Good Tuesday morning, Alexandria!
☀️ Today’s weather: Expect mainly sunny skies and a high of around 55 degrees, accompanied by a west wind at 10 to 13 mph and gusts up to 23 mph. As for Tuesday night, it will be partly cloudy with a low temperature close to 40 degrees, and a southwest wind at 7 mph.
🚨 You need to know
The Alexandria Times first reported that Alexandria Circuit Court judges recused themselves from presiding over a lawsuit about the city’s Zoning for Housing/Housing for All ordinance.
The lawsuit was filed in the Alexandria Circuit Court by a group called the Coalition for a Livable Alexandria. The lawsuit argues the city violated its charter and the Virginia Constitution by not showing the impact on the real estate market or city infrastructure. The lawsuit says the Zoning for Housing policy “fails to provide any insight, projections, or substance as to what the purchasing and rental market will look like after development.”
According to the lawsuit:
The Zoning Amendments make traditional single-family neighborhoods more accessible to developers, who are likely the ones that have benefited from those generational impacts.
If taken advantage of, the Zoning Amendments will undeniably allow for development that will achieve higher density through increased housing diversity in current low-density areas.
The Alexandria Times noted that the recusal mirrors an earlier recusal from Arlington Circuit Court judges in a similar case over that county’s Missing Middle zoning changes and that a new judge will likely be appointed soon by the Virginia Supreme Court.
📈 Monday’s most read
The following are the most-read ALXnow articles for Mar 18, 2024.
- Notes: New analysis says Potomac Yard financial estimates based on unprecedented pricing (3286 views)
- PHOTOS: Alexandria City High School’s Minnie Howard Campus nears ‘substantial completion’ (1233 views)
- The ballooning cost of fixing Alexandria’s City Hall (1080 views)
📅 Upcoming events
Here is what’s going on today in Alexandria, from our event calendar.
Good Monday morning, Alexandria!
☀️ Today’s weather: Expect mainly sunny skies with a high around 51 degrees and west winds blowing at 9 to 14 mph, gusting up to 23 mph. Tonight, mostly cloudy skies will gradually clear, as temperatures dip to around 34 degrees. The northwest winds will persist, blowing at 11 to 13 mph and gusting as high as 21 mph.
🚨 You need to know
A new analysis of the proposal to move the Washington Capitals and Wizards to Alexandria said that pitch came with some “aggressive assumptions” about unprecedented prices, the Washington Post reported last week.
The report by Maryland-based public financing consulting firm MuniCap Inc. has not been released to the public but was obtained by The Washington Post.
The report said the financing plan assumes unprecedented pricing: fans will pay $75 for parking and $731 per night at a new luxury hotel. The analysis said the financial projections also assume the new development will host 53 more events annually in Alexandria than was hosted at the D.C. arena.
The Washington Post reported that the analysts said while none of those assumptions are “inherently unreasonable” they can’t be characterized as “conservative.”
📈 Friday’s most read
The following are the most-read ALXnow articles for Mar 15, 2024.
- Windsor of Old Town closing this month after 43 years in Alexandria (1106 views)
- Notes: Conservative advocacy group targets ACPS tutoring site for ties to TikTok parent company (897 views)
- Milestone reached with 2.2-mile underground sewer tunnel completion in Old Town (556 views)
📅 Upcoming events
Here is what’s going on today in Alexandria, from our event calendar.
- No events today. Have one to promote? Submit it to the calendar.
Affordable housing has been top of mind for Alexandrians in recent weeks.
Along with fully funding Alexandria City Public Schools’ budget, affordable housing was one of the big discussion points at a budget meeting on Monday. Residents from Arlandria/Chirilagua and other neighborhoods spoke to the City Council about the human impacts of salaries not keeping pace with rising housing costs. Residents shared stories of being forced from their homes as gentrification creeps into the neighborhood.
This year marks the first time since 2010 that assessments on multi-family residential properties have declined, which city staff said could mean rent levels stabilizing, if not declining, thanks in part to widespread new apartment construction. While it’s bad news for the city’s budget, it could be good news for renters if that translates into rent prices remaining stable.
The most-read stories this week were:
- Affordable home ownership lottery for new Old Town development opens this week (9096 views)
- Sex offender held without bond after alleged sodomy/abduction in Old Town (3884 views)
- Notes: New Parisian-themed wine and beer garden opens in Del Ray (3879 views)
- No bond for suspect after allegedly breaking clerk’s nose at West End 7-Eleven (3392 views)
- Neighborhood poll reveals widespread opposition to Potomac Yard arena (3168 views)
- Alexandria City Council rejects controversial Del Ray ADU proposal (2923 views)
- Southern Living ranks Alexandria in Top 25 ‘Best Cities in the South’ (2324 views)
- Affordable housing and school funding are top priorities at crowded Alexandria budget meeting (1790 views)
- Alexandria City Council advertises maximum 4-cent ceiling for tax rate increase (1777 views)
Good Friday morning, Alexandria!
⛈️ Today’s weather: Expect showers with a potential thunderstorm after 2pm, a high near 74, and southwest wind at 7-10 mph. Precipitation chance is 80%, with rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, potentially higher in storms. Friday night will mostly have showers before 8pm, a low of 48, north wind at 9-11 mph, and an 80% chance of precipitation with less than a tenth-inch of new rainfall.
🚨 You need to know
Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) is one of three localities in the region using an online tutoring service whose parent company is currently in the U.S. government’s crosshairs, WJLA reported.
It’s a somewhat tenuous connection, but one that’s riled up conservative non-profit Parents Defending Education. The organization also opposes things like critical race theory — the study of how racism is institutionalized in the United States.
Tutor.com is owned by Primavera Capital Group, the same Chinese investment firm that owns TikTok parent company ByteDance. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) recently set his sights on Tutor.com for that connection.
Cotton wrote:
This business relationship is ill-advised, reckless, and a danger to U.S. national security, and the Department should immediately end that relationship… While providing educational services, Tutor.com collects personal data on users, such as location, internet protocol addresses, and contents of the tutoring sessions. As Chinese national security laws require companies to release confidential business and customer data to the Chinese government, we are paying to expose our military and their children’s private information to the Chinese Communist Party.
Tutor.com offers students in those schools districts free access to online tutoring services available 24/7. In ACPS, the services is limited to students in 6th-12th grades. Parents Defending Education included ACPS as one of six school districts in Virginia using Tutor.com.
📈 Thursday’s most read
The following are the most-read ALXnow articles for Mar 14, 2024.
- Alexandria City Council rejects controversial Del Ray house and ADU proposal (852 views)
- Alexandria police still investigating Carlyle shooting that injured two men last month (851 views)
- Error at Arlington Water Pollution Control Plant causes Four Mile Run fish kill (531 views)
📅 Upcoming events
Here is what’s going on today and this weekend in Alexandria, from our event calendar.
- 3:30 pm Friday: Alexandria Teen Science Cafe
- 👉 9:00 am Saturday: Del Ray Vintage & Flea Market
- 10:00 am Saturday: Discovering Alexandria Architecture Walking Tour
- 4:00 pm Saturday: Spring Market Sale & Open House at Evolution Home
- 6:00 pm Saturday: Family Roller Skate and Dance Night
Here in Alexandria, real estate is a spectator sport. Let’s take a look at some of the most and least expensive condos sold last month (February 2024).
Most expensive condos sold
- 1201 N Royal St Unit 404 — Old Town — $1,910,000 (3 beds | 2.5 baths | 1,825 sq. ft.)
- 1201 N Royal St Unit 607 — Old Town — $1,840,000 (2 beds | 2.5 baths | 1,730 sq. ft.)
- 925 N Fairfax St Unit 701 — Old Town — $1,785,000 (3 beds | 2.5 baths | 1,760 sq. ft.)
- 925 N Fairfax St Unit 501 — Old Town — $1,500,000 (3 beds | 2.5 baths | 1,761 sq. ft.)
- 600 Second St Unit 202 — Old Town — $1,285,000 (2 beds | 2 baths | 1,768 sq. ft.)
Least expensive condos sold*
- 501 N Armistead St Unit T3 — Lincolnia Hills — $200,000 (1 beds | 1 baths | 818 sq. ft.)
- 4600 Duke St Unit 814 — Seminary Hill — $200,000 (1 beds | 1 baths | 618 sq. ft.)
- 8 S Van Dorn St Unit 502 — Landmark — $205,000 (1 beds | 1 baths | 750 sq. ft.)
*Minimum home value of $200,000 set to exclude certain land sales, retirement condos, properties with expiring ground leases, etc.
The countdown to spring has begun! And what better way to welcome warmer weather than with a new addition to the family?
The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria currently has a number of adorable dwarf hamsters up for adoption.
“These itty-bitty cute critters are approximately 2 months old,” said AWLA spokesperson Erin Shackelford.
These dwarf hamsters are low-maintenance and balls of fluffy cuteness that make the best companions!
Don’t believe me? The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria had a bit more to say:
Hamsters are typically quiet, clean, inquisitive, trainable and entertaining.
Since they are nocturnal, they are most active at dusk and overnight. They love to dig, burrow and make tunnels in their bedding, which is where you’ll find them throughout the day.
They need solid enclosures with plenty of soft bedding, a hidey hut, an exercise wheel and of course food and water. They also enjoy enrichment time out of their cage, interacting with people.
Hamsters have an average lifespan of 2-3 years.
Ready to adopt? View all the available hamsters and read their profiles to learn more!
Good Thursday morning, Alexandria!
☀️ Today’s weather: Expect mostly sunny skies with a high of around 77 degrees and calm winds, eventually turning southwest at around 6 mph in the afternoon. Thursday night will be partly cloudy, with a low of about 58 degrees and a south wind of 6 to 10 mph.
🚨 You need to know
A public art piece in Waterfront Park celebrating an asteroid collision 35 million years ago is set to be unveiled next week, Alexandria Living Magazine reported.
The art piece is called Interstellar Influencer (Make an Impact) and features an aluminum sculpture of an asteroid that helped shape the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Alexandria Living Magazine reported that the piece will be unveiled later this month with an opening celebration on March 23. The asteroid will sit at the foot of King Street until it’s replaced in November.
“We want this representation of the asteroid and its impact to raise awareness of the fragility of our shared existence on this planet and the extraordinary (and sometime extraterrestrial) foundation of our modern cities and waterways,” said Lesley Chang from STUDIOKCA, the design studio behind the project, on the city’s website.
📈 Wednesday’s most read
The following are the most-read ALXnow articles for Mar 13, 2024.
- Notes: New Parisian-themed wine and beer garden opens in Del Ray (1101 views)
- Alexandria City Council advertises maximum 4-cent ceiling for tax rate increase (706 views)
📅 Upcoming events
Here is what’s going on today in Alexandria, from our event calendar.
Good Wednesday morning, Alexandria!
🌤️ Today’s weather: Expect partly sunny conditions, with temperatures reaching a high of about 75 degrees and gentle west winds at 5 to 7 mph. As we transition into Wednesday night, the sky should be mostly clear with cooler temperatures, dropping to a low of around 49 degrees. The southwest wind at 5 mph will become light and variable during the evening.
🚨 You need to know
Gustave Le Jardin, a new Parisian-themed beer garden, opened this weekend at Gustave Boulangerie and Brasserie (2213 Mount Vernon Avenue) in Del Ray.
The Del Ray Business Association, Del Ray Citizens Association President Katie Waynick and members of Alexandria’s City Council were present for a ribbon-cutting on Saturday.
The new Gustave Le Jardin offers a selection of beers and wines, from local offerings like Port City and Lost Boy to a selection of French wines.
Photo via Visit Del Ray/Facebook
📈 Tuesday’s most read
The following are the most-read ALXnow articles for Mar 12, 2024.
- Sex offender held without bond after alleged sodomy/abduction in Old Town (1386 views)
- No bond for suspect after allegedly breaking clerk’s nose at West End 7-Eleven (1248 views)
📅 Upcoming events
Here is what’s going on today in Alexandria, from our event calendar.
- No events today. Have one to promote? Submit it to the calendar.
Good Tuesday morning, Alexandria!
☀️ Today’s weather: Expect sunshine and a high temperature around 69 degrees, accompanied by a west wind ranging from 7 to 14 mph, and gusts reaching up to 25 mph. The night will be partly cloudy with the temperature dropping to approximately 45 degrees, while the west wind decreases to around 6 mph.
🚨 You need to know
Those needing to visit Alexandria’s Clerk of Court no longer need to make a trip into Old Town to do so.
Zebra reported that a new Clerk of Court office will open today in the Redella “Del” S. Pepper Community Resource (4850 Mark Center Drive), the West End’s unofficial City Hall.
The West End Clerk of Court office cannot make court case filings but can handle notary qualifications, concealed handgun permit applications, certified copies of court records, land records research, payment of court fines, marriage licenses and more.
📈 Monday’s most read
The following are the most-read ALXnow articles for Mar 11, 2024.
- Affordable home ownership lottery for new Old Town development opens this week (1970 views)
- Neighborhood poll reveals widespread opposition to Potomac Yard arena (1042 views)
- Southern Living ranks Alexandria in Top 25 ‘Best Cities in the South’ (707 views)
📅 Upcoming events
Here is what’s going on today in Alexandria, from our event calendar.
Address: 3107 Russell Road
Neighborhood: Mount Ida
Type: 6 BR, 5 BA single-family detached
Listed: $2,650,000
Noteworthy: Built in 2008 and recently renovated throughout
Stately, Timeless Elegance — custom living at its finest! Located in close proximity to SSSAS Lower School and ACDS while D.C. and Old Town Alexandria are easy commutes. Built in 2008 this home has been recently updated throughout.
This gracious center hall/antique brick Colonial features 6,000+ SF of living space on four floors. There is flex space with 5-7 bedrooms and an in-law/nanny suite on the lower level with private entrance. The main level features a primary suite — one of three and this one with deck access. The above grade lower level has a covered outdoor patio, gym or screening room, wine cellar, a behemoth bar with full kitchen application, gas fireplace, private nooks, a second bedroom, bathroom suite, and second laundry. The quiet parlor/library and grand dining room greet you on either side of entry; next ahead is the heartbeat of the home with its gathering great room, gas fireplace, and coffered ceilings. The kitchen’s premier appliances, butler’s and storage pantries and oversized island are eloquent.
Upstairs are 3-4 spacious bedrooms. The third primary bedroom is oversized with a sitting area, gas fireplace, and brand new opulent, spa-like bath with soaking tub, separate steam shower, double sinks and option to have one or two walk-in closets and laundry. A third bedroom has an en-suite bathroom and two others could potentially share a bath. From this level is full staircase access to the top-level flex space. The private outdoor deck compliments the great entertaining floor plan throughout.
Listed by:
Janet Caterson Price — McEnearney Associates
[email protected]
(703) 622-5984