City of Alexandria
Del Ray, Virginia
The Mount Vernon Avenue village: bungalows, an independent main street, and a neighborhood identity strong enough to carry its own price premium.
Del Ray is a bungalow neighborhood north of Old Town built around Mount Vernon Avenue, and it has the strongest independent neighborhood identity in Alexandria. That identity is what the price premium is for.
The avenue
Mount Vernon Avenue is an independent main street — restaurants, shops, a market — walkable from the whole neighborhood, with a genuine calendar of events through the year. It is not a marketed high street; it is the reason people move here and stay.
The houses
Predominantly early 20th-century bungalows and cottages on small lots, and enormously varied in their current state: many have been extended, rebuilt to the rear, or replaced. Two houses built the same year can be entirely different properties.
Judge each individually, and look closely at the quality and permitting of any addition — in a neighborhood with this much renovation history, unpermitted work turns up, and it is easier to find before settlement than after.
What governs exterior work
Del Ray is not within the Old and Historic Alexandria District that governs Old Town. The city does have other conservation and design provisions that can apply in places. Do not assume either way: confirm what governs a specific property before planning exterior work or an addition.
The neighborhoods
Del Ray proper holds the bungalow streets. South, the Rosemont edge runs toward King Street Metro. North, St. Elmo and Hume Springs reach toward Arlandria and Four Mile Run. East, the Potomac Yard development and its new Metro station.
Getting around
Braddock Road and the newer Potomac Yard station are each roughly a five to ten minute walk or short drive from most streets, with King Street a little further south. Del Ray is bigger on foot than it looks on a map, so measure from a specific address. Route 1 runs along the eastern edge, the Parkway is close, and Reagan National about ten minutes.
Schools
Alexandria City Public Schools, with Alexandria City High School as the city’s single comprehensive high school across its campuses. Elementary and middle assignments vary by address and have been redistricted. Confirm with ACPS.
Buying or selling here
Buyers should walk the avenue on a Saturday morning to see whether the premium is worth it to them, then inspect the addition history closely. Sellers with documented, permitted work and a short walk to the avenue have the two things this market pays for.
Communities in Del Ray
- Mount Vernon Avenue
- The main street, with independent restaurants, shops, a market, and the events that define the neighborhood's calendar.
- Del Ray proper
- Streets of 1900s through 1940s bungalows and cottages on small lots, many extended or rebuilt to the rear.
- Rosemont edge
- The southern side toward the King Street Metro and the Rosemont historic streets.
- St. Elmo and Hume Springs
- Northern pockets toward Arlandria and Four Mile Run.
- Potomac Yard edge
- The eastern side toward the new Metro station and the Potomac Yard development.
Schools
Alexandria City Public Schools serves the whole city, with Alexandria City High School as the single comprehensive high school across its campuses. Elementary and middle assignments vary by address and ACPS has redistricted as enrollment shifted. Confirm the current attendance area for a specific address with ACPS.
Commuting
The Braddock Road and Potomac Yard stations on the Blue and Yellow lines are each roughly a five to ten minute walk or short drive from most of the neighborhood, and King Street station is a little further south. Route 1 runs along the eastern edge, the George Washington Memorial Parkway is close, and Reagan National is about ten minutes.
Market
Del Ray is a small-lot bungalow market with an unusually strong neighborhood identity, and it prices accordingly — generally at a premium to comparable square footage elsewhere in Alexandria outside Old Town. Most of the original cottages have been extended, rebuilt to the rear, or replaced, so two houses of the same vintage can differ enormously. What buyers are paying for is the street: an independent main street they can walk to, and a calendar of neighborhood events.
Common questions
What is Del Ray known for?
Mount Vernon Avenue — an independent main street of restaurants, shops, and a market, walkable from the whole neighborhood — and a strong calendar of neighborhood events through the year. The identity is genuine rather than marketed, and it is the main reason the area carries a price premium over comparable housing nearby.
What is the housing stock like?
Predominantly early 20th-century bungalows and cottages on small lots, with a great deal of variation: many have been extended, rebuilt to the rear, or replaced entirely. Two houses built the same year can be very different properties. Judge each one individually, and look closely at the quality and permitting of any addition.
Is Del Ray in a historic district?
Del Ray is not within the Old and Historic Alexandria District that governs Old Town, though the city has other conservation and design provisions that can apply in places. Do not assume either that review applies or that it does not — confirm what governs a specific property before planning exterior work or an addition.
Can you walk to Metro?
From much of the neighborhood, yes. Braddock Road and the newer Potomac Yard station are each roughly a five to ten minute walk or short drive from most streets, with King Street a little further. Measure from a specific address, since Del Ray is bigger on foot than it looks on a map.
What schools serve Del Ray?
Alexandria City Public Schools, with Alexandria City High School as the city's single comprehensive high school across its campuses. Elementary and middle assignments vary by address and have been redistricted as enrollment shifted. Confirm the current attendance area for a specific address with ACPS.
Current Del Ray listings are available through my search site.
Last updated 2026-09-08.