Exploring Old Town Alexandria

I recently made a vlog about my day out in Old Town, Alexandria, Virginia. Having spent almost two years living in Alexandria, I am quite familiar with Old Town and its historic charm. In this article, I go into more detail about Old Town, and the places I visited in my vlog, in order!

The Old Town historic district in Alexandria, Virginia is a vibrant and charming area filled with historical landmarks, cozy coffee shops, great cuisine and dining, and unique experiences. Here are the highlights from my vlog:

1. Metrobus Bus Stop at Swann Ave (00:31 in the vlog)

From where I lived in Alexandria, there are several ways to get to Old Town: driving, biking, walking, taking the Metro, or my personal favorite, taking the Metroway 1 (MW1) bus. The MW1 operates in a loop from the Pentagon City Mall to Braddock Station, and has a dedicated bus lane in the middle of the highway (which I point out at 00:44 in my vlog). It’s only a short 7-9 minute bus ride from the Swann Ave bus stop to Braddock Station.

2. Braddock Metro Center (01:24 in the vlog)

This is where the MW1 drops me off, and loops around to continue its circuit. Braddock Station is a transit hub, with other buses also arriving, a Metro station, a kiss-and-ride area for cars to drop off passengers, and a Capital Bikeshare station to rent bikes. From Braddock Station, it is about a 15-minute walk to arrive at King Street, the main artery of Old Town.

3. United States Post Office (02:00 in the vlog)

I needed to get Global Forever Stamps to send my friend in New Zealand a postcard, so I stopped by the USPS. It’s a very convenient 4-minute walk from Braddock Station, and I love the historic brick exterior.

4. Misha’s Coffee (03:10 in the vlog)

This is one of my all-time favorite coffeeshops in Alexandria (and Alexandria has a really great coffee scene!). They have a large variety of coffee beans, which they roast and grind in-house. They also offer an amazing selection of pastries. I got an Everything Bagel with cream cheese and an Iced Chai Latte – both very good and delicious! One of the many reasons I love Misha’s is their working space at the back. The lighting is focused, and there’s good jazz music playing in the background. Last year, while finishing up my Master’s degree, I often went to Misha’s on weekends for the vibes – it was very conducive to getting all my assignments done!

5. Lily’s Chocolate and Coffee (04:19 in the vlog)

This is another great coffeeshop, just 2 blocks down the street from Misha’s! They opened last year in 2023, and have a great selection of pastries and coffee. Their interior décor is very photogenic – perfect for Instagram!

6. Old Town – Town Square (04:40 and 09:25 in the vlog)

This is a central part of Old Town! Every Saturday from 7am-noon, there’s a Farmer’s Market hosted in the Town Square. Additionally, at Christmas, there’s an annual Christmas Tree tradition where they light the tree! The building in the backdrop is the Alexandria City Hall, designated a National Historic Landmark.

7. Kate Waller Barrett Branch Library (05:17 in the vlog)

This is my favorite library in Alexandria. It’s very community-oriented, and there are constantly lots of events and workshops hosted by the library! They also regularly have little booksales for very cheap – for a grand total of $4, I got two books in great condition (The Back Channel, and On The Way to Christmas)! There are a lot of working spaces, and the views from the windows are so beautiful, especially in the fall!

8. Turkish Coffee Lady (06:41 in the vlog)

This is a very unique and cultural coffeeshop experience in Old Town! It’s a local woman-owned coffeeshop, bringing the Turkish experience to you. It’s a small but cozy café, tastefully decorated with Turkish and Middle Eastern influences. I got their classic Turkish coffee and a spinach-feta pastry. The coffee comes in a little tray with three items: a cup of water, a mug of Turkish coffee, and some Turkish Delight jellies. First, you take a sip of water to cleanse your palate. The next step is to drink some of the Turkish coffee – but keep it in your mouth, and eat some of the Turkish Delight! Chewing the jelly with the bitter coffee adds a delicious flavor profile to the coffee experience!

9. Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum (09:48 and 10:54 in the vlog)

This museum is a very unique experience of historic Old Town! It used to be an apothecary founded in 1790s Alexandria by William Stabler, and was a family business. They sold various herbal remedies, medicines, and chemical tinctures, and manufactured their own medicines too. They eventually closed down in the 1930s, after which the citizens of Alexandria bought and preserved the Apothecary as a museum for us to now tour and learn more about pre-modern medicine!

10. Alexandria Visitor Center (10:11 in the vlog)

The Visitor Center is a great resource for figuring out all the cool things to do in Old Town and Alexandria! There are lots of free brochures and guides, and there’s even a little gift shop to buy Alexandria and Virginia merch. I didn’t mention this in the vlog, but they also organize walking Colonial Ghost Tours at night! It’s a great experience to walk around with a Colonial-attired tour guide, showing you all the historic sights around Old Town with a side of ghost stories!

11. The Principle Gallery (10:40 in the vlog)

I was walking around the streets, killing time until my timed tour for the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary museum, when I stumbled across this art gallery. It was very interesting looking at the pretty art!

12. Lou Lou Boutiques (12:19 in the vlog)

This is a little store my friend showed me a while ago, where they sell clothes, body care, jewelry, and more. I popped in to see if I could get the same friend a birthday present from here, and I ended up getting her a fancy soap and lip balm – she loved it!

13. Mai Thai Restaurant (12:38 in the vlog)

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Old Town by the waterfront, and I love sitting in their outdoor seating area whenever possible, especially beautiful summer days like this day. My sister and mum joined me for dinner, and we got Gyoza (green fried wontons) for appetizers, Drunken Noodles and Mixed Vegetable Jae (tofu dish) for our main dishes, and a non-alcoholic Pina Colada for our drink. I love the food here, it’s very spicy and there’s a lot of good vegetarian options!

14. Pop’s Ice Cream (12:59 in the vlog)

Next, for dessert, we walked right across the street to Pop’s Old-Fashioned Ice Cream parlor. They have a lot of great ice cream and gelato options, and it was very hard to make up our minds on what flavors we wanted! I ended up getting a scoop of Butter Pecan, and my sister got a scoop of pistachio and a scoop of cookies and cream. All three flavors were very good!

15. Waterfront Art Installation (14:00 in the vlog)

Since we were all very full from dinner and ice cream, we decided to walk around the Waterfront area. Right across from Mai Thai and Pop’s Ice Cream is an art installation, which changes every so often. The current exhibition is called ‘Interstellar Influencer‘, on display until Nov. 2024. It resembles a geometric metallic asteroid, with mist coming off it!

16. Waterfront Boat Dock (14:05 in the vlog)

Finally, continuing along the Waterfront, I got a timelapse of the boat dock, and of people walking along the boardwalk. It was very nice and relaxing!

Spending a day in Old Town Alexandria was an absolute delight. From the charming coffee shops to the historic landmarks and the beautiful waterfront, there’s always something new and exciting to discover. Whether you’re a local or a visitor, Old Town offers a unique blend of history, culture, and modern-day attractions that make it a must-visit destination.

I hope you enjoyed reading about my adventures and found some inspiration for your own visit. Be sure to check out my vlog for a more immersive experience, where I take you through each of these fantastic spots in real time! Happy exploring!