J. D. Vance buys house in Alexandria and right away gets yarn-bombed [View all]

[mahatmakanejeeves]

The building in the picture is nowhere near where he lives.

It seems that JD Vance has purchased a home in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria and it's already been yarn bombed. 🧶

washingtonian.com
Looks Like JD Vance Bought a House in Left-Leaning Del Ray. It’s Already Been Yarn-Bombed. -...
It supposedly cost over $1.6 million.

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REAL ESTATE

Looks Like JD Vance Bought a House in Left-Leaning Del Ray. It’s Already Been Yarn-Bombed.

It supposedly cost over $1.6 million.

WRITTEN BY MIMI MONTGOMERY | PUBLISHED ON MARCH 23, 2023

It seems that JD Vance has purchased a home in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria. ... Yesterday, Politico’s Daniel Lippman reported that the Ohio Republican senator had snagged a house in an Alexandria “liberal enclave.” Jen Walker, a real estate agent who works in Del Ray and is well-versed in the area’s deals, says the senator recently bought a standalone home in the neighborhood. The house in question was purchased for over $1.6 million by an LLC. ... When contacted, the listing agent associated with that property wouldn’t comment on whether Vance purchased it; however, they did say the offer was all-cash. The buyer’s agent didn’t respond to request for comment.

You might remember that Washingtonian predicted the senator and Hillbilly Elegy author, who is a staunch Trump supporter, would move to McLean as a sort of safe haven (55 percent of McLean’s precinct voted for Trump in the 2020 election).

Looks like we could be wrong. But why would Vance choose Del Ray? Of course, it’s a highly sought-after neighborhood close to DC with a charming strip of shops and restaurants and a close-knit, family-friendly feel. But it’s also overwhelmingly left-leaning—stroll around and you’re likely to see more rainbow flags and “In this house, we believe…” signs than mailboxes.

{snip}

And, as you might anticipate from such a liberal neighborhood, it doesn’t seem Del Ray’s residents are exactly rolling out the red carpet for Vance. In fact, a local artist and longtime neighborhood resident, who wanted to remain anonymous to avoid online retaliation, recently “yarn-bombed” the area outside the house supposedly belonging to Vance. ... Along with their knitting community, the artist created and strung trans and bi Pride flags, a strip of rainbow crochet, and a sign reading “Respect Our Rights” around a utility pole, sign post, and tree outside the home.



Photo courtesy of the artist.



Photo courtesy of the artist.

{snip}

It’s not unusual to see acts of protest outside of right-leaning politicians’ homes in the DC area, where the majority of residents veer left, especially in today’s highly politicized climate. See: people gathering outside of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s Chevy Chase home, Republican Senator Josh Hawley’s Virginia home, and former Vice President Mike Pence’s rental. ... Will that happen in Del Ray? Maybe, says the artist—they’ve heard rumblings about residents wanting to host a Pride parade outside Vance’s supposed home.

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Mimi Montgomery
HOME & FEATURES EDITOR
Mimi Montgomery joined Washingtonian in 2018. She’s written for The Washington Post, Garden & Gun, Outside Magazine, Washington City Paper, DCist, and PoPVille. Originally from North Carolina, she now lives in Del Ray.