Alexandria, Va. named best downtown in America

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Alexandria, Virginia is receiving a big honor as it has been named the best downtown of any small town to mid-sized city in the country.

The city topped the 2016 list by Livability.com. It is the fourth time Alexandria has made the website's Top 10 Best Downtowns list.

The selection of the city is all centered around historic Old Town Alexandria.

According to the website:

"By any measurement, downtown Alexandria, Va. is loaded. Loaded with restaurants. Loaded with cultural venues and entertainment options. Loaded with historical architecture, picture perfect views and people. Old Town, the historic heart of downtown Alexandria, swells with tourists, shoppers and art-lovers by day, while filling up with beer- and music-lovers who shuffle down brick-lined streets towards bars and pubs in the evening hours. Restaurants in Alexandria are themselves worth flying across the country to try and draw thousands of food connoisseurs from the Washington D.C. area. Residents here take full advantage of their city's thriving food scene, eating out nearly twice as much as the average American. It all adds up to put Alexandria at the top of our Top 10 Best Downtowns 2016."

Liveability.com analyzed data on more than 2,000 small to mid-size cities looking at several factors such as low vacancy rates, new development, culture, nightlife, growth in population and incomes, affordability and diversity.

Alexandria beat out Santa Monica, California for the top spot.

Click here to view the full Top 10 Best Downtowns list.