This story has been updated to reflect new information from the General Registrar at 4:27 p.m.
As of 4 p.m. today (Tuesday), about 53.4% of registered voters in Alexandria had cast ballots in the general election, according to the city’s top elections official.
Five Alexandria eateries are highlighted in Northern Virginia Magazine’s new list of the area’s top 50 restaurants.
The magazine’s food critics highlighted Alexandria restaurants offering Italian, modern American and Mesoamerican fusion food in their annual list, released late last month. Here’s a look at the city’s featured spots.
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.
The Alfred Street Baptist Church is asking for the city’s permission to construct a four-story, 145-unit affordable apartment complex at an existing Old Town apartment.
The church is proposing to demolish a 1.2-acre portion of the Olde Towne West apartment complex and redevelop it to “expand the number of affordable housing units” in the neighborhood, according to a proposal. The plan is slated for review by the Planning Commission at its Dec. 2 meeting.
As Alexandria voters shuffled to the polls this morning (Tuesday), many said they were casting ballots motivated by the government shutdown and their views on the Trump administration.
At precincts in Old Town, Mount Vernon and near Seminary Hill/Landmark, several voters lamented the shutdown and told ALXnow they do not like the political direction the country is turning toward — a sentiment fueling their ballot box decisions, particularly in Virginia’s gubernatorial election.
Join Cruise Planners Beth Borrego and Rod Rodriguez for the World of Travel Show 2027 on Saturday, February 6, 2027, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in The BlackBox at BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown.
Meet representatives from 13 respected travel brands covering family and adults-only cruises, premium and luxury ocean voyages, European river cruises, expedition and Galápagos adventures, small-ship sailing, guided land tours, and customized vacations.
The Alexandria Symphony Orchestra is providing free concert tickets to federal employees affected by the ongoing government shutdown.
The promotion extends to the orchestra’s “Mozart & Mendelssohn” concert at 7:30 p.m. this Saturday, as well as a seasonal “Holiday with a Twist” concert next month. The orchestra is offering the freebies at a time “when many may need the arts most,” Executive Director George Hanson said in a release.
Polls Are Open — They’ll remain open until 7 p.m. Nearly 30% of the city’s registered voters have already cast early ballots — a notable increase compared to November 2021’s early voting numbers. Voters can confirm their polling place using the Virginia Department of Elections’ Citizen Portal webpage. [ALXnow]
Road Closures Coming Next Week — “The City of Alexandria will be conducting investigation and testing work on the streets surrounding City Hall from Nov. 13-20.” N. Royal Street will be closed to all traffic between Cameron Street and King Street for the duration of the work, detouring drivers to N. Pitt Street and N. Fairfax Street. [City of Alexandria]
Good Monday 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 3, 2025.
Here are today’s most-read articles:
Here is what’s going on Tuesday in Alexandria, from our event calendar.
Expect sunshine and a high temperature of around 62, accompanied by west winds blowing at 8-11 mph and gusts up to 21 mph. As night falls on Tuesday, there will be mostly clear skies with lows close to 41, with west winds gradually calming at around 5 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
“To succeed in life, you need two things: ignorance and confidence.”
– Mark Twain
Thanks for reading!
Faced with uncertainty from the government shutdown and federal layoffs, Alexandria City Manager Jim Parajon says the city is facing a relatively flat Fiscal Year 2027 budget.
Parajon is asking all city departments for a 1% budget cut and 1.5% in growth for Alexandria City Public Schools. During Saturday’s annual City Council budget retreat, he said the city is “not in a negative situation” — but rather, aiming to adjust its sails in turbulent economic times.
State Sen. Ghazala Hashmi spoke with small business owners in Del Ray during a last-minute campaign stop today (Monday) as she vies to be Virginia’s next lieutenant governor.
Joined by State Sen. Adam Ebbin, (D-39), the Democratic candidate made appearances at Tops of Old Town, St. Elmo’s Coffee Pub, Stardust Vintage and Gift and others along Mount Vernon Avenue. There, she heard business owners’ concerns and lamented the effects of federal layoffs and the government shutdown in Northern Virginia.
