Good Monday morning, Alexandria!
☀️ Today’s weather: Expect a sunny day with highs near 46, and a northwest wind of 5 to 9 mph transitioning to a light west wind in the afternoon. Monday night brings increasing clouds and lows around 34, alongside calm winds which will turn southeast at around 6 mph after midnight.
It was a busy week in Alexandria, but this week had a particularly busy Tuesday night for first responders.
First was a standoff on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge around 7 p.m. when police from other regional jurisdictions chased an armed assault suspect onto the bridge.
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.
Sister Aniliza Juan’s days of hauling boxes up from a cramped basement to offer food to those in need are over.
The new food pantry at 4725 Eisenhower Avenue opened on Nov. 1, giving Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington a much larger, better-equipped facility to better provide for Alexandrians struggling to get by.
(Updated 1/9) A set of Complete Streets changes for Mount Vernon Avenue through Arlandria is headed through city review starting later this spring.
The City of Alexandria released a set of ‘preferred alternatives’ for changes to several Mount Vernon intersections. One of the biggest changes will be to the intersection with Glebe Road.
It's that time again – The November 14 Del Ray Vintage & Flea Market!
Saturday, November 14
9am-2pm
Louis Kokonis, an Alexandria City High School math teacher who worked in the school division for over 60 years, died yesterday.
Kokonis, 91, was renowned for his devotion to the students. A CBS article last year noted that Kokonis, who had no wife or children, offered free tutoring on Saturdays and was often the first to arrive at the school each day.
A Pennsylvania man was arrested for his third driving while intoxicated offense in five years and driving on a suspended license after allegedly crashing his car into The Majestic Restaurant’s outdoor patio and a number of other cars in Old Town on Thursday, Dec. 28.
The incident at The Majestic occurred at around 1:30 a.m., and the 25-year-old suspect was later arrested at around 6:30 a.m. after allegedly crashing a 2002 Camry with temporary tags into two unoccupied parked vehicles near the intersection of Commerce and S. Payne Streets.
(Updated at 1 p.m.) Alexandria won’t meet its state-mandated July 2025 deadline to complete its massive RiverRenew Tunnel Program, and two local members of the Virginia General Assembly will introduce bills this month extending the deadline by a year.
Virginia Senator Adam Ebbin (D-30) and Delegate David Bulova (D-11) are planning to introduce bills extending AlexRenew’s deadline to July 2026.
Good Friday morning, Alexandria!
☀️ Today’s weather: Expect sunshine and a high of 42°F, with northwest winds at 5 mph shifting to southwest in the afternoon. In the evening, anticipate increasing clouds and a low of around 29°F, accompanied by a south breeze of 3 to 5 mph.
Here in Alexandria, real estate is a spectator sport. Let’s take a look at some of the most and least expensive single-family homes sold last month (December 2023).
Most expensive single-family homes sold
