A cafe serving smoothies, paninis, fresh juices and bowls has submitted a request to open in Alexandria’s Carlyle neighborhood.

If approved, franchise owner Vijay Balusu’s Fresh Healthy Cafe special use permit request would transform the former home of a Starbucks at 2040 Jamieson Avenue into a cafe with 12 indoor seats and four outdoor seats.


As Hotel AKA Alexandria transitions to the Autograph Collection Hotels by Marriott today (Wednesday), the Old Town North hotel has been renamed The Satire.

The Satire, part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, features new branding and management as well as Marriott rewards benefits for hotel guests. The hotel is managed by Concord Hospitality and will remain under Electra America Hospitality’s ownership.


A new bridal boutique is preparing to open its doors in Old Town on Friday, June 26.

The White Magnolia Bridal Collection will open its doors at 123 N. Henry Street, offering a curated collection of bridal gowns priced between $1,800 and $6,000 from designers including Antonio Gual, BECCAR, Calla Blanche, and Sara Gabriel. The business will be open Tuesday to Saturday by appointment only.


As the second weekend of June arrives, Alexandria City Public Schools students are off for the summer and families will be heading out to enjoy events around the city and region.

Sails on the Potomac will coincide with ALX Jazz Fest from June 12-14 at Waterfront Park (1A Prince Street). Highlights of the event include tall ship tours, fireworks, ALX Jazz Fest performances and the VA250 Mobile Museum.


State Sen. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker (D-39) and her business partner are launching a new maternity and children’s consignment boutique in Del Ray this weekend.

Bennett-Parker and Allie Rubinoff, who both live in Del Ray, will launch Little Chickadee with a pop-up event from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday (June 13) at Gustave Boulangerie (2213 Mount Vernon Avenue). Bennett-Parker said that the boutique will operate mostly online from a space above Mulberry Lane.


VA250 Mobile Museum has provided an update to ALXnow on the museum’s opening hours.

A traveling museum led by Virginia’s American Revolution 250 Commission will make a stop at Alexandria’s waterfront for the Sails on the Potomac festival this weekend.


A local cafe with an emphasis on spirituality and artistic endeavors celebrated its grand opening in Eisenhower East over the weekend.

Good Spirit Cafe held a ribbon cutting during the second annual Eisenhower Block Party at 2361 Eisenhower Avenue on Saturday (June 6), commemorating its new presence in the neighborhood over the past few months.


The city has announced various events planned for Juneteenth, a federally observed holiday celebrating the emancipation of enslaved people in the U.S.

On June 19, 1865, the last enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learned they were free — two years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. Today, Juneteenth celebrates African American history and freedom.


In honor of the Croatian National Football Team making Alexandria its home base, boutiques in Old Town will be decked out in the Croatian checkered flag and offer specials inspired by the country.

Old Town Boutiques, a coalition of independently-owned boutiques in Old Town, will host Shop the Checkers Boutique Week from Sunday, June 14 through Sunday, June 28. Participating retailers will display special Croatian red-and-white checkerboard crest flags at their storefronts and offer experiences drawn from Croatian culture.


Spice Kraft Indian Bistro‘s butter chicken pot pie and avocado bhel chaat won both the Judges’ Choice Award and the People’s Choice Award at the 17th annual Taste of Del Ray on Sunday (June 7).

Under a hot sun, 17 local restaurants competed at the sold-out event in the Mount Vernon Recreation Center athletic fields. This year’s celebrity judge was Todd O’Leary, CEO of Visit Alexandria.


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