For a taste of diversity and eclectic living, few places do it better than Del Ray, celebrating its 100th anniversary this Saturday.

In the past decade, it has become one of the most sought after neighborhoods in the area, surfacing on many local and national lists of “the best” or “hottest” places to live. Two years ago, it was featured on the daytime television show, “The View” as one of the hottest markets for new home buyers.

John and Cathie Hopkins have been Del Ray residents since 1973, and they feel that Del Ray “still retains many of the things that we found attractive when we moved here 32 years ago…It’s close to D.C. and it’s a community that is mixed economically, racially, and socially. The diversity that we first saw then is still here today, as seen in the racial makeup and ethnicity of our neighbors and the mixture of architectural styles.”

These are the qualities of a blue-ribbon, alluring community.

A decade ago, the average sales price in Del Ray was $202,693. These days, the average sales price in Del Ray is around $650,000. It is not uncommon to find a four-bedroom home for sale in Del Ray for listing prices north of $850,000.

Many Del Ray neighbors credit the influential role of the Del Ray Citizens Association (DRCA) as a voice in designing its own community and its own future. Over the years, the DRCA has had several talented and dedicated volunteer civic leaders who have assisted in the development of a city master plan for this area. They have advocated for continuing enhancements such as a vibrant business district on Mount Vernon Avenue, cleaner parks, police substations, more frequent police patrols and better neighborhood schools. The improvements are the result of the good working relationship that Del Ray has created with city officials.

Judy Lowe, a 48-year resident of the community, created the phrase “The little neighborhood that could” 10 years ago when Del Ray was on the rise after a downhill slump. At that time, crime had been a concern in the neighborhood. Now, Alexandria police are reporting a 20-percent drop in serious crime since 1995, which has played a big part in Del Ray’s revitalization.

“When we first moved to the neighborhood, we were the youngest parents on the block,” Lowe said. “Now we are the oldest on the block. That is a pretty significant change.  When I first came here, we had a regular shopping area on Mount Vernon Avenue as well as a nice shopping center in Arlandria. The school system was good, but we had no library, no recreation center, and no need for any parking lots or timed parking. Through the 1970s, the area worsened for police calls and merchants moved away as well as some residents.  Now it is revitalized again. Friends and neighbors who stayed are pretty much retired now and enjoying the popularity that Del Ray is experiencing.”

Local historian and Del Ray resident Lee Ness said the evolution of Del Ray occurred in 1895 when early development plans simply laid out streets and lots. Unlike modern developments, they did not include houses. Buyers had to build their own houses. Lot sales, which were made by the developers, were slow at that time. It was not uncommon for lots to sit vacant for many years. This explains the wide variety of architectural styles found in Del Ray, something you do not find in  later developments.

When the neighborhood was established as the town of Potomac in 1908, it was designed for laborers who could walk to work at the Potomac Rail Yards, once a big railroad switching facility. Its incorporation into the City of Alexandria happened in 1930 when it became known as an early commuter suburb of Washington, D.C.

The area was home for many workers at the massive Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac rail yard on the eastern boundary. In addition to the RF&P, Del Ray was crossed by two smaller railways: the Washington, Alexandria & Mt. Vernon, a streetcar line that ran north-south along Commonwealth Avenue, and the Washington & Old Dominion, which carried freight and passengers between Alexandria and the foothills of the Blue Ridge.

The Washington, Alexandria & Mt. Vernon ceased operations in 1930 and vanished with hardly a trace, but the W&OD had a lasting impact on Del Ray’s geography. Begun in 1847, as the Alexandria and Harper’s Ferry Railroad, the company first laid its tracks through what is now Del Ray. Its route shaped the street grid, and it is still clearly visible for most of its length through the neighborhood.

A few blocks northwest at Commonwealth and Mount Vernon Avenues, the St. Elmo station served as a transfer point for the Washington, Alexandria & Mt. Vernon streetcar line. The tracks traversed Commonwealth and the trolley line on a bridge, but crossed Mount Vernon at grade level.

Passenger service on the W&OD ended in 1941 because of severely declining revenues, but it resumed two years later under orders of the Office of Defense Transportation as a war emergency measure, continuing until May 31, 1951. The community boomed during World War II due to the need for housing for the nearby Pentagon. But after many years of marginal operation, the railroad was abandoned entirely in August, 1968.

What keeps long-time residents like Judy Lowe in Del Ray? “Good friends and the feeling of community are what keep me here. We have a thriving business district and good schools. The Del Ray Citizens Association has been strong and continues to do good things. We have wonderful community-oriented events such as the Farmers Market, Art on the Avenue, The Halloween Parade, the Turkey Trot, and the Christmas Tree-lighting. It’s the wonderful expression of community that people are drawn to.”

John and Cathie Hopkins added, “No one can ever say that Del Ray is boring. In fact, it’s always changing. We believe that new home buyers want to live in a community that is alive with new ideas, change, and the promise of something new and different for the future.”

With reporting by Tina Games-Evans.