentration of both strip and enclosed shopping malls. In
more recent years, parts of Alexandria's West End have seen an influx
of immigrants from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Afghanistan and Pakistan, who have
settled in the areas surrounding Seminary Road west of I-395.
The West
End is composed of four main areas. All are west of Quaker Lane, the main
north-south artery through Alexandria:
- Seminary
Hill, a mostly residential, single-family dwelling area near the Virginia
Theological Seminary and the Episcopal and St. Stephen's-St. Agnes High
Schools off Seminary Road, ending in the area just west of the Inova
Alexandria Hospital.
- "Lower
Alexandria (LA)", south of the Duke Street corridor are communities
of small homes, row houses, town homes along with commercial and retail
real estate including the Foxchase Shopping Center. The section between
Wheeler Ave. and Jordan St. is also known as the "Block."
In the 60's and 70's, this section of Alexandria was also known because
of Shirley Duke, a complex of 2,214 low-priced rental apartments, which
became the Foxchase development in the early 1980s, after five years
of stagnancy. There are also areas of industrial businesses south of
Duke Street, primarily off Wheeler Ave, South Pickett St and South Van
Dorn St. In the very southern part of this area is the Eisenhower Ave
corridor running parallel to the Capital Beltway (I-95/I-495) which
is industrial and commercial in nature. The Van Dorn Metro Station here
provides access to Washington, DC.
- The Landmark
area, which includes Seminary Valley a large single family area developed
in the 1950s, is largely garden style apartments and condo-converted
apartment hi-rises as well as a number of townhome developments from
the 1970s is west of North Pickett St bordered by I-395/Van Dorn Street
on the west and Seminary Road on the north. This area also includes
Cameron Station and the main branch of the Alexandria Library, the Charles
E. Beatley Central Library. The Landmark Mall, developed in the mid-1960s
and redeveloped in the 1980s, was Alexandria's primary retail area for
decades. It now includes Sears, Macy's, and Lord and Taylor department
stores.
- The Seminary
West neighborhoods are the communities west of I-395 but within the
city limits of Alexandria. Beauregard Street is the primary artery running
north & south to a mix of development from town home communities,
single family neighborhoods, three large senior citizen living centers,
garden and hi-rise apartments and condominiums. The Mark Center office
development is a large commercial area in this community, which also
includes the Alexandria Campus of the Northern Virginia Community College
and its Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center.
North
Ridge
North
Ridge, in northern Alexandria City, borders Arlington County and includes
the very busy Braddock Road/King Street corridors. North Ridge takes its
name from the high ground west of Russell Road and south of West Glebe
Road. It is a residential area with homes of numerous styles (mostly single
family houses) that were largely developed in the period of the 1930s
through the early 1960s. This neighborhood includes many houses of worship
as well as one of Virginia's eight Scottish Rite temples, a Masonic order.
North Ridge students attend George Mason and Charles Barrett Elementary
Schools and feed into George Washington Middle School and T. C. Williams
High School. The Lower School of private St. Stephens & St. Agnes
school is located in the Jefferson Park neighborhood of North Ridge.
It is a neighborhood
of walkers, joggers, and bicyclists, known for its friendliness and its
profusion of crepe myrtles. Parks there include Monticello Park, Beverly
Park and Robert Leider Park. All of the North Ridge community lies within
the original 10-mile square of the District of Columbia, ceded back to
Virginia in 1846.
Nearby
Alexandria Neighborhoods
Many
neighborhoods outside of the city limits including Franconia, Groveton,
Hybla Valley, Huntington, Belle Haven, Mount Vernon, Engleside, Burgundy
Village, Waynewood, Wilton Woods, Virginia Hills, Hayfield, and Kingstowne
use an Alexandria address. Despite the Alexandria address, these areas
are actually part of Fairfax County, not the City of Alexandria.
The Fort
Hunt Neighborhood, adjacent to Fort Hunt Park a National Park Service
picnic facility, runs next to the George Washington Parkway on the way
to the Mount Vernon Estate. Here, cherry blossom trees are planted on
the opposite side of the river but are still on the parkway.
Back
To Top - Alexandria, VA - Community Profile
Alexandria,
VA Real Estate
Estimated
median house or condo value in 2007: $555,100 (it was $202,400 in 2000)
Alexandria: $555,100
Virginia: $262,100
Median gross rent in 2007: $1,233.
Percentage of residents living in poverty in 2007: 8.2%
Mean
prices in 2007
- All housing
units: $600,397
- Detached
houses: $781,462
- Townhouses
or other attached units: $631,588
- In 2-unit
structures: $625,000
- In 3-to-4-unit
structures: $416,174
- In 5-or-more-unit
structures: $370,637
Sampling
of Home Sales Data in Specific Zip Codes
The following data provides an idea for home sales value in specific areas
of Alexandria, VA. For a detailed CMA for your home please send
us more information about your home and we'll get back to you shortly.
If you are a buyer and would like to see some current listings, please
browse further below.
Zip
Code: 22301
- 100 E
DEL RAY AVE: $820,000 on 2008-07-01
- 708 MOUNT
VERNON AVE B: $525,000 on 2008-06-30
- 420 E
BELLEFONTE AVE: $450,000 on 2008-06-30
- 312 E
NELSON AVE: $429,000 on 2008-06-30
- 406 E
HOWELL AVE: $459,500 on 2008-06-27
- 113 HUME
AVE A: $539,000 on 2008-06-27
- 409 E
BELLEFONTE AVE: $699,000 on 2008-06-27
- 608 N
VIEW TER: $932,500 on 2008-06-25
- 200 RUCKER
PL: $995,000 on 2008-06-25
- 105 W
LINDEN ST: $1,155,500 on 2008-06-24
Zip
Code: 22302
- 2214
N DEARING ST 193: $385,000 on 2008-07-01 (COOP OR CONDO)
- 3242
S 28TH ST 101: $236,500 on 2008-07-01 (COOP OR CONDO)
- 712 PUTNAM
PL: $490,000 on 2008-06-30
- 3310
WYNDHAM CIR 210: $230,000 on 2008-06-30 (COOP OR CONDO)
- 3619
GREENWAY PL 534: $319,000 on 2008-06-30 (COOP OR CONDO)
- 3101
N HAMPTON DR 100: $300,000 on 2008-06-27 (COOP OR CONDO)
- 2500
N VAN DORN ST 324: $185,000 on 2008-06-27 (COOP OR CONDO)
- 3526
VALLEY DR 936: $328,000 on 2008-06-27 (COOP OR CONDO)
- 810 JANNEYS
LN: $608,500 on 2008-06-27
- 3303
WYNDHAM CIR 346: $192,500 on 2008-06-26 (COOP OR CONDO)
Zip
Code: 22303
- 2451
MIDTOWN AVE 615: $284,900 on 2008-07-08 (COOP OR CONDO)
- 5605
ELEANOR CT: $257,000 on 2008-06-30
- 2734
FORT DR: $420,000 on 2008-06-30 (MULTI-FAMILY (2 - 4))
- 3118
BURGUNDY RD: $289,000 on 2008-06-30
- 3003
ELMWOOD DR: $322,500 on 2008-06-30
- 2451
MIDTOWN AVE 1107: $289,000 on 2008-06-27 (COOP OR CONDO)
- 2451
MIDTOWN AVE 908: $300,000 on 2008-06-27 (COOP OR CONDO)
- 5903
MOUNT EAGLE DR 1401: $301,215 on 2008-06-26 (COOP OR CONDO)
- 3830
ELMWOOD TOWNE WAY: $565,900 on 2008-06-24
- 5700
CHAPIN AVE: $260,000 on 2008-06-24
Zip
Code: 22304
- 5500
HOLMES RUN PKWY 518: $175,000 on 2008-07-01 (COOP OR CONDO)
- 150 MARTIN
LN: $525,000 on 2008-06-30
- 5911
EDSALL RD 1113: $205,000 on 2008-06-30 (COOP OR CONDO)
- 250 S
REYNOLDS ST 1006: $206,939 on 2008-06-30 (COOP OR CONDO)
- 4950
BRENMAN PARK DR 401: $480,000 on 2008-06-30 (COOP OR CONDO)
- 5442
BARRISTER PL: $385,000 on 2008-06-27
- 5120
DONOVAN DR 206: $380,000 on 2008-06-27 (COOP OR CONDO)
- 5155
CALIFORNIA LN: $945,000 on 2008-06-27
- 5244
BRAWNER PL: $660,000 on 2008-06-27
- 385 CAMERON
STATION BLVD: $649,713 on 2008-06-26
Zip
Code: 22305
- 3290
MOUNT VERNON AVE: $439,000 on 2008-07-01
- 3507
RUSSELL RD: $515,000 on 2008-06-30
- 129 DALE
ST: $245,000 on 2008-06-27
- 136 WESMOND
DR: $317,590 on 2008-06-26
- 2912
HICKORY ST: $365,000 on 2008-06-26
- 609 N
OVERLOOK DR: $676,908 on 2008-06-25
- 2904
SYCAMORE ST: $438,000 on 2008-06-23
- 138 SANBORN
PL: $450,897 on 2008-06-20
- 814 W
GLEBE RD: $608,824 on 2008-06-20
- 826 W
GLEBE RD: $638,213 on 2008-06-20
Zip
Code: 22306
- 4420
FLINTSTONE RD: $445,020 on 2008-07-07
- 3808
STONEBRIDGE RD: $453,000 on 2008-06-30
- 4350
ROCK CREEK RD: $474,900 on 2008-06-30
- 2404
PARKERS LN: $475,000 on 2008-06-30
- 6661
S KINGS HWY: $280,000 on 2008-06-30
- 2504
STONE HEDGE DR: $380,000 on 2008-06-27
- 6904
VANTAGE DR: $417,000 on 2008-06-27
- 7744
FRANCES DR: $425,000 on 2008-06-27
- 3012
COLONIAL SPRINGS CT: $309,000 on 2008-06-26
- 8232
LA FAYE CT: $418,500 on 2008-06-25
Zip
Code: 22307
- 1211
WAKE FOREST DR: $640,000 on 2008-06-30
- 7021
QUANDER RD: $350,000 on 2008-06-30
- 6503
BLUEBILL LN: $590,000 on 2008-06-30
- 6914
TULSA CT: $699,900 on 2008-06-27
- 6507
POTOMAC AVE A2: $270,000 on 2008-06-26 (COOP OR CONDO)
- 5904
SANDBROOK CT: $518,900 on 2008-06-26
- 6415
14TH ST: $480,000 on 2008-06-25
- 1817
DRURY LN: $640,000 on 2008-06-25
- 6729
QUANDER RD: $265,000 on 2008-06-25
- 6607
POTOMAC AVE B2: $250,000 on 2008-06-23 (COOP OR CONDO)
Alexandria,
Virginia Listings of Home
For the most up to date listings of home or even daily updates of what's
hot and what's brand new on the market, delivered right to your email,
please sign
up here.
Back
To Top - Alexandria, VA - Community Profile
Demographics
of Alexandria, VA
As of the
census of 2000, there were 128,283 people, 61,889 households, and 27,726
families residing in the city. The population density was 8,452.0 people
per square mile. There were 64,251 housing units at an average density
of 4,233.2/sq mi. Population in July 2007: 140,024. Population change
since 2000: +7.8%
Summary of
Census Data for Alexandria, VA
- Males:
67,646 (48.3%)
- Females:
72,378 (51.7%)
- Median
resident age: 34.4 years
- Virginia
median age: 35.7 years
- Zip codes:
22301, 22302, 22303, 22304, 22305, 22306, 22307,
22308, 22309, 22310, 22311, 22312, 22313, 22314,
22315, 22320, 22321, 22331, 22332, 22333, 22334, 22336.
- Estimated
median household income in 2007: $80,806 (it was $56,054 in 2000)
Alexandria: $80,806
Virginia: $59,562
- White
Non-Hispanic (53.7%)
- Black
(22.5%)
- Hispanic
(14.7%)
- Other
race (7.4%)
- Two or
more races (4.3%)
- Asian
Indian (1.3%)
- Other
Asian (1.1%)
- Korean
(1.0%)
- Filipino
(0.9%)
- American
Indian (0.7%)
- Chinese
(0.7%)
- Ancestries:
Irish (11.4%), German (11.2%), English (10.5%),
Subsaharan African (6.6%), Italian (4.6%), United States (3.0%).
- Current
Local Time: EST time zone
- Incorporated
in 1852
- Elevation:
30 feet
- Land area:
15.2 square miles.
- Population
density: 9226 people per square mile
In 2000 there
were 61,889 households out of which 18.6% had children under the age of
18 living with them, 32.2% were married couples living together, 9.2%
had a female householder with no husband present, and 55.2% were non-families.
43.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.8% had someone
living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size
was 2.04 and the average family size was 2.87.
The age distribution
was 16.8% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 43.5% from 25 to 44,
21.5% from 45 to 64, and 9.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median
age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 93.5 males. For every
100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.7 males.
According
to a 2006 estimate, the median income for a household in the city was
$80,449, and the median income for a family was $102,388. Males had a
median income of $47,514 versus $41,254 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $37,645. 8.9% of the population and 6.8% of families
were below the poverty line. 13.9% of those under the age of 18 and 9.0%
of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Back
To Top - Alexandria, VA - Community Profile
Education
in Alexandria, VA
The city
is served by the Alexandria City Public Schools system and by the Alexandria
campus of Northern Virginia Community College. The largest seminary in
the Episcopal Church, Virginia Theological Seminary, is located on Seminary
Road. Virginia Tech's Alexandria Architecture Center, also known as WAAC,
is located on Prince Street in Old Town, offering graduate programs in
Urban Affairs and Planning, Public and International Affairs, and Architecture.
Virginia Commonwealth University operates a Northern Virginia branch of
its School of Social Work in Alexandria. George Washington University
(Washington DC) also has an Alexandria campus near the King Street metro.
This campus mainly offers professional and vocational programs, such as
an executive MBA program, urban planning and security studies.
Alexandria
is home to several of the Washington D.C. area's top private schools,
such as St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School, Episcopal High School, and
Bishop Ireton High School. Also in the city are Alexandria Country Day
School, Commonwealth Academy, St. Mary's Catholic School, St. Rita's Catholic
School and Blessed Sacrament Learning Center. Students and faculty from
the Thornton Friends School of Maryland, which closed its Virginia Campus
in June 2006, have formed the new Alexandria Friends School to maintain
Alexandria's tradition of Quaker education.
Alexandria's
public school system consists of thirteen elementary schools for grades
5-year-old Kindergarten through Grade 5. Middle Schools, George Washington
and Francis C. Hammond, serve 6th through 8th graders. Minnie Howard Ninth
Grade Center and T.C. Williams High School serve grades 9th and 10 through
12, respectively, for the entire city.
T.C. Williams,
and its legendary former head football coach, Herman Boone, former assistant
coach Bill Yoast and the Virginia State Champion 1971 Titan football squad
were featured in the 2000 Disney motion picture Remember the Titans starring
Denzel Washington and Will Patton.
High
Schools
T.C.
Williams High School (Grades 10-12)
3330 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22302
Tel: 703-824-6800 | Fax: 703-824-6826
Minnie
Howard School (Grade 9)
3801 W. Braddock Road, Alexandria, VA 22302
Tel: 703-824-6750 | Fax: 703-824-6781
Middle
Schools
Francis
C. Hammond Middle School (Grades 6-8)
4646 Seminary Road, Alexandria, VA 22304
Tel: 703-461-4100 | Fax: 703-461-4111
George
Washington Middle School (Grades 6-8)
1005 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22301
Tel: 703-706-4500 | Fax: 703-706-4507
Elementary
Schools
John
Adams Elementary School (Grades K-5)
5651 Rayburn Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22311
Tel: 703-824-6970 | Fax: 703-379-4853
Charles
Barrett Elementary School (Grades K-5)
1115 Martha Custis Drive, Alexandria, VA 22302
Tel: 703-824-6960 | Fax: 703-379-3782
Patrick
Henry Elementary School (Grades K-5)
4643 Taney Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22304
Tel: 703-461-4170 | Fax: 703-823-3350
Jefferson-Houston
School for Arts and Academics (Grades K-5)
1501 Cameron Street, Alexandria, VA 22314
Tel: 703-706-4400 | Fax: 703-836-7923
Cora
Kelly School for Math, Science and Technology (Grades K-5)
3600 Commonwealth Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22305
Tel: 703-706-4420 | Fax: 703-706-4425
Lyles-Crouch
Traditional Academy (Grades K-5)
530 S. St. Asaph Street, Alexandria, VA 22314
Tel: 703-706-4430 | Fax: 703-684-0252
Douglas
MacArthur Elementary School (Grades K-5)
1101 Janneys Lane, Alexandria, VA 22302
Tel: 703-461-4190 | Fax: 703-370-2719
George
Mason Elementary School (Grades K-5)
2601 Cameron Mills Road, Alexandria, VA 22302
Tel: 703-706-4470 | Fax: 703-683-9011
Maury
Elementary School (Grades K-5)
600 Russell Road, Alexandria, VA 22301
Tel: 703-706-4440 | Fax: 703-683-5146
Mount
Vernon Community School (Grades K-5)
2601 Commonwealth Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22305
Tel: 703-706-4460 | Fax: 703-706-4466
James
K. Polk Elementary School (Grades K-5)
5000 Polk Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22304
Tel: 703-461-4180 | Fax: 703-751-8614
William
Ramsay Elementary School (Grades K-5)
5700 Sanger Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22311
Tel: 703-824-6950 | Fax: 703-379-7824
Samuel
W. Tucker Elementary School (Grades K-5)
435 Ferdinand Day Drive, Alexandria, VA 22304
Tel: 703-933-6300 | Fax: 703-212-8465
Back
To Top - Alexandria, VA - Community Profile
Parks
and Recreation in Alexandria
Did
you know the City of Alexandria has...
- 17,000
Street Trees
- 944 Acres
of and Park Land
- 187 Flower
Beds & Horticultural Sites
- 59 Boat
Slips at the City Marina
- 52 Multi-use
Athletic Fields
- 45 Playgrounds
- 39 Tennis
Courts
- 29 Basketball/Multipurpose
Courts
- 20 Miles
of Trails
- 17 Dog
Parks
- 14 Picnic
Shelters
- 6 Outdoor
Pools
The Park
Operations Division of the Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural
Activities manages and maintains the park system within the City of Alexandria.
For additional information, please call 703.838.4340.
Dog
Parks
The Department of Recreation, Parks, and Cultural Activities
provides Dog Exercise Areas and Fenced Dog Parks for the convenience and
enjoyment of City residents. Off-leash Dog Parks are an important part
of the City's park system. They provide designated areas for dogs and
their owners to exercise and recreate without disrupting other uses of
the parks. Dog owners who believe their pets are not safe in an open exercise
area are encouraged to visit a fenced dog park. Please enjoy these designated
areas and respect the leash laws when using other park areas.
Marina
Parks, walking/bike trails, quaint restaurants, shops, and historic
sites surround the marina. For boating enthusiasts, the marina is a 3
mile cruise from Washington DC and Maryland. In addition to affording
a spectacular view of the Potomac River, the City Marina has overnight
boat slips plus additional short-term docking space on sea walls and adjacent
areas. The City Marina offers docking for pleasure boats and commercial
vessels. For boaters who wish to stay overnight, restroom and shower facilities
are available. One 30 amp electrical connection and water hose bib (in
season) are available for each boat slip. Alexandria is a dog friendly
city, in fact, there is a public access dog park within easy walking distance
of the marina.
West
End Farmers' Market
Ben
Brenman Park
4800 Brenman Park Drive
Sundays, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. May through October 2008
Market will be closed Sunday, August 24
The Farmers
Market is located in the south end of Ben Brenman Park, in the parking
area at the end of Somervelle St. Featuring home baked goods, breads and
pastries, and locally grown produce, this outdoor market is one of a kind
on the City’s west end. In addition to food items, the market may
feature artwork from local artists. For additional information, call the
Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities at 703.838.4343.
To become a vendor, complete the forms below and return to ARPCA, c/o
Jack Browand, 1108 Jefferson Street, Alexandria VA 22314, or fax to 703.838.6344,
Attn.: Jack Browand.
Alexandria
Recreation Centers
Neighborhood Centers
- Charles
Barrett Recreation Center
1115 Martha Custis Dr.
Alexandria, VA 22305
703.838.4818 | 703.706.3963
Facility
Features:
Weight
Room
Gymnasium
Meeting Room
Athletic Field
Game Room
Kitchen/Dance/Arts & Crafts Room
Center
Hours:
Monday
- Friday: 2 - 9 pm (Sep-Jun)
Monday - Friday: 9 am - 9 pm (Jul-Aug)
Saturday: 9 am - 6 pm (Oct -Mar)
-
Charles Houston Recreation Center
New center construction began in September 2007. For up to date program
information call 703.838.4814. The new center will provide a new gymnasium,
dance room, fitness room, boxing room, children's game room, computer
lab, outdoor swimming pool, senior center, preschool program, and a
community meeting room. It will also incorporate green building features,
such as a vegetated green roof and energy efficient HVAC systems and
lighting. The new center is scheduled to open in late winter of 2009.
Charles
Houston Community Center programs moved to the following locations
due to construction:
Durant
Center, 1605 Cameron St.-Out of School Program (Ages 5-12) M-F, 2:30
– 6 pm: Transportation will be provided. Houston Program Office
and The Counseling Center
GW Middle School, 1005 Mt. Vernon Ave. – Teen and Adult Programs
M-F , 6 – 11 pm
Ladrey Building, 300 Wythe Street – “Krunch” Bunch
Senior Program
Alexandria Boxing Club, 2504 Oakville Street
The Network Preschool - Relocated to local child/family Network Center
PreSchool Programs.
- Cora
Kelly Recreation Center
25 West
Reed Avenue
Alexandria, VA 22305
703.838.6464
Acting
Director: Larry Brown
Facility
Features:
* Racquetball/Wally
ball
* Gymnasium Activities
* Ceramics/Pottery Room
* Arts & Crafts Room
* Dance Studio
* Photography Lab/ Teen Meeting Rooms
* Activities Room
* Weight Room
* Athletic Field
* Teen Center
Center
Hours
* Monday
- Friday: 9 am - 9 pm
* Saturday: 9 am - 6 pm
* Sunday: 1 - 5 pm
* Teens: 9 - 11 pm Friday & 6-11 pm Saturday
* Holiday Hours
- Mount
Vernon Recreation Center
2701
Commonwealth Ave.
Alexandria, VA 22305
703.838.4825 | 703.706.3954 (TTY)
Director:
Sheila Whiting
Facility
Features:
* Gymnasium
* Pottery/Art Studio
* Photography Studio
* Game Room
* Meeting Rooms
* Computer Lab
* Fitness/Dance Studio
Center
Hours:
* Monday
- Friday: 9 am - 9 pm
* Saturday: 9 am - 6 pm
* Sunday: 1 - 5 pm
* Seniors: 10 am - 3:30 pm Monday - Friday
* Holiday Hours
- Nannie
J. Lee Memorial Recreation Center
1108
Jefferson Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
703.838.4845 | 703.706.3994 (TTY)
Director:
Elsie Akinbobola
Facility
Features:
* Gymnasium
* Kitchen
* Fitness Room
* Multi-Purpose Room
* Game and Crafts Room
* Tennis Courts
* Ball Field
* Sand Pit Volleyball Court
Center
Hours:
* Monday
- Friday: 9 am - 9 pm
* Saturday: 9 am - 6 pm
* Sunday: 10 am - 2 pm
* Holiday Hours
- Patrick
Henry Recreation Center
4643
Taney Avenue
Alexandria, VA 22304
703.519.3390 | 703.519.3397 (Fax)
Director:
Bryan Williams
Facility
Features:
* Gymnasium
* Game Room
* Kitchenette
* Meeting Room
* Playground
* Tennis Court
* Athletic Fields
Center
Hours:
* Monday
- Friday: 2:30 - 9 pm (Sep-Jun)
* Monday - Friday: 9 am - 9 pm (Jul-Aug)
* Saturday: 9 am - 6 pm (Oct-Apr)
* Holiday Hours
- William
Ramsay Recreation Center
5650
Sanger Avenue
Alexandria, VA 22311
703.838.4826
Director:
Harold Little
Facility
Features:
* 18,000
square feet of FUN!
* Full size Gymnasium
* Computer Lab
* Game Room
* Arts & Crafts Room
* Dance Studio
* Fitness Room
Center
Hours:
* Monday
- Friday: 9 am - 9 pm
* Saturday: 9 am - 6 pm
* Sunday: 1 - 5 pm
* Teens: 9 - 11 pm Friday & 6-11 pm Saturday
* Holiday Hours
Adult
Centers
- John
Adams Recreation Center
5651
Rayburn Avenue, Alexandria, VA
703.838.4345 (9 am - 5 pm)
703.578.3388 (6 - 10 pm)
Center
Hours:
Monday - Friday: 6 - 10pm
Holiday Hours
Facility
Features:
Gym: Volleyball (Mon, Wed), Basketball (Tue, Thu, Fri)
Game Room: Table Tennis, Pocket Billiards, Table Games
-
MacArthur Center (Part-Time)
1101
Janney's Lane, Alexandria, VA
703.838.4345 (Monday through Friday before 5 pm)
703.838.4830 (after 8 pm)
Center
Hours:
Monday & Wednesday (September - June): 8 pm - 10 pm*
* Hours may vary, call center for hours
Holiday Hours
Facility
Features:
Gym: Volleyball & Basketball
Speciality
Centers
- Chinquapin
Park Recreation Center
3210
King Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
703.519.2160 / TTY 703.519.2167
Director:
Lou M. Williams
Facility
Features:
* Year-round
25 meter Indoor Pool & Diving Well
* Discount Passes
* Outdoor Basketball & Volleyball Courts
* Fully Equipped Locker Rooms
* Nature Trail & Park
* Lighted Tennis Courts
* Birthday Party Package
* Aquatics, Sports & Fitness Classes
* Men & Women Saunas
* Fitness Room
* Fitness Trail
* Facility Rental
* Gift Certificates
* Play Module in Park
* Racquetball Courts
* Handicap Accessible
Center
Hours:
* Monday
- Thursday: 6 am - 10 pm
* Friday: 6 am - 8 pm
* Saturday - Sunday: 8 am - 7 pm
* Holiday Hours
- Dr.
Oswald Durant Memorial Center
1605
Cameron St.
Alexandria, VA 22314
703.519.3494
durantcenter@alexandriava.gov
Acting Director: Cheryl Anne Colton
Facility
Features:
* One
grand multipurpose room with stage
* Four multipurpose rooms
* Kitchen
* Gallery
* Patio
Center
Hours:
* Monday
- Thursday: 9 am - 10 pm
* Friday: 9 am - 6:30 pm
* Saturday - Sunday available for private rentals
* Closed on City holidays
Rentals:
* Fee
Schedule
The Dr.
Oswald Durant Memorial Center is the Department’s premier multicultural
center for the performing and visual arts. It offers programs in music,
dance, theatre, and visual arts for people of all ages and cultural
backgrounds. The Durant Center is located in the Upper King Street
neighborhood of Old Town and provides spaces for rehearsals, meetings,
and arts focused classes. For program and facility use information,
call the Durant Center at 703.519.3494.
The Durant
Center is the home of the Alexandria Commission for the Arts. The
Commission’s mission is to lead and advocate for cultural development
within the City and the surrounding region. The Commission fulfills
this mission by collaborating with the local community; marketing
the City’s arts events and organizations; building education
partnerships in the community; and administering an annual grants
program. For additional information, call the Department of Recreation,
Parks and Cultural Activities’ Alexandria Commission for the
Arts office at 703.838.6348 or visit alexandriacommissionforthearts.org.
The Commission
meets the third Tuesday of each month at the Dr. Oswald Durant Memorial
Center at 7 pm. The public is welcome. For membership information,
click here.
- Jerome
"Buddie" Ford Nature Center
5750
Sanger Ave.
Alexandria, VA 22311
703.838.4829
Director:
Mark S. Kelly, Naturalist
Facility
Features:
* Activity
Rooms
* Greenhouse
* Year-Round Exhibits
* Large Deck
* Multi-purpose Room
* Birthday Party Packages
Center
Hours:
* Tuesday
- Saturday: 10 am - 5 pm
* Sunday: 1 - 5 pm (Apr-Nov)
* Holiday Hours
Rentals:
* Fee
Schedule
Visit
Alexandria’s very own Nature Center! At the Nature Center, you
can see live animals up close and learn about the cultural and natural
history of Dora Kelley Nature Park. The Naturalists on staff are here
to help you and your family explore and enjoy Alexandria’s wild
side!
The Jerome
“Buddie” Ford Nature Center provides year-round programs
and exhibits on Alexandria’s human and natural history. A listing
of Summer Nature Day Camps is available here. For more information,
or to make program reservations, please call the Nature Center at
703.838.4829.
Dora Kelley Nature Park
Just outside the Nature Center lies Dora Kelley Nature Park, a 50-acre
wildlife sanctuary with a one-mile long nature trail that meanders
along streams, wooded hills, and freshwater marshland. Naturalist-led
tours of the park are available upon request for groups of eight or
more (reservations required). A self-guided booklet, available at
the Nature Center, interprets the natural features of the park using
numbered signposts along the trail. A paved bike trail connecting
Sanger Ave. and Van Dorn St. winds through the park which is ADA accessible.
- Lee
Center (Administration Office)
1108
Jefferson St.
Alexandria, VA 22314
703.838.4820
The Lee
Center serves as the administrative offices for the Department of
Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities. Space is available for
rentals including meetings, receptions, banquets, celebrations and
awards programs.
Facility
Features:
* Exhibit
Hall with serving kitchen
* Meeting Rooms
* Dance Studio
* Richard Kauffman Auditorium with seating for 400. Additional
auditorium amenities available include sound system, stage lighting,
piano, podium and microphone.
Center
Hours:
* Monday
- Friday: 8 am-10 pm
* Saturday & Sunday available for private rentals
* Closed on City holidays
Back
To Top - Alexandria, VA - Community Profile
Alexandria,
VA Transportation
Alexandria
is bisected north and south by State Route 7, known in most of the city
as the major thoroughfare of King Street. Interstate 95/495 (the Capital
Beltway), including the Woodrow Wilson Bridge over the Potomac River,
approximately parallels the city's southern boundary with Fairfax County.
Interstate 395 crosses through the western part of the city. Other major
routes include U.S. 1 (named Jefferson Davis Highway, and Patrick and
Henry Streets after Patrick Henry and Richmond Highway), the George Washington
Memorial Parkway, and Duke Street (State Route 236).
Alexandria
is located just south of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in
Arlington County. As with other Washington suburbs, Alexandria is also
served by Washington Dulles International Airport in Chantilly and by
Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport near Baltimore,
Maryland.
Alexandria
Union Station, the city's historic train station, is served by both Amtrak
intercity and Virginia Railway Express regional rail service. The station
is directly adjacent to the King Street Metrorail station, at the convergence
of the Blue and Yellow Lines. Three other Metrorail stations that lie
within the city limits are Braddock Road, Van Dorn Street, and Eisenhower
Avenue.
The traditional
boundary between Old Town and the latterly annexed sections of the city
followed the railway now owned by CSX Transportation.
The city
government operates its own mass transit system, the DASH bus, connecting
points of interest with local transit hubs. Metrobus, Metrorail, and the
Virginia Railway Express better known as the VRE also serves Alexandria.
The City also offers a free trolley service on King Street from the King
Street Metro Station to the Waterfront and a water taxi to and from the
National Harbor development in Prince George's County, Maryland.
Back
To Top - Alexandria, VA - Community Profile
Alexandria
Historic Districts
Map entailing
the boundaries of the different historic district
The
Old and Historic Alexandria District and the Parker-Gray District are
both nationally recognized, locally designated, and municipally regulated
historic districts, established to preserve the historical and architectural
features of Alexandria for generations to come. The City of Alexandria’s
two regulated districts comprise its finest historical resources, and
deserve special protection because they enhance our shared quality of
life.
Property
holders in these districts enjoy the advantage of increased economic value
as well as protection from unwanted or threatening development. As stewards
of such important buildings and neighborhoods, property owners share the
City’s responsibility to help maintain the distinctive qualities
that make these historic districts unique.
Back
To Top - Alexandria, VA - Community Profile
Things
To Do in Alexandria
Great thanks
goes out to the wonderful City of Alexandria for many and varied events
available in our lovely city! The following calendar maintained by the
amazing folks at alexandriava.gov has all the events updated on a daily
basis.
Back
To Top - Alexandria, VA - Community Profile
|