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Good Wednesday morning, Alexandria!
☁️ Today’s weather: Expect the day to start off mostly cloudy before transitioning to sunny conditions and reaching a high of around 82°F. There will be a northwest wind blowing at 6 to 8 mph. As for Wednesday night, the skies will be partly cloudy with temperatures dipping to around 60°F and a gentle breeze from the east.
Enjoy the return of jazz at Metropolitan Park with a free concert series co-presented by the DC Jazz Festival and National Landing BID. Listen to live stylings from Go-Go to bossa nova across the four-part series, from 5-7PM on select Thursdays: May 7, May 21, June 4, and June 18.
Refresh with onsite vendors including Toby’s Homemade Ice Cream and Taqueria Xochi, plus free samples from Mocktail Club—non-alcoholic beverages inspired by travel destinations. Take part in artist-led Studio Sessions curated by Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington while enjoying the music. Visit businesses around Met Park to pack a picnic or sit down for a meal after the show.
Music kicks off at 5PM and concludes at 7PM, with a set break in the middle.
Featured Performers and MoCA Studio Sessions
May 7: The JoGo Project (Jazz Meets Go-Go)
Art Activity: “Even Colors Dance (Synesthetic Watercolor)” | Led by David Ignacio, current Resident Artist at Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington’s main museum
May 21: Joe Brotherton (New Orleans)
Art Activity: “Paper Garden” | Led by Jaqui Falkenheim of Arlington Collage Collective
June 4: Eric Byrd Trio (Acoustic Jazz Piano/Vocals)
Art Activity: “Stitching Systems: Mapping Home” | Led by Lauren Crawford, current Resident Artist at MoCA Arlington’s main museum.
June 18: José Luiz Martins (Brazilian Jazz)
Art Activity: “Day Inking with JD” | Led by JD Deardourff, recent Resident Artist at MoCA Innovation Studio.
For transportation and Met Park information, visit nationallanding.org/met-park/faqs. Met Park is a five-minute walk from the Pentagon City Metro.
Jazz @ Met is presented by DC Jazz Festival and National Landing BID, sponsored by Amazon. Additional support for performances is provided by The Galena-Yorktown Foundation and The Leonard and Elaine Silverstein Family Foundation.
Note: Performance schedule is subject to change.
Alexandria is set to gain from new transit projects planned for the I-395/95 corridor. The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission is reviewing 14 proposals aimed at easing traffic congestion, with several directly impacting the city.
The I-395/95 Commuter Choice program, which uses toll revenue for transportation improvements, includes potential upgrades to Alexandria’s DASH bus service in its draft project list.
Phoebe Coy of YIMBYs of Northern Virginia celebrates the Whitley Phase 2 housing approval but argues it exemplifies a flawed process in the following Letter to the Editor.
She contends that requiring City Council approval for nearly every housing project due to zoning, parking, or density bonus rules creates unnecessary delays and burdens the Council. Coy calls for zoning reforms to empower the Planning Commission to approve more housing directly, streamlining the response to Alexandria’s housing shortage.
Join us for a delightful Sunday afternoon at the BlackRock Center for the Arts as Cruise Planners Beth & Rod present a special travel-inspired matinee featuring the beloved film Under the Tuscan Sun.
Date & Time: Sunday, May 31 | 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
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The City of Alexandria’s Department of Recreation, Parks & Cultural Activities launched its 18th Annual Community Cookout series with a successful first event at Mount Vernon Recreation Center on Tuesday (April 29).
Hundreds of community members gather to connect with their neighbors and access city resources, all while enjoying free food and activities.
Need a massage, pedicure or refreshed hairstyle? There’s a new full-service spa for kids and adults in Old Town.
Last month, King’s Beauty Center and Nail Bar/King’s Men Spa fully opened at 1102 King Street. Until the end of May, they’re offering 20% off all their services.
It’s been a whirlwind month for Angelika O’Reilly.
Earlier this month, O’Reilly opened her first brick and mortar jewelry store Eliana Curated in Clarendon. Now she’s planning on a soft-opening for a second location at 1003 King Street next week, to be followed by a grand opening on Saturday, May 10.
On Sunday, April 27, at the Del Ray Garden Fest, Alexandria resident Bill Hendrickson received the Ellen Pickering Award for Environmental Excellence from the city.
Upon receiving the award, Bill made the following remarks about the city’s environmental plans and policies. Bill provided the remarks to ALXnow for consideration as a Letter to the Editor.
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Last year’s win was unbelievable. Without coaching, organization, or outside help, Alexandria’s Harlow Babic and Andrew Bell won the Virginia High School League’s debate state championship.
This year, after spending hundreds of hours building arguments, the defending state champs from Alexandria City High School were gearing up for two wins in a row. Their hopes were dashed three days before the April 26 tournament at James Madison University when told that they missed the registration deadline and couldn’t participate.