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    The Spite House

    4.5 (21 reviews)

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    Nicole E.

    It's small for sure. It's truly a narrow house. An early version of the tiny home? It's still wider than my arm length. I can't imagine living here, as I am a fan of spacious rooms and spaces in general. This house was probably narrow even when it was built, I would think considering the majority of the houses around it are also historical and old as well.

    The Spite House
    Jacques I.

    The Spite House is the narrowest house in the U.S.! Located in charming and historic Old Town Alexandria, it's an interesting house to check out if in the area. While walking around Old Town, we visited the Spite House, which is a private residence, so be mindful. I'm sure the residents are aware that people visit their home to take pictures, so can't imagine them ever opening up their blinds or curtains. But just know that it's pretty much a place to look at and get a picture of. Be quick about it too. When we visited there were others taking pictures. And because it's located where street parking is permitted, there most likely will be a car parked right out front of the house. This house was built in 1830, and is only seven feet wide. At the time, the owner was living in the adjacent houses, but was annoyed by all the loiters in the alleyway; thus, he built this house in spite of that. Genius, if you ask me. It definitely adds to the charm of Alexandria, and would recommend walking by for those visiting the area.

    Vic C.

    The Spite House is a few blocks away from King Street, an easy walk to see the narrowest house in America. The Spite House was built in 1830 and is only 7 feet wide. It is blue, between a white and red house (very patriotic isn't it?), an easy find off of Queen Street. The house is 2 stories high and only 325 square feet. The owner had originally decided to build this "house" to keep horse-drawn wagons and loiterers out of his alley (the wheels of the wagons left gouging marks along the walls that the owner just had enough of it). The owner owned both of the adjacent homes at the time. According to numerous articles on line, there are still people that own and live in this small home today. So do keep that in mind when visiting this house. Please do not be intrusive. Just take your photos and be on your way. My husband, our little girl dog and I visited this house about 2 weeks ago while visiting Alexandria. We arrived on a Thursday, around 8:15 pm. Still a good amount of light out. There was only 2 other people standing outside taking photos. Once they left, we crossed the street and got a few photos. Very cool looking house, the blue color is bold and looks very nice with the other 2 homes on either side. On a nice quiet little street. If you are in this part of Virginia, be sure to take a stop. But I don't think it is worth a special visit if you are not in this area.

    Brenda K.

    Mildly interesting oddity that's made more IG friendly by the colors of the surrounding buildings. Definitely a nice photo op, but there isn't much to it. It's privately owned and currently has a tenant, so it's not like you can go in to explore. And it's a bit awkward to take pictures, knowing someone actually lives there. Poor tenant has to constantly keep their blinds shut for privacy. For the ones who don't care and need the shot, expect awkward angles. It's a small but active street with a parking sign right in front of the house. Since there's barely any driveways, there's cars parked in front as well. You have to get lucky to safely set up a beautiful shot.

    Courtney W.

    Narrowest house in America! Very cool to see, and easy to find (just type the name into your Google Maps).

    Mary Kate E.

    It's a house that was built out of spite in 1830 by a gentleman named John Hollensbury who was sick and tired of loiters and horse carriages using his alley for their convenience. He lived right next to the alley in one of the houses. He felt the loitering was a nuisance, so he took care of business by constructing the small 7 feet wide, 25 feet deep 325 square feet in two stories home to prevent from it being used anymore. That pretty much sums up what it is. As far as it goes now -- it's an Old Town oddity that is privately owned and is frequently shown on Old Town tours (the outside of it... not inside) and has been published about in the New York Times among many other publications. It's unique, and definitely worth taking a glance at from the outside when you're in the Old Town area.

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    3 years ago

    Amazing experience at the Spite House! We had such a great time and the staff was awesome.

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    16 years ago

    The narrowest house in Old Town, maybe America! It's only 7 feet wide. A Must-See when visiting Old Town Alexandria.

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    Ask the Community - The Spite House

    Does anyone live there or is it historic? Was the original owner the house to the left or the right?

    The house is historic and appears vacant.

    What's the history of this house?

    It's a house that was built out of spite in 1830 by a gentleman named John Hollensbury who was sick and tired of loiters and horse carriages using his alley for their convenience. He lived right next to the alley in one of the houses. He felt the… Read more

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    Review Highlights - The Spite House

    Some dude built this house to fill the alley and chase away all the loud vagrants constantly hanging in this narrowway.

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    Thompson Italian

    Thompson Italian

    4.2(146 reviews)
    0.4 miOld Town Alexandria

    When there is hype around a restaurant you wonder if the buzz is real. We were able to get a…read morereservation and the hype is authentic. The pasta is outstanding and the service is better than expected. We really enjoyed the Caesar salad which had a crunchy dusting of croton particles. One of the best Caesar salads in the area. We finished the meal off with a slice of their famous olive oil cake. Very unique with slight salty taste accompanied by sweet raisins at the base of the slice. Looking forward to our next visit. Great restaurant and worth the hype.

    It's a cute spot in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. I came here on a Wednesday evening to celebrate…read moremy brother's birthday, and the place was definitely busy--the bar was full and most of the tables were occupied. They offer a solid menu with weekday specials and discounts, which is a plus. We started with appetizers: the Caesar salad was good, but the meatballs were a miss. They came in a white sauce instead of the traditional red, were very small, and lacked flavor. For my entrée, I ordered the rigatoni. It looked great and arrived hot, but the flavor just wasn't there. The pasta was slightly chewy and not quite al dente. I added cracked pepper and ate some, but ended up taking most of it home hoping it might improve with a little extra seasoning the next day. My brother had the chicken parmigiana, and my sister ordered the branzino--both said their meals were just okay. None of us were particularly impressed. That said, the restaurant has strong reviews, so this may have just been an off night. One last note: please turn up the lights. The dim, moody lighting might be trendy, but at 7 PM on a weekday--especially with a crowd that's largely over 40--it just felt too dark. When guests are using their phone flashlights to read the menu, it's a bit much. Overall, a decent experience, but not one that wowed us.

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    Thompson Italian
    Thompson Italian - Coffee Gelato

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    Prosecco

    Alexandria Holiday Market

    Alexandria Holiday Market

    4.5(2 reviews)
    0.9 mi

    My friends and I stopped by Saturday afternoon around 2, and gladly partook in the offering of…read moregluhwein. For $8, you get to keep the mug, too! We were also joking on our way there that we wished the market would have heating lamps, but they actually had two or three! Quite fancy. Additionally, there were selections of jewelry, knitted things, chocolates, and carved things when we went. I picked up several ornaments for my friends as gifts. I checked the website before going, and expected food options ("European food," it said) but was sad to find out that there were no such vendors. Maybe the food vendors only set up camp during the evenings, in which case I would have scheduled our visit to be later. I definitely missed currywursts, pretzels, and other munchies for the complete European market-vibe! But still, a cute market you should definitely check out if you are in the area.

    While the market is tiny I am glad Alexandria does this. We stopped by on a Sunday afternoon and…read morewere thrilled to find they had a Gluhwein tent! We filled up a mug of hot Gluhwein and explored the market . For as small as it is there were a surprising number of vendors with good variety of local crafts like Christmas ornaments, artwork, ceramics, clothing, etc. The market is perhaps and oasis amidst the myriad commercial stuff on King St. I also enjoyed the live music, which was just a guys playing acoustic guitar, but he was quite entertaining.

    The Spite House - localflavor - Updated May 2026

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