Good Wednesday morning, Alexandria!
☀️ Today’s weather: The weather forecast predicts a sunny day with a high temperature near 79°F, accompanied by calm winds that will shift to a northwest direction at around 6 mph in the afternoon. Wednesday night will be mostly clear with a low temperature of around 60°F and light, variable winds.
Alexandria planning staff are recommending that City Council reverse a ruling by the Board of Architectural Review and allow a hair salon to keep an after-the-fact paint job on its exterior.
In May, the city was notified that the Glynn Jones Salon at 720 King Street painted a large portion of its exterior the color gray. On July 6, the Board of Architectural Review unanimously voted to deny the salon a certificate of appropriateness for the work.
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.
Get your costume ready, because the Halloween pop-up bar ‘Nightmare On The Avenue’ is opening early next week in Del Ray.
The pop-up bar at 2312 Mount Vernon Avenue is currently being decorated, and staff are concocting a spooky craft cocktail and food menu for the space that was home to the 80’s themed Miami Vibes popup bar during the summer.
(Updated on Sept. 21) This Saturday’s first-ever Eisenhower Rock the Avenue Block Party to promote the Eisenhower Valley has been postponed due to a rainy forecast.
“As of this morning, it is still calling for 100% heavy rain and high wind,” event organizers wrote in an email. “Given these predictions, it would be very hard to hold an event with these miserable conditions.”
**Sips & Shells: Holiday Oyster Shell Workshop at Hank's Oyster Bar**
Gather your girlfriends for a creative night out in Old Town Alexandria!
Meet the adorable Cooper!
This white and tan senior pup is looking for a forever home and is currently up for adoption at the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria.
The Alexandria Police Department says it is investigating multiple weapons violations over the weekend, including a man who was shot in the shoulder in a suspected carjacking in the West End.
The first incident occurred on Saturday, Sept. 17, around midnight in the 2000 block of N. Beauregard Street. The victim reported to police that her Airbnb guest pulled a handgun on her and fled the area in a black Kia Forte, according to the police scanner.
City leaders hope to make good use of the new government hub in the West End with a multi-language town hall event this weekend.
The event is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 24, from 1-3 p.m. in the Del Peper Community Resource Center (4850 Mark Center Drive) — colloquially called West End City Hall during development.
Good Tuesday morning, Alexandria!
☀️ Today’s weather: The weather forecast predicts sunny conditions with a high temperature of around 76°F and a northwest wind ranging from 6 to 11 mph. On Tuesday night, it will be mostly clear with a low temperature of about 56°F. The northwest wind will slow down to 5 to 8 mph before becoming calm in the evening.
After weeks of waiting, Alexandria Circuit Court Judge Katie Uston denied a petition to promote Alexandria Police Department Captain Monica Lisle to the rank of assistant police chief.
Lisle, a 29-year APD veteran, is a white, gay woman who has fought for more than a year to become the assistant chief of police. She sued the city after City Manager Jim Parajon refused a three-member city grievance panel’s order to promote her to the position after finding that she’d been harmed and discriminated against in her pursuit of the job.
