Grape and Bean is just another example of an Old Town artisan boutique. Shops like Grape and Bean, or as they call themselves Grape + Bean, are community assets and part of what makes Old Town so special. Long-time Alexandria residents David Gwathmey and Sheera Rosenfeld opened Grape & Bean in 2008. Together they have managed to create a place that is comfortable, warm, welcoming, while offering excellent service and high quality products. 

Grape and Bean is a retail wine shop, coffee shop and a wine tasting bar. Along with wine by the glass and coffee by the cup, Grape and Bean offers a food menu with cheese plates and other items that are tailored for sharing. As a wine and coffee shop, Grape and Bean of course retails wine by the bottle and coffee by the pound. I find that they are an excellent resource for gift baskets and they'll really put the time in to help you make your best selection.

Would you like to get to know Old Town Alexandria VA? I'll tell you one of the best ways to see a few sites and learn more about our fair city: take a carriage ride. Our carriage was pulled by a hard-working mule. Her owner tells us she loves to pull. As she clopped slowly down the side streets of Old Town, her owner filled in details about houses and locations that we passed. For me, most of the information was old hat, but I couldn't help but think this would be a great way for a tourist or new resident to get to know the city. The fee for the ride was down right reasonable and I was impressed with the mule's strength as she pulled up and down hill along Old Town's waterfront.

After she dropped us off we snapped this picture from Market Square. There in front of Burke and Herbert she seemed more in place with the surroundings than the cars who shared her road.

One of the busiest intersections in Old Town Alexandria VA occurs where Prince St. crosses Washington St. This intersection is dominated by a memorial of the U.S. Civil War. Over the years, and on several occasions, drivers have crashed their vehicles into the statue. As a result some folks filed petitions to have the memorial moved. But the statue has not moved and remains a fixture in Alexandria.

I doubt the statue ever will be moved because of the historical significance of the statue's location. In 1861, at the place where the statue now stands, the sons and fathers, brothers and men of Alexandria gathered to pick up arms against the Union. After the Civil War, the surviving veterans formed a chapter of the United Confederate Veterans. Together members of the organization commissioned a memorial for their fallen comrades. The statue's design depicts an unarmed Confederate soldier at Appomattox. The soldier's head is bowed as he observes the Confederate surrender. The statue was dedicated on May 24th, 1889.

The George Washington Parkway is one in the same with Washington St. as the Parkway passes through Old Town, and thus the Parkway, and some of Old Town's heaviest traffic, passes the statue. As originally planned, the Confederate Statue was surrounded by a fence and ornamental gas lamps, but by 1923, motor vehicles and electric lights caused a change in design. The traffic continue to increase on South Washington Street and 1932 when construction of the Parkway was completed, the grounds surrounding the statue were paved over. The pictures below depict the statue as it looked prior to the completion of the GW Parkway at a time when motor vehicles were still relatively uncommon.