Alexandria Va.- Colonial Grace Across from Washington DC

Alexandria, Va is located across the Potomac River from Washington DC, and has a population of about 125,000. Alexandria homes are very attractive with their close proximity to Washington DC, and the town has become a center of today’s beautiful people. 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. It is a center of some very colonial architecture, art galleries, antique shops, and restaurants. Not to be missed in the old town of Alexandria is the Carlyle House at 121 N. Fairfax St. This was the site of then British Major General Edward Braddock and his planning for the British and Colonial attack against the French.

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 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. The community has been gentrified since the Potomac Yard development was constructed. The area has future development plans for condominiums. The Del Ray artisans put on an annual show for much of the month of April at the Nicholas A. Colasanto Center on Mount Vernon Ave., which features art works, poetry recitations and special events. Not far away is the historic estate of Mt. Vernon of the George Washington family, that of our first President.

Alexandria's West End is the most typically suburban part of Alexandria, with winding streets. The section of Duke Street in the West End is known for a high-density residential area known to locals as the "Condo Canyon" and for its concentration of both strip mall stores and shopping malls. Alexandria has 950 acres of parks, 70 major parks and 30 recreation centers, of which Chinquapin is one the largest. Chinquapin offers facilities for swimming, tennis, racquetball, and other sports.

The city is unusual in that Cameron Run Regional Park includes a water park with a wave pool and water slides, as well as a miniature golf course, features that are usually found in a commercial theme park, not a municipal park. Within the city you can see the George Washington Masonic National Memorial (also known as the Masonic Temple), Christ Church, Grace Episcopal Church, City Hall, Market Square, and the Jones Point Lighthouse, which is the south cornerstone of the original District of Columbia,

Alexandria is located just south of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington County. Alexandria is also served by Washington Dulles International Airport 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, and can be reached using either the Blue or Yellow Lines. There are 3 other Metrorail stations in Alexandria, which are Braddock Road, Van Dorn Street, and Eisenhower Avenue.

Howard Giske writes about
Alexandria homes
and nationwide real estate at http://millionsaver.com