The Little Theatre of Alexandria (600 Wolfe Street) is hosting a pair of staged reading events over the next two weeks to commemorate the murder of Matthew Shepard and raise funding for The Matthew Shepard Foundation.
Shepard, a young gay man in Laramie, Wyoming, was beaten, tortured and killed in a hate crime. Shepard’s murder sparked awareness of and advocacy for hate crime legislation, including the launch of the LGBT nonprofit Matthew Shepard Foundation by his parents.
Alexandria Police are investigating a robbery outside a Bank of America ATM in the West End.
The incident occurred at around 7 p.m. on Saturday (Sept. 30) in the 500 block of S. Van Dorn Street. The male victim reported that two suspects, a white male and a Black male, stole his wallet and phone and fled on foot, according to the police scanner.
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.
In-home childcare providers have, for years, faced a problem: many of them work in residential neighborhoods requiring Residential Parking Permits, leaving them with no good options for parking.
A zoning change working through city bureaucracy could make it easier for in-home childcare workers to secure parking in residential neighborhoods.
Normal train service resumed today on most Metro lines, but delays remain on the Blue and Yellow line after a derailment on Friday between the National Airport and Potomac Yard Metro stations.
Metro GM and CEO Randy Clarke said on Friday that a 7000-series train derailed after hitting a 20-inch diameter object on the tracks that fell from an earlier train, possibly part of the brake assembly.
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.
Good Monday morning, Alexandria!
☀️ Today’s weather: Expect a sunny day with a high near 83 and a mild northeast wind of around 6 mph, followed by a mostly clear night with a low temperature around 60. The east wind will be around 5 mph, becoming calm in the evening.
There are some exciting changes underway this week, from new businesses to new infrastructure improvements.
While Astro Beer Hall (4001 Campbell Avenue) is outside of Alexandria in the Shirlington neighborhood, the new donut shop and beer hall struck a nerve with Alexandrians.
At a town hall meeting last Sunday, most City Council members said — in no uncertain terms — that they are opposed to a ward system in Alexandra.
Currently, all City Council leaders are elected in an at-large system. Each Council member represents the city as a whole. D.C., on the other hand, had a City Council that’s a mix of at-large members and ward members — representatives of specific areas of the city.
Alexandria is bracing for a federal government shutdown at midnight on Sunday (Oct. 1).
The city is preparing a package of services for impacted city residents, should Congress not come to an agreement to continue funding the government by then, Assistant City Manager Sarah Taylor told City Council on Tuesday.
Shuttles are running between the Potomac Yard Metro station and National Airport Metro station after a derailment this morning.
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) said there were no injuries in the derailment and shuttles are ferrying passengers between the stations.
