The Neighborhood That's Made Of Adorable.

Del Ray is an urban village in Alexandria, Virginia known for its playful individuality, artsy bent, mom & pop business district, epic Saturday farmer’s market, dog friendliness and cute-as-a-button housing stock. In short, Del Ray is one of a kind.

The main drag is Mount Vernon Avenue. where you’ll find unique restaurants & pubs like The Evening Star Cafe, St. Elmo’s, Matt & Tony’s, Stomping Ground, Cheesetique, butchery Let’s Meat, and iconic shops like Vélocity Bicycle Cooperative.

Del Ray’s residential streets look much as they did many decades ago, lined with large shade trees, deep lots with generous backyards, and 15-foot front setbacks. Architectural styles range from Craftsman Bungalow, Folk Victorian and American Foursquare to Tudor Revival, Colonial Revival, Art Deco, Queen Anne and Italianate. You don’t see that everywhere, folks. Walk, don’t drive, as you tour these streets to avoid fender-benders while you’re gaping at it all.

Some of Del Ray’s grandest houses were built on Mount Vernon Avenue, and you can still see several of the original Foursquare houses, converted for retail use. As the area grew and developed, Mount Vernon Avenue evolved from a grand residential avenue to a funky retail corridor full of color and character.

Del Ray grew from several subdivision tracts; Hume, Mount Ida, Saint Elmo’s and its namesake Del Ray. The historic communities of Del Ray and St. Elmo’s originated in early 1894. Homes here were originally built for workers at Potomac Yard. Most were affordable, detached single family dwellings of modest size. The desirability of today’s Del Ray is partially due to these working class beginnings and its unpretentious personality.

Del Ray is bounded on the south by Braddock Road, Russell Road on the west, East and West Glebe on the north and U.S. Route 1 on the east. It’s adjacent on the west to Potomac Yard and its southernmost tip is separated from Old Town West by the Metro line.