Good Wednesday morning, Alexandria!
🌤️ Today’s weather: Expect a slight chance of rain before 10am, with partly sunny skies and a high of around 61°F. The northwest wind will increase from 7-12 mph to 13-18 mph in the afternoon, gusting up to 28 mph. Tonight, mostly cloudy with a low around 41°F and winds at 11-16 mph, gusting to 23 mph. On Thanksgiving Day, enjoy sunny weather with a high near 55°F, northwest wind at 8-13 mph, and gusts up to 22 mph.
Retired Alexandria Sheriff Dana Lawhorne and former Alexandria City High School principal John Porter have been named the grand marshals of the 48th annual Alexandria Turkey Trot.
Lawhorne retired last year after a 43-year career in law enforcement in the city, and Porter was a teacher for Alexandria City Public Schools for more than 20 years and the principal at ACHS (back when it was named T.C. Williams High School) for 22 years.
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.
Before heading back down to Richmond in January, Alexandria’s state-level elected officials are hosting a townhall to hear from locals.
State Sen. Adam Ebbin, Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker, Del. Charniele Herring and Del. Alfonso Lopez are hosting a pre-legislative town hall on Wednesday, Nov. 29, at 6:30 p.m. in Alexandria City Hall.
(Updated 1:55 p.m.) The Alexandria Police Department is investigating the late night robbery of a 7-Eleven convenience store in Old Town.
Police said via dispatch that a Black male wearing a gray shirt, black hoodie, black ski mask, black puffy coat and black and white sneakers walked into the store at 800 Franklin Street, displayed a silver-colored handgun and fled the store with an undisclosed amount of cash.
Explore preschool & kindergarten options in Alexandria! Meet schools, ask questions & find the best match for your child’s early education.
Welcome to the Alexandria Preschool and Kindergarten Fair! Join us for a fun-filled event where parents can explore various preschool and kindergarten options for their little ones. Meet with representatives from different schools, ask questions, and gather information to make the best choice for your child's education. Don't miss this opportunity to discover the perfect match for your family! The fair is free to attend but advance registration is encouraged.
Looking to adopt a gentle and curious bunny?
Meet Simon, a male white and blue English Spot bunny who is up for adoption at the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria. Simon is currently in foster.
A 40-year-old man suffered a head injury when he was robbed in the West End early this morning, according to scanner traffic.
The Alexandria Police Department (APD) was notified at around 2:30 a.m. that a man was beaten and robbed outside an apartment building in the 5700 block of Merton Court, near the intersection with N. Beauregard Street in the Mark Center area.
After years of stalled planning, the Washington Business Journal first reported that Robinson Terminal North redevelopment could be revived.
The Journal reported that a new development concept plan has been filed with the city’s planning department. The plan will include multifamily residential, ground-floor retail and a restaurant, with mixed-use residential buildings straddling N. Union Street.
Good Tuesday morning, Alexandria!
🌧️ Today’s weather: Expect rain starting mainly after 9am with a high near 53, accompanied by breezy conditions as east winds of 9-14 mph increase to 15-20 mph in the afternoon, with gusts up to 32 mph. The chance of precipitation is 100%, with new precipitation amounts ranging from half to three-quarters of an inch. The rainy conditions continue into Tuesday night, mainly before 1am, and could be heavy at times. Expect a low around 48, with southeast winds at 15-20 mph becoming west at 7-12 mph after midnight, and gusts as high as 31 mph. The chance of precipitation remains 100%, with an additional 1-2 inches of rainfall possible.
(Updated 11/26) In true Alexandria fashion, a contentious debate over city zoning policy led to some unorthodox and occasionally offensive arguments, from calls for public officials to be spanked to an argument that affordable housing should go to “deserving blacks.”
Almost all of the five-hour public comment period, a follow-up to a six-hour public comment session from last week, was a civil — if heated — discussion over the merits of Zoning for Housing/Housing for All.
