Everyday I meet people who are brand new to Northern Virginia. People often move to Northern VA because of jobs. They come here to work at the Pentagon, or in Washington DC. I see many new clients for the USPTO in Alexandria or from Fort Belvoir. Tysons Corner is a hub of technology. Because of the many employment opportunities and because of the pleasant nature of the city of Alexandria, Alexandria often and consistently rates as one of the nation's best cities. If you're brand new to the area, it's hard to know where to start when looking for a home or residence.

If you don't know the West End from Old Town, click on the tabs below to learn more. Alexandria city press releases.

Old Town (sometimes called Olde Town, Old Towne or Olde Towne) is in my opinion the heart of the city. As the name implies, Old Town is the oldest part of Alexandria, a port in colonial times. Old Town Alexandria is found along the Potomac, just inside the Woodrow Wilson Bridge and then north toward Reagan National Airport. Old Town is served by the King St. Metro and the King St. trolley. With over 100 restaurants, shops, boutiques, coffee shops, ice cream houses and more,

Old Town feels small town, upscale and touristy. For most folks there is a bit of prestige attached to an Old Town address. There are two high rises near the waterfront at the Alexandria House and Port Royal. Some folks call the Torpedo Factory condos the "flagship Old Town" because of their fantastic location.

Old Town Alexandria has many townhouses, row houses and a smaller number single family homes. Click Old Town to search listings of properties in Old Town Alexandria.

Del Ray is another old neighborhood. Del Ray was founded in 1894 as a "streetcar suburb" to Washington, DC. Most of Del Ray was built from the 1890's to the 1950's and retains that small town charm despite being so close to the center of the universe.

Quaint steets with brick or stone homes are found on streets that branch off from Del Ray's arteries. At the heart of Del Ray is the main street: Mount Vernon Avenue. This where you'll find a hometown mix mix of shops, restaurants and hardware stores. Braddock Road Metro serves Del Ray and condos such as Colecroft are available here. Click Del Ray for a map of Del Ray and for listings of properties for sale in Del Ray. Or, click Del Ray for listings for sale in the Del Ray subdivision of Alexandria. Del Ray is served by the Yellow and Blue Lines at Braddock Rd. Metro Station .

The Eisenhower Valley describes the area found along Eisenhower Avenue. The eastern end of Eisenhower Ave, closer to Old Town and the USPTO, is known as the Carlyle District. At the western end of Eisenhower Avenue one will find warehouses and businesses such as FedEx and UPS who appreciate easy access to the Interstate. Click Eisenhower West to search property at the west end of Eisenhower, near the Van Dorn Metro station.

On the east end, where Eisenhower Avenue approaches Old Town, you'll find the United States Patent & Trade Office and the high-end high-rise neighborhood of the Carlyle District. The USPTO is a complex of five buildings that accommodate more than 7,000 federal employees. Residents of the Carlyle District have easy access to the Hoffman Town Center at the Eisenhower Metro. The Carlyle District is an intriguing place to live because it's so close to the charm and amenities of Old Town, but is new and modern. Click Eisenhower Metro to find properties listed for sale here.

The Commonwealth of Virginia organizes is organized into counties and county-like jurisdictions called "independent cities" or just "cities". Northern Virginia has several independent cities and the City of Alexandria is one such independent city. The City of Alexandria borders Fairfax County, but Alexandria is not in Fairfax County.

However, to make things especially confusing for newcomers and for folks hunting houses, there are large parts of Fairfax County that have an Alexandria postal address. These areas of "Greater Alexandria" are most definitely part of Fairfax County and are not in the City of Alexandria. Most of these areas are found in the Lee and Mount Vernon Districts of Fairfax County. In general, postal Alexandria is more suburban than addresses in the City of Alexandria, but this is not always the case. A few neighborhoods in Alexandria of Fairfax County include:

• Fort Hunt
• Franconia
• Huntington
• Kingstowne
• New Alexandria
• Parts of Springfield

Locally, "Alexandria" generally refers to greater/postal Alexandria, while "City of Alexandria" refers to the jurisidiction of the City of Alexandria.

The West End of Alexandria is a mixed bag. Condos and high rises abound in "Condo Canyon" near Landmark and Lincolnia. But single family and townhouse development from the 1950's and 1960's is also found tucked on side streets and around unexpected corners. The homes around and near Seminary Road are regarded by many as stately and highly desirable. Another interesting neighborhood in the West End is Cameron Station. Cameron Station is a newer development of townhouses and condos, but the stylings and architecture imitate the best of Old Town. Cameron Station is relatively close to both Landmark Mall and Old Town.

The West End is well connected to Washington DC via I-395. The West End is the newest and largest part of the city. The West End has a diverse selection of restaurants and shops as well as Landmark Mall and several fine hotels. Fort Ward Park and Museum is found in the West End of Alexandria.

Click West End for a glance at what's for sale and to see a map of the West End.

As the name implies, Arlandria at the border of Alexandria City and Arlington County. Arlandia is just north of Del Ray at terminus of Mount Vernon Avenue. Some residents also call this neighborhood Chirilagua. Arlandia has many small shops and restaurants.Click Arlandria for a map of the general area and to search properties listed for sale in Arlandria.