Good Thursday morning, Alexandria!
🌥️ Today’s weather: Clouds will gradually increase, reaching a high close to 70 degrees and accompanied by a south wind blowing at 6 to 11 mph with gusts up to 18 mph. Thursday night’s forecast is cloudy with the temperature dropping to around 55 degrees, and the south wind will persist at 7 to 9 mph.
It’s getting easier to bike to and from Alexandria’s new Potomac Yard Metro station.
Alexandria Transportation and Environmental Services said a new Capital Bikeshare station is now open just north of the station.
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.
Concerned about crime, flooding or taxes in Alexandria? There’s a public meeting this Saturday that could answer some of your most burning questions.
The Alexandria City Council will answer public questions in a town hall meeting on Saturday morning at Charles Houston Recreation Center (901 Wythe Street). The meeting is the second of its kind, after kicking off in September.
Police were sent to Alexandria City High School (ACHS) to respond to a possible brawl in the cafeteria.
Additional Alexandria Police Department (APD) units were requested at ACHS for a large fight in the cafeteria, according to scanner traffic.
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.
The City of Alexandria wants your trash.
Specifically, Alexandria wants your food waste. The city put out a call yesterday for residents who receive City trash and recycling services to register for a new Curbside Food Waste Composting Pilot that launched earlier this year. The goal of the program is to reduce and compost food waste, generate finished compost, and promote sustainability.
Department store chain T.J. Maxx announced the new Potomac Yard Center location (3875 Richmond Highway) will open tomorrow (Thursday).
The new location is opening in part of the old Shoppers Food Warehouse in Potomac Yard, relocating from the nearby 3451 Richmond Highway.
Good Wednesday morning, Alexandria!
☀️ Today’s weather: Expect mostly sunny conditions and a high temperature around 65 degrees, accompanied by a gentle west wind between 3 and 5 mph. In the evening, the sky will turn partly cloudy and the temperature will drop to around 49 degrees, with a south wind also blowing at 3 to 5 mph.
(Updated at 4 p.m. on Oct. 18) For at least five weeks, Loren DePina and her family will be forced live in a one-bedroom apartment until flooding damage in her three-bedroom Southern Towers apartment is fixed.
DePina’s and 13 other apartments at Southern Towers’ Sherwood building (5001 Seminary Road) were significantly damaged early Sunday morning by a water leak that worked its way from the eighth floor of the 15-story building all the way to the first floor. Video of the damage showed residents wading through inches of water in apartments and hallways and flooded elevators.
Nearly 500 signatures have been collected in an effort to name the new and yet-to-be-built athletic fields at Alexandria City High School’s Minnie Howard campus after former Mayor Kerry Donley.
A steering committee of civic leaders, colleagues and friends submitted the petition with 486 signatures yesterday to the Alexandria School Board. In their letter, the steering committee wrote that the name is fitting, as Donley’s contributions were through public governance, education and community service.
