News

The Freedom House Museum reopened last Thursday following over a year of exterior renovations to restore the building’s pre-Civil War facade.

Alexandria leaders cut the ribbon on the renovations during a ceremony Saturday afternoon, where Mayor Alyia Gaskins said the museum — formerly a site where slave traders trafficked tens of thousands of enslaved peoples — serves as a declaration that the city will not forget its history.


News

The Alexandria Police Department is investigating an armed robbery that took place at a convenience store this morning (Monday) in the West End.

APD responded to a store at the 1600 block of N. Quaker Lane just after 5 a.m., after a clerk reported that two men in ski masks and black clothing entered the store, pointed handguns at the clerk and “took the cash register,” according to dispatch reports.


Around Town

There’s a rush of business at Bar 86 in Old Town after midnight, after most of Old Town’s nightlife has died down.

Business is in full-swing at Alexandria’s newest speakeasy. By day, the venue is home to French bistro Café du Soleil, serving coffee, croissants and crepes. But at 5 p.m., a transformation occurs. The business closes, dim green lightbulbs are installed and tables are rearranged and set for 6 p.m. evening service at 215 S. Union Street.


News

Even though she started work this past summer, Campagna Center CEO Edith Hawkins is still moving into her office.

Hawkins succeeded the nonprofit’s former CEO of 13 years, Tammy Mann, in June. The mother of three commutes twice a week, sometimes more, from Bowie, Maryland, to the educational and social development nonprofit’s headquarters at 418 S. Washington Street in Old Town, where she told ALXnow that needs are growing.


News

The Alexandria Police Department has detained a suspect over a robbery that took place this afternoon (Friday) near Potomac Yard.

Police were alerted shortly after 2:30 p.m. that a male suspect in a black ski mask had reportedly walked into a battery store on the 400 block of E. Glebe Road and demanded cash. The suspect had his hands in his pockets, and “a weapon was implied but not seen,” an APD dispatcher said.


Around Town

Get your Santa hat ready, because the Del Ray Pop-Up Bar plans to reopen with a Christmas-themed “Joy on the Avenue” concept in two weeks.

The bar aims to return during the weekend of Friday, Nov. 21 at 2312 Mount Vernon Avenue, replacing its spooky “Nightmare on the Avenue” pop-up that closed after Halloween, owner Bill Blackburn told ALXnow.


News

Alexandria will temporarily shut down the streets surrounding City Hall on Monday as part of preparations for the City Hall Renovation Project.

N. Royal Street will close to traffic between Cameron Street and King Street from 7 a.m. Monday until 7 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 13. Parking will also be prohibited on that section of road from Thursday, Nov. 13 to Thursday, Nov. 20.


News

Citing strenuous financial conditions, a nursing home in Rosemont is asking the city for a three-year extension to break ground on its stalled expansion plans.

Woodbine Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center has yet to begin construction on its plans for a 31,909-square-foot addition, which received city approval in 2022. In a new extension request, the facility attributed delays to market conditions that “have substantially declined” since the plan was first greenlit.


News

Alexandria’s largest food bank is seeking more donations and volunteers as it experiences increasing demand amid the government shutdown.

Nonprofit ALIVE!, which provides food and financial assistance to about 20,000 people each month, says local needs are rising significantly as more residents find themselves out of work due to federal layoffs and the ongoing shutdown.


Around Town

The 19th annual Alexandria Film Festival kicks off this weekend with over 60 film screenings in store, from immersive documentaries to experimental films.

Three days of screenings start tomorrow (Friday) and run until Sunday, Nov. 9. Tickets cost $16.79 at each venue, while an all-festival pass costs $85. Federal workers affected by the government shutdown may also receive complimentary tickets at the box office with a valid government ID, while supplies last.


News

The Alexandria Police Department suspects that a man shot in Old Town last month likely accidentally shot himself.

APD responded to the 300 block of N. West Street around 9:45 p.m. Oct. 8, after receiving reports of six to eight shots fired and an 18-year-old male with a gunshot wound to the thigh. Police now suspect the man fired at himself while fleeing the scene, according to a recent search warrant affidavit.


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