Around Town

Phoenix is a “super sweet, friendly and gentle” pup who loves running, playing fetch and settling in for a good cuddle.

The resident pooch at the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria is searching for a forever family to accompany on “woodsy weekend field trips,” according to an AWLA volunteer. She’s two years old, about 74 pounds and never seen without her “fanciest white dancing boots.”


News

Alexandria will temporarily shut down the streets surrounding City Hall on Monday as part of preparations for the City Hall Renovation Project.

N. Royal Street will close to traffic between Cameron Street and King Street from 7 a.m. Monday until 7 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 13. Parking will also be prohibited on that section of road from Thursday, Nov. 13 to Thursday, Nov. 20.


Sponsored

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.


News

A new budget proposal at Alexandria City Public Schools includes nearly $150 million in funding to address the district’s growing student population over the next decade.  In total, the proposed […]


News

Farewell to ‘Break Water’ Art Installation — “Join us [Sunday, Nov. 9] as we say goodbye to the 2025 Site See installation ‘Break Water’ by Nekisha Durrett with a special performance by Batalá. Batalá Washington DC is an all-women Afro-Brazilian music band that brings Samba-Reggae rhythms and the vibrant energy of Salvador, Bahia to the Washington, DC area.” [Alexandria Public Art Program]

Flood Resilience Meeting Monday — “Please join us for the Alexandria Flood Resilience Plan Community Meeting from 7-8:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 10, at the Patrick Henry Recreation Center, 4653 Taney Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22304, and online via Zoom. The meeting will include a presentation summarizing the feedback received from the flood survey, draft flood model results and community vulnerability analysis, a Q&A, and the opportunity to provide input on how flooding impacts the community.” [City of Alexandria]


Event

Join us for an evening of made-up-on-the-spot improv comedy! We'll be calling on you to give us suggestions for a totally unique show that'll never be seen again!

Show is 18+ recommended. We perform free shows for the Alexandria, VA and surrounding community. Donations help us rent space, supply drinks, and defray other costs!


News

Good Thursday evening, Alexandria. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — Nov 6, 2025.

Here are today’s most-read articles:

  1. Police suggest Old Town shooting suspect accidentally shot himself while fleeing (1481 views)
  2. Alexandria woman scammed out of thousands by fake sheriff’s deputy (1467 views)

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Friday in Alexandria, from our event calendar.

🌥️ Friday’s forecast

Clouds will increase, reaching a high of around 61°F, accompanied by south winds of 8-15 mph and gusts up to 29 mph. Expect rain Friday night, primarily before 1am, as it becomes mostly cloudy with lows around 53°F. South winds will continue at 8-13 mph with gusts up to 23 mph. The chance of rain is 60%, with less than a tenth of an inch of new precipitation possible. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.”
– Winston Churchill

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

Thanks for reading!


News

Citing strenuous financial conditions, a nursing home in Rosemont is asking the city for a three-year extension to break ground on its stalled expansion plans.

Woodbine Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center has yet to begin construction on its plans for a 31,909-square-foot addition, which received city approval in 2022. In a new extension request, the facility attributed delays to market conditions that “have substantially declined” since the plan was first greenlit.


News

Alexandria’s largest food bank is seeking more donations and volunteers as it experiences increasing demand amid the government shutdown.

Nonprofit ALIVE!, which provides food and financial assistance to about 20,000 people each month, says local needs are rising significantly as more residents find themselves out of work due to federal layoffs and the ongoing shutdown.


News

WASHINGTON — Reagan National Airport and Dulles International Airport are among 40 airports where flights will be cut this tomorrow (Friday) due to the government shutdown, according to a list obtained by The Associated Press.

The Federal Aviation Administration announced Wednesday it would reduce air traffic by 10% across “high-volume” markets to maintain travel safety as air traffic controllers go unpaid and exhibit signs of strain during the shutdown.


News

Homebuyers are out in force across Alexandria, and more sellers in the city are dropping their prices to encourage faster sales, according to new data.

Alexandria saw a total of 625 home showings for the week ending Nov. 2, according to new data from Bright MLS. That’s up 6.1% from the same week a year before and is well above the D.C.-area increase of 3.6% to 23,070 showings during the same period, reflecting “a significant amount of pent-up demand,” according to the report.