Good morning, Alexandria! Today is Thursday, July 17, the 198th day of 2025. There are 167 days left in the year.
🏠 On this day in 1946, the city established the Old and Historic Alexandria District, becoming only the third historic district in the United States after New Orleans’ Vieux Carre and following Charleston’s pioneering model. This groundbreaking ordinance extended zoning powers beyond traditional land use to regulate the aesthetic appearance of buildings—a concept that would remain legally unchallenged for over three decades until the Supreme Court’s 1978 Penn Central decision involving Grand Central Station.
⛈️ Today’s weather
- Hazardous Weather Outlook
- Heat Advisory in effect from July 17, 11 AM until July 17, 8 PM
- Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 96 degrees. Heat index values as high as 107. Southwest wind 8 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.
- Tonight: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 7 p.m. Partly cloudy, with a low around 77 degrees. Southwest wind around six mph, becoming northwest after midnight. The chance of precipitation is 30%.
- Tomorrow: A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m. Increasing clouds, with a high near 89. Northwest wind around six mph. The chance of precipitation is 30%.
🚨 You need to know
A historic Alexandria townhouse has captured national attention after being featured on the wildly popular Instagram account Zillow Gone Wild, where it was playfully dubbed “Versailles at home.” The $4 million property at 810 Prince Street, known as “The Prince,” has garnered thousands of likes and comments from the account’s 2.2 million followers, who are fascinated by its blend of 18th-century history and modern luxury.
The six-bedroom, five-bathroom residence spans 3,183 square feet across four finished floors, plus a rooftop deck offering 360-degree city views. Built in 1830, the townhouse has undergone an extensive renovation that preserved original historic elements while incorporating cutting-edge smart home technology and imported European finishes. The property’s most striking feature is its reimagined original staircase, now transformed into a contemporary art piece encased in glass with custom lighting, alongside a restored 19th-century dumbwaiter that has been mechanized into what the listing describes as a “museum-level sculptural feature.”
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The home’s opulent amenities include eight fireplaces, imported marble flooring with gold inlays, a gourmet kitchen featuring a La Cornue range, and what’s believed to be the first-ever 360-degree rooftop deck with putting green approved for a historic residence in Old Town Alexandria. The property also boasts rare off-street parking, elegant outdoor entertaining areas with six fountains, and a serene garden courtyard complete with a star-lit archway.
Currently listed by Andrea Courduvelis and Nihal Horne of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty, the property represents what the listing calls “a once-in-a-generation opportunity” to own one of Old Town’s most iconic residences.
What else you should know
🗓️ On this day in 2020, civil rights icon John Lewis, whose bloody beating by Alabama state troopers in 1965 helped galvanize opposition to racial segregation, and who went on to a long and celebrated career in Congress, died at age 80.
👉 Alexandria residents will commemorate the fifth anniversary of Congressman Lewis’s death this evening with a rally designed to carry forward his legacy of nonviolent action and defend democracy. The “Good Trouble Lives On” rally, scheduled from 6:30 to 8 p.m., will take place at Judy Guse-Noritake Park at the corner of Pendleton Street and Henry Street.
🛹 The Alexandria Park and Recreation Commission will hold a public hearing this evening to discuss proposed changes to the Schuyler Hamilton Jones Skateboard Park as part of an amendment to the Neighborhood Park Improvement Plan.
🌡️ It’s going to be very hot in and around Alexandria today. How hot? The National Weather Service has issued a Heat Advisory from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and expects heat index values around 105 degrees.
📈 Wednesday’s most read
The following are the most-read ALXnow articles for July 16, 2025.
- Poll: What’s the best barbecue restaurant in Alexandria?
- End of an Era: Taylor Swift-themed pop-up bar closing in Del Ray
- Alexandria seeks public input on new affordable housing goals for 2040
- ‘HomeGrown: A Daytime Eatery’ opens August 11 in Old Town
- Spanberger widens lead as Virginia voters prioritize cost of living, personal freedoms
📅 Upcoming events
Here’s what’s happening today in Alexandria.
Things To Do
- 1 p.m.: Animal Encounters: Amazing Adaptations with Bar C Ranch at William Ramsay Recreation Center
- 2 p.m.: Summer Film Series – Nonnas at Ellen Coolidge Burke Branch Library
- 3 p.m.: Blood Drive with Inova at Lost Boy Cider
- 5:30 p.m.: Alexandria Oddball Cinema – The Death of Stalin at Charles E. Beatley Jr. Central Library
- 6 p.m.: 4th Annual Student Art Exhibit at Nepenthe Gallery
- 6:30 p.m.: Good Trouble Live On rally at Judy Guse-Noritake Park
- 219 Restaurant: Mike Kelley & Friends at 9 p.m.
- Alexandria Bier Garden: Open Mic Comedy at 7 p.m., Trivia at 7:30 p.m.
- Aslin ALX: Trivia at 7 p.m.
- Augie’s Mussel House: Live music at 5 p.m.
- Hops N Shine: Trivia at 6:30 p.m.
- Laporta’s Restaurant: Ken Kilpatrick Trio at 6 p.m.
- Lost Boy Cider: Trivia at 7 p.m.
- Murphy’s Pub: Pat Carroll at 8:30 p.m.
- O’Shaughnessy’s Pub: Throwdown Syndicate at 9 p.m.
- Port City Brewing Company: General Knowledge Trivia at 7 p.m.
- Rock It Grill: Karaoke at 9:30 p.m.
- The Birchmere: Omar with Tabi Bonney at 7:30 p.m.
- The Study at Morrison House: Live Piano Music at 6 p.m.
City of Alexandria Events & Public Meetings
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- 2 p.m.: Ad Hoc Governance Workshop Subcommittee
- 5:30 p.m.: Public Health Advisory Commission
- 7 p.m.: Park & Recreation Commission
- 7:30 p.m.: Carlyle Design Review Board Meeting
Organizing an event? Submit your event to ALXnow’s Event Calendar.
