Travelers through Alexandria might want to steer clear of N. Henry Street in the Braddock neighborhood this weekend as a section of the road will be closed for construction work.
The 700 block of N. Henry Street — between Madison Street and Wythe Street, next to the Charles Houston Recreation Center — will be closed from 12:01 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 4.
Plans for Robinson Terminal North, one of the last missing pieces of Alexandria’s aspirations for a contiguous waterfront, are headed to city review next month.
The development, first reported last November, involves a multifamily residential building with ground-floor retail and a restaurant. The project is headed to the Board of Architectural Review on Wednesday, Feb. 21.
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.
Good Wednesday morning, Alexandria!
🌧️ Today’s weather: Expect scattered sprinkles and flurries before 8am, followed by more scattered sprinkles from 8am to 2pm. The sky will be mostly cloudy and the high temperature will be near 46, accompanied by a northeast wind at around 6 mph. Wednesday night will also be mostly cloudy, with a low temperature around 35 and a light, variable wind.
An Alexandria City High School student suffered a suspected non-fatal overdose inside the school, Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt announced to parents this afternoon.
“I am writing to make you aware of a suspected school-connected, non-fatal student overdose that happened today at Alexandria City High School — King St. Campus,” Kay-Wyatt wrote.
**Sips & Shells: Holiday Oyster Shell Workshop at Hank's Oyster Bar**
Gather your girlfriends for a creative night out in Old Town Alexandria!
Alexandria City Public Schools officials want to reach a collective bargaining agreement by the end of this year, and a resolution to approve the process will be presented to the School Board next week.
The draft collective bargaining resolution was reviewed last Thursday by the Board’s Collective Bargaining Committee, and Board Chair Michelle Rief said that the school system has a goal of coming to an agreement with staff by the end of this year. Such a deadline means that any major changes to staff benefits and compensation would be realized with next year’s passage of the Fiscal Year 2026 budget.
It got a little lost among the rush of news late last year, but we finally have an answer to what shut down the Alexandria Library’s electronic services last year.
For several weeks in July, the Alexandria Library was crippled by a ‘data incident’ that led to the city’s audiobooks, wifi, library card signup and more being shut down.
If it seems like a lot of folks are coming down with Covid, you’re not just imagining it; Alexandria has seen an increase in Alexandria Hospital admission levels for Covid this month.
Hospital admissions for Covid hit their peak for the last year during the week of Jan. 13, with roughly 10 hospital admissions per 100k residents.
Soma Yoga Healing Center, a new yoga studio at 2560 Huntington Avenue just south of Hunting Creek, held its grand opening this weekend.
The yoga studio offers a mix of private classes, group classes and workshops. The studio’s focus, according to the website, is using yoga to reduce anxiety and depression along with benefits like increased respiratory efficiency and gaining a better range of motion.
Good Tuesday morning, Alexandria!
🌥️ Today’s weather: Expect partly sunny skies with a high around 45 degrees, accompanied by a light southeast wind of 5 to 7 mph in the morning. Heading into Tuesday night, there is a 30% chance of rain and snow between 1am and 4am, transitioning to a chance of rain after 4am. The night will be mostly cloudy with a low near 36 degrees and a southeast wind of 3 to 6 mph.
