Talk to me about Alexandria City

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't wait to leave the city of Alexandria. It's been a hectic nightmare here. First the road diets what used to make me 5 min to get to the store now takes me 25-30 min. NO ONE ever uses these bike lanes. The density is out of control like 13,000 people a square mile. The panhandlers everywhere (the city just recently took the crime OFF the books.) There is trash every where on curbs, overflowing city cans, there are about 4-5 bags of trash around all the city trash cans by seminary right now no ones picked up in over a week. The crime is crazy their have been two shootings in my complex alone one ended in murder. There was over 70 cars broken into one night alone here in the west end. There is no less than 7 low income project housing buildings they have stashed away in the west end in less than 1/4 mile area. Free busses for everyone including those who don't even live here plus we are paying for public school busses AND the "free" city busses that the kids now use for school. This and we get to drive by the tent people in Linconia by duke st. And I agree with the PP about the insane utilities. $120 a month for ONE bathroom for just the water and sewer bill! I don't have 5 toilets! I have one! The comcast monopoly, $220 a month for cable and internet (basic cable). It's a NOPE all the way around.

This is all user error. Sounds like you should rent somewhere other than City of Alexandria.

???? That doesn't make sense!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live in Alexandria and would not live anywhere else in the DMV. It's an ideal place for DINKs.

Agree! Another permanent dink couple here. Love living in old town.

Third! Empty nesters in Del Ray for a year now, and loving it.

[Anonymous]

The market suggests that Alexandria is very desirable as prices are high and demand is strong. So for the doubters, maybe visit, walk around, and try to see what you’re missing. If you still don’t get it, that’s fine. But this thread contains posts from people whose sole source of info about Alexandria seems to be typing “Alexandria crime” into google. It’s like all the people talking about how terrible DC is yet when I go out on weekends, every restaurant is full, there are people everywhere, and everyone is enjoying themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The market suggests that Alexandria is very desirable as prices are high and demand is strong. So for the doubters, maybe visit, walk around, and try to see what you’re missing. If you still don’t get it, that’s fine. But this thread contains posts from people whose sole source of info about Alexandria seems to be typing “Alexandria crime” into google. It’s like all the people talking about how terrible DC is yet when I go out on weekends, every restaurant is full, there are people everywhere, and everyone is enjoying themselves.

But the regulated utility bills are through the roof by an extra $20/month. Therefore, it’s waterworld waiting to happen and a total dump.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The market suggests that Alexandria is very desirable as prices are high and demand is strong. So for the doubters, maybe visit, walk around, and try to see what you’re missing. If you still don’t get it, that’s fine. But this thread contains posts from people whose sole source of info about Alexandria seems to be typing “Alexandria crime” into google. It’s like all the people talking about how terrible DC is yet when I go out on weekends, every restaurant is full, there are people everywhere, and everyone is enjoying themselves.

The "doubters?!?!" WE LIVE HERE. HELLO! Don't you get it WE LIVE HERE AND IT SUCKS. I'M MOVING AS SOON AS I CAN.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The market suggests that Alexandria is very desirable as prices are high and demand is strong. So for the doubters, maybe visit, walk around, and try to see what you’re missing. If you still don’t get it, that’s fine. But this thread contains posts from people whose sole source of info about Alexandria seems to be typing “Alexandria crime” into google. It’s like all the people talking about how terrible DC is yet when I go out on weekends, every restaurant is full, there are people everywhere, and everyone is enjoying themselves.

But the regulated utility bills are through the roof by an extra $20/month. Therefore, it’s waterworld waiting to happen and a total dump.

+100 BUT My utility bills are higher than an extra $20 extra a month. They're insane. If you live in a complex with ratio billing the bills are criminal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most of the people that I know in Old Town are single older adults or empty nesters. It is very charming and has cute restaurants and retail and a waterfront. I think for that demographic, it's one of the best places to live in the DMV if you want walkability.

+1. I am an empty nester and don't care at all about schools. OTA is pretty much crime free and beautiful, that is why people that live here love it.

[Anonymous]

I can see the appeal if you don’t have kids. There are very pretty neighborhoods with nice houses. The school situation ruins it for me.

[Anonymous]

Old Town is fun to walk around, but living there is challenging due to housing costs, limited parking, and traffic/people density. It suits some, and not others. Schools are not good, which again matters only for some people.

For many, the relatively high cost of relatively small residential properties is a major drawback. You have to really value the walkability dimension of Old Town to balance that out.

Other parts of Alexandria are generally unremarkable, although crime is a concern in places. Population density is high, as might be expected in such a close-in suburb.

As with all locations, attractiveness depends on what you value and how you prioritize those attributes.

[Anonymous]

Like another PP, my kids went to public schools K-12 in ACPS. They wound up at UVA and William & Mary.

When you have one large high school, two things happen:
1. The concentration of resources means that there is an incredible amount of resources: tons of AP classes but also lots of electives.
2. You have a greater awareness of the full range of American teenagers. There are struggling kids across the country, in every jurisdiction. Sometimes they are intentionally segregated away from the people living the typical DCUM life.

My kids' "exposure" to this broader span of reality did not negatively impact their trajectory. If anything, I think they enter adulthood with more awareness than those that live within a narrow band.

Also, I live in a nice neighborhood in the West End. Yes, those exist in Alexandria beyond Del Ray and Old Town.

I don't think this city is perfect by any means, but the level of rage displayed on this thread is... odd.

[Anonymous]

Individuals are entitled to their opinions but the market says it’s a place a lot of people want to be.

Home prices wouldn’t be what they are in Alexandria city if it was undesirable.

That said, the vibe is very different from one neighborhood to the next.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Old Town is fun to walk around, but living there is challenging due to housing costs, limited parking, and traffic/people density. It suits some, and not others. Schools are not good, which again matters only for some people.

For many, the relatively high cost of relatively small residential properties is a major drawback. You have to really value the walkability dimension of Old Town to balance that out.

Other parts of Alexandria are generally unremarkable, although crime is a concern in places. Population density is high, as might be expected in such a close-in suburb.

As with all locations, attractiveness depends on what you value and how you prioritize those attributes.

The density is understated it's on par with queens!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Like another PP, my kids went to public schools K-12 in ACPS. They wound up at UVA and William & Mary.

When you have one large high school, two things happen:
1. The concentration of resources means that there is an incredible amount of resources: tons of AP classes but also lots of electives.
2. You have a greater awareness of the full range of American teenagers. There are struggling kids across the country, in every jurisdiction. Sometimes they are intentionally segregated away from the people living the typical DCUM life.

My kids' "exposure" to this broader span of reality did not negatively impact their trajectory. If anything, I think they enter adulthood with more awareness than those that live within a narrow band.

Also, I live in a nice neighborhood in the West End. Yes, those exist in Alexandria beyond Del Ray and Old Town.

I don't think this city is perfect by any means, but the level of rage displayed on this thread is... odd.

Move to the west end to understand what you call "rage."

[Anonymous]

The city of Alexandria was built on the backs of slaves. Old town was a major port for the slave trade industry.

Classy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Like another PP, my kids went to public schools K-12 in ACPS. They wound up at UVA and William & Mary.

When you have one large high school, two things happen:
1. The concentration of resources means that there is an incredible amount of resources: tons of AP classes but also lots of electives.
2. You have a greater awareness of the full range of American teenagers. There are struggling kids across the country, in every jurisdiction. Sometimes they are intentionally segregated away from the people living the typical DCUM life.

My kids' "exposure" to this broader span of reality did not negatively impact their trajectory. If anything, I think they enter adulthood with more awareness than those that live within a narrow band.

Also, I live in a nice neighborhood in the West End. Yes, those exist in Alexandria beyond Del Ray and Old Town.

I don't think this city is perfect by any means, but the level of rage displayed on this thread is... odd.

I usually don't bother with the Alexandria City posts, because there are people who very angry about the city and just want me to believe I am a fool living here with a family. I look around at my neighbors who along with me have children in the schools. We all seem like normal people with good jobs living in nice enough housing and wonder what is wrong with us. What potential harm are we doing to our children who are doing well at the schools and friends of many socioeconomic levels, races, and nationalities. We see older kids in our neighborhood graduate from the high school and go to good colleges, get jobs, and a few of them are even able to buy houses in the city or off the parkway in Fairfax/Alexandria.

I just wonder why if Alexandria is so horrible why hasn't everyone figured it out and moved.