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Alexandria
History
Unlike many of localities in northern
Virginia, Alexandria did not develop as a suburb of Washington DC, but existed
as a city before suburban expansion. In its early history, the City of Alexandria
was a port for agricultural exports to England, and it was the political and economic
center of Northern Virginia. When the District of Columbia was created, the city
was incorporated into its boundaries, but it was returned to Virginia in 1847.
Today, the city is run by the 5 member Alexandria
City Council which is elected at large, the Mayor, and the Vice Mayor.
Transportation
Public transportation in Alexandria began 1892 with the electric streetcars. The
opening of the George Washington Memorial Parkway in 1932, construction of the
Capital Beltway in 1960, and dedication of The Woodrow Wilson Bridge in 1961 allowed
Alexandria to increase development and flourish. While work on the region's Metrorail
system began in the 1960s, it was not until 1983 that King Street, Braddock Road
and Eisenhower Avenue Metro Stations opened. The new stations allowed people from
throughout the region to commute easily to other areas in the metro region, including
parts of Maryland, Virginia, and DC. In addition, Alexandria's DASH bus system
began operating the following year as an internal public transportation network.
Historic Preservation
Efforts to revitalize Old Town Alexandria began in the 1930s. In 1946,
the Old and Historic District became the third historic district in the
United States and the city established the Board
of Architectural Review to preserve the historic and architectural
character of Alexandria. Today, much work is done to maintain the historic
character of the city. Click here
to read more about efforts being made at the Office of Historic Alexandria.
Housing
Alexandria created
the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority to build and operate
public housing in 1941 after receiving authorization from the Virginia
General Assembly. Alexandria was the first suburban jurisdiction to set
up a housing authority. Taking advantage of federal housing programs,
Alexandria tripled the number of publicly subsidized rental units to over
3,000 by the mid-1980s. Today, the Office
of Housing is struggling to deal with problems
of gentrification in communities in Alexandria.
Read more about Alexandria on the City
of Alexandria's Website
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