Potomac Yard - Alexandria, VA Area Guide

English settlers came to the Potomac Yard/Potomac Greens neighborhood in the 18th century and built several plantations. In 1830, when the land was still owned by the District of Columbia (later given back to Virginia in 1846), Congress chartered the Alexandria Canal Company to create a canal that would connect Alexandria with the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal in Georgetown. This began the neighborhood's role as a major transportation hub.

Railroad development in the area began in the 1850s, but it wasn't until 1905 when the newly created Potomac Yard attracted thousands of workers to the area. In its heyday, Potomac Yard was one of the busiest rail yards on the East Coast, processing thousands of cars daily.

Museums and art depicting Alexandria's rich history can be found to the south of the neighborhood in Old Town. Many events celebrate the city's past and present.

Most of the restaurants in this neighborhood are located along its western boundary, Highway 1. The Potomac Yard Center offers classic mall food court options, but the local favorite comes in the form of a smoothie spot on the south end of the neighborhood, Tropical Smoothie Cafe. The health-consciousness doesn't just extend to smoothies like kiwi citrus green tea and health nut, however, as the buffalo chicken wrap, thai chicken salad and peanut butter crunch flatbread also provide great tasting and healthy food options.

For dining with great views, head to Indigo Landing Restaurant at the tip of Daigerfield Island. The modern seasonal take on Southern country cooking results in amazing dishes like jumbo lump crab cakes, crab soup, wild mushroom and asparagus risotto and baby beet salad. The outdoor patio seating with elegant decor and sweeping vistas of the water make this a perfect date spot.

The happy hour at Indigo also makes for a great evening, especially in the warmer months when you can enjoy the sun, look out over the water and watch the planes land and take off from Reagan National Airport. Another nightlife options is the sleek, brick-walled gastropub, Rustico, with its more than 300 kinds of beer. This massive beer selection, including hard-to-find craft beers, make this a place you'll keep coming back to again and again.

While the rail yard no long remains in operation, the tracks still exist. They take up quite a bit of real estate in the neighborhood, often making foot and bike traffic around them inconvenient. Still, the small area of the neighborhood allows for almost anywhere to be reached easily and the terrain remains flat, ideal for biking, although more bike lanes would certainly be helpful.

Public transportation comes in the form of two bus companies: Alexandria-based DASH and D.C.-based Metro. Be sure to purchase a reloadable SmarTrip card, which works on both of these bus systems.

Highway 1, or the Thomas Jefferson Highway, and the George Washington Memorial Parkway run north and south along the west and east sides of the neighborhood respectively. Both provide drivers convenient access to even bigger roadways like I-95 and I-395. Drivers also enjoy easy street parking in the neighborhood. Uber services the entire D.C. metro area.

Daingerfield Island juts out into the Potomac from this neighborhood and offers a wide array of outdoor activities for the whole family. Head to the Washington Sailing Marina at the tip of island to rent bikes, and go for a nice ride around the island. Many locals bring their dogs and kids here on the weekend to get outside and get some fresh air. The large open space of the island make for a great picnic spot.

Mount Vernon Trail along the George Washington Parkway also provides joggers and bikers space to move and connects the neighborhood to the rest of the Alexandria waterfront.

Alexandria's waterfront is a huge attraction, no matter what time of year. Every December, the city hosts the Annual Alexandria Holiday Boat Parade of Lights at the Alexandria Marina just behind the Torpedo Factory in Old Town.

The cost of living in Potomac Yard/Potomac Greens, serves as a nice representation of the city as a whole. The $1,487 average monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment sits only 3 percent higher than the Alexandria average of $1,440.

DASH buses transport passengers all throughout Alexandria for $1.60 per ride, but frequent riders should buy a monthly pass for $40. Metro buses charge a little more at $1.75 per ride and travel north into Arlington and D.C.

Local gas prices are almost equally lower than national averages. The 5 percent savings neighborhood residents see at the pump helps to offset the slightly higher housing costs. Getting into the city center via public transportation can be done for under $2 on one of the neighborhood bus lines. A restaurant meal averages around $15 with beers going for $5.

The Potomac Yard Center at the north end of the neighborhood offers ample shopping opportunities. Staples such as Pier 1 Imports, Old Navy, Best Buy, Sports Authority, Barnes & Noble, Target and TJ Maxx, along with a movie theater, provide neighborhood residents with most of their shopping needs.

Local boutiques such as Periwinkle, an elegant shop for women's clothes with everything from casual to cocktail wear, provide other options as well. Affirmations by Alicia, just across the highway from the mall, marks another great local spot selling cosmetics.

The closest grocery store to the neighborhood is actually the Harris Teeter in Arlington just across the Four Mile Run bridge. Just a hop, skip and jump away from the mall, many neighborhood residents hit both in one trip. On the south end of the neighborhood, the Giant on East Glebe Road also proves very convenient.

While no farmers markets exist in Potomac Yard/Potomac Greens, three very close by all offer great options for locally sourced produced, meats and cheeses, baked goods, flowers and other handmade trinkets. The Four Mile Run Farmers & Artisans Market and Del Ray Farmers' Market, both on Mount Vernon Avenue, sit to the west, and Alexandria Farmers' Market in Old Town sits to the south. Locals often make weekend trips to these lively markets.