Jul/Aug 2006

Welcome To The Neighborhoods

Visits to Alexandria's eclectic areas prove this city is more than just an old town.

By Mary Burnham

My husband and I visited Alexandria's Old Town in search of the unusual and unexpected-something beyond the history and shopping. Doggie Happy Hour seemed just the ticket. As we sipped our drinks at Annabelle's bar in the Old Town Holiday Inn Select, several canine patrons enjoyed hors d'oeuvres and water in the courtyard.

We asked the bartender about Del Ray, an up-and-coming artsy neighborhood on the city's west side. As it happens, she knew all about the area, having been born and raised there. And her father now lives in neighboring Arlandria, nicknamed Chirilagua after a small mountain village in El Salvador from which many of its residents come (her father among them).

We put these two Alexandria neighborhoods on our list for the next day's exploration.

Del Ray

On a weekend morning, St. Elmo's coffee shop on Mt. Vernon Avenue is standing room only, with a long line of patrons anticipating lattes and fresh bagels. Caffeine is the order of the day, but the atmosphere is still relaxed. Inside, cozy couples share Sunday editions of The Washington Post. Outside, morning joggers and dog-walkers camp out at sidewalk tables, and an overflow of customers sit on benches outside The Dairy Godmother next door.

On warm summer nights, crowds flock to the Godmother; the shop's specialty is Wisconsin frozen custard. A "Custard Cam" accessed via the internet gives virtual shoppers the inside scoop on featured flavors or the length of the line. (www.thedairygodmother.com)

Like Old Town, Del Ray caters to pets, with water bowls on the sidewalks and dogs welcome at sidewalk cafes. The Hydrant Dog Barkery & Boutique, for instance, sells dog treats and costumes and hosts birthday parties.

Mt. Vernon Avenue is the main thoroughfare through Del Ray. A handful of boutiques and gift shops occupy re-purposed, one-story buildings. The neat, compact business district can be browsed in an afternoon. Benches in front of stores encourage loitering.

At the Sundae Times, mint chip is the favorite flavor, and the walls are lined with art from local 8th-graders at George Washington Middle School. Owner Laura Wheeler serves Gifford's ice cream, made in Bethesda since 1938. She bought a house around the corner in 1996 when the neighborhood was a bit rougher than it is now.

"We bought here because it has a real small town feel even though it's near an urban area. It used to be people moved away from here when their kids went to kindergarten; now they stay," she says.

For the rest of this story, see the July/August 2006 issue of Hampton Roads Magazine, currently available on newsstands. -