NOVA neighborhood profile
Moving to Alexandria — Old Town
38.80°N · 77.05°W
Alexandria — Old Town fits people who want historic charm, walkable bricks, and waterfront sunsets. If that description does not sound like you, one of the 4 nearby neighborhoods below is probably a better read.
The 60-second read
Rent
$2,300/mo (1BR)
Metro
20 min to L’Enfant Plaza (Yellow/Blue Line, King St-Old Town or Braddock Rd)
By car
25 min to DC off-peak
What Alexandria — Old Town is actually like
Old Town Alexandria is the closest thing to living in a colonial postcard you can get on the Metro. King Street runs from the river up to the King Street Metro and it’s all bricks, gas lamps, and 200-year-old houses. The downside: parking is its own war, and the brick sidewalks ruin every nice pair of shoes you own.
Worth knowing before you commit
The free King Street Trolley runs every 15 minutes from the Metro all the way down to the waterfront. Locals know it’s also the easiest way to get back to your car after dinner without trying to drive on cobblestones in the dark.
Local independent worth the drive: Taverna Cretekou at 818 King Street, family-run since the early 1970s. The walled back garden is one of the prettiest patios in Old Town; go for the moussaka and the Thursday-night live Greek music.
Alexandria — Old Town vs the 3 closest NOVA neighborhoods
Compare rent, Metro access, and car commute side-by-side.
| Neighborhood |
Rent |
Metro |
By car |
| Alexandria — Old Town (this page) |
$2,300/mo (1BR) |
20 min to L’Enfant Plaza (Yellow/Blue Line, King St-Old Town or Braddock Rd) |
25 min to DC off-peak |
| Rosemont (Alexandria) |
Rentals are scarce; homes run about $750K to $2.25M to buy (approximate, verify against current listings) |
About 20 min to L’Enfant (Blue/Yellow, Braddock Road, a short walk) |
About 20 min to DC off-peak via the GW Parkway |
| Eisenhower (Alexandria) |
about $2,634/mo (RentCafe neighborhood average, all unit sizes, July 2026, approximate) |
Yellow Line at Eisenhower Ave, about 25 min downtown |
20 min to DC off-peak via I-395, 45+ in rush |
| Alexandria — Del Ray |
$2,000/mo (1BR), $700K to buy a small craftsman |
25 min to DC (Yellow/Blue, Braddock Rd or Potomac Yard) |
30 min to DC |
Mistakes people make moving to Alexandria — Old Town
- Underestimating rush-hour math. Off-peak commute times posted on rental sites are often the ONLY times most tenants will experience. Add 30 to 60 percent to any drive that crosses I-495, I-66, or the American Legion Bridge between 7 and 9:30 AM eastbound or 4 to 7 PM westbound.
- Treating “close to Metro” as walkable. Half a mile in DC is walkable. Half a mile in most of NOVA means crossing a stroad with no sidewalk and a parking lot. Check Google Street View before touring anywhere that markets itself as Metro-adjacent.
- Ignoring HOA and condo fees. NOVA condo fees frequently run $400 to $800 per month on top of the mortgage. Get the resale package early, read the reserve study, and price the full monthly nut before falling in love with a unit.
- Assuming the school pyramid is stable. Fairfax, Loudoun, and Arlington counties redistrict every few years. If school assignment is a factor, verify current boundaries directly with FCPS, LCPS, or APS admissions rather than trusting the address on Zillow.
Frequently asked questions about Alexandria — Old Town
Is Alexandria — Old Town a good place to live?
Alexandria — Old Town works well for people who want historic charm, walkable bricks, and waterfront sunsets. The tradeoffs are covered in detail below, but the short version is: Old Town Alexandria is the closest thing to living in a colonial postcard you can get on the Metro.
What is the average rent in Alexandria — Old Town?
$2,300/mo (1BR)
Does Alexandria — Old Town have a Metro station?
20 min to L’Enfant Plaza (Yellow/Blue Line, King St-Old Town or Braddock Rd)
How long is the commute from Alexandria — Old Town to Washington DC?
25 min to DC off-peak
What are the closest neighborhoods to Alexandria — Old Town?
The three closest tracked NOVA neighborhoods are Rosemont (Alexandria) (1.0 miles), Eisenhower (Alexandria) (1.4 miles), Alexandria — Del Ray (1.6 miles).
Where should I eat if I visit Alexandria — Old Town?
Taverna Cretekou at 818 King Street, family-run since the early 1970s. The walled back garden is one of the prettiest patios in Old Town; go for the moussaka and the Thursday-night live Greek music.
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