It’s the most wonderful time of the year for Rocket Fizz, the soda pop and candy store in Fairlington Plaza.
Owner Tanya Kemp’s store at 1721 Centre Plaza is full of stocking stuffers, from vintage soda and candy, to tchotchkes and gag gifts like wind-up chattering teeth, Pez dispensers and bobbleheads. She told ALXnow that her shop does more business during the Christmas season than any other time of the year.
The number of unemployed Alexandrians is up by a third from a year before, according to September jobs figures that were delayed by the federal government shutdown.
A total of 96,711 city residents were counted as employed in the civilian workforce, with 3,479 reported unemployed, according to figures reported Dec. 18 by the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement.
Some of the most ultra high-end (some with an elevator) townhomes in the DC region will deliver in the heart of Old Town Alexandria, just blocks from the King Street Metro.
Sales have already begun and while some new owners have already moved in, there are immediate move-ins available.
Brooks Estate is a collection of 13 sophisticated, four-bedroom and four-and-a-half bath residences that blend custom details, modern amenities and cutting-edge technology.
Looking for walkability? It doesnt get much better than this! Restaurants like Call Your Mother Deli and Hard Times Cafe and Augies Mussel House and Beer Garden are seconds away, and Brooks Estate is just a couple of blocks walk to the King Street Metro.
All of the homes boast 2,600 to over 3,000 square feet of space, chef’s kitchens with professional series Thermador appliances, spa-like baths, as well as rooftop terraces, two-car garages, and some homes available with elevators. Pricing starts at $2,287,500.
The homes at Brooks Estate provide an exceptional blend of luxury living with traditional architectural details that reflect the Old Town neighborhood. Rooms are connected by graceful arches and adorned with traditional flourishes like crown moldings.
Brooks Estate standard finishes include high-end custom cabinetry and custom-built rift and quartered white oak oven hoods and island surrounds. The flooring—by Arlandria Floors in Del Ray—is a true 3/4-inch-thick luxury wide-plank engineered European white oak hardwood floors that are sanded and finished on site.
Cutting-edge details include wireless smart home features throughout the house, with Lutron Wi-Fi light switches; garages fitted with Wi-Fi and cameras, and that are EV-ready; Wi-Fi/Bluetooth unit entry-door locks; Wi-Fi heated floors in the primary bath; nearly soundproof windows; and sound insulation in all bedrooms, bathrooms, and mechanical rooms. (more…)
Government offices in Alexandria will close on Wednesday and Thursday to observe Christmas.
Closures this week will affect Alexandria courts, the Alexandria Library, the Department of Motor Vehicles, health facilities, the city’s impound lot and more. Metered parking restrictions and residential permit parking will not be enforced during this period.
A man was assaulted and robbed at a bus stop early Saturday morning in Alexandria West.
The victim reported at around 3:30 a.m. that two men assaulted him as he sat at a bus stop in the 400 block of N. Armistead Street and counted money, according to Alexandria Police Department radio dispatches.
Old Town North Pride is here! Join us June 20th from 6-10PM for a night filled with dancing, joy, and community in the heart of Old Town North!
Pride Dance Party @ St. Elmo’s: Hit the floor and dance the night away with music by DJ Thunderbunny
The Alexandria Police Department is investigating the stabbing in the Landmark area after midnight on Saturday.
A man walked into an apartment building at the 6300 block of Stevenson Avenue around 12:45 a.m. and told police he was stabbed nearly a mile away — at another apartment building at the 300 block of S. Reynolds Street, according to APD radio dispatches.
Visa Barriers Cut ACHS Teacher’s Time Short — “Over a year and a half, [Misa] Suzuki has established herself as a valuable member of the ACHS community and connected with students through ASL, however, her time has been tragically cut short due to an inability to acquire a new work visa … ‘Under the Trump administration’s policies, the options for obtaining this work visa are extremely limited,’ said Suzuki. ‘It is hard to accept, but I will treasure my two years of work experience and strive to do my best in Japan.'” [Theogony]
APD Warns of Funeral Home Scam — “As part of APD’s Holiday Crime Prevention Plan, we want to make our community aware of a scam affecting parts of Virginia. Scammers are posing as funeral home employees and calling families to demand immediate payment. They often use real business names and staff names to sound credible. No cases have been reported in Alexandria at this time.” [Alexandria Police Department]
Good Friday evening, Alexandria. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.
The following articles were published earlier today — Dec 19, 2025.
Here are today’s most-read articles:
Since it’s Friday, we’ve also compiled a list of the most-read articles of the week, below.
Here is what’s going on Saturday in Alexandria, from our event calendar.
Here are the events planned for Sunday:
Expect a mostly sunny day with a high temperature near 44 degrees, as calm winds in the morning shift to the south, ranging from 5 to 9 mph. For Saturday night, skies will be partly cloudy, with the temperature dropping to around 36 degrees and a south wind blowing between 8 to 11 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”
– Mark Twain
We hope you have a great weekend, Alexandria!
After a contentious discussion, the Alexandria City School Board last night (Thursday) approved its $282.3 million Capital Improvement Program budget for fiscal years 2027-36.
The 5-4 approval of Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt’s proposed budget comes in at $3.5 million below the recommended amount from City Manager Jim Parajon’s office. The CIP includes $23 million in funding for non-capacity projects next year, including $1.8 million in school bus/vehicle replacements, $1.8 million for emergency repairs and $1.3 million in curriculum and instruction materials. It also accounts for the $2 million development of the Alexandria City High School’s Chance for Change Academy.
The Alexandria Fire Department transported one person to the hospital after responding to an apartment fire in the Alexandria West area this afternoon (Friday).
The fire was reported at around 1:45 p.m. in a sixth-floor apartment at the 5140 Fillmore Avenue. Upon arrival, crews “initiated life-saving measures” for one person who was found unconscious and in cardiac arrest, before transporting them to a nearby hospital, according to a press release from AFD.
