A Playa Bowls franchise just submitted paperwork with the city to open at 1229 King Street in Old Town.
The quick-service restaurant will sell “fruit bowls, oatmeal bowls, smoothies, and juices for takeout and pickup,” according to the special use permit (SUP) filed with the city. The chain was founded in New Jersey in 2014, and there are now more than 300 Playa Bowls locations nationwide, with the nearest one in Arlington, located at 2055 15th Street.
Are you a friend of Dorothy?
Since World War II, the coded question has been used to determine whether someone is queer. Now, Dorothy Edwards is using the phrase as the name for the first-ever LGBTQ+ focused cafe in Alexandria. For the last several months, Edwards has been raising money to cover six months of operating expenses at a yet-to-be-determined space, build-out of the space, and equipment. She says that once the cafe is up and running, it’s all she wants to do for the rest of her life.
A new ice cream cafe is holding a ribbon-cutting on Oct. 11 in Del Ray.
The ribbon will be cut at Sweetside Café and Creamery (10 E. Glebe Road) at 10:30 a.m., and specials and giveaways will be offered at the event, according to the Del Ray Business Association (DRBA). The shop is owned by Teresa Keefer, who also owns Northside 10, which is directly next door, and Southside 815 in Old Town.
Alexandria recorded 3,738 eviction summonses in 2025 as of Thursday, up 21% from the previous year, according to the city’s eviction trends dashboard. The figure represents an increase of nearly 200 filings since Mayor Alyia Gaskins reported 3,544 filings during Tuesday’s City Council meeting.
The rising numbers come as Alexandria faces economic pressures from federal downsizing affecting approximately 13,000 federal employees living in the city and a federal government shutdown that began Wednesday.
Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins cast the lone dissenting vote that blocked the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority from endorsing a proposed extension of express lanes along the southern stretch of I-495, she told the City Council on Tuesday night.
The NVTA considered approving a letter of support for the Virginia Department of Transportation’s I-495 Southside Express Lanes Project at its Sept. 11 meeting. Still, the measure failed due to the authority’s voting requirements.
Good morning, Alexandria! Today is Thursday, Oct. 2, the 275th day of 2025. There are 90 days left in the year
🌤️ Today’s weather: Mostly sunny, with a high near 71. North wind 5 to 7 mph becoming east in the morning. Partly cloudy tonight, with a low around 52. Light east wind.
It’s more than four months away, but on Wednesday, the announcement was made, confirming that the 2026 George Washington Birthday Parade will take place in Old Town on Saturday, February 14.
Alexandria has been celebrating Washington with a parade since 1801, and it’s the largest and oldest parade celebrating the founding father in the world. The parade will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. in Old Town, and this year’s parade marshals are Michael J. Elston, Esq., president general of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution and Ginnie Sebastian Storage, president general of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution.
Michael Duffin, a former State Department official who was terminated in July, announced on Wednesday his campaign for the Democratic nomination in Virginia’s 8th Congressional District, joining a growing primary field that includes a former Alexandria city councilman.
Duffin announced his candidacy early Wednesday morning on LinkedIn before making a formal campaign announcement later in the day, according to Patch.
Sen. Mark Warner blamed the Trump administration on Wednesday for the government shutdown that began at midnight, saying the president bears responsibility for failing to prevent the closure despite Republican control of both chambers of Congress and the White House.
Speaking to Virginia media during a remote availability from the Capitol, Warner said the shutdown differs from previous ones because bipartisan negotiations completely broke down. The Virginia Democrat said Trump had only one meeting with Democrats before the shutdown deadline.
A proposal to build three four-story townhouses on a vacant lot in Old Town is scheduled to be reviewed by the city’s Board of Architectural Review later this month.
Land use attorney Ken Wire is requesting a concept review from the BAR to develop the townhomes at 806 N. Columbus Street, located near the intersection with Madison Street and two blocks east of N. Patrick Street (Route 1). The proposal is scheduled to head to the BAR on Thursday, October 16.
Two Alexandria companies were recently honored with top public relations awards.
Spotted MP and Meraki Communications Group were named to the PR Net 100 2025, a distinction recognizing the top-performing firms in the world of public relations. The winners were presented with the awards on Sept. 17 in New York City, and chosen from a panel of experts, including L’Oréal Vice President Jackie Staub; Saba Landmann, a senior vice president for Marriott; Brian Strong, Bloomberg Media’s global head of communications; Jessica Stacey, a senior vice president for Sephora; and Colleen Leahy, an executive director with The Estee Lauder Companies.
