Pros and Cons of Moving to Alexandria, VA

Welcome to Alexandria, Virginia. 

Known for its rich history and easy-to-navigate design, this city is regarded as one of the most fascinating and convenient places in Virginia to live. 

But as we all know, there’s two sides to every coin. And for every positive thing that can be said about Alexandria, there’s also something not-so-nice to point out. 

So, if you want to learn all the important pros and cons of moving to this city, you’re in the right place. 

Let’s get started!

Con #3, Crowded

The first thing you should know about this city is that it isn’t known for its size. 

But even though Alexandria is a small city, there are quite a lot of people who live here.  159,000 people to be exact. 

And there’s one predictable problem that occurs when you have that many people occupying a small city. 

It gets crowded. 

Which is the perfect environment to be in during a pandemic. But coughing aside, an overcrowded city can cause issues that are even worse than an overhyped virus. 

And that is traffic. 

If there’s one thing the people of Alexandria complain about the most, it’s the traffic. And it’s not that this traffic is worse than New York or La.

But the thing that makes this traffic notably annoying is how unpredictable it can be. Meaning you can’t avoid it by being a more careful planner. 

But at least the traffic can take away your focus from this next con for a brief moment. 

Con #2, High cost of living

Alexandria is considered to be the #3 best small city in the nation.

Let me tell you something. Whenever a city is known to be the “best” of something, it always guarantees one thing. 

The poor aren’t welcome. 

Alexandria is an expensive city to live in. A fact that’s proven by the sheer amount of wealthy people who call the city home. 

The houses in this city are 2.3 times more expensive than the national average. So, unless you have a high paying job locked down, don’t plan to move here any time soon. 

Actually, when you hear about this next con, you probably won’t even desire to. 

Con #1, Flooding

I don’t suggest moving to Alexandria unless you’ve mutated to have gills. 

Because this city getting flooded is pretty much a virtual certainty. 

The combination of being close to the Potomac river and having low elevation makes having huge rainboots a necessity in Alexandria.

And if having to deal with flash floods every time it rains doesn’t strike you as a good time, then you should definitely save yourself the trip. 

But if you’re hardheaded and a good swimmer, then at least make sure you purchase flood insurance as soon a possible.  

Another thing that you should do ASAP is check out homeandmoney.com.

Because the good folks at homeandmoney.com have found a way to make the entire home buying process easy, quick, and stress free. 

And they do this by connecting you to top agents, save you money with grants and programs, and take all of the guesswork out of buying your dream home. 

Best of all, their service is 100% free. 

Just fill out the quick form below to get started.

Ok, now let’s check out some pros of living in Alexandria. 

Pro #3, Proximity to D.C.

We’ve talked a bit about how Alexandria is a small city. 

Some people can be put off by this fact. But before you swear off Alexandria for good, you need to know one thing…

It’s just minutes away from the nation’s capital. 

So whether you’re looking for a high-paying job or have an affinity for protesting, living in Alexandria makes it easy to commute. 

But when you look at this next pro, you probably won’t desire to leave the city too often. 

Pro #2, Good food

Alexandria is the perfect city for foodies. 

The city has almost limitless options for cuisine and there are new restaurants popping up all the time. 

A good number of eateries have been around for decades. For example, the Lord of the Rings themed restaurant, Bilbo Baggins, has been wowing customers since 1981.

This city will spoil you with perfectly cooked steaks, authentic woodfired pizza, and delicious breakfasts that may make getting diabetes worth it. 

And after a great meal, you can enjoy a scenic walk around the city. Which brings us to our last pro. 

Pro #1, Walkability

Literally the best thing about living in this city is that you’re within walking distance of pretty much everything. 

Which means Alexandria residents do not need a car, unless they plan on driving to larger cities like Washington DC. 

Most of the businesses in Alexandria are within a 2 mile stretch from one another. So you could hit the gym, go grocery shopping and even hit a movie in one swoop. 

Just make sure to hit the showers after your gym session. There’s nothing like watching the latest Marvel movie next to a stinky fan. 

I’m sure anyone who values convenience will absolutely fall in love with Alexandria just from this pro alone. 

And that covers everything you need to know about Alexandria, VA. 

If there were any pros or cons that I missed, just drop a comment below with your 2 cents. 

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Until next time!