Bad Axe Throwing‘s new West End location at 617 S Pickett Street is having a grand opening celebration this weekend, Alexandria Living Magazine first reported.
A representative of the ax-throwing bar said the location is currently open, but is planning a grand opening celebration this Friday and Saturday.
If your bookshelf is looking a little sparse, or you’re hoping to get a head start on Christmas shopping: Alexandria’s Beatley Central Library (5005 Duke Street) is hosting its fall book sale this week.
The event, organized by Friends of the Beatley Central Library, starts tomorrow (Wednesday) and runs through Monday, Oct. 23. A preview day is available today for Friends of the Beatley Central Library members.
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.
A 31-year-old Alexandria man is out on bond after being charged with allegedly brandishing a firearm and impersonating a police officer in the parking garage of his West End apartment complex. A search of the suspect’s vehicle yielded a firearm, stun gun, handcuffs, zip ties and a Geek Squad badge.
The incident occurred at around 1:30 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 8, in the 2800 block of Park Center Drive. Two tow truck employees were in the parking garage, when they saw a white BMW drive out of the garage and made eye contact with the driver, police said in a recently released search warrant affidavit.
Good Tuesday morning, Alexandria!
🌤️ Today’s weather: The weather forecast predicts a partly sunny day with a high temperature around 64°F and a northwest wind at approximately 8 mph. As for Tuesday night, the skies are expected to be partly cloudy, with the temperature dropping to around 47°F. The northwest wind at 5 mph will become calm as the evening progresses.
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.
A report on Alexandria’s Complete Streets program highlighted work done over the last year and a peek ahead at new bike lanes, sidewalks, trail improvements and more.
The Complete Streets presentation (starting with slide 36) is headed to the Transportation Commission on Wednesday, Oct. 18, alongside a report on the city’s Vision Zero project and Safe Routes to Schools.
The Female Stranger-honoring Long Black Veil isn’t the only Halloween-themed beer from Port City Brewing Company: the Alexandria brewery announced a Tasting Room-only event this Friday for a new pumpkin ale.
The new beer is Optimal Witch, described as a “Belgian-style pumpkin ale brewed with spices”, and a play on the popular Optimal Wit.
After more than a dozen complaints of outdoor grills sending smoke into neighboring Del Ray homes, City Council on Saturday unanimously approved a modified plan to allow Hi/Fi Tex-Mex BBQ to operate behind Evening Star Cafe.
The approval expands the concept’s hours of operation from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. (previously 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.), more outdoor seating (from 50 seats to 124 seats), live outdoor music Wednesday to Saturday, as well as permission to cook food from two outdoor smoker grills and selling the food from a temporary food trailer.
While the plan is to eventually create a new transit hub in the Landmark Mall redevelopment, the city is looking for grant funding to make the key transfer point more bearable in the near term.
The Transportation Commission is scheduled to vote on Wednesday, Oct. 18, to endorse a grant application to the Department of Rail and Public Transportation for up to $544,000.
Alexandria police investigated multiple felony assault calls over the weekend.
Monday morning, around 4 a.m., police responded to a domestic dispute at 200 block of Bluestone Road. According to the scanner, a woman told police her boyfriend had attacked her.
