Del Ray, Alexandria
Old Town Alexandria is a favourite trip for locals and visitors but another part of Alexandria is worth a visit. The Del Ray area – dubbed ‘Where Main Street Still Exists’ - provides good opportunities to sample some classic US dining and shopping experiences close to Washington,D.C. The area has also become a popular place to live for families.
The main Del Ray thoroughfare is Mount Vernon Avenue, which at its southern end is within walking distance of Braddock Road Metro. Parking can be found along Mount Vernon Avenue and along side roads together with some designated car parks for visitors to particular shops and restaurants.
Shopping
Old Town is known for its antique shops but Del Ray has the two floor Potomac West Antiques at the southern end of Mount Vernon Avenue that houses over twenty different dealers. www.potomacwestantiques.com
Purple Goose offers a selection of babies, girls and boys clothing as well as toys and gifts. The selection of clothes available for girls is wider than the selection available for boys. http://thepurplegoose.com
If you need to find a local or unusual gift A Show of Hands has an interesting range of art,jewellery and cards including a number featuring Washington and Alexandria views. www.ashowofhands.biz
To stock up on essential supplies of cheese visit Cheesetique which features an extensive range of cheeses from the USA and beyond including several UK and Irish types. You can also sample cheese and other food accompanied by wine and beer at the back of the shop in the Cheese and Wine Bar.
http://cheesetique.com
http://cheesetique.com
If you don’t want to be tempted by cheese Planet Wine offers a good selection of wine and beer as well as tastings every Wednesday and Saturday.
www.planetwineshop.com
www.planetwineshop.com
Food
There are a wide variety of restaurants and cafes along Mount Vernon Avenue. If you want to follow in President Obama’s footsteps head to Del Ray Pizza, the President visited in 2011 after a shopping trip to nearby Potomac Yard. http://delraypizzeria.com. http://obamafoodorama.blogspot.com/2011/12/president-obama-visits-del-ray-pizzeria.html
For barbecue there is Pork Barrel Barbecue where you can order from an extensive range of old fashioned sodas to accompany your pulled pork or ribs. There are no plates, instead pull a strip of paper from the rolls near the counter. www.porkbarrelbbq.com/restaurants-and-catering/
At St Elmo Coffee Pub you can take a book and leave a book while listening to live music from Wednesday through Sunday evening or eavesdrop on one of the various discussion groups that meet up in St Elmo’s. http://stelmoscoffeepub.com
At St Elmo Coffee Pub you can take a book and leave a book while listening to live music from Wednesday through Sunday evening or eavesdrop on one of the various discussion groups that meet up in St Elmo’s. http://stelmoscoffeepub.com
Dairy Godmother has a menu of frozen custard, sorbets and ice pops with a ‘Flavor of the Day’ that you can check in advance in the ‘Flavor Forecast’ on their
website if mint choc chip or buttered pecan is your favourite. www.thedairygodmother.com
Events
Del Ray also hosts a number of events throughout the year including music and art shows.
On Saturday 6 October from 10-6 the annual Art on the Avenue Festival takes place along Mount Vernon Avenue. www.artontheavenue.org
To check what’s happening before you visit Del Ray check: www.visitdelray.com
On Saturday 6 October from 10-6 the annual Art on the Avenue Festival takes place along Mount Vernon Avenue. www.artontheavenue.org
To check what’s happening before you visit Del Ray check: www.visitdelray.com
