A local realtor is hosting a pajama party this month for Friends of Guest House residents.
The nonprofit’s reentry programs help women transition back to the community from prison. The pajamas and cozy socks will go to up to 70 women affiliated with the organization.
With only 15 total students in the entire school in a single room, it’s unlikely students at the proposed Bright Start Learning Center will get lost in the crowd.
Bright Start currently has a child care program at 4920 Brenman Park Drive but is looking to convert the administrative space at 4917 Brenman Park Drive into a school for elementary-age children.
Alexandria already feels like home. It’s the trails you walk, the restaurants you return to, and the easy reach of D.C. that make it all work. The question is whether your home feels as right as the city around it. For those who love Alexandria but want more space, more privacy, and more choice, Van Metre at Banner Heights offers a new opportunity to have it all, just minutes from I-495, I-95, and Old Town Alexandria.
Every Van Metre homesite at Banner Heights has a backyard that doesn’t face into another homesite, so the space behind your home is entirely yours, and a deck or covered terrace makes it the spot for a quiet morning or a long evening with friends. Four levels offer up to five bedrooms and an optional elevator. From there, 20+ personalization options let you decide the rest: add a bedroom on the lower or fourth levels, a great room fireplace with ceramic detailing, or a wet or dry bar, plus upgraded flooring and packages for electrical, tech, and comfort.
With more than 70 years of building across Northern Virginia, Van Metre designs homes around the way people live. At Banner Heights, that means the T-27 townhome plan with 3-5 bedrooms, 3-4 full and 1-2 half baths, 3,014+ square feet, a 2-car garage, and 20+ personalization options, starting from the $1.25Ms.*
Van Metre at Banner Heights is now open for Early Access, giving interested buyers the chance to purchase before our grand opening, when initial homesites deliver.
*Pricing, offers, and availability are subject to change without notice. Some images and renderings may represent a similar home or may have been created or edited using artificial intelligence (AI), and may depict design elements, furnishings, finishes, landscaping, views, or other features that are not included in the home or may not be available. Please see a Van Metre New Home Advisor for details.
The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria has a clever cat on its hands. Remus, a three-year-old male black cat, has learned a number of tricks with clicker training.
“Just like a dog, cats can learn tricks through clicker-training, and Remus is such a clever cookie that he’s been doing just that,” AWLA spokesperson Gina Hardter told ALXnow. “In exchange for learning tricks like Sit, Spin, and High Five, Remus has been teaching the staff at the AWLA how to give treats, give more treats, and don’t stop giving treats.”
At its October general membership meeting, the NAACP Alexandria Branch 7043 Nominating Committee presented its slate for the 2027–2028 term and named John Hopkins-Gillispie as its nominee for Branch President.
Hopkins-Gillispie is a life member of the branch. He has chaired the Freedom Fund Dinner for the past two years, and this year’s dinner raised more than $40,000 for the branch. He serves on the Legal Redress Committee, reviewing discrimination complaints brought to the branch. He has provided input on issues from the Alexandria Police Department’s hate crimes policy to the proposed Edsall Road data center. He also represents the branch as co-chair of the host committee for the 2027 Virginia State Conference convention.
(Updated on Feb. 11) Fans of the “Goodnight Moon” classic children’s book are in for a treat, as there’s a new Goodnight Moon Room installation at the Torpedo Factory Art Center.
The project in Studio 9 is led by longtime Torpedo Factory artist Lisa Schumaier, who said she wants to give visitors a literary hug.
StoryWorx: Workhouse's First Ever FREE Book Festival
Sat, Nov 14 | 11 a.m.–5 p.m. | Lorton, VA
Meet bestselling authors Angie Kim (Happiness Falls), 4× NFL Pro Bowler Ken Harvey (first-ever dramatic reading), and Emmy-winning WUSA9 anchor Wisdom Martin, plus Marcie Atkins, Omar Abed, Ellen R.B. Smith, and more for panels, signings, poetry, and workshops. Kids' Corner features author readings, crafts, and storytime. Browse the artisan market, catch a live Upstart Crow podcast, and explore the Workhouse galleries and artist studios—all part of Second Saturday.
An overloaded electrical outlet is likely the cause behind last month’s three-alarm fire in a Del Ray duplex, the Alexandria Fire Department announced Wednesday.
Two adults and a child were displaced by the blaze, which occurred at around 6 p.m. on Friday, November 19. A cat is still missing, according to APD.
(Updated 10:50 a.m.) ACHS basketball coach suspended after confronting hecklers — “Alexandria City boys’ basketball coach Darryl Prue has been suspended indefinitely following an in-game incident in which he went into the crowd to confront fans Tuesday night at Wakefield.” [Washington Post]
Alexandria gets record-low interest rate on Landmark bond deal — “The City government has earned the lowest interest rate in its modern history on the competitive sale of new general obligation bonds. The bonds will fund capital improvement investments for the City and Alexandria City Public Schools, and the first payment for purchase of land for the redevelopment of Landmark Mall as the future site of Inova Alexandria Hospital.” [City of Alexandria]
(Updated at 12 p.m.) The Alexandria Police Department has ruled the death of a 23-year-old black woman in the West End as a homicide.
Police responded to a call for service at the 40 block of South Van Dorn Street on Tuesday, Dec. 7, at approximately 2:40 p.m. In a press release, police said upon arriving they found a 23-year-old black female deceased in her apartment. Today (Wednesday), police said a medical examiner ruled the cause of death to be homicide.
A celebration this weekend will look at how Christmas was commemorated during the Civil War at Fort Ward, a Civil War fort turned museum in Alexandria.
The family-friendly event is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 11, from noon to 4 p.m.
Alexandria is about to embark on a public relations campaign in response to the 5 cent Plastic Bag Tax, which goes into effect next month.
In a meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 14, the City Council will consider the release of $30,000 from contingent reserves to the city’s Department of Transportation and Environmental Services for outreach on the matter.
Revolutionary Fitness, the strength and longevity training studio for people over 50 at 215 N. Payne St., is opening 5 spots in its members-only year-end challenge.
Every year, the stretch between Thanksgiving and New Year’s knocks people off track. Workouts get skipped, schedules fill up, and the plan becomes “I’ll start in January.”
