Past and present residents at Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority (ARHA) properties are continuing to speak out against years of neglect and unsafe living conditions at their homes.
Chronic mold and cockroach infestations, ignored maintenance tickets and denied rehousing requests are just some of the many grievances ARHA tenants described in conversations to ALXnow this month and during a protest last Wednesday.
The competition pool at the Minnie Howard Aquatics Facility has reopened following repairs to its filtration system.
The pool at 3795 W. Braddock Road unexpectedly closed last Monday after staff members noticed an issue in the pump room and coordinated a repair, according to a city announcement this afternoon (Monday).
Before the pandemic, I ran a Reddit forum that brought people together for local happy hours. It became a great outlet for an in-person social life: you could get out, get to know people nearby, and have a familiar group to spend time with. I enjoyed being the person who helped make that happen.
Getting people together became harder after the pandemic. Friends moved away, had kids, or settled into different routines, and organizing a night out took more effort. I still wanted that camaraderie, but having people to invite didn’t necessarily mean we could get something on the calendar.
I’m in my late 30s and live in Old Town. About a year ago, I joined Choros, a local membership community that helps guys build friendships through small-group activities. Since then, I’ve been to close to 50 hangouts, and it’s given me a regular group of guys to do things with around Alexandria and beyond.
I host board game nights and help host a monthly happy hour at the Commodore in Old Town. I’ve done escape rooms on King Street, trivia, food festivals in Del Ray, movie discussions, and Dungeons & Dragons (which can be especially tricky to get going as an adult with a busy schedule). Having that variety means I can find something that fits my mood and schedule, and there are usually familiar faces when I get there.
One of my favorite things, though, is getting on my bike, picking a destination, and making a day of it. Through Choros, I’ve found a consistent crew to ride with almost every month. That’s the kind of thing I wanted more of: people who enjoy the same stuff and make time to get out and do it together.
I still like hosting and bringing people together. What makes Choros useful is having a community to draw from, so every plan doesn’t depend on the same few friends being available. Other guys suggest and host things too, which gives me plenty of opportunities to join something without organizing it myself.
Over time, seeing the same guys at different activities builds familiarity. You have conversations to pick back up and another reason to make plans together. That’s how it’s become a circle of friends for me.
If you’re in Alexandria, check out Choros and come to one of our monthly happy hours at the Commodore. I’d be happy to meet a few more neighbors, whether you’re into board games, bike rides, or just getting out for a drink. There’s plenty happening here, along with activities throughout the rest of the D.C. area.
Alexandria leaders have approved an Old Town cafe’s request to expand its outdoor seating and extend Sunday hours, after several neighbors spoke in support of the measure.
The City Council green-lit LaPluma Coffee & Wine’s special use permit application to increase outdoor seating capacity from 28 guests to 40, and to remain open until 10 p.m. on Sundays, as opposed to 6 p.m.
With two new grants, a STEM education nonprofit in Alexandria is looking to expand its programming to more Virginia students. Rosie Riveters plans to introduce its hands-on learning tools to […]
Event location
Woodson High School
9525 Main Street
Fairfax, Virginia 22031
Northern Virginia Fairfax Families for Safe Streets (NoVA FSS) cordially invites you to attend and support our upcoming World Day of Remembrance (WDoR) for Road Traffic Victims.
World Day of Remembrance is an annual event where we honor those whose lives were prematurely ended after being struck by a person driving. This year is particularly painful and sad as we think about the recent death of a 13-year-old Frost middle school student who was struck and killed by a person driving a truck on Pickett Road. We will also honor the nearly 30 other people (as of today’s date) who have been killed on Northern Virginia streets while, walking, biking, or rolling since last year’s day of remembrance.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) will remain in Carlyle, after it announced an official search for office space last summer.
Through NSF’s decision, Alexandria will retain 1,600 NSF federal employees and scientist jobs, the city announced in a release Friday evening. Local officials intend to work with the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and property owner LCOR Inc. “over the coming months” to ensure a smooth transition.
A suspect has been arrested following a stabbing in Arlandria last night (Sunday) that left a man with non-life threatening injuries.
The victim was stabbed in the stomach outside an apartment complex around 6:30 p.m. in the 3900 block of Mount Vernon Avenue near Bruce Street, according to APD dispatches. Witnesses who called police told ALXnow that the victim was stabbed multiple times.
On This Day in Alexandria History — “On Nov. 17, 1927, a devastating tornado ripped through Alexandria, injuring dozens of people and causing half million dollars in damage. The front façade of Jackson Hotel on King Street was torn away and some displaced families were temporarily sheltered at the almshouse in Del Ray … The path of the tornado spread over 17 miles long with a width ranging from 20 to over 300 yards. Witnesses described the sound of the wind as ‘a huge waterfall.’ Fortunately there were no fatalities, but 32 people were injured in the unusual weather event.” [Historic Alexandria]
APD Honors Crash Victims — “Chief McGuire joined Alexandria Families for Safe Streets this morning (Sunday) for an important ceremony marking the day and affirming our commitment to Vision Zero. We stand with survivors and all who continue to carry the impact of these incidents. Together, let us commit to safer roads, responsible driving, and protecting one another.” [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 — Nov 14, 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 cloudy day with temperatures reaching around 64°F and calm winds shifting to the south at 5-7 mph in the afternoon. On Saturday night, there is a 30% chance of rain, primarily after 1am, accompanied by mostly cloudy skies and a low near 55°F. Southwest winds will be at 8-10 mph, gusting up to 20 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
– Lao Tzu
We hope you have a great weekend, Alexandria!
The former CEO of the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority is now suing the organization for millions of dollars in damages, according to paperwork filed yesterday (Thursday) in the Alexandria Circuit Court.
ARHA fired Erik Johnson in September after it was revealed that he and his family were living in an Old Town ARHA property. In the new filing, Johnson alleges that ARHA facilitated his move into the property and was trying to protect itself by pleading ignorance when it sent ALXnow a statement claiming it was unaware he lived there.
