Alexandria Neighborhoods Compared: Old Town vs. Del Ray vs. Potomac Yard vs. Carlyle vs. the West End
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Housing, Metro Access and What to Check Before You Buy in Each Part of the City
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Quick Answer: How Do Alexandria’s Neighborhoods Differ?
Last updated October 15, 2026.
Quick answer: Old Town is the historic core, with 18th- and 19th-century rowhouses under Board of Architectural Review rules and a waterfront that floods. Del Ray is a walkable early 20th-century grid along Mount Vernon Avenue. Potomac Yard is the newest part of the city, built on a former rail yard around the Potomac Yard Metro station that opened in 2023. Carlyle and Eisenhower East are high-rise neighborhoods near the King Street and Eisenhower Avenue stations, and the West End mixes condos, townhouses and single-family streets around I-395 and the new WestEnd development. All are inside the City of Alexandria; Kingstowne and Fort Hunt are not.
Back to the Living in Alexandria, VA guide.
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Alexandria Neighborhoods at a Glance
| Area | Typical housing | Metro | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Town | Rowhouses, townhouses, converted buildings and waterfront condos | King Street-Old Town, Braddock Road | King Street, the waterfront, the Torpedo Factory, historic district rules |
| Old Town North | Mid-rise condos, apartments and townhouses | Braddock Road | Montgomery Park market, the river, the former power plant site |
| Del Ray | Early 20th-century houses, bungalows and townhouses | Braddock Road, Potomac Yard | Mount Vernon Avenue shops, Art on the Avenue, the Halloween parade |
| Rosemont | Early 20th-century houses on tree-lined streets | King Street-Old Town | Proximity to the King Street Metro and Old Town |
| Potomac Yard | Townhouses, condos and apartments built since the 2000s | Potomac Yard | The 2023 Metro station, Virginia Tech’s Innovation Campus, new development |
| Carlyle and Eisenhower East | High-rise condos and apartments | King Street-Old Town, Eisenhower Avenue | Federal courthouse, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office |
| West End | High-rise and garden condos, townhouses, single-family streets | Van Dorn Street | I-395 access, the WestEnd redevelopment and new Inova hospital |
Old Town
Old Town is the city’s original 1749 grid along the Potomac, with King Street running from the King Street-Old Town Metro to the waterfront. Most of it lies in the Old and Historic Alexandria District, designated in 1946, and the Parker-Gray district covers the historic Uptown area to the northwest. The free King Street Trolley runs about every 15 minutes between the Metro and the river.
What to know before buying here:
- Exterior changes visible from a public way need a Certificate of Appropriateness, and demolishing more than 25 square feet of material needs a Permit to Demolish. Read our Old Town BAR and flooding guide.
- Blocks near the river flood; the city counted 227 flooding events at the Prince Street level from January to October 2025, according to city data reported by ALXnow. Check FEMA maps and flood insurance quotes.
- Many blocks are in Residential Permit Parking districts; confirm off-street parking or permit eligibility.
- Older houses deserve a sewer camera inspection and a close look at moisture, roofs and masonry.
Del Ray
Del Ray was the Town of Potomac, incorporated in 1908 and annexed by Alexandria in 1930. Its grid of early 20th-century houses centers on Mount Vernon Avenue, home to the year-round Saturday farmers’ market, Art on the Avenue in early October and the Halloween parade on the Sunday before Halloween (Oct. 25 in 2026).
What to know before buying here:
- Del Ray is a National Register historic district, but it is not one of the city’s locally regulated BAR districts, so exterior changes follow city zoning rather than BAR review.
- Zoning for Housing allows more than one home on many lots that were single-family only; check what could be built next door.
- Some blocks lie near Reagan National’s flight paths along the river; check noise for the address with MWAA’s WebTrak.
Potomac Yard and Potomac Greens
Potomac Yard was a rail yard that operated from 1906 until 1989. Today it holds townhouses, condos, apartments and shopping along Route 1, Virginia Tech’s Innovation Campus (its first academic building opened in 2025) and the Potomac Yard Metro station, which opened on May 19, 2023 on the Blue and Yellow Lines. Potomac Greens sits on the east side of the tracks. A proposed arena for the Capitals and Wizards was dropped when the city ended negotiations on March 27, 2024, and in December 2025 City Council approved JBG Smith’s 640-unit housing plan for southern Potomac Yard.
What to know before buying here:
- Large approved projects will keep construction going for years; check the development tracker before paying for a view.
- Many newer homes carry HOA or condo dues; read the resale packet, reserves and rules.
- Part of Potomac Yard is in Arlington County, so confirm the jurisdiction on the tax record.
Carlyle and Eisenhower East
Carlyle grew up around the federal courthouse and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office between the King Street and Eisenhower Avenue Metro stations, with Eisenhower East continuing west along Eisenhower Avenue. Housing is mostly high-rise condos and apartments.
What to know before buying here:
- Condo fees, reserves and planned building projects vary widely; read the reserve study and board minutes.
- Ask whether parking is deeded, assigned or rented.
- Check nearby approved buildings that could change views or light.
The West End
The West End broadly covers the western part of the city, much of it annexed from Fairfax County in 1951. It mixes high-rise and garden condos near I-395 and Van Dorn Street, townhouses and single-family streets. The former Landmark Mall site is becoming WestEnd, a 52-acre development planned for more than 2,500 homes, retail, parks and the new Inova Alexandria Hospital, which topped out in April 2026 and is expected to open in late 2028.
What to know before buying here:
- Expect construction traffic around Duke Street, Van Dorn Street and I-395 for several years.
- The planned Duke Street Transitway will change bus service and lanes on Duke Street; review the city’s project page.
- Large condo communities have very different budgets and reserves; read the documents before you commit.
Other Alexandria Areas Worth Knowing
- Parkfairfax: a 1940s garden community near I-395 and Quaker Lane, now condominiums.
- Arlandria and Four Mile Run: apartments, condos and houses near the Arlington line, with the Four Mile Run Farmers’ & Artisans Market in season.
- Beverley Hills and Seminary Hill: mostly single-family streets with larger lots, between Old Town and I-395.
- Kingstowne, Fort Hunt, Hybla Valley and Mount Vernon: Alexandria mailing addresses in Fairfax County. See the City vs. Fairfax County guide.
More Alexandria Guides
- Living in Alexandria, VA: the full Alexandria guide
- City of Alexandria vs. an Alexandria address (Kingstowne, Fort Hunt and more)
- Buying in Old Town: BAR rules and waterfront flooding
- Alexandria development tracker
- Alexandria events calendar
Nearby area pages: Arlington, Burke, Fairfax and Woodbridge, or see all areas served. Nikki’s results are on the Rankings & Data page, and you can contact Nikki any time.
Alexandria Neighborhoods FAQ
Is Del Ray part of Old Town?
No. Del Ray is a separate neighborhood north of Old Town along Mount Vernon Avenue. It was the Town of Potomac until Alexandria annexed it in 1930.
Is Del Ray in a historic district?
Del Ray is a National Register historic district, but it is not one of the two local districts regulated by the Board of Architectural Review, which are Old and Historic Alexandria and Parker-Gray.
Which Alexandria neighborhoods are near Metro?
Old Town and Rosemont are near King Street-Old Town and Braddock Road, Potomac Yard has its own station, Carlyle is near King Street-Old Town and Eisenhower Avenue, and the West End is near Van Dorn Street.
Is Potomac Yard in Alexandria or Arlington?
Both. Most of the residential area around the Potomac Yard Metro station is in the City of Alexandria, but the northern part of Potomac Yard is in Arlington County, so check the tax record.
What is being built on the former Landmark Mall site?
The site is becoming WestEnd, a 52-acre development planned for more than 2,500 homes, retail, parks and the new Inova Alexandria Hospital, which Inova expects to open in late 2028.
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Sources
Sources checked October 15, 2026.
- City of Alexandria: A Brief History of Alexandria; Alexandria’s Changing Borders; The History of Preservation in Alexandria; Historic districts and 100-year-old buildings; Farmers’ Markets; Duke Street in Motion
- Virginia Department of Historic Resources: Town of Potomac Historic District
- WMATA: Potomac Yard-VT station opening (May 19, 2023)
- ALXnow: City ends Potomac Yard arena negotiations (March 27, 2024); 640-unit Potomac Yard approval (Dec. 15, 2025); WestEnd residential construction (March 19, 2026); Inova hospital on track for late 2028 (June 18, 2026); Waterfront flood plans (Oct. 6, 2026)
- Axios: Virginia Tech opens Innovation Campus in Alexandria (Feb. 27, 2025). The Zebra: Halloween in Del Ray 2026. Wikimedia Commons: Potomac Yard rail yard history (1906 to 1989)
- Photo: Potomac Yard station, Potomac Greens entrance (May 19, 2023), by Mint0ri, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
