Alexandria's Politics: Red, Blue, Purple? (Arlington, Fairfax: city hall, house, buy)

[stormy skies]

So I am moving to Alexandria (old town) for work on 9/1. I can't quite put my finger on it. Is it left? Is it right? Old Town is certainly the preppiest place I've ever seen. It's like a walking Lands End catalog. Who knew that was still in style?!

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by stormy skies

So I am moving to Alexandria (old town) for work on 9/1. I can't quite put my finger on it. Is it left? Is it right? Old Town is certainly the preppiest place I've ever seen. It's like a walking Lands End catalog. Who knew that was still in style?!

City of Alexandria leans strongly Dem, and they tend to be somewhat more "progressive" and less "centrist" than Dems in say, Fairfax. OTOH most are still run of the mill dems - its not Berkely or even Manhattan. And Im pretty sure you can find Republicans, Libertarians etc. I am not sure how Old Town compares with the rest of the City in its voting patterns.

I haven't noticed Old Town looking that preppie, but I am typically there at times when there are lots of suburbanites and tourists around, at least lately.

[ACWhite]

I think the whole point of that "preppy style" is that the people choosing it don't like wasting resources on fashion trends. They'd rather buy something of high quality and keep it rather than throw stuff out and go shopping every season. It's a choice to spend their time and $ on other stuff (or save it), rather than a belief that they are being stylish.

I agree with brooklynborndad about majority tend toward the "progressive" side (as documented in recent voting patterns) though there are people of all political views in Alex., and in Arlington, for that matter. And he's right that Old Town is full of visitors so it is hard to say whether you are observing visitors or residents.

[slim04]

Originally Posted by ACWhite

I think the whole point of that "preppy style" is that the people choosing it don't like wasting resources on fashion trends. They'd rather buy something of high quality and keep it rather than throw stuff out and go shopping every season. It's a choice to spend their time and $ on other stuff (or save it), rather than a belief that they are being stylish.

I agree with brooklynborndad about majority tend toward the "progressive" side (as documented in recent voting patterns) though there are people of all political views in Alex., and in Arlington, for that matter. And he's right that Old Town is full of visitors so it is hard to say whether you are observing visitors or residents.

I think the easier explanation for the preppiness of Old Town is simply the large number of associations, think tanks, and nonprofits that have offices there. Most of these places have a business casual dress code, hence the popularity of the Land's End catalog.

As for City politics, it is extremely liberal. The people that actually vote for local elections (they aren't on the same cycle for federal elections) are super liberal. The city council is all Democrats except for 1 independent, who is a black female that is moderate. The candidates for an open House Delegate seat are campaigning that they are more liberal than the each other. The local Republican Party holds their meetings in a local bar and are basically a joke.

In federal elections more people vote, so the area overall isn't quite Berkeley. A fair amount of a government workers, military personnel and veterans are more moderate.

[car54]

I would just like to add that it is very easy to live and/or work in Old Town all the while completely ignoring the political views of ill-dressed strangers and passers-by.

Blue, red or purple is not contagious.

[FindingZen]

Alexandria is neck-and-neck with Arlington County as the "bluest" area in Northern Virginia. That said, there are still conservatives here and some have made inroads with City Council. Although Old Town residents may seem on the "preppy" side of upscale, many do have progressive concerns such as the waterfront redevelopment and the effect that gentrification has had on the more affordable housing in the city.

(Sorry if I repeated any previous points; I moved this post from another similar thread.)

[DeafChick]

Lands End? Try AARP the Magazine.

Old Town is Blue. Welcome and good luck finding a parking space.

[kevbros]

Welcome to Old Town. Alexandria may be blue, but Old Town is the purplest part of the City. In 2008 some polling places in the City went Obama 80%. The City Hall polling place was 55% Obama. McCain did better in the heart of Old Town than anywhere else. I can confirm this anecdotally. We have some very politically active neighbors here, including lobbyists and politicians themselves. We have one neighbor who is a super politically active Democrat who is married to a GOP lobbyist. Maybe that's not unusual; Mary Matalin and James Carville used to live here, too.

As for preppy...well we have our share of UVA grads around here, but I suspect you might be seeing tourists and others here on the town.

[stormy skies]

Thanks, all. I'm coming from Brooklyn where the preppy look is non-existent (and where it would be synonymous with right of center...or just plain tasteless.) I suppose it's all relative. Fashion aside, I'm encouraged by the reports of blueness, or purpleness, although the dogmatic diatribe I overheard in Misha's coffehouse the other day over the right to bear arms--M16s seemed to be the gentleman's favorite--had me thinking otherwise.

[cdmurphy]

Originally Posted by stormy skies

Thanks, all. I'm coming from Brooklyn where the preppy look is non-existent (and where it would be synonymous with right of center...or just plain tasteless.) I suppose it's all relative. Fashion aside, I'm encouraged by the reports of blueness, or purpleness, although the dogmatic diatribe I overheard in Misha's coffehouse the other day over the right to bear arms--M16s seemed to be the gentleman's favorite--had me thinking otherwise.

Just wait until you see a person (or group of people) open carrying at a bar. Or a restaurant. Or even Babies R Us. Virginia can be shocking, even in the "bluest" of jurisdictions.