In Old Town, it pays to know a storefront's condition and what the historic district will allow before you agree to lease terms. From our office in Tysons, we help retailers and restaurants size up locations in Old Town and across the City of Alexandria, and we work across Northern Virginia, Washington, DC and Maryland.
The Car-Free Blocks Changed the Map
City Council voted 7-0 to permanently close the 200 block of King Street to cars, joining the Unit and 100 blocks. A city traffic study during the pilot counted five to twelve times as many people on foot as in cars at the intersections it measured. That gives lower King Street three adjoining pedestrian blocks between the waterfront and Market Square, with cross streets along the way.
Sources: City of Alexandria, Lower King Street Pedestrianization Project; ALXnow, Sept. 13, 2025.
Where People Go in Old Town
- The waterfront: Waterfront Park at the foot of Prince Street, which hosts rotating public art, and the Torpedo Factory Art Center (105 N. Union Street), with working artist studios and galleries, open daily.
- Cooper Mill (10 Duke Street): a restored waterfront warehouse turned tavern.
- Josephine and Bar Jo (109 S. St. Asaph Street): a French brasserie in the old Columbia Firehouse, with a cocktail bar upstairs.
- Vermilion (1120 King Street): Mid-Atlantic cooking from regional farms, a King Street fixture for more than two decades.
- Hotel Heron (699 Prince Street): the Good Fortune rooftop bar and KILN's hearth cooking downstairs.
- Hank's Pasta Bar (600 Montgomery Street, Old Town North): Jamie Leeds's pasta restaurant, which recently added a sit-down dining room.
- Independent shops: Arielle Shoshana recently moved its perfumery from Mosaic to a flagship at 313 Cameron Street, and Long Dark House, a horror, sci-fi and fantasy bookstore, recently opened at 1510 King Street.
- Old Town Farmers' Market: Saturdays 7 a.m. to noon, year-round. It's temporarily on the 100 block of N. Royal Street and in the Tavern Square courtyard while Market Square and City Hall are renovated.
Sources: City of Alexandria, Waterfront Park public art; Torpedo Factory Art Center; Eater DC, best Old Town restaurants and bars, June 2026; The Infatuation, best restaurants in Old Town Alexandria; WTOP on Cooper Mill; The Alexandria Brief on Arielle Shoshana; The Zebra on Long Dark House; City of Alexandria, Old Town Farmers' Market.
Recently Opened in Old Town
- Twosome Place, South Korea's coffee-and-cake chain, opened its first U.S. café, about 2,600 SF, at 404 King Street.
- The Majestic (911 King Street): longtime chef Santiago Lopez bought the restaurant and introduced a new menu.
- The Commodore, the Dupont Circle bar, opened a second location at 220 N. Lee Street.
Coming to Old Town
- King Arthur Baking Company is opening a store and baking school at 617 King Street soon.
- Floriana plans to move from Dupont Circle to 277 S. Washington Street. The Old Town opening date hasn't been announced.
Sources: Eater DC (Twosome Place, The Majestic, The Commodore); Washingtonian (Twosome Place, King Arthur); The Alexandria Brief (King Arthur, Nov. 4, Floriana, Nov. 4).
Old Town Retail Snapshot
From the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership (AEDP):
- Old Town storefront vacancy of 5.8%, with visits up 4.6% year over year.
- Citywide retail vacancy of 4.6%, with 72 retail and restaurant openings announced in a single year, about half independent businesses and half national brands.
Sources: AEDP 2025 Mid-Year Market Report; AEDP's year-end 2025 report to City Council, as reported by The Alexandria Brief.
Board of Architectural Review
First, confirm whether the property is in one of the city's locally regulated historic districts; most of Old Town is in the Old and Historic Alexandria District. There, new construction and exterior changes visible from a public street, such as storefronts, signs and awnings, generally need a certificate of appropriateness from the Board of Architectural Review or from preservation staff. Interior work does not. The Board generally holds hearings on the first and third Wednesday of each month, except August, so check the current docket and filing deadlines. Build that time into your lease: we ask for enough time to get approvals before rent starts, and for the landlord's help with the application.
Source: City of Alexandria, Historic Preservation.
Our Alexandria-Area Leases
These are in Del Ray and the Fairfax County side of the Alexandria mailing area. Each link goes to the deal post on our site.
- Vocelli Pizza, 1607 Commonwealth Avenue, Del Ray (tenant rep)
- Chipotle, Sacramento Center, Fairfax County (landlord rep)
We also lease two Fairfax County shopping centers with Alexandria addresses: Huntington Metro Shopping Center, an 8-minute walk from the Huntington Metro station, and Sacramento Center.
Questions About Old Town Alexandria Retail Space
Is my "Alexandria" address in the City of Alexandria? Not always. Old Town, Del Ray and Carlyle are in the City of Alexandria, which has its own permits and its own Board of Architectural Review. Many addresses south and west of the city, such as Huntington and the Richmond Highway corridor, are in Fairfax County. Confirm the parcel's jurisdiction before you plan permits and licenses; we'll help you check.
Do I need Board of Architectural Review approval for a sign in Old Town? Usually, yes, if the property is in a local historic district. New signs, awnings and storefront changes visible from the street generally need a certificate of appropriateness from the Board or from preservation staff. We plan the review into your lease.
Do you have Old Town listings? Call us for current availability. We can help size up Old Town storefronts, including any historic review the proposed work may require and the condition of any existing restaurant buildout. See Tenant Representation.
Who do I call about Old Town Alexandria retail space? Call Andrew Poncher, SVP and Director of Leasing, at (571) 765-4430, or John Marigliano, Senior Vice President, at (571) 765-4423.
Regions we serve: Northern Virginia, Washington, DC and Maryland.