Update at 3:35 p.m. — The Interstellar Influencer commemorates the Chesapeake Bay impact crater, not the Chicxulub crater 35 million years earlier that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs
Earlier: The asteroid collision 35 million years ago will be the latest public art at Alexandria’s Waterfront Park.
Officials planning the $2 billion arena at Potomac Yard say that there will be multiple ways to park around and access the site, from accessing parking garages in nearby Crystal City and at Metro stations, with fans getting carted around in shuttles running up and down Potomac Avenue.
Transportation issues were the most frequently mentioned in a roundtable discussion on Monday with local business owners and representatives at Pork Barrel BBQ in Del Ray. The dozen or so business leaders otherwise expressed support for the project.
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.
This week is the peak of restaurant weeks for the season, with both the Metropolitan Washington Restaurant Week extended to this week and Alexandria Restaurant Week in full swing.
The Metropolitan Washington Restaurant Week has been extended through the end of this week, thanks to the snowy weather last week, giving locals another chance to check out the seven Alexandria locations participating. Restaurant Week involves restaurants having special menus at fixed prices: $25 or $35 for lunch or brunch and $40, $55 or $65 for dinner — which still isn’t exactly cheap, but in some cases is saving at certain local restaurants, and is designed to be an approachable introduction to these restaurants.
Bills have been introduced in both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly for a crucial piece of the Potomac Yard arena plans.
The arena requires a state-created Virginia Sports and Entertainment Authority to finance the arena’s construction and nearby buildings.
Event location
Duvall House
305 Cameron Street
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
Join George Washington at the beautiful, historic Duvall House—the site of his “coming home” celebration after the Revolutionary War! Libations and hearty hors d’oeuvres will be served. Tickets are $150 per person, with proceeds benefiting the 2027 George Washington Birthday Parade in Alexandria. Reserve your space at the event website, or email us at [email protected] if you prefer to pay at the door.
Good Tuesday morning, Alexandria!
🌥️ Today’s weather: Expect a mostly cloudy day with temperatures reaching around 42 degrees accompanied by light, variable winds. Moving into Tuesday night, there will be a 30% chance for rain primarily after 1am, while the skies remain mostly cloudy and low temperatures hover around 32 degrees. Winds will be light from the east.
Alexandria doesn’t have the resources to adequately cover the public safety aspect of the proposed Potomac Yard arena and entertainment district, sources in the Alexandria Police Department and Sheriff’s Office told ALXnow.
The city currently does not have the resources to cover the addition of the arena and entertainment district at Potomac Yard. The Alexandria Police Department has just over 300 officers, the Sheriff’s Office has around 165 deputies and the Fire Department has about 300 fire and rescue personnel.
Four intersections along N. Saint Asaph Street, near the Trader Joes and Harris Teeter, could have new ‘no turn on red restrictions’.
A report (page 12) to the Traffic and Parking Board — ahead of a meeting tonight (Monday) — said the intersections along N. Saint Asaph Street can be a dangerous combination of pedestrian traffic around the grocery stores coming into conflict with traffic spilling off Washington Street.
Alexandria Police Department is investigating two incidents of gunfire Sunday night, though no one was reported injured.
Eight-to-10 gunshots were reported just before 9 p.m. in the parking lot of the shopping center in the 4000 block of Mount Vernon Avenue. The victim told police that he got into an argument with a Hispanic male in the parking lot and that the suspect fired his handgun at him, striking his car, according to the police scanner.
A nighttime photo of the George Washington Masonic National Memorial in Old Town took fifth place in the Wiki Loves Monuments 2023 photo contest.
The annual contest, held by Wikipedia, highlights photographs of historic sites from the National Register of Historic Places.
