Eisenhower Ave/Eisenhower West - Alexandria, VA Area Guide

Once home to flour mills and farms, things remained pretty quiet in the Eisenhower corridor until the 1960s, when construction of I-495 brought a more industrial feel to the area. Two additional changes ensured development would follow: the opening of the Eisenhower Avenue Metro station in 1983 and construction of a ramp connecting Eisenhower Avenue directly to I-495 in the 1990s.

Since then, the area has changed dramatically, but it lacks museums and cultural attractions. Residents enjoy the Annual Alexandria Food and Wine Festival, which takes place in the adjacent Carlyle District and features music, children's activities, and arts and crafts exhibits. The festival is free, but you need to purchase tickets to sample food and wine from local restaurants and Virginia wineries. Old Town Alexandria's thriving arts scene and historic sites lie minutes away, or you can take the Metro to D.C. and explore its many excellent museums.

The Eisenhower Avenue/Eisenhower West neighborhood contains a number of restaurants, mostly located in and around the Hoffman Town Center. In its spacious modern decor, Pasara Thai serves fiery drunken noodles, sweet-and-spicy chili paste fried rice and what locals claim as one of the best chicken pad thai in the region. The Hoffman Center includes many chain restaurants, but for something original, go to Delia's, specializing in Mediterranean cuisine and brick oven pizza. Try the chicken souvlaki — marinated chicken skewers served with homemade flatbread and Greek potatoes — or the chef's risotto, which changes weekly. The friendly staff at this warm, relaxing restaurant happily accommodates those trying to catch a movie at the 22-screen theater located in the Hoffman Center.

After the movie, stick around for drinks or a bite to eat at the San Antonio Bar and Grill next to the movie theater, where you can sip your over-sized margarita on the outdoor patio in mild weather. You can't go wrong starting with some fresh guacamole and tortilla chips. Follow it up with the cajun-spiced seafood paella or the veggie fajitas.

For a more elegant evening out but still close to home, check out The Carlyle Club. This supper club's intimate seating means you always have a good view of the live jazz bands. The owners of Zikrayet succeeded in recreating the look and feel of a Lebanese lounge when they opened their restaurant. Zikrayet features live entertainment, a full bar and hookah. If you're there for the entertainment, minimum purchases apply. Upscale neighborhood bar Trademark in the Westin hotel makes a nice place to enjoy drinks after work or for an evening out with friends. The mixologists behind the bar take the tie-in with the Patent and Trademark Office seriously and come up with innovative concoctions for guests to try.

The Eisenhower Avenue/Eisenhower West neighborhood's proximity to major roadways and public transportation makes it easy to get around. Eisenhower Avenue connects directly to I-495 and I-95, or those living on the western end of Eisenhower can use Van Dorn Street to access those roads. Use nearby Duke Street to go into Old Town Alexandria and to access Route 1 to the east and I-395 to the west. Although housing complexes and businesses provide parking, you have to pay for some public parking on Eisenhower Avenue, especially in the areas close to the Hoffman Center. Metered street parking can be scarce, but you can use the garage at the Hoffman Center and pay $4.50 for three hours.

Northern Virginians love their cars, but residents in this neighborhood do have options. Bike-friendly Eisenhower Avenue and Holmes Run Trail, which runs parallel to Eisenhower from Cameron Run Regional Park to near the Hoffman Center, make it convenient for cyclists who commute to work. For residents who don't own a bike, Capital Bikeshare operates a station at the Hoffman Center. Depending on where you live, you can walk to some places in the neighborhood as well.

The Eisenhower Avenue Metro station and the Van Dorn Metro station both sit on Eisenhower Avenue, less than three miles apart, giving residents a choice of nearby stations. Commuting by Metrorail to Metro Center in Washington, D.C., takes about 30 minutes from either station. Other transportation options include Alexandria's DASH bus, Zipcar car-sharing service — available at either Metro station, Uber ride-sharing service and calling a local cab company for a pickup.

When you want to relax and unwind outdoors, the parks near the Eisenhower Avenue/Eisenhower West community have something for everyone. Kids — or the kid in you — enjoy a day at Cameron Run Regional Park where you can splash and slide at the water park, play miniature golf, practice your swing in the batting cages or have a picnic. The park includes ample free parking, and all the parks in the area are free, but fees apply for the activities in Cameron Run and vary by season and age of the participants. Adult and youth sports leagues make use of the softball, soccer and lacrosse fields at Hensley Park. For a more relaxing day, go to Tarleton Park and explore the nature trails, take the kids to the playground, go for a walk or a bicycle ride on the path, or let your dog run in the dog exercise area. The path in Tarleton Park connects to several other nearby parks.

Living in the Eisenhower Avenue/Eisenhower West area costs on average 4 percent more than living in Washington, D.C. Expect to pay about $1,768 per month for a one-bedroom apartment and 9 percent more than the national average for a gallon of gas. If you use the Metro to commute to D.C., you pay $3.85 from the Eisenhower Avenue station to Metro Center during rush hour and $4.50 from Van Dorn Street. If you go out for a beer, make sure you have at least $6 in your wallet.

There's not much shopping in the still-developing Eisenhower Avenue area, but shopping centers on Duke Street carry most of the basics. You can access great local shopping in Old Town Alexandria at stores such as La Cuisine, where serious cooks flock for quality cookware, cookbooks, and ingredients. The knowledgeable and friendly staff can show you cooking techniques and give you advice on how to care for your pots and pans. The Lucky Knot sells men's and women's clothing with a nautical theme. This large store carries conservative, preppy styles and brands such as Lilly Pulitzer and Kate Spade.

For a selection of chain stores all under one roof, you can reach the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City in less than 20 minutes by car or 15 minutes by Metro. Among the more than 170 stores in this mall, you can shop at Macy's and Nordstrom or high-end retailers Michael Kors and Coach.

Shop for groceries at the Whole Foods in the Carlyle District, at the Giant on Duke Street or at the Giant or Safeway on Van Dorn Street, if you live toward the west end of Eisenhower Avenue. For specialty grocery items, visit Balducci’s in Old Town. On Sunday mornings from May through November, you can shop for fresh foods and handcrafted merchandise made by local artisans at the West End Farmers Market in Ben Brenman Park.