Neighborhood Spotlight: Old Town is the New Town

This Neighborhood Spotlight is brought to you by The Seward Group of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty.

Welcome to our first Neighborhood Spotlight. We are pleased to present this new monthly column that will highlight the vast array of Alexandria neighborhoods.

This month’s Neighborhood Spotlight lands on Old Town.

The saying “don’t judge a book by its cover” holds true for a town’s name. Our beloved Old Town Alexandria is historic and charming, but it’s changing and showing itself as anything but old in 2021. Vibrant and full of life, Old Town is the perfect place to call home — or simply visit for an afternoon or a night on the town. Check out the top five things to see and do in Old Town Alexandria.

Known for its rich history, Old Town is located just 6.5 miles north of George Washington’s Mount Vernon home and 5 miles south of Washington, D.C. Recently, Old Town has been welcoming many new businesses and new residences, making it a true melding of historic charm (dating from the 1700s) to today’s modern life. Whether you’re visiting or a resident, the rich history and attractions are not to be missed!

Named one of the Top 5 Best Small Cities in the U.S. in 2020 by Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards and one of the South’s Best Cities by Southern Living, one would have a hard time disagreeing. Old Town boasts a Walk Score of 85, Bike Score of 80 and a strong transit score as it is both Metro and water taxi accessible and only 3.5 miles to Reagan National Airport. Commuters enjoy many options, including two metro stations (King Street and Braddock Road), the 11Y Express Bus (runs north/south on GW Parkway to/from downtown Washington, D.C. and Mount Vernon), 495 and Route 1. Check out more of Old Town’s national accolades!

The Community

What makes Old Town Alexandria the best community? The people, of course… but also, the dogs! You won’t get far walking on King Street before you see water bowls, biscuit offerings and even signs for free treats for our four-legged pals if you pop inside. Known as one of the top dog-friendly locations in the country, hotels, restaurants and shops alike are ready for your pups to move about town with you.

Old Town Alexandrians love their town, their neighbors and their community — and it shows. Alexandria has a rich history of philanthropy and community involvement.

Some popular local nonprofits include:

• Carpenter’s Shelter
• ALIVE! Family Assistance Program
• Rebuilding Together
• Good 360
• Kids Helping Kids
• Together We Bake
• Senior Services of Alexandria

…and so many more!

Dining & Shopping

One of the most unique things about Old Town is that it has only a few national chains and is populated by many small, independent businesses. The newly revived Waterfront is a wonderful place to people-watch, grab a bite to eat and catch the water taxi to Nationals Park or National Harbor!

Old Town’s culinary scene includes a variety of favorite restaurants, many of which are housed in historic buildings. From seafood to Italian to French bistros, Old Town has it all! A sampling of our favorite family-run restaurants includes Taverna Cretekou and Landini Brothers. Other favorites include Hummingbird, Ada’s on the River and Virtue Feed & Grain.

As for hotels, The Alexandrian Hotel is our team’s favorite place for photo shoots. The Gadsby Tavern & Inn is a favorite tourist destination hosting local events and even yoga in the ballroom! The Lorien features its own on-site spa, The Morrison House is a small boutique and luxury hotel, and Hotel Indigo is the newest addition on the waterfront.

In 2019, Forbes named Old Town Alexandria the “Ice Cream Cone Capital of the United States” for good reason! Where do we start? Pop’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream Company, Kilwins on King Street, Ben and Jerry’s, and Jeni’s on Patrick.

To work off your ice cream, Old Town provides a fitness lovers paradise with jogging and bike paths nearby and many wonderful fitness and yoga studios.

Old Town’s Farmer’s Market is a local favorite every Saturday, not to mention it’s the oldest farmer’s market in the country consistently held at the same location! Did you know that George Washington sent produce from his farm to this market to be sold? Visitors and locals alike love the abundant selection of fresh local produce, baked goods, various ethnic delicacies and dairy products. The market also boasts a wonderful selection of local artisans!

Our Local Favorites

• Most popular cultural attraction: Torpedo Factory Art Center
• Our “go-to” spa/ salon: Sugar House Day Spa
• Women-owned fitness: Fit One Studio & Zweet Sport
• Best coffee: Misha’s Coffee
• Sweetest children’s boutique: Pink & Brown
• Brilliant consignment shops (it’s a tie!): Current Boutique & Mint Condition
• Awesome local bookstore: Old Town Books
• Welcome to the neighborhood (located in the historic theatre on King Street): Patagonia

Old Town’s retail and hospitality businesses (restaurants, retail, hotels, etc.), have been badly impacted due to our year-long battle against COVID-19. Please support our local businesses by eating out or doing curbside pickup, shopping, getting ice cream, buying books, working out virtually or in person, etc.

Real Estate

Old Town is made up of many fascinating and historic individual neighborhoods. It’s located in the City of Alexandria in ZIP code 22314. Old Town Boundaries (clockwise from the west) are Metro train tracks, Slater’s Lane, Potomac River and 495.

In Old Town, historic homes we love are balanced with several new residential buildings. We are keeping an eye on new construction along and near the Potomac River including The Muse, Robinson Landing, The Watermark and The Venue.

At the time this article was written, on market in MLS there were:

• 22 Active & Coming Soon Fee Simple Homes (attached & detached)
  • Min: $689,000
  • Max: $2,997,000
  • Average: $1,361,033
  • Median: $1,199,000
• 64 Active & Coming Soon Condominium Homes
  • Min: $199,900
  • Max: $4,095,000
  • Average: $1,078,888
  • Median: $786,750
• 86 properties Under Contract (49 condos, 37 Fee Simple)

In the last six months, a total of 390 Real Estate transactions closed, including:

• 218 Fee Simple Homes (attached & detached)

• 172 Condominiums

*All data pulled from Bright MLS March 3, 2021.

If you have any questions about Old Town real estate, please reach out to the Seward Group at TTR Sotheby’s International Realty on South Washington Street.

If you have a question or would like to set up an appointment with one of our agents, please email [email protected], call 703-298-0562 or visit The Seward Group website at www.Seward-Group.com.

About The Seward Group: We are award-winning real estate agents with TTR Sotheby’s International Realty. Lyssa Seward, Brittanie DeChino, Anita Edwards, Melody Abella, Laura Catron and Gina Wimpey make up our team. We offer our clients Full-Spectrum Concierge Real Estate Service at all price points, assisting with every step of the process from beginning to end. We are licensed in Virginia, D.C. and Maryland with TTR Sotheby’s International Realty in Old Town Alexandria.