Good Thursday morning, Alexandria!
🌤️ Today’s weather: Expect mostly sunny skies with a high around 47 degrees and a north wind at 6 mph during the day. Come Thursday night, the weather will turn mostly cloudy and the temperature will drop to around 30 degrees. The north wind will slow to 5 mph before becoming calm in the evening.
A man was taken to the hospital after stumbling into Tiger Market & Bakery (3903 Mount Vernon Avenue) with apparent stab wounds.
Scanner traffic indicated the incident happened around 4:40 p.m. Alexandria Police Department (APD) Communications Manager Tracy Walker told ALXnow a suspect fled the scene in a vehicle after allegedly stabbing a man in Arlandria.
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.
Inova Alexandria Hospital is currently a 318-bed community hospital. Once it opens its new hospital in Landmark in 2028, it’ll be a 192-bed hospital.
At a City Council meeting last week, Councilwoman Alyia Gaskins raised concerns from the community about the loss of beds in the new development. Dr. Rina Bansal, president of Inova Alexandria Hospital, said the decrease in beds is part of making services more efficient.
Alexandria’s 29th annual First Night celebration is just around the corner. Here’s what you need to know before the family-friendly event.
First Night runs from 2 p.m. until the fireworks show at midnight at the waterfront on Sunday, Dec. 31.
Spend the evening with Washington Spirit alum and former USWNT player Joanna Lohman, a true DMV women’s soccer legend.
This is your chance to meet Joanna in person, hear the stories behind the career, the competition, and The Amazing Race, and experience the kind of sports moment you’ll still be talking about long after the night is over.
Santa Claus will visit Alexandria for some waterskiing on the Potomac River on Christmas Eve (Sunday, Dec. 24), just hours before taking his round-the-world trip to deliver presents.
You can catch Santa at around 12:45 p.m. traveling up and down the Potomac, and rumor has it that the Grinch will try to steal the show with an appearance.
You’re probably sick of hearing this, but: Alexandria is a great place to spend the holidays.
Yet another online list ranked Alexandria at the top of “23 US Cities That Go All Out for Christmas,” this one from Condé Nast Traveler.
Grinches be warned, the King Street Trolley through Old Town will be more festive than usual this Friday.
DASH said this Friday, trolley 405 will feature musical performances by Alexandria City High School (ACHS) students.
Good Wednesday morning, Alexandria!
☀️ Today’s weather: Expect sunshine and a high of around 46 degrees, accompanied by a northwest wind blowing at 5 to 9 mph. As the night approaches, the sky will remain mostly clear with temperatures lowering to around 31 degrees, while the northwest wind continues at about 6 mph.
A task force recommended to the City Council at a meeting last week that the Torpedo Factory Art Center (TFAC) be converted (item 9) to a “quasi-public entity.”
According to a presentation, the task force said:
