I'm getting settled here in Alexandria, which is about 30 minutes outside of downtown D.C. My rental is on the border of two merging neighborhoods. On one side are Salvadoran families and on the other is where all the yuppies moved in. Monday I explored the yuppie territory, also known as Old Town Alexandria.
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| The main town square of Alexandria, USA. |
On bike I got to see more, but also avoided totally melting in the lovely East Coast humidity. The only way I can describe it is as leaving on a hot shower in a little tiny bathroom for about three hours. It's that nice, warm, comforting cloud of moisture... but there's no towel to dry off your face and it doesn't really go away. Lee's just say it'll take some getting used to.
But Old Town Alexandria. Man, I've never seen so much brick! It's beautiful and definitely adds to the area's old-timey atmosphere. Strolling through the streets with names like King, Royal and Prince, it all struck me as Upper-East-Side-aesthetic-meets-Portland-Pearl-boutique-and-coffeeshop-vibe-meets-Copenhagen-artsy-traditionalism. It was a little strange, however, to see a large, stately bronze statue commemorating the Confederate army on a busy Old Town intersection, but that's history for you!
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| My summer reading list: compiled from my rental's extensive library. |
Another unexpected sight was at the neighborhood's beautiful waterfront. After walking by the cute little yachts, sailboats and expensive-looking seafood restaurants, I found a lovely bench to finish my book (Me Before You-- the movie was good, but only a blink of the emotion and value in that story). There was even a nice breeze, so I could take a break from melting. All of a sudden, the breeze caught up to me and I couldn't breathe right. It was pure sewage. BLECK. Well, the sign below pretty much sums it up-- they dump "sanitary sewage" into the bay. Apparently it's a rare occurrence, but man, does it have a lasting impact! I'm sure they have some well-thought-out and environmentally defensible reason for doing it, but talk about a hair in your soup... I felt pretty sick just sitting near the bay.
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| Aw man! I forgot my swimsuit! |
That said, it was neat looking out across the water and spotting the Capitol and Washington Monument poking out of the skyline. Reagan National Airport is right there, too, so there was a constant blur of aeronautical white noise as Southwest and Jet Blue airlines kept taking off and landing. At one point, I even saw what looked like the Helicopter Squadron. The only reason I know what it looks like is a sad one. After the Umpqua Community College shooting last fall, President Obama visited Roseburg, and en route he flew right over the Oregon Marching Band training field while we were there. Anyway, the helicopters made a second, less mournful appearance in my little sphere this week!
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| The Painted Ladies' grandnieces. |
School was getting out as I rode home. Bus after school bus filed out of the middle and high school parking lots I passed. I saw kids hanging out in the baseball field getting ready for practice. On the other side of the bike path men who had been in full business suits fifteen minutes earlier were now playing basketball at the community courts in their Adidas getups. And in the middle of all this athleticism, I was dying of the humidity on my little bike as I passed these huge new developments of homes built in the same style as Old Town Alexandria, just super-sized.
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| Who's ready for some local environmental scanning? #DelRay |
Yesterday I adventured through the neighborhoods right next to me on foot. After passing through some of the Salvadoran area, you get to a place called Del Ray. It's the kind of place where the business men where bow ties and you'll find a plethora of health food stores-- for people and pets. It reminded me of a cross between San Francisco and Portland what with all the bike-centric stuff and alternative yoga studios. Not a shabby place to live near. If anything, I can just got there to get my puppy fix. There are dogs all over Del Ray!
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| Classic Alexandria (but much bigger than my place). |
The surrounding neighborhoods are a mix of old-school, brick duplexes and refurbished white-washed wood panelling. All the homes, though, have grade A seating options. Man, it was Adirondack and rocking chair heaven! And, as one would expect anywhere new, the gardens were different than back in Salem or Eugene. One seemingly ubiquitous staple in Alexandria is the tiger lily. If the Adirondacks and puppies weren't testament enough to Alexandrian's good taste, then their flora definitely was!
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| Hello, comrades! |
After getting a lay of the land, I have a feeling this summer is going to be pretty great. I'm itching to start at Lidl, but it's nice getting a chance to see a bit before being tied down by the corporate world. I'm looking forward to all of it, but for now it's time to explore D.C.!
