I know the title of this blog implies what city I will be talking about, but although my job was located in Alexandria, I spent most of my time among all three cities – Alexandria, Arlington, and Washington, DC. All three are worthy of discussion, but let’s start with Alexandria, a busy city nestled along the Potomac River on one side and Arlington on the other. Alexandria has a population of just over 150,000, all contained in roughly 15 square miles. Sounds trivial, right? 150,000 people – how is that a big city, you may be thinking? Compare to the busy city of Atlanta, GA with its population of approximately 500,000 people within 135 square miles (3,704 people per square mile) – if you multiplied the population per square mile of those living in Atlanta to the mere 15 square miles of Alexandria, you can clearly distinguish the difference – Atlanta’s population would equate to about only 1/3 of the population per square mile of Alexandria. Puts things in perspective, doesn’t it? So needless to say, driving in this metropolis can be very congested!
By now, you know that I hate getting around in huge cities, so most of the time I spent outside of work in Alexandria was in the more manageable section of the city referred to as Old Town Alexandria, a waterfront community along the Potomac River, with quaint shops, galleries, restaurants and colorful row houses that you can often find on one of the many cobblestone streets in this area. One of these colorful row houses, known as the Hollensbury Spite House, is located at 523 Queen Street. When I saw it, I was impressed by the rich blue color and the tiny size, which made it looked squeezed in between the surrounding homes. It measures just over 7 feet wide and is said to be one of the skinniest houses in the United States. The name “spite” house is a term for when a home is built to spite its neighbors. The story I was told at the time I toured this area, was that the owner who built the home in the early 1800’s was infuriated by people loitering in the alley way, so he built it out of spite (hence, no more alley way – so yes, definitely squeezed in)! If you have the chance to see this nationally recognized home and you have the urge to stand in front of it with your arms wide open, don’t be afraid to do it, as I can assure you, you will not be the first person to do so! I think that it had to be a requirement for the current owners when choosing to live there, to be tolerant of the barrage of people constantly stopping to snap a picture and/or posing in front of it.
In an effort to get around the city of Old Town, which can be challenging to find parking on any given day, a free trolley runs along the length of King Street from the Metro station on one end, to the Waterfront area / visitors center on the other. This provides a great opportunity for those coming from outside Alexandria or surrounding neighborhoods to leave their car at home and experience an area that feels like you stepped into the past. In fact, throughout historic neighborhoods of Old Town Alexandria, you will still find gas lanterns that reflect its historic charm.
From the waterfront at Old Town Alexandria, you can hop on a water taxi that will take you to several points in D.C. or the National Harbor, which is located in Oxon Hill, Maryland. Since I had already explored some of those waterfronts in previous visits to D.C., I decided to hop on the water taxi to National Harbor instead. As soon as you step off the boat, you notice this huge enclosed ferris wheel, known as The Capital Wheel, which for the price of a ticket gives you a 10 – 15 minute ride, allowing you to see the Potomac River, the Virginia countryside, and the Washington Monument off in the distance. The enclosed gondolas of The Capital Wheel offer both heating and air conditioning depending on the weather, with cushioned seats allowing you a slow paced, relaxing and comfortable ride, with 360 degree views. There is a bar known as the Flight Deck, below The Capital Wheel, where you can enjoy sitting along the riverfront with a cocktail before or after your ride, if you so choose.
To the left when exiting the water taxi, you will see a small sand beach with an enormous metal sculpture called “The Awakening”. It was created in 1980 by J. Seward Johnson, Jr. as part of D.C.’s 11th annual Sculpture Conference. I immediately felt a sense of deja vu when I saw this very memorable sculpture. Despite having never been to National Harbor prior to that visit, I later realized that this was indeed the same sculpture I had seen well over a decade ago, when it was originally installed at Hains Point in East Potomac Park in Washington, D.C. In my research, I learned that it was removed from there and placed in its current location on the man-made beach of National Harbor. It depicts an enormous giant struggling to break free from the earth. National Harbor is a fun spot to visit for an afternoon, as there are several restaurants to have a great meal, candy shops, and gift / souvenir shops all in the waterfront area. This is just a fun place to browse around on a summer day. If you time it right, you may even catch some live music or other entertainment on a stage adjacent to the beach that I described above.
If you want a more modern vibe, and quite frankly in my opinion, one that resembles a blend of downtown Boston and the historical suburb of Quincy, Massachusetts, head over to the Ballston area of Arlington. You will find shops, restaurants, bars, and an ice rink known as the MedStar Capitals Iceplex, offering both public skating, as well as a practice rink for the Washington Capitals. In addition, a Metro stop is located in Ballston, which allows you easy access to other stops throughout Arlington, Washington, D.C. and beyond, to make it cheap and convenient to get around this metropolitan area, without the hassle of driving or parking.
Some notable things I enjoyed while living in Arlington, Virginia, was Audacious Aleworks just next door in Falls Church – great beer at a fun little brewery…Good Company Doughnuts and Cafe in Ballston with its vast array of delicious gourmet breakfast items and incredible doughnuts… and The View of D.C. (please check first to see if this attraction is still open). The View of D.C. rises 400 feet above the city of Arlington, Virginia and provides a 360 degree view overlooking Arlington and the Virginia countryside, the Potomac River, as well as the Nation’s Capital and all its landmarks (referenced by maps within this attraction that help you locate them across the river).
Lastly, one cannot mention Arlington attractions, without mentioning a very special and solemn place: Across the Potomac from Washington, D.C., you will find the home to the final resting place of many of our nation’s former presidents, decorated military veterans, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, within Arlington National Cemetery. Here you will find former president, John F. Kennedy’s Memorial (gravesite, overlooking Washington, D.C. in the distance) with the eternal flame that was lit by his wife, Jacqueline Kennedy, on the day of his funeral on November 25, 1963. Although there have been instances where the eternal flame has gone out for a variety of reasons, it was designed with a re-ignition system, which allows for it to automatically relight if it goes out. In this cemetery, you will also notice countless white headstones, all arranged within perfect rows for as far as the eye can see, no matter which angle you look at them. The grass is green and this sacred cemetery is meticulously maintained and is a solemn place to walk around paying your respect to those that once served our country.
One particular must see event that takes place in this cemetery is the changing of the guard ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This tomb is the burial site for a World War I soldier whose remains were unable to be identified. Two other unknown soldiers are also buried here as well. This tomb is guarded 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The changing of the guard ceremony occurs in the fall and winter months every hour on the hour and in the spring and summer months, every half hour. This is one of the most incredible and solemn ceremonies I have ever witnessed. It is taken very seriously, with the incoming guard being inspected literally from head to toe, by the inspecting officer wearing a white glove. Every detail of his clothing and his gun undergo the most intense scrutiny, before being released to switch out with the other guard. To demonstrate how serious and solemn they treat this ceremony, even civilians are not immune from reprimand, whereas talking or signs of disrespect from anyone in the crowd, such as joking or laughter, will be quickly and firmly addressed by this inspecting officer. These guards live in barracks under the tomb for a term of 2 years. Despite the grueling nature of this job, enduring cold weather, standing for long periods of time, and rigorous lifestyle and conduct expectations during those two years, a guard post assignment at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a very coveted and prestigious position, offered to an elite few.
As you can see, there is a lot to talk about when referring to the the Alexandria – Arlington – D.C. metro area, that I need to dedicate an entire post, if not two, to the place I found myself spending a great deal of my free time in this job assignment – Washington, D.C. So in my next post, I will highlight the things I found worthy of a visit to the Nation’s Capital.